This question goes out to Tarot readers!

[Botticella22]

Ever since I was young, I've always had a fascination for Tarot cards and the oracle. I have no idea why, it's some kind of fascination that has always stirred in me. Recently, at the beginning of August, I had my cards read by a very talented and popular local reader. I was going through a very difficult and stressful time looking for some guidance and I was told that my intuition and sensitivity was going to develop much stronger sometime within the next few years. My reader could not tell me how or with what exactly: I jokingly asked, "So am I going to see dead people all the time now?" And he just replied with "I don't know, I can't say and the cards don't have anything on that, but who knows? You could end up being a Tarot-reader, why not?"

So, my question is: why did you pick tarot (as your divination)? what was it about tarot that inspired you?

Originally Posted by Botticella22

Ever since I was young, I've always had a fascination for Tarot cards and the oracle. I have no idea why, it's some kind of fascination that has always stirred in me. Recently, at the beginning of August, I had my cards read by a very talented and popular local reader. I was going through a very difficult and stressful time looking for some guidance and I was told that my intuition and sensitivity was going to develop much stronger sometime within the next few years. My reader could not tell me how or with what exactly: I jokingly asked, "So am I going to see dead people all the time now?" And he just replied with "I don't know, I can't say and the cards don't have anything on that, but who knows? You could end up being a Tarot-reader, why not?"

So, my question is: why did you pick tarot (as your divination)? what was it about tarot that inspired you?

If you are able to see the Others--then you are more than a Diviner--you are a Medium--even if you only see them on occasion.

I was drawn to Tarot--as my first Tool of Divination--which showed me that I have the Gift of Divination in many forms.

I believe I was guided to the Tarot to show me that I had abilities that needed to be honed.

[Albalida]

I picked tarot to develop because my mother worked for an advertising agency, and liked to research symbols to use for logos or words to make brand names out of. One book she got was The Language of Symbols by David Fontana, which had the (frankly ugly) Marseilles major arcana on them, with about half a page each of description of how they represented a journey of maturity.

I wondered how people got from that, insightfulness, to... reading events of the future.

As I researched Marseilles versus Rider-Waite versus Thoth, of course I would see all the modern decks, and I just loved the idea that tarot could be a spiritual tool with secular value that was artistic. There were cute tarot decks, experimentally artistic tarot decks, and some very very beautiful ones.

[Botticella22]

Nice!! :) Is it difficult to study it and learn the different symbolism?

[Albalida]

Originally Posted by Botticella22

Nice!! :) Is it difficult to study it and learn the different symbolism?

I suppose it's as difficult as you make it. I had difficulty gaining the confidence and sensitivity to read intuitively, and I'm still learning new things about the symbolism outside of what was written by A.E. Waite. Since I prefer the symbolism of the Marseilles and the art of Pamela Smith who drew the Rider-Waite deck, I kept applying Marseilles meanings to Waite symbols anyway. And then I used modern decks-- the Shadowscapes is Rider-Waite based but made some changes of its own, just like Waite did in comparison with the Marseilles, and I love all of the changes, but I've studied enough that I can still consider it tarot (and not an oracle deck with completely wildly different meanings and no proper structure, that are only numbered like tarot to boost sales.)

Memorization came easily enough for 78 cards, but I think it's that spark that memorization is supposed to help along, that really makes a tarot reading--not the memorization itself. See?

[Jenny Crow]

When I saw a Tarot deck for the first time, years ago, I was fascinated by them. Then a few years later I was at a large psychic fair where there were many readers of all kinds. Many of those readers used Tarot cards and I determined that one day I would be a Tarot card reader, too.

I've been a Tarot reader for many years now and still love it

[Botticella22]

Interesting! I've been thinking about taking it up. For some reason, I just feel as though it's calling me, if that makes any sense :P Any tips for a beginner?

[Jenny Crow]

Be prepared to take your time with it. It's not something you can learn in a weekend. If you can, try to find a teacher. Joan Bunning's books on Tarot are pretty and so are Mary K. Greer's books.

[norseman]

For the complete learner, this site is excellent. Laid out in lessons with individual cards given a detailed treatment.
www.learntarot.com

I started out using this site, then moved on to the Sacred Circle Tarot which suited me better. Then I "launched" the tarot school
http://www.spiritualforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=4317 and we had a lot of fun with that pre- and post-crash.

Originally Posted by Botticella22

Interesting! I've been thinking about taking it up. For some reason, I just feel as though it's calling me, if that makes any sense :P Any tips for a beginner?

"Tarot for Beginners" by P. Scott Hollander