Reading Tarot - A Simple Intuitive Exercise

I’ve been reading and teaching tarot for many years.  I mastered the card meanings through years of study and working with others. In the beginning it’s useful to get comfortable with meanings that are classically associated with each card, but tarot can be so much more than that.  Sometimes we get stuck in a bit of a reading rut by using only standard “meanings”, which can get in the way of intuitive flow.

I recently took part in an exercise on a tarot forum called “Tarot, Tea, and Me” (which, by the way,  I highly recommend ) in a group there called ISG – Intuitive Study Group.  There’s a different exercise each month but the objective is always to work with the cards in such a way that you literally avoid using the classic meanings.  I found this exercise to be incredibly powerful and it has enhanced my pro readings.

Here’s an example.  My question is:  “How can I make the best use of my productive energy today?”  I drew the Six of Swords.  Classically this is a card that describes the usual anxiety found in the suit of swords being competently dealt with as we move toward a brighter future.  It can emphasize a sense that the work is not beyond the strength of the ferryman.  It can also mean a journey by water. Using the classic meanings in context to the question, I may feel that the answer here is to relax and realize that whatever I choose to do will move me towards my goal.

On the other hand, when I look at the card and open up my intuition (leaving my knowledge of tarot out of it for the time being), I find myself concentrating on the small figure in the boat.  It’s easy to overlook him; he is partially obscured behind the larger figure and the paddle of the ferryman.  This suggests to me that it might be a good day to focus on one of my smaller, neglected creative projects – maybe even a good day to write a blog!

See what I did there?  Of course, a blend of the two reading styles might be read as a sense that I am moving toward a brighter future, I’m up to the task, and today is a good day to concentrate on a smaller creative project. Now it’s your turn.  Draw a card, focus on the ‘classic’ meaning, then get lost in the picture and see what more information you can obtain. 

If you’re interested in learning more about how to read tarot, please check out my tarot workshops at the Third Eye Institute.