What is the difference between reading tarot cards for divination, and reading the sceptic’s way?
Let’s look at the similarities first.
Similarities
The same techniques are used to read a divinatory spread and a reflective (sceptic's) spread.
Both divinatory readings and sceptic readings are reflections about:
- solving problems,
- gaining insight and understanding into a situation, and
- exploring and understanding yourself.
Both follow the same process: asking a question, choosing a spread, shuffling the cards, and drawing cards to lay them out in a spread.
Both ways of reading use intuition to link the cards to each other and to the situation.
In both, the interpretation of a card can be based on traditional or book meanings, or on the intuitive understanding of how a card can be interpreted in a particular set of circumstances.
In both cases, the reading can involve a querent who—ideally—is guided to interpret the cards. It is also common for the reader to do the reading for her/himself as introspection.
And finally, both types of reading seek meaning in seemingly arbitrary, meaningless events.
The differences
A divinatory reading seeks to uncover 'the truth' of what happened, what is, and what could be. Reading the cards the sceptic's way is to reflect on a problem, with the aims to thoroughly understand the situation and to come up with a solution.
The main difference lies in the assumption of where the answers come from. In a divinatory reading, the belief is that there is more involved than that just the reader and the cards. At least one other influence is assumed: a mystical or magical influence that can be some form of higher power, a guide, synchronicity, the deep unconscious, or extrasensory perception. Together with the reader’s own knowledge and intuition, these influences provide the interpretation of the cards. These interpretations—depending on the reader’s skill in accessing them—form the basis of a divinatory reading. In the sceptic’s way, the answers are expected to come from the mind. We project our concerns on the cards, which act as stimulants for us to reflect on the problem. It is also the mind and imagination that produce solutions.
We have more wisdom and answers than we realize. The mind contains an unimaginable pool of knowledge and potential, which enables it to discern patterns, combine pieces of information to form new ideas, and make insightful connections (the “A-ha!” experience).
In a sceptic's reading the cards prompt us to think about our problem in an active, structured way. We make connections between the cards and our memories, thoughts, ideas, emotions, knowledge, and observations. To these we add logic and reasoning and, most importantly, imagination, to explore the problem.
Our thoughts easily get stuck in a rut. If we have a problem, our mind tends to go over and over the details of the problem, seeking solutions. Since we tend to mull over what is already known, it can be difficult to step back and see the problem from a distance. A divinatory reading is a search for the truth from and beyond circumstances. In a sceptic's reading, the cards prompt the reader to approach the problem from different, fresh, angles. That is: through the lens of the cards.
A reflective reading serves a different purpose from a divinatory one. Whereas the divinatory reading attempts to access knowledge not immediately visible (hidden knowledge, in other words), and in such a way come up with a solution, a reflective reading ‘puts all cards on the table’ (pun intended! All the known facts should be put on the table.) and then try to find solutions by 1) looking at the problem differently (through the lens of the cards), 2) thinking up solutions, stimulated by the stirring images on the cards, and 3) distracting ourselves as our thinking is jolted to go in a different direction from before.
Another difference is that in a divinatory reading, a card generally has one particular meaning or cluster of meanings. In a sceptic’s reading, a card can have many, even contradictory, meanings in the same spread. All possible interpretations of a card contain information that we can use.
In a divinatory reading,the discussion or reflection stays with whatever meaning can be derived from the card in a particular position in the spread. In a reflective reading, any thoughts that come up may be used for reflection, whether they are related to the cards or not. In general, the sceptic reader takes all the thoughts that come up in relation to a card, and ask him/herself:
- Is this true?
- What if it were true?
- If it is not true, what is the truth?
- Do I want this to be true? If not, what do I want?
However, the cards are there to serve as stimuli, not as 'the truth,' which means that any thoughts are useful.
In a divinatory reading, the belief is commonly that each card drawn is chosen with the guidance of a higher power, synchronicity, or deep unconscious forces. For a sceptic, the cards are assumed to be random stimuli for the imagination.