What do you base your tarot interpretations on?

I was inspired by le pendu's post (which I wholeheartedly agree with) to create a poll. You can make multiple choices.

le pendu said:

What system do you use? Waite? Papus? Mathers? Golden Dawn? Crowley? Levi? Etteilla? Each of these will have their own interpretation, created by the creator.. why is their interpretation more valid than any other? There is no universal agreement on any card. There are no correct interpretations.

Or have you created your own system based on research, intuition, and experience. If so, that's certainly as valid as any other, but no more correct than any other.

Click to expand...

-- Lee

Lee: Interesting results considering the number of hits on the thread (which could also reflect repeat visits by the same members to view the results) far exceed the actual number of votes.

Btw: I voted for "Self-created system based on several sources" which is currrently in the majority.

As I posted in a different thread, I think I'm still at the one-word babbling stage in learning Tarot. I found that all book interpretations overwhelmed me, so I made up my own meanings, and I voted for "self-created system" on the poll. I'm not sure that I count, though, as I'm still very much at the beginning

I might end up using one of the "established" systems, who knows.

Sonja

skh said:

I'm not sure that I count, though, as I'm still very much at the beginning

Click to expand...

Everyone counts!

-- Lee

I voted for 'self created based on various sources'. It was the only one I could go for that encompasses the fact that I basically read everything, take as much on board as possible and then make up my own mind

Great poll idea, Lee!

In the context of reading with GD/RWS/Thoth decks, I voted for three choices: GD; RWS images; reactions to deck images.

In the context of reading with Tarot de Marseille decks, my reference points are different from those three choices.

Although I have voted on "Self-created system based on several sources", I must admit that I am most influenced by the Golden Dawn / Crowley.

I voted two:

- based on reactions to images
- self-created system based on several sources

Depends on how well the images speak to me immediately how much I use my system of meanings.
I could also have chosen "based on a particular deck", but I think even with a particular deck with its own system (like the Tarot of the Spirit) I still use my own system as well.

I expect my self-created system based on several sources will develop into a system with my own conclusions, but we'll see...

More than one of these approaches influences me--The RWS, because that is the the genre of decks that I use. But I'm starting to develop my own meanings for certain cards, spinning off from the traditional meanings, or in some cases going my own way when the cards refuse to communicate their traditional meanings, so I am developing bits of a self-created system.

I guess I'm following what I would call a comparative/intuitive path. Instead of reading a lot of interpretative books, I'm looking at a lot of interpretive pictures, eg. decks designed along the RWS tradition. As a visual person, this tells me so much more than mere words could.

Sometimes I spread out three or four decks, one above the other, and look at the different shades of meanings.

ambermoon

Intuition.