How to incorporate specificities in the deck with general meaning

[Starshine]

Hi.

When interpreting the cards, most people seem to use the Rider Waite deck and lots of meanings and interpretations of individual cards on tarot websites seem to be derived from them as well.

My question is, if we are using a different deck and they have some differences to the Rider Waite, how do we incorporate those differences with the general (Rider Waite) meaning of the cards when we're reading/ interpreting?

[Raggydoll]

I think it’s best for beginners to go with the imagery and the keywords/descriptions for the deck they’re using, and not fall back too hard on RWS even if it’s a RWS-derived deck. Otherwise you’ll miss the fun nuances. As you evolve, you’ll be able to read with many different type of decks  🙂

[gregory]

Say you use a deck and pull the Chariot. Sure, "union of opposites" and all that. But in this deck, there's a very noticeable snail in there. And a loose wheel on the chariot. That would suggest to me - for instance - that things won't happen very fast, and that there may be hiccups along the way. It takes nothing from the "generic" meaning of the card - but adds nuances to the reading. That kind of thing.

 

Spend some time with each card and take physical notes of the extra things you can see, things that aren't mentioned in the booklet or whatever you use to get your meanings.... Those notes will grow and grow over the years.

[Marina]

5 hours ago, Starshine said:

My question is, if we are using a different deck and they have some differences to the Rider Waite, how do we incorporate those differences with the general (Rider Waite) meaning of the cards when we're reading/ interpreting?

If you are just starting with tarot, or a particular deck that you are not very comfortable with yet, my suggestion is to stick to the meanings given by the deck creator and leave the RWS behind for a while. To try to apply RWS meanings to a deck that has a different flow can make you confused and frustrated.
 

Another good thing is to keep a journal or blog with your readings and ideas about the cards. This way you can write down your deck’s meaning, the RWS meaning, and compare how they differ. Sometimes the difference is very superficial. Also, it allows you to register the reading and see how is manifests in reality - thus helping you to decide which set of meanings seem to be more accurate to you.

[katrinka]

Do incorporate the differences in the deck you're using. They can alter the essence of the card.

Let's look at the 10 of Wands in the RWS and the Fantastic Menagerie*:

 

The 10 of Wands is a card of burdens, repression and restriction. Both cards have this in common. But we don't know why the man in the RWS is carrying all those wands. It might be something he decided to do himself.

His counterpart is the horse in the Fantastic Menagerie. There's an element of exploitation here that isn't spelled out in the RWS. If those were his own things that he was moving, surely he'd opt for a lighter load even if it meant an extra trip or letting go of some things. Somebody is working that horse to death. By contrast, the calf in the foreground works for himself shining shoes. He's relaxing, waiting for a customer. There are some clear messages here that I've found to be useful in readings. 😉

 

*The Fantastic Menagerie Tarot by Karen Mahony and Alex Ukolov, BabaBarock Ltd., https://baba-store.com. All rights reserved, used by permission.

Edited October 23, 2021 by katrinka

[DanielJUK]

The order I always interpret a card.....

 

1/ what I get from it intuitively, can I see anything in the picture? is there a story? do any symbols jump out to me especially? how do I feel? any senses triggered?

2/ if there is a book or some material with the deck you can find out the artists original intention of the artwork, this is really helpful. You don't have to agree with the artist's intention or view but it's useful to know it

3/ fall back on the RWS / traditional generic meanings as the final layer

 

Sometimes my take is the same as the generic standard meaning, other times I stray quite a lot from it depending on the card art. The trick for working out you are doing it right is that you get feedback that the people you read for can relate to it 🙂

[Jewel]

I love @katrinka's example, it is a perfect example of how to incorporate those differences and the importance of it.  Good decks will have a "voice" expressed through the art.  They will pick up on the various themes that live within a card from the creators point of view.  Key words are quick references to an overall theme of a card, but within that overall theme you will find that in different readings different aspects within the theme come to the forefront and many decks will express those aspects of a theme in the illustrations.  Comparing the same card from several decks is a great way to see this.  So yes, if your deck has variances use your RWS key words as a springboard and expand that theme with what you see visually in your deck.