chasingthestar

As I have begun to read tarot more frequently and more seriously, I have noticed that there are several pairs of cards that seem to me to have very similar meanings.  There are some cards (like the Seven of Cups, for instance) that are very clear in my mind.  I can see them in a spread and have a group of meanings that are sharp, clear, and individual to that card.  However, with cards in my "confusing pairs" list, I have a hard time differentiating between the two of them when I read, and it throws me off.  In this case, I keep asking myself, "What's the difference?  Why does it matter that I got the Two of Wands and not the Three?  They can't be interchangable..." 

So, in an attempt to clear up this problem, I've decided to do some study.  For each similar pair, I'll choose a few decks and pull the cards in question from each of them.  After examining the images on the cards as a group, I'll look up definitions and insights in various books, including the deck-specific books for the decks I'm using, if I have them.  Finally, I'll try and post anything I've learned or realized while doing the exercise. (I know I'm not the be-all, end-all of tarot interpretation, so when I make lofty sounding statements like "X card means..." I'm doing so because otherwise I'd be using "for me, this means..." and "I think" every other line.)

( In short, the Two of Wands is about soveriegnty. The Three of Wands is about perspective. )