Beyond the Shuffle: Tarot, Life & Everything In Between

It's Symbolic

• Adrienne Amari • Season 1 • Episode 27

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How often do you pay attention to symbols? The ones you see repeating in the world around you, in the cards, or in dreams?

Symbols are an important part of tarot - but they don't have to be as overwhelming as one may think. Because while the symbols carry a lot of meaning, they can also be deeply personal.

In this episode, we dive into symbolism in tarot. How to use it in a way that works for you, and some fun examples that may be worth exploring.


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SPEAKER_00

How often do you pay attention to the symbols around you? The ones that repeatedly show up throughout your day, or the ones that you see in your dreams. Hi there, and welcome to Beyond the Shuffle, a podcast where we explore this wild ride of the human experience through the lens of Tarot. I'm Adrienne Amari, your host, guide, and lover of the stories of symbols. So settle in, open your mind, and let's go beyond the shuffle. For this week's episode, I thought it would be fun to talk about the symbols of Tarot, and not in a way where we're going to go through a whole bunch of lists and symbols and I rattle off what they mean, but how we can work with them, what they mean, and why they even matter. Now, when I first started learning tarot, one of these pieces of advice I always saw was understand the symbols, learn the symbols. So I thought that what I should do is Google or research or get a book on symbols and look up every single one so I was sure to really deeply understand it. And while yes, you can 100% do that if that's your jam. That was not my jam. Because there was no connection. I was just reading pieces of information that sometimes I could relate to my life, but other times kind of felt flat. And you don't have to have a deep-seated knowledge of symbols to read tarot well, but understanding the symbolism in the cards and connecting to that symbolism really adds an extra layer of depth to your readings. It helps you spot more patterns and see underlying issues that if you didn't look into the symbolism, you may not realize is there. So why do symbols even matter? Well, our subconscious mind speaks in symbols. Think of your dreams. I'm sure they're filled with crazy symbols and stories that you try to make sense of. Our analytical mind wants a definition. It wants things to be logical and make sense. But a symbol bypasses that and it speaks more directly to our intuition, our emotion, our subconscious. So I want you to think about it for a second. If I said to you the word sadness, of course that means something to you because you understand the word and the concept. But what if I said to you, picture a dark cloud following you around or hanging above your head, one that's threatening to rain, but it's not quite coming out. Doesn't that paint a much deeper, a much more solid emotional picture? Of course, we get sadness, but maybe we also get frustration, stopped-up emotions, wanting a release but not knowing how to get it. Symbols hold layers of data. It's not just a symbol for a word connotation. It's generally deeper than that. A single symbol can mean five different things at once or carry a complex story. For example, let's look at the Empress card in the Rider Waite Smith. She is lounging on her throne outside, and if we look at her, she looks comfortable. She's beautiful, she looks abundant. Now look more closely at her tunic, and what do you see? A pattern of pomegranates, which opens up layers of fertility. It connects to the myth of Persephone, the changes of the seasons, the cycles of life. In the same vein, we see pomegranates on the screen behind the high priestess, and we can connect that to the myth of Persephone of going into the underworld, seeking that darkness and that unknown. So that one little symbol shows up in two different cards and relates to them in similar but also very different ways. And that's what the exciting thing about symbols is. Because what an interesting layer to add to both of those cards. The Empress is the fertility of maybe the body, but often the mind of creativity. And the high priestess is the mystery, the unknown, the balance between the inner and the outer, the underworld, and the world atop. And if you don't know the myth of Persephone with the pomegranate, it was the pomegranate seeds that Hades tricked Persephone into eating that caused her to have to spend half her time in the underworld. Because if you ate food from the dead, you were bound to the underworld. And that's a story, a myth that I've always found so interesting and loved because Persephone's mom Demeter was so upset that she lost her daughter, and that's why the crops all died in the winter. When the deal was struck and Persephone was allowed to return for half the year, the crops flourished. And they use this myth, of course, to describe the cycles of life, but isn't that what the Empress is so much about? And of course, her eating the pomegranate seeds and then having to find that duality, the one that rules the underworld with Hades, and the one who goes up out of the underworld to be with her mother. It's so similar to the two worlds that the high priestess sits in between. So I think that's a really fun example. And no, they're not all this deep. Sometimes a little symbol just reminds you of something. And I think that's the most important part that we need to remember. Symbols are personal. Now, the story