Card Combination

Card combination is the technique of interpreting two or more cards as a single unit of meaning, rather than adding up isolated definitions. The context of one card modifies the other: the Three of Cups next to The Devil can speak of excess in celebration, and next to the Four of Wands, of a family gathering. The reader looks at suit, number, element, the direction of the figures and repeated symbols. Mastering combinations is what distinguishes a fluent reading from a recitation of book meanings, and it is learned through practice with short spreads and consistent notes in a journal.