new and confused

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 20 Jun 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Buttercup	20 Jun 2002
Hi, I'm new to the tarot and one thing that consistently confuses me is if a "negative" card comes up in a positive position or a "positive" card comes up in a negative position in a spread. For example, I do a six-card General Life spread in which one position explains "What you value" and another explains "What is bothering you." But what if a 5 of Pentacles comes up for "what you value?" Or the 9 of Cups comes up for "what is bothering you?" Obviously I'm missing something basic. I hope y'all can help me :-) Thanks, Diana

cricket	20 Jun 2002
Hello and welcome! :) Are you using reversals or intuitive knowledge? As a user of intuitive knowledge, cards that don't 'fit' used to drive my crazy. I've realized that there are both positive and negative sides to each card, though. Each card in a reading relies on surrounding cards to help gather a meaning, but I'll try to explain using your examples. the 5 of pents in "what you value" could very well mean that a person's enjoying wallowing in self-pity. They could be using someone else's hard luck or low time to be gaining something for themself. the 9 of cups in the "what bothers you" could be an indication that they don't think they're deserving of such good fortune. Maybe somebody else is reaping all sorts of rewards and this is bothering the querent. They could be jealous of some other person's relationship. You just have to find what each card means to you in these situations. Use the surrounding cards to get a feel for what it could mean. Most importantly, remember there are no actual good and bad cards. Every card in the deck has both good and bad qualities.

Lee	20 Jun 2002
Hi, Diana, welcome to Aeclectic! You ask a very good question. What I do in these situations is, if it's a negative card in a positive position, perhaps it means I subconsciously don't want something I think I want. For example, if the 5 of Pentacles comes up in "what I value," perhaps it means that although I think I want to be rich, subconsciously I really don't, and maybe I'm subconsciously sabatoging my own efforts to make money. If it's a positive card in a negative position, such as your example of the 9 of Cups, "what is bothering you," it might mean that there's some happiness in the situation which is making me feel uncomfortable. For example, maybe I'm in a relationship in which everything is going well, but deep down I really wish I weren't in the relationship and so I don't *want* it to go well. Or perhaps a friend is living for the moment, going to parties, staying out late, and maybe I feel he should be acting more responsibly. Or maybe I've been eating too much and I realize that I need to go on a diet! :) Just some ideas... -- Lee

Buttercup	20 Jun 2002
Thank you so much, Cricket and Lee! I very much appreciate your speedy (wow!), thoughtful and helpful advice. It certainly makes sense and I'll keep it in mind the next time I'm staring at a spread that's driving me crazy :-) Thanks again! Diana

Umbrae	20 Jun 2002
Sometimes you have to expand the ‘meanings’ of the cards, to move beyond what writers write. Let us take the Five of Pentacles as an example. I see it the card as having to do with choices and decisions. Most people fail to realize that poverty and illness are largely a matter of choices. Often the choices are hidden in a persons past, so they prefer to ‘blame’ others. It is easier to do, than accept the truth. A two pack a day smoker may experience illness; again, it is a matter of choice. Perhaps the 5 of P is about accepting responsibility of your choices and moving beyond. So, the card comes up in values. In this case, your values are influenced by accepting responsibilities, taking pride in owning your life, valuing moving beyond the ever popular ‘blame game’. 9 of Cups bothering you? How many folks feel guilty about success? (like Cricket and Lee stated).

Buttercup	20 Jun 2002
Good points Umbrae. As someone new to the tarot I'm still a bit hesitant to expand on meanings, though. But that will no doubt will change with practice. Bothered by success? You're right. Lots of people are and these are the types of truths I need to remember and recognize when interpreting spreads. Again, more practice :-) Thanks for the input! Diana

Umbrae	20 Jun 2002
BTW: Buy a spiral notebook. Write down all spreads, readings, and random thoughts on spreads (later, after the reading you can go back and 're-evaluate it'. Do lots of spreads. Start with small ones (3-card spreads are great when you are starting). More cards do not equal a better reading when you are new. Do more spreads... Have fun.

Buttercup	20 Jun 2002
Umbrae: I've got a notebook for the spreads I've done and it's working out great. It's amazing how on target some spreads are. Every card hits the nail on the head, even without any interpretation from me. Other spreads (actually most), however, are a total mystery. Maybe more time is needed in deciphering those. Just have to remember what all those abbreviations I made mean :-) Diana

Jenny-Li	22 Jun 2002
Quote: Originally posted by cricket Are you using reversals or intuitive knowledge? Hi Buttercup, welcome to the forum! Just ask away whenever there is something confusing you, there are lots of people here who love to help out when we can! (And as someone pointed out here today, explaining to someone else is a great way to pinpoint your own thoughts, so it's a great way to learn too, which I'm sure you will experience too, eventually!) Anyways, I don't have much to add to your questions, I agree on what the others wrote. I did however find myself very curious over what Cricket wrote, and would like to ask you, Cricket, if you could explain a bit further? Does reversals rule out intuitive knowledge? Or is it a way of describing different ways of reading? See, I'm experimenting with reversals now, have probably used what you call intuitive knowledge before, and since you seem to make a distinction I'm not aware of, it got me curious. And I do have trouble deciding whether I'm comfortable with it or not, maybe this will shed some light for me...! Thank you SO much if you can develop these thoughts some more, it would be such a help to me. Perhaps it should be in a thread of it's own? Light and love, Jenny :)

Rhiannon	22 Jun 2002
Hi Jenny! I just wanted to express my thoughts on reversals and intuitive reading. I don't believe they are mutually exclusive. I think what cricket was trying to get to is "Do you use reversals?" and "Do you read intuitively?" You can do both, of course! :) Buttercup, I would just like to add my thoughts on your positive/negative cards: 5 of Pents could mean that you value what you have learned through your hardships. What doesn't kill us makes us stronger. 9 of Cups could be you not trusting your good fortune. Not necessarily that you don't feel deserving... more that "nothing in life is free, so what is this going to cost me?" I've been talking too much lately.... Rhiannon :)

Liliana	22 Jun 2002
I think by reading reversed or intuitively she meant ddo you use phsyical reversals or do you intuitively tell whether the card is leaning toward its more positive side or its negative side THE :THP

Jenny-Li	22 Jun 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Liliana I think by reading reversed or intuitively she meant ddo you use phsyical reversals or do you intuitively tell whether the card is leaning toward its more positive side or its negative side THE :THP Hm, yes that makes sense. Thanks (and to Rhiannon to, of course!)! Jenny :)

cricket	22 Jun 2002
I'm sorry! I should have been more specific. Of course you ALWAYS use your intuition when reading the cards. I was referring to actually reversing the cards while shuffling versus getting the intuitive feeling that a card takes on the reversed meaning even though it's upright.

Lightlike	10 Jul 2002
My experience is that I once used a variation of the CC spread that 9 times out of 10 the positive card came up in the negative position and the negative card in the positive position. So, I just altered the spread and didn't have any more problems after that. But my case might be different than yours. Good luck with your readings Buttercup :)

The new and confused thread was originally posted on 20 Jun 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.