Right and Wrong

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 21 Apr 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

closrapexa	21 Apr 2004
There have been countless threads here about the fact that there are so many ways to read that there is no "right" or "wrong" way. Still, isn't there a base? I mean, Tarot does revolve around a pattern, and as much as I am temped to say, and if anyone asks me I would say that reading is totally about your own intuition and interpretaion, Still, a card can't, or should't mean one thing once and something else another time. For example, a friend of mine reads the Knight of Penatcles in RWS as a blockage, emotional barriers (granted, this friend has a problem of throwing too much of herself into her readings, and when she reads for others, she really reads for herself, and finds problems in others that really exist in herself, which is why I don't want her to read for me anymore) because of his armour. According to Waite himself: Utility, serviceableness, interest, responsibility, rectitude-all on the normal and external plane. Granted, interpretation leaves so much leaway in reading this particular or any other card, but the makers of deck had some intention. If something is there, there is a reason. A certain amount of studying the cards themselves is pretty important when learning, so as to know the basic "meaning." From there, one can go to all sorts of directions and personal interpretations. But reading cards at face value is, to me, like looking at Death and seeing it only as the picture. We wouldn't do that, obviously, Death is one of the cards that has the most interpretations. I'm not sure I got my point through. Any thoughts?

Phoenix Rising	21 Apr 2004
That is a good question. As I'm a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to the cards, I've got books coming out of my ears, and there seems to be a different view too from various authors. However the basis seems to be the same. And when the cards were first created, it represented universal issues at the time, not much has changed though, and as a ardent student of the tarot I got carried away with wanting to get to the nitty gritty of it all. But it is endless, so the only right way for me, is not to sing someone elses song, but my own. How people read is right for them. And they will most likely draw to them those people who resonate with their style of reading. You only have to worry about your way. I don't know if I answered your question, but just a thought.

mysticali	21 Apr 2004
This is kind of tough because it sounds like you are 'scoring' your friends interpretation because of your own knowledge or interpretation of those same cards.or of the person herself and her own issues and problems. There are probably not too many of us that haven't started just interpreting 'from the book' and with years of practice and intuition 'see' something else when we do a reading according to the issues and questions and the person we are reading for. You then cannot go back to a 'book' interpretation of a card and indeed these can be many and varied. I don't know your experience or that of your friend but could it be perhaps when she reads for you she has a 'blockage'. I, for years, have one friend who I find nearly impossible to 'read' for clearly but have always been honest enough to say so. Have you expressed your concerns to her ? Perhaps your actions in not having her read for you are the right ones - or that one of you has the greater gift to see a situation.

closrapexa	21 Apr 2004
[quote]Originally posted by mysticali [b]This is kind of tough because it sounds like you are 'scoring' your friends interpretation because of your own knowledge or interpretation of those same cards.or of the person herself and her own issues and problems. to say so. I don't know if its about scoring, I wouldn't do that. And I'm not being a snob, either, but she sees problems in others that may or may not exist measured soley by herself and her experiences. And again, I gave an example of some one who has always read from the images alone. A valid way of reading, certainly, but I feel that is good as a start. What my friend did was to completely ignore all the writing about Tarot saying that what other people say would overshadow her own feelings. A valid view, heck everything is. I just wanted to know about the way other people balance their own intuition and the purposes of the deck's makers. If at all.

hedgecub	21 Apr 2004
I get the feeling that everyone will have their own 'right' way of reading. Perhaps some people can get very accurate readings from book meanings, while others get the most accuracy from listening to their own intuition. It really depends on how you use and view the tarot, and ultimately what works for you. If it works, then it's right :) And if it doesn't, try something else :) *is a pragmatist*

Umbrae	21 Apr 2004
Right and wrong and 'baseline' assume that reading is a science, and not an art. You and I CAN have extremely diverse interpretations of the same card, and have our interpretations BOTH be correct. Further, no author (including Waite) has the final word...(memorizing books does not make one an expert).

