Significator Card?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 11 Mar 2005, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Silverkitten	11 Mar 2005
In my reading (not tarot, just book/article reading), I keep running across references to a significator card. But none of the articles explain what it is, and the book that came with my deck (Sacred Circle) doesn't ever refer to it. Can someone please explain what this card is, how/why it is used and what its significance is for me. I'd me most grateful. Blessings, Donna

ankita	11 Mar 2005
dear Silverkitten significator actually represents the person for whom u r doing that reading.or the querent if someone ask the question abt her/himself.significator is always placed at the centre of the spread. there r number of ways to choose a significator u can use the one of 2card frm major archana:the magician(if querent is a man) or the high priestess(woman) if want to use specefically then use court cards of minor archana.u can choose then in different ways.like on the basis of age n sex..or if u have the feeling abt the kind of person u r dealing with,choose the suit which in ur judgement best represents the querent...or choose according to the quesetion..there are several ways..read a good book or search. dont try to match all the criteria best of luck ankita

Annabelle	11 Mar 2005
A significator card is simply a card that you select to represent yourself in a reading (supposing you are reading for yourself), or that you select to represent the querent if you are reading for someone else. Significators are usually selected from the court cards, but not always. Pages usually represent children/teenagers, Knights = young men, Queens = women, Kings = men....but again, not always. There are many, many variations in how/why a certain card might be selected to represent a certain person. Many people never use significators. I personally don't bother with them. Many spreads don't call for them, but some (most notoriously the Celtic Cross) does often suggest using one. But you by no means have to unless you want to. Many different books say many different things on the subject of significators, but in the end it all comes down to a simple matter of whether or not you want to bother with them, and how you personally prefer selecting them (if you use them at all). :) Annabelle4

Dylan	11 Mar 2005
It also seems to come down to choice, if you want to use one or not.

mnemosyne7	11 Mar 2005
Hi Silverkitten, A significator is a card that you may use to identify the Querent (person for whom you are reading - and that may be you). Some folks use significators, some folks don't. And there are a number of ways to use them and infinite reasons, if you choose to do so. You might select one of the 16 court cards as a significator based upon physical characteristics that match the court cards in your deck, i.e., Kings - mature men Queens - mature women Knights - younger people Pages - children Then decide what physical characteristics match the people on your court cards. Red heads might be found in the fire suit, darker complexioned people might be found in the earth suit. (All this made a lot of sense when the decks were created by caucasian folk reading for caucasian folk.) You might find a whole new way to create correspondences based upon the newer multi-ethnic decks and the people you meet. If I am in the mood to use physical traits, I sometimes turn to my Merryday Tarot which has people from all over the globe. If you are a student of psychology, you might want to match personality types to the court cards (rather than physical attributes), which means that Kings may not be men at all, but rather anyone with a strong personality capable of leadership (just an example). (Google Kiersey personality types and tarot - you'll get some amazing articles about 16 personality types that can correspond to the 16 court cards. Personally, I love this stuff, and tend to use this method more than anything else.) So what do you do with a significator? You might select it before the reading by speaking with or looking over your client and deciding just which of the 16 people s/he is. Then setting it on the table as the centerpiece of your reading. You might select it in your mind before the reading, but not place it on the table. If the card you selected in your mind comes up during the reading, then it is truly a "significant significator." (Couldn't help myself.) Or you might not choose a specific card at all, and if a court card that turns up during the reading appears to be your Querent, then that card may become the significator, representing the Querent in the reading. And don't think that you are limited to the 16 Court Cards, even though that is the traditional route. Hope that helps a bit. You have a lot of choices, but that should get you started. Happy reading! Mnem

Silverkitten	11 Mar 2005
Thank you so very much everyone for your clarification of the term "significator". This has helped tremendously. Now I will do some meditating on whether or not I want to use this in my spreads. It does seem like it might be something that I'd like to try out as I learn this challenging but wonderful medium. Thank you again so much. Blessings, Donna

WolfyJames	11 Mar 2005
By the way, you can also use a significator and yet not choose the card. Just pick the significator like all the cards in the spread. Many hidden aspects about the querent may show up that way that would not be known if you were consciously choosing the significator (King of Wands); hidden aspects like hidden desires, feelings or fears that might help or hinders the querent. It's a good way of discovering aspects that are sometimes not consciously known and recognized.

psychic sue	12 Mar 2005
I have read all these posts and I still can't get to grips with using a Significator. I like the post from Wolfyjames about chosing one at "random" to give you insight to the querant in respect of the reading, because that would (I hope) tell you something you didn't already know, which could clarify the reading. But then again, why not just ask the querant? I keep going on about this I know, but IMHO we are not meant to be mind-readers. If we pick up little tidbits along the way, great, it all adds depth to the reading, but I don't think we are there to tell the future. We are there to give people a spiritual guide to the tough times in their life. That's my opinion anyway, I dare say others might disagree. Sue

