How do you choose a significator (or do you?)

[Anouk]

It seems to me there are many ways to choose a significator. I used to choose by identifying with a card, which was the Princess of Cups but these days I feel more like the Princess of Swords.

 

However, I don't really think about it or use it in any readings, and I feel that different cards can draw out different parts of me (or others) in each reading.

 

What do you do?

 

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[Raggydoll]

I personally don’t work with significators in readings as I find them a bit superfluous  :)

 

However, when I do magic/spells/rituals that involve cards then I do often pick cards to signify a person/personality traits, an object or an event. But that’s a whole other topic  :))

 

 

[HermitWriter]

I'm also in the camp of not working with them very often. When I do, I usually draw them randomly from the deck. I feel like that gives some more dynamic insight into the crux of the issue, and it saves time trying to decide which court card matches me (or the querent) that day.

[gregory]

Me too. I just - don't.

[Esk]

I usually dont work with significator either. I'm not sure they really bring something interesting. I tried to use few times i but almost every time I ended disregarding it because I didn't know what to do about it.

But if a specific spread I use asks for a significator card, I draw them just like the other cards.

[Saturn Celeste]

I don't use them either.  I have a few decks that have extra 'significator' cards but I still don't use them.

[Oink]

The Opening of the Key spread is one of my favorites, and it makes use of a significator. 

 

Regarding the choice of significator, Crowley said this in the Book of Thoth:

Choose a card to represent the Querent, using your knowledge or judgment of his character rather than dwelling on his physical  characteristics.

 

Since the spread has a large storytelling component, I find it easiest to use a court card as the significator because (to me) the courts correspond more naturally to individuals than the majors or minors do.

[Grey_Lady]

Hello,

 

I don´t do it either. At least before a reading - for example, in the little cross, I take the first card I pulled as a header of the question.

 

Grey Lady

[Wanderer]

I don't use one as such... but the role is filled in some of my spreads by a final card that indicates the aspect that should be seen as the most significant in the context of the reading. For example, the Crossroads spread: https://www.thetarotforum.com/wildwood/wildwood-appropriate-spreads/msg57041/#msg57041

Here the spread shows two possible paths with different implications for different aspects of life, and the last card suggests which aspects are most important in using the spread for guidance. I guess that counts as a 'significator'?

 

Also, I usually draw a card to represent the querent, not just to tell me about them (or the aspect under consideration), but also to place them in the context of the deck - perhaps this is also a sort of signification. Representing a person as a particular figure within the mythology can lead to very specific new insights into the interaction with other cards, and also guide the rest of reading by highlighting particular aspects that are (or should be) at the forefront of the dilemma.

[Guest Night Shade]

I don't use a significator, because I feel it takes away a card that might need to show up in the reading, and I want to get all the information out of my readings that I possibly can. 

 

If you do want to use one, I think it's best to pick one that represents who you are and how you feel at that moment.

[Petalene]

I don’t usually use them. I have been reading Understanding the Court by Mary K Greer and that has some excercises with significators. I don’t like the idea of removing a card that could come up in a reading.

 

I haven’t done this yet, but I have two decks that I don’t use because of the unillistrated pip cards. I pulled out the Major Arcana cards for spreads that require only those and I pulled both sets of court cards. Next time I do decide I need a significator, I’m going to pick from the court cards or shuffle and draw from them so I can still get the card in the reading with the deck I’m using.

[Swanhild]

Drawing a significator/having a significator position in a spread - yes. Choosing a significator - never, until I'm doing an exercise specifically requesting one.

[chongjasmine]

I select a significator based on what I feel is important.

That was in the past.

Now, I don't use significator.

[AJ-ish/Sharyn]

never. don't get the need.

[KatieKeene]

I'm not a fan of significators, I never really know what to do with them. Unless it's specifically needed, then I sorta choose one based on how I feel (or what I feel is most relevant to the question).

[Grizabella]

I don't use a significator because, like some others said, it does take a card out of the deck so you may want to keep in play. However, sometimes I've chosen a significator, then put it back into the deck, shuffled and spread the cards.

 

There are other things I've done in place of a significator, though. The first one is to ask the client to put an item of jewelry or something else they wear often on the table. That brings their energy into the reading very effectively.

 

Another one is to have the sitter write down their question or concern on a scrap of paper and slip it under the spread cloth. The reason for doing this is, once again, to bring the sitter's energy into the reading.

 

Having the sitter shuffle the cards is another good way to bring their energy into the cards, of course. My working deck now is the Everyday Enchantment and the cards are so big that I deal them out into four piles to randomize the deck instead of doing a shuffle so having the sitter shuffle this deck is not the method I choose to use to put sitter energy into the deck.

 

I don't use a significator as a rule, though.

 

 

[Guest]

What if there was a way to know which cards were actually significant to the reading?

 

The first thing I have noted about significators, is the myriad of ways people use to select them. None of these process have ever really grabbed me as something that shows a bond or connection between the card and the reading that is significant. Birthdays manipulated in various ways is probably the most common....any card associated with the day of birth would be significant at that time, not now. Most of us have changed a lot since birth.

 

So what if there was a certain way to know which card in the deck is most significant to the reading? A way to know all the cards of significance and their various levels of significance?

 

The second thing is that they are always removed from the deck. Since this card is significant to the reading, it needs to be left in the deck so that it can interact with the spread. By removing the significators from the deck, we are removing the most significant aspects of the deck from play. somewhere some how Significators became a card that just represents the person the reading is for...like a joker you remove from a deck of cards so you can play the game.

 

The true role of the significators is much more subtle. More skilled and talented tarot readers will be using significators ALL the time with out identifying them as such.  They will notice a card that keeps returning or hold a specific relation to other cards that stands out as the central card of the spread.

