The Tarot is best for answering questions and giving insight into problems, but readers need to find these answers and insights among the images and symbols spread out before them. For new readers, it’s often a case of ‘too much!’ and ‘where do I start?’ – especially in the face of the jumble of meanings and associations provided by the printed booklets found in decks. This article will help you structure your reading and see meanings and messages.
For interpretation and meaning, there are three distinct parts to a reading: there are the individual cards, the stacked cards, and the spread. I have written extensively about individual card meanings, and how to quickly learn and memorize them, in my other articles, here I want to address how those meanings are applied. Of crucial importance is propagation. Whichever spread you use, the positions in that spread have meanings of their own that will modify the meaning found on the card. Readers of any level will be familiar with The Tower, never an easy card to read as it involves catastrophic events and some pretty devastating blows.
First, keep in mind that such life changes are common and can occur in relatively minor ways, as well as major drama. Second, consider the position of the card: it could be that the event is behind or below the questioner, a past or passing influence or factor, or a fundamental problem for the reading, a reason for the circumstances now being endured. You might also be in a position where you can relate to people other than the questioner. And how do you interpret it when you are in a position that relates to ‘motivation’ or ‘hopes and fears’? It could indicate a desire for revenge or a fear of failure: an abstract fact, not concrete and inevitable.
Also consider the other cards in the reading. A positive ‘result/potential’ could see The Tower, in another part of the reading. As something that must be overcome in order to succeed, the presence of The Hermit, for example, could indicate that someone is living on past disasters and is prone to repeating patterns as a result. In some combinations of the cards and positions, The Tower could represent a desire on the part of the interrogators to unleash the devastating beam on someone or something else, or in extreme cases on themselves. The questions posed by the questioner will also enter the equation, as will the additional level of interpretation of the readers: the intuitive level.
Consider this same card drawn or cut out as a single card to answer a specific question; for example, the question is “Will my new job be a success?” – drawn card: The Tower… It may be that a negative is expected, and in which case, why? Or it could be that you desperately want something positive, and in this case, it could be interpreted as representing what needs to be protected or prepared to enjoy success: “Be alert, expect the unexpected, don’t be complacent, don’t build on sand.” .
Some spreads have positions that have negative connotations: a hurdle, an obstacle, a challenge. A ‘positive’ card, such as The World, is easily seen as a simple denial of adverse influence. A positive card in this sense can be read as “too much of a good thing,” or the questioner may be too nice to do what is necessary and needs a tougher attitude. The permutations and possibilities of cards and positions are endless: don’t despair at the multiplicity of meanings and interpretations, but be aware of them and you will begin to achieve reading fluency akin to speaking a new language.
One final piece of advice: look for the card that stands out in any reading, perhaps because it’s an important card in a toss-up position, or something that seems dark and awkward. Consider the position and meanings involved, turn things upside down and backwards: positives can be negatives and vice versa, perspective is everything. Regardless of where you are in the reading, it is likely to be a good starting point from which the rest of the reading will build.