Literal picture meanings

BodhiSeed

Has anyone had the experience of getting a card in a reading, and having it represent what was in the picture, literally? I've drawn the Nine of Swords several times this month in daily readings (using the Radiant Rider), and instead of having worries, anxiety or sleepless nights, I've had migraines (I looked just like the woman holding her head!).

Bodhran
 

Wonderwoman

Yes!!

I've had problems with anxiety and pulled the 9 of swords. The other day I pulled the 10 of swords and I thought I literally couldnt get out of bed, too emotionally drained, worn out completely :(
 

kimber51

yup - me too!

First off - i was down for the count all day yesterday with a migraine so I completely sympathize on that front!

I'm writing though about your question. One of my tarot teachers has been reading 30 years and always tells me to go with my gut rather than the book interpretation when they conflict. I also recall reading that from several other sources. For me this makes sense, because working with the tarot is an interactive experience with my higher powers, which means they're talking to me, it's subjective - a lot of times the message comes through the book meanings, but sometimes it's just very clear that it means something else that I seem to have 'made up'. I take that thing I 'made up' as a message from Spirit.

For example, today I drew the 3 of Wands from Spiral Tarot. In the Spiral deck, the image is of the back of a woman looking out to sea with three wands standing by her. The book interpretation is that "there is an aura of success around her and she can stand by and watch her ships carry on the business of the day with confidence" and "the general feeling is one of growth and expansion, not only in business but in all spheres of life".

But I really strongly did NOT like that her back was turned toward me. Even though I knew the threes indicated abundance, the card felt wrong and she felt lonely. I knew right away it was telling me I was turning my back to the abundance currently in my life and trying to find it outside ('grass-is-greener') syndrome. I was conflicted about accepting this interpretation at first because I thought to get this interp, the card should be reversed or something, but then I had to go with my intuition because I remembered what I've learned - that sometimes the cards tell it like you see it.

Anyway - hope this helps :)
 

BodhiSeed

Thanks for the replies, Wonderwoman and kimber51. It's nice to know that others have this experience too!

Bodhran
 

HudsonGray

Oh yes, anything from the jewelry being worn to background representations (specific mountain chains based on the kind of mountains behind the King of Swords for instance). Happens all the time.
 

mythos

I suffered from chronic migraine until a couple of years ago. Inevitably, a migraine day had a RWS 9 of swords come up. Now I don't get them any more ... and no 9's pf Swords :cool3:

mythos:)
 

WalesWoman

I've gotten the 10 Wands before and then ended up spending the day hauling armloads of brush, just as heavy, big and ungainly as in the picture and was totally wiped out by the end of the day.

Funny, a couple days ago I did a reading with a new deck, got 9 Swords and was in the midst of a three day headache, as well has having a hard time falling asleep.

So often I get a card, spend a long time figuring all the psychological/internal ramifications and it ends up being a totally mundane thing... just like the picture on the card, so I'm learning it can be very literal as well as figurative.

I've already mentioned in other threads how the advice of Ace Wands in RWS was the very thing needed at the time in the romance department, literally.

So yeah, tarot sometimes doesn't need a whole lot of heavy thinking to see what it's trying to tell you, it's right there in simple terms.
 

SunChariot

It doesn't happen often, but it's amazing and magical when it does. Tarot is such magic anyway, :heart:

I once had a card come up, and there was a tree on it that look exactly like the tree in my backyard. I was sitting by the window doing my reading too, so I could see the tree. It was even shown in the same season. It was late fall and there were no more leaves on my tree of the one in the card. It just looked like someone had taken a photograph of the real tree and put it on the card.

I was really awed by that. And yes I think the answer was about "looking in my own backyard" and not looking elsewhere for the answers. Really cool!

I also have a different experience once that awed me, but it was of different type. Once at work I had my cards with me and I was alone at break so decided to take 10 minutes or so to meditate on one of the cards. It was on a cloudy day, when in fact there had been dark clouds for three full days non-stop.

So anyway I have my card out and I'm meditating on it. And the card has a cloudy sky in it with the sun just breaking out behind the clouds and starting to shine through. So ten minutes go by and break is over. I put the card away and turn away to walk back to my desk. Then the room just illuminated and got like twice as bright at least. I turned back to the window and the sun had chosen just that moment to come up. And not only that but it looked exactly like it did in the card, and I mean exactly. The sky was identical to the one on the card.

I think it was a meditation to connect me more with nature and the world too, and I was just blown away. It was like showing me that I am connected on a deep level. But I mean dark skies for 3 days straight, and the minute I put the card away, bang the sky becomes just like the one in the card. It just makes you wonder what the chances of that happening are. And it makes you know there is something powerful behind it all.:grin:

Otherwise, as to if the card shows what is actually happening in the querent's life quite literally, that happens very often. Because of the way I read, the answers come to me in that form. I don't use the book meanings much so I get the answers from the images. I guess whereever I get my answers from knows that and they tend to come in that form.

Bar
 

Sulis

Yep the 9 of Swords invariably means migraines in my personal readings too, especially if I'm using my Sheridan Douglas deck.
 

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caridwen

Yes and if you use one particular deck for a long time, cards will begin to have their own personal meaning for you some of which maybe derived purely from the iconography.

The cards can be totally literal which is something you should always take into account:)