Tarot:Where To Begin (Part Three)

There are a lot of rules and guidelines to observe when reading Tarot cards. A lot of it is confusing, or contradictory. To highlight this, here are two articles posted by Mary K Greer. They both compile knowledge and tips from a long list of Tarot enthusiasts, presented in bullet-point style. As Ms. Greer mentions, the advice here is presented in such a way as to encourage respect for all points of view, however different. If you're new to the cards, these are an absolute MUST read - and if you are experienced, they are still a great read:

What Every Newbie Tarot Reader Should Know

What Every Newbie Tarot Should Know About The History and Myths of Tarot

DIY Tarot

   If you want to really understand the essence of a card, and be sure that you will know its interpretation by heart, there is a way to give yourself a break from making lists, and endless hours of readings. Though these are essential, sometimes it pays to use your imagination. As mentioned here, you can utilise meditation and visualisation techniques, but if you feel like you want more of a hands on project, the best thing you can do is make your own!

   The process of designing your own cards will assist you in understanding them, each redesigned card challenging you to consider its deeper meaning. Don't be put off if you can't draw. neither can I! (as you can see below :P)

   Artistic talent or qualification need not be a factor when creating your own card or deck. There are other options, such as collage, and computer graphics. The whole point of this exercise is to develop a connection to the cards.

   It certainly worked for me. While it may seem corny or simplistic, redrawing strength as someone saving a life against their better nature helped me to really get to grips with its basic meaning. Likewise Justice - it was a challenge to try and convey both justice and injustice in a single card.

                             Try this next time you are 'stuck' on a card: consider how you would depict its meaning in a picture. Think of how you would explain 'The Tower' if you couldn't use words.

Tarot: Where To Begin (Part Two)

Click here to read Part One!

  
   Alright, so in Part One we obtained a deck. So what now? And what on Earth is an Arcana?

   At this point, all you need to know are the very basics: that the Tarot is (usually) a 78 card deck, and that that deck comes in two parts: the Major Arcana, and the Minor Arcana. The Major Arcana comprises of 22 cards - these are the ones with names like 'The Wheel Of Fortune' and 'The Lovers'. The Minor Arcana is made up of the remaining 56 cards, and is made up of numbered and face cards in four different suits - much like a pack of regular playing cards. As we will later discover, this is no coincidence.

   The next decision you have to make is whether to learn some of the meanings before you start to use the cards, or learn the interpretations as you go, looking up cards as they turn up in layouts or 'spreads'.

   When I was thirteen years old, I was given my first deck as a birthday present by a friend of the family. I had never physically seen a deck until she began reading for me, and I was fascinated - and a little scared. Looking through the cards for the first time, something about the images on them disturbed and compelled me. I believe now that this had to do with the way the symbolism of Tarot speaks directly to the subconscious mind. The images, symbols and icons used to create many Tarot decks have been in use for centuries, and for many people a first look at them provokes this same giddy combination of curiosity and alarm.

   I had to know what they meant.

   I would recommend a little of both the above methods - by all means, interpret the cards as you go, but also try to learn as much as you can in between readings. There are hundreds, if not thousands of books on the Tarot out there. But after reading one or two, you will begin to notice something: the interpretations vary from person to person, sometimes subtly, sometimes by miles. It is easy to be put off by this. How, you may ask, can I be expected to find the right answer when nobody entirely agrees on what the right answer really is?

   Whether or not a Reader should attach personal meaning to the cards - and to what extent - is one of the most active debates in the Tarot community. I certainly wouldn't advise ignoring the interpretations of others and simply making up your own. Instead, I would recommend a method I first discovered in what is still probably my favourite book on the Tarot: 'Tarotmania' by Jan Woudhuysen (more on this interesting book a few posts later ). It was the first time I heard such a theory, though I expect not the first time it has been suggested - and being new in such an overwhelming mine of information, it was a revelation.

   The author's suggested method for learning the often complicated card meanings was this: draw up a chart, listing the names of each card in the Major Arcana. Collect as many books on Tarot meanings as you can, and as you read each interpretation of a card, jot down similar themes and keywords used to describe it. For example: one book may describe 'The Emperor' as 'tyranny', while another may describe him as 'a strong, protective force'. Truthfully, neither are wrong. The word you jot down is 'authority'. I picture each interpretation as a slider, like the volume control on an old stereo - turned all the way up, The High Priestess may mean insanity; turned all the way down, wisdom and intuition; but label on this slider would read 'insight', at either extreme. When people speak of reversed meanings, this is what they are talking about: the duality inherent in every card. There is no Injustice card because the Justice card incorporates the concept completely.

   Other suggested methods involve meditation, and visualisation. One of my favourites (and I wish I could remember where I read it, because credit is most definitely due for the idea) involved taking a card from the Tarot deck, and simply gazing into it. The object of the exercise was to visualise the borders around the picture fading away, until you are in effect 'stepping into the picture' in your minds eye - perhaps standing on that cliff next to The Fool and feeling the grass beneath your feet, or feeling your stomach knot as you peer over the edge. Whether or not you believe in such visualisation techniques as a means to further understand the Tarot, it is certainly an enjoyable and calming exercise - if nothing else, you'll be nice and relaxed!

   But whatever method you prefer, if you put the time in and really want to learn, you will know the basic difference between The High Priestess and The Hierophant in no time.

Next: Laying Out The Cards

Tarot: Where To Begin (Part One)

   Tarot is everywhere these days. We've all seen the imagery, from adverts to funfairs, signs of the cultural effect of cartomancy are all around us. A lot of people - perhaps most people - know that they are a deck of cards that people use to predict events and trends in their lives. But if this is all you really know, approaching the Tarot can be daunting. A common misconception is that the Tarot possess some elite, arcane knowledge which can only be harnessed by the exceptional few. In truth, all you need is an open mind, and a keen interest. The rest you can learn : though not all of it can be taught.

   The first place to start is, obviously, the selection of a deck. There are no wrong choices: some people will select the more familiar packs such as the classic Rider-Waite or Marseilles decks; others, the more obscure, arty decks (Phantasmagoric, Analytical); some readers are drawn to the soothing fantasy imagery of the Dragon Tarot;while still others prefer the bleak, macabre stylings of HR Giger or Savage Tarot. There are so many types: Angel Oracle, Lenormand....the list is dizzying. By all accounts, there are thousands of decks out there.

   The truth is, you don't need to know your Book of Thoth from your Oracle Dessuart to get started. It's quite simple. Pick one you like, and you can't go wrong. After all, you're going to spend a lot of time with these cards. Get a feel for the different decks out there, and pick one you like. There are plenty of sites out there to help you make a more informed choice (I personally am an Aeclectic Tarot kind of girl, but they are by no means the only site).

   Don't worry too much about your approach at this point. Some approach the Tarot because of a belief in psychic ability, paganism, spirituality or psychology - others get into Tarot readings and then discover what their beliefs really are.

   How you look after your deck is down to individual taste. Some people consecrate them by moving the deck through incense smoke or anointing it with oil. You can make or purchase a pouch to keep them safe, keep them in a special container...You probably have your own ritual when it comes to starting something new - do whatever feels right for you. And if you want to simply take them out, use them, and keep them in a box in the drawer, that's your business entirely. There really is no perfect practise. It all come down to what you are comfortable with.

Next: Learning The Basics

Click here to read Part Two!