Don’t Focus on Individual Cards

Memorizing all the possible meanings of each card will actually harm your ability to read the cards…

If you are struggling to learn the individual tarot card meanings, I can make it easier for you. You do not have to memorize every possible meaning for each of the 78 cards. That would not only be a slow and tedious process, but it will actually harm your ability to read the cards. Here, I will show you how to interpret the cards the right way.

There Is No One Fixed Meaning

The cards do not have one fixed meaning each card can mean many things. If you strived to interpret one card at a time, how would you choose which one of all of the possible meanings to “choose?” How would you manage to learn all of the possible meanings for each of the 78 cards to begin with? It would take months of studying and memorizing to achieve this lofty goal. You could memorize one “main” meaning for each card, but that doesn’t work either; often you will get into a situation where you have great problems connection that particular meaning with the situation at hand.

Each spread position signifies something

Each position in a spread signifies something different, or have it’s own meaning. Think of each position as a sub-question, it tells you about one specific aspect of the problem you are reading for. In order to develop a meaningful interpretation,  you need to be ale to combine the meaning of the card with the meaning of the position in the spread.

Common Life Situations

Each card represents a common life situation this is the reason a card can mean many things. Especially since for any given situation both positive and negative aspects can be explored. Rather than trying to memorize all the possible card meanings for each card, try to understand and memorize the situation it represents.

Cards in a Reading Are Connected

In a reading it is important to find which cards relate to each other and how, since the cards are all connected. For example are there more than one cards of one particular suit in the spread? Or are there several major arcana cards in the reading. Good spreads already have obvious connections “built-in” for you; such as the past-present-future positions in a spread, or two positions dedicated to positive and negative factors for the question or for some aspect of it.

Reading a Story

Reading is like reading a story you must remember to keep in mind the topic of the reading. What is the question or problem for which you are reading? Also, do not forget you are reading the cards for a live human being, whether it is yourself or somebody else. With that being said, it is also important to pay attention to what the person you are reading for says or to what reactions you get to certain cards or cards’ connections.

Weave together all what you learned just now, and you will get a story. If you follow the above information, the story will bring additional insights and different point of views dead on topic. The point is precisely that, and not reciting the possible meanings for each individual card.

Interpreting the cards means uncovering the insightful story around the problem, and not parroting the individual tarot card meanings. Maybe it seems a bit much, but try it. Simply start reading cards in this way, and you will quickly get very good at it.