78 Little People (Tarot - in general)

Name: Whitehorse

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Product:	Tarot - in general
Date:	11/11/01 (157 review reads)
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Advantages: A lifetime of study, Personal development, Creative

Disadvantages: Often misunderstood and abused

When I was around 14, I went out on a day trip to Wales with my Grandmother. After hovering round a gift shop for a while I finally spotted a pack of “fortune telling cards” and my Grandmother bought them for me. My Gran was a medium but she was also a staunch Christian and rarely talked about this ability because it essentially against her faith. Sometimes I still wonder why she bought those cards for me that day but perhaps she just thought it was a passing phase.

From the first moment I opened those cards I was hooked. There was something deeply magical and mysterious about the whole process of laying them out and trying to divine the future. I was awful of course – I had no real idea of how to use them but now and again I knew when something I said was accurate and that “knowing” grew. These however were not true Tarot cards and after some time I knew I needed to have the real thing. So into my life came 78 “little people” who helped me look at the world with new eyes and opened my heart and mind to the nature of mysticism, personal development and understanding.

CHOOSING YOUR FIRST DECK
I was completely clueless when I went to buy my first pack of cards and so bought the only pack I knew anything about namely the Rider Waite Deck. This was a costly mistake because I ended up hating them. They felt wrong and “sticky” in my hands. The art work said nothing to me and the characters in the cards seemed unfriendly. This is not a criticism of the deck itself as I know many people find them wonderful to work with. I’m just not one of them.
This is a good example of needing to really involve yourself in the process of choosing a deck.
Here are a few things I usually say to people about this process
1) Do you have a particular passion for an era in history or mythology or subject? There are literally hundreds of decks to choose from nowadays and most are themed in some way. For
example, I love the legends of Avalon and the Lady in the Lake so I work with two Arthurian Decks. I am also drawn to Shamanic practice so the Greenwood Tarot is another favourite (nowt to do wi’ the creator of this deck being the lovely Mark Ryan of “Robin of Sherwood” fame *grin*). The Mythic Deck might suit if you are fascinated by the Greek mythologies and this is a very clear deck to work with. There are Vampire and Wiccan decks, Medieval and Jungian. Perhaps Native American is your path or maybe even you are obsessed by baseball and the Baseball Tarot is for you (yes I am being serious there is a pack based on baseball – sometimes I despair…). What I am trying to say here is that there is likely to be a deck that will suit your personal interests.

2) Is it a true Tarot Deck with 78 cards – 56 Minor Arcana and 22 Major Arcana? That isn’t to say that any deck of cards with more or less is bad, it just isn’t a true Tarot deck. I have happily used other card systems and some are beautiful, they are just different to the Tarot.

3) Unless you really feel otherwise, please pick a pack that has illustrations on ALL 78 cards. There are some packs that are more like playing cards so the Five of Cups for example will just have 5 Cups painted on the card – not very inspiring. I also advise against cards that have descriptive words written on them as these can detract the reader from concentrating on the symbolism.

4) Do you love the artwork? I mean REALLY love it. There is some stunning artwork out there but again art is a very personal thing.

5) Make sure you actually look through the entire deck before you buy. Some retailers don’t allow you to do this and I think this is bad. You really need to sit with the deck in your hands and take a long quiet look at all the cards. Another alternative now of course is to look at them on the net. See links at the bottom of this opinion.


6) Of course you can also buy packs second hand too so that is one way of getting a deck a bit cheaper. I would suggest that if you are going to work with them, cleanse them before you start so that the original owners vibes do not interfere with your own. You can do this in much the same way as cleansing a crystal (although obviously not put them under water!). Put them on a sunny windowsill for a day, leave them under the light of the full moon, smudge them with sage or other incense, visualise them being cleansed…whatever way suits you best.

Don’t forget that if you have a pack that you don’t want, give it away to someone else or sell it on Ebay. Many people collect Tarot cards so never throw them away.

BEGINNING TO WORK WITH YOUR CARDS
So – money spent and your new cards come home with you. What next?

Well the first thing is to begin to touch them, hold them and look at them. Most decks are accompanied by a book which may be very basic or highly complex. Whichever – have a flick through at first and see what catches your eye. A long term reader I used to know once said to me – read the accompanying book then put it away for six months so you really get to know your cards!

