Significators

[chongjasmine]

Do you use them?

If yes, why? If no, why?

 

It depends on the spread. I don't use it for 3 cards spread, but I will use it for celtic cross spread.

I like the feel of significators. I like having something as a theme for me to work with.

[Lantana]

I use them in the more passive sense. There are cards I view as a significator (namely, the Page of Wands) and if it pops up in a reading I might view it as myself or not based on context. For example, when doing an interview spread with the Slow Holler I pulled the Page of Wands as its main characteristic, and kind of read it as "we're pretty similar, so we'll get along fine".

 

When a spread asks for a significator I usually skip that step, with a few exceptions.

[isawhale]

I will only ever use them if I get a card that is jumping out repetively. Otherwise I don't bother. No one card can sum up the entirety of the situation imho.

[Esk]

I don't use them. I've never really understood their role. I don't even have a significator for myself, i wouldn't know which card to choose.

[EmpyreanKnight]

I would only use significators if the spread I want to use includes one. Otherwise I don't.

[Onaorkal]

I seldom use them. If the spread I want to use asks for it and I see the relevance, I will pick one. Otherwise I prefer when there is a card to represent the querent in the spread itself. Not a card I should choose beforehand.

[Trogon]

I tried using them when I was starting out. But that was because the book I was using recommended the Celtic Cross as a good spread and always had me pick a significator. I could never see what purpose said significator card served. Since then, I have found that I very, very rarely use the CC spread, and when I do, it is one that I modified and it does not use a significator.

 

As to why I don't use it, there are a few reasons. First off, as I already said, I could not see what purpose it served (nor find any good reason for having it). The querent is there (either in body or spirit if it's a remote reading), why do I need a card to represent them? It doesn't affect the reading in any way that I've ever been able to tell. Another reason is that it is removing a card from the deck that might have come up in another position - so that basically, I'm doing a reading with a 77-card deck. Also, choosing said card seemed rather specious or even nonsensical - I'm picking a card based on the physical characteristics of the person? Why? I don't think I've ever done a Tarot reading where it made one whit of difference whether the person is blond and fair, or swarthy, or whatever. Again, no real purpose there.

 

So, nowadays, none of the spreads that I use on a regular basis have a place for a chosen significator. When I do a CC spread, it is the one I modified and it doesn't use a significator. This does not mean that I don't ever use a card to represent the querent ... but when I do, it is pulled as part of the reading and can be any card.

[sandrang123]

I don't use them. I prefer to let the cards tell me what they wish to about the person I'm reading, and their state/condition/personality.

[Page of Ghosts]

I did use sort of a significator when I did my year ahead spread since I knew Death was my year card. Put that one in the middle and did the spread around it because I felt it was useful. Otherwise I don't do significators and I don't have much of an opinion on them.

[Saturn Celeste]

Do you use them?

If yes, why? If no, why?

 

It depends on the spread. I don't use it for 3 cards spread, but I will use it for celtic cross spread.

I like the feel of significators. I like having something as a theme for me to work with.

Rarely if at all.  I can’t remember when I last used one; probably when I was learning the tarot.  I don’t usually use specific spreads either so no real calls for a significator.