Tarot Stew---Don't Stew About It!

I've decided to post all Tarot and Lenormand posts here in the format for the daily post. By putting them into the designated pages to the right, I think they're going to get lost. I'm not very savvy with running a blog yet, so I'm making all kinds of missteps.

So today's topic, Tarot Stew, is about the subtle meanings each card takes on when in a group of other cards. Also I'd like to touch on how it works when we use different decks that step outside the art work and meanings of the Rider Waite and clones. Thoth also has clones but I don't use that deck, so I won't try to cover that one.

When I was learning Tarot I disregarded the advice about how to learn and just went about it my own way. I bought decks I liked on the basis of art work and theme, kind of like choosing a fashion accessory.  I wasted a lot of time, effort and money doing it that way, so in the end, I just broke down and bought a butt ugly deck----the Rider Waite. I didn't completely give in, though. I bought the Universal Waite that was recolored by Mary Hanson-Roberts. It was close enough, though, and that's when I was able to finally get a healthy understanding of that deck, I was able to finally read with other decks.

My second obstacle was Lo Scarabeo decks. I couldn't understand those decks at all for a long time. Then, with the Tarot of Sweet Twilight, I suddenly had a big breakthrough and now Lo Scarabeo decks are absolutely a gold mine in my collection. I've always loved the size, card stock and art work of all the various decks, but they wouldn't speak to me for the longest time. Once I "got it", though, the dam broke and I've been collecting Lo Scarabeo decks ever since.

How did it work? Well, I use mostly Rider Waite and clones. That means I pretty much stick with RW-based decks, which most of the Lo Scarabeo decks are. Everyone probably comes to their "aha" moment with the cards in their own way but for me it happened when I was looking through the Sweet Twilight when I came to the Death card. Death is depicted walking through the desert carrying a limp young woman. What came to me was that the Death figure was doing a kindness to that young girl by taking her away so she wouldn't have to suffer the horror of a lingering death in that desert. Then it all made sense and I've been happily using other non-standard decks with joy ever since.

Those of you who are from Aeclectic Tarot Forum, (which most of you probably are,) have seen the threads there in which Thirteen, the ID name of one of our moderators there, tells us that when a clarifying card is drawn, it's saying the same thing only in a different way from the card that's being clarified, I don't use clarifying cards in the same sense, but the "saying the same thing only different" theory applies when reading with decks that don't stick closely to Rider Waite art work, too. It brings a whole new and exciting way of using decks.  I've been enjoying it ever since. What did it for me was to just look at the art and then imagine how the images depicted on the cards could be "saying the same thing only different"than Rider Waite images.

Now to the "Tarot Stew". No card ever means just exactly one thing unless it's a one-card draw. The cards are always "flavored" by the other cards around them. A common error for newcomers is to see the Lovers card and think "Oh hot damn! My soulmate arriveth!" Not necessarily so, I'm afraid. If you've got the Lovers card along with the Devil and the 10 of Swords, for instance, you're probably going to be facing a serious life choice soon and reaping the results of  an addiction to some person, place or thing. That might just be a romantic connection you've made that's based on relationship addiction on the part of you or your SO or both of you.

Another buzz word.card is the 9 of Cups. There's been a rumor around forever that the 9 of Cups is "the wish card". It can be, but not always. Sometimes it means something very emotional for the sitter is going to be coming to an end pretty soon. The 10 of Cups can be the ending of a relationship so the 9 of Cups would show that the end is near.

I'm going to make a post on AT asking what people would like to see in my blog. There are a zillion Tarot blogs, so I know it's hard to come up with something striking and new. I'll be happy to cover any topics any of my readers want to share with me. Don't be shy. Heaven knows I'm nobody to be shy with.