Question re different interpretations

I have a question re people's different interpretations of the cards, I hope I have put in the right forum.

If, when your reading, a card means something to you, but something totally different to the next person, (and also different from the book meaning), are you going to get a bit of a flawed result if you post it for someone else to interpret?

I'm not putting this very well, but what I am trying to ask is whether the cards will answer based on YOUR own personal interpretation and instincts, and so if anyone else reads it, will it be wrong because of their own personal thoughts?

I hope I have got over what I mean. I have confused myself now!!

I think it's a very important question.

Personally, I consider that a spread is there to be interpreted by the reader.

Having others interpreting the reading (by either posting it or discussing it in the context of others being physically present) is, however, a very useful pedagogical tool: one learns how various cards may further be seen by various people in the context presented.

It is a little like listening to and analysing stories: that can certainly help in developing one's own story making, but in the act of telling, a story teller needs to allow the narrative to occur and emerge of its 'own' accord, and without constant reference to textual reference or analysis.

Interesting question.

I did a reading about my spirit guide drawings, and I used the Marseille Hadar. The thing about such a deck as this, in that it uses 'pip' cards which show a number of symbols rather than having full illustrations, is that the Minors are interpreted based on the symbolism of number and suit. This means that when I drew the Six of Cups for the future, I saw it as referring to the aura and the six colours of the artist's spectrum, Cups symbolising colours of a psychic creed - I found so much significance in this! Yet, had I posted this reading on the forum for other's comments, no doubt there would have been those who would have spoken about 'childhood memories' based on the RW imagery that they may be used to, or spoke of Crowley's 'pleasure'. Yet these interpretations would not have been as significant as the clear message I was being given to move onto introducing colour to my drawings, and begin also depicting people's auras, which spoke to me loud and clear.

I did consider posting this reading and asking only people to interpret as they would with their own 'pip' decks, Waite and Crowley out of the way.

Having said that, I don't think that there is anything wrong with the alternate perspective of others. If another person was to look at these cards who is accustomed to RW imagery, then they could offer me a perspective I may not have considered, a person accustomed to as Thoth perspective might offer me yet another.

I am however, coming to the view, after 11 years of reading, that whereas in the beginning, fully illustrated Minors and keywords may be a great help, but when more experienced they narrow down our scope for interpretation, and dazzle us into overlooking significant and important things, based only in the symbolism of number and suit. I do often wonder sometimes, what is the point of having numbered suits at all if we are only going to base our interpretations on pictures. We may as well only use oracle decks.

I often, regardless of the deck that I am using, just pay attention to symbolism of number and suit. This means that what the 3 of Coins means to me in one deck, it means the same to me in any deck. So when a person posts a reading asking for insights on intepretation, it doesn't matter to me what deck it is, because I read all decks the same anyway - otherwise, I reiterate, what is the point of numbered suits?

I do feel that illustration is important, as it gives each deck a distinct character, a personality and brings it to life - it's fun! I have nothing against illustrated Minors at all, I have loads of them - I just hope I don't sound like I have anything against illustrious decks - I don't! I do however, have an important point to make. If we were to teach beginners to Tarot, to think about the symbolism of number and symbolism of suit, and then to study each card as a composite symbol of both of these elements, then I feel that we would find that our perceptions of each card would be more similar, and there would not be as much variation in intepretative value upon each card.

xXx

I have wondered about that, and what I think is this. there is energy passing between you and your querent. They are asking and you are answering. There is a rapport between you that turns the reading into something real, and truly spiritual, as opposed to something like an inteternet reading.

When you read for the querent, the cards will talk to you in your own special language, known only to you. This is using your intuition and molding the reading to fit you and the querent. For the same reading many, many different interpretations are possible, but when you read, it is your reading.

However, the important thing is to keep an open mind and your own independance, as well. If the way we interpret the cards is built on our knowledge, feeling, study and experience, then don't shun different interpretations, learn from them. But know what works for you, to which interpretation you feel most drawn to.

I think the advantage in posting readings for others to interpret is that you learn to see many different possibilities in the same cards. The reading you've done is the correct reading for you at the time of the reading as others have said, but posting it for the input of others is a learning experience for you. It shouldn't cause you to second-guess your own interpretations but instead should enrich your mental store of possible meanings for cards and card combinations.

I would think that different interpretations are still correct, even if they are drastically different. The difference is in the perspective of the reader. Several people can witness an event, and each one will most likely describe it in a totally unique way, although all accounts would probably have a certain level of similarity. I'm assuming tarot readings are the same way.

MissCW said:

I have a question re people's different interpretations of the cards, I hope I have put in the right forum.

If, when your reading, a card means something to you, but something totally different to the next person, (and also different from the book meaning), are you going to get a bit of a flawed result if you post it for someone else to interpret?

I'm not putting this very well, but what I am trying to ask is whether the cards will answer based on YOUR own personal interpretation and instincts, and so if anyone else reads it, will it be wrong because of their own personal thoughts?

I hope I have got over what I mean. I have confused myself now!!

Click to expand...

Well a lot of people here posts readings for others to help them interpret. I have not been one of them and do not tend to answer these posts, just because of what you have said. And that is very much my view of the situation.

We are, each of us, very unique and individual beings who have different ways of thinking and very different past experiences that have shaped who we are and how we think.

When we do a reading, the cards come up that are meant to give the reader the exact answer to the question that they are meant to have as they are meant to understand it. The answer that comes up, comes up in a form that is easily interpreted by the individual with the unique way of thinking that is the reader.

IF then the reader goes and asks another reader what he thinks the cards meant, it is useless. The other reader may well see all kinds of other things in the reading, but they were not intended. The cards in the reading came up specifically to show the reader of the reading what he needed to see. If the reader does not see something and someone else does, it simply is not part of the intended message and therefore not a valid part of the reading.

Someone else may well see something else, but those cards did not come up for their way of thinking, so if they see something new it is not relevant to the reading. So yes, I do think that if you do a reading and someone else's take on what the cards mean differ from yours, then that other person is "wrong". But only in the sense that it is normal for someone else not to be able to interpret your personal cards that were sent to you to be understood with your own very unique ways of thinking and feeling. No one else can think like you do or feel what you feel as you do.

Oh and about book meanings, I personally don't put a lot of store in them. I don't usually make any use of them at all. When you think of it, there are so many variables in a reading that can change the meanings of a card no book can ever hope to print more than the slightest hint at all the possible meanings there could ever be. I prefer to just feel what the cards mean, that is what works best for me.

Those are my opinions,

Babs