Memorizing Card Meanings

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 26 Mar 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Morgeinne	26 Mar 2002
I am relatively new to the Tarot; I have, of course, known about it for years, but just started working with cards around a year ago (with Legend: the Arthurian Tarot) and got my second deck about 5 or 6 months ago (Dragon Tarot.) I like both my decks, but Legend more because I've been working with it longer and am more familiar with it. Anyway, I have had good results in most all my readings, for myself and for my close family and a couple of friends (usually just for myself) but I cannot seem to remember ALL of the card meanings! I could easily memorize the Major Arcana, but does anyone have any good memorization tips and tricks for the Minor or Major Arcanas? Thanks! -Morgeinne

joya250	26 Mar 2002
memorization... I have found it sometimes to be a double-edged sword. I find myself getting hung up on the "catch phrase" I associate with the card... and then just draw a blank when I have to expand on it, and how it ties in to the other cards in the spread. BUT, memorization can also be very helpful... and can be a starting point to delving deeping into the card meanings. what worked best for me was to get a book that very simply broke the card up - giving me a "catch phrase" and then bullets points for it's meaning. (the book I always reccommend is Tarot Awareness: Exploring the Spiritual Path, by Stephen Walter Sterling.) I do not have either of the decks you are working with, but I assume you could find a book(s) that talk specifically about each deck -- though a more general book would work just as well. (you prob. already have a million books... but I just had to put that out there. sorry!) Another thing that I've heard helps... is observation, more than memorization.... look at the objects in each card... where is the placement of the item (wands, cups, swords, pents)? ... how are the people in the card interacting with it? You can pick up a lot from that.... and all you have to know is what the four different suits represent. Another thing that helps too is numerology (i.e. one - beginning, two - balance, etc.) ..... as well as astrology.... I don't know if your cards have the astrological signs on them... but if so, then, for example, you can see that the 2 of swords is the Moon in Libra... and if you have a basic understanding of astrology, then you can pretty much figure out whats going on. (though now that I think of it, this might require even more memorization....) As for remembering court cards.... simply memorize their elemental correspondenses. This really helps for me. As you know Kings = fire, Queens = water, Knights = air, and Pages = earth.... so then, it's simply a matter of seeing how they relate in each suit. For example, the Knight of Wands is Air in Fire.... so, what would that tell you about the personality of the card? oh, I've also heard people say sleeping with the deck under their pillow at night helps them learn the cards better. I dunno. Never worked for me, but heck, why not try it? anyhoo -- the best advice I can give is just keep studying... and make your goal LEARNING the cards and UNDERSTANDING them, not just memorizing them. This way, you'll not have to worry about forgetting the meanings. and don't get discouraged! I've been studying them almost the same amount of time as you... good luck! :) - joya

Umbrae	26 Mar 2002
1). Meanings can change depending on lots of things...They ain't carved in stone. 2). Basics. Get a note-book. Write down what the cards mean to YOU. Then look at the book(s). 3). Work with your note-book. 4). Sleep with your cards/carry them in your briefcase/purse. 5). Sometimes when you do a reading a completely new twist will appear for a card. Write it down. 6). Have fun. It is all about the joy… Welcome...It is good to meet you!

Morgeinne	26 Mar 2002
Thanks for the replies :) I am doing a little remedial crash course in astrology now, I used to study it but it's been awhile since I've actually sat down and connected with some good astrology studying :) Brings back memories. I also took a couple of your suggestions, Umbrae - the notebook, for one, since there are so many different perspectives on each card based on the sign and planet it's related to, etc. etc. Also, thanks for the welcome :) You're all so helpful! I know I'm going to love it here.

blumoon	27 Mar 2002
Quote: As for remembering court cards.... simply memorize their elemental correspondenses. This really helps for me. As you know Kings = fire, Queens = water, Knights = air, and Pages = earth.... so then, it's simply a matter of seeing how they relate in each suit. For example, the Knight of Wands is Air in Fire.... so, what would that tell you about the personality of the card? hmmm i learnt them in a different order; pages = air knights = fire queens = water kings = earth :)

Geenius at Wrok	27 Mar 2002
When it comes to memorization, nothing has ever worked as well for me as flash cards. Which is great for tarot, because the cards are already cards! Each day, take a manageable number of cards—say, 15 or 20—and go through them one by one guessing their meanings, then looking them up to see whether you were right. When you've gone through all of them, shuffle them and start again. Repeat until you've gone through the whole stack once without getting any wrong. Then shuffle the day's stack back into the deck and draw another 15 or 20 the next day without regard to duplication of the previous day's cards. There are 78 cards in the deck; if you're doing 20 cards a day, repeat this memorization process until you've gone four straight days without getting any wrong on the first pass. Then go buy yourself ice cream. Another thing to do—and you can incorporate this into the previous method, like when you misguess a card—is to take the list of keywords for a particular card and look for a visual cue on the card to remind you of each one. For example, on the five of cups, the spilled cup says "loss"; the hung head says "regret"; the black cloak says "bereavement."

