Friday, April 27, 2012

The Tarot court, Part II

Now I will consider some specific interpretations of the court cards.  But first, a word on questions.  Although you can ask yes/no questions with the tarot--in fact, it is sometimes impossible not to--it makes it harder for you to interpret the answers.  Is the 3 of Pentacles a yes or a no?  It's much easier to interpret open-ended questions, but if in advance you form in your mind an idea of which cards you will consider affirmative answers and which negative answers, it will be easier to interpret replies to those yes/no questions.  If you have received an answer to a yes/no question that you don't know how to interpret, you can shuffle the deck and cut it into two piles.  Let one pile represent "yes," and the other "no."  Go through the piles until you find the card you originally received as your answer--if it's in the "yes" pile, the answer is yes.  Meanwhile, regarding divination of the future, the outcome of any situation has not been decided yet, but the possibilities, though vast, are not totally infinite, given what has gone before.  It is important to bear in mind that the answer can influence the querent's actions and therefore the outcome.

On to the interpretations.  In this post I will address a specific question I see frequently, and will look at the court cards grouped by suit.  (In the future I plan to consider the cards in relation to other example questions.)  I'm not going to deal with reversals at this point.  Bear in mind these interpretations are guidelines only and you should always, always go with your gut when interpreting the cards in a spread. 

"How does So-and-so feel about me?"

Questions about potential lovers and relationships will always be very common, so let's say this question is asking about an embyronic romantic relationship (one might want to ask a question like this for other reasons, of course).  A note of caution:  Interpreting other people's feelings is always hard and if the querent is really invested in a particular outcome, they can make any card mean what they want it to mean. Another problem is that when interpreting the card, you can find yourself confused as to whether it describes the feelings of the person you're asking about, or how they perceive you.  You may have one in mind when you initially ask the question, yet inadvertently switch to the other when reading the card.  So be explicit about what you want to know, and be consistent from beginning to end.

SWORDS

Swords in general deal with matters of the mind--logic, analysis, reason.  They are incisive and cut past any BS to the core of a situation.  They can sometimes pose challenges.

Page

This page (Student/Herald) is a born investigator.  S/he literally likes learning about learning!  His/her feelings are probably not romantic, but they may feel an intellectual chemistry with the querent.  Be assured they are going to analyze the situation, because most likely s/he hasn't made up their mind yet.  This page may appear to warn you of (herald) upcoming challenges or unwelcome news.  Not disastrous news, but not what you were hoping for either.

Knight

Here we have the possibility that, whatever the subject's deeper feelings are, they are going to be subordinated to logic and analysis.   This knight, after all, is the Champion of logical thought.  S/he might even analyze this relationship to death.  However, if s/he thinks it makes sense to be involved with the querent, or that they belong together, they'll go for it.

Queen

This person might want to nurture the querent's mind/intellect.  S/he is likely to be have very supportive feelings for the querent, but they are probably not romantic.  S/he cannot be won over by flattery, so don't even try.

King

The Master of reason and logic may consider him/herself above romantic feelings, but on the other hand, s/he knows that logic isn't the only way of understanding things.  Emotions have their place too.  But this guy/gal likes to be in charge, regardless.


CUPS

Cups are the domain of emotions, including but not limited to romantic love, and intuition.  Indicators of romantic love, however, are most likely to be found within this suit.

Page

This person probably isn't quite sure how they feel yet, but they like to flirt.   It may or may not ever develop beyond that level.  The page may be telling you to listen to your intuition, your gut--it won't lead you astray.

Knight

The Knight of Cups is a born lover.  This is as close to a sure sign of romantic feelings as you are likely to find.  They may not be the most mature romantic feelings, for example, s/he may be jealous and possessive.

Queen

The queen symbolizes gentle, caring love.   This person's feelings are likely to have an idealistic and very creative quality to them.  It's possible s/he might not assert him/herself.

King

This is the Master of Love.  Here we see a fully mature, well-balanced kind of love.


PENTACLES

Pents are an earthy suit and deal with earthy matters such as physical comfort.  You know those people you just feel comfortable and "at home" with?  That feeling is likely to be represented by this suit.

Page

This person might have a physical reaction to the querent which they don't fully know how to categorize.  It won't be simple lust, and indeed could be very sentimental in nature.  It's likely this person just wants to let things take their course and see where they lead, because s/he likes an easy, natural feeling.

Knight

This is the most likely candidate to represent the workaholic--but they'll work hard at relationships too.  If s/he feels committed, they're in it for the long haul, but these are not feelings of wild passion.

Queen

This one card is the most mom-like of the whole Minor Arcana + court.   The feelings represented here are most likely to be classically maternal, but, depending on the other cards around it, it could represent a very Empress-like earthy sexuality.

King

This person's feelings are stable, steady, honest, kind, and reliable.  As with the knight, these feelings aren't wildly passionate, but this is a person who will really love you as you are--if the feelings are romantic, that is.  This is the kind of person you could just ask directly how they feel about you. 


WANDS

Wands are representative of enthusiasm, passion, and yes, lust.  The wands look a bit phallic, don't they?  That's no coincidence.  But don't forget wands are also the sign of values and ethics.  And they love to be the center of attention.

Page

This Investigator has a youthful spirit.  They like you!  But they like a lot of things. This could herald the early stages of a sexual attraction.

Knight

This card is the most likely to indicate a bit of a player.  His/her intentions are good (with wands, they always are), but commitment isn't their strong suit.  But the attraction here is probably a strong one, and they love to charm you.

Queen

This card brings together physical attraction, energy, and genuine caring.   It therefore is a good omen in romantic matters.

King

This Master is an all-around good person.  S/he has strong values and knows how to direct their passions productively.  This card indicates strong attraction, but with more seriousness than was the case with the knight.

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