Initially there may be certain cards that you really love and some that you repel from. Others will seem like they say little to you. A good first exercise is to draw say 5 cards. Choose them by sight and then sit quietly and really look at them. What is happening in the pictures you have chosen? What numbers are they – which suit? Are they all Major Arcana cards or all Minor or mixed? Why did you choose these cards? Do any of the characters in the cards remind you or someone? Don’t think about “fortune telling” just think about what these cards might be saying to you. Imagine you are watching a scene from a play – what would the play be about, the title, the theme?

Anoth
er important exercise is to find “your” card. The card that represents you. This is called the Significator card. The Significator card is used to portray the person who is having the reading. Some people don’t use a Significator, others use a card that signifies a situation. There aren’t really any firm rules as you need to work with them in whatever way makes you feel the most comfortable.
There are several ways of finding your card. You might do it by astrological sign or by feeling or just the look of a certain card. Most people choose a court card (i.e. the Page, Knight, Queen or King) but this varies. Personally I am always the Empress card, no matter what pack I use – even when someone gives me a reading this card usually turns up.

Try laying out the cards in suits and see if each suit has it’s own storyline. Try laying cards with corresponding numbers together and see if you can work out what meaning the numbers have. Try comparing the court cards and see what differences and similarities they have. There are a myriad of ways to learn the Tarot only limited by your imagination.

To get used to working with the cards you could try picking one card a day or doing one reading a week for yourself. There are hundreds of spreads (ways of laying out the cards) you can use – the most common being the Celtic Cross. Don’t be afraid to design your own spreads and ways of working.
When you do a reading for yourself be clear about your intention. If you have one clear question great – but if a hundred thoughts are running through your head then just try imagining a door opening. Ask for whatever advice you most need.

READING THE CARDS
A tarot reading should flow like a story – in fact they are a great tool for writers to use when needing some practice exercises or inspiration. I am very much an intuitive reader so despite cards and positions in the spread having certain mea
nings I rarely conform to them. I allow my eyes to wander across the cards and they weave a tale together. Basically they are my tool for clairvoyant reading. Initially though you may need to go step by step and try and understand why those cards have appeared in that particular order. Try not to simply rely on the book meaning that is given for each card – you need to build up a relationship with these pictures and see what they mean to YOU. I usually advise that when you are reading for yourself that you speak out loud. Granted you may feel a little silly at first (although I constantly talk to myself anyway but that’s another matter!) but it is very good practice for starting to read for other people. Also it is not so easy to dispel a particular thought if you have to put it into words.

Sometimes the cards can work very literally – an example I have was that I was once reading for someone who had lost their dog. The Moon card was central to the reading and it constantly caught my eye. For some reason I could not however incorporate it into the reading. Ironically it turned out that the dog was called Lunar!

Above all you need to be honest with yourself to read tarot or in fact undertake any form of spiritual development. The cards can help you reflect on your strengths and weaknesses and grow as person. They are NOT a crutch to be leaned on and not a way of making every single decision in your life. Certainly they can help you when you are struggling with a life situation because they offer a different way of looking at things. I see the cards as a pattern of my life right now – they show me how I came to be in my current situation and how my response to that situation will manifest in the future. NOTHING is carved in stone. We are all capable of change and therefore the future is not fixed. Certainly there are things in life that happen TO us – such as the death of a loved one but much of life is about the decis
ions and actions we take, our feelings and understanding and the meaning we find in experience. Even when something happens to us – it is always our response to it that governs the future. It is possible to perceive things that are not immediately known to you through the normal five senses but you also need to be prepared for that too.

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT BEING A CLIENT
The name often used in Tarot speak instead of client is “Querant”.
Over the years I have done hundreds of readings for people and gained a good insight into how and why people decide to have a Tarot reading. Of course I have also received readings myself during that time.

Bear the following in mind when you decide you would like a reading

Always use a reader who has been recommended to you if you can.

