Ever notice that a card or two seems to “jump” out of the deck when you are shuffling? These cards are often called “jumper” cards, and there are different ways to handle these cards in a reading.
As always, you can choose whatever method works best for you.
- You can put the cards back in the deck and keep shuffling. You don’t have to read a card that falls out. Usually, this is what I do. I do, however, take note of the card in case it reappears in the reading. When the jumper card shows up again, that means it’s particularly significant, and you should pay attention.
- You can use the card as the center card in the reading, or a card that’s above or below the usual spread. Readers call this card a “significator,” and it represents the disposition of the seeker who is getting the reading. This card can give you a clue as to what is on the seeker’s mind or what energy they are bringing into the reading. For instance, if the seeker got the Snake card, they might be distrustful about what you have to say. Or they may be experiencing someone in their life who is deceiving them. Or temptation in general could be the theme of the reading. (Snake, of course, has many other meanings, and you will be able to determine its significance by reading it in context with the other cards in the layout.)
- You could simply use the jumper card to start the reading and put it in the first position of the spread. I don’t usually do this, because I don’t personally feel that jumper cards are especially significant unless they recur (and, of course, you won’t know if they recur unless you put it back into the deck and keep shuffling).
As I said, you can really use any method you want to deal with jumper cards. Sometimes you will even have more than one. If you get three or more, it’s worth paying some attention, or slowing down on shuffling, so you aren’t having cards slip out of your hands.
Some readers (who are reading for others) may even see jumper cards as messages to themselves, as the jumper cards may be giving them some extra insights or warnings about their own issues. Again, it’s up to you to intuit how the cards are speaking to you, so you can give the most accurate reading possible. As always, there’s no need to worry about these little details. With enough practice, you will get into a rhythm and be able to easily discern what to do as things come up.