Reading Without Court Cards

JuniperPress

Does anyone here read without court cards? Just curious. I find myself reading without them as for some reason... I don't like them?? I dunno. Perhaps it will come but I'm fine without them. Was wondering if others do the same.
 

Barleywine

Does anyone here read without court cards? Just curious. I find myself reading without them as for some reason... I don't like them?? I dunno. Perhaps it will come but I'm fine without them. Was wondering if others do the same.

That's an interesting thought. There are people who only read with the Trumps, and I know there are people here who read without the Trumps for a more mundane perspective, but I don't recall anyone reading without the court cards. It seems that it would narrow the focus to a more event-driven viewpoint, without consideration of any kind of social or personal input. One thing it would do would be to take a lot of the psychological second-guessing out of the equation.
 

Michael Sternbach

Why would you want to do that? :confused:
 

danieljuk

Well people on the forum have all methods of reading and if you find that is your method Juniper, that is your way.

I think I would miss their usage in my readings too much. Yes they are the trickiest to work out how the fit, is it a person, is it characters or a situation or outcome? I often find them represent people in my readings or more often qualities I need to talk on myself! If you want this outcome you have to be more King of Wands, for example.
 

IndigoWaves

I find myself reading without them as for some reason... I don't like them??
Do you not like how they look (facial expressions, colouring, etc.), or do you find it difficult trying to read/interpret them? If it's about their appearance, check out the court cards of the countless other decks available online. Some don't show people on them at all.
 

Michael Sternbach

Some show cats instead of people. :D
 

nisaba

Does anyone here read without court cards? Just curious. I find myself reading without them as for some reason... I don't like them?? I dunno. Perhaps it will come but I'm fine without them. Was wondering if others do the same.

I always have them in the deck. Sometimes they don't come out. :)

They are sixteen extremely different cards - why is it you don't like them all? What do they have in common that you don't like?
 

MissChiff

I found court cards the trickiest to learn.. Once you do they really just enhance the readings....you really should give them a go....
 

Barleywine

I found court cards the trickiest to learn.. Once you do the really just enhance the readings....you really should give them a go....

I agree, they really highlight the "human element," which would of course be the trickiest to learn. Without them it becomes rather mechanistic.
 

Zephyros

I agree, the Courts are among the most challenging cards because of their complexity. The Majors and Minors may convey a wide range of meanings but they can usually be condensed to one main idea. Not so the Court cards that are as complex as actual people, and they're meant to be. They have dominant and recessive traits and are highly multi-faceted.

I wrote a short tutorial about them a while back here. It goes into stuff like Qabalah but still explains the general build of the Courts' personalities. In basic terms each Courts is constructed out of three minors that make up its personality, two dominant and one less so. Even if you're not esoterically inclined it is still worth the effort to lay them out together with their respective Minors and take a look at them that way.

I wouldn't take them out, though, they form an integral part of the deck. Don't think of them as difficult, think of them as a challenge!