What are the Gate Cards

Hi folks. I keep running across the term "gate cards" in reference to the tarot cards, and I'm wondering if anyone knows which cards are the gate cards, and what it means to be a gate card in a reading.

It refers to cards that lend themselves more easily as gateways to meditation or visualization. Cards that are particularly enigmatic or visually interesting. Theoretically any card can be a gate card, but the majors especially.

I'm not a big reader so I'm not much help on that part.

Hi, there is a previous thread on the topic here, which includes what cards Rachel Pollack considered Gate cards: http://www.tarotforum.net/library/16/2003-04/gate-cards-rachel-pollack-20030425.shtml

The idea (along with examples) comes from Rachel Pollock's 78 Degrees of Wisdom. I read it not that long ago but can't remember a whole lot beyond what Abrac said (which is mirrored in some on-line commentary I just looked up.) Seems to me it could be any card that particularly draws you into itself. The RWS minor arcana strike me as particularly good for this purpose because you can "enter the story" via creative visualization. Here's a useful link if you don't want to buy the book:

http://tarotjourney.net/gate-cards/

Hi Barleywine.....amazing that I was looking for the answer to gate cards on Google, and it connected me with this post I did two years ago.....obviously I have not yet found a satisfactory answer to this...yet it still intrigues me. I read the post to your link here, and it is very interesting....especially the 9 of Cups. It is a truly fascinating card. Astrologically, it is 12th house, Knight of Cups, which is Mars in Pisces.....under Neptune: a strange feeling indeed.....sort of like walking out of the Moon card....the final card of the Dark Night. Wow....there is much to contemplate here. Thanks.

Reina de Copas said:

Hi, there is a previous thread on the topic here, which includes what cards Rachel Pollack considered Gate cards: http://www.tarotforum.net/library/16/2003-04/gate-cards-rachel-pollack-20030425.shtml

Click to expand...

Thanks. I checked this thread out and found a lot of interesting theories to think about.

Abrac said:

It refers to cards that lend themselves more easily as gateways to meditation or visualization. Cards that are particularly enigmatic or visually interesting. Theoretically any card can be a gate card, but the majors especially.

I'm not a big reader so I'm not much help on that part.

Click to expand...

Hi Abrac, there are some threads here to interesting links. I think you are pretty close with your definition....not sure, though, about it being the major arcana....I think the cards are in the minor arcana....

Here's yet another thread on the topic: http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=55220

Hi Thirteen. Thanks for the link. I just read it in its entirety. It has been 10 years and I wonder now if anyone has found the answers....such an enigmatic subject that continues to fascinate us readers. Rachel Pollock sure started something with her concept of "gate" cards. One wonders what will be found on the other side of the Gate.