Tarot 101

[norseman]

Bump ! Just to bring this thread up to the school. Would be nice if this was a Sticky

Originally Posted by arive nan

It just takes time. And you can deviate from the cards traditional meaning if it looks like it means something else in the reading. Some decks will depict the card's meanings in a way that you can see more easily. I often go to this site to learn the cards better and decide which decks to collect:

http://www.masquedman.com/tarotbible/zc2.html

It has many different decks and you can see the same card in all of those decks next to each other. There's a description of the card's meaning in the upper left. On the Two of Cups page you can see that some decks will show two people forming a partnership. You see a lot of happy friends or lovers celebrating. So that can help to get a feel for seeing that meaning in your deck. I guess it's a band's web site lol. But the tarot section has been very useful for me.

Thank you That's a great site for us beginners who don't know how all the different decks portray the visuals.
One slight moan/grouch, you didn't say how hard it is to drag yourself away from that site, plus I now have a 'wanted' list as long as my arm

[LadyVirgoxoxo]

Does anyone own the book "Pocket Guide to the Tarot" by Alan Oken? It's a nice, helpful book but I'm wondering what exoteric and esoteric means? For each major arcana cards they have those meanings.

[norseman]

Esoteric and Exoteric

http://www.kheper.net/topics/esoteri...d_exoteric.htm

[LadyVirgoxoxo]

Thanks Norsie! That was of great help!

Okay to budge in here? I have some questions regarding tarot, I was thinking about starting a new thread but thought I'd try here first.

First of all, I would like to hear what initiations/preparatory ritual people are using before doing a reading. This is something I have been wondering about, because I feel like I do need it myself although I can't find anything that quite 'feels right' to me. I'm also concerned about being able to do it in front of others, which pretty much leaves out invocations and such. Usually I just hold the deck in both hands and concentrate on the issue, but I would like to do something more of a ritual. Any suggestions here?

Second, about shuffling: am I the only one who just can't escape the feeling when shuffling that 'it's all just chance' and whatever cards happens to be on top when I stop the shuffling are there just because I put them there? Now, experience tells me that it's not all 'just chance': I have been having some very successful readings far too accurate for that. Still I can't shake the feeling. I usually cut the deck one last time before starting a reading, and I always find myself thinking 'Whatever cards will end on top now will determine the entire reading'. This leads me to doubt and to become almost paralyzed at times, as I can't bring myself to complete the shuffling. Does anyone else experience this? Any ideas on what to do about it?

[norseman]

OK, Zuzim. Shuffling : I use the Sacred Circle deck and the cards are over-sized, so not really possible to shuffle [for me anyway]. I cut them a few times, then lay out the entire deck on a table but face down. Then I either run my finger tips across the backs until a card "speaks" to me or I move my pendulum across them and allow it to choose the cards.

Ritual : this is something I have been using lately. I call it the Earth Element Spread. Basically, I have the four Kings which are the rulers of the Powers of the Element at the corners of a square. Discs [Earth] to the North, Swords [Air] to the East, Wands [Fire] to the South, and Cups [Water] to the West. The four Kings are bridged with the World Tree [21]. This is my representation of Mother Earth. Cards chosen are allowed to "rest" on the appropriate element to absorb energies. The major cards are open to interpretation as to where they belong, some which are "neutral", I place on the World Tree.
This is my ritual. [image below]

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/k...fd171cb9-1.jpg

Originally Posted by Zuzim

Okay to budge in here? I have some questions regarding tarot, I was thinking about starting a new thread but thought I'd try here first.

First of all, I would like to hear what initiations/preparatory ritual people are using before doing a reading. This is something I have been wondering about, because I feel like I do need it myself although I can't find anything that quite 'feels right' to me. I'm also concerned about being able to do it in front of others, which pretty much leaves out invocations and such. Usually I just hold the deck in both hands and concentrate on the issue, but I would like to do something more of a ritual. Any suggestions here?

