What Is Your Tarot Learning Style

I am often asked what is the fastest and easiest way to Learn to Read Tarot cards, to absorb the meanings and definitions and to understand the spreads as quickly as possible.

The answer to that question really depends on How you Learn things in general?

There are 3 main learning styles. They are called Visual, Auditory and Kinesthetic (don’t be put off by the names). Simply put, this means do you learn best from things you SEE, what you HEAR or how you FEEL about something.

Visual People

Visual people like materials they can SEE. If you are visual you will probably enjoy LOOKING at the cards themselves and noticing the details.

You will probably like books with more PICTURES than words and you are likely to find VIDEO (either streaming online or as a DVD) very useful.

You are likely to be a fan of VIDEO and PHOTO SHARING sites for learning new things and probably love COLOUR.

You may be quite observant and notice the smallest of details. Most Tarot decks are very rich in colour and symbolism and there is usually plenty to SEE.

When you are choosing a deck of Tarot cards, make sure you choose one that appeals to you VISUALLY. You may need a deck where the PICTURES tell the stories, so a good choice would be one of the Rider Waite decks, as the pictures tend to be clear and easy to understand.

You might be best avoiding decks that look more like traditional playing cards or which are purely symbols because you may find them harder to get on with.

Auditory People.

If you are an auditory person, you learn primarily by what you can HEAR. You may not be a big written note-taker, however you absorb material by LISTENING.

Auditory people often make good mimics as they can accurately copy the sounds of someone or something.

You probably prefer CDs or AUDIO BOOKS or AUDIO DOWNLOADS or taking part in teleseminars where you can interact with others by SPEAKING.

A good learning tip for you would be to LISTEN to audios books or audio versions of your favourite course as you are doing other things.

If you have a favourite Tarot book or course, it may be a good idea for you to READ it aloud yourself and RECORD it, so that you can LISTEN to your own voice and REPEAT things aloud in your own voice.

When you get a deck of cards, it can be useful for you to talk through (prefereably aloud) what you can see going on in the card.

Kinesthetic People.

This means you learn by FEELING and TOUCHING. You are likely to rely a lot on your intuition and gut feeling in making decisions and tend to go with things that make you FEEL good.

You like to have something you can physically TOUCH, whether that is a MANUAL or a BOOK or HANDLING your deck of TAROT CARDS.
When you pick up a card, you are quite likely to get an immediate FEELING REACTION to it.

For learning, you may choose a Physical COURSE or WORKSHOP where you can EXPERIENCE and INTERNALISE the learning. You can also GET a FEEL for the teacher and the other people there.

You will probably do well with any deck of cards, as long as you feel comfortable with it. You are likely to be a person who could do very well with SYMBOL based cards because you will probably get an immediate FEELING about the cards and will not really need to have pictures to trigger off your INTUITION.

Which Style are You?

Most people are a mixture of a couple of styles, with one being more dominant than the others.

When you are thinking about Learning the Tarot, it is important to consider your learning style when choosing resources to help you.

If you work with your dominant Learning Style, you will learn a lot faster and your journey will be much more fun.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Anonymous - What Is Wicca Article 2
Swetha Lodha - Your Love Life And The Tarot Cards
Aleister Crowley - Concerning Blasphemy
Anonymous - Pentagram Meaning And History

What Does The Fool Card Mean Or Represent

Well, if you could only have one question about the Tarot and Tarot cards, that would be it.

Many interpreters of the Tarot consider the Fool to be a central card to the whole deck. The Fool is a special card, even among the 22 of the Major Arcana. It's Card 0 (or 22 depending on your system). In a real sense, understanding this card opens up the Tarot - and a lot more. (Or so the really wise people say.)


As you may already know, when looking for meaning in the Tarot, keep going back to the picture; there's a lot more in them than a first glance suggests.

It's the start of the Major Arcana 'story' - a young person, a 'prince or princess of the world' setting out on a sunny morn on a wonderful journey - right over a cliff !

Not, you'd think ordinarily, a very bright thing to do!

But the Fool strides trustingly over that precipice, and, according to the Tarot, the trust is well placed. The whole 22 cards of the Major Arcana are seen by some interpretators as the Fool's journey, which ends with the World, key 21, which is about successful completion, accomplishment and fulfillment.

There are a lot of other qualities which lead to that success, but they would be worthless without the Fool's willingness to trust and be open to that journey.

Sometimes you have risk, to go against everything society says is 'sensible' or 'wise', to act rightly. It means the inner forces, the inner certainty, intuition - no, less tangible than intuition even - which is at the heart of great endeavors - or right action.

It says that in some things, you must trust your inner voice, not those of the many people in your surroundings and society willing to tell you 'the smart thing to do'.

Indeed, to many people, the Tarot itself seems 'foolish'. To them the whole idea of shuffling some pieces of cardboard with pictures to reveal hidden truths is in itself a pretty silly thing to do (I've met quite a few myself!) So in their eyes all who use the Tarot at all may be 'fools'.

I think we're pretty wise fools, myself.

The Fool is about those positive forces with us which influence us in our choices - trust, belief in the ultimate goodness of creation, ideals - the 'hope of a bright tomorrow.'

But above all, this card tries to assure us that there is a point to such an endeavor, that life has a point, that trust has a point.

And yes, if you look at the evil in the world, at the loss of young lives, at the failure of principle, believing in some rightness of existence, some point in hoping and trusting, can look pretty futile, pretty pointless, pretty ...foolish.

But believe anyway, is the message of this card.

In a reading, this may identify a need to trust ourselves, our inner knowledge or intuition, perhaps about whether it's the right time to 'take a leap', or whether it's not.

Just to complicate matters, if you use inverted cards in your readings (I do!) the Fool inverted can warn that a decision may be foolish, too extravagant, that there IS a danger in taking risks too casually.

So this card isn't about 'do whatever occurs to you, as it occurs'; that would be a fun, but pretty unsustainable life.

It is about being open to that inner impulse, learning to differentiate between it and the dozens of other urges and impulses.

And how does a person do that ?

Search me.

I know what works for me.We all need to find our way. Some people use meditation, aids such as the Tarot, and study of various arcana. (Meditation works for me, by the way.)

