 Tarot
For Real People: A Side of Insight, Hold the
Fruit.
AN
INTRODUCTION TO THE TAROT or SO WHAT’S IT REALLY ALL ABOUT?
As you begin to read this section, you are taking perhaps the first or
one thousandth step of a journey of interest in the Tarot.
It is an oracle that has served me well for many years, offering
limitless wisdom, guidance and foreknowledge.
Each time I throw the cards, it’s like having a conversation with a
dear (and much wiser) friend and, as with most friendships, I have not always
appreciated or accepted the advice it had to offer at the time.
Overall, it has proved to know more that I should have presumed to know
about situations manifold. Always, the Tarot was patient with me as I attempted
to work my own will on my life path, often showing me that a path I thought I
needed might not be the best in the long run or that my mundane view of a
situation was not altogether accurate. It
has been a wonderful source of clarification at times when my conscious mind was
unable to see clearly.
You do not have to be a gifted seer in order to receive or understand
wisdom and guidance from the Tarot, although certainly one’s psychic ability
and reactions seem to grow as you open your mind to the possibilities contained
within the oracle. There is no
greater mystery to learning to read the Tarot than in learning any other foreign
language. It’s simply a matter of
learning to interpret symbols and impressions, as opposed to letters and words.
There are as many theories as to how the Tarot works as there are Tarot
readers, but the basic premise is that the symbols depicted on the cards awaken
common responses in most people due to the ascribed theory of “collective
knowledge” or information that is integral to the human psyche on a global
level. In Tarot, we are dealing
with two specific levels of consciousness.
Let’s call them the conscious mind, or “Conscious Self” and the
subconscious mind, or “Higher Self”. Higher
Self is able to tap into knowledge and insight that is not usually available to
Conscious Self. Higher Self is a
calm, relaxed part of your being that is able to research, learn, and absorb
information that Conscious Self is too busy to handle.
Conscious Self is more in tune with “doing” while Higher Self is more
involved with “knowing”. Conscious
Self reacts to situations; Higher Self processes them and accepts them as part
of the intricate weave of your life path. Higher
Self is able to process information on a more esoteric level that is Conscious
Self. Conscious Self often becomes
confused by the emotion and external stimulation that accompanies our day to day
life. Higher Self is not inhibited
or influenced by “I can’t...”, “But...” and “I want...”.
With the external and internal clutter cleared away, Higher Self is able
to view a situation in a very simple, realistic
and panoramic manner, as well as interpret the impact it will present to
yourself and others. The true
nature of an event or situation is able to be dispassionately evaluated, while
also taking into consideration the event’s place and purpose on your own life
path.
For the average person, Conscious Self is only aware of the information
Higher Self holds on an occasional basis, such as when we are stunned by flashes
of insight or “hunches”. The
Tarot is one of the tools available to bridge the gap between Conscious Self and
Higher Self through the use of symbols that the Higher Self understands and the
reader can interpret. This allows
the information that Higher Self possesses to come forward into Conscious Self
and gives the person a greater opportunity to effectively take action or
remain passive as is needed. This
is why many who have a Tarot reading are not surprised by the information they
receive, merely by the fact that the reader is aware of it.
Most often, it holds a ring of familiarity about it, as it is a message
they have already been sending to themselves.
Conscious Self, however. may have been complicating the message with the
person’s own insecurities and assumptions.
While the Tarot can ‘predict the future’ in some instances, it is
most helpful as a tool for path working and clarification of a situation.
When a Tarot reading is done, imagine that you are freezing a moment in
time. If there are no drastic free
will changes, it may be assumed that the situation will progress as is suggested
in the reading. people Certainly,
at the time of the reading, some future events will be closer to being realized
and less subject to change than others that may still be quite mutable and open
to being affected. Nothing,
however, is definitive in a reading and information gleaned should not be
presented as such. As a life path
tool, the Tarot gives you a true evaluation of the situation at that time and a
likely progression of events. This
foreknowledge allows you to make decisions in advance to possibly ease or avert
difficult situations while embracing advantageous opportunities that might
otherwise have been missed.
MYTHS
AND MYTHCONTHEPTIONS or
LIES
YOUR FRIENDS WILL TELL YOU
As with anything that is not readily understood, the Tarot is
unnecessarily surrounded by mystery and intrigue.
Hand in glove with mystery and intrigue is misinformation and ignorance,
which is also prevalent in Tarot mythology.
If you are beginning your association with the Tarot, you may find
yourself overwhelmed with conflicting information regarding the use, storage and
interpretation of your cards. It is
important that you remember that they are your cards and you will develop your
own routines and traditions for their use.
With the exception of a few ethical issues which will be discussed in the
following chapter, there is very little that you could possibly do that would be
wrong in regard to your cards or your readings.
In order to help you feel more prepared to deal with some of the issues
and questions that might present themselves, I have responded to some of the
most common erroneous trends of thought.
The
Tarot is an instrument of the devil!!
Personally, I believe that if there is a devil in the purest
Christianized form, he is far too busy in politics
to incite a normal, everyday person into purchasing and using a deck of
cards. There is nothing inherently
evil in accessing Higher Self to obtain a better understanding of your place in
the scheme of things, although you will no doubt encounter well intending, ill
informed people who will aggressively tell you otherwise.
This thought is an unfortunate echo of previous times when the
socio-political and religious ruling orders sought to keep their subjects under
control through lack of knowledge and fear.
