How I learn

[MaggieMae]

I have been learning tarot since last year and after countless of youtube videos and amazon browsing I bought the following books:

Kitchen Table Tarot/Elemental tarot by Melissa Cynova
Modern Tarot by Michelle Tea
Tarot for yourself by Mary K greer
Tarot Interactions by Deborah Lipp
The Big book of Tarot by Joanna Bunning

The decks I bought:
Light Seer tarot by Chris-Anne
Llewellyn Classic by Barbara Moore
Everyday Witch Tarot by Deborah Blake.
Wildwood Tarot by Mark Ryan and John Matthews

I use the Light Seer and Llewellyn the most.
Besides reading a lot online and in the books I have I started doing one card a day and journal what I see without looking at what the card means. Later when I am done I read about the card from all the books that I have to give me a different look on the cards. I also do a three card reading a day, usually a Body/Mind/Spirit. Past/Present/Future. Subconscious/Conscious/SuperConscious. When I get a 5 or the death card a draw an extra card for more clarification. Since I don't have issues in my life with husband/boyfriend/friends or work ( I am a tad of a loner) I don't ask the cards questions related to those things. For me Tarot is finding my voice and tapping into my subconscious. I feel very strongly that without consent I don't do readings about others. It just does not feel right. I stopped buying decks( trying very hard) and books because I can get easily overloaded and jump from one deck to another and for learning that is not what I think is good for me.

I am curious how you learn(ed) and decks and books that resonate with you and if there is any advice you can give to beginners?
Currently I am doing the exercises in Mary K greer's book and Joanna Bunning and Elements Tarot( Love elemental readings)

[Nemia]

I think Mary Greer is a very good place to start.

My tips are not very original but that's the way I learned.

Journal. If you keep track of your readings and studies, you'll intensify your learning effect. Take pictures of the spreads and cards, and either write in a journal by hand or keep it all in a computer file (I moved to Evernote after filling a heap of journals). Re-read from time to time.

Do the exercises Mary Greer recommends. Permutations are great, in readings and for study.

Don't only draw cards - pick cards. Think about a situation in your life right now. Pick one or two major cards for the basic energies at work - pick a court card for each person involved - pick three or four minors for the different stages of development. Arrange them on the table like a storyboard from a movie. You can add little notes on pieces of paper to remind you what is what.

You can pick cards to characterise the most important people in your life. compare the cards you chose with the astrological associations of the person in question. How precise are they?

Make a goal spread for yourself. Where do you want to be a year from now - professionally, health-wise, emotionally, financially, whatever? Pick a major for each position. Keep the picture before your eyes.

The more intensely you connect your life and the cards, the easier it will be to read them when they appear in a reading that is not about you.

You may add more complexity by picking cards first and writing down the affirmations you find in them - and then draw cards from either the same deck or another. Let's say you pick the Sun as card for the position "how I want to mother my children" - with warmth, honesty, optimism and reliability. That's your goal. Now you pull a card blindly and it tells you how you're doing. Well, 2 of Pentacles, maybe you have too much on your plate at times but you're great fun to be with? The different energies of each cards tell you where you are and where you want to go.

The more you work with the cards, the better. You gain insight into yourself and the cards.

If you want to train yourself, do readings for fictive persons. Read for Frodo, Scarlett O'Hara, Emma Woodhouse, Emma Bovary and Kitty Levin.

Reading in hindsight is also a good training wheel.

But keep it fun, don't do it all in one week. Spread your tarot practice out and remember, it takes a long time because you grow as a person and grow as a tarot reader. And there's always more beyond the horizon, it's a journey that won't end because you'll never know it all. Well, at least I don't, and I've been reading tarot since the Nineties.


Oh, and your decks are great, so is Joan Bunning. Very good choices!

[MaggieMae]

Thanks for replying!

