3 of Wands - again!!!

I've read many threads about the 3 of Wands being a positive card - ships coming in etc. I have the Universal Waite deck and although even Waite himself describes the card in a positive fashion, I don't see it that way. In every other card where water is depicted, the water is blue. This card however, shows the ships surrounded by yellow - as if they are stuck in a desert of sand. So whenever I look at this card I see frustration, helplessness, yearning.
Does anyone else see it this way?

I know a couple readers who interpret this card as 'sadly being stuck in the past', due to the way the guy is facing.

freddie

ps: In the albano the water is blue, but the sky is bright orange lol..

I too have the Universal Waite deck, and yes the water is yellow. I believe that the person on the card is still in the dreaming and planning phase.

What is waiting for him is still in the unconscious..that which can't be seen just yet.

It could also be a call to take the path less -traveled.

I like to use number and element in my readings as well as the image and I also link the Minors to the numerical equivalent Major so the threes are all aspects of The Empress to me.

I use the Albano deck as my main reading deck so it has blue water but I did use a regular RWS for ages and so see what you mean about the boats that look beached.

For me you have the energy being offered in the ace then in the two you decide what to do with that energy; should you stay in your castle or venture into the wide world?
With the three I see that the decision has been made and the energy has been sent forth and directed into a project. Whether or not the boats are just leaving or returning depends on the context, the card position and the other cards. Whether or not the venture is successful or not also depends on those things. The man on the cliff is anticipating the outcome and he's up high so he's looking at the bigger picture.
Because this card is linked to The Empress I've also read it as taking the energies of the one and two into the community as well as expansion, creativity and growth.

It's not always a good card to me but it's not always a bad one either but then I don't read any of the cards as always good or bad - their meanings change depending on the reading.

I am a psychic and I come from a psychic family. What I was taught and is always true for me, is that you go by YOUR instict from a card. When I was growing up, I always saw the 3 of pentactles (RWS) as a baby being baptized in a church, I always see it as a church.

It isn't the meaning or what I was taught, but I always saw it in the card.

When that card shows up for me, it does signify that I am am usually right on in the reading. The cards and your inner self , knows what you know. So, if you feel it is negative, go with it. GO by your feeling. I love tarot books, and have hundreds but many don't teach that, it isn't totally the meanings, half of it is you. You intuition. strictly going by rote meanings builds memorization , rarely intuition.

I replied to the previous post but the Mods sent it to Readings as I'd put my interpretation of a reading in the post.
So apologies if anyone thought I hadn't responded!

Yes. I am beginning to go by my gut instincts now, but sometimes it can feel wrong. A bit like a cryptic crossword puzzle. You know straight away the clue can have more than one meaning and more than one answer springs to mind at the same time! Both fit and both make sense but neither of them feel right.

The reading from this thread is here: http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?p=2324854

Three Wands & the Golden Sea

Hi Brown Eyes, I see the sea as "golden" rather than yellow, which is an auspicious sea of success, prosperity, riches & favour. It is a sea of promise & advantage. Wild West Barbie