When you're first learning to read Tarot cards, you sometimes despair of ever memorizing the meanings of 78 cards (not to mention the reversals). But never fear! You don't have to memorize a thing, unless you want to. As you work with the tarot cards on a regular basis, you will begin to have personal associations with them.
Almost everyone starts to play with a new tarot deck by laying cards out in a spread, then looking up the meaning of the cards in the companion book. There's nothing wrong with that approach; it's definitely a good idea to know why the deck creator chose certain elements and symbols for each card. But you are not limited to the deck creator's interpretations. You need to develop your own. Trust your own intuition and responses to the tarot cards.
Here's a few ideas for intuitively reading the cards.
1. Simply describe the card, as if you were describing it to another person. Use lots of adjectives and descriptive phrases. What is going on? How do the figures seem to feel in this situation? What is the atmosphere of the card?
I know from my years of study that most Tarot writers ascribe keywords such as hope, inspiration, the Muse, peace, calm after the storm, bright promises, faith, destiny to the Star card. But my own personal association with the card has more to do with connecting to God/dess while I'm out in the natural world.
But they're not so far apart, are they?
3. You can go further with the Description method by asking yourself questions based on your description, and then answering them.
Ask yourself: What does the card look like? What does it remind me of?
Notice your first impressions, and your emotional reaction to the card. Love it? Hate it? Puzzled by it?
Throw out a few one-word descriptions (like "serene" "innocent" "peaceful").
Give it a title, as if it were a dream ("Woman in the Water").
Be open to wild ideas or associations that fly into your head.
When you are first learning about a new tarot deck, I encourage you to turn up a card a day, and jot down your impressions of the card in your tarot journal (you have one, don't you?) before you look up the meaning in the book. Then compare your own impressions to the text in the book. What insights do you have that are not found in the book?
Gaian Tarot Card of the Week: 3 of Water ~ Party!!
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I tried the intuitive method with the 10 of Air and got good results. What was in the book didn't quite "fit" but the card was perfect!
Thank you for sharing this with us readers. I've been searching for a way to come up with my own personal meanings of the cards, instead of memorizing the meanings that the book that comes with the deck tells me. Will give this a chance and let you know how I do. Again, thank you.
I ended up trying the Description Method a few of the cards ended up almost just like the meaning that book stated but when I did it on the 6 of pentacles it ended up kind of different. I ended up coming up with the meaning being that things have been tough but not to fret, help is on the way, things will get better and equal out.
The book stated that debts will be paid and that rewards will be given for hard work. Should I stick with the meaning I came up with?
You know, even now, with 15 years experience under my belt, I still use this method if I draw a blank with a particular card. If I can't figure out how it fits into a reading, I start describing the story in the card or the picture. It is amazing how just the first few sentances of such a description will often be the boost you need to tap into your intuitive mind again and create a meaningful and insightful Tarot reading.
hi i find it works better for me to say what i feel,rather than the traditional method although i do use both together when needed.
thanks!!! been reading them from a book since I was 15 (im now 46) and now thanks to your advice im on my way to chuckin the book,lol! awesome!!
I fell in love with the Gaian Tarot from the first moment a friend showed me her deck. It is perfect for me!
I use it every day as my primary deck, and the more I use it, the better I get at using intuition to interpret the cards. I do still use the book, as I've only been reading tarot for about a year and still have a lot to learn. I especially love the explanations of all the symbols (birds, flowers, etc.) on each major arcana card.
My only concern is that the binding on the book is falling apart–if I wasn't taping pages together, most of them would have fallen out by now. Is there another version of the book with a better binding? And could I buy just a copy of the book (without cards) to replace it?