Alright, so today I’m gonna spill the beans on how I finally wrapped my head around the Rider-Waite-Smith (a.e. waite) tarot deck meanings. It was a journey, lemme tell ya!
First off, I bought the deck. Obvious, right? But I didn’t just want to stare at pretty pictures. I knew I needed to actually use it. That meant ditching the idea that I’d memorize every single card meaning from a book. Ain’t nobody got time for that!
So, I started small. I decided to pull one card every morning. Just one. I’d shuffle, think about my day ahead, and bam, draw a card.
The crucial bit? I didn’t immediately reach for the guidebook. Nope. I’d just look at the card. What feeling did it give me? What colors stood out? What was the overall vibe? Then, I’d jot down a few words – keywords, basically – in a notebook. My own interpretation, gut feeling first. Something like:
- Card: The Sun
- My Keywords: Happy, bright, energy, good vibes, maybe a little childish joy?
Then, and only then, would I crack open the little white book that came with the deck. I’d read the official meaning and compare it to my initial thoughts. Sometimes I was way off, sometimes I was surprisingly close!
Here’s the thing: comparing my interpretation to the “official” one helped me understand the symbolism of the cards better. Like, okay, The Sun isn’t just about happiness; it’s also about clarity, success, and vitality. I started to see how my “good vibes” idea wasn’t completely wrong, but definitely incomplete.
I did this every day for a few weeks. It felt slow at first, but trust me, it’s way more effective than trying to cram a whole book into your brain. After a while, I started to notice patterns. The suits (Wands, Cups, Swords, Pentacles) began to make more sense. The Court Cards (Page, Knight, Queen, King) started to feel like real people, not just abstract concepts.
Next, I upped the game. Instead of just one card, I started doing simple three-card spreads. Past, Present, Future. Situation, Action, Outcome. You know, the basics. The goal was still the same: my initial interpretation first, then the book.
What really solidified things for me was journaling. After each reading, I’d write down the cards I drew, my interpretations, and how the reading related to my day or my questions. This helped me track my progress and see how my understanding of the cards was evolving. Plus, it’s kinda fun to look back at old readings and see how things played out.
Also, don’t be afraid to look at multiple sources. The little white book is okay, but it’s not the be-all and end-all. There are tons of websites and books out there with different interpretations of the cards. See what resonates with you.
Now, am I a tarot master? Hell no! But I’m comfortable using the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, and I feel like I have a decent understanding of the meanings. The key is practice, patience, and trusting your intuition. Don’t get bogged down in trying to be perfect. Just have fun with it!
My biggest takeaways:
- Start slow. One card a day is better than nothing.
- Trust your gut. Your initial interpretation is valuable.
- Journal, journal, journal. Track your progress and learn from your mistakes.
- Don’t be afraid to explore different interpretations.
- Practice makes (almost) perfect.
So, yeah, that’s how I learned the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot deck meanings. Hope this helps someone out there who’s feeling a little lost or overwhelmed. Happy reading!
