"Assumptions, my dear Mitz, are the mother of all fuckups."

Cards can gain a set of assumed characteristics or meanings that override our usual approaches to the card and its position, making it difficult, sometimes, to see the message it's trying to convey. To the layperson, the Death card is usually a trigger card that they assume the meaning of, and we see a similar situation with the Devil card...but skilled readers can get association blindness as well - the Three of Swords: heartbreak; the Four of Rods: engagement or marriage; the Ten of Swords: disaster or ruin; the Tower: destruction; the Five of Rods: stupid tent... These assumptions can be misleading, and can take our reading down paths that the cards never intended us to take (and to quote a popular Australian film, "assumption, my dear Mitz, is the mother of all fuckups"). If we remain open to the intuitive messages that are being passed to us, we are in a strong position to find greater depth and meaning from each card that we draw. If we take the Three of Swords and its assumed message of heartbreak as an example, the imagery in many decks is certainly potent, with pierced hearts, blood, and wounded figures dramatically clutching at their chests - but if we look beyond that, we see that it's a Three, which calls on us to add structure to the decisions of the Two before it; as a Sword it indicates thoughts, decisions and mental empowerment; as an early card in the progress from One to Ten in the cycle of the suits, it tells us that this is a stepping stone of opportunity, a lesson on our way to progression and development, and while it may be a card that's traditionally associated with pain, disappointment or emotional sacrifice, it is rarely the destination on a journey, and how it's positioned, as well as what surrounds it can lend great understanding as to the who, how and why, as well as the steps to overcome, reduce the impact of, or avoid. Similarly, the question can frame the context and shape the response - we wouldn't necessarily see the Three of Swords as a heartbreak card if the question was about career choices or if the cards indicated elsewhere that a relationship was positive and fulfilling, and we need to look deeper for the meaning of the card and how it impacts the querent.

With regards the Three of Swords, I've had this card appear in radically different readings, imparting a clearly different message each time - filling an emotional void; needing to structure emotions and the approach to emotional situations in order to progress on the path of emotional development; establishing veterinary or animal care qualifications; putting head before heart; re-thinking a relationship connection; ruling out the influences of a family member in an otherwise happy relationship; and learning to focus on personal priorities so that they can be brought to fruition. Another example would be the Four of Rods - the card that has come to be associated with engagement or marriage, and again, the RWS imagery is certainly that of celebration, with garlands of flowers decorating the Four upright staves, and a couple seemingly rejoicing with more flowers, bands of blooms and bouquets. Again, if we look beyond that, we see that it's a Four, a card of stability, and of laying down foundations, building on the structure of the Three before it, and solidifying those commitments to the overall goal on this cycle of our journey; as a Rod it indicates passions, drives, motivations, the fire in our belly, artistic flair and the need for self-expression and individuality; on the One to Ten cycle of the suit, it's a card that bridges the early part of the journey and the mid-point, an opportunity to lay down strong roots and establish support structures now that we have made decisions about where we want to go, that will serve us well as we build upon that strong base to reach our goal and face the challenges ahead. Again, the question, context and position of the card in a spread can dictate how it is interpreted - if the querent is asking about a divorce, would it be read as a card of potential engagement? If the seeker was asking about career opportunities, would marriage be the appropriate response? With the Four of Rods, I've seen this card pop up where artists and freelancers are branching out, and the card has advised to establish a dedicated or formal space that they can utilise to build on the next steps of their personal/professional/artistic development; encouraging a yoga instructor to hire studio space in which to teach classes on an international retreat (interestingly, with the final result looking very much like the traditional image in the card, with flags and flowers strung between the poles surrounding the outdoor teaching space, and a white building in the background overlooking water!); gaining formal qualifications for a form of personal or artistic expression; taking steps to find a career that is more rewarding personally, than the mere financial gains; getting onto the property ladder by choosing the 'heart' property, rather than the 'head' property; bringing life back into the home after a series of personal disappointments, and learning to enjoy the little happinesses in life, and finding the reasons to celebrate daily; taking temporary shelter, to allow time for the situation to change in the querents favour; and putting down roots where there's an opportunity to see young family members grow up.

Each card is so rich as part of the tapestry, that when we limit the input of each card to a single keyword, we do our querents a disservice by not recognising the different aspects of their lives that each card can be a factor of. What cards do you jump to conclusions about when they appear in a spread? What assumptions do you make when you see a card with a widely accepted message, or traditional interpretation? What steps do you take to ensure that you give each card its proper consideration and clarify its message as part of a spread? I'd love to hear your approaches to cards that trip you up or slow you down, or can lead you down blind alleys, or where the way that we originally learned the meaning of a card still dictates how we initially interpret that card today!

[The Three of Swords image is from the beautiful Shadowscapes Tarot deck, by the amazingly talented Stephanie Pui-Mun Law, and the Four of Rods image is from the uniquely deco-graphic stylings of the Ellis decK, by the wonderful and quirky Taylor Ellis]