Others would argue that the Tarot is used to conjure up demons and
perform black magic. I maintain
that if a person has such a low and twisted self esteem that they need to
control or harm others through magic, they could do it with any prop.
The Tarot is no more predisposed to facilitating negative or hurtful
magic than is a tissue or a potato peeling.
It is merely a tool for learning more about yourself, clarifying
situations and charting life path progress.
It is not controlled by demons, spirits or anything stronger than your
own innermost self.
You
must keep your cards in a pine box/silk cloth/crystal box!!
There are so many myths and traditions for the correct storage of Tarot
cards that you often feel doomed to failure just for not having the proper place
to put them! Some people believe
that storing your cards in specific natural
materials will protect the cards from outside vibrations that could infiltrate
them, sort of like a computer virus. The
cards do definitely generate and hold energy based on the energy that is around
them. Natural materials such as
pine and silk do shield the cards from external energies.
But most times the cards are “cleaned out” and made ready for the
client as they are being shuffled by the reader at the beginning of the reading.
If the cards still don’t feel right after you have handled them for a
while, separate them out into their respective suits and the Major Arcana,
resulting in five piles. Hold your
hands over them and visualize all the residual energy rising off the cards and
onto your hands. When all the
energy has left the cards and collected onto your hands, shake your hands or
flick your fingers up to the sky and imagine all the extra energy leaving them
and shooting off into the ether. Your
cards are now clean and ready to shuffle again.
It has been my experience that each particular deck of cards will tell
you how it wants to be kept. Some
are clingy and want to be kept under your pillow or in a drawer close to where
you sleep. Others are
claustrophobic and like to be kept out in the open on your personal altar,
bookshelf, etc. Some want to be
wrapped in silk, some want a rubber band or their own little box that they came
in while still others like to be in a bag of a particular color and/or material. See what comes to you for the handling and storage of
the particular deck you obtain for use and don’t worry about what
tradition dictates. Whatever feels
right to you, is right for your cards. Your
cards should, however, be kept in a safe place away from prying eyes or little
hands. Often, decks will get fussy if they are right on the front
line and constantly being subjected to careless elbows or tiny fingers
scattering them to the floor. Remember,
they are to be considered as your friend and should be treated with the respect
they deserve as such.
No
one except you should touch your cards!!
I feel that this is a matter of respect, but one that has gone slightly
overboard. I often show my cards to
other people and let them handle them even if they are not participating in a
reading. I do, however, resent it
if someone handles my cards without permission because they are a very personal
possession. You will find your own
comfort zone regarding the handling of your cards by other people.
Go with it.
You
should not read cards for yourself!!
This tradition seems to come from the difficulty a reader sometimes
experiences in trying to be unbiased in a personal reading.
As I have mentioned above, I do read for myself quite often.
I prefer a reading that is done by another person, but that is not
usually possible. Also, of course,
many of the first practice readings that you do will be for yourself until you
are comfortable reading for other people. I
recommend that you keep an open mind, write down the readings you do for
yourself including the date they were done (to refer back to at a later time and
chart accuracy) and keep a book of interpretations handy because you will be
more likely to finagle your own interpretations to suit your personal
“wants” for the direction and outcome of the reading.
A book allows for a more objective reading for yourself.
You
should always use a reading cloth!!
I never used to have a disposition toward a “reading cloth” until I
had some really weird experiences without one.
My friend and I were reading cards for one another and were stunned at
the violent themes that kept coming to light in our readings.
There was constant mention of cutting, pain, separation, and such.
We were both starting to come a little unhinged, when we suddenly
noticed, almost simultaneously, that we had grabbed her cutting board to use as
a flat surface onto which we had laid out the cards!
Once we spread a silk reading cloth onto the board, the readings made
perfect sense and were much friendlier.
Another time I was reading for a woman whose husband had been out of town
for quite some time. Her cards were
showing a very erotic and passionate theme, which did not fit with my impression
of her marriage as being very committed and healthy and her husband being gone.
After some tactful questioning, she blushingly confessed that the last
night he had been home, the table at which we were reading the Tarot had been
the site of quite an amorous adventure. Again,
once I spread out the reading cloth, a more balance reading resulted.
The bottom line: If you are
unfamiliar with the history of the surface on which you are reading, use a cloth
to interrupt the flow of energy between the cards and the surface. The cloth should ideally be consecrated for that particular
purpose and be of a color, texture and size that appeals to you and makes you
feel magical. If you always read on
the same table or surface and feel comfortable with the energies there, no cloth
may be needed for an unaffected reading.
You
should always/never charge for a card reading
To accept payment for readings is another matter that is left to personal
preference, not to mention competency. Certainly
you would not consider accepting payment until you are an adept reader any more
than you would expect to be paid for any other job before you are qualified.
There are several veins of thought regarding the accepting of payments
for readings. On one hand, you are
providing a valuable service that, obviously, a client is willing to pay for or
payment would not even be an issue. If
you wax metaphysical with me, there is also the concept that when payment is
rendered for a service, the karmic debt incurred for receiving the service
canceled out.
On the other hand, I feel that some of the rates being charged for
readings are outrageous. While the
guidance received from a Tarot reading is of great value, it certainly should
not be priced beyond the means of the average person.
Remember that if you are reading professionally, most people are coming
to you as a personal “splurge”. For
me, a
splurge is along the lines of a
nice haircut/style, dinner and a movie, or a couple of good books.
