I'm Not Afraid of the Tarot Court Cards Anymore - You Don't Have to Be Either

By Cassy L.

I think every tarot card reader has been frustrated by the appearance of court cards in a tarot spread. Some tarot card readers refuse to use them at all. I have also at times been frustrated. In fact, I used to hate seeing the court cards. That was until I realized that sometimes you just have to throw tradition out the window and see the court cards in the tarot deck from a different perspective. I think the biggest problem with the tarot court cards is the fact that there are too many books out there expressing too many different meanings for the court cards. This card means a dark haired woman is going to enter your life, that card means an authority figure sweeps into your life and offers you assistance. This card means that you need to look at these personality traits in yourself, or that card means you need to use the personality traits of that particular tarot card to move things forward again. On an on it goes. The harder you try, the worse it seems to get.

As frustrating as they are, the tarot court cards can offer you important information. So, don't be too hasty to ignore them. Before you toss your tarot court cards into the trash can, let me offer you one vital bit of truth. Relax. That's the first key. This isn't a test. Tarot card reading is all about how Spirit speaks to you through symbolism. It's important to remember that symbols mean different things to different people. Sometimes the traditional meanings do not fit into your personal interpretation of symbolism. And sometimes the traditional meanings of the tarot cards do not fit into the way Spirit speaks to you personally. I'll even take that a step farther and say that sometimes the traditional meanings of the tarot court cards don't fit into a particular tarot spread in a way that will answer the client's question. If you don't start looking at the court cards from a fresh angle and allow them to speak to you in new ways, your reading may go drastically askew. Now that you know this, you can look at the tarot court cards in a whole new way. But before we become so bold as to call this your way, you must learn to trust what Spirit is telling you.

Don't fall victim to adhering to tradition. Tradition can be a stumbling block for even the most seasoned tarot card readers. If you let traditional meanings rule your tarot card reading, you ignore your intuition. This is not what tarot card reading is truly about. Tarot cards are a way to open the channels to your own spirit and intuition.

Each time a tarot court card appears in a spread, it may have a different message for the client, or for you if you are doing a spread for yourself. You must tap into your intuition and allow Spirit to send that message through you, even if it seems a little bit different every time the same court card appears. One tarot spread may be right on target if you go by the traditional meaning, while the next spread may buck tradition and speak something else entirely. Some tarot spreads may become a blending of traditional meanings and the voice of intuition. The important thing is to maintain that connection to the voice of your intuition. Just say what the card is telling you at the time, no matter how much it seems to go against tradition. Trust your gut.

Some helpful ways to become friendlier with the court cards in your tarot deck is to handle your cards often. Draw out the court cards and study them. Really look at the images and try to determine what they are saying to you. Each time you study the tarot court cards, write down anything that immediately comes to mind. Writing helps you to learn and remember faster and better. In writing out your thoughts, you are expanding your awareness and growing your level of self-confidence. Open yourself to trust.

And as always, enjoy the path.

Copyright 2008 Cassy's Tarot

At Cassy's Tarot, I offer personalized tarot card readings that you receive via email. I take time in meditation to connect with each client before a spread is done, and I may do multiple spreads with different decks to help answer your questions as accurately as I can. My goal is to help you become all that you can be.

If you would like a professional reading, visit http://www.cassystarot.com