How do You Personally Balance Intuition And Intellect In a Reading?

[Guest libra]

We've all heard the conversations about intuitive readers vs by-the-book readers and how that conversation inevitably ends with everyone agreeing that a blend of both sides is key... But, I'm curious - what does that blend look like for you personally? 

 

For me - look, I'm a true die hard intuitive. I started with reading signs in the world around me, narrowed into Oracles for fun, then into tarot for diversity. I'll use a tarot deck more like an oracle and whatever comes up comes up for it, even if it veers so far off the beaten track for that card that you wouldn't recognize the actual card definition from what I see in it in that moment. There's no consistency in what a card "means" to me, it'll change reading to reading, day to day. And this has been wildly successful and accurate for me! All my best readings come when I trust that little voice whispering new knowledge of the card I see. 

 

But recently, what I've been doing is basically doing a double reading with individual cards. I'll take my intuitive read of the card as painting a picture of my current state, what's going on, where I need to be focusing my energy. Then, I'll dig deep into my intellectual knowledge of the traditional meaning, do some research on the card maybe for more details on it, and use that as a second part to the reading, looking more at it like... What I need to DO about the picture painted in my initial read is the card. It's almost like reading situation / advice from one card. 

 

That's my way of balancing intuition and book learning. What's yours? 

[Jewel]

This is a really good topic, and I agree we all have different ways in which we arrive at a "balance".  The term balance is a little misleading, I think of it as more of a blending.  Unless you are doing a one card reading, the card you are looking at will be influenced by what is around it.  The spread as a whole may add a pattern to the reading that will influence the cards.  A lot of observation and intuition go into this part.  You have the standard meanings and other systems some of us use (numerology, astrology, elements, etc) that add a whole other dimension.  How you blend these will really depend on a lot of factors.  I do not do things the same way every time.  Some decks are more conducive to blending certain things in than others.  All those choices are done at an intuitive level combined with the imagery.  The question, spread, and spread positions (if any) also factor in.  I look at basic card meanings simply as a spring board or a jump start to intuition.  It is sort of like cooking.  You find a cook book with a beautiful picture of something you want to cook and you study the image.  Then you go the recipe itself (traditionally accepted meanings), then you add seasonings to taste (numerology, elements, other esoteric systems), and you hold that image of what you want it to look like and pick some sides to go with it based on your experiences with cooking other things and preparing meals.  You do this intuitively.  So I guess my answer is I do not try to balance anything, I blend things.

[Arabella]

Great topic and one I have been discussing recently. 

I read quite like you @libra in that my intuition kicks in as soon as I turn the card, I can't help it, the image immediately says something to me and I take note of it. It can be quite different to any traditional meaning. My knowledge of the book meanings then often has something to add, but its hard not to be listening to the initial message. 

On 9/19/2019 at 7:37 AM, libra said:

... and use that as a second part to the reading, looking more at it like... What I need to DO about the picture painted in my initial read is the card. It's almost like reading situation / advice from one card. 

Love this idea. It might help me read better for myself as often I see the card, have that intuitive burst and then don't really know what to do with it, especially if its not particularly positive of something I don't really want to hear. I'm going to try this.

 

I do agree with you @Jewel that blending might be a better word. Its all a blend of what you know and what you bring to the reading - numerology, astrology, elements. I have been using my newer decks quite differently to what the "book" says as they just have the feeling of telling me whats what without me even wanting to look up meanings. 

On 9/24/2019 at 4:52 AM, Jewel said:

Then you go the recipe itself (traditionally accepted meanings), then you add seasonings to taste (numerology, elements, other esoteric systems), and you hold that image of what you want it to look like and pick some sides to go with it based on your experiences with cooking other things and preparing meals.  You do this intuitively. 

Great analogy here. I probably cook best when I go with a tried and true recipe but my experience tells me what other flavors will work with the ingredients and I mix and match to suit my own tastes. I have probably deviated a long way from the original recipe with some of our favourite dishes. And that's how my tarot reading is progressing too. 

 

So to answer your original question, @libra my way of balancing intuition and intellect in a reading is to listen to my first reaction when I turn the card, observe whats really standing out to me in the image and form my interpretation. I then look at the other cards and positions to flesh out the story some more. Only then do I (not all the time either) fall back on traditional meanings or "book" meanings to see if there's something relevant that I have missed. I do just skim these, I must admit, because sometimes my intuitive take is very different. The Moon card is the perfect example. The moon is supposed to be all about shadows, what can't be seen or whats dark and hidden. To me its about communication and connection with far flung family and friends (when my young ones first went off into the world we said "always look to the moon, no matter where you are in the world, the moon shines on us all, the stars may be different in the northern or southern hemispheres but the moonlight is the same wherever you are". Very different but very meaningful to me. 

