Struggling with Practical interpretations

blackmoonbee

Hello!
I was doing my daily Spread this morning and realized that I really struggle with practical interpretations of the cards. I tend to get really meta or cerebral and often that's not useful especially not for daily readings. What I love about this forum is reading the contributors interpretations of cards or spreads or readings because they always seem to bring that element of practicality. I keep using the word "practical" but I also mean "applied" and "tangible". I wonder how can I cultivate that? Is this something others could identify with at some point in their tarot journey?

If I don't make sense let me know I just ran 4 miles and I'm definitely still enjoying my "runners high".
 

rwcarter

If you do your daily reading at the beginning of the day for the day ahead, I'd suggest doing it at the end of the day so you can look back at the cards in retrospect.

Back when I was studying Barrett's Ancient Egyptian Tarot and using it for my daily draws, I got the 3S for the day that had passed. I wasn't understanding the card as I didn't experience any heartbreak during the day. Staring at the image long enough, I finally got it. Unlike the three swords piercing a heart that many RWS-inspired decks use, this deck shows the aftermath of a man and woman arguing. They're both nude and she's sitting desolate on the bed. His back is to her as he stares out the doorway. Then I remembered when I refused to engage a co-worker in an argument and turned away from him like the man had turned away from the woman. If I had pulled that card at the beginning of the day (or the night before for the next day), I would've been looking for heartache all day long and don't think I ever would've made the connection to my co-worker.

By looking at your day in retrospect, you'll begin to see how the cards become reflected in more mundane/practical/everyday situations.

Rodney
 

blackmoonbee

That's great advice. I do find at the end of the day I am able to see how the cards applied throughout however, I simply don't have the time during the evening for Tarot. I actually became a morning person just to have my alone time for meditation and Tarot. My household schedule doesn't permit evening work. However I could apply your suggestion perhaps to Saturday mornings and reflecting on the previous week.

I think also just doing Tarot exercises where I assign practical meanings to the cards as they appear would help.

I'm much more curious about other people's experience with being a practical reader. Which doesn't necessarily mean "specific" but... I suppose it's an acquired reading style. I'm just curious about your experiences

Thank you for your insight!
 

Cynthia_H

I find that some decks have a more practical/tangible/realistic energy while others are really more cerebral energy. So for my daily reading, I use one of my practical decks.

It also helps me to try to forget everything I have read about card meanings and just focus on the pictures and try to pick up the energy of the card and what it is saying to me.

However, nothing works all the time and I too continue to stuggle with this problem.
 

yourwildlifecoaching

Depends on the deck

I find that for a daily draw, having a specific question helps me pick out a practical meaning. Otherwise, I confuse myself :) Even the "what energies am I dealing with today" makes me wonder whether that means "what's going to show up for me," or "what energy should I be using."

I've also noticed different decks work better for early-morning practical reading. I've really enjoyed The Everyday Witch deck...I asked it "how do I make sure I have enough energy to deal with things," and pulled the Chariot, which is someone on a motorcycle. It didn't take much thought to interpret that as "make sure you are full of gas."
 

ijameson61

Daily Card reading

Hello RWCarter

I am so glad I read your post because I have had some daily cards that I have pulled and could not understand what they were saying to me. But reading your post made realize I need to really look at the card and see if there is something else that it could be telling me and something else I should be seeing.

Thanks Illona
 

blackmoonbee

I find that some decks have a more practical/tangible/realistic energy while others are really more cerebral energy. So for my daily reading, I use one of my practical decks.

It also helps me to try to forget everything I have read about card meanings and just focus on the pictures and try to pick up the energy of the card and what it is saying to me.

However, nothing works all the time and I too continue to stuggle with this problem.



This actually makes a lot of sense!! Now that I think about it, I began struggling with this most when I recently switched my main deck. I definitely have a more practical deck. Ahh I'm so glad I read this. I'm switching up my decks tomorrow. Will report back!
Also thank you for this I appreciate it.
 

blackmoonbee

I find that for a daily draw, having a specific question helps me pick out a practical meaning. Otherwise, I confuse myself :) Even the "what energies am I dealing with today" makes me wonder whether that means "what's going to show up for me," or "what energy should I be using."



I've also noticed different decks work better for early-morning practical reading. I've really enjoyed The Everyday Witch deck...I asked it "how do I make sure I have enough energy to deal with things," and pulled the Chariot, which is someone on a motorcycle. It didn't take much thought to interpret that as "make sure you are full of gas."



Mm see I would have taken that chariot and my interpretations to a whole nother level!! But what you said makes sense.

Also you're spot on, I think my daily reading question is simply too broad. I'm going to venture into the spreads thread and see if I can find a specific/simple daily Spread that's a bit more specific.

Thank you!
 

staticfuzz

I find that some decks have a more practical/tangible/realistic energy while others are really more cerebral energy. So for my daily reading, I use one of my practical decks.

I'm wondering what your (or anyone's) practical decks are? I know someone mentioned Everyday Witch but are there others that you use for "practical" matters?

I think I tend to gravitate toward kind of cerebral decks; I don't usually use tarot in a predictive way, I use it to help me understand things that have already happened, so I tend not to "need" to be able to read cards in a practical/tangible/applied/events sense. But I think it would be really useful to be able to do it, especially for when I read for other people, because so many times I have this really strong feeling from the cards that is hard to translate to words for others.
 

CrystalSeas

I keep using the word "practical" but I also mean "applied" and "tangible". I wonder how can I cultivate that?

One aspect of using the cards that is often overlooked by people just getting started is the importance of learning to ask good questions. If you are not getting clear answers from the cards, start working on your skills in creating a clear question.

It is not so much which deck you use, but which questions you ask that leads to 'practical' answers.

If asking a vague question (for example, "what energy will impact my day" as yourwildlifecoaching suggested) gives you a vague answer, then the solution may be to craft a better question.

Joan Bunning has a good chapter on formatting questions, and this thread has some good book suggestions
Book That Teaches How To Ask A Question