Let's talk about Misunderstood Cards!

[Guest libra]

Stolen right from some videos I've seen on YouTube, lets talk about the most misunderstood cards in tarot! What cards do you feel are misunderstood? How do you explain them?

 

For me, one of the big ones is Death, and it's a double-whammy. First there's the obvious, when people don't read tarot or are new to it and they worry that it's literal. Nope, it usually isn't a card that is foreboding your imminent Death! But... I think it's also misrepresentated when you turn a complete 180 and say that if it isn't literally about Death, then it has to be about Rebirth. I feel like sometimes it gets softened too far, and that can actually be damaging in a reading because in life, we do have hard experiences, and sometimes things do have a very clear ending. Not allowing ourselves or our querents to have that space to accept the Death of something in their situation means that the feelings needed to process this big end get repressed, left undealt with and fester. We need the space to truly feel, grieve over, or celebrate what we had before moving forward to the next thing sometimes!

 

I think Death is glossed over sometimes. If your beloved dog dies, it can feel uncaring to have someone tell you to go buy a new puppy to fill that space right? Keep that in mind, and let yourself feel the loss of what Death is referring to, without forcing yourself to fill it with the new thing right away.

 

Any thoughts? Any cards you think at misunderstood - by feet the non-tarot public or by Tarot readers themselves? The floor is yours!

[Guest D76]

Every person has his own right to the vision of certain cards, I think ...

 

For example :  for me, often, # 13 Death - is death. Literally. Physical death.  Without any kind of "transformation" and other eschatological concepts ...

[Endy]

ohhh this is a neat topic and I can't wait to read all that people write about it :)

 

Being a relative newbie to tarot, I think the card that I misunderstood the most prior to learning about them was The Devil. Perhaps I'm weird (well, I know I'm weird  ;D ) but I love this card. To me, The Devil is a reminder that I am in control. I am the master of my own fate. It's so easy to fall into ruts in life or to feel trapped, but this card reminds me that I can break free of bondage. Of course, it might be a huge challenge to do so, but it can be done.

 

It might look like an ugly card, but the feelings I get from it are quite empowering and I think that is beautiful.

[Guest D76]

I love №15 Devil too...For me, this is something opposite to "dogmatic".

 

Devil --  is a lot of creativity ..and free thinking. It's something that moves against the rules.

Often, the Devil shows the persons, who are not afraid of punishment or destruction of their careers, or relationships or....etc....(next card No.16 Tower) - they don’t care. Absolutely.

 

This Devil archetype is not suitable for those, who always and in everything follows the rules and fear condemnation. But right now (oddly enough) such people (dogmatists) again appear more and more ...as in medieval times )).  And the Devil archetype is activated  >:D. To oppose them. And it can be dangerous. In this case, the Devil begins to show his worst side of character. He begins to behave like that dogmatists ..... but more elegant.  :bkiss: It becomes like a reflection, in a mirror.

 

The Devil Archetype is clearly not static. Hes changes in time. All the time. The Devil have a lot of faces. Devil is a great actor.

 

For me, this is the most interesting card in Tarot. You never know who he will be at this particular moment, what kind of mask he is wearing now ... He is different every time. In each new “spread”  - there is a new Devil.

 

 

[Bluelagune]

People tend to not like 7 of swords much but it always reminds me of Veronica Franco - a courtisan, à poet, an artist, a mom and a woman far advanced to the time she was born in.

 

 

 

[Guest libra]

People tend to not like 7 of swords much but it always reminds me of Veronica Franco - a courtisan, à poet, an artist, a mom and a woman far advanced to the time she was born in.

 

She sounds intriguing! It's love to hear more about how you connect her with that card!

[Guest D76]

7 of Swords for me - one of the most creative cards (meanings), - the ability to see is much further than most  people.

This card never shows something bad (in my hands). 7 of Swords -  the signifier of people with very unusual thinking (swords).

[Bluelagune]

People tend to not like 7 of swords much but it always reminds me of Veronica Franco - a courtisan, à poet, an artist, a mom and a woman far advanced to the time she was born in.

