How to learn your Tarot deck

[BlueStar]

One question I posed to myself when starting to learn tarot was how to get to know all 78 cards in the deck. There are various ways, but I'd like to start this thread with one suggestion, which is usually how I start to learn meanings or familiarize myself with a new deck.

I don't get out the guidebook and look at the meanings. Instead, I'll work through each card looking at the imagery and recognising what that imagery or symbolism therein means to me. What's my first impression of what the card is portraying? How does it make me feel? Can I see alternative meanings?

Once I've done that then I'll compare my impressions to what the guidebook definition says. Sometimes it will match up, sometimes there are some similarities but I find new perspectives from the guidebook I hadn't at first noticed. There have been occassions where my interpretation is very different from the deck creator's, but that's okay, I tend go with what my mind sees.

I feel that getting to know the deck this way impresses better the meanings to my subconscious. Seems to work well for me so far.

But there are many different ways to learn a Tarot deck, I hope folks will add their own tips and tricks too:)

[inomminate]

Hi
I find you learn a lot by doing a card of the day. This gives you chance to see how the cards work in your own life not just the book meanings.
inomminate

[Nemia]

I do the same - I always look at the cards themselves before I read the lwb or book.

If I have time, I open the whole deck and look at the suits and majors as whole - at colours, structures, motifs that repeat... like Benebell Wen does when she writes her reviews (and writing a review is the best way to get to know a deck!).

Court cards are often tricky, and I always try to understand the inner logic of the "court families".

I look how cards work next to each other, above and below each other - is there a flow? are the cards self-contained?

I also like to compare a new deck to other decks that I have already.

It's great fun to get to know a new deck!

[jaq]

I usually just enjoy looking at all the cards. Often I jump in right away and do a reading with it. A few times I've interviewed my deck (e.g. Little Red Tarot Get to know your Tarot Deck Interview Spread)

[Amoroso]

I just read the book, admire the art of and explore the symbols and meanings of a certain number of cards per day, and use the deck in some readings.

[SaturnCeleste]

I usually just enjoy looking at all the cards. Often I jump in right away and do a reading with it. A few times I've interviewed my deck (e.g. Little Red Tarot Get to know your Tarot Deck Interview Spread)

YES!! Deck interviews are awesome and fun! I agree it is a great way to connect to your deck.

[Junipera]

I'm not sure the rules here for responding to old threads. But one way that I get to know a new deck is to play solitaire with it.

[Charlie Brown]

I believe the rule is that, in order to respond, you need to push the "post reply" button.

[Diana]

I'm not sure the rules here for responding to old threads. But one way that I get to know a new deck is to play solitaire with it.

About the "rules" for responding to old threads, I think you may be referring to some message boards who yell at people who drag up old threads as they are considered done and stale. I don't think that's the case here. I would think that it is great that old threads get revived and remembered instead of falling into oblivion.

It's interesting that you play solitaire with your decks. I think that's a great idea. And solitaire is a great game to play. I think I'll try this! Thank you !

[Junipera]

Thank you both for responding. I don't want to start out on the wrong foot. Some threads are as applicable today as they were years ago, never mind weeks or months.

The solitaire I play requires alternating the red and black, or in the case of tarot to alternate the wands/swords and the cups/pentacles. This alternating requires looking at the pictures and numbers, helping me become more familiar with the deck.

When I turn over a major, I just put it aside.

I pay special attention to any cards that play a role in the game, such as a card that blocks a pile that desperately needs to be uncovered, and the card that releases the block.

[Diana]

Thank you both for responding. I don't want to start out on the wrong foot. Some threads are as applicable today as they were years ago, never mind weeks or months.

The solitaire I play requires alternating the red and black, or in the case of tarot to alternate the wands/swords and the cups/pentacles. This alternating requires looking at the pictures and numbers, helping me become more familiar with the deck.

When I turn over a major, I just put it aside.

I pay special attention to any cards that play a role in the game, such as a card that blocks a pile that desperately needs to be uncovered, and the card that releases the block.

