I’m going to echo the sentiment put forth by @Artemisia – rather than looking at the exact meaning that the book gives to the specific card, look at the general theme of the card instead. Take it more generally, and then if it applies to you, be more specific.
A card can’t have a specific meaning that will relate to every single person. It’s just impossible because there are too many variables. But if you take the general theme of the card and tailor it to your life, then it gets easier to apply the specific message to yourself.
For example, The Lovers is often seen as a card related to romance, passion, and intimate partners. It makes sense, right? But on a very general level, it’s a card of mutual exchange and partnership for the benefit of both people. This broadens the scope of who the card can apply to and how, making it much easier to relate to the card if you’re single or someone without an interest in romantic relationships.
I honestly would suggest ignoring the book for now and looking solely at the basics of the cards and how they make you feel for certain questions. There’s a handy guide for the different parts of tarot including the numbers, the suits, the court cards, and the major arcana. The numbers and suits information is from Biddy Tarot. The Court Cards and Major Arcana are my explanation.
Numbers
1 – (Aces) New beginnings, opportunity, potential
2 – Balance, partnership, duality
3 – Creativity, groups, growth
4 – Structure, stability, manifestation
5 – Change, instability, conflict
6 – Communication, cooperation, harmony
7 – Reflection, assessment, knowledge
8 – Mastery, action, accomplishment
9 – Fruition, attainment, fulfillment
10 – Completion, end of a cycle, renewal
Suits
Cups (water): Emotions, creativity, intuition, relationships
Pentacles (earth): Material wealth, money, career, manifestation
Swords (air): Communication, truth, intellect, thoughts
Wands (fire): Inspiration, energy, enthusiasm
Court Cards
Think of the Court Cards like a miniature Fool’s Journey. These are some general themes associated with the Court Cards.
Page: passion, beginnings, creative inspiration, childlike outlook
Knight: ready to move, action-oriented, a bit more logical-thinking
Queen: nurturing energy, feminine, motherlike, commanding energy
King: leadership role, completed cycle, reached the destination
Major Arcana
These cards follow the journey of The Fool (0) through his life to completion. Each card after The Fool is a “character” he comes across that helps him on his journey. I wrote a blog post about The Fool’s Journey back in 2018 if you want to check it out.
→ Tarot: The Fool’s Journey – 'Round the Cauldron
it can be hard not to take the meanings literally when that’s what we see presented in books and other resources. It’s okay, though! It’s a learning process, and by the time you feel confident in your reading skills, you will have learned so much about yourself!
