card meanings and major life events

Several months ago a close family member died. During the mourning period immediately after I was using the Cosmic deck, which was new then. I'd never worked with it before and it became my lifeline then. There are certain cards that have retained very specific meanings from that period, and I can't get past those meanings. The man in the 8 of cups, for example, is my partner in mourning and the 8 of pents is his mother's grave (with the wreaths on it and all). I can never read those cards any other way, and when they come up in a reading, I have to scrap the reading. Anyone ever had that happen?

Sorry for your partner's loss

BrightEye said:

There are certain cards that have retained very specific meanings from that period, and I can't get past those meanings.

Click to expand...

Well, i actually stick with the specific meanings for some time... The personal meanings i associate with the cards change every let's say couple of months - at some point of time for example 8oP inevitably meant applied arts and 8oS - some kind of a miraculous and unexpected twist... For that period of time while that meanings make sense to me - they seem make sense for the people i read for; btw, meanings can be formed by my experience, by a book i am reading, by a thread here... just about anything... its as if a certain card for a certain period of time for me is charged with a specific message/meaning; than it fades away and is replaced with something else.
Longest i think was for some six months, not more.

BrightEye said:

I can never read those cards any other way, and when they come up in a reading, I have to scrap the reading.

Click to expand...

I think it all depends on how you feel about it - if it bothers you, let it be for some time, until you feel comfortable with it again... or, if you feel its some kind of blockage - ask the cards themselves what can you do about it or which are the alternative meanings that can be used, stuff like that that will encourage you to leave behind the fear.
(I felt similar for Death card for quite some time, after couple of times it did literally predict passing away, so i understand... Also, maybe you recall i had that *thing* with the Sun that meant all to me, but the good and the positive. )

Is it just with that deck or those cards in any deck?

I have had striking meanings come out with certain cards from time to time, and sometimes they come back to mind when I do other readings. So yes, to a lesser extent than you describe, that has happened. I am guessing that the strong emotions around her death have imprinted those meanings to those cards. You may not be able to use that deck for quite some time.

Alta

interesting point...

I actually had this same question. Is this one of the reasons you shouldnt do so many self-readings?? because you imprint the cards of a specific deck with your personal meanings and it becomes difficult to be objective when do readings for others with the same deck?

saleeneh said:

I actually had this same question. Is this one of the reasons you shouldnt do so many self-readings?? because you imprint the cards of a specific deck with your personal meanings and it becomes difficult to be objective when do readings for others with the same deck?

Click to expand...

I didn't have the option of going to a reader then and I needed the comfort of the cards.

I suspect it is as Alta and mdr say: emotions and thoughts imprint themselves on the cards, and it can be very hard to unblock that.