Knowing the Meaning

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 20 Jun 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Deus Ex Machina	20 Jun 2004
I've just started learning the tarot - I haven't done any readings yet, but while reading about the cards I was wondering: each card can have so many meanings, for example court cards could represent part of the querent's personality, or a person in their life. How do you know which meaning of a card applies to the particular situation? I'm guessing it has something to do with intuition, but if it does, what kind of intuition, and how can it be developed?

contrascarpe	20 Jun 2004
Ah, but if we told you what kind of intuition, it wouldn't be YOUR intuition, would it? But seriously, that is a question which plagued me early on. Figure in your mind how the cards interact with each other, what you see in the cards, what they mean to you. Depending on the deck and spread, so many thing can open up to you. I spent years trying to "learn" tarot, and then one day, it just clicked. Try some readings and let your mind guide you. Dan

Thirteen	20 Jun 2004
This is where spreads come in handy. Also, a specific question. See, in a spread, each card in each position has a meaning (more or less). So let's say you're doing a reading and your spread is as follows: 1........3 .....5.... 2.........4 The numbers show how you lay down the cards--starting with one, then two, then three...etc. And each card has a meaning. For example, maybe: #1 is the current situation #2 is opposing forces #3 is positive or friendly forces #4 is hopes/fears #5 is outcome Now. What is the question? How about, the querent says, "I'm having health problems. Will I get better?" Okay. So what do YOU, the reader, know? You know: 1) The cards are probably going to answer this question and deal ONLY with the health issue. So any card you get relates to that, and all other possible meanings are...possible, but not likely. 2) The position of the card will clue you into what it's about as well--opposing forces or positive forces, yes? So let's say you get the Queen/Cups for #2. Opposing forces. Hm. What would this suggest to you? To me it would suggest that either there is a very emotional woman who's keeping the querent from getting better (maybe the querent's mother keeps calling, crying, upsetting them?)--or, maybe the querent own emotional feelings are OPPOSING them from getting better. Let's say, on the other hand, that Queen/Cups shows up for #3...Ah. In this case, I'd think the queen probably stands for some practitioner of alternative medicine. A more sympathetic (positive!) healer who could make the querent feel emotionally better as well as physically better. Perhaps, even, some kind of water therapy? As you can see, you STILL have a variety of options. BUT having a question and having a spread narrows and focuses the options on down. In addition, as you begin to read, you'll see patterns in the spread that will also help to narrow down what the cards are trying to say. What I mean by that is that a story sometimes forms from one card to the next. After you get familiar with card meanings, start with simple 3-card spreads (past, present, future) and see what stories they tell. If past is The Fool, present is the Emperor and future is The Hermit...well, you have a little story there, don't you? The person started out carefree, roaming where they liked. Now, however, they're stuck in a position of authority, forced to stay seated in that chair, no more roaming free. In the future, this will make them leave and go into seclusion, so they can roam about once more...though not nearly so carefree as before. See? A story emerges. But here's the most important thing: Readings are the deep end of the pool. And big readings, like the Celtic Cross...that's out in the middle of the ocean with sharks ;) Right now, you're still in the shallows, learning to swim. So don't worry about how you're going to stay alive out there in the ocean with the sharks. Just learn the basics. When you're ready to understand more, you will. You'll move into deeper waters, then out into the ocean....and eventually, you'll be swimming with the dolphins and mermaids. Each part will come clear as you get to it. Promise.

Esther	20 Jun 2004
Thirteen explained it greatly. I just have one thing to add: When you're reading for yourself, you can see somewhat how the cards apply to your life. That, coupled with the positions of the cards, can make it a bit easier to understand them. Sometimes I have trouble seeing how the cards relate, but over time it gets easier.

Flavio	21 Jun 2004
Added to Thirteen and Esther advise on do 3 card readings, you can read for yourself (Past situation-Action/Decisition taken-Present situation), so the story you read will be your own!, in this way you can learn to put the story together(remember in this case) and start discovering what the cards will mean for you to complement the book meanings. I read you have the World Spirit, is a great deck and included book is very useful, as it is small I have sometimes trouble handling it and I am afraid to broke it, so I transcript paragraphs in my journal for easy access. Best Regards

Rep	21 Jun 2004
I'm just learning and tried that spread here is what I got maybe someone can help me interpret this a little more. I asked "How am I going to get my job." (1. 9 of Swords (2. 9 of cups (3. The Emperor (4. The Hermit (5. The Lovers ..................................

Thirteen	21 Jun 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Rep I'm just learning and tried that spread here is what I got maybe someone can help me interpret this a little more. I asked "How am I going to get my job." Best to take this down to "Your Readings" http://www.tarotforum.net/forumdisplay.php?forumid=17 Which is where you can post readings and get other people's interpetations and help on them. When you post the spread, let people know: 1) What spread you used and what each card means--it's hard to interpet the cards if we don't know that #1 there (9/Swords) means the past or if it means your present position or what? 2) Let folk know what YOU think the cards mean, how you interpet them. That way people can point out where your interpetation seems spot on or why they think some other interpetation might be better, and, thus, help you learn.

The Knowing the Meaning thread was originally posted on 20 Jun 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.