It is hard to imagine how 78 cards can represent so many situations in life. How can they depict so much information? Well, it is done with positions within the spread. For example, say we have a ten card spread - I'll use the standard Celtic Cross spread, detailed in full elsewhere in the stack (see the "Sample Reading" card). As the ten cards are laid out upon the table, each is placed in a "position". The positions are always the same, and each position defines the context of the card that is placed there.
For example, position 3 is "the base of the matter", or the background and things that have caused the situation to come into being. Position 8 is "Other People's feelings in the matter", and Position 9 represents your "hopes or fears" in the matter. As we lay out the spread, we will interpret the cards that fall there according to these contexts.
Let's take one card and change its perspective to fit each of these positions, just so you can see how one card can represent many things. For example, The Four of Cups. It's general meaning is fondness of money and power, strong attachment to materialistic pursuits and endevors, and well-rounded goals with sound business judgement.
If The Four of Cups fell into position 3, we could interpret it as meaning that a fondness of money and willingness to work hard for it has led to the present situation. It was the pusuit of materialistic things that led the person into the place they are now. You could further verify this with the person for which you are reading by asking things like, "It seems you have been working very hard for money, wealth, and rewards. You have been pursuing some specific materialistic goals, and it is this pursuit and this work that has caused this situation to develop. Yes?" Often the person will then expound on this in specific, which helps when interpreting the rest of the spread. He might say, "Yes, I took this new job because of the salary - I wanted the money so I could buy a house. Now I have found a house, and I want to know if I should buy it or wait for other opportunities..." Now you know to watch for money decision cards, and when you see them you know what they are about.
If The Four of Cups fell into position 8, "Other People's Feelings", I would say that it means that a loved one had such a fondness for money and working hard for it that it is influencing things in the situation. They feel driven to pursue and achieve their material goals, and of this the person asking needs to be aware. For example, it may turn out that the troubled person is asking about their Mother, and how she doesn't seem to care about them anymore. This card would reveal that Mom still cares, she is just caught up in this strong drive to accomplish a financial goal right now - above all else. The card shows sound business judgement, so Mom knows what she is doing. It would help to support her at this time, and help her accomplish this thing. Distracting her form this goal will only make her more irratable, since she feels she will fail if she does not work very hard. See? It is common human sense to know that if someone is working hard for something, they will be irratated if they feel they you are tring to pull them off the course. Of course, the person asking may never have "clicked" on the goal being so important and their cries for attention being distracting. If this case were real, it would probably help matters quite a bit just "knowing the score".
If The Four of Cups fell into position 9, "Your Hopes or Fears" regarding the matter, I would say that it means that you hope to develop a strong drive to achieve your material goals. You want to be in charge and empowered to create your own financial destiny. You are hoping to develop sound business judgement and well-rounded goals. You see the "hope" aspect here? Now, if there were other cards in the spread showing worry about ignoring loved ones and other responsibilities, then perhaps this card would mean that the person has the fear that they will become too engrossed in pursuing their wealth. They fear they will become obsessed and working so hard for this material goal that they will lose their friends and family support. Only the other cards in the spread will tell for sure.
Again, the above are only examples of how one card can be interpreted in many different contexts, from many different "Perspectives". And the contexts are nearly unlimited! Of course, the Celtic Cross standard spread has only ten contexts, but other spreads have different meanings for each position. In one spread, a planning spread, positions represent things such as "An Opportunity", "Your Resources", and "The Goal". Can you think for a moment and imagine how the Four of Cups would be interpreted in any of these positions?
You can see that this concept adds tremendous versatility to the Tarot. Once you become familiar with the cards and the concepts behind using them, you can actually design your own spreads using your own contexts to tell you exactly what you want to know!
Remember too that the 78 cards each have a different meaning up-side-down, and that adds to the possible situations and concept representations as well.
Perspectives. An idea used in problem solving often. "Try a different perspective," people will say, and often it is the key to finding or creating a solution. This is especially true in Tarot.
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