all these different decks/images/meanings

[BrightEye]

Hi star-lover,

I tend to use a lot of different decks. I get more insight into a situation by comparing cards from different decks. Whereas it is true that each deck has its own unique character and set of meanings, sometimes I get a kind of universal meaning shining through all that diversity. That's usually a sign that the Tarot is telling me sth important; eg in the Dante Tarot, the 2/Cups means illusion and futile hopes because it corresponds to the Heavens of the Moon in the Dantean world. But in my readings it often means what it ususally means: love and friendship. Does that make sense?

 

[star-lover]

Hi star-lover,

I tend to use a lot of different decks. I get more insight into a situation by comparing cards from different decks. Whereas it is true that each deck has its own unique character and set of meanings, sometimes I get a kind of universal meaning shining through all that diversity. That's usually a sign that the Tarot is telling me sth important; eg in the Dante Tarot, the 2/Cups means illusion and futile hopes because it corresponds to the Heavens of the Moon in the Dantean world. But in my readings it often means what it ususally means: love and friendship. Does that make sense?

yes it makes sense
i dont get that dante tarot interpretation at all by any stretch of the imagination - 2 of cups meaning futile hopes? huh??? anyway
going to check that card on google see what its about

 

[firemaiden]

Oh well, star-lover, the Dante is a rather "out-there" deck, in some ways it's more about Dante than about tarot. Despite all I've written elsewhere about wanting to be free to read whatever into any image at anytime, there is a "cartomantic" tradition out there (from divination with playing cards) of basic meanings, which has actually changed rather little from Eteilla to Waite, to Crowley, etc. Paul Huson has made a very elegant history of card interpretations in his "Mystic Origins of the Tarot" - I find it very helpful. When faced with a new-fangled interpretation (like the Dante tarot), I like to see what the card has traditionally meant first, then I can understand what the deck author had to work with, and in what way he offers a new take on the tradition.

 

[BrightEye]

Yes, firemaiden is right, the Dante Tarot is not a traditional Tarot, except for the umber of Majors and Minors. Lovely artwork though - it's one of my favourites. Traditional decks usually depict a certain version of the universe. Dante devised his own interpretation of the world, based on various ancient and medieval philosophers, and that's what this Tarot is based on. What I was trying to say, however, was that despite this discrepancy, the Dante Tarot sometimes gives me 'traditional' meanings which are not coded into that deck.