I have just started a new book and the main character is very interesting, so I can definitely use in readings. I actually will have fun doing that.
I also sometimes go through my deck and pick a card and write about the card and what it means to me.
And I love your goal spread. Never thought of that, si that is definitely also something I am going to try out.

I am keeping my studies fun and if I feel off on a day which usually is healthwise I do a reading about that and a reading about positivity instead of feeling sorry for myself. I don't have people to practice with or talk about things really, so it is a very solitary journey.
Evernote sounds good, so will check that out today as well

[HOLMES]

It is important to keep things fun..

I remember burning myself from reading too much. Or studying too much.
You had some good tips.
Let me know how you get on with the tarot interactions

[MaggieMae]

I struggle with the Pages and Knights. Do they represent a person? Am I the person? I can't remember it, no matter how much I re-read them. I know Pages are immature(ish) And the knight.. Can't remember right now lol.
Haven't gotten into reversals too much but to read about it and the cards in different positions and their different meanings.Some say I should add reversals in my readings. Some don't do reversals at all. I don't see reversals as negative but blocked energy or things I am not aware of. And then there is the celtic cross.. Sooo many cards. Not going there for now..

[HOLMES]

Tbh.. since i first started to learn aboit 1990 that my advice would seem archaic .
I started with celtic cross after celtic cross
I also used reversals since day one..
Funny story is in the book i thought ill dignified meant reversed.
I had no idea to i learned of elemental dignities that it meant the elemental make up of the spread!

I did buy 2 books on reversals and court cards. One of each was written by mary k greer which you have a good start in tarot for your self. Her books are like text books on the subject.

I know most say 3 cards spreads , dailies .
After all seems kind of crazy to do a celtic cross on some mundane subjects.

So it wasn't until i got the books on court cards that i tried to evolve.. pages were kids that it! .
Now they can be messengers.
And there was a systen taught by ellen cannon reed in her witches tarot book. That court cards were the progress of manifesting.
Kings were the spark, queens fomulating, knights forming and pagrs were just about to manifest.
This idea was qaballah based
Then the minor arana book by isabel kliegman changed the queen and knight as it made more sense to her..
And we didn't even get into thoth tarot!!

So i am jumping the gun a bit. I think you got some excellent study matrrials and will make excellent progress..
The celtic cross is made up of series of 3 card spreads..
123, 426 789 or maybe 567, 8910.
So you have
Heart of the matter, opposer, future
Past, distant past , best hope.
Future, self influnce from others.
It took me years to get past the idea of big spread..
So the point i am making Is you can take the celtic cross that makes the most sense to you as there are many versions and pratice it by sections.

[Nemia]

About court cards.

They're tricky, yes. They can either be persons in your life - depending on their personality, you can recognize them.

They can also be aspects of yourself. You may be in a situation where you become a Page, i.e., a learner, a beginner, naive, enthusiastic, full of self confidence and self doubt at the same time.

And the most complex way of reading the court cards is - the court card can indicate the kind of relationship you have with a person. Let's say the Page of Wands - there is a person in your life who brings out your inner Page of Wands. You have fun together, you have the same motivation and energy, you make lots of sport or study together or are just in flames about the same things.

That means, a court card can indicate the kind of connection you have with a person, it's the common ground you have with that person.

I always read court cards as person-oriented.

Pages are beginners, young, learn something new, start a new path. It's not necessarily dependant on age. You can start a new skill with 60 and feel young and curious again. They are Fools, Suns or Hanged Men when things go wrong. They connect to you through questions, wolving down information, trying out stuff, laughing, starting new things or hopping from thing to thing.

Knights are adventurers. They have learned and studied, and now they go out on their own, like the journeymen of old. They know what they want, they're on a mission, they are driven. They are Chariots, Strengths or Wheels. They connect to you through rivalry, travel, cameraderie, activism, trying to convince people.