You know there are so many hidden treasures in Cult of Tarot, that I've begun to suspect that they're hidden in rooms that vanish and disappear at times, sort of à la Hogwarts. I'm a relatively new member but I spend a lot of time here so I've plenty of time to roam. But there are times when someone brings up a old thread and I ask myself "where did THAT come from ?" So I think there's some kind of magic or mischief around !!

So please please, if you find any treasures, show them to us !!!

Anyway, back to the main topic. Thanks a million for explaining the rules of Tarot Solitaire. I'm definitely going to put away some time to play it this week with a deck I got recently but which I can't make heads or tails of. I really like it though. It's the Tarot del Fuego. https://www.google.com/search?q=tarot+d ... ikBgPn-SAM:

I've always enjoyed playing Solitaire. I find it very relaxing. And using it to play and get acquainted with the cards sounds like a huge lot of fun !!

[Junipera]

But there are times when someone brings up a old thread and I ask myself "where did THAT come from ?" So I think there's some kind of magic or mischief around !! So please please, if you find any treasures, show them to us !!!

It's the Tarot del Fuego. https://www.google.com/search?q=tarot+d ... ikBgPn-SAM:
I've always enjoyed playing Solitaire. I find it very relaxing. And using it to play and get acquainted with the cards sounds like a huge lot of fun !!

Sometimes thread titles are less obvious or more obvious because of what is above or below them, and some lists look different on different operating systems or different size screens. I have seen something on my phone and then gone onto my computer to respond and cannot find it.

I like your deck! I am amazed at how different my taste is now than it was 10 years ago. I have changed. One way to measure change is to watch our reaction to decks change.

I bought colored pencils tonight to match the element colors of my deck. The enchanted tarot has some nontraditional correspondences. Cups is hearts and pink. Swords is blue, not yellow.

Tarot and cartomancy correspondences often do not line up with neopagan correspondences. I have come to the conclusion that cards are at the very heart of my spiritual practice. No matter how incompatible the card correspondences are to something else I would like to integrate into my practice, the cards come first. The Zerner-Farber elements fit into a chart, better than a wheel. If I want to draw a wheel, I cannot plot both season and direction on the same wheel.

So I am drawing some charts and wheels and coloring them in with the colors of my deck.

Your deck is primary colors. Maybe there is some type of art supply that you could not afford to buy many colors, or does not come in many colors? USING the elemental colors of your deck might help you learn it.

I have started artist way morning pages again. I color code my morning pages as a to-do list. I am working out a system to use the deck elemental colors. I am going to buy some embroidery thread in my deck elemental colors and make a friendship bracelet. I bought a binder in the color of the majors for all my notes.

[Joan Marie]

I'm not sure the rules here for responding to old threads. But one way that I get to know a new deck is to play solitaire with it.

Reviving old threads is HIGHLY encouraged.

And so often it's people new to the forum who do it and everyone is so grateful for it. So thank you!

Your solitaire idea is amazing. I've never heard that before. What a great idea.

[Junipera]

I'm not sure the rules here for responding to old threads. But one way that I get to know a new deck is to play solitaire with it.

Reviving old threads is HIGHLY encouraged.

And so often it's people new to the forum who do it and everyone is so grateful for it. So thank you!

Your solitaire idea is amazing. I've never heard that before. What a great idea.

Thank you so much for more clarification on the culture here!

When I am stressed, I play solitaire with a deck even if I know it already. The feel of the cards in my hands is soothing. If I have already read my cards or am too messed up to read them, I can still be with them, if I play with them.

[chongjasmine]

I hope I can memorize all 78 card meanings.

[Diana]

I hope I can memorize all 78 card meanings.

I don't think memorising is necessary. Just get a basic idea. If you stick too close to the so-called traditional meanings, you're going to miss out on the freedom that the Tarot gives you. Learn to cultivate your intuition and to believe in it. Don't put the Tarot into a box that will constrain it too much. Anyway, if you're reading with an RWS deck, the pictures are pretty straightforward. Three swords piercing a bleeding heart is not difficult to fathom for instance.

[Junipera]

I hope I can memorize all 78 card meanings.

If possible, I like to learn the keywords for the numbers and elements first. Then make sure that any card keywords that I try to memorize fit into the whole. If the author is all over the place with no large plan, I usually abandon the idea of becoming proficient with that deck.