*accepted* meanings

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 04 Oct 2001, and now archived in the Forum Library.

New River	04 Oct 2001
it is good to learn the 'accepted' meanings of the tarot; provides a good foundation for when the cards aren't 'speaking' as loudly. but do you think it hinders us from having the meanings of the cards change from reading to reading? i'm finding myself attracted the the Australian Dreamtime deck for this very reason. does anyone read with them? love, light and hope, New River

raeanne	05 Oct 2001
I don't have the Australian Dreamtime Tarot deck but I would love to get it. I do have Oracle of the Dreamtime which is a round deck of 45 cards that are based on Aboriginal mythology. I like Oracle of the Dreamtime very much. There is a picture of a small hand at the top of each card. The hands of different cards can be reaching toward each other or away from each other or maybe even two cards reaching for the the same third card. I like the little hand, it seems to give good information about what cards are working together and which ones are in opposition. Anyway, back to the Australian Dreamtime tarot. Where did you get it? I would like to have this deck. I think the majors are abstract images of the RW deck. The minors are pips without images. I would really like to compare this deck with the mythology of Oracle of the Dreamtime.

New River	05 Oct 2001
Raeanne, i don't have the deck yet. have never seen it anywhere. maybe someone can help us find it? thanks. love, light and magic, New River

truthsayer	05 Oct 2001
Quote: New River (05 Oct, 2001 07:58): it is good to learn the 'accepted' meanings of the tarot; provides a good foundation for when the cards aren't 'speaking' as loudly. but do you think it hinders us from having the meanings of the cards change from reading to reading? love, light and hope, New River i think that it may hinder some but help some others. it's like in all things ppl aren't gifted in the same ways. some ppl do best w/ "just the facts ma'm" reading and some ppl want a creative extrapolated reading. i know the best my mom can do is read meanings out of her book but she can do a reading. she thought she was doing it wrong b/c i didn't look at the book and i saw different things than she did. i think the way she reads is the only way she's able to read whereas i have other ways. when i've been around other tarot readers, i've questioned if my meanings and style were as good as theirs. as long as you are doing your best and your querent is happy does it really matter? tarot is a journey not a destination. i know i read differently than i did even a year ago and i've been reading tarot around 26 years! so trust your process. if it ain't broke then don't fix it!!!!!!!

tarotbear	06 Oct 2001
I do not think knowing the 'accepted' meanings is a hinderance, but there are times I wish the Majors did not have their name printed on them. The problem is that some beginners never go past them. This is where a book like 'Tarot Plain and Simple' comes in ( yes, I know I blast this book in other threads). I tell my students not to memorize cards like 'Five Easy Pieces' that this card means such and so and every time it comes up it only means such and so. You have to learn to put the spin on the cards to make them work in your situation or reading. Example: The Tower card is a card about catasthophic change ( as opposed to the Hanged Man which is about delayed change). Obviously, if the reading is supportive and helpful, the 'castasthophic' aspect is something for the good of the Querent. You would talk about "things a-brewin' " that may not be expected but will bring about a good ending. You would not talk about destructions of old belief systems, being knocked off your feet, etc., since they don't apply.

New River	07 Oct 2001
tarotbear, your example of the tower card really sums up what i was trying to get at. i once had the tower in my cards for the week and was expecting a big fit or something. instead we unexpectedly went to chicago for a day and took a side trip up the sears tower! this after i'd been walking around most of the day amazed that i was surrounded by towers when i'd never expected to even be in the city. so, i guess sometimes the tower is just a tower. love, light and hope, New River

The *accepted* meanings thread was originally posted on 04 Oct 2001 in the Talking Tarot board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Talking Tarot, or read more archived threads.