Others just lead their lives, one day at a time, and it just comes.

A paraphrase of an old Zen teaching story, but the closest I can recall;

A monk was out walking in ancient Japan. He encounters a wild cat, and as he is fleeing, slips over a cliff, but manages to grab hold of a gnarled root at the edge of the cliff. He looks down, and sees sharp broken rocks below. He looks up and sees the wild cat, snarling at him.

As he looks around, he also sees beside him a bush with a single bright, succulent berry on it.

He looks up, then down again.

He plucks the berry, and pops it in his mouth.

How sweet it tastes!

That's the Fool.

The wise Fool.

( Or so one old fool thinks.)

Books You Might Enjoy:

John Dee - The Hieroglyphic Monad Latin Version Second
Medieval Grimoires - The Most Holy Grimoire Or Grimorium Sanctissimum
Zoroaster - The Chaldean Oracles

Two Of Swords Tarot Card Meanings In Love Tarot Readings

The Two of Swords is often associated with denial. It often indicates an impasse or stalemate. Its traditional imagery depicts a women holding up two swords while blindfolded. In this context, the blind fold is self-imposed. She has clearly chosen to remain oblivious to the environment that surrounds her. The Two of Swords is also associated to indecision or an inability to make an important choice. It is clear that she is avoiding an important truth. She has created a false sense of reality and is choosing to live in a state of oblivion. This reality offers her a moment of peace. However, this does not negate the existence of the necessity of choosing a new path. At some point, the weight of the Swords will become too much to bear and she will be forced to face the reality of the situation.

In terms of relationships, the Two of swords often reveals the barriers you have placed between you and your partner. This is the nature of the stalemate. You have emotionally shut down or the relationship has become resistant to compromise. In this case, there are often issues of inner conflict or confusion about the relationship.

The issues your relationship is struggling with will not be found through outside influences. The Two of Swords urges you to once again go inward. It is time to face your inner conflicts. To move beyond your current stalemate, balance must be restored. This is often achieved by exploring the past experiences that are influencing your current situation. The Two of Swords encourages you to get honest with yourself and with your partner. The ultimate goal is to communicate and speak your truth.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Israel Regardie - The Art And Meaning Of Magic
Cypress Knee - Delving Into The Faery Kindreds
Thomas Moore - Candle Magick For Love

The Tarot As A Guide For Insight And Life Changes

Utilizing the wisdom of the Tarot for any kind of change offers many opportunities for growth and understanding, for the many levels of life, that we are now being called to live.

I have been reading the Tarot professionally and teaching for 25 years now. When I utilize the Tarot, for its wisdom and guidance, it is not with the idea, as the Tarot as the final judgement or outcome, but one as a guide, to see and sense how the inner energies of life are moving.

Prior to my metaphysical journey beginning, I was already very empathic and highly intuitive. And I have to say, I had a hell of a time verbalizing anything. There were times, I was so beside myself, with everything that I was feeling, that I could not, for the life of me, figure out how to put it to words, any of it. I spent a lot of time being and feeling very frustrated. It wasn't until I started traditional counseling, to heal and bring understanding and clarity to my own childhood traumas, that I was finally able to learn about psychic and intuitive awareness and begin my studies with the Tarot.

Whether the Tarot is read professionally or for ourselves, on a personal level, the Tarot teaches us how to get connected to clearer feeling and focus on what needs to be put to words. At 25, if anyone could have promised, that I would eventually experience relief with my abilities, I would have thought they were messing with me, however, relief has become my permanent sense of awareness. Not to be forgotten, the Tarot is not to be taken lightly. Whether we are studying the Tarot or metaphysics or spirituality, these modalites do change us. We begin a journey of growth and development, on an inner level.

When I began my journey with metaphysical studies and the Tarot, I began with the Rider Waite Tarot set; book and deck. It was a wonderful set of cards to start with. And it was a wonderful introduction to developing my already very intuitive side. I never had any preconceived ideas, that the Tarot was the outcome, for any decision that I needed to make, however, I would soon discover, that the Tarot, had the ability, to offer greater insight and teach and guide me, into focusing my logical mind, to be open, receptive and aware, to the inner promptings of my own inner knowing.

As this has been a 25 year journey for learning and discovery for me, 18 years with my husband and daughter, this evolution, came to us naturally. For everytime we worked with the Tarot for clarity and understanding, to the deeper patterning for a move, change in relationship or career change, the Tarot became a guide for the patterns of energy around the change and what was necessary for our learning experience.

How to plan career changes or life changes utilizing a Tarot reading. Whether you pull 3 cards or do a specific layout. Allow yourself to go deeper under the surface, for the understanding of the cards. Do you have reversed positions or negative cards in the layout? Reversed positions and negative cards are cards that represent a shift in our inner patterns of energy and emotions. How are you feeling about the change that is coming? When utilizing the wisdom of the Tarot for any kind of change, this is the time to ask the real questions. The tough questions, the questions that need asking. For any kind of change, this is the time to learn the most important of what you need to know. Any kind of change is about aligning to a deeper part of yourself.

Yes, by all means, utilize the Tarot for its insight, wisdom and guidance, however, you are the most important part of your decision making process and in the end, it is what is in your heart.

The Tarot, no matter the kind of change, will always offer another way, to connect with what is in your heart and your own inner knowing.

The Tarot is there as a guide, walking side by side on your journey, but it is not the answer to your question. In the end, it is your heart that speaks to you.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Thomas Potts - Discovery Of Witches
Richard Weiss - Recipes For Immortality
William Lilly - Anima Astrologiae Or A Guide For Astrologers
Paracelsus - The Treasure Of Treasures For Alchemists
Walter Scott - Letters On Demonology And Witchcraft

The Suit Of Swords Tarot Card Meanings

ACE OF SWORDS

Meaning: Clarity of mind, great determination. Conquest. Victory without doubt.

Reversed: Tyranny, embarrassment, hindrance, obstacle, self-destruction.
2 OF SWORDS - Peace

Meaning: Balanced force. Concord. Solving differences of opinion. Sacrifice and trouble give birth to strength. Pleasure after pain.

Reversed: Indecision. Disloyalty, falsehood, false friends, lies.
3 OF SWORDS - Sorrow

Meaning: Unhappiness, disruption, separation, absence, tears, melancholy.

