Conflicting Card Meanings & the Rolodex Technique

I may be dating myself with this metaphor, but so be it! Back in the olden times we had these nifty contraptions called rolodexes. An unfurled binder of cards arranged by alphabet, you’d write people’s contact information - phone number, address, etc. - on a card. Sitting by your rotary landline phone you could flip through the rolodex, find the number of the person you wanted to dial, and spin away.

Rolodexes have gone by the wayside (so much so, that I couldn’t find a stock image of one - hence the book above) but they’e a useful framework when it comes to tarot meanings. Let me explain.

You may have gotten or conducted a reading that referenced a book almost exclusively. This happens a lot in the beginning stage of learning tarot and is where people often get overwhelmed. It’s 78 cards! That’s a huge volume of images and meanings to become familiar with. The fact that almost all tarot books and little white books (the ones that come with the decks) feature multiple and sometimes contradictory meanings makes the challenge feel nearly insurmountable. How can you create a coherent reading when the meanings are so divergent?

A book-based reading might go something like this:

“So, you have the Knight of Cups here, which means a romantic person with youthful energy coming into your life. This person is charming and mercurial but also could be noncommittal and casually cruel. It’s a time of great romance and adventure but also heartrending emotion. Oh, and this could be about you. Beware of making rash decisions, but also immerse yourself in creative projects and adventures you’ve never tried before.”

Huh?

In this reading, the person is throwing the kitchen sink at the card, actually reading the entire entry verbatim. This makes sense if you’re thinking about the content of tarot books as definitive; say, an entry in a dictionary.

But tarot is an art form not a linguistic system. It’s poetic, not literal, and relies as much on the readers’ intuition and the present moment to unfurl into something transformative and impactful. In other words, you can’t just string definitions together.

Which is where the rolodex comes in.

Instead of treating your readings as a grammatical problem, one where you can consult your dictionary and insert its meaning without much thought or art, think of it as a line of contact with the cards themselves, each being a gateway into whole worlds of meaning.

Over the years you’ll be collecting all sorts of meanings, associations, and experiences with the cards. These are like numbers, addresses, and emails in your rolodex. Each is different but goes to the same place. The Five of Cups can be grief and it can also be release, an emotional turning point, and an old wound. Among any number of other things. Each time you read will be different. Maybe you’ll only need one entry in your rolodex, maybe you’ll need several in a reading. But you certainly won’t need the whole bunch. (Trust me, you’ll have a lot of options as you continue your studies.)

What’s important in this system is that you realize you’re the one making contact with the cards. You’re the reader and your knowledge, intuition, and awareness guides the reading. Yes, it’s more responsibility, but it’s also a lot more empowering, enjoyable and coherent than reading entire lists of meanings at yourself or your querent.

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Want to learn more about how to use this technique? Ready to start your tarot journey? I’m now offering one-on-one lessons at a discounted rate. Book now or reach out with any questions, and do let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

How to Interpret your Tarot Reading

Reading tarot can feel a lot like navigating a maze

So you’ve been studying the cards and understand the different groupings and meanings, but when you do a reading and look at the whole spread it’s all a jumble. What next?

Creating a coherent reading out of a tangle of tarot cards is a big challenge. This is where the artistry and magic of tarot becomes obvious. Of all the ways you could go, which one to choose?

Firstly, I’d like to say that it’s completely normal and an absolute part of the experience to be seized with anticipation and/or terror when confronting a fresh combination of cards. Even seasoned readers get the jitters when navigating a reading - it’s one of the things that makes tarot so thrilling.

The main difference between novice and experienced readers may just be that the experienced feed off of this feeling of the unknown. And we’re more comfortable letting our intuition lead the way.

If you’re groaning at yet another “just use your intuition”-themed piece of advice, I’m with you, which is why I’ve written a list of actually concrete techniques to get you started. This is obviously a huge topic that could easily turn into a book, so these suggestions are short; they’re more than enough, however, to help you break through those initial moments of fear and into a beautiful tarot reading.

1. Trust your first impressions - Before you go around looking at cards and recalling their meanings (or, worse, consulting your book!) use the clear space in your brain to notice and feelings, impressions, and curiosities that arise. I tend to find myself gravitating towards a certain card, color, or symbol. Trust that this is your intuition directing you towards what’s most important. Any reading can be interpreted thousands of ways - it’s your job as a reader to use your voice, knowledge, and perceptions to lead the way.

2. Look for pairs and patterns - Now that you have a general idea of the energy/gist/theme of the reading, dive into the cards individually to see if there are any pairs or patterns. Are there more major arcana cards than minors or vice versa? What might this tell you? The more pairs, themes, and connections, the stronger the influence is in the reading. Tie this to your initial impressions.

3. Use your spread positions - Oh right, this formation isn’t just for looks! Each spot in your reading likely has a predetermined meaning or theme. For each, ask how the card might address it.

4. Tell a story - Now step back and look at the reading from a larger perspective. I’ve found that detaching from the personal focus and narrating the story as if it’s about someone else is helpful technique. Trust that the important facets you’ve uncovered in the previous steps will come through naturally.

I hope these tips are helpful as you practice further. Share any of your techniques below, too. And something to keep in mind…

• Tarot is multifaceted - that thing I said about one reading being interpreted thousands of different ways? It’s true. Tarot readings are in the moment affairs. Whatever is important to know will come up.

• You don’t have to be thorough - like the point above, it’s impossible to travel every connection or path. Doing so would result in insanely complicated, long, and confusing readings! Fortunately, tarot isn’t like doing your taxes: You don’t have to account for everything.

• You are the reader - which means it’s your reading! Allow yourself to make decisions and speak in your own voice.