Good Afternoon,
Today we'll be having a discussion on some handy tips for reading the tarot. I have been reading for over 30 years and I teach students how to read the tarot during classes at Enchantments School for the Magickal Arts.
Firstly, let's dispel some common rumors and superstitions about the tarot. I have heard nonsense that one needs to be given a deck by someone else, or even must steal a deck! This is absolutely not true! Keep your karma clean and buy your own deck. A deck needs to speak to you, and no one can choose a deck for you better than you can yourself.
Then I tell my students to set aside the book and learn from the deck itself. Look at the cards, see what story they each tell. One way of learning the cards quicker is to do tarot spells with them. Take the pentacles for instance. They stand for wealth, abundance and physical healing. A note here is important, you need to learn the various characteristics of the suits. Knowing what the pentacles stand for. Take all of them out of the deck and spread them out. Look at them closely. Now you will do a tarot spell with three cards. Look at the cards and choose one that seems to tell the tale of your finances in the recent past. Maybe a two of pentacles. Not having a lot of money, trying to balance the money so you can pay all the bills, and so on. Place this card, right side up on the table. Next to it, on it's right side, pick the Queen of pentacles if you're a woman, the King of pentacles if you're a man. Now, on this card's right side place a pentacle card that tells what you want the financial future to be! Maybe an Ace of pentacles, or the 10 of pentacles, showing great abundance. You see this way you have to read the story each card is telling you. To finish off the spell, take a green candle, place it on a plate and place this over the three cards as they lay on the table. Burn the candle and leave the cards there for a few days so the spells starts to manifest. What you deliberately chose will start to manifest. And it helps you read the cards quicker and easier for others.
Another tip, do NOT try to read your future in the cards. It's akin to doing your own psychotherapy. Very difficult. Not that it can't be done, but you are so close to . . . You! That a clear, concise reading is difficult to pull off.
Another tip for reading the cards. When you read for others, especially if you start to charge money for readings be aware of a few things. Firstly, no one wants to know the history of the tarot or how and why a Celtic cross spread works. They are not there to learn how to read the cards they are there for you to wow them! They want you to tell them something you could not possibly know. Don't waste their time or money with unnecessary teaching. This just showcases your newness to the game.
You'll be uncertain and perhaps a bit nervous reading the cards. But refrain from asking questions. This shows your inexperience and nervousness. You might ask during the reading "does this make sense?" But only ask this once or twice. Not with every card.
Also, modern readers refrain from reading reverse readings. When a card is placed upside down. When you place the card upside down, just turn it right side up. We don't read the cards because that is looking for challenges and difficulties. The little books that come with the cards always have the reverse meanings, but they are all basing their material on the original Rider Waite deck which was the first published deck and had reverse meanings. You don't need to look for the negative in a reading. You have the swords which stand for challenges and difficulties.
These are some of the bad habits I have seen new and experienced readers make. I have been reading for over 30 years. Get a deck of cards, or even more than one, that attracts you with the pictures the cards have. Start reading for friends and people who won't give you a hard time, but will encourage you as you begin this path.
To help you start on your path to reading the tarot here are some magickal propertiies you need to know as they are associated with the suits of the cards:
Cups, cauldrons, chalices: These are associated with water and govern the emotions. Love, happiness, sadness, grief, are all found in the realm of the water cards. You'll have to see what your deck uses, cups are most common, but there are many that use cauldrons or chalices. Or maybe even some other symbol, but it will be able to hold water, whatever the tarot artist uses.
Swords, knives, athames, or some other metal pointy thing. Here these symbols govern challenges, difficulties and stressful times. The swords are governed by fire. Yes, yes, I know everyone will say air but that is incorrect. The first deck published had a typo of sorts. They placed swords under air and wands under fire. No where in the magickal world will you see this correlation, no where except for the tarot. I use the sword for the story each card tells, and I attribute the swords to difficulties and challenges and it has always come out as accurate and precise readings.
Then we have wands, staves, rods or other long, pointy wooden things. These are, as I said, governed by air and discuss communication, change, and relationships such as family and friends. But of course, the pictures each card has tells a story. Look for the story in the cards.
Finally you have the pentacles, coins, discs, or other flat, round objects. These stand for material wealth, abundance, money, as well as physical health and healing and are governed by earth.
There is a lot to learn about reading the cards, but start simply with a deck of cards and a simple three card spread. Work with friends and write down what you see in the cards and then go back and ask your friends if the things you saw came to pass. Over time you will be reading the cards like a pro. And, it's an important note that anyone can learn to read the cards. You are not specially gifted or chosen or any such nonsense. It's a skill anyone can develop if they so choose. So get a deck and start reading!
© 2010-2015 Faith M. McCann. Portions of this blog posting may include materials from my book “Enchantments School for the Magickal Arts First Year Magickal Studies.” For more information, see www.enchantmentsschool.com or go to the title of tonight's discussion and click, it will link you to my school's website. Please note that the copying and/or further distribution of this work without express written permission is prohibited.
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