Staving off stagnation

JackofWands

How do you keep yourselves from falling into a rut with your Tarot practice? How do you make sure that you're always looking at the Tarot with fresh eyes, trying new things, etc.? And most specifically, how do you make sure that your interpretations of the cards don't become stagnant (i.e. always interpreting a given card the same way)?
 

MadeiraDarling

I keep buying new decks... it's becoming a genuine problem, other than that though, reading more about the history, and theory of it all, reading for other people, playing with new spreads, meditating with them, also it sounds weird but sometimes I talk to them?
 

RiverRunsDeep

These are great questions!

How do you keep yourselves from falling into a rut with your Tarot practice? How do you make sure that you're always looking at the Tarot with fresh eyes, trying new things, etc.?

If I fall into a rut with reading the cards, I experiment with spreads that I find in books or here on the forum and use them for practice, whether or not I really need to consult the cards. As for trying new things, I have always enjoyed using the tarot for purposes other than reading. I like to simply sift through the cards, admire the artwork, or play a game of solitaire with them. Sometimes I will choose a card to gaze at during meditation. In ritual, I often use the tarot aces to mark the four directions of my circle and choose additional cards as the focus of the ritual. I also like to use the cards as a way to help interpret my dreams. If I don't want to use the cards at all but want to connect with them, I indulge in a tarot project that involves trimming, edging, glittering, etc. Not for everyone, I know. :D

And most specifically, how do you make sure that your interpretations of the cards don't become stagnant (i.e. always interpreting a given card the same way)?

If I feel that I am becoming stuck in my own interpretations, then I refer to how others are interpreting their cards: books, blogs, YouTube channels, and the Your Readings and Using Tarot Cards sections of the forum. Also, I mostly read for myself, so I find that participating in a reading circle helps me to expand my card interpretations; I am often able to come up with new angles and nuances for others that aren't apparent to me in a self reading.

And sometimes, unfortunately, I simply hit a time of stagnation in the tarot cycle. My passion for tarot waxes and wanes. Since I don't depend on it for professional or financial reasons, I am okay with putting the cards aside for awhile until the passion comes 'round again on the upswing.
 

RiverRunsDeep

I keep buying new decks...


Ahh, yes, I forgot to mention this idea as well.....new decks! A variety of artwork provides a variety of new interpretations. Doesn't necessarily mean you need to buy a bunch of new decks. Apparently, there are numerous tarot apps available. Also, there's nothing to stop you from simply googling tarot images of "Hermit", "Death", or any card for which you are hoping to gain new insight.
 

bonebeach

I have a few go to decks to shock me out of stagnation. Anything weird or WTF that takes a bit of new, fresh effort usually does it.

For example, every so often I bust out El Tarot del Fuego. I never use it for more than a few days at the time, but it usually revitalizes my practice. I suppose that eventually I might know the deck too for for this to work...but it's a weird one for me, so I figure it'll take a while.
 

Tanga

How do you keep yourselves from falling into a rut with your Tarot practice? How do you make sure that you're always looking at the Tarot with fresh eyes, trying new things, etc.? And most specifically, how do you make sure that your interpretations of the cards don't become stagnant (i.e. always interpreting a given card the same way)?


- I look here on AT at people's interpretations. e.g.dipping into the 'Using Tarot Cards' section and seeing the variety of answers to questions there.
- I participate in readings on AT - I'm a member of several reading circles and monthly I'll do one of them - so someone else is throwing a spread of some-sort at me to try out, and I may hit upon a partner who has some alternative ideas about interpretation.
- I do the new deck thing. LOL :angel:. New imagery interpretations sometimes make me go "I never thought of that!". Presently I'm finding LWB of The Tarot of the Holy Light App
pretty handy for alternate interpretations to mine.
- I skim through Tarot Blogs and Website posts, and dip into the plethora of books on my Tarot shelf etc.
- I'm lucky to have a Tarot group to meetup with and get ideas from there.

RiverRunsDeep expressed all that I do - and this:
If I fall into a rut with reading the cards, I experiment with spreads that I find in books or here on the forum and use them for practice, whether or not I really need to consult the cards. As for trying new things, I have always enjoyed using the tarot for purposes other than reading. I like to simply sift through the cards, admire the artwork, or play a game of solitaire with them. Sometimes I will choose a card to gaze at during meditation. In ritual, I often use the tarot aces to mark the four directions of my circle and choose additional cards as the focus of the ritual. I also like to use the cards as a way to help interpret my dreams. If I don't want to use the cards at all but want to connect with them, I indulge in a tarot project that involves trimming, edging, glittering, etc. Not for everyone, I know. :D

...And sometimes, unfortunately, I simply hit a time of stagnation in the tarot cycle. My passion for tarot waxes and wanes. Since I don't depend on it for professional or financial reasons, I am okay with putting the cards aside for awhile until the passion comes 'round again on the upswing.
 

Barleywine

I "went professional" again last year after a long hiatus and began reading face-to-face for a wide range of different people. Since I consider every such reading a "mutual voyage of discovery" in which I learn something new about the interaction between the sitter and the cards almost every time, these opportunities serve to keep my eyes wide open for fresh insights. By sharpening my interpretive and story-telling skills "in the trenches" so to speak, I'm never permitted to go stale.

I'm also constantly creating new spreads, so I'm always thinking about different ways to apply the cards, and I buy new decks often enough to keep my imagination flowing.
 

barefootlife

For me, reading for others, exploring new LWBs, and really working to connect the cards in a reading together gives me new subtle insights into the meanings of cards. If two cards in a reading don't tie together, clearly there's a meaning beyond the one I've internalized. I keep a notebook of these interesting reads that I can reference back to when something gets stuck or I feel like the same meaning is coming up over and over.
 

JackofWands

Lots of great ideas on here. Thanks to everyone for responding. Reading through AT, as well as blogs, books, and [watching] YouTube, is definitely my go-to. (Although these days, I'm spending less and less time on AT. Such woe. Such sorrow. If only real life could understand that I have more important things to do than work, buy groceries, and pay my rent.)

And of course whenever my budget permits, I buy new decks. I'm a hoarder. I actually just bought the Wildwood Tarot, which is super nontraditional and should be enough to keep me busy for a little while, at least.

Being more of a Kabbalah-oriented reader, I also spend a lot of time with pathworking and (whenever possible) reading through historical/GD materials. That's a very different kind of engagement--it has very little to do with the actual reading of the cards--but it keeps me close to Tarot and stirs things up when I need something new.

Thanks again for the responses!