1. Scenario: You're reading for another, but your mind goes blank. None of the cards seem to "match" the inquiry and you're having a hard time interpreting what you're seeing - tips or strategies to overcome the situation?
I don't typically have this problem (the feeling that the cards don't "match" the question). That's not to say that there aren't times when I need a moment or two to reflect and consider, because that certainly happens. But this question reminds me of the faulty assumption that somehow a love question must involve Cups, or money queries have to relate to Coins, etc. Tarot is far too nuanced to be that compartmentalized. That said, if you ever feel at a loss for how to correlate a card to a specific circumstance, be willing to explore the card's facets and to create a dialogue with the client. Tarot readers aren't mind readers - we can (and should) ask questions.
Also, if blanking out during a reading is something that a reader struggles with, or worries about, a simple practice would be to take time out to sit quietly and pull a random card from the deck. How would you apply this to a romantic relationship? What if the question was related to employment? What might you say if this same card appeared in response to a query about a vacation?
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| Pagan Otherworlds Tarot - Uusi |
Hmm.... interestingly, my husband has a Tarot card tattooed on his forearm: the Lovers from the Mary-El deck by Marie White! Does that count? Maybe not. Um.... since I prefer symbols to pictures, I could imagine getting runes or Hebrew letters that have been correlated to particular cards (for example in the Haindl Tarot). I am already planning a rune tattoo, albeit not connected to Tarot, for my left forearm!
3. What are your thoughts on PIPs or scene-less suit cards? Love them, hate them - I want to know what and why!
My thoughts are that they are just fine. I learned Tarot on a Marseille-style deck, and my all-time favorite go-to deck is the Pagan Otherworlds, which features very lightly illustrated minor cards that many people categorize as "pips" (it's debatable, really, but I would say that while they tend not to be "peopled," they are definitely scenic). I'm currently craving Le Tarot Noir, a beautiful and OOP Marseille deck that would be a total pleasure to read with.
If I got an in person reading and the reader wouldn't take a moment to think before interpreting the cards even once I'd be rather hesitant to take the reading seriously tbh. Of course, it is possible to have our brain instantly spark in response to the cards and to come up with a groundbreaking revelation but more often than not it requires some thinking, unless we want to give people the same, learned interpretations of the cards.
ReplyDeleteThe practice you suggested sounds like a great exercise to master the art of interpretation in a constructive way :)
So agree! It's funny because I used to get anxious reading for my mom because the moment I turned the cards over she would look at me expectantly and say, "Well? What do they say??" Taking a few moments to process is a part of the...process!
DeleteI love this debate about the Pagan Otherworlds as pips or not. To be honest, I find some of the minors more evocative than in other more elaborate decks!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree! I think my intuition is more provoked by the minors in the Pagan Otherworlds than by most other decks. Partly I think that's because it touches on the general theme of the card meaning without locking you into a very specific scenario (which I think is one of the potentially limiting factors of highly illustrated cards).
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