It occurred to me that just because someone is new to Tarot, doesn't mean they are necessarily new to all the concepts. And how long is one officially considered "a beginner?" I think we've all found that when starting out, one may excel in one aspect while struggling a bit with another.
And by the same token, just because someone may have been reading tarot for a long time doesn't mean they've mastered every (or any!) possible aspect. It also means that revisiting some basics now and again can be a real boost to anyone.
For this (and other) reasons I've decided to re-think the concept of the "Beginners" forum. It is now called "Learning Your Craft."
For one thing, it feels a bit less patronising, less like "The Kiddie Tarot-Table" but for another, it recognises that we all are still learning. This is one of the beautiful things about tarot. It is a multi-faceted and never ending journey.
But the learning can be quite serious and difficult at times. So this is where we can discuss techniques and methods we have found for connecting to and understanding the craft of reading Tarot.
Learning Your Craft is a place where ANY question can be posed and every technique or discovery can be shared.
I hope that no matter what your "level" that you use this area freely and help yourself and others grow.
And I guarantee, any question you may have about learning tarot, is a question many others have. And that many others will have some ideas and advice on.
This forum is officially closed. It will however remain online and active in a limited form for the time being.
No More "Beginners"
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Joan Marie
- Forum Designer
- Sage
- Posts: 5308
- Joined: 22 Apr 2018, 21:52
Re: No More "Beginners"
I'm glad you made this post, Joan Marie.
I've been struggling a little about what to post on this wonderful forum. I feel that what I want to post and have posted is just rehashed old stuff that maybe an absolute beginner wouldn't know, but to most people it's just stale bread. (I'm talking about TdM here which is my one and only Tarot love.)
When I started out in Tarot a couple of decades ago and joined ATF, there were no books in English on the TdM and one needed to speak French to benefit from the knowledge that had already been widely spread in the French speaking world. But now things have changed, the TdM is no longer an unknown entity in the English speaking world. Also with the internet, we have all the info we need at the click of our fingers. In "those" days, when the internet was still in its infant years, Wikipedia didn't exist, and we had to do a lot of research for ourselves and asked crazy things like "Is Lilith the Devil in the Tarot? " and although we didn't really believe it, we travelled down lovely roads regardless.
I've been out of touch with Tarot for many years. After being banned from Aeclectic (but I was in the process of leaving when I received the message that I'd been banned so it didn't bother me much), and after closing the two Tarot study forums that Anna (a Tarot companion) and I set up, my interest in Tarot waned. I even sold all my books (even the rare ones) a few years ago, thinking that I'd never come back to it. And then suddenly out of the blue a couple of months ago more or less, I started thinking about the Tarot again. I even started writing a book. And then I decided to look for Holmes. I knew where he would be would be a good place for me too because I love Holmes so much. I searched and searched and I found him here. And I joined with great pleasure and it seems like my Tarot journey is not at an end. But I feel very much like a beginner myself. I wonder how I ever got the reputation for being an expert in the Tarot of Marseilles, I talked so much nonsense it seems to me. I assume it was because there was so few of us then that anyone who had some kind of knowledge was considered an expert.
So when I post my "beginner" stuff on the TdM forum, it's also for me. To remind myself of the things that delighted me at the time and which still delight me now. It's like a bit of revision.
I've been struggling a little about what to post on this wonderful forum. I feel that what I want to post and have posted is just rehashed old stuff that maybe an absolute beginner wouldn't know, but to most people it's just stale bread. (I'm talking about TdM here which is my one and only Tarot love.)
When I started out in Tarot a couple of decades ago and joined ATF, there were no books in English on the TdM and one needed to speak French to benefit from the knowledge that had already been widely spread in the French speaking world. But now things have changed, the TdM is no longer an unknown entity in the English speaking world. Also with the internet, we have all the info we need at the click of our fingers. In "those" days, when the internet was still in its infant years, Wikipedia didn't exist, and we had to do a lot of research for ourselves and asked crazy things like "Is Lilith the Devil in the Tarot? " and although we didn't really believe it, we travelled down lovely roads regardless.
I've been out of touch with Tarot for many years. After being banned from Aeclectic (but I was in the process of leaving when I received the message that I'd been banned so it didn't bother me much), and after closing the two Tarot study forums that Anna (a Tarot companion) and I set up, my interest in Tarot waned. I even sold all my books (even the rare ones) a few years ago, thinking that I'd never come back to it. And then suddenly out of the blue a couple of months ago more or less, I started thinking about the Tarot again. I even started writing a book. And then I decided to look for Holmes. I knew where he would be would be a good place for me too because I love Holmes so much. I searched and searched and I found him here. And I joined with great pleasure and it seems like my Tarot journey is not at an end. But I feel very much like a beginner myself. I wonder how I ever got the reputation for being an expert in the Tarot of Marseilles, I talked so much nonsense it seems to me. I assume it was because there was so few of us then that anyone who had some kind of knowledge was considered an expert.
So when I post my "beginner" stuff on the TdM forum, it's also for me. To remind myself of the things that delighted me at the time and which still delight me now. It's like a bit of revision.
Rumi was asked “which music sound is haram?” Rumi replied, "The sound of tablespoons playing in the pots of the rich, which are heard by the ears of the poor and hungry." (haram means forbidden)
Re: No More "Beginners"
if I may suggest,, it is rare for me to suggest a sticky by itself,,
but I feel this should be a sticky right there in the learning your craft forum so it describes why it was changed and give a history to new people coming to the tarot.