Most people do not splurge on a
fifty minute session with a psychologist or having a plumber fix their sink.
Stay reasonable with your price expectations and your client will be more
reasonable as to what they expect from you and the Tarot.
Also remember that bartering is a wonderful way of being “paid” for
performing a reading. I have had
people give me pieces of jewelry they no longer wanted, clean my house, give me
a handmade gift or even give me a Tarot reading in return for my services.
Often these things, (especially the house cleaning!) were more valuable
to me than money would have been and we both felt good about our investments.
Never
read for skeptics!!
This is certainly another matter of personal preference. Keep in mind, however, what is being accomplished during a
Tarot reading: The gap between
Conscious Self and Higher Self is being bridged.
If you are reading for a skeptic just to convince them that it works, it
may backfire. The person may be
trying as hard to prove that it doesn’t work as you are to prove that it does.
This can result in them purposely or inadvertently blocking the messages
attempting to flow between Conscious Self and Higher Self.
If a client becomes argumentative with you during a reading, or worse,
derisive, I recommend saying, “Look, I can tell this has very little value for
you, so I think I’ll save time for both of us,” picking up the cards and
excusing yourself. You are under no
obligation to prove anything to anyone.
You
are obligated to read cards for people because you can!!
A common thought people seem to have is that you should read for anyone
who asks because you have been given a “gift” that you must share.
You are under no obligation to be “on” as a Tarot reader all the
time. It can be very frustrating
when at a social gathering, work, or other gathering of folks someone mentions
that you “do cards” and suddenly everyone in the room is shrieking, “Do
me, do me!” It is fun to read the
Tarot for other people, but avoid letting others take advantage of you.
If you are not in the mood or feel the time/place is appropriate, suggest
that they contact you to set up an appointment.
Often, when people find that they might actually have to pay for the
service, their interest dwindles. You
will probably have friends, family or other associates for whom you do not
charge, but this should be your choice, not theirs.
You are the one providing the service and you certainly have the right to
refuse service to anyone. If it
doesn’t feel right, don’t do it.
The correct response in such a circumstance is, “Um, no.”
HOW
TO BE AN EFFECTIVE READER AND
NOT
TAKE A KARMIC BEATING
While much about Tarot practices are left to personal preference, there
are some standard Tarot ethics that most readers embrace. These embody common sense, karmic protection and standard
courtesy. At best, they can help
you to avoid potential skirmishes.
Never
predict death when reading the Tarot
A reader should never predict death for their client or for the people
around them. There are various
combinations of cards that could lead you to believe a death might be possible
(i.e. the 9 of pentacles: A woman
alone; 10 of swords: A possible
accident; 3 of swords: Pain and
separation; The Tower: Destruction
of what you thought was permanent, etc.), but it is good to remember that death
isn’t the only event that could produce those results.
Also, the cards may not be addressing a physical death, but perhaps the
death of a relationship, way of life or way of thinking.
The golden rule of the Tarot is that all things you see are mutable and
open to interpretation. Often, a
reading does not even make sense until you look at it in retrospect.
The power of suggestion is very strong and to suggest that death may/will
occur could be disastrous. If you
are getting a strong psychic impression from the cards that your client or
someone around them may be at physical risk, there is always a positive way to
relay information, such as suggesting that they take extra care with health
issues, practice good safety measures, etc.
Never
do a reading for someone without their permission
This is also called snooping. It
is not acceptable for a client to ask you to find out if their husband is having
an affair, if their friend will get the job they want or even if their mother
will recover from her illness. Issues
such as these can be modified to ask how they will affect the client, but
accessing personal information about someone without their express permission is
a no-no.
Never
do readings for children (under 16) without their parent's permission
Some parents feel very strongly about this and hassles in this department
are definitely in the category of things you don't need.
Never
treat the Tarot as a game
It is a tool for self-development and growth, not a toy. When it is not approached
with serious intent (not necessarily serious demeanor) and respect, the cards
will often go dead in your hands.
Always observe client
confidentiality
When a client comes to you for a reading, the information that is gleaned
is usually of a personal nature and should always be kept confidential.
It is not ethical for a reader to discuss a reading with anyone other
than the client. If a client brings
someone with them for a reading, always inform them that the Tarot may reveal
some intimate subjects and ask if the client minds the other person being there
under those circumstances. You
should definitely not have your own friends, family, or other folks hanging
around when you are performing a reading. Also
in this vein of thought, be certain that if you are reading for friends or
relatives that you are prepared for some of the sensitive issues that might be
addressed. You are tapping into a
very personal and private part of the client’s self and it knows no shame as
far as revealing the juicy details can go.
For instance: (a story)
I was once reading for my sister-in-law and she was really getting into
the cards. She was getting some
really helpful advice on handling an upcoming difficult time and, even though
she did not yet know what the difficulties would entail, she knew that she had
to buck up emotionally, save money and learn to be responsible for herself and
her actions. She was feeling very confident about her ability to tackle
whatever was coming up and was so excited about her reading, even though
it had presented what would be some real challenges, that she
encouraged her husband to sit down and have a reading.
I knew my husband’s brother to be a fine, upstanding policeman, family
man and all around fun guy. He’s
the nice, roly-poly fun guy that is the heart of almost every family.
He was not disdainful of the cards, just disinterested, but Mama Bear
talked him into having a reading. After
much discussion with him, during which I insinuated that this might not be such
a cool idea if he wasn’t into it, I proceeded with the reading at his request.
