keymeanings only for the cards

nuttyprofessor

The only thing that is of practical value for me as far as pictures goes, is the viewing direction. For the rest, blanc cards with just the number would also be fine for me. And the question for me is whether this a real shortcoming. About dreams they say that they have their impact also in case they are not interpreted. This could also be so for the details of the images of tarot, maybe the pictures are also steering your reading subconsciously.

Do I miss out for something if I use one or more fixed meanings for the cards? And do you miss out for something if for example you interpret the Popess as studying, because she has got a book in her lap, paying no attention to the veil behind her and other details?
 

Lee

Hi nuttyprofessor,

You raise some very interesting questions. I've found in my experience that there are many different ways, styles, methods, etc. of tarot interpretation. Some people use a very imaginative, associational, Rorscharch-like approach, while others use a limited palette of narrowly-defined keywords or concepts.

There really is no right or wrong. I think it's healthy to experiment with different approaches and see which you find most enjoyable and/or insightful. You might even find yourself using one style for one card in a spread and a different style for another. Or perhaps you'll find that you get more out of a reading if you stick to one style religiously.

I guess what I'm saying is, as long as you keep an open mind and have fun, you really can't go wrong. :)
 

dancing_moon

Hi nuttyprofessor,

I like comparing Tarot to a language. In a 'real' language, while there are some words that only mean one or two things, there are many more words that don't only have multiple (and wildly varied!) meanings, but can also be used in new and/or one-off meanings, such as those that are spontaneously created or juxtaposed in a humorous conversation and puns. It doesn't mean that each word is used in all those meanings simultaneously every time, though, so in the example with the Popess, sometimes the book matters, sometimes the veil, sometimes both, sometimes neither.

Because Tarot as a language only has 78 'words', would you be limiting yourself if you only assigned one or two fixed meanings to each card? Probably. Would it make you a bad reader? No idea. :) If the meanings assigned are wide and all-encompassing enough, I'm sure it can be doable and even effective. As Lee pointed out, practicing and experimenting to find just the right combination that works for you would be a good way to go. :)
 

Barleywine

I see parallels between the idea of having a limited set of keywords for TdM interpretation and that of the traditional approach to Lenormand, where only a very few core principles for each card are needed. Of course, the modern eclectic approach has tossed much of that notion overboard (although I still adhere to it) because, apparently, nothing could really be that simple :). But it does work very well. With TdM, I've found that the visual cues are much more elusive even than those in "glorified pip" decks like the Thoth. But using the Thoth has helped me to kind of "go in the back door" with the TdM, as long as I keep to the numerical and elemental basics. I decided that, if I'm ever going to get comfortable with reading the TdM, I'll have to keep a firm grip on the proliferation of alternate meanings, most particularly all of the psychological minutiae that has grown up around the more modern decks. Since I'm mainly interested in situational awareness and not psychological profiling when reading the cards, I see no reason why this approach won't work as well here as it does with Lenormand.
 

nuttyprofessor

I guess what I'm saying is, as long as you keep an open mind and have fun, you really can't go wrong. :)
This is a golden tip. However, if you are intent to do real clairvoyant readings and get some very serious questions, I imagine it could feel like a burden of responsibility.

dancing_moon said:
It doesn't mean that each word is used in all those meanings simultaneously every time, though, so in the example with the Popess, sometimes the book matters, sometimes the veil, sometimes both, sometimes neither.
Problem is when you are using reversals, because can you imagine using all those multiple possibilities for the reversed cards? And using only for the upright cards, isn't that like a breach of consistency.
Barleywine said:
I see parallels between the idea of having a limited set of keywords for TdM interpretation and that of the traditional approach to Lenormand, where only a very few core principles for each card are needed.
Thank you, this feels like a confirmation that I am on the right track.

Thank you all, by the way.
 

Izzydunne

I read TDM. From my perspective you need 3 key words for each card. The question asked provides the context for the question, and determines which meaning is to be used. If you are hoping to use only psychic ability to give a reading, then why use cards at all?
 

nuttyprofessor

I doubt to do this for the pipcards, as with 1 meaning you can cover a whole field of related meanings, and it might make the reading unnecessarily complex. But, in order to do honour to the pictures of the major arcana, it seems to me a good idea.

I will work on it, and I think next week or so I will present my meanings here.

About your latter remark, divination tools imo are meant to tickle the psychic ability.
 

BSwett

In a way, I'm not so much reading the cards but interpreting someone else's. Because of this I can't be to stuck or hard on some very specific keywords or meanings. The person on front of you, the theme, or story, all those details very much influence the message of each card. So I would say that yes, sometimes you dig through memorized meanings, but sometimes the words are right there, unique and new to that particular moment.

B
 

scholarlost

I am new to reading TDM, though in my limited experience, I find it helpful to bounce between key meanings and visual cues. I have been finding that the visual cues I follow make very helpful suggestions about how the cards may be related to one anohter, while the key meanings and internal "idea" of the cards helps to provide the "meat" that the contextual clues are linking together. That said, sometimes the context really shifts how I will read an individual card, or what "aspect" of the key meanings gets most emphasis.

I think one of the key benefits of mixing the approaches is that the rational mind has to take the passenger's seat to the more free wheeling associative mind. The rational mind tends to speak mostly to the things I "think" already (especially when reading for myself), and it is in the link to the more subconscious, holistic, and irrational associative mind that I gain some genuine insights. But that's how this particular software plugs into the machinery of my mind, which has a more rational orientation that needs to be kept in check for things like this. Other minds may have different needs.
 

Lee

I think one of the key benefits of mixing the approaches is that the rational mind has to take the passenger's seat to the more free wheeling associative mind. The rational mind tends to speak mostly to the things I "think" already (especially when reading for myself), and it is in the link to the more subconscious, holistic, and irrational associative mind that I gain some genuine insights.
This is a great point. I think successful reading requires at least some input from the subconscious or not-rational mind. For that reason, I think a wholly rationalistic approach would probably result in unsatisfying readings.