[Cappy]

The true role of the significators is much more subtle. More skilled and talented tarot readers will be using significators ALL the time with out identifying them as such.  They will notice a card that keeps returning or hold a specific relation to other cards that stands out as the central card of the spread.

Are you referring to repeating cards?

[Cappy]

I really don't see a need for a significator card... It just seems more natural not to use one and I like to keep all the cards in play.. 

[Cappy]

There are other things I've done in place of a significator, though. The first one is to ask the client to put an item of jewelry or something else they wear often on the table. That brings their energy into the reading very effectively.

 

Another one is to have the sitter write down their question or concern on a scrap of paper and slip it under the spread cloth. The reason for doing this is, once again, to bring the sitter's energy into the reading.

 

I like this and it makes more sense to me. The first card reader/clairvoyant I went to used two palm turquoise. She held them in her hands during our initial small talk and then had me hold them while she dealt and read the cards.

I think it was a nice addition and in many ways it served as a connection...

[DanielJUK]

When I was first learning tarot it was very popular to always use a significator! I read some old books which suggested choosing one that looked like you, like this card should be dark haired and this card is blonde if you are, but huge sections of the world's population are excluded who have different features or are a person of colour. There didn't seem to be an answer about what happens if you didn't look like any of the cards. Some people use astrology to pick the card most like the person. If I want to represent myself or a person with a Court Card, I match the qualities of the person and card.

 

Like others have said here, I have the same reasons for not using a significator. I do have a card I think that represents me and that might change in future but I do look out for it in readings but don't take it out separately to use.

 

I much prefer using a significator of the issue (not representing you) to read on. You can get quite powerful readings by doing that. Take out a card which reflects what you want to know about. Lovers for a love question, King of Cups that you think best represents a friend or 10 of Pentacles for a career reading, just as examples and use it as a focus and pick more cards to read on it. It works well I have found like that, as a focus for the reading.

[Guest]

I really don't see a need for a significator card... It just seems more natural not to use one and I like to keep all the cards in play..

 

This is a most important point. Removing the Significator card from the deck is a misnomer, and an old one If we remove a card from the deck it i becomes the "in-significator." There is absolutely no significance to a missing card, and it breaks the deck pulling it out. At that point one has removed the card. the significator card is a big fat book mark so that the person you are reading to doesn't forget who they are, and if that is happening to them they may need more than a reading.  :biggrin: i think MOST people are informed by their intuition that removing the significator is a bad idea, and at that point they skip the entire method all togehter.

 

The true role of the significators is much more subtle. More skilled and talented tarot readers will be using significators ALL the time with out identifying them as such.  They will notice a card that keeps returning or hold a specific relation to other cards that stands out as the central card of the spread.

Are you referring to repeating cards?

 

As far as the significator as the  "card that represents the object of the reading," these cards exist. There are  usually a couple dozen cards of significance that are particular to each reading, but the most prominent and harmonious cards are the ones most people are after. After discovering their identity one watches for them in the spread and their interactions with the other cards. These significator cards are more prominent and harmonious, they WILL change the energy and balance of a spread, whether one discovers their identities or not.

 

Unless I know someone as well as family, before I do a reading for them I draw up a birth chart, and progress it. Within that chart is all the information to tell what are the significators for that individual at that time. If i can not do that but the same cards keep returning, or cards that I know astrologically are in perfect aspects to one another, i am going to naturally assume they are Significators for that reading.

 

 

 

[Cappy]

As far as the significator as the  "card that represents the object of the reading," these cards exist. There are  usually a couple dozen cards of significance that are particular to each reading, but the most prominent and harmonious cards are the ones most people are after. After discovering their identity one watches for them in the spread and their interactions with the other cards. These significator cards are more prominent and harmonious, they WILL change the energy and balance of a spread, whether one discovers their identities or not.

 

Unless I know someone as well as family, before I do a reading for them I draw up a birth chart, and progress it. Within that chart is all the information to tell what are the significators for that individual at that time. If i can not do that but the same cards keep returning, or cards that I know astrologically are in perfect aspects to one another, i am going to naturally assume they are Significators for that reading.

Now is this a technique you've developed or is it one I can find more information on? It sounds very interesting and advanced, only it leaves me asking 101 more questions lol

 

Thanks

[Guest]

well I was taught it I guess, sorta

 

in your birth chart some things are more powerful than others, some more harmonious some more discordant. By measuring all of that stuff one can say, for instance that,  "such and such" is the most prominent planet and we can see that the planet "such and such" is at this time of year.

 

There is a Major arcana card in every tarot deck that represents a planet so the card that corresponds to your most prominent planet is your birth significator.

 

There will be two Minor Card a court card ( the zodiac) and one of the 36 minor cards the specific  decan.

 

 

So if you really think about if you knew I had Saturn as my most prominent planet, and you draw me the devil card in any spread. It is not necessarily a bad frame of mind for me, since I am of a Saturnian mind set in the first place. Or if those minor cards comes into play they will be a comfort zone for me.

 

 

 

obviously it can get more complicated....

 

 

if one gets an astrology reading, they typically include most prominent planet best planet worst planet best house worst house, etc

everything you would want to know about your birth significators should be there in a reasonably decent birth chart reading

 

best way to practice it without actaully going to school would be to find an astrology birth chart horoscope program that calculates astrodynes for progressions

 

 

minors for the Thoth deck and Hermetic can be tricky, just use that Liber 777 book to figure out the minors.

 

 

 

 

 

[Cappy]

Thanks Whatsawhosit

 

It all sounds very interesting. I just started dabbling into astrology and really don't have enough free time for tarot, let alone anything else..  What's your favorite books on the two topics?