Does your gender influence your liking to certain cards?

I've seen gender being mentioned in 2 threads now so now I can't help myself and just have to add a poll...

I'm a male, as if it was't obvious, and will have to admit that this does influence my impression / feelings about certain decks/cards. When looking at 'Gaia' (Mage deck) or 'The World' (Druidcraft deck) I do see more than merely the meaning (or "overal impression") of it. When looking at the female figure I also experience this card to be showing some means of beauty. The same applies to the Star (Druidcraft & Gilded). Even more; when looking at the 'Hanged man' on my Druidcraft deck it even manages to make me a little uneasy. While I really think the card to be excellent since it doesn't leave out any details (you fill in the details here ) I just can't help myself feeling uneasy...

So yes, not talking about Tarot all that often with direct relatives I just can't help my curiosity and ask you guys & girls

How would I know if my gender is influencing me, if I've never experienced being the opposite gender? How would I know if anything was influenced by gender unless I have been both genders and can thus compare?

How would I know if it was my gender influencing or that I simply disliked a male teacher because he was mean to me, and thus I transfer that dislike to a male image on a card?

I am not bisexual, but I still find beauty in both men and women depicted on cards or seen in life. When you describe appreciating the beauty of women on cards, that is not necessarily gender-related either.

Lion-O said:

Even more; when looking at the 'Hanged man' on my Druidcraft deck it even manages to make me a little uneasy. While I really think the card to be excellent since it doesn't leave out any details (you fill in the details here ) I just can't help myself feeling uneasy...

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In that case, do NOT look at the Hanged Man in eVoluti.

Seriously, though, I don't think my gender affects my impressions all that much in the average deck.

Now there are some decks which are extremely reductive where women are concerned, and I don't like those, but some men may. OTOH, there are decks, some of which are very popular with some women, that ignore or are insulting to men, and I don't like those either. Hence, I don't think there's really a gender factor there for me at least.

With gay and lesbian decks, there may be a case. With decks that portray women as couples I don't have a problem except I don't like to see one sex or the other ignored. With those which emphasize male couples I'm not affected negatively, but sometimes it's just a foreign country. That might be a simple lack of familiarity--I don't know. The Cosmic Tribe and I get along all right, though. In that deck The World is a beautiful young man.

Human beauty to me is the way a person's "self" fits into his or her body. Sometimes the artist captures a good fit and I see beauty.

So, on the whole, I would say that I am probably not much affected by my gender.

Wow, that's a big question! But I guess I know where you are coming from. I can also see the beauty in both male and female images on decks and I do like decks that represent both sexes well rather than just one or the other. I don't know if it's a gender thing or not but I just CAN NOT stand the Fey deck (as an example) because of the way the female 'characters' are drawn - all big busted with pointy nipples. This just wrecks the whole deck for me. Not sure if that's a gender thing or a social thing or my own issues! Who knows. Like I say...it's a BIG question.

darwinia said:

How would I know if my gender is influencing me, if I've never experienced being the opposite gender? How would I know if anything was influenced by gender unless I have been both genders and can thus compare?

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Haha, my thoughts exactly!

I expect it does in a way, or perhaps a combination of gender and preference. I certainly like cards with handsome men. I do like cards that show balance, and are inclusive - I think men, with all that testosterone, do tend to be more warlike, but they can be shown to be nurturing too, just as women can be active and strong. (I'm the sort of woman who storms out in a huff - well ok I've mellowed, smile sweetly and then leave - when a sales assistant suggests I 'get my husband to put it together'.... I'm the one with the screwdriver, thanks very much...)

I get frustrated by depictions of women with too much makeup and vacuous stares - I can't see the real woman inside. I'm not into that stuff and I don't relate to it at all. Perhaps women who enjoy makeup and being admired might think otherwise.

its probably just personal. Gender is too much of a generalisation.