I asked him if he minded if Mama Bear sat in on the reading since she was
hanging about and he absolutely did not mind. Well, friends and neighbors, I tossed out Papa Bear’s cards
with confidence and finesse and viola! The
reading was completely focused around a young woman who, ahem, shall we say, was
not one of the branches on our family tree. She wasn’t even in our forest.
The cards in the layout did not imply that adoption was exactly what he
had planned for said young lady either. I
pretended to study the spread intently while I planned my approach and fielded
questions from Mama Bear... “Who is that?” “It’s you.” “But
she’s blonde on the card.” “The
coloring isn’t always perfect.” “But
that isn’t the card we just used for my card.”
“Sometimes the Higher Self knows best.”
“Oooooh, The Lovers, what does that mean?” “That your husband loves you very, very much and would
never do a single thing to hurt you.” The
last remark was made while staring down a progressively twitch-wrought Papa
Bear. I encouraged him to proceed
with his moral belt fastened, to mind his P’s and Q’s and seasoned the
reading with lots of “correct action” and “honesty”.
This is one of those situations where you can not win. The best thing to do is to proceed with the reading, doing as
little damage as possible as you go along.
If you pick up the cards and say you aren’t getting anything, everyone
will know you got something and you’ll get no rest until you 'fess up.
Of course, I cornered the brother-in-law while Mama Bear was out on an
errand and read him the riot act about putting me in that position when he had
been given approximately a thousand exit doors before we even threw the cards
(“I didn’t think it would work!” was his defense).
He ended up leaving his wife and children within two months for a woman
who exactly matched the description in his reading, which in turn created the
situation described in my sister-in-law’s reading, requiring her to have
courage and strength and to save her money.
*Sigh*.
The fun part came almost ten years later when I was reading cards for his
second wife (not the woman in the reading that he left wife number one for) and
she asked if I’d do Papa Bear’s cards.
“No!” we both answered at once.
Situations such as these allow you to waive the following ethical
guideline...
Always
treat your client with respect
Even if a client is not being respectful of you, you are still
responsible for your own behavior. When
a client arrives for a reading, ensure that you have done all that is possible
to eliminate distractions that might surface.
Phones should be shut off or left to the answering machine, a “Do not
disturb” sign should be on the door and other arrangements should be made for
small children. Needless to say,
this does not usually apply when the reading is informal such as readings for
friends, etc. When going to a
client to give a reading, conduct yourself in a professional manner.
In either case, be certain to be available to the client at the
designated time. If you have gone
to the client to perform the reading, do not feel as if you have to wait a
lengthy time for the client to be ready for you.
Granted, situations may arise that could delay the reading, but if
fifteen minutes or more pass and your client is still not ready for the reading,
politely let them know that you have other obligations and ask if they would
like to reschedule for a more convenient time. This is another case in which you should be firm about not
letting others take advantage of you. Remember
that doesn’t mean you have to be disrespectful.
Firmness and rudeness are two totally different ball games.
CHOOSING
A TAROT DECK or
YOU
CAN PICK YOUR FRIENDS,
YOU
CAN PICK YOUR TAROT CARDS,
BUT YOU CAN’T PICK YOUR FRIEND’S TAROT CARDS
Coming into your first deck of Tarot cards can happen any number of ways.
You might be given a set as a gift or have a deck passed on to you by a
friend. Perhaps you have always
been interested and finally decided to act on that interest or maybe someone
does a reading for you and you are impressed enough to want to do it for
yourself. If the deck finds you,
through accident or incident, work with it at first and then move on to
different decks as you find them. If
a deck comes to you that has been previously used, there is no need to regard it
as unusable simply because you were not the one to crack the seal.
Some of my best decks have come to me via several hands and I have given
away many decks that, although they were very nice, ultimately were not for me.
Simply do the cleansing exercise described in Chapter 4 and as you begin
to work with the cards more and more, they will attach themselves to you.
If you are choosing a deck yourself, here are some suggestions on finding
the right deck for you.
Most major book store chains and certainly all metaphysical stores worth
their Austrian sea salt will stock a supply of Tarot cards. At some mainstream book stores, they are kept behind the
counter for security purposes and must be requested.
If you find books on the Tarot in the New Age, Occult, or Metaphysical
section of the store, it is likely that cards are also available.
There are literally hundreds of decks on the market and it can be a
little overwhelming unless you are able to quickly weed through and narrow down
your choices. Many stores will have
sample decks that are open for viewing. Do
not open a deck unless instructed to do so by a store employee or you may have
bought a deck without intending to do so! So
let’s begin wheedling down the choices.
First, forget about the decks that are intensely esoteric. Tackling the Dakini Oracle, Voyager Tarot, Thoth and the
Haindl Deck as a novice will make your head explode.
Try these when you have mastered basic Tarot and need a challenge.
Next, eliminate the decks that do not have a fully illustrated Minor
Arcana (this will usually be noted on the box).
Some decks simply have four swords or ten cups as opposed to a full
illustration. Some Tarot masters
will say this is taking the easy way out, but believe me, you will have no
difficulty attaining psychic sainthood with a fully illustrated deck.
Let’s not make this more complicated than necessary, shall we?
Many Tarot decks follow the basic illustrations set forth in the
Rider-Waite deck, which is the most available Tarot deck in the country.
