Usually, I respond to the messages personally, but lately I’ve been so busy and so much going on that I thought it would actually be a good idea to put some of those questions right here on the site.

That way, if anyone else has a similar question, they don’t need to wait for me to get round to checking and answering my email.

With that said, I recieved a question a few days ago from Leticia and asked her if it would be ok to put it up here, along with my answer, so that others could read it and hopefully it would help them. Leticia very kindly agreed (thanks Leticia) and so here is the first of what may turn out to many (or a few) Q&A about Tarot cards.

i am just worried that my ideas and thoughts are totally off the
mark, therefore giving the incorrect meanings of the cards~!

Considering I had the same worry when I first started my Tarot journey, I’m willing to bet there’s more than a few of you out there who are also worrying about it.  Anyway, here’s my answer.

Hi Leticia

Don’t worry. And more importantly, don’t try to rush your journey.

Tarot has been around a long time. The cards aren’t going anywhere. If you try rushing it, you risk not getting any benefit and will always be reliant on the ‘standard’ card descriptions.

All you need to do is look at each card and focus on it. Don’t read what anyone says the card represents. What do you thik it represents? How does it make you feel? Do you think it’s a ‘good’ or ‘bad’ feeling? Is it talking to you about money, or love, or family, or career…?

Once you have a feeling for the card, then check out what the books say. You’ll be surprised to find you’l usually be on the same wavelength.

If you’re not, (and I have found this to be the case with different Tarot decks), then go with your own instinct. Whenever you do a reading, you will come out with the cards that are right for you. This is because you develop a bond with the cards, not with the textbooks. They will respond to you and show you the right cards for what you ask.

A particular card might speak of love to you, but be described as representing money in the textbooks. However, if you do a reading seeking answers about love, that card will turn up in the reading. If you do a reading asking questions about money, it won’t.

Hope that makes sense.

Above all, like I say, don’t try to rush your journey. Remember, the Fool goes through many stages on his journey through life, and there are lots of journeys to go through. Tarot is only one of them. Enjoy it.

San

The images on the Rider Waite deck are very simple and so it’s not often that different people will attribute totally different meanings to each card. However, not all decks portray such simple images and this might mean they say something to you that they would not say to me, or to someone else.

In all cases, listen to what they say to you. I’ve definitely come to realise that listening to my own instincts on Tarot card meanings, gives a much clearer and more accurate Tarot reading than relying on someone else’s interpretation.

Plus, think of the time you’ll save not having to look up the meaning of every Tarot card.

 Related Posts:

• Tarot Card Meanings – The Magician
• Tarot Card Meanings – The High Priestess

In the past, only the really wealthy could afford to hire an artist to create a deck of tarot cards. It was a painstakingly slow process as the artists had to draw and paint the images onto the card surfaces. Some of the designs were very intricate and ornate.

Nowadays, if you want to purchase a deck of tarot cards, you could find hundreds of different tarot decks available around the world and all of them very reasonably priced. Yet, the Rider Waite cards continue to be the most popular.

As a traditional first choice, the Rider Waite tarot is supported by many books and guides which provide simple, easy to understand explanations for card meanings,the variety of card spreads and the suitability of each spread for different questions and occasions. The artwork is simple, compelling and it is very easy to develop an intuitive meaning for each of the cards.

One thing to remember is that the different images on a tarot deck will give different meanings to that particular card. This means that readings done with different tarot decks will usually result in different cards being drawn for the same question, yet the answers will ultimately remain the same.

Many tarot card decks have been created based on different themes. Angels, animals, avatars, the universe…,  are just some of the themes that have been used. The beauty of the Rider Waite Tarot deck is in the simplicity of the images used. These images make reading the cards very easy which is what makes them ideal for the true novice right through to the advanced reader.

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• Rider Waite Tarot Cards

The Rider-Waite tarot deck is the most popular Tarot deck in use today in the English-speaking world. Over the years it has been known in such various guises as the Rider-Waite-Smith, Waite-Smith, Waite-Colman Smith or simply the Rider deck.

The images were drawn by artist Pamela Colman Smith, to the instructions of academic and mystic A. E. Waite, and published by the Rider Company. While the images are deceptively simple, almost child-like, the details and backgrounds hold a wealth of symbolism. The subjects remain close to the earliest decks, but usually have added details.

Significantly, Waite had the Christian imagery of older tarot cards toned down—the “Pope” card becoming the “Hierophant”, the “Popess” becoming the “High Priestess”. The minor arcana are also fully illustrated with designs created by Pamela Colman Smith. The chief aesthetic objection to this deck is the crude printing of colours in the original: other decks, such as the Universal Waite deck, simply copy the Smith line drawings, but with more sophisticated coloring.

The cards were originally published in December 1909. In 1910, The Pictorial Key to the Tarot by A.E. Waite was published, giving readers an overview of the traditions and history behind the cards, as well as critcising various interpretations that had been made previously. He also provided extensive descriptions of their symbols, along with 78 black and white plates of each card in the deck.

Ideal for beginners,the Rider Waite Tarot cards are loved just as much by more experienced and professional tarot card readers. Whether you fall into the beginner category or not, I hope you’ll take the time to look around the site, and discover more about the Rider Waite deck and Tarot in general.

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• Rider Waite Tarot Cards
• Rider Waite Tarot Cards – Why They Suit All Tastes
• Tarot Websites On The Rise