tarot readings?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 25 Mar 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

tarot4life	25 Mar 2002
HI, new to tarot;I wanted to know if you interpret the cards with your own meanings or do you use the meanings in the LWB?

mermaid1622	25 Mar 2002
all I've encountered plus my own thoughts and feelings about what I've encountered. So the "meaning" to me is what *I* am able to "see," what I am able to "hear" the card say ... and because I believe that I have some meaning, but certainly not all the meaning there is, I am very interested in what others have seen and are seeing, so I do study to learn more and take into consideration how the LWB and anyone else interprets a card (or a position in a spread). But while I value learning and tradition, I do not feel bound by them. Hope that helps a bit. mermaid1622

cjtarot	25 Mar 2002
Hi, I was given this advise "read every book you can, then throw them out and go with what you feel". This has worked..I still read the books - they help with symbolism and a base feel then I look at the card, where it is in the spread and say what I feel. To me, you need to know the basics, but you also need to trust your judgment. (this is coming from someone with little confidence..lol). good luck and remember - there is always something new to learn. cj

Umbrae	25 Mar 2002
Absolutely. Read every book you can. However, one must remember that a book is a reference tool. Most authors have opinions. Some believe their opinions are the ONLY truth. I was taught to use the cards alone, and ignore books (took years before I read my first book on Tarot). There is no right and wrong (rite and rong…write and wrong?) … Only what your heart/soul tell you. Listening is the real issue, and the most difficult part. You must also learn to listen to the cards, without becoming overwhelmed, or their slave.

Lion-O	25 Mar 2002
Quote: Originally posted by tarot4life HI, new to tarot;I wanted to know if you interpret the cards with your own meanings or do you use the meanings in the LWB? Both. In the beginning I did a lot of looking up after a spread (checking the meaning of the cards) but IMVHO that was also the main reason why my very first readings weren't much a success. However, I do get the feeling it layed down a good basis for my further Tarot experiences; after a few months it turned out that I developed quite a good understanding for the cards and after that basic understanding (as I like to call it) I started using my own interpretations allthough based on the knowledge I gained. So now I basicly ended up doing both; when doing regular readings I take the "official" meaning as the way to read the cards. But when I'm on an "alternative" reading I simply read the cards as I seem fit at that specific moment; solely basing my reading on the things I see in them and relating the reading to the situation (ie; doing a reading for the future or, for example, one 'less serious' one to get a feeling for the deck). If there is one thing I learned about Tarot so far its that you should allways try to find a good mixture between following the layed out path to do a reading and the way you are most comfortable with. Maybe this is not the way it works for everyone, it did miracles for me.

The tarot readings? thread was originally posted on 25 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.