The scenes depicted in these decks are easy to remember and associate
with interpretations. Peruse the selection of cards and register your feelings as
you look at the pictures in the deck. You
will know you have found a set that will “talk” to you when you feel a
kinship with the pictures depicted and instinctively know what is happening in
the scene that you see depicted on the card.
Remember also to look at the pattern on the back of the cards. Do you find it comforting, distracting, calming or downright
irritating? The pattern on the
backs of the cards is almost as important as what is on the front.
Some decks have particular idiosyncrasies that you might want to
consider. The Hanson-Roberts deck
is the size of a regular deck of playing cards, which is helpful if you have
small hands. Most decks are larger
than playing cards because we immediately associate cards of regular size with
playing a game. Larger cards put
your mind into a mode of doing something different than playing poker. The Hanson-Roberts deck is illustrated with beautiful
pictures that coordinate with the Rider-Waite themes.
The Hanson-Roberts deck does, however,
also like to grow feet and walk off.
The readings I do with this deck are invariably wonderful, but more often
than not, it doesn’t stay where I put it. I’ll do a reading, pack them away in their little felt bag
and when I go back to get them even an hour or so later, they’ve gone on
walkabout. I’ll find them
hours/days later hiding behind the couch, in my underwear drawer, in my freezer
some other unlikely place where, as a rule, I don’t normally store my Tarot
cards. I’ve talked to several
other readers who have had the same experience and we have decided that it
definitely adds to the appeal of the deck and tells us they will not be
dominated by mere humans.
The Aquarian Tarot tends to
be a bit bi-polar/manic-depressive. It
will go like gang busters for about a year and a day, then will commit suicide
and not want to produce a coherent reading.
Cards that were babbling like a magpie, dumping all sorts of information
a week ago are now just sitting lifeless in your hands.
On my second set of Aquarians (the first was given a burial with honors
in my back yard after it died), I discovered that if I gave them a little love
and attention without expecting a reading and let them sit in the light of the
full moon for 2-3 nights, they juiced up
again just fine and were all set for another year.
Having discovered this, I went out and dug up my old deck (and aha!
found a missing deck of Hanson-Roberts in the hole).
They were minimally worse
for the wear after spending a year or so buried (we live in a very dry climate),
so I recharged them and they worked like a charm.
The first deck, five years later, still hasn’t wound down again.
I guess they’re afraid they’ll have to go back in the hole. So add to the information on Aquarian decks:
“Responds to bullying tactics.”
The famous Rider-Waite deck is remarkable for being completely tolerant
of infidelities with other decks. It
will wait patiently while you experiment with other decks and buzz along
beautifully when you come back to it again.
Ironically, its companion, the Universal Rider deck,
can get very snippety when it isn’t worked with for a few months.
Give it a shuffle now and again to keep it happy and remind it that it is
loved.
The very beautiful Art Nouveau deck is designed with gorgeous stained
glass window pictures. What is
funny is that they have an uncanny “next door neighbor” effect in that the
people in the pictures tend to look exactly like folks you know or have known.
It can be a little creepy at first, but the readings it produces are
quite effective. It does have its
own theme that goes astray from the Rider-Waite, but a handbook is included with
the deck that leads you along quite well.
The Morgan-Greer deck has
wonderfully colorful pictures. The
greatest benefit with this deck is that it borderless and the colors blend
together nicely card to card. The
people and scenes in the pictures tend blend together as well, so often the
figures will appear to be looking directly at one another from one card to the
next, which lends a wonderful, interactive quality to the reading.
This makes it easier to allow the cards to work with one another in
addition to their individual interpretations, opening a whole new field of
interpretations.
As previously mentioned, the cards will ‘tell’ you how they want to
be stored, honored and used through the mental impressions you receive as you
handle them. When you shuffle your
cards, where do you think about keeping them?
Do they want to be under your pillow?
In a drawer? On a shelf?
Do what feels right to you and your deck will be happy.
You will ultimately be able to tune into your individual deck’s
personality and create your own Tarot traditions.
Chapter
5
GETTING
TO KNOW YOUR TAROT CARDS or
THE
FIRST KISS
Learning the Tarot is not a
project to be rushed. Certainly you
could pick up a deck, shuffle it, and read interpretations out of this book or
any other to obtain an acceptable reading.
You would, however, be missing a very unique opportunity to get to know
your cards through your own first impressions, untainted by the interpretations
of others. I recommend the
following steps to get to know your deck before even attempting a reading on
your own.
Get
a notebook. As you progress
through you relationship with the Tarot, you will learn many things from other
readers and books they have written, but the most valuable insights will come
from within yourself. Unfortunately
these wonderful insights may be lost if you don’t write them down you can find
them. A notebook, especially one
divided into separate sections, allows you to take notes from books, log your
readings, and record your reactions to different cards.
I have also found highlighting important passages in books to be most
helpful. Paper clips at the tops of
important pages and book marks can also help you to find specific sections more
easily. Although I do consider
books to be sacred tomes of knowledge to be cherished and revered, I don’t
think even one has ever begrudged me decorating them up a little bit.
Take time to get to know your deck.
Just as there will never again be
a
first kiss in a relationship, there will never again be a time that you are
looking at your cards for the first time. Cards
are usually packaged grouped into respective suits, as well as the Major Arcana
(22 title cards). Some decks also
have a separate picture card that is not part of the deck per se but is an
introductory card. The use for that
specific card will be discussed later.
