Is there an easier way to remember what the cards mean??

[AnakeRose]

Hi all,
I was just wondering if there was an easier way to remember what the cards mean. I've been doing this already for about a year and I'm still having to resort to my books because I just can't remember what they mean. I know a few because they come up a lot, but the others I have a lot of trouble remembering. Any suggestions??

Michelle

[Mithrea]

Since it's very difficult to read without larning the cards there isn't much we can say. One thing I found when I was learning is that I was using books as a crutch. Once I put them away and stopped letting myself "peek" ;) , then I started learning them quicker. Practice is the only other advice I can offer, but there are some ideas in this thread: http://www.mysticwicks.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=22691

[Demeter]

Okay, try this: work with one card at a time. Look at what's in the book for the meaning. Then try to make up a story about what's in the picture to relate that to the meaning. It's often easier to remember the story than a list of disconnected words.

If you can, find a deck where the symbols resonate with the meanings. Some people find the Tarot of the Old Path quite useful; there are lots of symbols in those pictures. I use the Mythic Tarot myself. It uses symbols from Greek mythology, which I happen to love. So I can look, for example, at the Fool, which shows the God Dionysus emerging from a cave onto the edge of a cliff and walking off into thin air, and I know exactly what that card is about. All of the major arcana are Greek deities. The Court cards are demigods and heroes. The four suits each tell the story of a myth: cups, for example, tell the story of Eros and Psyche. If you know the story, you can tell exactly what's happening in each picture, and read the card's imagery from there.

[tarotbear]

Keep a journal. WRITE down what cards mean - writing uses different parts of your brain than just reading.

Follow Demeter's suggestion about one card at a time and write it down in a notebok. Refer back to it when necessary.

Another suggestion from me: do more readings! If you have been reading cards for a year and don't remember what they mean, perhaps you need to do more work with them. Perhaps your deck does not speak to you and you should consider replacing it with a different deck that does.

[AnakeRose]

oops my bad...didn't see that thread till after I had posted mine...
Thank you anyways

Michelle