Interpreting Tarot CardsInterpreting tarot cards takes some practice and experience. There is no one, correct way to interpret the tarot. There is an art to reading the tarot that cannot be taught in books or classes and there are no rules to the process. But there are certain approaches to interpretation that have proved useful for most people over time. Interpreting tarot cards means combining intuitive responses with practicality. This means you can take the message that you intuitively realize and construct a framework that is helpful to the seeker. Let’s look at some guidelines for interpreting a single card. Interpreting tarot cards starts with trying to sense the cards as a whole and sensing each card on its own. This is a simultaneous process that helps to fortify both aspects. Each card has four sources of meaning. The first source of meaning in interpreting tarot cards is your initial specific response to the card. This will be determined by several factors including your personality, state of mind and background. This is thus a personal interpretation of the card being viewed.The second source of meaning when interpreting tarot cards are those that have been brought into being over time and study. These meanings are based on the interpretations of many tarot practitioners. They depend on the guide you are using. The third source of meaning depends on the card’s position in the spread. Such interpretations are based on commonalities and convention. When interpreting tarot cards you should use a guide that feels comfortable to you on an intuitive level. The fourth source of meaning is derived from your question and your life issues. This is the aspect of the reading that can help you to construct the framework for how you view each card. You can use it to link a single card to a single life issue. When interpreting tarot cards you must take these four levels of meaning and mesh them in a way that you instinctively feel is right for you. As a novice you will generally begin by taking the card’s meaning and its position as a guide. As time goes by you will begin to rely more heavily on your own intuitive feelings. You may have certain reactions to the picture on the card. The card may seem to speak to you through its pictures. When you consult the keywords for the card you might feel or “know” that they relate directly to you. Interpreting tarot cards must also regard the position of the other cards for a more accurate reflection. When interpreting tarot cards you will soon see that more that one meaning is possible. The correct one is the one guided by your own instincts and intuition. This is the on of the main purposed of tarot - to learn to trust your own intuition! You may have an “Aha” reaction or your responses may be more subtle. This is the way in which the unconscious works. |