Of intention and card reading

What is the power behind the cards? What power makes certain cards be chosen in an specific moment, fall into an specific position and deliver a message? I do not presume to know the answer to these question for sure, and I think that every card reader has his own personal answers to them.

I do believe that there's some special kind of energy behind every reading. It does not necessarily come from a higher power of any sort though - it comes from the reader and the sitter. I call it "intention".

For me, intention is the desire to know something, to receive an answer. It is an ardent question, and the strongest and clearest it is, the more powerful the reading will be. It is what separates empty questions and real questions - and what separate dull readings from intense ones.

Intention is actually present in all aspects of life, not just divination. It can be translated in "what you really want". In times like ours, in which there is so much to want, and our focus changes constantly, it may be hard to feel that deep and intense wish for something. But we still have many moments like this. Like when we are in love, or like when we wish to accomplish one thing above all else. This guides us, guides our steps and our choices.

This is the same power that guides the cards, but in card reading, this intention is presented as a question. The real desire to know something will give the cards a strong vibration, and (if the reader is skilled) the cards will truly shine on the table. That's why when people don't really have a question, the reading is a bit boring. Because there was no real intention behind the question, no real desire to know, so the cards work with a weak vibration.

This for me explains many interesting happenings in the card reading practice. Like when you ask a question, but the cards relate to a completely different situation. You ask about your job, but they show you your family situation. You think that it's because you shuffled them wrong, or maybe they are messing with you head... but no. Sometimes, what we really want to know (where our intention is) is something completely different from what leaves our lips. We think we want to know about our job, but all our being, every cell, is worried about our family. Which intention do you think will prevail?

Another thing I saw happening a few times is when the querent asks a question, but actually does not want to know the answer. Of course they are usually unaware of this. They ask you for a reading because they think they want to know (or think they should know), but all their intention is focused on avoiding the answer. The cards will not work against this wish, and the reading will end up being rather insipid.

Sometimes, the cards will even make it clear that the sitter is not ready to know the answer. They'll give you a very closed reading, with few insights. Needless to say, most of querents really don't like when this happens...

For me, the intention is behind all this. The cards will always work with your intention, and never against it. That's why it is so tricky to read for yourself about important matters, specially if you wish for an specific outcome. Your intention cannot focus on simply getting a sincere answer, and your capacity to interpret the reading with the necessary impartiality is usually reduced.

And that's also why daily readings tend to be weak readings. Because they usually lack intention. While useful for practice when you are starting off, after a while they stop being really insightful. But that is subject for a future post...