Reversed: Loss, alienation, distraction.
4 OF SWORDS - Truce

Meaning: Settlement but no real peace yet, compromise. Repose, retreat. Recovery from sickness. Change for the better.

Reversed: Guarded advancement, desire to recover what is lost.
5 OF SWORDS - Defeat

Meaning: Weakness, slander, failure, loss, dishonor, malice, degradation.

Reversed: Change of loss or defeat.
6 OF SWORDS - Science

Meaning: Objective, logical and rational thinking. Clear communication. Trip or journey. Success after anxiety.

Reversed: Intellectual pride. Unwanted proposal. No immediate solution to present difficulties.
7 OF SWORDS - Futility

Meaning: Striving against opposition too powerful, overwhelming forces. Unstable effort. Attempt.

Reversed: Arguments, slander, intrigue. Uncertain counsel or advice.
8 OF SWORDS - Interference

Meaning: Lack of persistence. Unforeseen bad luck. Wasting energy in details while neglecting major issues. Restlessness and doubt block clear thinking.

Reversed: Accident, opposition, fatality.
9 OF SWORDS - Cruelty

Meaning: Powerlessness, despair, hopelessness, pain, suffering, misery, anxiety over a loved one.

Reversed: Breakthrough from powerlessness. Reasonable fear, suspicion, doubt.
10 OF SWORDS - Ruin

Meaning: (Undesirable) ending, disruption, pain, misfortune, ruin, catastrophe, mental anguish, desolation.

Reversed: Temporary gain, momentary advantage, passing success.
PRINCESS OF SWORDS

Meaning: Aggressive and impatient pursuing one's ideas. Sharp and cunning arguing. Solving a conflict with clear logic.

Reversed: Endless, sharp discussions. Illogical fights with words. Having things one's way.
PRINCE OF SWORDS

Meaning: Original mind, innovative thinking. Rush into the unknown without fear. Bravery.

Reversed: A fanatic with great ability to convince. Conceited fool. Impulsive mistakes.
QUEEN OF SWORDS

Meaning: Quick-witted and keen person. Intensely perceptive. A subtle person, confident and just. Independent and individualist person, who is no longer playing roles.

Reversed: Narrow-mindedness. Deceitful, vengeful, malicious, artificial. A treacherous enemy.
KNIGHT OF SWORDS

Meaning: An active and determined person. Commanding personality. A professional. Highly analytical person. Cleverness. Purposeful action.

Reversed: A person who may pursue a matter to ruin. Indecision, aimlessness. Cruelty, sadism, perversity.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Trieu Phuoc - The Quintessence Of Secret Esoteric Buddhism
Israel Regardie - The Art Of True Healing
Hermes Trismegistus - Book Xiv Of Operation And Sense
John Dee - Testament Of John Dee To John Gwynn
Don Karr - The Study Of Solomonic Magic In English

The Power Of Tarot

You need not be a mystic to appreciate the Tarot. It truly is available to everyone. Tarot reading offers a new way of seeing, and it can be a powerful tool for all who wish to explore their own life directions. The Tarot is like a mirror. It reflects our journeys, ambitions and life challenges back to us. It enables the hidden self to rise to the surface. It is, in essence, a doorway to deeper levels of understanding.

The Tarot is an instrument for stimulating one’s intuition. It is an incredibly effective method for enabling one to get in touch with their inner world. This is the world of the unconscious, the world of dreams, and the world of one’s personal truths. One of its primary purposes is to encourage the process of self-examination. The Tarot reveals our spiritual paths and can lead one to self-discovery. Most importantly, the Tarot can provide us with answers. They are there to guide us in our everyday lives.

The tarot is metaphorical and its imagery is rich with symbolism and archetypal significance. Their Tarot card meanings are universal in nature. Regardless of one’s cultural, religious or educational background, the Tarot experience is collective. Their interpretations are recognizable by everyone. They are the stories shared throughout time and represent the mythical journey we all participate in.

The Tarot is a method for meditation, contemplation, clarification, spiritual development and problem solving. It enables us to tap into the collective unconscious and universal energy that often can not be accessed through our everyday experiences. They always offer a new outlook or perspective on the issues we face day to day.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Aleister Crowley - Control Of The Astral Body
Edna Kenton - The Book Of Earths
Phil Hine - Aspects Of Tantra
Aleister Crowley - The World Of Tarot

The Eternal Loop Of The Tarot

The eternal loop of the Tarot ~ connects to the eternal cycle and patterns of life. There are 78 cards to a Tarot deck, other decks may have more or less. Each card represents the eternal loop, cycles and patterns of the changes taking place in our own lives.

When our journey first begins with the Tarot, and we are just learning about each card and their meanings, at first, we will perceive only the surface of the meaning of each card.

Each card, shares its own story and each story connects us, to a level of understanding in our logical, intellectual and emotional bodies. The energy of the Tarot, teaches us, our human side, our logical mind, how to consider the possibility of a new approach, a new perception.

With consistent practice and use of the Tarot, something uniquely interesting begins to take place. We begin to enter into the deeper inner realms of our being, where our intuition resides. It is at this point, that we discover something different. It is at this point, that we learn that there is more to life, than the eye can see.

The Tarot then becomes the bridge between our logical minds and our intuition; souls knowing. Now with this new understanding and discovery, we begin to notice the positive and the negative aspects of each card. In terms of the "negatives" that we may perceive from our logical and intellectual minds, if we trust our intuition and allow it to guide us, we will soon discover that the actual "negatives" of the cards, whether in reversed position, or just the nature of the card, we will soon see that it is not an actual negative, however, an opportunity, to dig a little bit deeper, for soul guided insight.

The negative, that has always been viewed as a negative, just taught you, that negatives, with understanding and insight, transform into evolved understanding. As the eternal loop of the Tarot has its own story to tell, so does each individual, have their story to tell.

I began studying and reading professionally 25 years ago. In the beginning, I saw only the meanings of the surface of each card. Being empathic, with high intuition and building my clientele practice, with consistent use of the Tarot, I would soon discover that the surface was just the beginning. That there was a connection to the evolution of consciousness, when working with the Tarot, there would be an evolution of consciousness in my own awareness.

