"Violating" the original meaning. Is it o.k.?

I was wondering if any of you have experienced getting a new deck, falling in love with it but reading the cards in a completely different way? I mean, looking at a "classic" 2 of cups and seeing a trip, or some other meaning that has no direct relationship with it? Is it o.k.? How far can intuition go? Is it trangressing and reading poorly?I´d love to hear your experienced comments on this.

By the way, the deck that is causing such mental "havoc" is the Archeon...

Well, I once saw a "person coming seemingly out of nowhere as a complete surprise" in the Emperor-card (Robin Wood if I remember the deck right) and it turned out to be a pregnancy.
So I'm not at all opposed to going by the gut-feeling that comes up when looking at the image.

I bend meanings a bit with one card. It's the Hermit. I never see him as being a loner, rather I see him as finding his way alone, but not remaining alone on his journey. I like the idea of calling him "The Pathfinder"...that lantern raised high and negotiating that mountain path. Personally, I like him, so I find a much more positive aspect to him. In my readings, it's usually he (or she, as in the case of Chang O) that brings a lot of honesty and leadership to the reading, and leaving fear behind to do what needs to be done, despite the odds.

ana luisa said:

How far can intuition go? Is it trangressing and reading poorly?I´d love to hear your experienced comments on this.

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Trying to restrict your intuition is not a healthy thing when it comes to know your deck, the more you are used to it, you find more meanings that are not in the books and between your deck and you start flowing a particular language.

Maybe the best thing to do is to read it the way you see it (book meaning or not), and then note if what you saw bears out as time goes on. (Which I think is probably the best way of learning a deck, anyway!)

"Violating" the original meaning. Is it o.k.?

Yes. What are original meanings anyway? I just got in the mail the Swietlestej Drogi. It has different pictures then what I am used to. And it comes with an explaining book.

In Polish!

See what I mean? In the end it is you and your cards and you will see, hear and feel what the cards meaning is. When I try to get comfortable with a new deck I make little stories with the cards. Fun and interesting, to see what many different meanings can come up!
Blessings

I love what Raymond Buckland has to say about the books in the intro to his companion book for the Romani deck (tarot). He says read his book, all the books you want, and study like crazy. Then put the books away and read the cards.

sharpchick said:

I love what Raymond Buckland has to say about the books in the intro to his companion book for the Romani deck (tarot). He says read his book, all the books you want, and study like crazy. Then put the books away and read the cards.

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I agree, the books and inserts are a guidline, not written in blood or etched on stone tablets. They're a springboard from which to branch out. nothing beats instincts.

For me, there are some decks where the actual picture and how it relates to the other pictures in the spread becomes quite important. Usually what I see in the pictures is supported by the book meaning but in a catty-corner way.

I have had more luck as far as accuracy goes when I let the cards be a tool for accessing intuition rather than sticking with rote-learned meanings. Still everyone is different and there are lots of different ways to read

--Myrrha

As I have worked more and more with Tarot what I notice is that the pictorial cards that come up are the ones that will click with my personal symbol set.

What I mean is somehow the "cards know"....or the Force Behind the Cards....knows that when I see a particular picture it will make me think of a particular memory or knowing of mine and that I'll "click" on that card and say something particularly brilliant to the sitter at that moment.

Sounds like hocus pocus doesn't it?

Please if you are looking at a card that means "marriage" or whatever the book says it is supposed to mean and you are thinking "major wife beater" then you go with what you know is true for you in that moment. I can bet it isn't the book meaning.

As you trust that voice more and more you will strengthen it.
You send a message to your self that you trust what you know and more and more of that voice will surface with every reading.
Your meanings of the cards are the most important meanings.
How do you think those folks came up with what is in the books in the first place? Experience, time, and doing readings with real people I hope.

If you don't journal, and I have trouble commiting things to the journal myself, the insights gleaned in this way are the most important things to journal. The new information that was given to you, just you, by your own inner Tarot guru.