Remove your cards from the box and stack them into piles for each suit
and the Major Arcana. If you have
already mixed your cards or if they came to you mixed, separate them out as
described above. In your notebook,
create four columns, numbered ace through ten, followed by P, Kn, Q and K for
page, knight, queen and king, respectively.
Assign the four columns the headings of wands (or rods), cups, swords or
pentacles (or coins). Next, number
a section one through twenty-two for the Major Arcana.
Reassemble the piles into one stack in the order in which you have listed
the suits and Major Arcana. Now you
should have a stack of cards in the same order in which they occur on your
paper.
At a time when you are unlikely to have distractions, light a candle and
some incense if you like to create a magical mood, take a few cleansing breaths
and relax. With your nondominant
hand, turn over the first card of the pile.
Next to its number on the paper, jot down your most immediate impression:
A “+” if you feel positive feelings when you see the card, a “-”
if you feel negative feelings and a “0” if you get no particular reaction at
all. Without yet delving deeply
into your associations with the images, go through the entire deck, noting one
of these three symbols for each card. Do
not be discouraged if you find several or even many 0’s noted.
That is not of issue at this time. When
you do get a 0, however, place it in a separate pile from the +’s and -’s.
When you have finished, keep the cards separated that had 0’s.
If you are finished for the day, put a rubber band around this group and
return them to their box or storage area.
Return to the deck at a later time, or if you are determined to continue
working, first get up, get a drink of water, wash your face or take a
bath/shower, go for a fifteen minute walk or do any other activity to separate
yourself from the Tarot for a short time. When
you return, again open the cards with the 0’s.
Go through these cards a little more slowly this time, taking more time
to absorb the impact of what you see in the pictures.
If you are able to discriminate a positive or negative impression, note
it next to the original 0 and place it with the other cards.
If it is still a 0, do not despair.
It is better to be honest with yourself than to try and force an
impression. It sometimes takes
years to develop a relationship with particular cards and a few dead areas
won’t wreck your readings.
Now that you have an immediate reaction to most of your cards, it is time
to go into each individual card and develop more detailed interpretations for
yourself. Shuffle the full deck of
cards. Do not worry about cards
that become reversed in the process, as we will put them upright as they are
drawn. Have your Tarot notebook
handy to record your feelings after the exercise is completed.
When the deck is finished shuffling (it will tell you), place it in front
of you in a single stack. Cut if
you choose to, but the final result should be one stack of cards in front of
you. Turn over the first card.
Focus your attention on the people, objects, setting, and colors of the
picture on the card. Relax and
without forcing yourself, study any people you see on the card. How do they make you feel?
Would you like these people or do they make you feel uncomfortable in
some way? What do you think the
people are thinking or feeling?
Take your focus off of the people and slowly study the other components
of the picture. Look at the scenes
depicted on the Minor Arcana cards. How do they compare to the scenes on the
Major Arcana cards? Study the detail given to each picture, not just the main
focus of the card. How do the subtle details relate to the card's meaning? What
do the colors presented on the cards mean to you? If there are people depicted
in the scene, what do the expressions on their faces tell you? How do you think
they feel? What feelings do the scenes evoke in you? Do any of the cards take
you back to a situation in your life similar to what is depicted on the card?
How did you feel at that time? If you find that you particularly like or dislike
a card, see if you can determine why the card evokes that particular emotion in
you. Can you feel the love and affinity of the 2 of cups? What about the taste
of victory in the 6 of wands? Does the 3 of swords bring forth a feeling of
sadness? Can you feel the current of the river carrying you away in the 6 of
swords? Does the apparent doom and gloom of the 10 of swords make you feel
frightened or defeated? Can you feel the pride of the apprentice in the 8 of
pentacles? Do not be afraid to explore the Tarot with your emotions in tow.
Look into the scene pictured on a card. Close your eyes and imagine what
would happen if that scene came to life. Think of what happened before or after
the photograph was snapped, so to speak, and the images were forever frozen in
time. How do the surroundings make you feel?
What temperature do you think it would be if you were in that setting?
What sensory perceptions would you experience?
Would you smell flowers? The
sea? The forest?
Take several minutes to study the card and then write your thoughts and
interpretation in your Tarot notebook. Write
down any feelings such as “peaceful,” “frightened,” “angry,” etc
that you feel as you look at the whole card.
Once you feel you have studied the card sufficiently, put it face down
next to the rest of the cards. Try
to envision exactly what the card looks like without actually seeing it.
Recreate the feelings and impressions you had about the card while seeing
it in your mind’s eye. Making such intimate contact with the cards will help
to impress the meanings of the cards upon your memory and bring you into closer
contact with all of their possible meanings.
After a few moments, use your hand to “erase” the card from your
vision and reorient yourself to your surroundings.
Use a loose rubber band to keep separate from the deck the cards that you
have already studied in depth. Ensure
that you work with each card. I do
not recommend working with more than 3-5 cards a day by this method or the
impressions may all start to jumble together.
Take your time and get a full impression of each card in the deck.
Now that you have gotten to
know each card in your Tarot deck, separate the cards again into individual
suits and the Major Arcana, putting each in ascending order.
Set aside the court cards for now and focus on the Minor Arcana of each
suit, ace through ten. Turn all but
one of the stacks face down. Lay
out the one stack that you are studying so that the ace is on your left and the
cards ascend in numerical order, ending with the ten on your right.