Euri

Yes- to answer your question. I have only one difficulty out of 78. I generally do not like the Heirophant- mainly for his garb. I feel great negativity towards Patriarchal religions- which is certainly almost all, in the last four thousand years. I am sure this is because I am female.It is also my so called 'soul card'. I am beginning to see him as a poor sod really, because he is supposed to teach, amongst other things, the religious ideas we can express or at least convey the outer levels of doctrines,moral codes and institutions. What a job to portray this card- gotta feel sorry for him; I am sure a female would have negated the position.Not sure what to put in his place though ~Rosanne

Does your gender influence your liking to certain cards?

I can't answer the question because I haven't chatted to people (of both sex) regarding certain cards, so I'm thinking the question is really one that can not be answered, and also the fact that I am female in this life.....perhaps if you are a straight male you'd have an instant liking to any card that displays a 1/2 naked woman and if you were a gay male any naked or 1/2 naked man & the Knights would catch your eye so if you were bi-sexual then the naked women and knights would catch your eye lol and if you were a straight woman any 1/2 naked man & the knights would catch your eye? But then again, I'm a straight female & the empress is a beautiful card, so is the lovers, the star & universe, those knights are cute

You just wanted to know how many boys & girls are on AT? lol

darwinia said:

How would I know if my gender is influencing me, if I've never experienced being the opposite gender? How would I know if anything was influenced by gender unless I have been both genders and can thus compare?

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One option is to check in what way and extend you're allowing to add (or perhaps remove) certain meanings from cards where the meaning itself can be totally pinpointed to a human figure on the card. Or when you're allowing yourself to be influenced by the commonly known pressumptions with regards to gender.

For example the 'Strength' card in the Druidcraft deck. You will see a woman and a boar behind her. My first reaction was curiosity since I could picture (physical) strenght in the boar but what about the woman? Note that I'm not claiming it to be impossible for a woman to be strong, on the contrary, but in many cases the Tarot decks reflect common perceptions. For example in the Druidcraft courts you can see a difference with regards to physice between the men and women (kings / queens & princes / princesses) and (no offense intented) it is common to refer to men as the "stronger sex" and women as the "weaker sex". I know this perception is flawed, or biased at best, but thats not my point here..

When I first looked at the card I spotted a woman and noticed that for me it didn't really fit in with "strength" at first. When you're looking at the picture a bit longer and giving it more thought you can see where this is going since the woman brings in a whole new impression with regards to strenght. As mentioned before; there are more ways here. You can be physicly strong, but the same applies to mental states.

This leaves me with only one conclusion: I'm biased in this regard. You can take this even to more extremes when looking at the Gilded deck; here you don't merely see a woman on the 'Strength' card, no, she's even royally dressed and there's a Lion besides her.

The reason why I'm pinpointing this to me being (unconciously) biased towards gender? Simple; when looking at the Rider deck (my main used deck) you will also see that it features a woman but the whole way of drawing is different. You can see the figure is a female but it doesn't reflect in all details with regards to her physique, while the other decks present a "more female" figure.

Next is perception of the figure itself. When looking at the cards I mentioned above; what do you see? The Star can symbolize serenity, but most won't keep beauty in mind which is also an important factor to me.

So I don't think you'd have to be able to "think as the other gender does". Don't forget that there are also people who are attracted / influenced (or whatever you wish to call this) to other people of the same gender. In those cases they don't even need to be able and "experience all genders" but could be able to conclude that some of their readings are influenced by it.

Its probably not an easy subject for some people but heck, I do think this to be a major influence with regards to Tarot since, after all, the Tarot itself is also of a human origin. So I'm sure that these "human issues" have some impact on it.

Me and my Y chromosome

Rosanne said:

What a job to portray this card- gotta feel sorry for him;
I am sure a female would have negated the position.

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To overcome the seated-robed-crowned ol' pope man
that has snuck into Tarot under the title Hierophant~
I chose a positive image with a gender nuetral impact.

XX is Female and XY Male, but we ALL start the same.

I asked Solandia for this card for the ACT4 project and
it was mostly because my personal view is ~ Universal.