How many angles ....

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 27 Aug 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Sullanciri2002	27 Aug 2002
do most of you use when reading the cards. By angles I mean ways of looking at or interpreting the card (astrology, the deck or author's specific meaning for a card, numerology, specific religious belief system, general tarotistic meaning for the card, reference to symbols, ....) How many can one person keep "active" in his head without getting ... well "confused" or "bonkers" (for lack of a better word).

Mojo	27 Aug 2002
I think that any time you are relying on any kind of memorization for reading and interpreting the cards, you're making it more complicated than it needs to be. So to answer your question, I only use one angle - what does each card say to me in combination with the other cards in the spread. I just let my own understanding of the cards guide me into weaving them all together into a story. If I had to try to remember what each author or "expert" said about a particular card or spread, it would be work instead of fun.

Keslynn	27 Aug 2002
I use all sorts of angles but not in a blatantly conscious way. I'll explain. Basically, I have a read a lot of tarot books covering it using aspects from artistic intent to qabalah, etc. All of that information gets left to stew around in my brain and get digested. When I do a reading, I look at the images on the cards and see what comes up - practical, imaginative, inutitive. Whatever strikes me about the cards. Sometimes one of those pieces of information stewing in my brain comes to fore. A certain card or configuration will remind me of some interesting insight I got from one of the books. Usually, it's quite relevant to the situation and adds depth to a reading. While I agree with Mojo that relying on rote memorization is bad, I don't really think of this as memorization. Rather, I feel that I am taking all the things that I am reading and integrating them into my tarot practice in a useful way. I hope that made sense. It's really hard to explain how a personal thought process works. :) Kes

rajarod	27 Aug 2002
I guess I use a combination of “intuitive” and “research” styles. Sometimes when I do a reading, particularly a simple one, I’ll just use my own feelings about the card tempered by my knowledge and prior research. This works great. Other times, particularly for important issues, I’ll analyze a reading from a number of directions. I will write down my gut reactions and interpretations from my existing knowledge, and then do some additional research in some of my books and notebooks, reading about each card and oftentimes adding some useful nuances. I especially like to analyze my spread from a Qabalistic perspective. Another angle that I will employ is the use of elemental dignities. I’ve found this to be a great way to add shades of meaning and to understand the subtle interplay of different cards. You can read more about elemental dignities by clicking here. This can be pretty complicated, but once you get a feel for it, it becomes almost intuitive. I like to gather all the info I can about an important spread, and think about it for a while, trying to figure out what aspects apply to situation that I’m dealing with. Sometimes I’ll do a reading, write down the cards, and return to it on and off for a few days, adding to my understanding and interpretation. So, I guess I tend more towards a “complicated” reading style, at least for important issues. However, I don’t feel that this detracts from the message or the meaning of the cards, but rather adds insight. It is more work, but it’s work that I enjoy. I agree with Keslynn that this is different than blindly assigning memorized interpretations. Those are my two pennies ;)

Laurel	27 Aug 2002
When studying a tarot card, I go for as many angles as possible and try to include multiple authors and esoteric arts. When I'm doing a reading, its intuition and my own insight founded on research; sometimes "gems" of occult knowledge work their way to the surface and I know instinctively to look at the astrological attributions of a card, for example. Laurel

Alex	29 Aug 2002
I don't know if there is an answer to this question, but I know that every card that you add to the reading will "restrict" the meaning of the others and converge to telling different parts of but one story. I personally find it easier to read cards on a spread that has more structure and more than 3 positions, because it imposes more "restrictions" to the interpretation, therefore avoiding the problems with "different angles". Ask the cards a question and then try to answer with one card, two cards and a 3-card-spread to get a sense of what I mean. I also advise you to visit the "my readings" and "reding exchange" sections to get a sense of different styles in readings and to understand how people form a story with the cards. Bests Alex. Quote: Originally posted by Sullanciri2002 do most of you use when reading the cards. By angles I mean ways of looking at or interpreting the card (astrology, the deck or author's specific meaning for a card, numerology, specific religious belief system, general tarotistic meaning for the card, reference to symbols, ....)

Jenny-Li	29 Aug 2002
I'm with Mojo and others here, it's the reading itself that is the only angle for me - when READING that is. When I study the Tarot, the cards and the general symbolism and everything, I am working my way through as many angles as possible, slowly but steadily... For me the studying process means I incorporate several layers of understanding, several angles if you wish, in my theoretical relating to the Tarot. When I'm reading it's just me and the cards, me with the well of experience somewhere in the very back of my head... Light and love, Jenny :)

Jewel	29 Aug 2002
I am more of a studier than a reader, but when I do read, like Mojo, Keslyn and others, I focus on the cards and their relationship to one and other, and often times it is the knowledge I have gained through studying that just surfaces to enlighten me. Like Mojo, memorization is work for me.

The How many angles .... thread was originally posted on 27 Aug 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.