As always, when learning anything of a metaphysical nature, we step into new awarenesses with deep respect, for the transitions that will take place in our own life. We always have a choice about what we learn and how we learn it, for the eternal loop of the Tarot, will bring you to deeper insights and awarenesses, for the eternal loop for the cycles and patterns within your own life.

The eternal loop of the Tarot, is a journey, to experience, moment to moment and breath to breath.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Lady Galadriel - The New Book Of The Law
Max Heindel - The Message Of The Stars
Swetha Lodha - Your Love Life And The Tarot Cards
Anonymous - The Emerald Tablet Of Hermes

The Emperor Tarot Card

I'd like to offer the following interpretation of The Emperor card. It is important to bear in mind that when it comes to symbols and archetypal images that our perception of these representations may vary from person to person. My interpretation is my own and is by no means the only way of reading this card, so use my words as a way to see the Emperor in a different light. I could literally write a book for each card but I've tried to highlight the major aspects.

The fundamental impression this card leaves me with is that of masculine strength and the willpower to succeed. The Emperor calls upon you to develop your own sense of right and wrong, act when necessary and to reassess your moral codes. You may be placed in a situation where you must be bold and courageously defend your beliefs in the face of strong opposition. This is not the time to flee or back down but a time to take a stand and do what's right for you. Aries is heavily associated with this card as seen in the rams to either side if the Emperor's throne. Aries governs individuality and is of the element fire, ruled by Mars and the first house we can begin to see what the Emperor is all about.

The father image is also strongly inherent. In nature self-preservation is essential for survival and the Emperor represents this energy. It signals a time when you must reevaluate your positions on important issues...are you merely going along with others, or do you truly feel this way in your heart? These questios the Emperor boldly poses. Behind him is a tower representing material accomplishments and the determination to persevere. Before him lies the scepter and a wand, the tools of his dominance, this indicates the skills required for material manifestation.

When the Emperor appears in a reading he is delivering the message that the situation will require to you to put your money where your mouth is and utilize your training for to achieve the intended goal. You must be ambitious, self-motivated, and fully determined towards victory. The Aries energy does not sit well with defeat so you must continue to put for the effort if you want the reward. The Emperor is asking you to assimilate your life, to weed out the dead parts then cultivate that which motivates you. The lesson here is that you must do things to please yourself, to set short and long term goals so that one day the tower will be constructed in ways that support your lifestyle. Before you continue to lay these bricks in accordance with society you should consider if this is the pttern that pleases you.

The golden bust of Charlemagne was the appropriate inspiration for The Cosmic Tarot Deck's Emperor card. The Emperor is calling on you to take full responsibility for your future. Do you know where the road you are now paving leads to? Plan accordingly and with great concentration and you will find that it leads towards satisfaction. On a negative note the Emperor can be in reference to a person who is self-centered and egotistical. They may place their goals and desires before anyone else's and ultimately isolated themselves from those close to them. The goal therefore is to strike a balance between your personal desires and their correlation with those who are affected by your actions. An it harm none do what thou wilt. That is how I interpret the Emperor.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Montague Summers - Malleus Maleficarum
Matthew Ikonen - Warlocks Handbook
Phil Hine - Aspects Of Tantra
Anonymous - The Emerald Tablet Of Hermes

Telling The Future

The popular view of Tarot cards is that they "tell the future". That is the meaning of the popular synonym for divination, "fortune-telling". Any sort of question may be asked of the Tarot cards, which does not exclude telling the future. But that is not the only end to which the cards may be put.

When telling the future, the questions of predestination and psychic powers inevitably arise. If we can accurately read the future, then the future must already exist in some sense, and we must have some way of viewing it.

On the question of predestination, science and philosophy are inconclusive. Modern physics is clear that the world is not deterministic; there are many experiments with physics on a small scale that show nature to be probabilistic. Many things happen on the sub-atomic scale without any real reason, simply because it was more or less likely that they would happen and they wound up happening or not. This would seem to fly in the face of predestination; the future state of the universe depends on truly random and unpredictable events.

But these events may be truly random yet, in a sense, already have happened. Time may be viewed as a fourth dimension like our usual three spatial dimensions. If so, then one may take a static view of the universe's history, in which the whole of time is a static construct when viewed from without, that is, from a five-dimensional perspective. The exact nature of the "arrow of time" has yet to be clearly determined, and it is impossible to say now whether a higher-dimensional traveller would see the past as still with us and the future as already laid out.

The question of psychic powers is even more difficult. No such powers have ever been shown to exist in any replicable experiment; at best, such experiments barely squeak in under the margin of significance, and then only after averaging thousands of trials which are not individually significant.

Yet many people believe in them regardless, and these people erect theories to explain them. One of the more popular theoretical ideas of psychic powers is that the psyche somehow exists in a higher dimension. From a higher-dimensional viewpoint it might be possible to look out over the four-dimensional history of the world and see what is to come.

This is written in 1990 in San Francisco, and it seems rather telling to this writer that of the great events which have taken place recently -- the destruction of the Berlin Wall, the independence of Eastern Europe, the San Francisco earthquake -- none were foretold by psychics. One would think such momentous happenings would fairly blaze forth before a psychic eye, yet they didn't.

It is probably best to use a weaker form of the precognition idea, which does not involve a predestined future or psychic powers. Instead, the unconscious mind is viewed as having the power to perceive more or less where some events are heading, and to present its views on the subject -- which may be right or wrong -- through a Tarot reading. Of course, the conscious mind can also make some predictions based on its knowledge. The idea is that the unconscious mind is attentive to different factors and will make predictions the conscious mind could not.

Another "weak" form of precognition involves synchronicity. Events and Tarot readings are "riding the same waves", so one can cast light on the other.