As you follow the path of the Minor Arcana through it's progression from
Ace to Ten, consider how the cards of the same suit interrelate to one another
and how the cards of like numbers compare. Review the section in this book
called Numerology and the Tarot for further information on the numbers.
Look at the progression of pictures from ace through ten.
How do the pictures on the cards interact with one another?
Make up a story that begins with the ace and culminates with the ten.
Write the story in your Tarot notebook.
Do the same with the other three suits.
Group together the Minor Arcana by numerical value.
What do you see that is similar about all the twos, the fives and so on?
What is different about each within their own numerical value grouping?
Record these impressions in your Tarot notebook.
Once you have worked with each suit and number as groups, lay out and
study the Major Arcana in the same way. Make
up a story about the Fool’s journey through the cards of the Major Arcana,
culminating with what he has accomplished and learned by the time he reaches The
World.
Next, lay out the court cards, Page through King, by suit. Make four rows of four cards each, with all the Pages in a
vertical row, the Knights in a vertical row, Wands in a horizontal row, Cups in
a horizontal row, etc. What do you
see that is similar about all the people depicted in the court family of Wands?
How do you feel about this group of people?
Now study the court families in each of the other suits. What is the same and what is different about each one?
When you have looked at the court cards by suit, then study them by rank.
What is the same about all of the Pages?
The Queens? What is
different? If you were to speak to
each of these people, what would their voice and demeanor be like? Do not be afraid at all to let the court cards look like
people you know or have known. It
is fine to develop impressions of the cards based on your past experiences.
This will help you to bring a faster association with the personality of
each suit and each card.
READING
THE CARDS or
THE
DOWN AND DIRTY OF HOW TO DO IT
If you have followed the guidelines in the last chapter, you should now
be well acquainted with each card in your deck and have established your own
reactions and interpretations. This
is the foundation of interpretations for every reading you will do for the rest
of your life. You will, no doubt,
read books such as this one that provide a writer’s own interpretations of
each card, which you can then add to your own if you choose to do so.
There is no right or wrong interpretation of a card.
When I read the meanings that others have applied to a particular card,
it either the enhances my own set of interpretations or I discard it as not
being for me at that time. The
interpretations included in this book are a combination of my own and what has
come to be considered as “classic” meanings, which are common reactions that
people have applied to specific cards over the years.
Yours may or may not coincide with mine.
That is fine. Follow your
instincts and do not classify either as “right” or ‘wrong”.
Just as different people have their own reactions to movies, paintings,
books and sculptures, interpretations of the cards will also vary.
When a reading is performed, there is a series of steps that is performed
by the reader and the client to make the reading comfortable and cohesive.
Some of the steps may be bypassed if you are reading for someone for whom
you have read before or if you sense that the client is an old pro at receiving
readings. The latter will require a
bit more orientation than the former because they are not an old pro at
receiving readings from you. The
following suggestions are assuming your client is someone who has never had a
reading before and may be modified as needed.
Create the atmosphere in the reading area before your client arrives.
This is accomplished not only with the particulars of the room in which
the session will occur, but also with your mental status at the time of the
reading. Most people will give
their best readings when they are operating in a more magical than mundane
mindset. There are many props that
could be used to achieve this. Candles,
incense, a special article of clothing or jewelry that is only worn for
readings, specific crystals or other gemstones, lowered lights, and soft music
are all components that may make you feel more magical.
Find what is comfortable to you. While
you want to feel relaxed and centered, you also do not want to appear
frightening or foolish, so for most clients, the Gypsy threads and Dracula capes
will not produce a calming effect. There
is a time and place for theatrics, but in lending a professional and trustworthy
demeanor, it is best to appear as normal as you can. Wear street clothes that you would wear to a midpriced
restaurant and you won’t go wrong.
Creating the atmosphere means
that you are responsible for the impression the client get when they meet you.
In other words, you should not be hurrying in from a stressful day at
work or finishing off the grocery shopping just before a client is coming.
Any distractions should be removed from the immediate reading area, such
as unplugging the phone, making other arrangement for any children in your care,
and turning off any televisions or radios not providing atmosphere for your
reading.
A comfortable table and chairs, preferably with the client sitting across
from you (although good readings may also result from the client sitting beside
you), should be available for the
session. Aligning yourself with the
earth’s magnetic field by sitting in the north with your client in the south
can also help with the energy flow. If
you are reading by candlelight, ensure that you are able to see the cards
without eyestrain, but by contrast, avoid harsh, glaring lights.
Take a few deep breaths and allow yourself to become very relaxed.
Let your mind be purged of any worries or mundane distractions and feel
confident that the impressions you receive in the reading you do will be pure
and true.
Greet your client warmly and make them feel welcome without smothering
them. Often, a client who is a
novice will be nervous about their first reading.
Your confidence and professional behavior will quickly put them at ease.
Show them where they are to sit and be seated yourself.
If your client has brought a friend with them, as they often will, let
them know that intimate details will occasionally come up in a reading and ask
if they are comfortable having company under those circumstances.
When everyone is seated, begin to shuffle the cards and discuss with your
client what the cards are and are not able to do.
Casually try to assuage any residual fears or superstitions the client
may have regarding the cards and tell them about the “freezing a moment in
time” theory discussed in Chapter 1.
As you shuffle the cards, imagine that they are becoming clear, clean and
ready for the information the client will be infiltrating into them.
Through your conversation at this time, you will be able to determine
what your client is expecting from the reading. Are
they here to address a particular issue or question?
