What influences your way of interpreting cards?

[dirgeike]

I know that everyone reads and interprets differently, and I'm still very new to reading, but I've been thinking about how various experiences and fields of knowledge-- personal, professional, big life events seen through tarot, knowledge about hobbies etc. intertwine to create new meanings and I wanted to hear about how those affect your readings!

 

For instance, music and the associations I make between cards does influence the way I read things. Then, I went back to school a few years ago and have been working toward an academic career. I don't know much about philosophy except how it ties into my field of study-- but what I've learned so far has made profound changes on me and how I see the world. In a way, it's a spiritual nourishment for me. And I can't help but to want to sort of meld those things with tarot sometimes. I definitely need to read more into the world of tarot and the knowledge there, but for me, it fits in somewhere with it all. 

 

I just wanted to hear about how you all sort of meld all your different experiences, and knowledge of certain things into your readings.

[Raggydoll]

I don’t think that my personal life experiences - other than those that relate to tarot reading - impacts my interpretations much. And I do make an effort not to mix in any of my academic studies or previous work experience, because those relate to the field of health and medicine. But the way I see that the world works and the general observations I make in life (not related to me) does probably impact me and how I read cards. 

[dirgeike]

8 minutes ago, Raggydoll said:

I don’t think that my personal life experiences - other than those that relate to tarot reading - impacts my interpretations much. And I do make an effort not to mix in any of my academic studies or previous work experience, because those relate to the field of health and medicine. But the way I see that the world works and the general observations I make in life (not related to me) does probably impact me and how I read cards. 

That’s super interesting! So it’s like keeping things separate for you makes tarot reliable as a single body of knowledge that’s distinct in meaning from other kinds? I’m guessing for the sake of being able to read responsibly? Sorry I just wanna know how you see it!

 

I’m in literary studies which I think for me changes a lot of how I see things. We’re always encouraged to read as widely as possible and that even seemingly far off areas of knowledge are good to integrate (like approaching a book as a historical artifact, or thinking about technology and literature, whatever else) I felt like tarot works with that, in that the cards tell stories, and I always see links between any story and another, but now that I’m reading your comment I see how there can be drawbacks to it too!

[Raggydoll]

18 minutes ago, dirgeike said:

That’s super interesting! So it’s like keeping things separate for you makes tarot reliable as a single body of knowledge that’s distinct in meaning from other kinds? I’m guessing for the sake of being able to read responsibly? Sorry I just wanna know how you see it!

 

I’m in literary studies which I think for me changes a lot of how I see things. We’re always encouraged to read as widely as possible and that even seemingly far off areas of knowledge are good to integrate (like approaching a book as a historical artifact, or thinking about technology and literature, whatever else) I felt like tarot works with that, in that the cards tell stories, and I always see links between any story and another, but now that I’m reading your comment I see how there can be drawbacks to it too!

If I read for other, I wouldn’t want to project my own thoughts and experiences onto the cards. Nor would I want to apply medical knowledge, for legal and practical reasons. It’s definitely important to me to be as neutral and objective as possible when I read the cards. With other areas of my life it is different. For instance, when I create art I do merge my experiences, my knowledge of various things as well as my personality in it. And if I were to read the cards for myself I would likely do the same. The difference is when you read for others. Then it is their reading, not yours. 

[gregory]

3 hours ago, Raggydoll said:

If I read for other, I wouldn’t want to project my own thoughts and experiences onto the cards. Nor would I want to apply medical knowledge, for legal and practical reasons. It’s definitely important to me to be as neutral and objective as possible when I read the cards. With other areas of my life it is different. For instance, when I create art I do merge my experiences, my knowledge of various things as well as my personality in it. And if I were to read the cards for myself I would likely do the same. The difference is when you read for others. Then it is their reading, not yours. 

 

This is exactly how I feel about it. I  have to set aside anything I think I know. Just because the divorced woman I just read about whose situation seemed exactly like the one my sitter has described CANNOT be allowed to impinge on y reading for her. Similarly, the fact that I don't believe in God cannot be allowed to affect the reading I am doing for a nun, even though initially it sounds to me from what she says that it's time to quit the convent, nor my feelings about personal choice to get in the way of reading for someone who believes that her man absolutely has the right to dictate whether or not she can go out to work. We are reading for people with completely different lives, beliefs and experiences from our own. Our views have nothing whatever to do with theirs. We have to use a completely clean slate.

