Traditional or Intuitionally

Hi everyone,
So besides studying the lenormand I noticed something about tarot more specifically the Rider-Waite that it has it's own style as in it's symbolic, astrology, tradition, and ect. I mean I already know that it had it's own meaning, but had no clue that there were a specific way to read it (yes I know you can read it anyway you want, but I'm talking about that I had no idea it had it's own tradition). So out of curiosity how do you read the Rider-Waite deck (the deck itself and the clones)? Do you read it intuitionally or is there any style that you read it?
I read it like a storybook as well intuitionally. I find that much easier and fun to play around with it instead of taking it too seriously.

If you dont take it too seriously it probably doesnt matter.

Its not the only deck one could see in that way (with its 'own tradition') - aside from RW 'clones'.

Personally, I prefer a ' traditional meaning' ( or associations and correspondences ) in relation to other cards, in a random spread or in an intentionally arranged layout.

I dont know what 'the tradition' of the RW deck is ... it seems specific to Waite.

Sorry, I should have been more specific I mean as in using it's correspondence as well how do you read it by symbols? As in is the any specific symbols that stands out to you?

I don't get something here. I guess this subject is coming up in more specific threads which are about making reading from studying with books or just using intuition.

Tarot has its own tradition, it's not only RW but cards in general. In this way, using intuition is a part of tradition too. Of course, you can mean being traditional that I'm using only Waite's book to interprete cards.

So the style - books (many many books) and intuition.

I need to phase my sentence right, but yes what seedcake said though doesn't the Rider-Waite uses astrology or qabalah?

I find it difficult to explain what I want to say, so sorry about my that.
Okay, I will try as best as I can to explain myself without using traditional since I have used the wrong term.

What I am trying to say is that you guys incorporate in your reading astrology, qabalah or any correspondence in your reading. As in what method do you read your cards. Do you naturally let your intuition guide you or do you guys incorporate another system to your reading (as in astrology, qabalah, pendulum, etc). In short, how do you read your cards?

Don't worry, I'm not always clear by myself

Now I see what you mean. I want to use something extra while reading Tarot cards, that's for sure. I don't bother if Waite was telling to do so or not I started to experiment with I ching and thinking more seriously about numerology. I'm not into kabbalah that much but I'm not saying no for the future. Who knows what can start to be useful

The R-W is primarily based on the Golden Dawn system of correspondences, but the vast majority of tarot readers do not recognize that fact, except possibly in order to ridicule it. I know of no specific traditional methods for reading the R-W.

In my reading, I use the Golden Dawn astrological and Qabalistic orrespondences. My intuition (i.e., random free association) is less significant than the average wet dream.

seedcake said:

Don't worry, I'm not always clear by myself

Now I see what you mean. I want to use something extra while reading Tarot cards, that's for sure. I don't bother if Waite was telling to do so or not I started to experiment with I ching and thinking more seriously about numerology. I'm not into kabbalah that much but I'm not saying no for the future. Who knows what can start to be useful

Click to expand...

I read according to the different attributions such as astrology, Kabbalah, etc., and also incorporate intuitive thinking, although I like to complement myself that it is more directed and less random than pure intuition. In addition, I like to incorporate anything I can find to deepen the cards from myths from the Bible, Greek myths, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars (although strangely, not Star Trek), assorted Crowley works, Golden Dawn rituals... really, any story can be told using Tarot.

Kabbalah isn't that hard, and it gives a great way of connecting cards and ideas, even in cards that aren't in the reading itself. You might be interested in a little post I wrote a while ago, that I unfortunately never got around to continuing (although I might some day!), Kabbalah for beginners. Ultimately all you need is a few basic definitions, and the rest is easy.

Thanks for reminding me of that post, excellent. Some day it would be great if you went back to it, if you have the time.

Back on topic: I try and use the system that Waite devised when he wrote the Key. When I first learned tarot it was pretty well my go-to reference, also all I had at the time, so it is stuck in my head.

Trying to read Tarot without using intuition is mere glorified puzzle work. But trying to read Tarot without knowing its tradition is like reading the Rosetta Stone as if it were a comic strip.

That said, when it comes to tradition, it can get pretty confusing, since there is not one tradition, but several. So what do you do? Do you stick to one, or do you pick and choose?