 

I want to go mostly with my gut feeling and not necessarily what the creator of the deck was thinking. Learning to trust that I can do that and not disrespect the deck or its creator has been hard - those images were put there for a reason, but I have to trust that what speaks to me in the card is what is true to me. So blending and balancing is crucial to my readings.

A ❤️ 

 

 

[Jewel]

Identifying patterns in the spread (layout distribution, elements, numbers, court cards, colors, etc) and the imagery combined is what I feel gives balance to my readings.  It is a combination of analytical and intuitve, a blending of those two.

[bookshop]

I'm basically echoing what everyone else has said here, but to put my own framework around it: I view the cards as archetypes. So, like every storytelling archetype, you understand the story more deeply when your understanding is informed by things like historical knowledge, social and background context, symbolism, etc.  But also, like every storytelling archetype, tone and context matters. "A dark and stormy night" means something different when Agatha Christie says it than it does when Snoopy says it. You need your intuition, combined with your knowledge of these two contexts, to interpret which is which.

 

So when you pull a card, say, the 8 of wands, it's your knowledge and understanding of the cards and their symbolism that will tell you things like, the wands represent the element of fire, so they are about action and creative energy and passion, as well as creative abundance and effort. You might also know that the number 8 in numerology the peak of a cycle, and represents the essence of the energy of that cycle. So, based on all these factors, you know before you even draw the card in a spread that it's a very intense card about energy and action. 

 

On top of that, in the actual spread, you're drawing on your intuition to interpret the specific card image. You might get from nearly every RWS clone, for instance, that the image is about forward movement and momentum. But there's a huge amount of nuance that you get to interpret for yourself between decks. Like, say, the deviant moon versus the dark mansion.

 

And even more important — you're drawing on your intuition to tell you what that card means at that particular moment in time, to the person you're reading for. As an example: if you get the sense that this person is medically depressed, and they pull this card in, a specific spread position — let's say the Celtic cross "hopes and fears" key — then your intuition might join with all the previous knowledge and interpretation to tell you that this person both hopes and fears that they will be able to overcome the physiological and practical hurdles and obstacles keeping them in place and unable to rise out of their depression. 

[Carla]

I consider it a synthesis. When you have a firm understanding of the cards, whatever system of meanings you have learned, you then have the freedom to drop them. They will form a subtext that informs the reading. This is like painters training in sketching and perspective and creating lifelike images, who then go on to create cubism, or impressionism. Or musicians who learn to play and memorise pieces, and perhaps learn to read music, who then become jazz improv artists. Writers learn proper grammar and spelling and then write a novel that abandons all convention or pares it back to its bare bones. The background study informs the art. Sure, a few prodigies bypass all that and create amazing innovations, but for most mere mortals, a grounding in basics precedes and is invariably included in, the ultimate expression of the art. 

 

No artist starts to paint, or write, or play and thinks, 'How can I balance my base knowledge with my creativity?' They just do it. 

 

I believe tarot reading is like that. 

[Saturn Celeste]

On 9/23/2019 at 4:52 PM, Jewel said:

So I guess my answer is I do not try to balance anything, I blend things.

Oh yes yes yes!!

 

Many of you know I am adamant that I don't read my own cards.  I am kept busy reading for my clients.  I also use different decks all the time.  So my procedure is after I lay my cards out, I list each card with my interpretation.  Once that is done, I use my intuition to see if anything stands out to me.  I also like to use at least one example of an image in my reading to bring the client in closer to the cards.  Quite often if the cards stand out intuitively to me, I will start off the reading with My First Impression.  Then list each card separately with their interpretation and summarize the individual card interpretations and finally bring the intuitive elements into the summary.  And often while I'm writing the reading up, I will get hit with a flash of something almost on a psychic plane but I don't call myself a psychic, I am intuitive.  But I do try to include any flashes I get.  These will be added in as well.  Many, many times what the client gets the most out of a reading is the 'flash' that I add into the reading.  I believe in knowing the traditional meanings of the cards and relaying that first, then tossing in intuition later.  But it is a blend for sure.

[Jewel]

7 minutes ago, Saturn Celeste said:

Oh yes yes yes!!

 

Many of you know I am adamant that I don't read my own cards.  I am kept busy reading for my clients.  I also use different decks all the time.  So my procedure is after I lay my cards out, I list each card with my interpretation.  Once that is done, I use my intuition to see if anything stands out to me.  I also like to use at least one example of an image in my reading to bring the client in closer to the cards.  Quite often if the cards stand out intuitively to me, I will start off the reading with My First Impression.  Then list each card separately with their interpretation and summarize the individual card interpretations and finally bring the intuitive elements into the summary.  And often while I'm writing the reading up, I will get hit with a flash of something almost on a psychic plane but I don't call myself a psychic, I am intuitive.  But I do try to include any flashes I get.  These will be added in as well.  Many, many times what the client gets the most out of a reading is the 'flash' that I add into the reading.  I believe in knowing the traditional meanings of the cards and relaying that first, then tossing in intuition later.  But it is a blend for sure.

