Hidden Rules

What are the hidden rules of reading the tarot that you know of? Like the ones that you can't get just by reading the little white booklet tarot cards traditionally come with.

For example: in the in depth book that I have, 2 queens near each other in a spread means "rivalry," and 3 kings in a spread means "influential men." Etc.

I don't know about any hidden rules. There's a book by Ann Moura called Tarot for the Green Witch that has information like what you mention, though. I don't think Tarot has very many of what could be called rules.

I don't think they're hidden. The second example you give seems now like an elaborated system of it's own. That doesn't mean it's true in general. (The Golden Dawn had a similar concept, by the way) So what you know about the Tarot is, in my opinion, more likely what you believe about the Tarot. And that's heavily influenced by the books you read about the topic.

And, I need to add, reading LWBs was not a bad start for me . The one that came with my first deck was pretty in depth actually.

vrye said:

What are the hidden rules of reading the tarot that you know of? Like the ones that you can't get just by reading the little white booklet tarot cards traditionally come with.

For example: in the in depth book that I have, 2 queens near each other in a spread means "rivalry," and 3 kings in a spread means "influential men." Etc.

Click to expand...

Yes there is. Those who do not abide are called something else, not "tarot readers" nor "psychic reader", despite their ability to read tarot and do divination, in order to draw a clear and clean cut from the so call ordinary, mainstream, dominating ones. They exist in unsurprisingly few, so few, even ten fingers might run a chance to count them at all (maybe more now), and can hardly be found unless someone got so damned lucky to work with such Master of the Space. Clients who go to a psychic will always expect something around the same norm they found in any tarot community, as well as having their intuition on sync with the readers in general.

This not only mean that wherever you go you will always find relatively consistent card explaination, but also consistent reading method (despite the intuition first vs tarot explaination first method). Nothing currently, unless you searched outside of the circle of tarot like what I did, will bring you to a "method" that will go beyond the conventional. Going back to the intention of the original tarot backbones ike RWS and thoth, only then one deeply understands, comprehend, and to be able to directly apply the theory to their own daily life.

In later days, combining the mundane experience with the basic studying of the surrounding, which this one is off tarot at many times, one understands and comprehend, then with any medium, without relying on so call hunches one can read from any medium. It is when the sixth sense conbine, the miracle happen.

The existence of the hidden rule, means that I usually avoid those who are deep into that particular method. There is a line that "non psychic readers" who can read will never want to get ourselves mixed up, unfortunately.

A very on the spot question. The question itself is already a warning itself especially if you are only just about to start. I wish your Mundane journey good luck, and be careful with learning tarot.

I myself admittedly am one of those who satisfy the category I stated. But then, I myself is just about to celebrate my 30th birthday when March hits. I cannot call myself a master reader as a result due to a seriously lack of experience. But a sudden and surprising search got me caught deeply into my past life no matter I wanted it or not, and exponentially boosted my reading ability.

If you need a hand feel free to private message me.

I guess you're talking about certain card combinations that mean specific things? If so, then yes there are some 'rules' that have been developed, for example in Mathers' book on tarot (http://sacred-texts.com/tarot/mathers/mtar03.htm).

Apparently these card combination meanings came from Etteilla. I've never really considered them before, but I do find them intriguing.

Some authors will have a list of card combinations listed in the back of their book. These are for the most part their interpretation of the meanings. I think as you get better at reading the cards you will instinctively start getting your own meanings to combinations. It's actually a big part of reading the cards in my opinion. At least that's how I read. And that is true, early cartomancers, have many meanings for instance when this card is next to that card it means this. It's a little daunting to memorize things like card combination meanings because it could be limitless. But 3 queens together could very well mean a bitch fight is going on depending what the reading is about. As some cards can go together as a combination, they can also oppose one another as well. The more hard and fast rules you put on yourself the harder it will be to learn how to divine with the cards. IMO

Some say to throw the LWB away but I always read the LWB and keep them separate in a draw. They are after all a part of the deck.

Tarot teaches us to connect with our feelings to understand what a cards influence feels like, in doing so it offers us a precious gift, that of self attunement and self awareness with which we can steer our life. Those who are not prepared to go there will never learn tarot they'll learn card meanings because we see the world through the filter of our self, and with our shadow running riot we're distracted by our ego.

We are forever projecting our shadow onto the world.

Don't think it's a secret tho

Anything goes, that's the fun of Tarot. Except contacting the dead... try not to do that so much

The only other thing I'd add is consider that possibly every reading, no matter what the query, is a communication and reflection of oneself. In looking at other's stuff, we are getting a peek at our own stuff too in this mirror since we're essentially a medium to excavate this knowledge... this means your communication with the cards can get quite deep if you learn to pick up on this reciprocal communication.

Hidden RULES? No.
There are no RULES in Tarot - only different sets of structures developed over time, which you can pick and choose to stick with.

As has been said - some authors have their own lists of what card combination mean.

The lady I learned from had a whole list of her meanings for pairs of cards, and groups of cards, which had evolved from her long experience of reading...
eg. The "prison cards" were 8ofSwords + Justice, or 10of Swords + Justice,
2 Aces in a spread meant change of place of work, 3 10s were buying, selling and commerce...
People develop their own "language" if you like - with use.

vrye said:

What are the hidden rules of reading the tarot that you know of? Like the ones that you can't get just by reading the little white booklet tarot cards traditionally come with.

For example: in the in depth book that I have, 2 queens near each other in a spread means "rivalry," and 3 kings in a spread means "influential men." Etc.

Click to expand...

Well, that's interpretation, not rules.

I have all sorts of personal rules about setting up readings, who I will and won't read for, money, etc etc, but they vwork for me and me only - I wouodn't enforce them on anyone else.

As for interpretations, Read. Read heaps, and not just those useless little things in decks. Read books, hang around in the forum, particularly the "using Tarot cards" area, and read all the questions and the range or answers they get. Then look at those cards in your deck, and just see which of those answers make you feel comfortable and uncomfortable.

There are no short-cuts - reading and pure experience are your best teachers. It's the best way to learn.