You have seen the posts, learner reader posts in Facebook groups that say "can you help me with the interpretation" - you may even have posted one or two posts asking others for help and received every single possible combination meaning from traditional through to the complete off the wall! You may have a Mentor at the World Divination Association and their comment has you "wowing" and "how can they interpret it as that!?".
Why are two readers not offering the same advice on the same cards laid?
Conditioning and circumstances!
An interpretation of laid cards relies on the intention of the reader themselves and their own understanding of A) the system and B) of life!
Take the above image of a Gypsy Card GT
A reader who is unhappy in their marriage could say that the querent and her husband are currently disagreeing about money and what their long term income should be.
A reader who is happy in their marriage could say that the couple are making decisions on their long term finances.
A slight nuance in meaning, but which is correct? It depends on what the reader set as an intention when laying! If they set to be neutral when reading then the image shows long term financial commitments causing an issue for the woman but the man lets go of it easier .... but the reader who set their intention to read based on their own experiences will see exactly that - their own understanding in the cards - Make sense? That is why asking for advice really depends on what kind of reader you are and only the same type of reader will hit the nail on the head with you ... everyone else will be flawed in comparison.
Traditional vs Modern
In addition, a reader who has learned the core essence meanings of a system (let's take Lenormand as an example from the 19th century instructions) will have a different understanding than the reader who uses more modern interpretations (and their intentions will differ when laying!).
If, for example, your root essence of the 12 Birds card in Lenormand is "stress" or "hard work" you will know that when it turns up something is going to mean more effort is required (and this is already known when you are setting your intention).... if, however, you use a totally modern interpretation of "chatter" or similar then it is in no way going to match the read of the intention where the core is "stress".
World View
On top of this, our world view or projection of how things happen, will differ from reader to reader. I see this most often when it comes to "romance" reads or "work themes" when a reader projects their own world views or own experiences onto the cards with a "oh he is so cheating" despite no evidence to support it. It becomes even more clouded when it comes to nationalities and how one acts or what is socially acceptable, our views or experiences may not mirror that of a reader who has a different background or different learning background.
Only with true neutrality and clear intentions based on the system of reading will you match every other neutral reading.
The spread answers YOUR INTENTIONS - not mine.
I cannot comment on your read and expect it to be 100% correct because I do not see in your mind when you are setting your intention - I can point you in the right direction - but your read will always come down to your personal basic understanding and expectations in the card system of choice.
I advise all readers to take a step back and dissect their understanding of life's situations, do you act neutrally when reading or are your own experiences creeping in? Can you read neutrally and see different work places in a work themed read or do you not look for them? Could you spot a healthcare worker from a politician by analysing your card placements? Can you spot an ex from a future partner? Or do you have to ask your querent?
Analyse your relationship with your cards and start to practice your own vocabulary DAILY or MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY! By all means ask for advice, but do not take an answer as the be all and end all - you set the intention not the person advising you!
Do not get upset if you cannot see what another reader sees, also pack that ego away when it comes to jumping on a read and "correcting" it. I have been there and it is a waste of time and energy not to mention it is not fair on the reader. Offer a way you would interpret only if asked for and understand that you may not be seeing the world through the reader's eyes.
My personal code when reading is always to read neutrally with no life expectations put onto the cards, I practice multiple times a day (yes I absolutely still do) with every possible theme available, currently I am practicing "levels" and checking the Corona statistics against the cards and also timing for when life will start to return to "normal".
Grow your own answers, grow your own vocabulary every single day and you will find you see other peoples reads differently too and that you will be able to spot a read where neutrality has been left at home.
Keep well in these trying times
Much love from Munich
Very good article! This talks about a "clean" reading when you strip bare of prejudices and own culture. Thank you Toni to remind us!
This is such an important topic and you really got to the heart of it. Thank you so much, Toni!
@ericka I had someone come to me recently asking if they will die this year because a reader told them they would die in 10 years - this year being the 10th year - how horrific is that!
Great article. I think you have to be a pretty mature person, and non judgmental to be a reader. Many years ago my friend went to a reader (she used tarot and lenormand) and asked on advice about her relationship (they were together 8 years at that time) they were having major crises, communication problems and he recently turned cold towards her. The reader said for her to move on, that it won't work out. My friend said the reading was delivered coldly and didn't help her at all. My friend and her guy have been married and have a son (happy marriage) since that reading and she now realizes that the reader was bitter and had a cynica…
Thank you so much for the article and your precious advices!!! <3