The crowned one said:
Can we read without knowing the meaning and symbolism of the cards? I see many beginners reading using the LWB to make predictions and I feel that is impossible or next to it. I suppose that over time the LWB’s have become reasonably accurate in the simplest of interpretations, and you could put together a real general reading, but you are not doing anything but interpreting someone’s opinion of the cards. The cards have no magic in them. The reading comes from in you. If it is possible to read accurately without understanding the symbolism of the cards to some little degree then I either have underrated the LWB or over-rated the “cosmic energies”. If you can read without knowing the meaning of the cards, then you do not need the cards abilities to focus energy to divine, because the cards themselves do not divine. You do.
This is my take in way fewer words then I should use. How do you feel about the cards? I really feel everyone can do it, but can everyone do it? No.
I am not against this as it is a stepping stone into real divination, but I do not consider that method divining.
There are a number of interesting points in this post. I don't think there is one concrete answer to these questions as reading is such an individual thing. All I can do then is tell you how it feels and seems to me.
You asked if one can read without knowing the meaning and sybolism of the cards. I think some background knowledge is useful as is reading a lot of books on technique when you start out. How can you develop your personal technique without having a good idea of what options are available to you? Do you strictly need to know the traditional meanings to read, I don't know. I don't use them all that much and my readings are fine...so I am not sure on that one.
As to whether you need to
know the symbolism of the cards to read, here is a point that I do have a definite opinion on. I don't think, and this is my way of reading, that the symbolism is "knowable". I think it is very fluid and changes each time. I.e they same symbol for me does not have the same meaning twice. That is part of what makes Tarot magic for me.
The way I read, the same card never has the same meaning twice. THe meaning of the symbolism has to be felt and sensed anew in each reading. One day a blue sky can make me thing of being sad (blue) another of a warm summer day (and deep happiness). A man holding a ball, one day the ball is the universe (saying he is holding the world in his hands, another day that he should be more playful (like a chld playing ball). To me I can learn how to sense symbolism, but I don't feel it can be learnt or memorized, it is new each time.
I do believe that there are a variety of ways to read and if you know in your heart and head what you intend to do in the reading, the answers will come in whatever form you expect them to and intend to read in. But a LWB? Some have just 3-4 keywords in them per card period. That would have to give a very short reading. And yes, it is possible that none of them could apply to the situation. It might be possible to use them as a jumping off point to get your ideas started and flowing, but if that was all you did (just look up meanings in a LWB), I think the readings would suffer.
Yes exactly, the cards are not magic, they are a tool to bring out your personaly magic that comes out when you read. Although there is a certain amount of magic in the right cards always landing in the right position and place. And the right cards do tend to come up where they should. But that is not the cards either. I personally attribute that to my higher powers.
My answer to your question about if it is possible to read without understanding the cards symbolism is again that I think all you need is to know how to find what something means inside yourself. To look at a symbol and just feel what it means. You don't ahve to know beforehand, to me it is something that is done each time anew as part of the reading. I think you have to understand the process of how to see symbolism and sense what it means, but you don't have to understand any more than that, imho.
Well, here is where I will lose a few people maybe. LOL I don't know that the cards have set meanings for me. I read almost uniquely by analysing the imagery and symbolism and feeling the answer. It works very well for me and I wouldn't change a thing. But yes, I do need the cards to read. I am not psychic in any way. I need the images to give me the message of the card and its meaning. Needless to say, because of the way I read, non-scenic pips do not work for me.
Bar