from《Modern Magick Twelve Lessons in the High Magickal Arts》
When I first decided to learn the Tarot， I obtained a deck and three books on the Tarot by different authors。 I figured I could take three different looks at the same thing and combine them into one whole。 To my dismay， however， the meanings of the cards， as given by these authors， were radically different。
Over the years I’ve read scores of books on the Tarot。 One book gave a listing of meanings by different authors， then gave the author’s “summary” of the meanings。 His summaries， however， were completely unrelated to what the others had written。 Another author proposed placing huge sheets of paper on the walls （this was written pre-spreadsheet computer applications） and proposed that you write the names of the seventy-eight cards across the top， then， at the left， give the name of an author or a book， and under each card write the meanings given by the author for that card。
In this way you could see similarities and correspondences between the various authors and come up with your own meaning。
The truth is this： there are no “true meanings” for the Tarot cards。 Different Tarot readers and authors give different meanings for the cards based on the symbolism of the cards and their own backgrounds and training。
Some people simply look at the symbols on each card and come up with a meaning on the spot。 Others have systems based on meanings given by Tarot interpreters or other “authorities。” For example， I was taught a system for use with the Minor Arcana cards that is based on a type of numerology。 Debunkers， however， consider it all junk and just broad psychological interpretations （I guess they never had a precise， in-depth reading）。
The curious thing is that I have taught different systems of meanings for the cards， and they each result in valid readings。 How is that possible？ Consistency。 As long as your system is internally consistent， with practice， the cards will produce viable readings。 The cards pulled with the meanings you have for them result in a “meaningful coincidence，” what the psychologist Jung called a “synchronicity。”
What this means， then， is that as long as you work with a system of meanings for the cards that is internally consistent， they will eventually produce meaningful readings。 So there are no ultimate “true” meanings for the Tarot cards。 But if your system （or systems） is internally consistent， they will be true for you。
