TAROT READING
For this "lesson" you will need a loose leaf ring-binder with paper, a pen or pencil,
and common sense.
Now that you have your first Tarot deck, what do you do next? Hopefully, you
chose the cards yourself, so that you have had the chance to at least see other
decks. Perhaps had the experience that most Tarot readers have had: the deck
chose you! Now that you have your special deck, you may have looked at the
instruction book and found so much information there that you're a bit confused
and overwhelmed. Don't worry!! You don't need to memorize the entire book. A
reading comes from within you and the cards are just a tool to help guide you.
Examine each of the Major Arcana in turn. Notice the main figures in the card,
their positions (seated or standing, relationship to each other, how they hold their
hands or position their bodies, etc.) Look at all the figures on the card, human or
otherwise. Does the main figure have any tools or props? Does anything in the
background stand out or "speak" to you? In a nutshell, notice everything on the
card, for each item has some significance.
After you have studied each card, write down your impressions. Give each card its
own page in your notebook No fair peeking at the book, rely on yourself and the
knowledge that you already have. Answer these questions on the page:
My impression of the card is______.
What does each detail mean to me?
Overall my interpretation of the card is______.
You may think that it is a waste of time to be writing this stuff down when you
have a book right in front of you, but believe me ,if you really want to learn and
remember all the cards in a relatively short period of time, this exercise is well
worth the effort. This will also help build the confidence you need to do a reading
successfully, without the book strapped to your fingertips. Many querents know
when their reader has just memorized the book, and you would feel rather
unknowledgable if you ever read for another reader! Along with this is the fact
that once you have read someone else's interpretation of the cards, it will forever
affect how you see them. So it is best to rely on yourself first, and add the book
later.
Now that you have carefully studied each card and completed writing your
impressions, you may open the book. Did you identify at least some of the
important elements? Most likely you did! Does the book show you anything that
makes you say, "Oh yeah, I didn't see that, but it makes sense." If so, include this
in your personal notebook. Now, don't get all in a dither if you seemed to be off
track with some of the cards. The important thing to remember is that you are the
interpreter, and what the card reveals to you is the key. Ask 100 different readers
for their interpretation and chances are you will get 100 different responses, (not
totally different, just different variations) unless of course they all memorized the
same book and deck. But that will not be true in your case!
Now before we go on, make sure you have the right deck for B>you. If you did not
get any impressions at all from the Major Arcana cards this is NOT the right deck
for you! Choose another deck, and repeat the above exercise with the it. Your
religious background may play a role in how the cards "speak" to you. There are
some decks that are clearly Christian, Pagan, Feminist, etc. If your religion,
political background or philosophy conflict with your deck design, you will need
to get another deck so that you feel more in tune and comfortable with your Tarot
cards.
I think I have given you enough homework for now! You have only just begun
your journey toward being a successful and enlightened reader. There is still more
work ahead of you. I will leave you with a bright light to be your guide, a strong
hand to push your pen, and a pat on the back for applying the true effort it takes to
become a Tarologist!
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Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):
Aleister Crowley - Thoth Tarot DeckTuesday Lobsang Rampa - Three Lives
Aleister Crowley - Gargoyles