[Wanderer]

I totally agree with pretty much everything above... but with a bit of a caveat. I do think that our personal versions of the card meanings are influenced by our experiences, and especially when it comes to intuitive takes on particular cards in a specific reading. It's part of what makes us effective readers, in my opinion, that the messages can appear in a way that makes use of our own past in order to get the point across most clearly so that we can then pass it on. I don't think we can escape that aspect (at least, if there is any intuitive rather than strictly by-the-book component of our readings), and in that sense our experiences do influence the reading - but only in the sense of helping to guide us to the intended message, and being able to understand it.

This is quite distinct from having preconceived ideas that our ego wants to impose on the sitter, which obviously needs to be avoided like the proverbial! 

[dippingin]

I'm a beginner too so I rely on google to tell me. 😀  however different websites interpret the cards differently, some are used as feelings and some as events.   Then some websites interpret according to the question and give you various answers. 

[DanielJUK]

I'm gonna disagree with most of the thread 😝

I think our personality, life experiences and interests play a huge part when we interpret readings. Unless someone is interpreting out of a book (then you are getting someone's else (the author's) experiences and perspective), then the reading will be done from your perspective formed by your experiences from your whole life. We can try to be neutral and impartial but still it's from our biases and perspectives. Some people really show their personality in the readings, whilst others are more quiet about it. On our old tarot forum, there was a lady who was a musician and her spiritual journey was with playing her flute. She would dream and intuitively write music which was important to her spirituality and she would play songs in a local cave (this was in Australia). In her card readings, she would have musical notes in the positions and the music was an important part of her personality that was in all her readings. Her reading style was very much influenced by her music but that was an important part of her intuition. If I ask for a career reading from someone who spent ten years in university, academically rising higher and higher, it would be different from someone who left education at 16, even with the same cards. That is why if we all interpreted the same cards in a thread, we would all have a different perspective but probably the same ultimate similar outcome. Our reading "style" is our personality, perspectives and also biases and learnt knowledge.

 

Here is the negative part though, what happens if you are reading for someone and you have no experience on what you are reading for them. We haven't all had the same experiences in our lives. Like gregory's example, I have never divorced, neither married but I have read for people on those topics. I think you need to have empathy or can relate to the subject when you do the reading and I think it really helps to have maybe known someone who divorced around you or maybe read a book, seen it on a TV soap or drama or maybe on youtube or tiktok talking about it. There is a problem I think when you cannot relate to it at all, like how can you take the cards if you don't have any understanding of the situation. It helps to be well-informed in reading for others I think, so you can see the nuances and emotions of that situation. Talking to other people to hear their personal stories helps as well.

 

I will give you an example here, I am sure fellow LGBTQIA+ forum members can hard relate. If you get a love reading from someone who has no understanding of minority gender or sexuality groups, you can get terrible readings! I have had 2 love readings (not in this forum but professional) from people who had no understanding about a gay relationship and one of them was highly offensive. So that is the perspectives and a lack of experience acting in a negative way, they couldn't relate to my situation and read the cards in a way that gave a bad reading. Their lack of knowledge on the subject influenced my readings in a bad way.

 

Our readings are formed from our experiences and personality and perspectives in our lives. We have all the years we have lived in our interpreting. But also you need knowledge and be able to relate to different people and different situations in a non-judgemental, curious way 🙂 .

[RunningWild]

3 hours ago, DanielJUK said:

Our readings are formed from our experiences and personality and perspectives in our lives. We have all the years we have lived in our interpreting. But also you need knowledge and be able to relate to different people and different situations in a non-judgemental, curious way 🙂

 

I'm glad I read all the posts to the end so I didn't duplicate much of what DanielUK just said.  The more someone reads for others, the more they realize the depth of their own life experiences, too, IMO.  It's then just a matter of neutralizing (maybe not the right word) our own experiences so that others can more easily relate.  

