Majors significance?

[TheProphet]

This might be a stupid question, but... I'm wondering what it means when only majors show up in a reading? For example, if you do a 3-card reading about someone's feelings or wants, and all 3 cards are Majors, is there some significance to that? And if so, what kind of significance? What is the difference in getting 3 minors from getting 3 majors? Or when majors are the majority or more of the reading.

I'd appreciate it if some kind soul could enlighten me

 

[mmdlite]

I think majors are a stronger external influence than minors. For example, if you pulled 3 minors 2oC, 4oC, 3oC then this person wants some alone time. This is a short spell and could be only for the weekend and its simply because they want to.

If you instead pulled like The Hierophant, The Hermit, and Strength then this person is at a point in their lives where they must be alone to chant or pray and whatnot to connect to Source because they will need that inner strength in the next phase of their life.

In other words, in the drama of our lives minor cards are more like side dialogue whereas majors reveal more of the main plot.

 

[TheProphet]

I think majors are a stronger external influence than minors. For example, if you pulled 3 minors 2oC, 4oC, 3oC then this person wants some alone time. This is a short spell and could be only for the weekend and its simply because they want to.

If you instead pulled like The Hierophant, The Hermit, and Strength then this person is at a point in their lives where they must be alone to chant or pray and whatnot to connect to Source because they will need that inner strength in the next phase of their life.

In other words, in the drama of our lives minor cards are more like side dialogue whereas majors reveal more of the main plot.

Ooh, all right. So, majors are more externally influenced than minors and they hold an important life lesson whereas minors are more the every-day stuff and a shorter time span. I suppose then that it also means in regards to feelings and desires, that majors indicate that it's more of importance to the person, or that it holds a life lesson? As well as being externally influenced somehow? Thank you for taking your time!

 

[Barleywine]

The working model I adopted long ago holds that the Major Arcana show weighty, usually external influences entering the situation that are outside the querent's immediate span of control or ability to moderate, and to which he or she must adapt in some significant way in order to make the most of (or to most effectively counter) their potency. In short, not something one just "hand-waves" away. Crowley's statement about the Fool might be applied with varying degrees of legitimacy to most of them, simply because of their archetypal intensity: ". . . it represents an original, sudden impulse or impact, coming from a completely strange quarter." Depending on where they sit in a spread, I sometimes interpret them as "expect the unexpected" since they often seem to "land on you with both feet" and can be difficult to come to grips with in any ordinary way. Even the more positive ones have dimensions that require effort and vision to embrace most successfully; better if you "rise to meet them" than to just hold your hand out expectantly. On the other hand, you don't just run and hide from the more fearful ones - they have a way of finding you! A lot of trumps in a spread make me think "Big things are in the works, better get ready."

 

[TheProphet]

Thanks so much for taking your time to write this

The working model I adopted long ago holds that the Major Arcana show weighty, usually external influences entering the situation that are outside the querent's immediate span of control or ability to moderate, and to which he or she must adapt in some significant way in order to make the most of (or to most effectively counter) their potency. In short, not something one just "hand-waves" away.

I never thought of it that way... but I will now! I do get the feeling of "importance", "lesson", and "external influences" when I see the Majors. I will definitely keep this in mind from now on.

A lot of trumps in a spread make me think "Big things are in the works, better get ready."

I will remember that!

Barleywine, may I ask, what is your opinion on majors in regards to feelings? Are they then "bigger" or "more important" feelings (compared to minors) related to something else, something bigger, perhaps a bigger life lesson in regards to your emotional state? Are they too externally influenced..?

 

[Barleywine]

Barleywine, may I ask, what is your opinion on majors in regards to feelings? Are they then "bigger" or "more important" feelings (compared to minors) related to something else, something bigger, perhaps a bigger life lesson in regards to your emotional state? Are they too externally influenced..?

I'm not much on using tarot to plumb "feelings," I'm more of an " actions and events" type of reader who usually avoids "thinks-and-feels" questions. But to try to answer usefully: perhaps unusual, abstract or extraordinary feelings of the nature of the particular card, probably with multiple layers of meaning. I'm not sure about "bigger," since the 9 of Swords, for example, can seem pretty all-consuming and overwhelming to the person experiencing it. But where one might get drunk to temporarily escape from the gloom of the 9 of Swords, feelings associated with the Major Arcana would mosty likely be more uncompromising and inevitably inescapable. As far as "life lessons," I would expect them to be more significant and potentially life-altering.

 

[TheProphet]

I'm not much on using tarot to plumb "feelings," I'm more of an "events" type of reader who usually avoids "thinks-and-feels" questions. But to try to answer usefully: perhaps unusual, abstract or extraordinary feelings of the nature of the particular card, probably with multiple layers of meaning. I'm not sure about "bigger," since the 9 of Swords, for example, can seem pretty all-consuming and overwhelming to the person experiencing it. But where one might get drunk to temporarily escape from the gloom of the 9 of Swords, feelings associated with the Major Arcana would mosty likely be more uncompromising and inevitably inescapable. As far as "life lessons," I would expect them to be more significant and potentially life-altering.

I didn't put much thought into it before, but I'm thinking that it's gotta have some deeper meaning to it--even with feelings--because of what was previously discussed about majors in general. Yes, I can see feelings in Majors as "more uncompromising and inevitably inescapable". Thank you for responding!

 

[Zelmira]

Majors represent archetypes and lessons that the person has to learn, more than everyday events. In that case the relationship may be part of his/her karmatic experiences in this life. In this link you will find a very interesting article about how to consider the different cards in a reading. I hope this helps you.

http://www.llewellyn.com/journal/article/2239

Namaste.
Zelmira

 

[TheProphet]

Majors represent archetypes and lessons that the person has to learn, more than everyday events. In that case the relationship may be part of his/her karmatic experiences in this life. In this link you will find a very interesting article about how to consider the different cards in a reading. I hope this helps you.

http://www.llewellyn.com/journal/article/2239

Namaste.
Zelmira

Yes, definitely lessons! Karmic experiences, why didn't I remember that? I can see that. I'll check out the article now, thanks so much for posting it and pitching in! Namaste

 

[PAMUYA]

For me the Majors are deeply rooted, in a person it is a part of who they are (not permanent, but would be hard to change). The minors are day to day happenings that are constantly changing. Both are important for we live day to day, where as the Majors are longer term tendencies. When a baby is born, it comes with a personality intact, that is their Major, their birth card. It can be changed, but takes a lot of energy and patience. A minor can cause joy or sorrow,but rarely changes who you fundamentally are. A major can do this, Tower is the best example, it rocks you to the core, tears down defenses and ego. It can fundamentally change you. There is no equivalent in the minors. Every major has it's own power/energy to change. The minors energy is to live through our daily lives. The Queen of cups is intuitive, but is not the High Priestess, the Queen dose not have the insight. The Queen of Pentacles is loving, but does not carry the unconditional love of the Empress. The queens cannot stand on their own, they need to have a mix of all the queens to be balanced and healthy. You are constantly changing from one queen to another (or any other minor). It makes us human. The Majors are archetypes, with a rigid core, unlike the minors.

They are very different from each other. Wish I could better explain how they effect my readings.