Pick a Card, Any Card

A lot of readers start their day with a one card pull. It's easy enough to do, just pull a card from your favorite deck, and use that to get a sense of the day ahead.  Another use for the one-card draw is the quick reading, when you need just a flash of insight into a certain problem or situation. 

But to be honest, I don't really like 1-card readings, having that single image floating around without context. Sometimes the interpretation of a one-card reading feels too abstract or theoretical. At times you may stare at a card wondering how on earth that applies to your day, or your issue. 

When I want a quick, concise reading, I do a 2-card 1-card reading (or even a 3-card 1-card reading), or perhaps I should rename it the 2-card 1-sentence reading. Basically, I'll draw two (or more) cards, and make a sentence out of them. 

Let's say I draw the Hierophant one morning. A card about tradition, values, foundation, dogma (or even dismantling dogma). How is that going to apply to my coming day? Am I going to be engaging in some traditional event I didn't even know was coming up? Am I going to be expressing my values in some way? Will I be going to church? It isn't even Sunday!

Instead, we pull two cards. Hierophant, and 3 of Pentacles. Both very earthy cards, you've got a lot of work planned for today, so this feels more on the money. 3 of Pentacles is a card of work, often cooperative work. If you make a sentence out of these two cards, it might be "One of your core values is hard work". Heck, the cards are right! But that message doesn't feel complete. It's telling me something I already know. What if we draw a third card to get a little clarity? 

4 of Swords. Aha! The card of rest. Hierophant, 3 of Pentacles, and 4 of Swords. What if you create a sentence that sounds like advice from a friend? "Hey, I know that one of your core values is hard work, but you've been doing a lot of that lately. Maybe you should take some time to rest and recharge." Now you have a short, one-sentence (actually that was two-sentences) reading that really brings that original Hierophant card down to earth. It now applies to your life and is something you can act upon. 

Maybe you prefer to interpret the 3 of Pentacles as collaborative work. The sentence could be "I know you place a high value on teamwork, but I think you need to take some time for yourself today" Always use your interpretation, for the deck you're using. 

I also do this with larger spreads, and have found it works better for me. Instead of placing one card in a spread's position, I place two (they can even be from different decks, or can be one card from a tarot deck, and one from an oracle deck. Experiment! Mix it up) For instance, if I'm doing a 3-card past, present and future spread, I'll put 2 cards in each position (essentially making it six-cards but hey, who's counting?). That way I'll have a concise sentence for each position. 

Here's a few more examples: 

• 8 of Swords + 8 of Cups + the Devil: Girl I know you're feeling stuck, but you need to leave that asshole.
• Ace of Wands + 6 of Cups + 10 of Wands: Follow your dreams while you're still happily unaware of the horrors of reality.
• 3 of Swords + 6 of Swords + 3 of Wands: I know you've been down in the dumps lately, but a change of scenery might expand your horizons and give you a greater clarity of vision.
• 5 of Cups + 4 of Pentacles: You might be holding on to your money, but with your excessive penny-pinching, you're hemorrhaging friends. 

And like I say, be flexible in your interpretation. The deck you're using, your personal interpretations, and the situation will all influence the sentence you created. 

The image is from The Alchemical Tarot Renewed, by Robert M Place.