of Persephone is not a personal story to me, but it's a myth that I love. I've always been interested in Greek mythology growing up, so that connection makes sense to me. It works in my brain and I can get something from it. So it's not saying that you have to have a personal experience with every symbol, but the symbols should mean something to you. It's okay if not every symbol speaks to you, and it's okay if you see a symbol and it makes you think of something that's not a standard or stereotypical meaning. Symbols come from our culture, our religion, the way we're brought up, but they also come from experiences that we've had in our lives. And that's, as I always will say, how you become a really good tarot reader is learn the language of the cards through your own experience and voice. And I think with tarot especially, it's so easy to get wrapped up in the esoteric, the occult knowledge of knowing all the ins and outs, which, if that's your jam, if that fuels you, go for it. But don't think that if you don't do that, you're not a skilled reader. And I think all of us will find a balance somewhere in the middle. There are, of course, collective symbols. So for example, I would say a lot of people, especially anyone who studies things like astrology or tarot, will agree that water generally represents emotions. But maybe you're someone who loves to be near the water and you see water as something that's peaceful. So maybe you see a card that is filled with water, like the Ace of Cups, where your cup runneth over, and you, instead of thinking of a flow of emotions, think a flow of peace. Or maybe you almost drown when you were younger, so seeing tons of water overflowing gives you a sense of unease. And maybe the flow of emotion in the Ace of Cups is something you also find uneasy. Neither way of looking at it is incorrect because it is so much about your experience. I think so much of the time we think we have to learn what the symbols mean according to the artist. And yes, that can be useful, it's interesting, it can be important, but it's more important to see what stands out to you and what that symbol means to you. That's where we find the keys to a good reading and to a deeper understanding. That's what really helps you unlock your own intuition and inner wisdom. So that brings me to a bit of a story from this past weekend, actually. So we were driving home, my friend and I were driving home from a wedding, and it was the night of the full moon, and the moon was absolutely spectacular. It was gorgeous. It was big and full in the sky, and it felt like if we just kept driving, we could actually reach it and touch it. And I said to my friend, you know, it's no wonder that people so long ago, before they had all the knowledge and the science that we have now, revered things like the moon. And the moon was a really yellowy, orangey, reddish kind of tone. And I said, you know, I can see why they would look for omens and meanings in that. And I said to her, if you saw that as an ancient person, what would you think it means? And she said to me, I would think it's a good omen because the moon looks like the sun. It's yellow and bright and it looks happy. And it's so funny because my interpretation was it's a warning. I would have seen it as an omen warning us of something. Same moon, same color, but two completely different ways of looking at it, which I find so interesting. And we'll never actually know because we're not in a community that reads the moon signs per se, but both would be valid ways of seeing it. All that to demonstrate that there are different valid ways of seeing the symbols in the cards. Now, one symbol that I love to point out is the little teeny tiny snail that you can see at the front bottom of the Nine of Pentacles in the Rider Waite Smith. Now, what does a snail mean? When I think of snails, I think of slow and steady because they are not going anywhere fast, but they still seem to keep on trucking. They're also carrying their house on their back. So that feels kind of comfortable. Can you imagine if everywhere you went you could just like slip back into your house? And if we look at the Nine of Pentacles, what is it a card about? Well, it's a card of comfort, of luxury that's come through hard work and dedication. When we're at the Nine of Pentacles, it has not happened overnight. It has taken us time and work and effort to get there, and we've had to sacrifice to reach that point. It's been slow and steady progress, but we made it. There's also that fierce, independent streak that comes with the Nine of Pentacles because you built this. You can stand on your own two feet. And that to me also feels very snaily because, like I said, they're carrying their house on their back. And out of curiosity, I thought, okay, let's Google snail symbolism and see what comes up. And we get patience, perseverance, slow and steady progress, resilience, embrace our own pace, carry our sense of home within ourselves, and trust the cyclical nature of life's journey. Another website also adds protection to that too. But don't those themes all really relate to the Nine of Pentacles? And it's just another layer that we can see on the card. And it maybe if you're reading for someone and they point it out for you, you can think, wow, maybe that's really important to them. Maybe having the qualities of the snail is something that means a lot or will get them through to that finish line. When you're doing readings for other people, there's nothing wrong with letting them take a minute to look at the cards