Silverkitten	14 Mar 2005
I kind of tend to agree with you Sue. Though I'm still really young in the wisdoms of tarot, and I'm still trying to fully wrap my brain around this whole concept, I'm not sure that using a significator card is something that I will incorporate into my reading. I'm just not sure I see the need of it. Although, I must admit that Mnem's idea of using psychology to match personality types to the court cards is quite fascinating to me. But that would be something that I would do on my own time, not during a reading. First however, I need to figure out the whole Jung archtype thing. What the heck is that anyway? LOL Can you tell that I'm not using a tradition deck, my first btw? ( cause I know that most of them are based on the archtype thing aren't they) Blessings, Donna

closrapexa	14 Mar 2005
I never use a significator card. I feel that my deciding who the querent "is" is not really a good way to read, since if you decide for yourself what card represents him/her, then why do a reading at all?

psychic sue	14 Mar 2005
closrapexa wrote: I never use a significator card. I feel that my deciding who the querent "is" is not really a good way to read, since if you decide for yourself what card represents him/her, then why do a reading at all? This is my point C. I have used them in the past, but I tend to forget all about them once I start reading anyway!!

WolfyJames	14 Mar 2005
psychic sue wrote: I like the post from Wolfyjames about chosing one at "random" to give you insight to the querant in respect of the reading, because that would (I hope) tell you something you didn't already know, which could clarify the reading. But then again, why not just ask the querant? I keep going on about this I know, but IMHO we are not meant to be mind-readers. Mind readers? No, just being aware of what is going on a deeper level which might affect the events. Many are scared of digging in the deeper levels, which is probably why they're terrified of the idea. Personaly, I want only one thing: the Truth, even if it hurts. If a Eight of Swords would come up, then you would know that the querent (or yourself) has shut him/herself from the world and would be its own obstacle on the situation the querent is asking about. But then, the card there is not always bad. I made a reading recently, with the Golden, and the Eight of Pentacles came up as my significator. My reading is about projects that I have, about redecorating and getting new furnitures, but I'm broke and I worry a lot and fear my projects might not happen. Strangely, it's cirom who gave me this idea, when I asked how expensive his upcoming deck would be. When I thought about what I could buy with the money required to buy the deck, I could get a couch for 300$US, and I don't have a couch to sit in the living room, so I've decided to buy new furnitures instead of a useless and expensive tarot deck. The first card in the reading I saw was my significator, and I knew the reading would be good (and it was). Seeing the man on the card was seeing myself and I was reminded of who I am and what I am capable of: I'm patient, hard-working, well-organized, devoted. My worries and fear made me forget this. Many times, I came up with a good card as my significator, reminding me other good things that I had forgotten. So when you dig for the truth, you don't always find dirt, you can find light.

Silverkitten	14 Mar 2005
So, bear with me WJ, I'm trying to wrap my brain around this. Remember I'm a newbie ;) When you pull a Sig card, after you take note of it, you then place it back in the deck, thus giving the possibility of it popping up in your reading? Like it did in yours? Blessings, Donna

MeeWah	14 Mar 2005
Prefer to not use a significator card as that removes from the deck a card that could be included towards the throw; however, the ideas presented here regarding its use have merit. The use of a significator is usually dictated by personal preference. Some spreads such as certain versions of the Celtic Cross incorporate its use but not absolutely necessary.

WolfyJames	14 Mar 2005
Silverkitten wrote: So, bear with me WJ, I'm trying to wrap my brain around this. Remember I'm a newbie ;) When you pull a Sig card, after you take note of it, you then place it back in the deck, thus giving the possibility of it popping up in your reading? Like it did in yours? Blessings, Donna No, not at all. My spread was a 7 cards shoespread and I picked 8 cards, one as the significator. I turned the significator first then the others afterwards in order, but seeing my significator, I knew my reading had to be good, and it was. There are 78 cards in a tarot deck, I think I can afford to lose one as the significator.

Fulgour	14 Mar 2005
The Significator as seen in most readings today is like a shadow of its once prominent position. Grand spreads were designed around this card, some using the entire deck, and in the readings the Significator was both a focal point and key. Reading outward in all directions and then back, with the Significator being related every time to each card position and meaning, magnifying all. I can see this working like a storytelling method, bit by bit, all reflecting back to the Significator. If I'd paid for an elaborate reading, seeing each card speak directly to me would be mesmerizing.

The Significator Card? thread was originally posted on 11 Mar 2005 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.