When you think of a tarot reading, you may think of the querent asking the tarot reader to do a reading to help them gain insight into a particular issue they are facing. And then, the tarot reader pulls cards and sets them down on the surface to create a spread, which will be how the tarot reader delivers the message to the querent. The spread would be a three-card, five-card, seven-card, or any numbered card spread to provide the message that the querent needs. And that would be it. Then, of course, you would expect the reader to put the rest of the tarot cards away during that particular reading. However, the cards in the spread may not always be the only cards that can provide insight or accuracy in the reading you want.

The Tarot Spread May Not Accurately Send A Strong Message

Sometimes additional cards are needed for the tarot reader to deliver a more potent, accurate, and meaningful message to the querent. And it is time to delve into that further. That is why I will talk about the significator, jumper, shadow, and clarifier tarot cards. Are you feeling somewhat confused by those names? If so, don’t worry, and I understand. There is a lot of jargon regarding tarot, which also applies to anything else. Let’s start by talking about the significator.

What Is The Significator?

The significator tarot card is the card that represents the querent, as it is best to use it from another tarot deck or even a playing card deck. That is because you do not want to use any cards to do the reading, as it will take a card away from that deck that may come up to deliver a message. The card representing the individual you are reading for would reflect their personality or sun sign. The card you choose as the significator would be up to the querent.

For example, if you are reading for a woman over 30 who is a Virgo, you may use the Queen of Pentacles as the significator because it is an earth sign. And you will want to use it from another deck in case the Queen of Pentacles needs to deliver a message to the querent from the deck you are using to do the reading. You can also take the Queen of Diamonds from a playing card deck, as that would represent earth. Or, if she does not resonate with that card, even though she has an earth sign but is the type that considers her a teacher, then you can use the Hierophant as the significator.

Many tarot readers who do the Celtic Cross spread (which is the one I do not do because I don’t find it necessary as there are other excellent spreads to take its place) use a significator, but it is not required. I do not use them, but some readers feel they work better that way. Now Let’s talk about the jumper.

What Is The Jumper?

When a tarot reader is shuffling their cards while doing a reading and cards begin to fly out, then those are jumpers. And jumpers are tarot cards that add value to a reading. So, for example, if you are doing a three-card relationship spread while shuffling the cards, and suddenly one falls out, you will want to keep it face down until you are ready to do the reading. This is because that card that fell out provides an important message.

Therefore, as soon as you begin the reading, you will pull the jumper card, which happens to be the Hermit. The Hermit in a relationship reading always tells you not to rush into anything and to reflect on what you need and want in a relationship. Therefore, that was the critical message the reader had to tell the querent. So, before jumping into any relationship (or rushing out of it if that is what the reading is about), do some reflection to figure out what a true relationship means. Ignore the rest if more than three cards jump out in a shuffle. I don’t pay attention to more than three cards falling out. It only means I need to improve my shuffling skills if that happens. I will talk about the shadow card now.

What Is The Shadow Tarot Card?

When you draw your cards after shuffling, those are the cards you use in the spread. However, if you look at the card at the bottom of the deck, that is the card that indicates the energies influencing the situation that you do not see. For example, the reading will show you why you are struggling if you want a tarot reader to look into your spiritual path but feel lost and don’t feel like you have a direction. However, if the reader looks at the bottom of the tarot deck and it shows the Devil, that indicates that the querent has too many unhealthy attachments that interfere with their path. Therefore, they need to address those issues before figuring out their way. Finally, let’s go over the clarifier cards.

What Are Clarifier Tarot Cards?

If the tarot reader draws a spread that does not provide enough information to the querent during the reading, they pull other cards from the deck to help bring more accurate insight. It does not matter how many cards are in a spread. Sometimes the message to the querent needs more clarity. Therefore, the tarot reader may have to pull several extra cards to provide the insight that the querent is satisfied with as one may not be enough.

Sometimes clarifier cards may lead to other questions about the original question the querent asked. For example, if the querent went to a tarot reader and asked them if their partner is happy in the relationship, the spread did not answer the question. Still, the clarifier card pulled the Ten of Swords – then the reader would ask the querent if they feel anything about their relationship is salvageable considering that the partner has “checked out” of it.

That alone would make the querent realize it is time to move on since the partner is unhappy in the relationship and may have ended it on a soul level but is barely present because they may fear breaking it up. That means the querent must do the unpleasant job to have that talk with their partner and learn where they stand. They already know it is over, but they need to hear it from their partner and finish it off after having that talk.

Are paying attention to the significator, jumper, shadow, or clarifier essential when doing a tarot reading? It is up to the reader. There is no right or wrong way to do a reading. I use clarifiers, sometimes shadows, and jumpers, but I do not use significators because that is the way I read.

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