A pupil will occasionally inquire about significators in a tarot reading. Describe them. Do they have to be included in tarot readings? Do I need to choose them?
A card intentionally picked to represent the asker is known as a significator (or a person they are asking about). A significator may be necessary for some spreads, but they are frequently optional.
The age, gender, and astrological sign criteria are my preferred way to select someone (if known).
For instance, a youthful Gemini man would be the Knight of Swords while an Aries woman would be the Queen of Wands.
A different approach would be to select a card based on how the questioner appears. The Page of Cups might be a young boy with fair hair and blue eyes, while the King of Pentacles would represent an older guy with black hair.
Remember that sometimes the aforementioned rules are not difficult.
A man who could be the King of Pentacles might be acting more like a young man who is in love, in which case the Knight of Cups would be a better analogy.
Another piece of advice is that everyone is inhabited by male and female energy. Be prepared to bend gender norms. The Queen of Pentacles reversed appeared in a reading I once gave to a man. I began to describe a woman with black hair who wasn’t very practical and might have been clingy. He came up to me and said “I’m gay. BUT that perfectly sums up my boyfriend. I’ve seen Kings portrayed as female bosses, Queens as stay-at-home mothers, Pages as mature people acting immaturely, and Knights as young lesbians. Be flexible and avoid supposing that everyone will share your viewpoints “standard Court Card (See my piece on The Tarot and Gender Bending.)
Additional ideas
There are times when the Major Arcana or other cards might provide a more accurate portrait of a person.
For instance, The Empress is ideal for a woman who is expecting, whilst The Eight of Pentacles may be beneficial for a workaholic.
You could be required to select a card to represent a circumstance in some tarot readings. For instance, the Eight of Wands could stand in for a trip, and the Three of Cups is ideal for a celebration or a love triangle.
If you need a reading for someone who has passed away, you can use a card from one of the Court techniques mentioned above, or the High Priestess if you don’t know the person’s birthdate.
So, the question is, are they required? Choices vary from individual to person. For each reading, some readers use significators. I don’t. The correct card will most likely appear to represent the ENERGY the subject is transmitting (or needs) at the time of the reading, though I do have some spreads where I feel they are significant.
The best course is to experiment with them.
Check to see if they make sense to YOU or if they make sense in a specific spread.
Feel free to use them in your readings if you enjoy working with them.
You are free to skip them if they don’t.
In This Article...
What does the Celtic cross’ Significator represent?
Listen as Brigit and her guests provide their finest advice and tactics for interpreting Tarot cards with assurance. Brigit Esselmont, your host, is now available.
THANK YOU
Before I start talking about the show for today, I want to extend a sincere appreciation to everyone who left a review on iTunes and provided feedback and comments. I want to show my gratitude to two people in particular.
American PinkMartini is the first. Who knows? This individual (I’m guessing a woman) It may be a man) says, “Brigit breaks down how to discover love into 7 easy steps in this podcast episode. I am even able to follow what she is saying as a novice. I’m grateful. I can’t wait to use what I’ve learned to begin my spiritual journey.
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LET’S GET INTO TODAY’S EPISODE!
I keep getting signals from my brain that this will be a brief episode, largely because I find significators… They simply don’t seem to bring much value in my opinion. But once more, I want to share this information with you so that YOU may test it out and decide whether it’s useful to you or not.
As a side aside, I believe that Tarot books and other related materials frequently feel the need to stuff their pages with advice on how to use Tarot cards. This idea of significators frequently arises because we desire to have a growing number of skills that we may impart to others. But whenever I choose a technique or a particular manner of accomplishing anything, I always ask myself:
“IS THIS GOING TO ADD VALUE TO MY READINGS?
Will it provide me with the intuitive understanding I require, or can I just do it more simply and reach the core of the issue that way? I just want you to keep that in mind when I discuss significators today: how will this benefit my Tarot readings? It’s undoubtedly about options, and it’s undoubtedly about what suits YOU. Let’s begin immediately.
WHAT IS A SIGNIFICATOR?
Look, usually the significator card is a single card that stands in for the client or the person posing the query for that reading. Now, in certain cases, it may genuinely be a representation of the situation you are referring to. So you might choose the Eight of Wands if you’re going to embark on a significant international journey. Or, if we’re picking it for the client, they might be embarking on a brand-new creative endeavor and selecting the Page of Cups to stand in for them. I’ll go into more detail regarding the actual card selection in a moment.
