Tarot Baggage

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 25 Apr 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

zoso	25 Apr 2004
In philosophy, I learned about some philosophers who change words like "God" because they felt the word had too much baggage that changed the meaning and complicated the ideas. Words like "good" and "soul" had many meanings and could be understood at so many different levels, that they needed to be refreshed so as not to lose sight of the basic idea. My question is, could Tarot develop the same baggage that would restrict a reading? I'm asking on a larger scale, but to clarify: I've found that when a card makes an appearance in one reading, I understand it in one way. Then, during a later reading, it will turn up and I'll be reminded of the earlier position and tie it together. When this becomes confusing, I usually end up clearing my memory of the earlier meaning and trying to apply it without the "baggage."

Niomi	25 Apr 2004
Many tarot courses, in fact ALL the tarot courses I've looked over as a newbie ask you to look at each card and note your impressions before looking at any other meanings-- presumably before the 'baggage' of other people's interpretations inhibit your ability to see the card from no one's perspective but your own. So yes, I'd assume so, but possibly not in a bad way. Maybe your mind is making connections to a past reading for a reason? Maybe the two situations are somehow related in your subconscious? Just some thoughts.

HudsonGray	25 Apr 2004
One card that ALWAYS seems to have baggage for people is the Devil card. *Sigh*

Nycelle	25 Apr 2004
I find the Death card has a lot of 'baggage' - you jump so quickly away from the conventional meaning of death as the cessation of mortal life, that you find yourself grabbing the first and most formulaic alternative. "Oh, this means big changes, BIG CHANGES, not actually dying. . . .anyhoo, let's move on from Scary Skeletal Dude."

hedgecub	25 Apr 2004
I find the Robin Wood deck is great for getting rid of the usual baggage associated with the Devil and Death cards. Of course, she adds her own baggage to the Hierophant card... *sigh*

Marion	25 Apr 2004
I agree Niomi. But I try, when first looking at a throw, to grab those first impressions first before the rational part of my brain starts throwing in the book learning.

Imagemaker	25 Apr 2004
If I'm getting too much baggage from previous reading (in books or spreads), I switch decks--it freshens my awareness of just looking first.

Astra	25 Apr 2004
Oh, boy, does the Tarot tend to develop baggage! No more than a lot of other things with undefinable aspects, but still... You can see a lot of it in the threads that start "I was told that I should never buy a deck, that it should be a gift.." and similar topics. Part of it is that most people want things to come with rules, and if they can't find any, they tend to make them up - it feels much more secure to "know" that certain things are so. Part of it comes from the steps that many people take to get themselves centered before a reading - it's so easy to turn that into a "must do" ritual, and end up hamstrung by it. But part of it is simply that any kind of divination technique opens up such a huge universe that it makes a certain amount of sense to find ways to partition it off so that you don't get totally overwhelmed by what you're doing. I think that if you can keep your baggage on the level of rules of thumb, it remains manageable indefinitely. It's only when they get transmuted to RULES that you start staggering under the weight.

ros	25 Apr 2004
We learn from the baggage we carry in life. Once we sort through the baggage our awareness is clearer. As with Tarot baggage. What we have to sort through sooner or later we deal with our ideas, listen to our intuition and then move up the ladder to learn more. If we don't deal with baggage we don't grow and learn. Whatever kind of baggage we sort through there are always lessons.

WalesWoman	26 Apr 2004
How's this for baggage? So far I've come across decks that I love the images on, but they changed the names of the Majors because Death and the Devil had too much other baggage, but the RWS baggage I'm carrying said, that ain't right, that's "designer Tarot"! It should be the way it's "supposed" to be and wouldn't buy them.

mj07	27 Apr 2004
well, I've been learning Tarot for only about 10 weeks and I'm afraid I have ALREADY picked up some baggage! It's mainly in the form of knee-jerk reaction to interpreting cards I've seen frequently. For example, 3 of Cups = party card, or 4 of Swords = take a rest. It's not all bad, but I need to control myself and open my mind to other possibilities. I think studying the Marseilles might help. I've already got a different perspective on the 7 of Swords after studying that card last night. However, I'm sure it will lead to me just developing DIFFERENT baggage that I'll have to work to get past! :D

Imagemaker	27 Apr 2004
The posts here make me think that we carry baggage (or try not to) about any labeled thing or category, such as nationality, gender, race, religion, etc. Whatever we see ourselves doing with the tarot in terms of baggage (reacting automatically to a card) is just a smaller version of what we probably do with people around us. This is another way that using tarot cards increases our self-awareness . . .

Jewel	27 Apr 2004
Anything and everything can carry baggage, and we can bring or add baggage to it. What I have found incredibly useful when feeling the baggage is to use a deck that has a completely different approach. Another thing that has worked for me is to use the tarot differently for a while, perhaps work through self-awareness exercises, or write stories using tarot cards. Doing something with the deck that does not call for me to use meanings per say, but to use my insight and imagination.

mercenary30	27 Apr 2004
That is funny, because one of the first things I did when I got into tarot was go and find some baggage. I have a bag for each of my tarot decks! Seriously, though. AT has helped me a lot when it came to that problem. In reading posts and participating in group readings and the study groups, you get to see cards from MANY peoples view point, and that has really expanded my possibilities when I see a card. Yea, I will still think things like party, for 3 of Cups, but then I also remember other things I know of like gossip, camaraderie. Then it is time to let those things go to the back of your mind and let the card what it means THIS time…….

ros	27 Apr 2004
I have let go & sorted through a lot of my own baggage by learning Tarot. I carry a lot of Tarot Baggage from one deck to the next.

Ravenswing	27 Apr 2004
Well... Blank slates are near impossible. And at times useless. There's baggage and there's learning. If you get tunnel vision on a card, check your bags. As fast as possible. fly well Raven

ros	27 Apr 2004
"If you get tunnel vision on a card, check your bags. As fast as possible." This is good, thanks!

The Tarot Baggage thread was originally posted on 25 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.