contrascarpe	21 Apr 2004
Tarot is like life - what is right or wrong rests with the individual person. Whether that is right or wrong depends on many factors (primarily what society dictates). Everybody has their own view - some approach it scientifically which I believe is how you want to explore it. That each card means one thing and there is a structure. I used to believe this myself because that is my makeup (I studied Accounting in college if that give you any indication). For years, every card to me could only mean one thing. I had to use the Celtic Cross because that what was expected. I had to shuffle the cards a certain way, a new deck would go under my pillow for a couple of nights, it would have to be covered in silk, and I had to cut the cards in three piles with my left hand. Some people feel the meanings of the cards are given to them by their spirit guides, some believe there is some cosmic psychic force giving them insight. If you feel more comfortable setting a baseline and organizing a set of rules, there is nothing wrong with that - that is how you want Tarot to work for you. Personally I strive for a more intuitive approach but I never ignore what is in the books (I have too many of them to ignore, lol). Actually, I like the diversity of opinions - it opens more doors for me. I like to see every card in a different light. One of my favorite books is Jana Riley's Tarot Dictionary and Compendium. She assembled card meanings from 15 different authors (including some heavy hitters like Greer and Pollack). It is so interesting to see different interpretations for the same card. For me, meanings change depending on what deck I use as well. Bottom line - if structure is important to you, then by all means use it for Tarot. But try to keep your mind open to all possibilities - that is what keeps Tarot fresh and interesting for me. Dan

mj07	21 Apr 2004
I wonder about this myself. I also have books coming out the wazzoo and I notice that different readers/authors sometimes have vastly different interpretations of what a card means (this especially seems true about reversals). My thought on this now, in my early stage of learning, is that the cards are flexible. The BASIC meaning might be fixed, sort of, in some way, but can change based on the position of the card and the cards surrounding it. For that reason, if I came to the conclusion, like your friend, that the Knight of Pentacles is about being blocked, I would have to allow that it doesn't ALWAYS mean that. I do think there's a danger in coming up with a one word or one sentence meaning for a card and always insisting it means that regardless of the situation or the cards surrounding it. Also, the cards might mean something different depending on the deck, right? I mean, I have Rachel Pollack's Illustrated Guide and in MANY cases it seems that the Thoth, RWS and Marseilles have different meanings...??

Star Spirit	21 Apr 2004
Well, I certainly don't believe a card will mean the same thing EVERY time. Definitely not. Because life is not that simple. There are millions of situations and emotions and problems and thoughts and circumstances, not just 78 :) Which is why I try to read intuitively. Often a card will suggest similar things to me more than once, yes, but not always. Sometimes it may just be something as simple as an image in a particular card that I draw my meaning from. I guess to me tarot is sort of like karma and my belief that everything in the universe is interconnected, and one person's decision can affect your life as much as your own decisions, and there is an inherent balance between all things that sort of causes us all to move and work together, being in certain places and situations at certain times. I believe this is how the cards work, because for a given situation and reading, more than one card could give a similar message. What I mean is, you do one reading on a subject and get a message. You do another reading on the same subject, different cards, the same message. The cards are all different, so how is this possible? I believe it's because we all have a subconscious ability to understand and receive messages from each other and the cards. After all, tarot depicts life, and life is always changing and evolving, and if everything works together the way I believe it does, it would make perfect sense that tarot, in our eyes, can change and evolve in the same way. Well that was kind of an epiphany for me so I think I better go think about this some more, lol.

Lady Eclipse	22 Apr 2004
Hi, You do bring up an interesting question. I don't feel there is a "right" or "wrong" way to interpret but one must find the method that works best for them. What one person thinks is their "perfect" way may be anything but "perfect" for another. The only way to find YOUR way is to experiment. Sounds like your friend is too engrossed in her own situations to be able to read objectively for others. If you don't care for the way she reads, by all means, get a reading elsewhere. Joy to you, Maralee

zoso	22 Apr 2004
If others are going to your friend for a reading, they seek that person's interpretation of the cards. Instead of discrediting the reading, maybe offer a reading from yourself to allow for a different perspective and interpretation? But, if you are having doubts of your own reading, trust your inner voice and follow the advice you recieve.

The Right and Wrong thread was originally posted on 21 Apr 2004 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.