Finally, it is best to take all answers about the future with a grain of salt. It is also wise to phrase questions in such a way that they ask for perspectives on what is happening and what has happened, and for guidance, rather than for outright predictions of the future.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Tuesday Lobsang Rampa - The Saffron Robe
Eliphas Levi - The Key Of The Mysteries
Ea Wallis Budge - Egyptian Ideas Of The Future Life
Tuesday Lobsang Rampa - The Third Eye
Melita Denning - The Aurum Solis

Tarot As An Intuitive Guide

My experience with tarot cards started in 2002. After 9/11 in 2001, I was enguled in a state of panic and mental anguish just like the rest of the country and the world. As we entered 2002, I felt a sense of urgency to move forward living my purpose, instead of a stale and stagnant existence. As I put forth my prayers and affirmations for positive change and living my purpose, the huge doors of the Universe opened and and I found myself entering the world of New Age/New Thought and metaphysical movements that I’d never experienced before. The first place I visited was learning of my intuition through divination tools and techniques such as pyromancy (using candles), clairaudience (clear hearing), clairvoyance (clear seeing), oracle cards, and tarot cards.

I loved working with the tarot cards because they provided me with something tangible to refer to that suggested my innermost thoughts and feelings. Tarot, like the New Thought movement, taught me that my mind was a powerful tool that could drive my life’s experiences in any direction.

One of the interesting things I’ve found with tarot card readings, whether for myself or others, is that an outcome is a possible outcome, not the final outcome. Now, I will say in some cases, the outcome is exactly what it shows on the cards or what it suggests on the cards. However, I’ve noticed that any time the reading is dealing with a deeply personal issue for the individual or something to that effect, the outcome is not set in stone. This is true for life in general. Every situation we encounter on a daily basis can go one of two ways. It’s really up to us on which way it will go.

The intriguing thing about tarot readings and those who love them is that while we all search for answers, some times we can be so dissatisfied with the answers we receive, we’ll keep pulling cards repeatedly until they say what we want them to say.

So, this begs an important question. When we’re dealing with tarot or any other form of divination for that matter – are we really looking for truth or what we want to hear? It’s like having a conversation with a very agreeable person. You may need to hear the truth at a particular time in your life that will truly benefit you, but the person keeps saying exactly what you want to hear, so you never get to the heart of a matter, you’re just being fed the food you want to eat and not what’s particularly good for you at that moment because you’re hunger is in control.

In my readings for myself, I’ve had to stop myself from doing this in all honesty. I am learning to accept the cards as they first come out and just interpret them according to the question I asked, not every single possible scenario that the cards could stand for.

Like with all things life, we shouldn’t automatically assume the worst as soon as the cards are pulled and you may see a Three of Swords in the past position, a Death card in the present position, and an Ace of Cups in the future position. No matter how good the future card looks, our human nature will draw us automatically to focus on the possible negative aspects of the past and present cards. The whole reading simply means that the individual had experienced a heartbreaking moment in life, but things are transforming now, and soon something better is coming along. Yet, for some reason, we will stay focused on the so-called negative cards.

I have come to realize that the Ancient Egyptians, who were credited for creating Tarot, hit the nail on the head by making the cards and their meanings follow a journey in life that mimicks our own paths in lives. Think about it – the Tarot cards are seventy-eight metaphors for life itself. And when we draw them, we are trying to see what they say about our lives on any given day. My advice to you is to truly pay attention to the meanings. While the traditional meanings may ring true for you, this isn’t always the case. Think about your question and where you are in your life in reference to the question, and then begin to interpret the cards. You’ll find quite often that they merely reflect back to us what’s already going on, what we’re already experiencing with a few bits of wisdom added in to help us move along in the situation as we should.

Remember, tarot cards are an intuitive guide. They don’t hold all the answers for our lives; they are mirrors on our lives. The keeper of your answers is you and only you.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Anonymous - Enochian Initiatory Workings
Ot Oss - Psilocybin Magic Mushroom Growers Guide
Paul Foster Case - An Introduction To The Study Of The Tarot
Aristotle - On The Soul
Raym - Spirit Guide A New Life Guide

Tarot As A Guide For Emotional Understanding

I began using the tarot back in September of 1984. I remember being fascinated by the tarot, when it was part of a movie theme and a psychic was doing a reading for a client. At that point, fascination was all there was...until, one day, while talking to a friend...we got onto the subject of things unseen...and then, pandora's box was opened. That story, in that moment, became my inspiration for learning the tarot. Little did I know, that my journey was about to begin. I spent a year learning the meanings and the layouts and in the meantime, between taking psychic development classes and doing readings for people here and there...I found my abilities of intuition and insight, developing and strengthening.

The cards were alive with color and life and meaning...well, ok...at least for me. It was a good time...I loved doing readings...I loved learning about other people, and being able to share something magical. And...then it changed. It seemed that the more that I used my newfound abilities and insights, I found I was activating a soul energy. The more I used my abilities, the more things began changing around me. It is only now, through my travels and many experiences, that I have discovered that it was all for a reason...healing and clearing the emotional timelines. I admit, when the experiences first began happening, I was completely unnerved. Could not find my way out of a paperbag...emotionally, logically, or with any sense of known intelligence. However, even during times of exteme emotional shifts, I still had a strong sense of intuition and knowing.

It was during the extreme emotional shifts, I found myself looking toward the tarot for a better insight, a better understanding, for what was happening on the inner levels, called emotions. It was a gut instinct, a hunch to use the tarot for understanding. At my point of awakening, there wasn't a whole lot of information, suggesting how to do this...and yet, it is amazing, what happens when intuition, becomes a guiding light, in your life. It seemed, at this point, the more I learned, the more intense my emotional experiences and awakenings became. It would be a few years, before I finally found some confirmation of what I was doing with the tarot. I gave up and surrendered using the tarot for psychic potentials and possiblities and began using the tarot, as a way to bring clarity, insight, healing and understanding, as to what was happening to relationships with my family and friends. It was a cutting edge approach...and yet again, I was being guided by my soul's wisdom.

The tarot is an amazing tool for deeper understanding. It teaches how to let go of the perceived patterns that we are taught, and consider, for a moment, the possibility that there is something more, to be learned through emotional pushes, which in reality are opportunities for growth. I found that working with Alliester Crowleys' thoth, was most helpful, as he spent lots of time, in the shadow part of human existence. As I developed a better understanding for using the tarot for healing, I found myself looking for other tarot teachings to assist in this very guided journey, I was waking up to. It was soon discovered, that if you knew how to see...depending on how far you wanted to dig for understanding and how comfortable you were to dig beyond the fear...there were many levels of cards to choose from. Using the tarot as a part of guided insight and wisdom, for a better understanding, is like diving into the deepest part of the ocean. In order not to drown in the fear of feeling, consciously feeling the shifting emotions, you must take a deep breath for your ego, your human self...allow the ego to float in the breath of awareness and dive.