Queens have studied and had adventures, they have finished their quest and now trun their energies inside. They are at peace with themselves and focus on others (Pages and Knights focus mainly on themselves or on others only as far as these others have to do with their missions, motives or quests). Queens really have a good eye for others. They don't have to demonstrate their skills like Knights, these skills have become second nature. Queens are easily underestimated, they're masters without the need to show it. They're Empresses, Justices or Temperances. They connect to you through listening, smiling, taking care of others, keeping a cool head in a crisis, having wise answers and being patient.

Kings have studied, have made their quest, and have understood themselves and others deeply. Now the energy turns outside again. Kings help, they support, they're a bit dominating at times, they follow their own agenda. They're charismatic and have natural authority. They're Emperors, Hierophants or Worlds. They connect to you through giving advice, talking more than listening, being self assured and showing leadership values.

That's how I read them.

[MaggieMae]

Because I have read so many things online and on forums NOT to use the Celtic Cross and reversals, I think I might have been influenced by that a little.
I am also a little worried I may get overloaded with so many cards but the least I can do is try it. I have some topics I can use in the Celtic Cross now I think of it. If I get stuck I can always share the spread here and get some other perspectives on it.

[MaggieMae]

About court cards.

They're tricky, yes. They can either be persons in your life - depending on their personality, you can recognize them.

They can also be aspects of yourself. You may be in a situation where you become a Page, i.e., a learner, a beginner, naive, enthusiastic, full of self confidence and self doubt at the same time.

And the most complex way of reading the court cards is - the court card can indicate the kind of relationship you have with a person. Let's say the Page of Wands - there is a person in your life who brings out your inner Page of Wands. You have fun together, you have the same motivation and energy, you make lots of sport or study together or are just in flames about the same things.

That means, a court card can indicate the kind of connection you have with a person, it's the common ground you have with that person.

I always read court cards as person-oriented.

Pages are beginners, young, learn something new, start a new path. It's not necessarily dependant on age. You can start a new skill with 60 and feel young and curious again. They are Fools, Suns or Hanged Men when things go wrong. They connect to you through questions, wolving down information, trying out stuff, laughing, starting new things or hopping from thing to thing.

Knights are adventurers. They have learned and studied, and now they go out on their own, like the journeymen of old. They know what they want, they're on a mission, they are driven. They are Chariots, Strengths or Wheels. They connect to you through rivalry, travel, cameraderie, activism, trying to convince people.

Queens have studied and had adventures, they have finished their quest and now trun their energies inside. They are at peace with themselves and focus on others (Pages and Knights focus mainly on themselves or on others only as far as these others have to do with their missions, motives or quests). Queens really have a good eye for others. They don't have to demonstrate their skills like Knights, these skills have become second nature. Queens are easily underestimated, they're masters without the need to show it. They're Empresses, Justices or Temperances. They connect to you through listening, smiling, taking care of others, keeping a cool head in a crisis, having wise answers and being patient.

Kings have studied, have made their quest, and have understood themselves and others deeply. Now the energy turns outside again. Kings help, they support, they're a bit dominating at times, they follow their own agenda. They're charismatic and have natural authority. They're Emperors, Hierophants or Worlds. They connect to you through giving advice, talking more than listening, being self assured and showing leadership values.

That's how I read them.

I have read that a lot of people struggle with the court cards and my tarot journey is still so young so I will get the hang of things eventually. I will buy a book about the Court cards though, I think that can come in handy with the other books I have.

[BlueStar]

I learned by getting decks that resonated with me. Rider Waite never has, so I never used that one, but other decks I have are based on that system or a modified version (one or two decks I have use a totally different system). I learned this early on as one of the first decks I bought after a long hiatus from Tarot I just couldn't get into using.

I would then go through each card doing a combination of things - seeing what the guide interpretation is but also seeing what the images conjured up in me. Sometimes these match other times not. Then practising, rather than trying to memorise each card meaning in a rote fashion first. I found doing a daily draw extremly helpful with this as it's a simple way to get to know a deck. and I also found my intuition developing as I would see other things in the cards outside of the book meanings. Also doing structured spreads so as to keep a good focus on the question and answers.