Second, about shuffling: am I the only one who just can't escape the feeling when shuffling that 'it's all just chance' and whatever cards happens to be on top when I stop the shuffling are there just because I put them there? Now, experience tells me that it's not all 'just chance': I have been having some very successful readings far too accurate for that. Still I can't shake the feeling. I usually cut the deck one last time before starting a reading, and I always find myself thinking 'Whatever cards will end on top now will determine the entire reading'. This leads me to doubt and to become almost paralyzed at times, as I can't bring myself to complete the shuffling. Does anyone else experience this? Any ideas on what to do about it?

hi Zuzim. wellcome.

i was smiling while reading about your "it is just a chance thing" thoughts, i know what you mean, and i come to live with that, it is a chance and at the same time it isn't. and i think you know it too.
what to do? don't think too much!!! not when you are doing a reading.
afterwards, before, while just looking at the cards, learning, thinking... this is the time to confront yourself, your mind and your cards with such doubts and questions. when you read cards, read!
but you can try doing this: you think you got your cards by a chance, you don't like some of the cards? no problem, pull others instead. randomly pull from the deck other cards- yes chance again here, but look at what you will get as a new answer :) try it 10- 20 times you see what you get. i know what i got and get.

about rituals sorry can't really help you there as you ask for a ritual done infront of others. i do rituals only alone or with someone who is into rituals as well. infront of other people i try to keep it as simple and direct as possible.
why would you like to do a ritual infront of other people?


good luck
G

Thanks norseman, and thankyou green. 'Dont think too much' is just far too true I'm afraid. xP Like you say I should be thinking about these things otherwise, but NOT when doing a reading. I should just read - and still I can't help thinking about it. Oh well, I should just learn to do some Zen I guess :P

Pulling a second card feels like cheating somehow, I don't know about that. Seems to me that then I might just choose consciously the card I want, which pretty much makes the whole thing meaningless...

About rituals, what I mean is something simple, a way of consecrating the cards or connecting to a higher power beforehand, in order to "energize" the cards and ensure that they will work. After all, you can't just treat them like ordinary playing cards, right? But also, I mean such simple things as formally stating the question, declaring what spread you will be using, and also the way you approach shuffling itself. In my experience the whole preparation before doing a reading should be ritualized at least to some extent, and worked through in an orderly fashion. But I have not personally been able to find one such ritual that feels convincing yet easy enough to use in front of others, which is why I would like some other perspectives on the issue. Any thoughts and suggestions welcome.

Zen is good, extra good!!!!

come on there is no cheating!!! you know what.. try that. ask your question and take out the cards you want.. try to mix the cards you wish for into a spread or with few random cards you pull, try it out... really, this is really exciting and fun and you might just learn few things there... i never really tried to do that, pulling the cards i wish for as the cards for the answer... but i sometimes when not liking a card i take it out and put the card i want. try it and if only for the feeling of it, but do it with all your heart! explore try this is the key words here.

WHY NOT? to treat them as playing cards??? after all this is what they are playing cards. i know i know!! but i'm not joking here either. they are cards, pictures on paper they are not God or Universe or anything holly. respect yes, but this is as far as it goes. the real connection is the one between you and the higher whatever . the cards are only your car to get there.
if you use your cards for wicca and witchcraft, or magic ritual or any kind of energetic work this is something else, but for reading.. within logic please - i know this is not a very common way thinking but i'm not the only one thinking this way. learnt that from a very great teacher and it really set me free, regarding the cards and other stuff as well. i suspect that the thing that maybe you are looking for is a deeper connection between you and whomever you trust that gives you the messages, i think you need to work on that thing- that connection, regardless the readings. once you feel strong about this connection, all you have to do is ask before the reading for help and guidance simple as that: please help me.. and you will feel the connection a once.

btw as for a ritual check norse ritual it is very interesting one.

hope it helps and sorry if it was too blunt - but i feel you can handle that else i wouldn't say any of it.


G