Have cards ever jumped out of the deck while you were shuffling them? It happens to me sometimes, no matter how careful I am. Sometimes it is clearly clumsy shuffling. Sometimes the jumping seems unaccountable. Jumping cards happen. The question is...do they mean anything and if so, how do incorporate that meaning into a reading? There is an old tarot saying: If it falls on the floor, it's at the door. We usually take that to mean, if a card comes out of the deck, it represents something that will happen very soon. I do have a fancy for some of the old, charming tarot practices (such as viewing the 9 of Cups as the Wish Card), and like to bring them into my practice in a modern and

Before digging into the details of a reading, I like to get an overview. Looking at the big picture helps me relate the details in a reading to each other, creating a more coherent message. I think of it as an artist first sketching in a composition and then going in a filling in the details. The sketch helps keep everything in perspective and in right relation. The details give the image nuance and bring it to life. 1. Look for Major Arcana cards. The Majors make up fewer than one-third of the deck. If there are more than that in a reading, it tells me that there is something bigger going on than perhaps the querent thinks. There are life lessons and probably many forces beyond the