Making Friends With a New Deck
A little more than a week ago, I posted about the experience of trimming my Druidcraft deck. It was this comment to that post that got me thinking. It is true that one of the reasons people like to trim their decks, is that it becomes part of the bonding process of familiarizing yourself with a new deck. However many readers don’t want to trim all their decks. Many only trim the ones that they feel can be improved by trimming, because of the cards being too large to use or having excessively large borders that ‘drown out’ the images.
There are many ways to make friends with a new deck. The simplest way is to spend time with the cards, just looking at them individually and listening to them tell their stories. Some people start a journal, or a new section of their existing journal, to record meditations done with individual cards. Some folk sleep with the deck under their pillow.
I usually sleep with the deck on my night-table for a while. Occasionally one or more cards will enter my dreams and talk to me. This practice started when I got my very first Tarot deck, the Robin Wood Tarot.
This was before I learned about Gate cards, and entering cards in meditation. I suppose that the dream visitations were spontaneous versions of these techniques. It doesn’t happen as often as it used to. But when it does, I always make a note of the dreams I have.
There are many other ways to bond with your deck. Aside from pulling a daily card and journaling, you can write stories, songs and poems. You can create art based on the colors and emotions that you feel from a particular card. You can carry a card with you as you go about your business for a day, and pull it out occasionally to see what it might have to tell you about the days events as they unfold.
But most importantly, don’t forget to journal whatever experiences, feelings, thoughts and idea you may have while bonding with a new deck. They will be helpful later when you are using your deck in your practice, whether reading for yourself or others.
How do you make friends with a new deck?
Learning Process
The main thing to remember when you are studying the Tarot and learning to use the cards for energy work is to not take things so seriously. You can waste a lot of time and energy trying to do everything “correctly” and listen to various (and sometimes conflicting) advice and the use and care of your cards. Learning traditional meanings and practices are very useful for the beginner. But what you should really be doing is learning to use and understand the cards in whatever way they speak to you. The meanings should ultimately come from within… your heart, your dreams, your inner guide. I think the main thing Tarot does for me is help to access the inner voice… the unconscious collective… the intuitive center.
A young friend at my workplace asked for advice on where to start. I recommended a book, lent her a deck and offered to help and answer questions anytime the need arises. It will be interesting to see what she discovers for herself and what questions she may ask. I wonder what I will learn by helping her.
Aside from a basic understanding of the Tarot she also expressed an interest in using the cards as an aid in writing stories. The Tarot can be quite helpful in that regard… at least as a brainstorming tool. I have not yet used it in storytelling, but I have used it for ideas and breaking through mental blocks at various times.
Thinking about how to help someone else become acquainted with Tarot has given me all sorts of things to think about. I hope that this will give me more to write about in this journal, which has been sadly neglected for a while. We shall see.
Difficult Times
There are times when it is difficult to read the Tarot. Usually this is when I am feeling depressed or stressed-out. This can be frustrating because those are usually the times when I most need the advice and clarity that the Tarot can bring. It’s ironic that these times are also when my inner guide is most reluctant to cooperate.
The danger with going ahead and reading the cards when I am in this state of mind is that the results can be very unfocused and confusing. Sometimes the cards simply reflect back to me what I most fear, or what it is that is bothering me. It doesn’t help that a depressed or stressed mental state makes it difficult to look for subtleties or listen to the my intuitive inner voice.
The best thing to do in times like these is leave the cards in their box and meditate. Prayers are good, if you pray. And certainly asking God, or whatever higher power you feel is in your life, for strength and comfort can result in immediate relief. That is if you sincerely believe this will help. Give your worries and your stress to Another, and then let it go. There are many things in life over which we have no control and it is best to not try to control them. They will run their course, regardless of whether or not we approve, and the best thing to do is let it go.
Meditate… pray… take a walk… read something light… make yourself a favorite snack… have a glass of wine or a cup of herb tea. But leave the cards for when you are at peace and feeling positive. They work best when you are in a good state of mind.
Daily Card
A good way to begin to learn to read the Tarot is with a one-card daily reading.
Perform whatever ritual you use to begin a reading, or simply shuffle and draw one card. Before you draw the card, ask your question. You could ask “What area of my life needs my focus right now?” or “What is my strongest energy today?”. If you are contemplating something specific in your life you can ask “What do I need to focus on to reach my primary goal?” Instead of primary goal speak specifically about what it is you are working on or trying to accomplish.
You can do this in the morning, or in the evening. An evening draw might be asked “What was the most important thing I learned today?” or “What happened today that I can best use to achieve my primary goal?”
When you see the image on the card you have drawn, take time to look at it as a whole and as a series of images. Note the colors, and the number of the card (unless it’s a court card). What is the weather, what time of day is it, what is happening? Does it tell a story, or part of a story? What is you gut feeling when seeing this image? Note how you feel, and what images or impressions popped into your mind when you first saw it.
If this is done in the morning, keep in mind (write it down and carry it with you for the day if you like) the impressions and ideas that entered your mind during your reading. If this is done in the evening, compare your impressions from the card with the events of your day. See what connections you can make and note them in your journal if you are keeping one.
If you continue this practice every day, you will find the cards have meanings for you that may be either the same or different from the “traditional” meanings for them you may find in books. It is good to learn the “traditional” meanings, but it is far more important to learn what the cards mean to you personally. This is how you begin to understand how the cards may “speak” to you, and how their symbolism relates to daily events in your life. This is an invaluable step in learning to interpret the cards for yourself, and is good practice in learning to read the cards for others.
A Reccomendation
Many of the how-to-read Tarot books available encourage you to memorize specific meanings for cards and to “interpret” spreads by rote. This leaves very little room for interpretation or intuition, and very little room for growth or understanding.
If you are truly interested in learning to read using insight and intuition, a good place to start would be Mary K. Greer’s book Tarot for Yourself.
From the back of the book:
Not only is this the first book to promote reading the cards for your own insight, it also shows you exactly how to do so. It revolutionizes learning Tarot through a combined emphasis on self-teaching techniques and personal insight.
She begins by helping you to develop a relationship with the cards themselves, rather than give you pre-packaged meanings. She helps you to understand what the cards mean to you and develop your own spreads and methods of reading. There is also information on established systems of reading and using spreads such as the Celtic Cross, and so offers a well-rounded approach to the Tarot. With many charts, guided meditations and excercises to guide you as you begin your journey with the Tarot, this book is an excellent way to start learning to understand and use the cards for yourself and for others.
Welcome
Hello and thanks for stopping by. Welcome to A Fool for Tarot.
I’ve been reading, studying and obsessing over Tarot ever since my husband bought me my first deck five years ago when I expressed a curiosity about learning it. I’ve been on a quest ever since for answers to many questions, not the least of which involves that nature of reality and why we are “here” – wherever “here” may be. I’ve learned a lot, and have even more to learn as there really is no end to learning and discovery.
I have no agenda for this blog, and no plan. My writing will loosely chronicle my journey, as I study and explore spirituality and wisdom wherever it can be found. But I will start with Tarot, as that is where my journey began five years ago.
I welcome comments, and would love to hear from you. Please use the contact form in the sidebar to send me an email.