Kiama	27 Mar 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Geenius at Wrok When it comes to memorization, nothing has ever worked as well for me as flash cards. Which is great for tarot, because the cards are already cards! Each day, take a manageable number of cards—say, 15 or 20—and go through them one by one guessing their meanings, then looking them up to see whether you were right. When you've gone through all of them, shuffle them and start again. Repeat until you've gone through the whole stack once without getting any wrong. Then shuffle the day's stack back into the deck and draw another 15 or 20 the next day without regard to duplication of the previous day's cards. There are 78 cards in the deck; if you're doing 20 cards a day, repeat this memorization process until you've gone four straight days without getting any wrong on the first pass. Then go buy yourself ice cream. Another thing to do—and you can incorporate this into the previous method, like when you misguess a card—is to take the list of keywords for a particular card and look for a visual cue on the card to remind you of each one. For example, on the five of cups , the spilled cup says "loss"; the hung head says "regret"; the black cloak says "bereavement." Geenius, this is excellent! Think I'll be trying this myself this week! Might also help me with my revision for my exams... THANKYOU!!!!!! :* :* :* :* Kiama

Morgeinne	27 Mar 2002
Again, thanks all :) I'm drawing on everyone's wisdom now, I have a notebook that I'm using, with a page for each card (the Tarot Basics by Thirteen help A LOT with that, lol). Then, once I do each card and some of the related astrology, I'm going to try the flashcards. As it is, I'm almost done with the major arcana, then I'll play flash with those and add on them as I go. You're all so helpful! The flashcard idea is absolutely wonderful lol.

Kellinator	27 Mar 2002
Something that's helping me learn the cards is just the decks I have. The Rohrig has a key word on each card, and the Art Nouveau arranges the Minor Arcana in a storyline. But really, IMHO the best thing is just practice ;) Geenius' flashcards are a great idea!!

Lion-O	28 Mar 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Morgeinne but does anyone have any good memorization tips and tricks for the Minor or Major Arcanas? Hi ! Well, at first it can be a bit tricky to learn I guess but practice makes perfect.. In the mean time it may help if you also study the cards from time to time (say one suite at a time) and while doing so try to grasp the meaning of the picture. After that look up the card and keep doing this every now and then. When everything goes right you'll learn to interpret the picture rather then to memorize meanings; and once you've done that I think you can use any Tarot deck without a booklet.

Umbrae	28 Mar 2002
A fun memorization trick… While you are waiting for sleep to overtake you at night, run through the cards suit by suit Ace through King. The next night go by the numbers (the Twos, Threes…) Visualize each card. Fit the visual with the meaning. This is the same as flash cards, but you can do it with the lights off (save energy)…and helps the memory process better (for me).

VGimlet	30 Mar 2002
Yep, I am keeping a notebook right now too, using a page for each of the minor Arcana, and two for the Majors. For me, I find it helpful to write down a detailed description of the card, and then I hit the books, to find the meanings of the symbols, reading about the card meanings, writing some of those down too, including my impressions. Right now I am using about 9 different books as sources. I find it's really helpful to me to carry around the card I'm concentrating on that day. And, before I finish I usually try to say the meanings out loud, withought looking at the book. Even if it's just to the dogs. LOL.

MystiqueMoonlight	09 Apr 2002
Just a thought.... I was never a great one at study when in High School all those many years ago often getting bored and withdrawn. Sometimes I find this true of the many Tarot books.... I tend to use the cards to influence my intuition. It works for me. Sometimes I admit I get a very difficult reading and have to spend some time sweating over the cards, but I was wandering how many of you rely on your intuition rather than any book(let)? Blessed be.....

Jenny-Li	09 Apr 2002
Here's what I do, I don't know if this is a personal solution that I've found or if it's what everybody does, but it does seem to work...! :) In my view the cards don't MEAN anything, they are ABOUT something, they have a theme, a subject or whatever you like to call it. This theme is based in all that I have learned about the traditional interpretations of each card. The intuition part is where I go deeper into the situation of the card - which is usually a very wide starting poing, very un-specific (is that a word...?) - and try to tune in on what seems to be the "right" level, or possibility or option in the case of this specific reading. I go in and search for scenarios, and stop when I find the one that feels right. What I learn about the cards, interpretations by others and by myself, reflections, thoughts, symbolism etc, I write it all down in my Tarot-book, a note book where I have a couple of pages for each card. That book will be the one I bring out when I get stuck in readings, instead of picking what somebody else has written, I'll stick to what I have written. With this approach the readings will become more and more difficult, because I'll have a wider and wider starting poing, each time I learn something that adds to the possibilities of each card. But then again, in the mean time - while I learn - I have time to polish the intuitive part of it... getting more and more in line with that inner voice, being able to tune in on those energies out there... I'm not sure, did this make any sense, or was it just more confusing? Light and love, Jenny :)

mermaid1622	10 Apr 2002
Quote: Originally posted by MystiqueMoonlight I tend to use the cards to influence my intuition. It works for me. Sometimes I admit I get a very difficult reading and have to spend some time sweating over the cards, but I was wandering how many of you rely on your intuition rather than any book(let)? I rely on my intuition, which to me includes all the associations I have. I am aware of the traditional or "standard" meanings, simply because I like to read/study subjects that interest me. So what I've read/studied may enter in, but it's not the primary source of information to me. mermaid1622

Nightwalker	11 Apr 2002
Quote: Originally posted by MystiqueMoonlight Just a thought.... ...I was wandering how many of you rely on your intuition rather than any book(let)? Right now I use a book/booklet and my intuition as there are times I look at a card and draw a blank and others a meaning seems to jump out at me. I'm also just beginning with Tarot so I need the book interpretations but do hope that someday I won't have to rely on books. Nightwalker

MeeWah	11 Apr 2002
Memorization is fine as long as it does not limit the possibilities. There are occasions when *none* of the meanings previously experienced will "fit". A card need not present as one of the prescribed meanings nor appear in quite the same way each time! This is where the intuition has priority. I tend to go with whatever comes to the fore, even an off-the-wall association simply because it has presented itself. That can change the scope of the entire thread.

The Memorizing Card Meanings thread was originally posted on 26 Mar 2002 in the Using Tarot Cards board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Using Tarot Cards, or read more archived threads.