 

She sounds intriguing! It's love to hear more about how you connect her with that card!

 

The 7 of swords in the Romantic Tarot deck is a courtisan waiting for her guests. But I always liked Franco because of her poems and just her life experience fit the card very well.

[Bluelagune]

7 of Swords for me - one of the most creative cards (meanings), - the ability to see is much further than most people.

This card never shows something bad (in my hands). This is the signifier of people with very unusual thinking (swords).

 

It doesn't signify bad because you can overlook the societal standard definition of "good". "People of unusual or rare thinking" is a very good definition.

[Miho]

I agree with you, libra, about the Death. I think there's a lot of lessons of nature that it very cleverly wrapped in with its appearance.

 

The other for me would be Tower, of course. I try not to assume automatically the negative meaning for cards when they are drawn. Tower for me has come to mean that I will get a sudden realization, and yes can be shocking at first, but it's something that's desperately needed in the moment at times.. we need those shocks to dispel things that may be holding us back in life. I treat Towers in my self-reads sometimes as a freak accident, like it is happening for a reason... it's not a coincidence that we experience upheaval in our lives, there's some reason behind that is my belief. So I view it as a blessing.

 

Devil I treat as a 'the strange one'. He shows up in fairly mundane positions in some of my self-readings. Sometimes I'm not really sure what he is conveying because it feels dettached when I read it, because there doesn't really seem to be anything major going on at that moment... so I take it as a sign that I need to check i's and t's, maybe I forgot to do something or maybe just look at my reversals closer as there may be something missing there. I use reversals almost exclusively for "read more", here are some elements you are unaware of, etc... similar to Tower, there is something that is either about to go off or being missed, but it's not going to be as obvious as Death/Twr... and it may even be an actual fluke. But I connect this card with ignorance, sometimes cognitive dissonance. It's easier to connect it with something major like relationship-toxicity, but I think he covers a lot of ground as far as more mundane things in my readings as well.

 

I remember reading at AT someone mentioning he was a good omen for being more relaxed with our sexuality or learning to let loose a little... I have to agree :shhh:

[Guest]

Overtime tarot cards have become anachronistic. The more society moves away from the time tarot cards where created, the more misunderstanding there will be about the general content implied by the cards originally.

 

Most people will have to be amateur historians to some extent to get a decent grip on what the tarot cards meant in the first place.

 

Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk

 

 

[Flaxen]

Overtime tarot cards have become anachronistic. The more society moves away from the time tarot cards where created, the more misunderstanding there will be about the general content implied by the cards originally.

 

Most people will have to be amateur historians to some extent to get a decent grip on what the tarot cards meant in the first place.

 

Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk

 

I agree. The first decks were created at a time when the world view was very different. Society, politics, religion, culture specific to place all fed into the images. The ‘Hanged Man’ is a good example where the original meaning is not current. Very few people think ‘traitor’ when they see it.

 

I think this applies to the older decks more though - with the ‘modern’ occult decks like RWS and Thoth, we can reference what their creators intended.

[Wanderer]

The Lovers is another one that has shifted dramatically, especially in the more recently divergent decks where it can be about romantic love and commitment than about that archetypal fatal Choice of Adam & Eve.

 

What fascinates me most, though, is that I don't think a card can be 'misunderstood' in this sense, except when one is just starting out and has nothing to go on but the formal meanings. Just as we each develop our own specific meanings with time, and different decks can have explicitly different connotations for particular cards, the Tarot seems to shift with them, and on a personal level. The cards that are drawn are the right cards, according to how the reader understands them.

 

Those original meanings may be historically fascinating, but once we have our own overprint on a deck, I don't think they have much bearing on the meaning of the cards as they are drawn...

[Guest D76]

Hanged man - traitor, disgraced, punished (classic names). In my practice – very bad card, the worst card in the deck - never showed anything good (never!)

 

The Tower – the House of the Devil, The Lightning, Hell, the House of Pluto (classic names). Another one very bad card, - never showed anything good (tragic crash-boom-bang).