So, the next time you are having an emotional experience, that is making no logical sense to you, ask the question for understanding, check the ego into the breath and take a chance and learn what is happening, on the inner realms of your emotions. For our emotions, once healed, are the very key to activating the key, to our soul's guiding light.

As always, it is by taking a step together, that we can do this, one breath, one step at a time.

Humanity is waking up and it is our time, to bring our Peace of Heaven back to Earth. For this to work, we must be present to do this.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Moses Maimonides - The Guide For The Perplexed
Richard Weiss - Recipes For Immortality
Scott Cunningham - Wicca A Guide For The Solitary Practitioner

Tarot The Five Of Pentacles

Understanding the meaning of the Five of Pentacles ~ In its most basic meaning, the Five of Pentacles is about worry and concern. Worry and concern for the outer aspect of our lives. It could be about finances, relationships, our well being.

Worry and concern can also affect our communication. Worry and concern can also affect our focus and connection to our present moment. Experiencing life challenges, can keep you focused in the past or future and then you are prevented from handling life's challenges as they come up in each moment.

Now, this may appear to be the downside of the Five of Pentacles. However, as we begin to evolve in our journey to inner knowing, the Five of Pentacles, in its shadow side, can also teach and guide us into feeling, understanding and bringing much needed awareness to the challenges at hand. It seems that this is pretty true for all cards in a Tarot deck.

I have been using the Tarot since September of 1984. When I was first introduced to the Tarot, I had no clue, knowledge or understanding for how the Tarot worked, much less how to read their insights and teachings. I began with the Rider Waite Tarot. It was pretty simple. There were upright positions and reversed positions. Now, I admit, it took me almost a year to learn the Tarot. Although I am empathic, with high intuition, I found an interesting thing happening as I was learning the Tarot. I was utilizing my logical thinking, in trying to understand an energy that was highly intuitive.

Trust me when I say, I was having my mini meltdowns about why I wasn't grasping onto learning the Tarot positions and their meanings. After a few months of doing it this way, I put the book away and began using my intuition to learn the Tarot. During this time, life was simple and changes hadn't made their presence known to me. By putting the book away, I finally began to feel intuitively how to follow the cards and utilize their insights as a guide.

But something began to happen, after 6 years of doing readings for myself and reading for others and teaching psychic and intuitive development, my energy and awareness began to change and life changes and challenges began knocking at my door. I found myself living in the energy of the Five of Pentacles; worry and concern. My finances, living environment and relationship began going through major changes;

I found myself living in the past and the future, because I had no clue about how to deal with these major changes in my present moment.

Emotionally, I was in despair. And then one day, while just shuffling the Tarot, I found myself asking questions about the changes that were taking place in my life and the cards really began speaking to me on another level; a more deeper and internal level. At first, I didn't grasp on to the logic of this, but kept going anyway. It was at this point that I was introduced to the Alleister Crowley Tarot, for it specifically journeyed into my shadow side; the part of me that had no answers or understanding.

25 years have gone by since my worries and concerns. I learned a lot. I learned how to utilize the Tarot for lifes inner journey and I learned how to access insight and soul wisdom when the going got tough. It wasn't an easy transition from logic to intuitive knowing, but the rewards were great in terms of inner learning and awareness.

So, if you find yourself having a reading and the Five of Pentacles comes up in your reading, or any card that pushes at your shadow side, have no fear, for this just represents a journey to the inner realms of your knowing, to guide you on your awakening journey.

Life changes are calling to many of us now. These life changes are pushing at our emotional boundaries and forcing us to feel what we may have pushed out of our sight or feeling space. It doesn't always feel good to feel these kinds of changes, but feeling is the key to healing, and the Tarot, for life changes and challenges can become a wonderful guide and teacher, in offering insight and wise counsel to these changes.

Yes, and all this from experiencing life changes and the Five of Pentacles.
Life definitely is interesting!

Books You Might Enjoy:

Tarostar - The Witchs Spellcraft Revised
Anonymous - The Prayers Of The Elementals
Zoroaster - The Chaldean Oracles

Tarot Reading Misunderstandings And Faq

Six Questions I Get Asked Most

Fate or Free Will

The question of whether a card in the future position is absolutely 'gospel' is a matter which often baffles until experience is gelled with feeling. Because a card denotes a certain influence or event does not always mean that influence cannot be altered. Even as we talk about the future we begin to conceptualise it in a freer way and thus it may be modified or changed or even overthrown by the stronger ideas and thoughts of individual mind. In short the future is not carved in tablets of stone.

'Death' and 'Devil' Cards

The bogeys of the pack often put the fear of God into the person having the reading. These arcanum should be treated with the utmost care, opened up for discussion and never just taken at face value. Death gives the greatest opportunity for change, demands it in fact, and all life is change. 'The Devil' concerns the immediate negatives that the enquirer is unwilling to face or that someone closely connected is unwilling to face. Often death may appear after a demise, or the Devil may appear when there is ill-health or chicanery, but in terms of the future they are the darker side of life with which we constantly have to deal and not simply the villains of the piece.

Reversed Cards

A lot of people are perplexed by the fact that some cards when selected appear upside down, or reversed, and whether this should be taken into account.
In actual fact, it is down to the individual understanding of the reader. Some tarot readers will 'read' a lot into reversed meanings and some will not. I personally do not. The tarot cards themselves are very much a focal point for the clairvoyant skills or the perceptions of whoever is reading them.

Block Definitions

Defining tarot card meanings is again at the discretion of the reader. A card falling in one spread in one position does not necessarily mean the same in another spread. The card meanings have to be integrated in an overall sense. Hence, the king of cups on one query will not always convey the same meaning to the reader in the next spread. The reader's ability to take in information over and above that of the main wisdom of the card is not only prerequisite but fundamental to the correct use of tarot. Otherwise, a stereotyped and contrived version of life and events will ensue and be more hindrance than help.

Less is More!