[Misterei]

20 hours ago, dirgeike said:

... tarot reliable as a single body of knowledge that’s distinct in meaning from other kinds?

My understanding of Tarot is informed by a lifetime of occult and esoteric studies. Astrology, Theosophy, Hermeticism, Neoplatonism, Pythagorianism, 4th Way, Sufism. Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Freemasonry ... to be some of the major philosophies. But many people have found connections between various mystery teachings and Tarot.

 

20 hours ago, Raggydoll said:

If I read for other, I wouldn’t want to project my own thoughts and experiences onto the cards.

LOL this can be a HUGE challenge. Today I joked with a friend/client that it was hard for me to keep my advice "pure" and not selfishly advise her to move back to this area. The cards did NOT advise this, anyway. But I had to be careful.

20 hours ago, Raggydoll said:

Nor would I want to apply medical knowledge,

I do as far as I'm trained as an Ayurvedic Wellness Counselor ... but I stay within my legal scope as an AWC. And ALWAYS suggest to see a medical professional when appropriate.

13 hours ago, Wanderer said:

... I do think that our personal versions of the card meanings are influenced by our experiences, and especially when it comes to intuitive takes on particular cards in a specific reading.

Or I might say my personal experience WITH the card. I read some cards differently than the standard textbook definitions ... because that's how those cards show up for me.

13 hours ago, Wanderer said:

It's part of what makes us effective readers, in my opinion, that the messages can appear in a way that makes use of our own past in order to get the point across

It's a slippery slope. One one hand ... as a 59 year old with a LOT of water under the bridge ... I can advise people about many situations based on life experience. My life has not been sheltered or easy ... I've seen it all.

OTOH ... I must be very careful to read the CARDS ... not get into my ego or my past. It's a fine line. A razor's edge.

13 hours ago, Wanderer said:

... This is quite distinct from having preconceived ideas that our ego wants to impose on the sitter, which obviously needs to be avoided like the proverbial! 

yes

7 hours ago, DanielJUK said:

I think our personality, life experiences and interests play a huge part when we interpret readings. Unless someone is interpreting out of a book (then you are getting someone's else (the author's) experiences and perspective), then the reading will be done from your perspective formed by your experiences from your whole life. We can try to be neutral and impartial but still it's from our biases and perspectives.

You make a valid point ... but I believe the distinction of a great reader is that they have an excellent ability to be a clear channel and get themselves out of the way.

7 hours ago, DanielJUK said:

... If I ask for a career reading from someone who spent ten years in university, academically rising higher and higher, it would be different from someone who left education at 16, even with the same cards.

Not if that person is reading the CARDS and getting their ego out of the way to be a clear channel of Higher Mind. But that being said ... there is a certain "compatability factor". Like most of my clients (not all) are educated and fairly sophisticated people. They appreciate I can converse with them on that level.

7 hours ago, DanielJUK said:

... I think you need to have empathy or can relate to the subject

Yet empathy can be a psychic or intuitive skill. Someone who's a highly developed empath will do this better than someone who either wasn't born with the skill or who hasn't developed it with practice.

7 hours ago, DanielJUK said:

... I am sure fellow LGBTQIA+ forum members can hard relate. If you get a love reading from someone who has no understanding of minority gender or sexuality groups, you can get terrible readings! I have had 2 love readings (not in this forum but professional) from people who had no understanding about a gay relationship and one of them was highly offensive.

It's pretty nuanced ... I have many repeat clients from LGB community even though I'm not of that community (not so much the TQIA+). Part of what you say is true b/c I was hanging at Gay Bars and underground scene back when I was a 15 year old runaway on the streets ... so I always had a connection there. Yet my skill at reading for my LGB clients is in reading the CARDS ... not imposing my ego.

7 hours ago, DanielJUK said:

... Our readings are formed from our experiences and personality and perspectives in our lives. We have all the years we have lived in our interpreting. But also you need knowledge and be able to relate to different people and different situations in a non-judgemental, curious way 🙂 .

Agree with this in terms of life experience making us wiser and perhaps better readers (and better people) as we learn compassion from our own struggles and lessons. And observing the struggles and lessons of friends, enemies, and everyone in between.

Edited May 24, 2023 by Misterei