and seeing what stands out to them. And honestly, I love it when people look at a card and say, oh my gosh, I was just thinking about this, or I had a dream about this, or this symbol means so much to me. Because a lot of the time it'll make the message easier to listen to, to integrate, to accept, but it's something that they carry with them and it's just so much more meaningful that way. And we do want it to happen naturally. We don't want to go card by card going, well, what symbol do you see in this card? What stands out to you in this card? Because that would just get ridiculous and take way too long. But when there seems to be a card in an important position or that they seem to have a reaction to, it's worth looking at. Another reason we want to pay attention to the symbols in the tarot is because it helps us understand the cards, especially when you have that moment of panic and you blank out. So let's look at the five of swords, for example. In the Rider Wait Smith, you have the three characters and you have rough waters and jagged clouds behind them. I think in all of the cards, the Five of Swords and the Knight of Swords have the most intense, jagged, rough looking clouds. So let's talk about clouds. What do you find clouds are a symbol of? And for me personally, it would actually depend on what the cloud looks like. Dark clouds might mean sadness and sorrow, a heaviness, a weight on your shoulders. Rain clouds might mean we're holding something in. Gray or hazy clouds, even fog, are confusion because they're hiding the way things look. We can't see through them clearly. Big white fluffy clouds feel very playful to me. They feel happy, especially against a bright blue sky. But think about the jagged clouds in the five of swords. Well, that looks intense. It looks like they are moving quickly. They don't look nice and fluffy like you want to lay on them. They look like they might be sharp and they might sting you. And if you look at the five of swords, there is definitely something stinging and biting in there. There are things that were said too quickly out of haste that weren't the right thing at the right time. They were maybe just said to hurt someone. And in the same vein, the Knight of Swords might be talking without really thinking about what he's saying because he's in such a rush. And when we notice symbols like this, and when we consider what they mean to us, how they make us feel, we can see how those symbols show up in patterns and what they might be highlighting or really meaning. Let me give you two more examples of how connecting to the symbols and understanding them in a way that makes sense for you, contemplating them can add layers of depth into your interpretations. So when I was first learning the tarot, I would always say the chariot was success, victory, winning, willpower, determination. And yes, those are all great keywords for the chariot. But the more I looked at the card, the more I realized the background. If you have a Rider Wait Smith deck nearby, pause this podcast and take the card out, and I want you to look at what's behind the charioteer. And if you don't have a deck nearby, I'll tell you what it is. It's a castle. The charioteer is moving away from the castle. Now, what is a castle? Well, how do I feel about castles? What do they symbolize to me? Think about what they symbolize to you. Castles are safety, they are strong and fortified and protected. When the bad guys come, they draw the drawbridge up and the people stay safe inside. So, what does that mean for the chariot? He's going away from the castle. So the layer that that added for me is the fact that if we want to remain comfortable, if we want to remain feeling safe and stable and secure, we are not going to get to the destination we want to get to. To have the success and victory of the chariot, we have to leave that idea of comfort and safety behind. Because sometimes that comfort and safety makes it easy to give up, to not be determined, to not be forceful in our pursuit. So if you want to win in the chariot, you better leave that comfort zone. The other one I love to talk about as well is the three of swords. And I've probably said this on this podcast before, but let's go into it again. The Three of Swords is, of course, the heart stabbed by three swords, and we see it depicted this way in many, many, many different decks. And you'll often see meanings of loss, heartache, betrayal, pain, all that fun stuff. And I don't think anyone looks at the three of swords and thinks, woohoo, looks like it's gonna be a party. But what really stuck out to me the more I contemplated the card and looked at the symbols is what do hearts often symbolize? Of course, they symbolize love and relationships, but they also symbolize our emotions. When you make a heart-led choice, you're leading with your feelings. Now, what do the swords represent? Those are logic, reason, the mind. It's what can cut us down, it's what we use to defend ourselves. So when we see these three swords stabbing this heart, this led me to the interpretation of the real issue, what's really hurting us, is us trying to rationalize what we feel. We're trying to understand an emotion, we're trying to understand why someone did what they did, and no answer is ever going to bring us the closure or the peace that we need. And so our healing takes longer. It takes longer for us to go forward. The suffering persists because we are so stuck in the logical, rational mind. And it's funny, I started testing out this theory, this meaning when it was coming