Think clearly about why you are going and what it is you expect. The reader is not there to ‘prove’ anything to you and going with that mindset is not going to make for a productive reading. Equally important, do not be so gullible as to take everything your reader says as gospel – you are the person in charge of your life. Don’t be afraid to say if something doesn’t sound right or if the first words don’t make any sense to you. A professional reader will not take offence and may either start the reading again or inform you that they cannot read for you. If the latter happens then don’t be worried – it doesn’t mean something bad is going to happen to you, it simply means there isn’t a connection happening at that time. Far better for your reader to say this than try and read for you when it just isn’t happening.

THINK about the questions you wish to ask. You would not believe some of the things I have been asked about – from the classic “Is my husband having an affair?” to “When is *** going to die because I’m sick of them”. I haste
n to add I refused to read after being asked the latter question but did talk to the client about their frustration. Some people use the Tarot as a confirmation of what they are feeling and some to avoid taking action or responsibility. This may sound harsh but it is true. It is also very understandable. Fear is a powerful trap that we can all become enmeshed in and sometimes we just need someone to tell us that it’s all okay. The tarot is not however like that – ideally it deals in gentle truth. The onus must always remain with you to change your life when things are not working. Life does not just happen to you – you are not a puppet.

The best way to approach a reading is with an open mind and a willingness to accept responsibility for your own life. That way you reader can help you take a look at your life from a different angle. It is like they are walking through the landscape of your mind – seeing things that maybe you don’t wish to see and pointing out things that you’ve been too busy to notice. A good reading should be accurate and should make you feel understood and hopefully facilitate your decision making process – much as a humanistic counsellor would.

ON BECOMING A TAROT READER
With the fast profiting industry of tarot lines springing up all over the place it is easier than ever to become a professional reader – even more so since it is relatively easy to set up as an online reader. I would like to add some cautionary notes here.

Before you do this, think about how much you can handle from people. What support do you have? What safety measures are in place (if you have people visiting your home)? Are you insured?

Most importantly remember the reading is about the person you read for. By this I mean you have to really understand how to work with people and there may be a lot more to deal with than you originally anticipated. In my years I have spoken to several peop
le who were suicidal, listened to people who had suffered child abuse, spoken with those who had lost loved ones through accident and murder, dealt with victims of rape and torture and repeatedly talked to those utterly unimpressed by life. Not all people who come for readings are vulnerable or ill or needing answers but a few are and you need to be aware of how you might handle that. You also need to know when to say no and when you perhaps need to refer them on to another agency.

All this is rather sombre I know, but I have seen too many people blithely going into reading for other’s simply because it seems like an easy job. It isn’t.

It is however a profession that can be very rewarding and I believe it is important to offer people alternative ways of working through problems and difficulties that includes the spiritual dimensions. The Tarot is a wonderful tool that opens up a world of possibilities and potential within us all. I use them to trigger storylines, for meditation, for visualisation, for spellwork, for healing and dreamwork with others and finally for their most known purpose – to read from.

Personally I stopped being a full time Tarot reader after four years as I wanted to concentrate on my writing and my dream work. I still regularly use my cards however and see them as an ongoing tool for my creative, spiritual and psychological development. I also plan on designing my own pack at some point in my life! The cards seem to have a life of their own sometimes. Rarely do they look the same each time I glance at them. Each card seems to have it’s own personality and story and much much more to teach me. 78 little people living in my house – no wonder I find it so hard to keep it tidy :-)

Favourite Decks
The Arthurian Tarot by Anna-Marie Ferguson
The Legend Arthurian Tarot by Cailtin and John Matthews
The Greenwood Tarot by Mark Ryan and Chesca Potter
The Inner Child Cards
by Isha and Mark Lerner

Excellent Books
78 Degrees of Wisdom – Rachel Pollack
Learning the Tarot – Joan Bunning (her course is freely available on the internet – see TABI)

Websites
The Tarot Association of the British Isles
http://www.tabi.org.uk/

Aeclectic Tarot - Over 300 Decks Reviewed
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/

Tarot Passages – A Huge resource site
http://www.tarotpassages.com/

Queen of Pentacles – another great Resource
http://www.queenofpentacles.com/

Tarot.Com is a site providing automated readings but it also shows the full illustrations for 50 decks of cards.
http://www.tarot.com/

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