I've also developed by doing fun readings such as determining an object in a container, and doing readings based on news events (for example what the voting outcome on a political topic might be etc.), and even readings to see what will happen to characters or a story line before I watch a TV series episode or a film.

These might seem a bit unconvential but they have been really helpful for me and contributed to me being able to understand how my mind works in terms of symbology and in developing that symbology too, as my intuition developed and I would see other things in the cards outside of the book meanings. So I've ended up having a technique of using traditional meanings and scrying in the cards.

[BlueStar]

I have read that a lot of people struggle with the court cards and my tarot journey is still so young so I will get the hang of things eventually. I will buy a book about the Court cards though, I think that can come in handy with the other books I have.

Oh I've found them tricky too. I think they are the most challenging cards to learn.

[BlueStar]

Because I have read so many things online and on forums NOT to use the Celtic Cross and reversals, I think I might have been influenced by that a little.
I am also a little worried I may get overloaded with so many cards but the least I can do is try it. I have some topics I can use in the Celtic Cross now I think of it. If I get stuck I can always share the spread here and get some other perspectives on it.

I'm not sure why anyone would suggest not to use the Celtic Cross. It can be useful for certain readings and you can always modify the meanings of a placement or two if it better suits the question. I would say don't be afraid to explore things, whether spreads, use of reversals or other. Only by exploring and trying things will you learn what suits you best as a reader. I'd be wary of dogma.

[MaggieMae]

I think everyone has different opinion when it comes to learning tarot. I don't enjoy/like big spreads, so that is why I don't do the Celtic Cross. A three card spread can be just as effective as the celtic cross. For me, big spreads over overwhelming, and in the end, it comes down to what suits someone best. I am sure there will come a time that I will do larger readings, but that time is not now.

[Ciderwell]

I was fortunate to have been given a Persian rug a few years ago from a friend, and have always been impressed by the way the (35) rectangles resemble the shape of tarot cards laid out in a spread. I thought maybe today I would map the rectangles and see how they might conform to an actual tarot reading. This is not as complicated as it might first appear - the glyphs (card positions) recur 2, 3, 4, and 6 times, equalling 35. The three central glyphs make a good (past future present) starting point.

Invention can be a good method of learning.

Incidentally, there is some real magic infused within my carpet. Two or so years ago an identical one appeared in three different music magazines featuring independent recording studios in London, and a techno artist DJ Rebekah who has her studio in Berlin. That was real blast, I can tell you ... but I digress

[Nemia]

Oh, that's a wonderful rug! I'm totally inspired now to make something similar... didn't do any crafts for too long.... hmmmmm.... that looks just great!

[Ciderwell]

That picture was made with Win.Paint. With a little practice it's very easy.

Oh, that's a wonderful rug! I'm totally inspired now to make something similar... didn't do any crafts for too long.... hmmmmm.... that looks just great!

I was looking at the Rahdue's Wheel spread that uses all 78 cards. Although the spread is way too ambitious for me I like the idea of asking up to 9 questions. Of course a 35 card spread is also too ambitious but setting a limit to 3 questions might work fine.
As the central cards in the carpet pattern are repeated I get the impression of a side to side movement, through time. This is very interesting for someone like myself who is very sceptical on the art of divination and the foretelling the future. The logic behind the Infinity symbol and The Tarot Path begins to make more sense.

So, as 35 + 35 = 70

and,

(2 x 4 = 8) |78|

Somewhat like Rahdue's Wheel, karma can be represented by the two horizontal groups of 4 cards, and its oppositions represented on the vertical plane.
This was from a revelation I had last week about the will to do something and what internal forces were trying to prevent me from doing it. (And it was nice to see some synchronicity on the forum as well ... The dance of duality in the universe)