Intuition
In modern Tarot, Intuitive Reading moves beyond traditional card meanings to offer a more personalized interpretation.
Intuitive Reading involves interpreting Tarot cards based on your instincts, impressions, and feelings, rather than sticking to a textbook or divinatory guide.
The beauty of this approach is its personal touch. Card meanings can change from one reading to another, depending on your intuitive guidance and how you interpret the images and themes on the cards.
Intuitive Reading is quite popular today, but it wasn’t always this way. Back in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, people believed human reason could categorize, explain, and control everything, influencing fields from science and art to philosophy and magic. During this time, occultists tried to define Tarot with precise rules and meanings, often neglecting the Reader's intuitive aspect. It took years for Tarot to be seen as a tool for personal growth.
Some traditional Tarot Readers criticize Intuitive Reading, arguing that varying card meanings could undermine the accuracy of readings. On the other hand, supporters believe that the true essence of Tarot lies in subjective interpretation and that sticking to fixed meanings is too restrictive.
Extracting Meaning from the Cards
When interpreting a card intuitively, a Reader draws meaning from its imagery and several key elements:
The card's name, like the Wheel suggesting cycles or direction.
Its number, such as the Three of Cups hinting at a third person in a relationship.
Colours, where reds might signify love or passion.
Detailed descriptions, evoking strong emotions, like loneliness from an isolated house on a hill.
Narratives can also emerge, with each card acting like a frame in a film, telling a story. For example, the Six of Cups might illustrate a family deciding to buy a house after seeing children playing in the garden.
Postures and facial expressions of figures provide further insights, revealing emotions like dignity or defensiveness. The placement of figures in a spread, such as the Two of Cups near the Five of Cups, can suggest dynamics like turning away from emotional bonds.
This intuitive approach offers a rich source of inspiration and creative possibilities for modern Tarot Readers, helping them sharpen their instincts while navigating the challenges of interpretation.
Differences Between Decks
Intuitive Reading explains why there's such a wide variety of Tarot decks available. Readers often choose a deck based on its mood, theme, or how well it resonates with their intuition and the Querent's needs.
Some decks might evoke stronger intuitive responses, while others might not connect as deeply. Exploring these differences helps Readers discover which decks align closely with traditional meanings and which ones offer unique interpretations, guiding them in their practice of Intuitive Reading.
Tarot Hints
Tarot cards serve as keys that unlock our intuition and trigger psychic awareness. They tap into the unconscious and provide context and language through impressions and images. Trust your instincts and the emotions evoked by the symbols or cards to interpret their meanings.
The words, images, and feelings that come up when looking at a card are shaped by a Reader's personal experiences.
Intuitive interpretations filter traditional Arcana meanings through an individual's life lens, making each reading unique to the Reader. No two Tarot practitioners will interpret a particular spread in exactly the same way. When done effectively, an intuitive reading can reveal crucial insights.
Images and Intuition
Central to Intuitive Reading is the relationship between image and meaning. Imagery holds immense power as it triggers thoughts, reflections, and associations. A single element within an image, like a character's posture or a symbol, can evoke multiple interpretations. Often, it’s the entire image that brings out emotionally grounded definitions and intuitive feelings.
Newer Readers might not fully grasp the power of these associations and emotions. During an Intuitive Reading, it's important not to be overly swayed by cards suggesting negative emotions, such as the Three of Swords, the Five of Pentacles, or The Tower. These cards often hide deeper layers beneath their surface meanings.
Language of Symbols
Enhance your intuitive reading skills by exploring symbolism. For instance, delving into the 19th-century French concept of the language of flowers can deepen your understanding of what floral symbols might signify in the imagery of your Tarot decks.
Overcoming Challenges
Reading intuitively can pose challenges that might affect the accuracy of the reading and hinder a Reader's growth. One common challenge is projection.
When a card or a reading triggers a strong emotion or memory in the Reader, relying solely on intuition may lead to an interpretation that feels immediate and clear. However, this could mean the Reader is projecting their own memories, opinions, or experiences onto the card instead of finding its true intuitive meaning.
If you find yourself strongly resonating with a card intuitively, it’s helpful to pause and revisit it when you feel calmer. While relying on intuition can lead to positive discoveries and a unique approach to Tarot, it can also result in losing sight of the broader context, as intuition operates within soft, mutable, and undefined boundaries.
Approaching a Reading
Intuitive Reading begins with recognizing that each Arcanum carries hidden messages. To unlock these, focus on the card's imagery and ask yourself:
What emotions arise as I look at this card? Is it sadness or joy? Strength or weakness? Security or vulnerability? Communication or solitude? Excitement or indifference?
Can I relate to the images depicted on this card?
What story is unfolding before me in this scene?
What events led up to the scene depicted, and what might happen next?
How do I interpret the expressions and gestures of the characters on the card?
These questions won't give you a definitive meaning on their own but will help you gather impressions during a reading. Think of this process like a funnel, where thoughts and feelings converge and refine to create meaning.
By staying open to the impressions and thoughts evoked by the cards, each element of an image can spark a chain of associations. For instance, an open flower might lead to thoughts of spring, renewal, beginnings, or awakening.
As a Reader, you're free to follow any flow of ideas and can start your interpretation based on the Querent's initial impressions. Often, the energy at the start of a reading can influence interpretations, guided by your intuitive sense. There are various ways to develop your intuition with the cards, so explore what resonates most with you.
Intuitive Deck Study
If you want to explore how intuition works before diving into a reading, keeping a Tarot journal can be a valuable tool for recording intuitive associations. As a Reader, reflect on what you feel the first or hundredth time you look at a particular Tarot image or symbol. What thoughts or feelings does it awaken? Does the card evoke joy, sadness, or something else? Record these experiences in your journal. Over time, your personal reflections and insights will evolve, refining and expanding upon the traditional keyword-associated definitions of each card.
As these personal meanings become your lens for interpreting the cards, your Tarot readings will come alive. This initial process is your 'first intuitive moment'. The 'second intuitive moment' happens during the actual reading itself. At this stage, the associations, ideas, and intuitive impressions you've developed will transform how you read the cards.
When you approach the Arcana intuitively, each card's narrative can unfold vividly before your eyes. The cards interconnect, stories emerge, truths reveal themselves, and your intuition guides you. This is the enchantment of intuitive work. Experiencing everything come together is exhilarating, and it's deeply satisfying to provide meaningful insights for yourself and others.
Spark Your Intuition
The card depicted in the Thelema deck invites you to pause and engage your intuition. Take a moment to study the image and let your impressions guide your interpretation:
Consider whether the Querent is represented by the individuals inside the warmly lit room, suggesting security and companionship.
Alternatively, ponder if the solitary figure outside represents the Querent, symbolizing isolation or contemplation away from the warmth.
Reflect on the nature of the creature outside: Is it a potential threat or simply seeking connection and companionship?
Trust your intuition to uncover insights without worrying about right or wrong interpretations. Let your instincts and feelings lead the way as you explore the imagery presented by the card.
The Querent's Intuition
During an Intuitive Reading, involving your Querent in the interpretation process can yield valuable insights. Here are some questions you can ask them:
What do you think about this card?
Which character or element on the card do you feel most connected to?
Does this card remind you of anyone or any situation in your life?
Is there a particular image or symbol on the card that draws your attention?
What emotions or feelings does this card evoke for you?
Encouraging your Querent to reflect on these questions can help both of you uncover deeper meanings and personal associations with the Tarot cards. It also empowers the Querent to actively participate in the reading, enhancing their engagement and the overall quality of the insights gained.