Associating Cards with People

For discussion and questions about the tarot.
Post Reply
User avatar
Tornadofire-Sylva
Posts: 100
Joined: Sun Mar 04, 2012 9:43 pm
Gender: Female
Location: Someplace nice

Associating Cards with People

Post by Tornadofire-Sylva »

Hello! I hope everyone is having a lovely day.
I've noticed that I'll associate a specific card with a specific person, and that this association has a tendency to warp my readings. Does anyone else do this, or have that problem?

(Example: The Rider-Waite Smith Knight of Swords makes me think of my brave, impulsive best friend. Granted, my emotional relationship with them has always been tempestuous, so pulling this card completely knocks down my focus. I've had to stop using my RWS deck completely.)
“If you’re going through hell, keep going.” -Winston Churchill
User avatar
SnowCat
Banned Member
Posts: 4744
Joined: Sun Oct 14, 2012 6:29 am
Gender: Female
Location: The Spirals

Re: Associating Cards with People

Post by SnowCat »

I have two cat themed decks that I have always associated with my white cat, Yoda. He passed a few years back, but those decks still make me think of him. I haven't ever had it skew my readings. I have fond memories of Yoda growing from a kitten who really did look like Yoda, to a beautiful long haired white cat.
Daughter of Sekhmet
User avatar
SpiritTalker
Banned Member
Posts: 6237
Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2016 9:51 am
Gender: Female
Location: Earth temporarily

Re: Associating Cards with People

Post by SpiritTalker »

Tornadofire-Sylva wrote:Hello! I hope everyone is having a lovely day.
I've noticed that I'll associate a specific card with a specific person, and that this association has a tendency to warp my readings. Does anyone else do this, or have that problem?

(Example: The Rider-Waite Smith Knight of Swords makes me think of my brave, impulsive best friend. ... )
I really don't see it as a big problem. Just use the Knight as your friend's Querent card when reading for him; that gives the association a place to fix &'stay, and might help you disassociate for doing other people's readings. I know a couple card readers who hand pick Querent cards for that reason.
User avatar
RosieMoonflower
EUTM Support
EUTM Support
Posts: 1005
Joined: Tue Dec 23, 2014 11:32 pm

Re: Associating Cards with People

Post by RosieMoonflower »

I do the same thing but I don’t find it warps my readings, I feel it adds to it and strengthens my bond with the cards and just makes it easier to remember the meaning. I have only begun using more than one deck recently and I find that different decks don’t always bring about the same feelings related to that person.

So for example in one deck I see one my former neighbors and good friends in the prince of cups, and it’s not just physical appearance but in the meaning that’s typically associated with that card, they go hand and hand with his personality. I see it as a bonus though. If I use another deck and draw prince of cups, I have no problem remembering the meaning of the card because I just think of my friend.

But I could see how if you didn’t have a great relationship with that person it could distract you and break your concentration on the reading at hand. That is one reason it’s nice to have different decks. Though it can take time to build different relationships with different decks (can’t build a relationship if you don’t spend any time together) but it can be helpful when dealing with situations like this.

Rosie
BlackMirror
Posts: 43
Joined: Fri Dec 28, 2018 3:07 pm
Gender: Female

Re: Associating Cards with People

Post by BlackMirror »

I feel the cards have a spirit to them same as any other method. They know you have attached that feeling or thought to that card so if the card comes up I think it's safe to assume it represents someone like your friend.
User avatar
Corbin
Posts: 369
Joined: Fri Feb 10, 2017 6:50 pm
Gender: Male
Location: South East England (UK)
Contact:

Re: Associating Cards with People

Post by Corbin »

Perhaps you should give lenornand cards a go? Creating signifiers is a boon not a hindrance with these cards - They are more focused on practical matters however (unlike the mystic tarot for example).
Post Reply

Return to “Tarot Talk”