Individual Card Meanings

This area is for general discussions of the cards and for discussing different meanings and usages of them. This is not the area for personal readings or specific meaning help, which must be in the personal / your readings section for the system you are using. This section is for general discussions only. You also need to have 5 posts to post in this area but everyone can read the threads. This is an index of all the cards studied so far in this section Please add your thoughts and ideas to the existing discussions or start new discussion threads You are welcome to start threads for cards not yet discussed and they will be added to this index later on …

For me, the HERMIT is the great representation of longing. Mainly because it is associated with the perception of distance, remoteness and separation. Also dejected, melancholic, sad and taciturn. In Portuguese, we call this feeling "saudade". And see how curious: "Saudade" describes the mixture of feelings of loss, lack, loneliness, distance, missing and love. The word comes from the Latin "solitatem" (solitude), through the Galician-Portuguese "soidade". But other letters also remind me of longing, especially on an imagistic and synesthetic level. For example: 5 of Cups - A longing linked to mourning, loss and departure. 6 of Cups - The "goo…

When asking about how someone sees you, what does the Tower mean? I can see it saying that the person sees you are someone who brings disruption in to their lives. You are completely different than what they expected. What else could it mean?

Hi all, Is three of cups always interpreted as a cheating card in relationships one card reading? For me, most of the times, I do see this card as cheating card. But there are times that I don’t feel this card as cheating card. Examples, in one reading, I read there’s no cheating from man’s side because I felt the man seems unwilling to associate with the yellow girl by looking at the way he holds the cup and the yellow girl seems barge in forcefully. So I read it as only girls are trying to involved with him. In another reading, I interpreted this card as the man isn’t cheating and he and the yellow girl are only business associ…

Hello everyone, I was wondering about another possible meaning of the 4 of Pentacles as feelings.. This card often occurs to me to mean jealousy or no feelings at all, but what about someone holding back their feelings? Like you're attracted to someone, but you try to ignore your emotions. Could this make sense with the 4 Pents? Thank you in advance.

Hi all! Hope this is in the right section! I wonder about the Judgment card. I have read so many confusing and different meanings of this card and it's so hard to understand what it tries to say. I know it could mean that something has already come to an end, it's done, no way it can be revived and there is a lesson to be learned from it. But I have also had this card in three card spreads that I did multiple times for a specific question (I know .. one question done multiple times is not probably a good idea). I tried to ask for clarifiers and got ace of wands on one occasion and ace of pentacles on another. So I guess the question is …

Hi everyone, The Chariot is card I always have a hard to interpret as feelings.. I know it's generally about being in control, taking the reins of your life, taking charge of a situation etc so what about feelings? Controlling your feelings for someone? But what are these feelings? Mature love? Willing to have a relationship with this person? What do you think? Thank you so much.

I'm having a bit of a hard time pinpointing which card I would read as guilt. The 5 of Cups could be a possibility, but it just doesn't seem to hit the nail on the head... Any suggestions? Or do you think guilt would be best described as a card combination? Thanks

What does the world mean in tarot in general? And what does it mean when you’re asking what someone thinks of you? I haven’t had this in a while but just thought I’d ask!

Hey guys 😊 right now I’m struggling a bit with understanding the differences between Death and Tower. From what I have in my notes so far, death is (other than the tower, where the change happens out of the blue) a change/ending that was foreseeable (natural?) in one way or another. Maybe even a change that you bring forward yourself or anticipate sometimes? Or is it always about grieve (at least for a moment)? Would you say Death always involves the new beginning as well? The Tower is more shocking (?). Maybe it changes everything while the death is more about one single thing ending? What about change of facts vs change …

In general terms, the Justice card is the card of causality; you will get what you give! It signifies decisions made for or against you, decisions that are however fair and just. From my personal experience, the Justice has been always good! I remember back in 2017, when Justice appeared as the general theme of the year. It was the year where I saw significant improvements in my life, in love (marriage), career (fa good job), finances (minor improvements) and friends (new friends and very happy times). Especially during the months where the Justice was accompanied by the Judgment and the Wheel of Fortune cards. Back on 2018, when the Justice appeared, I was l…

I’m really struggling with interpreting the 10 of wands. My first deck was the Thoth deck and I never felt it was an overly great card to receive. My feelings for it were almost obsessive in a ‘bunny boiler’ Glenn Close/Fatal Attraction kind of way. Looking for/ assuming things that weren’t there to begin with, oppressive delusion (especially in a relationship spread), and taking on way more than you were capable of (being taken advantage of), being used. I’ve noticed a lot of readers perceive this card differently, positively in a way, and now that I’m using the RW deck, the card feels more ‘downtrodden’ by the weight of responsibilities, than anything. I would love to h…

Manipulation can be in many forms, anywhere from downright malicious to almost benign. But what cards would you say can come up for manipulation? the first that comes to mind is the magician and maybe some swords card. 5 of swords as trying to win an argument or point of view through deception. The magician could be that telephone seller who has a way with words. Maybe the king or queen of swords reversed? But what cards in your experience has meant this and when is it malicious or almost innocent?

