AUTHOR’S NOTE: The keyword meanings given in tarot books are typically objective in that they can apply to a wide range of conditions, and it’s up to the diviner to tailor them to a sitter’s subjective circumstances.

When analytical tarot readers (i.e. those who value the traditional knowledge presented in established definitions) begin to assess the significance of the cards in a spread, they must first contemplate what the symbolism means from a general standpoint before trying to ascribe specific values to it that align with the querent’s situation. (More intuitive readers don’t care, they just rely on whatever feels right from a mystical perspective based primarily on inspired insights and free-association from the images.) For more experienced analytical diviners this happens automatically and invisibly; there is no conscious effort involved because the broader implications have been thoroughly internalized as the foundation for more narrowly-framed interpretation.

To study this assumption, let’s take a look at two Major Arcana I used in a recent essay on reversal: the Sun and the Tower.

Objectively, the Sun shines impartially on all, favoring none, while the Tower portends unexpected events that may be either auspicious (a sudden, enlightening epiphany) or ominous (a serious accident). These assumptions underlie the idea that the Sun is almost always fortunate in its influence, while the Tower at its best topples a confining status quo but it can of course be much worse. The knee-jerk reaction of both querent and reader is typically “Sun good, Tower bad (or at least startling).”

Subjectively, when the Sun appears in a reading, the seeker may either exclaim “Yay! I’m going to receive an amazing opportunity!” or grumble “I’m standing in the shadows here. How am I going to cash in on all this wonderful radiance?” With the Tower, the response may vary from “Something breathtaking is about to happen” to “I’d better run away as fast as I can!” The reader’s art consists of trying to match the objective outlook to the correct version of the subjective evidence in forming a judgement.

In my own practice I present the global view first followed by an educated guess at local applicability, then let seekers tell me which is most relevant according to their superior awareness of their private reality. I will offer suggestions along the lines described above, but who am I to say that the individual will rashly forget the sunscreen and contract a nasty sunburn or carelessly wander into the path of an oncoming vehicle? It all comes down to situational awareness and I won’t be there to deliver a heads-up when the lucky break or dire threat materializes.

This is why a reading should always be presented as advisory and not prescriptive.There is no point in getting querents worked up over something that is largely provisional. The most we should try to do is open their eyes and point them in the right direction (that is, toward the projected goal or away from the hazard). I’ve lost patience with the “cheerleading” language of empowerment, but I like to think I can show them the target and put the ammunition in their hands since that is what tarot excels at.