Learning Tarot
Everyone finds their unique, personal way to the Tarot, some people do a deep,
detailed study of the cards, others avoid study and rely on intuition alone.
Connecting with the Tarot, and a particular deck is a wonderful experience, and
I find a very detailed examination of each card interesting and deeply
connecting for me. It can take days or weeks to go through every card for a
careful study. It's not a race, so enjoy the process.
Major Arcana (22 Cards; Numbered 0 - 21) represent archetypical energies in life. The Principles, the "Why" behind events.
Minor Arcana (40 Cards; 4 Suites of 10 cards each) represent mundane (though not less import than the Majors) energies in life. The "What" of events.
Court Cards (16 Cards; 4 Suites of 4 cards each) often represent personality traits or specific people in the querent's life; may represent relationships or the environmental energies in life (types of life experiences). The "Who" or "Personal side" of events.
Recommended Tarot Books
(beginning, intermediate, advanced)
Reviews of Tarot Decks
From my large Tarot collection.
Major Arcana Minor Arcana Court Cards
Learning a new Tarot Deck
I look at each card, carefully noticing every detail; I may use a magnifying glass
for decks with lots of detail, Waite, Thoth etc.
When studying a card; I don't go on until I feel that I've really absorbed it
(with Thoth some cards took days, since I looked up all the various/wide/deep
attributions) and sometimes a multiple pass approach works better (first time
just go through quickly, just look at each card enough to distinguish it from
other decks then go on; on the 2nd pass you can look for more details, symbols
and thematic links between the cards within this deck etc.
If you connect with that deck, the process becomes a
cherishment, savoring.
Taking Possession of a new Tarot Deck
Most Tarotist do something special for a new deck, to make the deck personally
theirs (removing the influences of it's previous handling), such as
sleeping with the cards (in a bag or box) nearby or smuging the deck with
incense. If you have a room for meditation you can place the deck there, or on
your altar. Whatever works for you.
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Tarot Dreams
Many people find that Tarot cards can influence their dreams. If you contemplate
one card just before go to sleep, you may find that you have dreams associated
with the meaning of that card. (place the card nearby)
Collecting Tarot Decks
Many people recommend that when learning Tarot, you should pick a single deck
for your initial use, and stay with one deck until you've learned it thoroughly.
I bought many decks, compared the cards from the various decks to abstract a
meaning for the card. Eventually I settled on a couple of favorites that became
my standard reading decks.
I collect many new decks each month, most often I am attracted to a new deck for it art, and with many of these decks I often don't intend to use them as reading deck, but add them to my collection for the beauty or interesting features of the cards.