up, and I would say to people, are you really trying to understand why or how you feel about this situation? And do you feel stuck there? And I guarantee you, every person I asked said yes. So that has become the core meaning for me of the Three of Swords. Yes, it's pain. Yes, it's sadness, yes, maybe it's betrayal, but so much of the reason we're stuck in it is because we're trying to rationalize and we're trying to put logic over heart. And those two things don't always go hand in hand, as I'm sure we all well have experienced and know. On Instagram, every few weeks I'll do a symbol reel where I'll point out a symbol in a card and ask people what it means to them. I've only done a couple, but I plan to continue with this because it's really fun. And if you want in on that action, make sure you're following me at Adrian Amari Tarot. But the most recent one I did was a couple weeks ago, and I posted the Seven of Wands, and I pointed out that in the Seven of Wands, he's wearing mismatched shoes. So I asked, what does that mean to you? And the answers were really interesting. So to me, I feel like the character was in a rush. He's hasty to defend himself, but he's working with what he's got. Because who goes out of their way to choose completely different shoes, right? He threw them on and he stood his ground. Maybe he was caught a little bit off guard, but he is going to defend himself come hell or high water. Mismatched shoes and all. One person said that the same people who supported him in the Six of Wands are now backstabbing him subtly but visibly. But now he's not even going to dress up well to fight. He'll wake up in messy hair and go straight to defend himself. Another person says that he's ready to understand the perspective of other people because he's putting himself in someone else's shoes, trying to empathize with them and trying to make things work no matter what goes wrong. Another commenter said he's not being consistent. And none of these are wrong, and perhaps they all shape the way that they interpret the Seven of Wands. And I do think it's easy to get distracted searching for symbols and trying to find these deep meanings rooted in them. So I always say take what sticks out to you. Because something will catch your eye. And a lot of the time when you notice a symbol, especially if it's something you haven't seen before, it's because that's the message that you need right here and right now. One other really fun way to use the symbols in tarot, which I teach in my tarot for manifestation masterclass, which the replay is available in the tarot lab. So if you are looking to up-level your skills, connect with the tarot community, and work with tarot in fun, new, interesting ways, we would love to see you there. You can find all the information at thetarolab.com. I upgraded and got its own domain for it now, which is really exciting. But back to what I was saying, the manifestation masterclass, one of the techniques that we use is to pull a card, see what symbol comes out, and use that as a symbol for a sign. So when you're trying to manifest, sometimes it's nice to ask the universe if you're on the right track. So you can pull a card, see what shows up for you, and say, Okay, universe, show me this symbol so that I know I'm on the right track, so that I know my manifestation is working, see what stands out for you, and then see how it shows up in the world around you. The last time I did this, I pulled the strength card, and of course, what stood out to me first and foremost is the awesome lion. So I took the lion as my symbol, and a few days later I was exchanging readings with a friend of mine, and doesn't she pull a card? It wasn't strength, it was just an Oracle card that had a freaking lion on it. So, in short, symbols are fun, they're meaningful, and they're personal. So don't think that it has to be this big dictionary that you memorize. If you want to do research, do research, but work with symbols on a level that makes sense to you. Take time to contemplate what they mean and enjoy them instead of thinking that there's this big hurdle or this big next step you have to memorize. And remember, if you're ever looking for insight or guidance from the cards, you can always book a one-on-one reading with me at adrianamari.com. And if you're ready to take your tarot reading skills to the next level, come join us in the tarot lab. It is not a course, and according to tarot lab members, it's better than a course. It's monthly masterclasses, practice labs, resources, office hours, community case studies, and challenges to get you using your cards in all sorts of different ways, thinking of how they relate to you and your life, and really developing the skills you need to become a great tarot reader. Again, you can find all the details at thetarolab.com. Now, this week I'd really like you to think about or maybe pay attention to the symbols that show up for you. So whether it's symbols that are repeating in cards or out in the everyday world, I want you to pay attention, jot them down maybe, and if you're willing, send me a message and share. I'll also say that really considering and working with symbols to connect to your intuition and your subconscious makes it a lot easier to interpret your dreams. But I hope you found this episode interesting. If there's ever anything you'd love to hear about in the realms of tarot here on Beyond the Shuffle, please send me a message at beyondtheShuffle at adrianamari.com. So stay open, stay curious, and I'll see you next Wednesday here on Beyond the Shuffle.