Do they not really know why they are here but thought it would be fun to
have a reading? This will help you
to decide what type of spread to use.
When you feel that the cards are ready, pass them to the client,
explaining how you would like to have them shuffled.
I tell my clients to shuffle in any way they would like, cutting the deck
if they choose to do so. Some
readers have a particular ritual they like to observe such as having the client
cut the cards into a specific number of piles, etc.
I don’t like to complicate things unnecessarily, so I like to let the
client decide what feels right to them in regard to the shuffle and cut.
The bottom line is that the cards should ultimately end up in one pile in
front of the client.
Sometimes, cards will leap out of the deck while you or the client is
shuffling. Simply re-insert them
into the deck and continue on. These
cards will usually resurface in the reading and are just anxious to start
talking. Some clients will shuffle
the cards until you think the pictures will be faded by the time you get them
back. Others will barely shuffle or
not shuffle at all once you pass the cards to them.
Be assured that however much the client chooses to interact (or not
interact) with the cards, your reading will be true.
When the client has finished with the cards, pick them up so that they
are facing you in the same direction that they were facing the client.
The cards are now ready to be laid out in the spread that you have chosen
to use. I start almost every
session with a simple Celtic Cross. Even
if a client has told me that they want to address a specific issue, I keep an
open mind as I am evaluating the initial reading.
Sometimes the Tarot will choose to focus on an underlying issue that,
whether the client knows or not, is of greater importance at that time.
Turn the cards over into the spread as if you were turning the pages of a
book, side to side, rather than top to bottom, which will invert the card from
its true position. Place each card,
in order, into their position in the spread that you have chosen.
Several different spreads are described and their uses discussed in
Chapter 8. As you are learning to
read the cards, work with many different spreads until you find the ones that
suit you best.
The
significator is a card chosen from the deck to represent the client or the
situation in question. Please refer to the section of this book called The Court
Cards, as well as the section on the Major Arcana, for a full explanation on
choosing the significator, Within the spreads demonstrated in Chapter 8, the
significator's place is denoted with an "S". Personally, I don't
use one. To me, the first card down is the focus of the reading and
I feel having a card there to represent the person throws off the intent of the
card placement. I just plow right into the reading, but I do note if a
court card seems representative of the querant when it comes up in the reading
Once the spread is cast, your first task is to study the group of cards
as a whole structure before breaking the spread down into specific components.
Is there a predominance (4 or more) of :
Court cards?
This would indicate that the client is involved with many people at this
time or that the situation addressed is not entirely in the client’s hands.
Major Arcana cards? When used
within the full 78 card deck, the Major Arcana makes an interesting barometer to
measure the significance of an event or situation in the client’s life.
This would indicate that this is indeed a significant period in the
client’s life and changes and events are occurring on a very karmic, spiritual
level as well as being acted out in mundane occurrences. A great opportunity for
spiritual growth and advancement is at hand.
If there are no Major Arcana cards present, it may be assumed that the
issues addressed are of a mundane nature and should be dealt with on that level.
A specific number value?
Are there four or more 3’s, 9’s, etc.?
This also means reducing double digit numbers to their simplest number
value by adding the digits together. For
instance, the Major Arcana card titled The World has a number value of 3,
(21 = 2 + 1 = 3). So the presence of The World, The Empress, The 3 of cups and
the 3 of wands would qualify as a predominance of 3’s. When you reference the number 3 in the chapter in this book
called “Numerology and the Tarot,” you see that 3’s represent growth,
plans, synthesis, creation, and manifestation.
The energy of the 3’s is therefore an influence on the reading and the
issues being discussed.
A particular suit?
Four or more of one suit, including court cards, appearing in a ten card
Celtic Cross spread would indicate a trend toward the energies embodied by that
suit. The representative energies
of each suit are as follows: Wands: Creativity, synthesis, inspiration, work and career, energy
Cups:
Emotion, love, affection, relationships, feelings, intuition Swords: Challenges, perseverance, conflict, action and reaction
Pentacles:
Finances, business, skills, practicality, production
Study how the cards are interacting with one another. Are the figures in the cards looking at or away from one
another? Are two queens back to
back, possibly indicating a dispute between two women? Does a court card or a character in another card appear to be
looking at an object, person or situation depicted in another card?
As always, let your imagination and your psychic impressions have
priority, then apply other interpretations as needed for reinforcing
information.
Upright
VS Reversal Interpretations
As is the case with so much having to do with reading the Tarot, whether
to read the cards as both uprights and reversals or to read all cards in their
upright position, merely turning around any that happen to fall in the reversed
position, is a personal preference. Certainly, you can obtain an accurate
reading by keeping the cards in their upright positions only and reading them
accordingly. Other readers prefer to incorporate the reversed interpretations
into their readings. Naturally, you double your potential interpretations by
incorporating reversals into your readings, however, with the exception of the
court cards, a reversed meaning may often be supplied by a different card in the
deck in it's upright position.
I use both methods, depending on which deck I happen to be using. As was previously stated, I have found that certain decks seem to have their own preferences and personalities. I have included interpretations for reversals should you wish to use them. You will find that sometimes the reversal will produce the opposite meaning of a card and other times the interpretation of the upright position will be muted, delayed, or lessened by a reversal. To continue this study, click on the Major Arcana, then proceed to the Minor Arcana, the Court Cards, The Spreads and The Wind Up in turn.
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