I do read for myself but I read for myself much like I read for everyone else.  I do something real similar to you.  I lay out the spread, I look for patterns.  Then I go card by card with the patterns in mind on how they influence the card.  As I go from card to card I will often mention relationships I start seeing how that impacts the current card.  At the end of the reading I also do a summary where I bring the whole thing together, and yes I too get those flashes of insight and toss those in.  If I actually get something visual (like one time I saw something about a child) I add it in the summary, and yes that usually ends up being the part of the reading that really resonates with the querent.

 

Gong back to my cooking analogy - mind you I hate cooking  - I review the recipe (patterns), I chop the ingredients and seasonings (read the individual cards tasting and modifying along the way), then I plate and serve it (the summary).  But it is a total blend of things, not a balance.

Edited September 26, 2019 by Jewel

[DanielJUK]

yes agree with @Jewel about the blending. I think we all have different methods with this and use different quantities of this depending on our style. I have seen and had readings which are almost entirely intellect and reference, that is ultimately remembering what you learnt about the card and making a story with it and then there are readings which are almost entirely intuition where you go with your feelings and messages you get with how that works for you. I think most readers though are around 50:50 of each, some of both quantities.

 

For me, my readings are a process. I first of all look at the reading and see if I get anything come to my intuitively and I write it down, this is like the first impressions of card layout and feelings. Then I use intellect and this builds the foundation of the reading. I work it all out with my knowledge and write out the reading. I leave the reading a while and think about it and on top of that I put an intuitive interpretation. This is different with every reading I do, sometimes the reading is mostly intellect and sometimes I just a card means this intuitively or I get a message, Sometimes I get a message which is completely at odds to the "generic" meaning and when I have gone with it, it has given some amazing messages that I had no way of knowing. I sometimes get a lot of intuitive insight for someone and sometimes not much at all and not really sure why that happens, so the blending varies on what comes up but it has multiple layers. My readings take a little while and the in-depth ones take a few days and I do like my thinking time to contemplate it. I can roll out quick readings but the more detailed ones seem to need contemplation from me.

[Jewel]

2 minutes ago, DanielJUK said:

I sometimes get a lot of intuitive insight for someone and sometimes not much at all and not really sure why that happens, so the blending varies on what comes up but it has multiple layers. 

Exactly!!!! sometimes some things just make more sense than others and just feel right.  Some cards may come as more intellectually interpreted and other intuitively, and yet others a mixture.  Then you have patterns and card relationships.  They all add shades of color that ultimately form the reading but there is no set pattern to it.  It is a blend.

[Eric13]

I'll 5th the blending comment. To me, it's important to get the essence of the individual card and read it as related to the question/issue as well as within the spread. Intuition or feelings gs for me is hard to Express, as is writing on forums to get the my point across. But I can do it easily when reading cards. I myself even when I'm doing let's say a 15 minute walk in, (I rarely have a line of people waiting!) Take my time with a reading to see each card then the whole spread. I first give the meaning of the cards, then fo with my feelings. I personally just cannot regurgitate the words Waite or someone else has said in the books we should memorize. I like the Liber T and Mathers books, and Crowleys book, but they too believe in using intuition as well. Use the colors, the shapes that the pictures make, the card number, the background, they all mean something symbolically and metaphorically. So theres understanding and using the essence or definition of the respective card in a reading, but also blending in the symbolism. How? It just comes with practice by doing readings for people, in real life, not just the web, people who will be open minded but give you honest feedback. Practice, practice, practice. 

[chongjasmine]

I mainly read from the meanings, and occasionally, use my intuition.

Maybe this is due to the fact that I am not confident of my intuition.

[gregory]

On 9/23/2019 at 4:52 PM, Jewel said:

So I guess my answer is I do not try to balance anything, I blend things.

Mine too. MOSTLY I use the images; I rarely look to the "accepted meanings" anyway, but if I do - I blend them with what I've seen in the images.

[Jewel]

56 minutes ago, gregory said:

Mine too. MOSTLY I use the images; I rarely look to the "accepted meanings" anyway, but if I do - I blend them with what I've seen in the images.

That is what I do too.  Different decks have different takes on aspects of the traditional meaning (unless they are doing their own thing 😆), so I find that each deck has its own approach which it expresses through the imagery.  If the images stump me I call to mind (or pull out if I have any with me) the same card from one or more other decks to gain perspective on the angle this particular deck might be going (what is similar, what is different).  Again, the surrounding cards and patterns play a huge role.  But like you I am image driven, the image is my foundation, then I add layers of meaning and symbolism, stir the pot, and voila you get my interpretation 😆