chris, i really appreciate you taking the time to reply although the question was addressd to gem. thanks. i've noticed that all students here, except me, have some basic knowledge of the tarots. so please feel free to post/reply, you are only helping me better understand...




is that the choice you were talking about? to either fall in love or to keep it platonic? and regardless of what we choose, does this card indicate a lasting relationship?

ps: im not asking because im drawing this card often. i dont take the online readings seriously..
i was asking because i was curious, and now that im learning..i would like to know.

Oooh some interesting points raised here.

First I think we all have to be very clear that when drawing cards from one deck they will not necessarily mean the same when they are drawn from another different deck. The Lovers is one card that can have multiple meanings depending on which deck it is drawn from, The pictures clearly show different aspects of a love relationship from the more passionate Mythic to the reverent Rider Waite.

To read the tarot intuitively it is what the card means to you at the time of the reading. Trying to cross interpret from another deck is very hard and usually comes out wrong. Likewise we have to be careful in interpreting cards that someone else has pulled and is asking for help with the interpretation. We can help and give general meanings of the card within the same deck but what the card means to us and the original reader will most probably be different and can clash.

Many people think that when we wake our cards and start a reading we are attuning to them, going through them one by one with this trigger method bonds our meaning to the card, so that when we draw cards, the right card for the meaning that is needed is drawn. Thats lousy english but I hope you get the idea?

Each of us are on separate journeys, with different backgrounds and experiences and so the cards will trigger different memories and meanings within us. For instance if you did a reading for Star, Chris, you might find that you pulled totally different cards, but they would most probably give the right meaning for Star according to your interpretation?

I might pull completely different cards again, but still the way that I interpreted them would be right for Star?

I know that an awful lot of teachers demand that only the Rider Waite deck is used during classes and for readings afterwards but to me that really limits everyones choice and individuality but we must all remember which set is which when we are discussing here? One of my points about showing different decks pictures of the same card is to show that nothing is set in stone and that there can be lots of right meanings for one card.

umm, if i have two different decks, and draw same cards from the different decks for a person, the interpretation for both could be the same or vary and yet be right?

EDIT:
or..
i may draw two completely different set of cards for the same person, but the eventual outcome..could be the same, or..the interpretation again could also vary, and yet be right?

this is confusing.

or is it that we only do one reading for a person. if so, how do we determine, which deck is the most appropiate for a person or  a certain issue.

Well alot of people use only one deck to reflect their personality  plus they feel comfortable using that particular deck.  Other people look at a person and intuitively decide what pack suits that persons personality and do a reading with that pack.

Other people just love tarot cards in general and collect decks but don't use them.

Me i come from the former, I Learned on the rider waite pack but i do readings with the Tarot of the Cat People, I don't use any other pack.  That doesn't mean I can't use another style but its what suits me at this period of my life.  I may find as I grow older i may want something more mystical.

I think its fair to say that there are no rules.  If I was you i would go to a shop that spcialises in tarot cards and see which pack talks to you, the one that talks to your head and heart is the set for you.

I think in answer to your question Star, the drawing of cards is completely random and that the reading would be the same regardless of what set of tarot cards you used.  intuition will tell you what set to use and you use your inner voice to tell you, or you can do it the old fashioned and most effective way and that is pass your hand over your tarot sets and stop when it feels right.

Hope I haven't confused the issue for you.

Regards

Yep

I don't think that anyone would actually do two readings from different decks for one person, unless in a training scenario? Would they? It would show mistrust of the cards otherwise which would be rather negative and likely to impact on the readings.