Question -

Some say that the court cards represent a 'bridge' between the lower cards, and the major arcana. I know you agree with them. Do you mean that if there are a lot of minor cards in a reading, then any particular Court card is more likely to signify a person, and if many major ones, more likely to be an aspect?

Answer -

By 'bridge' i mean crossover point. Yes, i know that doesn't help you, so i'd like you to imagine a fork or tined instrument. The "handle" would be the Major Arcana and the ends of the tines are the Pips [non-court or Minor Arcana] of each suit. To get from the tangible sequences represented in the Pips to the conceptual Major Arcana you need a mediating or crossing over point. Many times, in many of life's situations, these ARE people, however, they can also be the influence of people, the influence of a person's personality, or simply unassociated or unknown traits. Thus, Court cards lead from life's sequence to life's Archetypes/Ideals and back as a conduit or bridge.

Your question is excellent because it shows GREAT insight into a use for Court cards if i were to intentionally lay them into a reading. I mean to say, if there are a lot of Pips and just a few Major Arcana, any court cards thrown in could EASILY represent the people or traits controlling a flow or transition or influence from one to the other.

The other "most common" problem with determining whether a Court card is a specific person or not arises from the decision/desire to view a reading on a very "tangible" level. The trouble is that a Reader will want an obvious or quick answer and so will unconsciously decide to view the reading in a certain way. I would suggest first approaching a reading with the knowledge that the Court cards represent a human factor/influence whether or not they are assigned to a particular human, and then look at the reading twice -- one where the cards ARE people, and one where they are simply potential human influence. The differences, while subtle, can be telling.