 

The Fool - always showed the fools, idiots (people or situations), marginal persons...poverty. As classic.

 

Papa. In my practice this card more often means “two faced” persons. Very similar as a Devil ))

 

The Magician - always charlatans or people who too much lies : and the same life situations, when arounds is many lies. Classic meaning

 

Lover (Lovers, Love) - always means the CHOICE, like a Choice of Hercules (ancient history), marriage. Classic meaning.

 

The Star - The best card ! Very strong and positive.  Really....If I have "spread" for 2 cards and there, for example, 10 of Swords + Star, -- it means that 10 of Swords - just gone....reset to zero,,,,

 

Other cards "working" the same, -- as a classic meaninings -- XVI - XVIII c.c.

 

Papess : in my practice this card more often show a “fake” !! (as a fake  - Papess Joanne)! Yes !

 

The modern occult meanings not working for me. Apparently, I am out of this egregore.  :rolleyes: I often notice this with other tarologists who categorically do not use occult decks and do not want to work with them. The same story.

 

 

[Bluelagune]

Hanged man - traitor, disgraced, punished (classic names). In my practice – very bad card, the worst card in the deck - never showed anything good (never!)

 

I've seen this card as enlightenment. Very similar to Sun card but there is a touch of pain associated to it.

Also, sacrifice associated to HM.

 

The Tower – the House of the Devil, The Lightning, Hell, the House of Pluto (classic names). Another one very bad card, - never showed anything good (tragic crash-boom-bang).

 

I've not seen anything good but only when it came as a warning. I know in advance the person would be a very controlling obsession abuser if I've drawn it for a date...

Tower is a card that sais, something wrong in that foundation! Fix it.

 

The Fool - always showed the fools, idiots (people or situations), marginal persons...poverty. As classic.

 

Ignorance - on purpose or out of folly, depends on second card.

 

Papa. In my practice this card more often means “two faced” persons. Very similar as a Devil ))

 

This person is so high and mighty on the themselves, makes me wana smack them. ((not big fan of violence)) However, this always represented some type of instructions to which I usually counter my ideas and from what I've seen so far, there arent' that many Hierophants to counter my logic.

 

The Magician - always charlatans or people who too much lies : and the same life situations, when arounds is many lies. Classic meaning

 

Usually skill or some type of manipulator.

 

Lover (Lovers, Love) - always means the CHOICE, like a Choice of Hercules (ancient history), marriage. Classic meaning.

Choice or third party. Sometimes I get this for someone who is spying on me.

 

The Star - The best card ! Very strong and positive.  Really....If I have "spread" for 2 cards and there, for example, 10 of Swords + Star, -- it means that 10 of Swords - just gone....reset to zero,,,,

 

Had it both: the hope and the distance someone wanted between me and them.

 

Other cards "working" the same, -- as a classic meaninings -- XVI - XVIII c.c.

Papess : in my practice this card more often show a “fake” !! (as a fake  - Papess Joanne)! Yes !

 

Only man see her as fake. There is quote from bible "Be still and know I'm God". When ever I've gotten HP: I always want to act and charge but the card sais: Stay still!

[AnomalyTempest]

 

Hanged man - traitor, disgraced, punished (classic names). In my practice – very bad card, the worst card in the deck - never showed anything good (never!)

I've seen this card as enlightenment. Very similar to Sun card but there is a touch of pain associated to it.

Also, sacrifice associated to HM.

 

To me, this card signals a need to maybe "chill out" or to try to get a different perspective. In other words, I am usually over-reacting or looking at something from the wrong angle.

 

The Tower – the House of the Devil, The Lightning, Hell, the House of Pluto (classic names). Another one very bad card, - never showed anything good (tragic crash-boom-bang).

I've not seen anything good but only when it came as a warning. I know in advance the person would be a very controlling obsession abuser if I've drawn it for a date...

Tower is a card that sais, something wrong in that foundation! Fix it.

 

This is my favorite card. Maybe I'm just restless by nature but I get excited when I see it. Something new is coming. It's not the same old thing.

