Intuitive? What is intuitive?

Hi all, I was just reading some of the posts in JadoreHauteCouture's thread about real or fake tarot readings http://tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=176243 (great thread, by the way, Jadore! )

So this thread is kind of a riff on that, and I guess too on Carla's fascinating thread in regard to applying astrology to readings, http://tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=174529 because both of those threads have gotten me to thinking about what an "intuitive" reader really, really is.

After reading and participating in both of the excellent, thought-provoking threads mentioned above, I now find myself really confused about what intuitive means, when applied to reading the tarot.

I have always understood *Intuitive Reader* to mean that you know perfectly well what the cards mean in the traditional sense, but that you apply your gut and inner voice to your interpretation of the traditional meanings (while *keeping* the traditional meanings!) so that you are drawing on gut AND tradition to read, only, as opposed to applying many other methods (i.e., numerological, astrological, Quabalic (sp?) ) *in addition* to the traditional meanings.

I would love to hear how all of you perceive and define "intuitive" and what you think it actually really means. Is my understanding of the term correct? ***Please note, this thread is NOT intended to begin a bun-flinging-fight over whose methods are right or better!*** I am NOT concerned about who reads how, it's whatever works for you, I just want to hear the DEFINITION of Intuitive Reader, as perceived, understood and accepted by the AT group.

yes your meaning is correct

For me doing anything intuitively is going with your first feeling about it, not going with your thoughts. heart over head. in terms of Tarot reading you don't even need to know traditional meanings to read intuitively. You could do a reading of multiple cards but not know the "book" meanings, you would look at the pictures and give your interpretation on what you feel from the cards and about the situation. But you have to really have confidence and trust in your intuition!

Also in my personal spirituality I am not sure where the intuition comes from. I am not sure if its psychic, from a spirit guide or other force, or universal energy or what. I like to think about it as a message from the universe, karmic, rather than communicating with spirit but everyone has a different opinion on that!

danieljuk said:

yes your meaning is correct

For me doing anything intuitively is going with your first feeling about it, not going with your thoughts. heart over head. in terms of Tarot reading you don't even need to know traditional meanings to read intuitively. You could do a reading of multiple cards but not know the "book" meanings, you would look at the pictures and give your interpretation on what you feel from the cards and about the situation. But you have to really have confidence and trust in your intuition!

Also in my personal spirituality I am not sure where the intuition comes from. I am not sure if its psychic, from a spirit guide or other force, or universal energy or what. I like to think about it as a message from the universe, karmic, rather than communicating with spirit but everyone has a different opinion on that!

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Well, I think you should start a thread about "where" it comes from! That is another excellent question, danieljuk!

But, I am just concerned with definition here - so you say I have the correct definition, but then you talk about not using the traditional meanings as well as the gut, just using the pictures to prod the gut into reading... I think I meant using *both* the traditional meanings in addition to the gut...so I am still a bit confused! lol thanks for your feedback, I will think about your other interpretation of 'Intuitive".

Any other definitions out there?

Lotus Padma said:

Any other definitions out there?

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There was a thread that had quite a few interesting ideas...

Le Fanu said:

There was a thread that had quite a few interesting ideas...

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A fascinating read, thanks, Le Fanu! As always, you are very helpful

I guess it kind of negates the need for this thread. ;p

But it still implies that an intuitive reader is someone who blindly leads from the gut, like the Fool, and that is not how I see it - I thought intuitive simply meant that one added the gut to one's traditional interpretations of the cards...perhaps I have my definition worng, then? Here I have been saying all along I am an intuitive reader, when in fact, it seems I am not! ;p

Lotus Padma I think most people do a bit of both, that's what I do. know the basic themes and keywords of the cards and then use your intuition. You can think of it as purely intuitive or completely based on learnt wisdom and knowledge. But it's not that black and white, probably everyone mixes it up! I think I base my interpretations too much on things I have learnt and trying now to get a feeling or message from the spreads. I feel less confidence about intuition, but its something I am practising to improve. trusting it

danieljuk said:

Lotus Padma I think most people do a bit of both, that's what I do. know the basic themes and keywords of the cards and then use your intuition. You can think of it as purely intuitive or completely based on learnt wisdom and knowledge. But it's not that black and white, probably everyone mixes it up! I think I base my interpretations too much on things I have learnt and trying now to get a feeling or message from the spreads. I feel less confidence about intuition, but its something I am practising to improve. trusting it

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the gut never lies your inner voice will sometimes say the silliest or most random, unlikely things, but you'll know they are true if they come from your gut! You can totally feel the difference. It is very good to trust it - if humankind hadn't trusted their guts, we would be extinct by now

It's the mind and the ego that get in the way...and makes us different from the quadrupeds. (and bipeds with feathers or wings, and no-peds! lol)

I know it isn't black and white in the interpretation, danieljuk, but I was trying to find the actual definition. Because it is often called for, or one feels the need to say, before helping others with a read, "I am an intuitive reader" (as though it were an illness of some kind! lol!) As I often get awesomely accurate answers while reading for others, merely based on intuition AND the meanings of the cards as handed down through the ages, I have rarely felt the need to add more to it. It seems to me, now, that my gut knows almost better than the cards do, and the cards are just an excuse for my "listening gut" to exercise my intuition.

Sorry for rambling, but I know I have a point here. As I often point out to a friend of mine, and as my brother (who was a sorcerer, now deceased) once told me, you can read bottlecaps and still come up with the answer. ;p

Anyways, The point was, the actual definition of intuitive reader! lol!

Some people say that they can't read for themselves. I think that may be because they read intuitively, and it may be possible for intuition to be influenced by wishful thinking. I read mostly for myself, so I try to be as objective as possible. I use astrological and Qabalistic attributions as well as numerological methods, and I try to keep intuition as minimal as possible. This way, self-reading works quite well. Moreover, I'm interested in esotericism and occultism anyhow, so it all works out very nicely. It suits me to a T, but it's not recommended for anyone who has no interest in such things.

I think that the only way that I can define Intuitive Readings is to tell the story of the first time I had an Intuitive experience.

I was doing a reading exchange here on AT, with the Legacy of the Divine. This was back in 2009. I was in looking at the King of Wands, and out of the blue I noticed that the way his wand/staff crossed his belt looked a lot like the number seven. Intellectually speaking, based on what I had learned about tarot, there was absolutely no connection between the King of Wands and the number seven. But once the image was there, I couldn't see anything else.

I was still doubting myself a bit, but I deliberately mentioned seeing the Seven. And then I moved on to the next card, which was trump 7, the Chariot!

Since that moment, I have always allowed intuition into my readings. I know the cards, and I know their traditional meanings. But I also LOOK at the cards. I let myself see whatever my mind, conscious or unconscious, finds in the image.

That's what Intuition is. Going beyond meanings, beyond facts. Saying the first thing that you see, no matter whether it makes sense, because it will make sense to the person who needs to hear the message.

Lotus Padma said:

I would love to hear how all of you perceive and define "intuitive" and what you think it actually really means.

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when i hear the word intuitive i think" natural." almost like the meaning "instinctive."

I went to school for IT and we made websites that were supposed to be intuitive. i think that meant we were supposed to build a website that would be pretty easy for people to navigate just by looking at it. It was a while back ago though so Im not sure?

But anyway, thats what i think when I hear "intuitive" in a reading sense.I dont think of it as meaning "psychic." I dont think of it as meaning "accurate." I just see it as meaning the person came up with the meaning almost instinctually.