Significator for a person (non-court cards)

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 28 Mar 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Utuku	28 Mar 2004
Is it possible to use an Ace instead of a person when you're doing a reading and need to use a Significator? The Ace of Swords suits my friend very well (the meaning I've read could practically be made for her personality), and I'm trying to figure out why some specific cards come up every time I do a reading about her (or, according to her, any reading done about her). Anywho, any advice on this sort of topic (using non Major Arcana or Court cards as significators I mean) would be appreciated! ^_^ Thankyou!

Imagemaker	28 Mar 2004
You can use any Significator that seems to best fit the querent. Many readers, including me, don't use them routinely. But I find occasionally they help me focus the question or intent of the question.

HOLMES	28 Mar 2004
however i call it the soul postion and always pick that card(randomly) first and then i reshuffle and pick the rest of the cards i find it every helpful and since i mostly use the celtic cross i call the significator postion .0 edited to add, in this style the signif becomes part of the reading and is the basis for everything more then heart of the matter position number one , and i use it for every spread for an overall flow feeling.

contrascarpe	28 Mar 2004
I agree with Imagemaker - you can use any card as a significator. In fact, if you know the person well sometimes a non-court card may be better, or choosing a card which fits the question asked would be good. I typically don't use significators anymore. My thought is that by removing a card from the deck eliminates that particular card from coming up in the reading, and I would find having that "significator" in a particular spot in the spread much more insightful than it just being there. I have been using a modified horseshoe spread lately for general non-question readings. I have been pulling a card from one of my Oracle decks to give me some direction for the reading and then, in the spot where the significator is supposed to be, I place my first Tarot card there instead to give me additional information regarding that initial card. It creates a nice bond between my two decks and allows them to work together. Go with your instincts! Dan

Phoenyx*	28 Mar 2004
I've heard of a man who pulls the cards, and lets the querant pick a stone to put on the querant's choice of card. Supposedly this says alot about the querant and the question.

Macavity	28 Mar 2004
Alternatively one can base it on astrology and use the birthdate to card association. I get King of Swords, Hierophant or Seven of Disks, IIRC. All of these fit rather well... :D Macavity

Utuku	28 Mar 2004
Thanks for all your help! ^_^ I did a reading earlier today (before reading this even! ^^;; I wouldn't normally do that, it just felt like I should at the time) and pulling the significator randomly does seem to make a bit more sense at times ^^

kerri28	29 Mar 2004
I've only used a signifactor once in a reading and it was done randomly. I wasn't even going to use one but I felt a sudden urge to do so. (Looks to the sky and thanks her guides ;) ) As it turned out the card that i picked was spot on for the querent. She said that she related to this card as it was how she was feeling at the time of the reading. Light and Love Kerrie

Kiama	29 Mar 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Utuku and pulling the significator randomly does seem to make a bit more sense at times ^^ I find this to be a very helpful practice aswell. Whilst the querent choosing a card to signify themselves tells you what they think they are like, choosing a card from the deck at random is a mini-reading in itself, and tells you alot about what the querent is really like, and what situation they're in. However, when I do choose the significators in a reading, I will choose any card, even if it isn't a Court Card. This is because all the cards can tell us about the personality of somebody aswell as events, though for some reason (because of early modern card meanings given to us by people like Ettiela?) the Court Cards have been trapped as people only, when in fact they also represent stages of development, feelings, situations, etc. Sometimes I use a significator based not on the querent's personality but their position in life right now. For instance, if the question they ask is about an addiction, I might use the Devil as a significator. If they ask a question about their relationship with their wife, I may use the 2 of Cups. If they feel they need information about work, the 8 of Pentacles might go down (though if it is the case that they feel they are being overworked and underpaid, the 10 of Wands might be used!) So, yep: I use any card from the pack as a significator. Blessings, Kiama

kerri28	29 Mar 2004
Thanks kiama for the tips! Pretty impressive. I might actually start to use signifactors a bit more often. Love and Light Kerrie

The Significator for a person (non-court cards) thread was originally posted on 28 Mar 2004 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.