 

The Fool - always showed the fools, idiots (people or situations), marginal persons...poverty. As classic.

Ignorance - on purpose or out of folly, depends on second card. 

 

Stepping out (maybe of your comfort zone or simply into something new). Whether for good or ill depends on the other cards.

 

Papa. In my practice this card more often means “two faced” persons. Very similar as a Devil ))

This person is so high and mighty on the themselves, makes me wana smack them. ((not big fan of violence)) However, this always represented some type of instructions to which I usually counter my ideas and from what I've seen so far, there arent' that many Hierophants to counter my logic.

 

This is my least favorite card. I almost always think of the Inquisition.

 

The Magician - always charlatans or people who too much lies : and the same life situations, when arounds is many lies. Classic meaning

Usually skill or some type of manipulator.

 

Same here for the skill or manipulation.

 

Lover (Lovers, Love) - always means the CHOICE, like a Choice of Hercules (ancient history), marriage. Classic meaning.

Choice or third party. Sometimes I get this for someone who is spying on me.

 

I see it as a choice as well usually, but one deck has a face on the sunrise in the background peeking over treetops at the couple and I definitely thought stalker the first time I saw it. Spying makes sense.

 

The Star - The best card ! Very strong and positive.  Really....If I have "spread" for 2 cards and there, for example, 10 of Swords + Star, -- it means that 10 of Swords - just gone....reset to zero,,,,

Had it both: the hope and the distance someone wanted between me and them.

 

I think Hope but it's a trained reaction as the picture usually makes me think more of a cross between Temperance and the Magician.

 

Other cards "working" the same, -- as a classic meaninings -- XVI - XVIII c.c.

Papess : in my practice this card more often show a “fake” !! (as a fake  - Papess Joanne)! Yes !

Only man see her as fake. There is quote from bible "Be still and know I'm God". When ever I've gotten HP: I always want to act and charge but the card sais: Stay still!

 

I usually hear her asking if I really want to know.

[Grizabella]

For me, the Hanged Man is "seeking enlightenment" and Judgment is that moment we actually achieve enlightenment.

 

The newcomer's grasp of Death with regard to relationships is often that the relationship from hell will magically transform into having come from heaven instead. But you have to consider actual death. The transformation undergone with actual death is that your body becomes food for fly larvae and "transforms" into larvae poop. When we die, we don't exist except as food for the environment and other species. The lifeline bear of the American southwest illustrates the life cycle of everything.

 

The Tower isn't an earth-shaking orgasm unless you get your jollies from humiliation. Think of a king and queen thrown from their ivory tower into the mud without their crowns. That's earth-shaking alright, but not orgasmic for most of us.

 

The Lovers isn't an indication of a soulmate relationship. It's more along the lines of a shotgun wedding.

 

The Magician has gotten the tag of "he/she has all the tools to get what he/she wants". Yes, that's true, but what a Magician wants is to make people believe are basically lies. He's the great deceiver. He creates the illusion that something exists or ceases to exist when the opposite is true.

 

The Devil some folks like to think of as a reckless romp in the bedroom that's wicked and naughty but delicious. Actually, it's co-dependency,sexual deviancy and enslavement. People point out that the two chained people could just take those collars off their necks. Trouble is, they don't know they can or they're afraid to take them off.

 

The Moon is seen often as being romantic. But actually the Moon can indicate lunacy or psychosis.

 

All these are also dependent on the question, position name, and surrounding cards, of course, but these are just some points I think are interesting. People are afraid of Tarot so they choose to deny all these scary, negative meanings of some of the "bad" cards and make them fit a scene they'd rather believe.

[Guest libra]

Ohhh The Hanged Man! That one for me - I'm always seeing people say that it's a sign that you need to seek a new perspective, but I read it as pretty much the opposite! The Hanged Man to me is all about seeking internally for your own truth, then when you know it, you can hold strong to that despite any persecution or mockery you get for it. That deep faith in your own knowledge or beliefs can give you grace and peace through any situation that you face.