Intuitive interpretation vs. Traditional card meanings

[Melisandre]

I started learning Tarot with the Radiant RWS deck, and have done most of my readings with a firm grasp on the traditional meanings of the cards. As I've begun to collect and read with different decks, I seem to be at a crossroads. What do you do when the image on a particular card from a particular deck, doesn't resonate with the "traditional" meaning of the card? Do you dismiss your own interpretation of the imagery and rely on the traditional interpretation, or is it better to go the other way around?

I'm feeling quite conflicted right now, as I use my Tarot of the Sidhe deck, and notice the differences in my reactions to the "same" cards. For instance, the Wheel of Fortune from Tarot of the Sidhe gives me a much different feeling than the Wheel of Fortune from RWS. I know what the traditional interpretation of the card is, but the FEELING I get from the card from Tarot of the Sidhe just doesn't mesh with that classic interpretation, at least not to me. So I started wondering how others handle this? Any advice is, of course, greatly appreciated.

 

[Zephyros]

Each deck creator puts their own spin on the traditional images, with different interpretations of each one. Although, as I see it, Tarot is based on a pattern of sorts, that same pattern leaves almost unlimited room for personal interpretation. For example, off the top of my head, the RWS Death is a very negative card with skeletons and lots of, well, death. On the other hand, the Thoth Death is dancing and is generally very uplifting. Both, of course, mean "death" but the perception of it changes according to the visuals. And that's with two different systems, with RWS clones the meaning could be much closer to the original.

The card meanings are not arbitrary; they are set according to numerology, Qabala and astrology, although don't expect yourself to swallow all that in one go, especially not now. So, while learning the card "meanings" (by which I mean the symbolism that makes up that meanings) is very important, your intuition is no less important, probably even more. Your inuition is what gives the card meanings their "meat," whatever deck you're using, but also pay attention to each artist's interpretation and angle.

 

[NikkiB]

For me it's say what you see - What does that image mean to you, what springs into your mind, your first thought, then tie that up with what you know about that card, the number the suit, couler associations.

I very much read intuitively but I like to use the knowledge I have and continue gathering knowledge to not only enrich these readings but validate them as well.

Experiment, don't be afraid to throw your thoughts in the table and then use the feedback to learn... everyone is different, you will find the best way for you but either way you never stop learning

 

[Soaring Eagle]

I agree with the other posts. It is all about using the knowledge that you have acquired and your intuition. I tend to read each deck a little bit differently. For example (using your example of X The Wheel): From my Celtic Dragon deck I usually see this as completing a cycle, but in my Vision Quest deck I see it as being well balanced, completing a cycle and receiving a spiritual message. Of course this changes depending on the placement in the spread and the question, but these are general examples.

It's all about using what you have learned and what your intuition tells you during the reading.

 

[frac_ture]

I agree with the other posters, too: I personally would listen first and foremost to the individual "voice" of a given deck, and then supplement that with the more generally held views about the meanings of the cards in question (I wouldn't go at it the other way around, in other words, by making the generally accepted interpretations always the primary element in a reading).

To reference your example, if you're doing a reading with your Tarot of the Sidhe deck , and the Wheel of Fortune comes up, my own feeling is that you should draw most heavily from the specific response you get to that specific Tarot of the Sidhe Wheel of Fortune image, and don't worry that said response isn't the one that the Tarot elders would ascribe to the RWS Wheel or to the overall Wheel of Fortune archetype (hopefully you get what I'm trying to say!). I personally feel that when we read, each deck is very individual, and it uses the unique set of symbols at its disposal to speak to us -- it's saying what it means to say, not doing an imperfect RWS impersonation. Obviously, other people might have the exact opposite feelings about this, and I think it does ultimately boil down to what feels right for you!

 

[Melisandre]

I agree with the other posters, too: I personally would listen first and foremost to the individual "voice" of a given deck, and then supplement that with the more generally held views about the meanings of the cards in question (I wouldn't go at it the other way around, in other words, by making the generally accepted interpretations always the primary element in a reading).

QUOTE]


Thank you all so much, this *REALLY* helps. I thought I was doing something wrong, because my interpretations of the cards were sort of "off" from what I learned with RWS. But trusting my intuition first, and supplementing with traditional meanings is a wonderful idea, and has proved useful over the past few readings I've done.

 

[GryffinSong]

Always, always, always trust your intuition first, as others have already said. Traditional meanings are a part of the process, a part of tarot history, but ultimately it comes down to your own impressions. No matter how wildly different they are, I always feel that if something comes to you strongly, it's what you need to hear.

 

[Zechariah13]

Every deck will tell you something different, and speak differently usingt the same tools. For instance, Across my 4 tarot decks, the Tower, Moon, and Magician all have VERY different conotations. of course, in one deck, the LWB has a VERY different meaning written down, but yeah. Each deck speaks itsn own language, and each one will relate to you differently. My shadowscapes deck likes playing tricks on me, for instance.

 

[poopsie]

Hi Melisandre

I am encountering a similar situation with my Etruscan tarot deck and Klimt. I opted to check out in our study group a particular thread called 21 Ways to read the Tarot. I opted to go through the exercises and the ones i truly found helpful were the ones in steps 1 -6. One of them encouraged me to look into the actual details of the card, create a story and find an experience in my life that helped me to make the meaning of the card for me deeper and more insightful. It made it more intuitive for me to do so with cards, aside from also having to do research.

In the case of Klimt, I often look forward to Minotauro's contribution to the study group because she actually searches for Klimt's paintings which was the basis of the cards and tries to research on the artist Klimt's perspective at the time he made the painting. I am following a similar method with the Etruscan, researching on the tombs where the design of the cards came from. Then I integrate the description lifted from the booklet that goes with the deck. I guess it's a combination of the card description in the booklet, (traditional). a bit of knowledge of RWS and Thoth when I see some symbols these decks also used, research and story telling and intuition.

 

[rwcarter]

What do you do when the image on a particular card from a particular deck, doesn't resonate with the "traditional" meaning of the card? Do you dismiss your own interpretation of the imagery and rely on the traditional interpretation, or is it better to go the other way around?

The Wheel of Fortune is the Wheel of Fortune is the Wheel of Fortune across (almost) all decks. The Wheel has generally the same meanings across various decks. But there are differences or nuances from one deck to the next.

Say you have 3 decks A, B, and C from which to choose for a particular reading. As I'm of the school that there are no mistakes in tarot, you chose the particular deck for that particular reading for a reason. So when the cards from that deck come up in the reading, it's most likely the nuances/differences that you should pay attention to, especially if they jump out at you. Cause if you were meant to use the meanings you're used to, you would've picked the deck that gives you those meanings and not the deck that doesn't.

HTH,
Rodney