well, i think readers can have somewhat different meanings for cards. cards themselves are supposed to really just be mirrors of thoughts and feelings in our subconscious. so, while one reader puts down a card and interprets it one way, another reader may associate a different meaning, and therefore read it differently for you. for instance, i regard the 2 of swords being a card of some sort of refusal to take action. like a stalemate. now, i've had some readers tell me they got the 2 of swords and say it means balance and trust. i dont agree with that, but that's what THEIR subconscious is reflecting for them to tell you.
i've studied the tarot for years (i'm not a reader, but i find them fascinating), and what the teachers and books will tell you is you have to stare at, and study, each card. pinpoint things in the cards that make you feel or sense certain things. look at all the colors, symbolism, images, etc and let your intuition tell you what all of it means. there can be different meanings within each card, depending on the question. like the 10 of Pentacles. it could mean inheritance, it could mean family issues, it could mean a lot of money, it could mean a happy home life. it depends on the question. what if i asked - "will jane call me" and i get the 10 of Pentacles. well i guess that could mean a yes, and maybe i get invited to her home, or maybe Jane is part of my family, or Jane is with her family. or if my question was - "will i get a raise", and i get the 10 of Pentacles, it probably means i get a nice raise, and i feel prosperous based on the amount of the raise. this is where knowledge of the cards will help you be flexible with relating the card to the question. some readers don't have this workable knowledge, and that's where they fall flat. or maybe they only know textbook meanings for the cards, so they can't relate the stuff.
i think i like the tarot a lot because it is a "tool". this gives the reader something to go off of, so it's not like they are just pulling stuff out of thin air. however, i think sometimes the tarot by itself can be limited. take someone like Lakhei. however, i think some readers use it to confirm feelings or intuition they already have so they are more confident in the message. some of these readers are like - Mystic Raven11, Barbara4846, MsDream228, and i'm sure a lot of others.
i guess i just like to know the message is coming from "something" rather than just from their own mind. not to say others aren't right, or their methods aren't right or good. i've talked to people that seem to use no tools and i have had some good readings there too. but having something in front of you seems to be more legitimate to me.
i think sometimes we can get ourselves into a confusing spot if we hear the cards and try to start interpreting them ourselves. if that is the case, then just do your own spreads. you are using someone else as a conduit and trusting in their assessment of the cards or energy they are dealing with.