People often wonder whether the more tarot cards are actually spread the more information is forthcoming. Some readers may spread a lot of cards in order to fill in blanks if it's a complex or difficult subject, but mostly this is not the case. If you are learning the tarot try to avoid spreading too many cards, you will confuse yourself, certainly until more experienced. The brunt of the information on a good tarot reader is 'impactful' within the opening minutes and the added information tends to layer itself on what is already on the table. Unless the person being read for is blocked or afraid, in which case the reader may make the fight for access easier for themself by adding more cards

Card Layout or Design

There are many sorts of spreads and layouts and again its down to the individual likes and dislikes of whoever is reading. Some people don't need tarot at all and use ordinary playing cards. (Its a test of how your psychic abilities are developing if you can use an ordinary deck, but don't worry if you can't.) But if you are too busy worrying about your layout or spread design it may actually impede your right hand brain (intuitive faculty) so use the layout you are comfortable with. Simple layouts are best if you're learning: three cards laid horizontally and then perhaps three cards on top when the reading is unfolding. If you're receiving a reading, don't even give it consideration. Leave it to the reader - you don't go to the dentist and watch every single instrument he uses


Books You Might Enjoy:

Walter Scott - Letters On Demonology And Witchcraft
Max Heindel - Teachings Of An Initiate
Anonymous - Healing Gemstones And Crystals

Tarot Reading Know Thy Self

Throughout time, man has been consumed with a need to connect with the spiritual dimension. We are driven to explore the mysteries of our very existence. For thousands of years, those who have yearned to live in harmony with the Universe have consulted with oracles and Gods. The most famous being the Oracle at Delphi. For centuries, many traveled to the Greek Island of Delphi to receive counsel from one of their oracles. Upon entering the temple, the words “Know Thy Self” were inscribed.

Although a great deal of advancement has occurred since the civilization of ancient Greece, we still seek to understand the meaning of our lives. In many ways, we are consulting with oracles all the time. These are our teachers, spiritual counselors, authors, artists, psychotherapists, grandparents, friends, etc. We are constantly attempting to discover who we truly are and as much as we seek out advice from others, the real guidance comes from within our own selves.

In Tarot Reading, the Tarot serves as an oracle. We consult with them to get “counsel”. The beauty, however, is that the Tarot is not a living and breathing entity. Rather it is a divinatory tool. A tool that is available to anyone who wishes to explore their own, inner world. Its energy comes from the energy we give it. It is there to disclose the secrets of ourselves that remain out of sight. The Tarot always provides guidance as to how we can achieve or manifest our goals. In tarot reading, the Tarot provides insight and new concepts. It is there to help us brainstorm, discovers what influences us and highlights situations that we may have been unaware of. Most importantly, the tarot offers one a new sense of awareness of who they are.

In a tarot reading, the Tarot never tells you what to do. It’s important to remember that you have your own will. You have the power to choose your own directions and behaviors. Rather than telling you what to do, the Tarot helps you to identify your feelings about the things that are going on in your life. When you consistently work with the Tarot, your own intuitive skills will improve. Making important decisions will no longer cause you anxiety or fear. You will inherently know what to do.

True divination is nothing less than seeking out the divine within all things. Tarot reading enables us to connect with ourselves, to humanity, and to the Universe. It is from this process, that we find the true magic and mysticism of this world.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Tuesday Lobsang Rampa - Feeding The Flame
Tuesday Lobsang Rampa - Living With The Lama
Melita Denning - The Aurum Solis
Aristotle - On The Soul

Tarot Numerology Threes

The tarot can be understood better if the underlying numerology is understood. Cards of the same number in different suits and in the Major Arcana have similar meanings derived from the following qualities...

Corresponding - Major Arcana - The Empress

Major characteristics: Creation, Fretilization, a first stage of growth is achieved.

Also: Growth, development, increase, flowering, expansion, regeneration, exploration, moving out into the world, initial completion, enthusiasm, preparation, perspective.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Tuesday Lobsang Rampa - Three Lives
Aristotle - On Dreams
Aristotle - On The Soul
Thomas Muldoon - Numerology For The 21st Century

Tarot Numerology Sevens

The tarot can be understood better if the underlying numerology is understood. Cards of the same number in different suits and in the Major Arcana have similar meanings derived from the following qualities...

Corresponding - Major Arcana - The Chariot

Major characteristics: Fate, Divine order, Dispassionate awareness, Mysticism

Also: Choice, wisdom, the need to make decisions, harmony dispelled, spiritual development, morality, divine justice, Magick, change, a turning point, rebellion, eccentricity, intuition, the completion of a phase or cycle.

This is the number of the spirit.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Aristotle - On The Soul
John Dee - Table From Liber Loagaeth French Version
Christopher Siren - Sumerian Mythology Faq
Thomas Muldoon - Numerology For The 21st Century

Tarot Numerology Fours

The tarot can be understood better if the underlying numerology is understood. Cards of the same number in different suits and in the Major Arcana have similar meanings derived from the following qualities...

Corresponding - Major Arcana - The Emperor

Major characteristics: Structure, Foundation, The Physical Universe

Also: Stability, order, predictability, solidity, tenacity, entrenchment, work, reality, manifestation, practical attainment, stagnation, logic, reason, power and control, the material world.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Austin Osman Spare - The Logomachy Of Zos
Aristotle - On The Soul
Christopher Siren - Sumerian Mythology Faq
Thomas Muldoon - Numerology For The 21st Century

Tarot Meditation On Wands And Swords

These two suits are confusing to some people because different designers attach different meanings to the symbols. Here is a way to think about the difference. Who wields a sword? Who carries a staff? The sword is about the use of intellect and will power. Warriors charge into battle, hacking away at the opposition. Now sometimes we do have to fight for self defense or to stand up for our rights. The person with the sword can be decisive when their mind is clear, but too much mental activity can cloud judgment, leading to jeaousy, anger, heartbreak, and fighting that is not necessary.

Wands, staffs, rods, scepters are all symbols of wisdom and authority. These are all variables of the suit according to different designers as well. Who is usually seen with these? Wise elders, bishops, kings, queens, martial arts masters. Passion, wisdom and creativity are indicated. It takes time, effort, creativity and the wisdom gained through life experience to achieve a position of genuine authority and trust. Authority won through force alone is never as well loved, enduring, or desirable.

