Ways To Read A Card -
Symbolic Reasoning

by Yvonne Rathbone
©2001

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Think of an area of your life you would like to have more information on and ask a question based on what you would like to know. Write your question down along with the date and the deck you are using.

Ground and center and select a card. Note the card you received in your journal.

Take a moment and write down the first 3 symbols you see in each card.

Symbols can be anything.
Animals
Colors
Elements
Human Made Objects
Landscape Features
Numbers
Plants
Shapes

When you come across a symbol for the first time, resist the temptation to run to the nearest book and consult someone else's expertise.

Before clouding your own valid and unique perception with another's, take a moment to contemplate the following questions.

Exploring Symbols

What does the color make you feel?

What does the shape suggest to you?

Does the symbol suggest duality?

Does the symbol suggest cyclicity?

Does the symbol refer to a story or myth?

Is the symbol a natural object or creature? If so, what is it's nature?

Is the symbol of an man-made object? If so, what is it's function?

From your answers, write up your meaning for the symbol.

If you want to see what others have said about a symbol, look it up in a symbol dictionary. Write down what you find. If you have more than one source, look for differences and similarities in the different definitions.

Go back to your original question and say something about how the symbol answers your question.

Finally, look at all the symbols you've listed. Do any of them complement or contrast with each other? Do you see any themes? What does this particular collection and arrangement of symbols tell you?

Symbol Dictionary

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