The Art of Interpretation

When you look at any tarot card, there are many interpretations of it. This becomes rapidly apparent when you look at different designs and how from one artist to the next the same card can get a whole new meaning or set of meanings. Then you, as the reader, have to choose which meanings are relevant to the question and who is asking it. This is the art of the reader.

All tarot cards have more than one meaning. That is both the difficulty and the beauty of learning them. The images challenge us to see things differently, and as we increase our flexibility and see things differently, that affects how we feel.

The intutive ability of the reader helps find the best interpretation, given the variables. So when the Fool comes up, is it that we are being foolish or off on a new adventure? When the Devil comes up, is it about the things we let hold us back? Or is it a reminder to take time off work to play? When the Death card comes up, it is about ending a chapter in our life and beginning a new chapter? Or do we need the prompting of the Tower to act fast? Sometimes like the Hanged Man, we simply have to look at things from a different perspective. You know, like thinking outside the square. Why is tarot a good tool for doing this? Remember the definition of insanity? Doing the same things over and over and expecting a different result. Card images can prompt us to break that cycle.

How we feel about changes makes all the difference in how we handle them. When we change our feelings, we can open up to recognizing new solutions and new opportunities.

This is true whether we are reading for ourselves or for others. We have to be neutral and open to finding answers. Sometimes we need to think about what the answer implies, but your intuition will successfully guide you in choosing, then how you feel will encourage you to take action.