So ask yourself what causes are at the root of issues when you see a lot of swords or a lot of wands in the cards you draw. Is it time to pick up your sword and spring into action, clearing away the clutter, obstacles and opposition, putting an end to events or relationships or situations that need to be brought to an end? Is it time to reawaken more passion, creativity, and inspiration in your life? Time to rouse your spirit with quests, adventures, passionate expressions and creative endeavors that spark the imagination and expand your vision?

What is it time for wands or swords? Swords or wands?

Books You Might Enjoy:

Al Selden Leif - 6 Questions On Wicca And Paganism
Michael Jordan - Dictionary Of Gods And Goddesses
Richard Roy - 13 Questions On Paganism And Wicca
Alice Bailey - Initiation Human And Solar

Tarot Meditation On Cups

The suit of cups (also chalices, cauldrons, grails, hearts) is the suit of emotions. This includes love, friendship, trust, happiness, faith, and intuition, our gut instinct. How many times do we make decisions based on gut instinct?

How many times do we choose our friends, lovers and business partners based on this gut instinct? The down sides of this suit are fear, indecision, sadness over past losses, laziness, all of which arise when there is too little love, too little happiness, too little trust.

This suit is often illustrated with lots of water. Just like the Earth, our bodies are mostly water, and we feel the magnetic pull of the moon. We express all of our emotions with water. Tears, blood, sweat, orgasms, saliva when we kiss, and the water in our mouths communicate the way we sense taste. It is good to pay attention to emotions when making decisions. The decisions that are right for you feel good and the decisions that are not, feel bad.

Flow with your feelings. Let your self be moved. Follow the currents and they will lead you to where you want to be. When cups are the cards you draw, how do you feel? What do the pictures suggest you do?

Books You Might Enjoy:

Anonymous - Protection Of Space
Anonymous - Divination Spreads
Aristotle - Metaphysics

Tarot Journey With The High Priestess

The High Priestess represents the principle of intuition, self trust, self resourcefulness. She represents balance. This archetype reminds us not to hand our power away and to have equal balance in our strength and our vulnerability.

Many years ago, almost a lifetime ago, as I write about The High Priestess, because my husband and I were generating so much empathic and intuitive energy between us, we began experiencing a complete dismantling of outdated and old ways to approach our life.

It is safe to say, that the veils, that had kept us so protected and innocent to these life changes, were now being torn apart, for truth, from deeper under the surface to everyday life, would ground and anchor itself, in the path that we were walking.

The Tarot Cards, would become a much needed guide for these changes. It was at this point, that I began working with the energies and insights of the Alleister Crowley Tarot. Yes, I am aware of what has been written on Alleister, however, as an awakening full blown empath, I needed to work with a specific energy, that would teach and guide me, to the wild emotional surf, that had become our life.

We had been living in a place, where the energies were very scatterd and very dense. We had not figured out or discovered that we were stepping into the ascension process and being in dense and scattered energies, was a process for clearing and connecting our energy to soul blueprint and bringing much needed energy to the area and place that we were living.

It seemed that the longer we were in different environments, because I was learning how to read patterns of energy and learning how not to take it personally, any negatives that were coming to the surface, I felt a tremendous amount of fear and panic setting in. Fear that we had screwed up our lives by listening to our intuition. Fear that we would never learn or come out of this path, that was not well traveled or even discovered yet.

I felt panicked and lost enough, that even though I am a Tarot reader, with empathic abilities and high intuition, I was no good to myself or the awakening process, that had become our lives. I did it!. I went for a psychic reading.

Well, of course, the reader picked up on my energy and asked me why on earth I was talking to her for a reading, with the energy that I was floating in and still trying to figure out how to generate. Not to be forgotten, I was still pretty new to this journey and had not yet figured out, that the many life experiences heading my way, would eventually teach me and to utilized Tarot insight, intuition, breath and awareness, constantly and consistently, until this new way of thinking would root and anchor into my life.

As I was not looking for predictions or outcomes, but a way to figure how to tap into my awareness, I explained a little bit about what was going on and she proceeded with a Celtic cross layout. To this day, I don't remember what the other cards were in the layout. However, when she got to the position of fear, The High Priestess was there in all her glory. The focus became about the High Priestess in the fear position.

She could not get over seeing the High Priestess in the fear position.

She had never seen something like this, in the years that she had been doing readings.

All she could do was ask; "woman, what on earth are you doing with your energy, why aren't you listening to your intuition and why on earth are you handing your power away? Well, OK, I was still young and new to the unchartered territory that had become our life and the journey that we didn't want to take, but had to take it anyway.

Well, after those words, I felt myself come back into my body and felt myself snap into appropriate awareness.

From that day forward, whenever a negative, a challenge and an obstacle was on the horizon and getting ready to be transformed and transmuted into a state of awareness, I would breathe deeply and connect to the energy of the High Priestess, to guide me along the way.

Each Tarot card, in a deck represents and generates its own energy. When we begin a journey, that has never been traveled before, the road less taken or not taken at all, the only thing we have as our guide is our intuition and all things that teach us how to focus and connect to our intuition.

It has taken 18 years to complete the many levels and paths of this journey, the High Priestess, certainly did become my guide and teacher on this ascension process and journey of awakening. At the beginning of this journey, having never come across anything empathic, or how to connect emotions to our intuition, I was and we were scared beyond our imaginings.

As with everything, with constant and consistent practice, the tools for intuition and the Tarot, taught us how to go within and stay connected to our breath and our awareness. No, it didn't happen overnight, it was a learned practice, that needed constant application to our life experiences.

To this day, whenever my energy gets stuck and confusion sets in, one of the many things that I remember now, is that the stuckness represents new information and new energy setting into my life and that staying connected to my breath and remembering to connect to the higher energies of the High Priestess and allow for the natural connection and integration process to unfold, in due time, everything begins to make sense.

This was my journey with the High Priestess, one that will continue to be a guide on my path.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Margaret Alice Murray - The Witch Cult In Western Europe
Aleister Crowley - The Winged Beetle
Arthur Edward Waite - The Hermetic Museum