“What do the cards mean?” Is the question you have to be able to answer at least with a modest answer, before you can do much of anything with your deck of Tarot Cards. This simple question becomes the focus of the quest of knowledge that can last a life time.
A reading is more then memorization's of the cards, meaning probably most of the pages written in most Tarot books are dedicated to answering this question. Students of Tarot, even the experienced ones, spend most of their time on it, and Tarot teachers give most of there time and attention on this question. For new students memorizing the card meanings is usually the first great challenge of learning Tarot.
Often even more difficult then memorizing is the need to reconcile all the different sources of knowledge, learned from teachers and authors. Books and decks number in the thousands, classes can be found every where. While they all have Tarot in common, in what they teach is incredibly varied and inconsistent. How is a student, new or advanced, to find their way through this labyrinth? There is no definitive answer to the question, “what do the cards mean?”
For those of you who like straight forward answer to simple questions. Unfortunately the answer here is NO.
Definitions for the cards depends on variables, such as the different, sometimes even opposed, major traditional systems of interpretation and meanings; the many different decks and the very different intentions of their creators; and the wide personal differences of approach and opinion that exist between individual authorities.
I won’t even try to tell what the cards mean; instead I hope you’ll find well tested workable ways of choosing between methods, systems and traditions. Hopefully you’ll also find practical advice and answers to difficult, puzzling or delicate questions of interpretation and techniques for expanding your knowledge with out adding to your confusion.
Tip #1 GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CARDS:
I use the Rider-Waite deck because of the wealth of symbolism contained in the cards, with tradition behind them and the clarity with which they lend themselves to interpretation.
Not everyone likes this deck however. If you’re learning Tarot with this sometimes less then favorite deck, there is still a way that you can stay connected with other decks you like better without getting too distracted from your studies.
One way to start learning, some continue to do this after they are practiced readers, but a great way to start learning is by pulling a card a day, at whatever time is “your time” of day. Reserve this special ritual or special time for the deck of your choice. If you like, you can pull the same card from two decks and compare them. This is also an excellent way to “season” your cards/deck.
A way to expand this practice would be to draw the same card from several decks; this will give you a feeling for how different images can address the same issue in a given card. A strong Graphic example of what can be gained from the practice would be to compare a card such as Xlll – Death in several decks. If you were to do this I’m sure you would make interesting discoveries.
TIP #2 CLOSE OBSERVATION:
Sherlock Holmes’ success as a detective was based largely upon his powers of observation. This skill that can be learned and developed. It is a skill that will give you untold benefits as a Tarot Reader also.
A good exercise to practice is close observation, it works something like this: Choose a card you would like to study, and then spend a good 3-5 minutes studding the card. Memorize every detail, if there are things to count then count them, notice colors, clothing, posture, facial expressions etc. Notice where everything is in relation to everything else in the picture. Look at everything you will be surprised how many things you’ve never noticed before, even if you’ve been reading for years.
But one caution – in this exercise, observe only, and remember what you actually see. Don’t try to interpret anything, like mood or attitude or even the meaning. Do this exercise in complete silence and think of it as an act of awareness and intention. As part of the observation process close your eyes and see if you can remember the card in detail. Then open your eyes and examine the card again to see if you missed anything.
When you are finished, then turn the card face down and make a list of everything you can remember. If you’re working with a friend, you can take turns saying what you each recall about the card. When you can’t remember anything more, turn the card over and see what you’ve missed.
TIP #3 POP OUTS:
When a card pops out of the deck while shuffling, does it have any significance? In my opinion, absolutely! Of course you don’t have to take my word for it. If you’d rather ignore them, feel free to do so. There are really no hard and fast rules or absolute answers when it comes to this technique. It’s always a personal choice. You may wish to experiment with this and see if you get any valuable information from these cards.
In general it has been my experience that anything that happens during the course of doing a reading that calls attention or gives added emphasis to any card should be regarded as potentially useful.
~ MERRY MEET ~
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