I've always had a rocky relationship with The Empress and can never quite figure out what she's trying to tell me... Sometimes she's full of creative energy and other times (especially when reversed) it's a complete disaster. 🤔 What are everyone's thoughts about this card? How have you encountered her before? Would be very grateful to hear some of your insights. 😄 For the record, I'm thinking of The Empress in the standard RWS deck, but any ideas regarding any deck's Empress are more than welcome! DS

It seems every website I look at has a different meaning for this card. My guide book matches some of them, but it's really difficult to know what the right definition is. Obviously it also depends on the subject (love, health, career) but my guide book gives a general meaning of truth, mental clarity. Some websites match this, others say it's about conflict, quick and forceful action or new beginnings and communication. So I don't know which definition is accurate and why people have so many different interpretations of it. May people also say that the suit of swords is generally bad when any of them show up in readings, so I would have thought it would have a mostly neg…

Does anyone else have insight on the empress representing a 3rd party woman that a man is prioritizing? This has come up the case several times in both personal and reading for clients which turned out to be true (though sometimes she turns out to be a mom for a man who puts his mom before all other women) but why must I have such a negative association to love in the tarot- why would she be bad for feelings readings? For guidance in love I see it as good as imo she represents self care, self love, connection with your divine feminine, beautifying your space and life...but such a ugly meaning of at times betrayal in choosing another woman to detriment of 1 woman when it c…

I'd love to gather some insights on your positive interpretations or connotations with the otherwise heavy and negative Tower card! It's one that always kind of intimidates me, as it seems to be a really devastating card. What positive aspects do you associate with the card and why? How do you interpret the meaning when the card is next to a positive card, such as 6 of wands or 10 of cups for example?

Hello friends, how are you? I've had great exchanges here and learned a lot! 🙂 What is your opinion about the wheel representing feelings? As an object that rotates and can represent velocity, I can think of: Anxiety, agitation, nervousness, restlessness, unstable feelings, ups and downs, inconsistent feelings, moving on, something not very defined, desire to evolve, feelings that evolve with speed, progress and dynamism... and what else? Any idea?

So I know this card is generally related to heartbreak, break ups, difficulties in relationships etc. But given that it's a swords card it has me a bit confused. Swords deal with mental/intellectual aspects, while cups deal with emotions. Therefore, I'd expect to see a card about heartbreak to be in the cups suit more than with the swords suit. What is your take on this card? Do you think it relates more to the mental aspects of heartbreak, like when your mind is racing and you can't stop thinking about someone/something? Or do you think that regardless of the suit, it can still relate to heartbreak on an emotional level?

Hi all. I’m new do I’m hoping I’m doing this right. I’ve been thinking about the five of swords recently, which I find quite a complex card, and I’d be interested in the thoughts of others. im using a deck that is based on the Rider Waite deck so I do read the images as well as the meanings generally attributed, and this card fascinates me. ice had it come up a few times recently, always in situations that weren’t negative as such, often in otherwise positive readings. I don’t think it’s a positive card as such but I often don’t buy into the straightforward negative interpretations either. To me the card suggests a certain helplessness and ob…

Hi Iv been struggling a bit to know the differences with the lovers and two of cups just hoping to get peoples views on how they interpret these cards, any similarities and differences and there interptetations. I have mis read the lovers card before linking it more to new romatic love when it was more to do with a longer term partnership or insights into how the partnership was unfolding, the 2 of cups is also a coming together of partnerships just wondering how others interpret these cards and if hiw they differ or can be interpreted weather the 2 of cups is more romamcy than the lovers card. Keen to get peoples thoughts and interpretations to help me wit…

Hello... If we look at the basic most meaning of the cards, which cards talk about 'physical travel'? Recently a reader names three cards which according to her were 'travel cards'. She did not rely much on the imagery but just the basic meaning of the cards to tell me I might be travelling soon. Does someone have a list of any such 'travel cards'?

I've been trying to understand but everything ended up being quite contradictory. Thanks!

I have pulled this card (Rider Waite based) for timing a few times in past few days. After googling timing methods: it can be read as in four weeks or sometime after that depressive phase lifts (Picture appears to be of a person apathetic towards everything around them) Any input and/or experience you all have on calculating timing when you pull four of cups? Thanks!

[Hope this is the right place - first post in this new section!] I recently (https://www.thetarotforum.com/wildwood/2-the-seer/) came to some surprising possible conclusions when looking into the Seer in the Wildwood - the equivalent of the RW High Priestess, that enigmatic character that gives so little away - and suddenly realised that they might apply more widely. I was startled when the cards gave me this interpretation so clearly, but in hindsight it makes sense of a great deal. It's not a bad thing, either... but it may give me a completely new way of looking at her. Alternatively, I might be spouting complete heresy. But here goes anyway. ;D The basic meani…