It normally isn’t covered in the reading. It is decided upon before the reading. Now, it can either be chosen at random or purposefully. This is often the purpose of a significator card. When choosing the card, keep the client or the circumstance in mind so that it will serve as their representation when you perform the Tarot reading.
For instance, the significator or the current circumstance is sometimes represented by the very first card in the Celtic Cross. You might choose that card at random in a Celtic Cross by treating it like any other card. Alternatelyand I believe this was the original intentyou deliberately pick that card, place it in the center, then chose cards 2 through 10 at random from the deck to complete your spread. That’s good to know, isn’t it?
ONE THING IS THAT IS REALLY PERSONALISES THE READING.
Additionally, if the client is unfamiliar with having a reading performed for them, it might really be extremely grounding for them. When working with a new client who has never had a Tarot reading before, it can often be helpful to just look through the deck and choose a card that best describes them. This can help them begin to recognize themselves in the Tarot deck and forge a connection. Oh, these cards do in fact signify anything to me. My image appears in the cards. Therefore, it can be really beneficial in that sense on a sort of deeper subconscious level, and it enables the client to recognize themselves in the reading. They are included in this reading because of this visual clue. Once the significator is surrounded by all the other cards, they exclaim, “Oh yeah, that’s me! That is exactly who I am. Consequently, some persons require these visual clues to help them reintegrate into the reading. It is more concrete.
If you arrange the cards without providing a significator, it’s possible that the customer will just say, “Well, that’s just a bunch of cards therewhat are they? Therefore, it might be a useful strategy if you need to convey and help ground the customer in the reading.
DEPENDING ON HOW YOU CHOOSE A SIGNIFICATOR, IT CAN ACTUALLY ADD SOME EXTRA INFORMATION.
Therefore, it might be intriguing to discover whatever card your client chooses as their significator and what additional information that gives you as a reader about your client and what is happening for them. It might be a useful method for gathering that kind of data.
It can also be a useful technique to learn more about a client and their current situation. Even if you make a more rational decision regarding which card to chose, you may still delve deeper into that card and ask, “What else does this card reveal about where you are in your life right now?
The goal is essentially just to increase the reader’s and the client’s awareness as you read so that you can once again see the client in that reading.
DO YOU HAVE TO USE A SIGNIFICATOR?
You don’t, though. As I’ve already said, you should carefully consider whether it will enhance the reading or not. Sometimes it will make perfect sense, and other times you won’t understand it at all. So, the decision is entirely yours.
Now, as I also indicated before, a significator is a component of various spreads, most notably the Celtic Cross. Again, you have a choice as to whether the significator is chosen at random as part of the standard card arrangement or whether you deliberately choose it.
COURT CARDS
One of the most popular methods for selecting a significator is to simply glance at the court cards and select one based on the client’s age, gender, and element.
Consider that I am a 38-year-old woman with an earth element from Taurus. “OK, well, let’s choose then a Queen since that’s approximately my age range, and then for the earth sign, then that’s Pentacles, so I would choose the Queen of Pentacles,” is what I may say.
If my husband did it, we have a… Who is he right now? man, 41 years old, and a Libra. We might say that he is transitioning into the role of a king. And since Libra is an air sign, swords are king. If that served as his significator, that might be really intriguing.
How can you use tarot cards to get into your intuition?
In order to hear and feel your intuition guide you through the reading, it is crucial to practice being still. I always advise taking a few minutes to hold the deck in your hands and breathe deliberately. Pay attention to your breathing and give thanks to the cards for providing you with direction. Feel your energy grounding and check that your feet are securely planted on the ground. It is really beneficial to imagine growing roots from your feet into Mother Earth.
How are Tarrot cards used?
Tarot readings typically proceed in the following manner after that:
- You must first pose a query to the card deck. It ought to be unambiguous and open-ended.
- It’s time to shuffle once you have the question in your head.
- Draw a card (s).
- Lay your chosen card or cards in your spread face down after making your selection.
How should I maintain my Tarot deck?