I used to call myself a beginner until I was ready to read without my books,
I read for a while..
however , I think my guidelines for myself was for preparation for reading professionally, and it still took me a long time to get myself into the mind set by practicing for years online..
even now I am learning my craft as there is the avenue of qabalah, and astrology ahead of me, if I really want to apply myself.
there is a tendancy at some point to rest on one laurels, there is nothing new to learn in a book we may feel, or why learn soemthing new we have enough we may feel.
still the tarot is always churning in one mind.. i watch a lot of tv shows and movie , so when i read my filters come out.
(john edward said for mediums they use their own filters so mind would come out in forms of tv shows and movies,, while another may come out in music ,or poems etc ).
and as i read live every year for 2 days at the pow wow,,and 3 days at the fair,, yearly .. the pratical application of what i learned has to evolve as I took out what i thought was good,, and added more things..
example ,, the client shuffling the cards.. it was faster for me to do it..
it is rare now for the client to ask for a specific spread , one year they only did the deck of a thousand spreads..
i found last year that i hardly used it ,, just prefering to free form.. (possibly because my deck of a thousand spread due to massive use is in bad shape).
sometimes we may have a concept in mind that we believe in and due to actual experiences have to rexamine..
example
i used to beleive why should we ask a specific spread when we should focus on what is more important for us to learn..
alas i got a general review , which made me stop reading online professionally online at the site..
and i did 2 more readings ,both were paid,, and i did gave the general 10 card reading.. and both times they were disappointed that the business aspect wasn't covered.
so before i used to be i dont' want to know what exactly just give me a general point.. now i am more give me a general laydown, and open to doing business spreads.
so yes i am still learning my craft,
but I feel this should be a sticky right there in the learning your craft forum so it describes why it was changed and give a history to new people coming to the tarot.
I used to call myself a beginner until I was ready to read without my books,
I read for a while..
however , I think my guidelines for myself was for preparation for reading professionally, and it still took me a long time to get myself into the mind set by practicing for years online..
even now I am learning my craft as there is the avenue of qabalah, and astrology ahead of me, if I really want to apply myself.
there is a tendancy at some point to rest on one laurels, there is nothing new to learn in a book we may feel, or why learn soemthing new we have enough we may feel.
still the tarot is always churning in one mind.. i watch a lot of tv shows and movie , so when i read my filters come out.
(john edward said for mediums they use their own filters so mind would come out in forms of tv shows and movies,, while another may come out in music ,or poems etc ).
and as i read live every year for 2 days at the pow wow,,and 3 days at the fair,, yearly .. the pratical application of what i learned has to evolve as I took out what i thought was good,, and added more things..
example ,, the client shuffling the cards.. it was faster for me to do it..
it is rare now for the client to ask for a specific spread , one year they only did the deck of a thousand spreads..
i found last year that i hardly used it ,, just prefering to free form.. (possibly because my deck of a thousand spread due to massive use is in bad shape).
sometimes we may have a concept in mind that we believe in and due to actual experiences have to rexamine..
example
i used to beleive why should we ask a specific spread when we should focus on what is more important for us to learn..
alas i got a general review , which made me stop reading online professionally online at the site..
and i did 2 more readings ,both were paid,, and i did gave the general 10 card reading.. and both times they were disappointed that the business aspect wasn't covered.
so before i used to be i dont' want to know what exactly just give me a general point.. now i am more give me a general laydown, and open to doing business spreads.
so yes i am still learning my craft,
Re: No More "Beginners"
Thank you for reconceptualizing this topic. I first discovered the Tarot in the late 90s and dabbled a bit. I bought a few books and a few decks and tried to make a go of it. The person who introduced Tarot to me was, sadly, a very bad element in my life and as I moved away from him, I also distanced myself from Tarot. In the past few months, the cards have called me back and I have begun studying in earnest. I feel like I'm fighting with a bit of an Impostor Syndrome, as I started this journey 20 years ago but in this moment I feel like I'm starting again...the Fool's Journey? 
This weekend while sorting through an old box of stuff, I found several of my original decks and a few books. It was delightful to connect with these "old friends" and introduce them to the new decks I've acquired. The more I'm learning, the more I truly appreciate that this is a lifetime pursuit and you are always able to learn something new and expand your understanding. Thank you for creating this community for all of us to travel this path together. I look forward to learning from you all and sharing my own insights along the way.
This weekend while sorting through an old box of stuff, I found several of my original decks and a few books. It was delightful to connect with these "old friends" and introduce them to the new decks I've acquired. The more I'm learning, the more I truly appreciate that this is a lifetime pursuit and you are always able to learn something new and expand your understanding. Thank you for creating this community for all of us to travel this path together. I look forward to learning from you all and sharing my own insights along the way.Re: No More "Beginners"
Hello Fleur ! (In the Harry Potter books there's also a Fleur. Are you related ?)
Ha. I also felt like I had Imposter Syndrome. Also because I knew that a lot had gone on in the Tarot world unnoticed by me for so long. I knew it had evolved, but how and how much ? Would I be able to catch up ? It's like I'd taken a long leave of absence from school but had to start off again where everyone else is ! Enough to make one's head spin.
Then I came to the conclusion that it's great to come back to a world that is new and fresh, but still familiar and comfortable. I don't really need "yesterday's manna". Today's should be just as delicious, if not more.
Enjoy your time here.
Rumi was asked “which music sound is haram?” Rumi replied, "The sound of tablespoons playing in the pots of the rich, which are heard by the ears of the poor and hungry." (haram means forbidden)
Re: No More "Beginners"
Ah yes, Fleur Delacour, the lovely French student! Thank you for the compliment. I've used the screen name Fleur as a tribute to my sweet dog who was my constant companion when the interwebs were new and screen names were first a necessity.
She was a delightful little Bichon and she has remained with me long after she's left this moral coil as I've carried her name as my nom de plume. If you're a lover of dogs, you will certainly understand. Thank you for sharing your story. I see we have somethings in common. I look forward to getting to know you better on the forum.