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Discovering the Meaning of Tarot Cards
There are so many tarot decks around (and books
that teach how to use those decks) that it can be
difficult to know which meanings to apply to tarot
cards. So many "gurus" give conflicting meanings -
which one should you use?
While there are lots of books out there that give
you the meaning of tarot cards, one of the best
and most personal ways to develop meanings for the
cards is to actually
study the cards
themselves. The cards were developed with symbols
and pictures that represent the concept being
expressed.
For instance, in the
Waite-Rider deck, the Four of Swords depicts a
man lying on a bier, on which is pictured a
horizontal sword. The meaning of the card is "to
bury the hatchet" or let past conflicts come to
resolution or rest. The man is literally resting
on top of the sword (swords are the fire
element, which includes conflicts or fighting) -
he is resting on old issues and allowing them to
come to rest. He has "buried the hatchet!"
Similarly, in the eight of wands you can see
flying wands coming down to land. Because wands
are the air element, and stand for ideas,
inspiration, thoughts and communication, the
eight of wands represents new ideas or
inspirations. Once you know the element
associated with each suit and look at the card
for the concept being expressed, you will begin
to intuit the meaning for tarot cards easily.
This approach is both more reliable and more
intuitive than relying on someone elseís
interpretation (although you may want to use
someone elseís definition as a starting point).
A great way to learn the meaning for tarot cards
is by taking one card a day, intuiting the
meaning, then looking for examples of that
meaning or concept in everyday life. For
instance, the in the seven of swords card, a
thief is stealing 7 swords. Swords are fire,
which is also power, therefore the seven of
swords is the loss of power. Here is a quick
guideline to help you with the elements and
their meanings:
- Wands (Air) - Ideas,
communication, thoughts, enlightenment,
concepts
- Swords (Fire) - Power,
motivation, action, force, conflict
- Cups (Water) - Emotions,
feeling, compassion, language of Spirit
- Discs or Plate (Earth) -
Manifestation, physical expression in the
world, physical creation
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Part 1 The Tarot
Part 2 Choosing a Beginner Tarot Deck
part 3 Tarot Card spreads
Part 4 Tarot for the beginner
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