While rearranging the cards in the tarot deck is a good approach to purify and clear their energy, there are some circumstances in which you might wish to perform a more specialized ritual. If you’re just getting started with tarot, cleaning your deck can be an excellent place to start.
You might want to clean your tarot deck for a variety of reasons, including:
- beginning with a fresh deck
- readings for other people
- You think you need to recharge.
- Your card readings seem a touch “odd” or “disconnected”
- Your deck hasn’t been used recently.
- Your deck has been handled by others
- You think you’ve been utilizing your deck a lot. A LOT, especially for books with strong emotional content
Why should you cleanse or clear your tarot deck?
Tarot deck cleansing helps keep the energy flowing between you and your deck. Consider it as a little spiritual hygiene to maintain a strong and clear connection. It’s not necessary, but if you have any of the aforementioned symptoms, try a few of the energetic cleansing techniques listed below and note which ones seem to work the best for you.
How often should you cleanse your tarot deck?
This is another way of stating USE YOUR INTUITION: there are no hard and fast laws. Don’t stress if you don’t believe it is necessary for your deck. Alternately, if you like to cleanse them once per week or once per month, that’s great. If it feels appropriate to you, you can even place your favorite crystal on the balcony each night.
If you frequently place crystals on your deck and store it on an altar while not in use, you might not feel the need to cleanse it frequently because this quick ritual will likely be sufficient to keep your deck feeling nice.
There are numerous ways to cleanse your cards, just as there are numerous reasons why you might desire to do so.
Different ways to cleanse your tarot deck
Use holy smoke. Light a dried rosemary, lavender, cedar, sage, or palo santo cleansing wand until it begins to smoke. Hold the smoke a safe distance below the deck while holding the burning herbs in one hand and the deck in the other so that the smoke drifts upward onto the cards. Turn the deck so that the smoke covers it from all angles. Next, safely put your deck to the ground and put out the fire.
On the deck, set a selenite stone (or a black tourmaline or a transparent quartz). It works well to leave it like way for an hour, but I prefer to leave it overnight.
Set them on display during a new moon. The New Moon is energy of a blank slate; you can purify the deck by setting it on a window sill on a new moon night. At this moment, you can also make a brand-new intention for your deck.
Place the cards in a salty dish. A strong and stabilizing cleaner is salt. My preferred choice for a thorough cleansing is this. Allow it to sit anywhere from one to eight hours in a dry area.
Unorderly shuffle. Spread the cards out on the ground, then shuffle them around like a child playing in dirt. This method’s freedom and randomization serve as an excellent reset.
the shuffle and sort. Set up the deck in rows of seven cards across, commencing with the Major Arcana numbers 0 to 22. (see photo above). Next, arrange the cards, Ace through King, one for each suit, as follows: Swords, Pentacles, Cups, and Wands. View the deck in this configuration, then mix everything up (like the chaotic!) and shuffle it thoroughly.
Infuse the cards with your energy
Spend some time with your tarot deck to imbue it with your energy before you begin plucking cards. The creator of Soul Cards, Kristine Fredheim, advises giving them a good shuffle while imagining or stating your name and birthdate. You might also think about sleeping with your cards under your pillow if you want to get really close to them.
Shuffle the cards while focusing on your question
Monahan advises beginning with a card shuffle while pondering the query you want to center the tarot reading around for a Celtic cross spread. You have two options: either keep the subject broad or get more focused with a question. A general query, for instance, may be, “How do I bring more abundance into my life,” while a focused query might be, “Am I going to get this job I’m interviewing for?”
How do I decide what to trust?
2. Take a deep breath and relax to allow yourself to listen with your heart. Consider a person or activity you love or care about. Say the word “love,” “thank you,” or any other word that makes your heart expand. Now, while keeping your heart in your mind, contemplate the choice you must make. What issues stand out the most? How do these ideas compare to the ones that came to mind when you thought about the choice mentally only? Keep in mind that the points are more about your goals than about the truth and specifics. Which choice, if chosen, will you regret not choosing more?
What should you do initially while using a tarot deck?
What to Do First:
- Get out your tarot deck.
- The cards are in your hand.
- “Knock or tap the pile of cards numerous times while holding them in your palm to disseminate your energy throughout the deck.
- Shuffle the cards completely.
- The cards are divided into three heaps, which are subsequently reassembled into one pile.