How do Tarot cards work for you?

I've loved Tarot since I first became aware that it existed, back when I was a teen.

- Do you interpret purely based on intuition or a mix of the intuition and deck meanings?

I don't look at established meanings when I do a spread for divination. I like to go on my intuition only. But if somebody tells me about the spread they got (like it happens sometimes on this forum), after getting the intuitive feeling for it I will also check the established meanings. That's because I know many people know very well the established meanings and if they want to share a spread they got, it's possibly because they feel some of the established meanings fit very well with their intuition. Different people work in different ways.

- How do you get to attune to or know  your cards?

The main way I attune to my cards is by looking at them often. It's also good to learn about the symbolism in them. There is so much on a Tarot deck, I'm always learning new things.

- Have cards ever surprised you in any way?

The way I go about divination, the whole point of doing a spread is looking for surprises. If I get a card with a very strong meaning, it surprises me and I wonder "why am I getting this?" Or a card that doesn't fit with my understanding of the situation. For me, it's all about looking at what I get and trying to understand if any of the pieces that don't seem to fit with what I know already could possibly make any sense. I can't always find an explanation, and that's fine too.

- Do you use Tarot cards in an unconventional way?

Some people have told me I'm pretty unconventional in my Tarot reading, so I suppose I must be. Some of the unconventional things I do:

1. Unusual spreads. One that I like but not many people do, a spread in the shape of the Kabbalah Tree of Life. I don't know a lot about Kabbalah, so for the meanings of the nodes I use the astrological correspondences and interpret according to astrological meanings. Another thing I do that I'm not aware of other people doing, I put 25 cards, face down, in a 5x5 grid. Then I ask for inspiration for which ones to flip face up, I usually get a feeling for some shape. And I do an intuitive reading based on that.

2. Interpretation. The way I go about it, it isn't like "this card in this position means that". I look at the whole pattern of cards, and I ask myself things like: "What is the main thing the cards are showing here?" Maybe there are a lot of cards of one suit. Or maybe the pattern is one of balance between left and right. Or maybe everything seems to gravitate around one card. Once I get a feeling for the global pattern and what it means, then I ask myself about the details. Also, I'm very free in my interpretations. If a card reminds me of a movie, and the movie seems related to the issue I'm asking about, as far as I'm concerned, that's a perfectly valid interpretation for that card at that moment.

3. Use them to "write" instead of "read". If there is some outcome I'd like to see happen in my life, I look for a card that seems to most closely represent what I'd like to see, and then I put the card in a very visible place in my room. The effect has ranged from none I could notice, to pretty dramatic. Most of the time, it's subtle, but effective.

Whoa, Maria, I really like some of your ideas especially that last one! Like most here, I've always found Tarot fascinating,  right along with Runes, I Ching, Divining Rods, pendulums or anything energy based, subconsciously linking or having mystical, magical meaning.

But I really like things with metaphorical meaning and placement and movement of inherent energies so moving cards into areas of my house is like moving other objects around where I can feel changes in meaning and flow. 

So I may just select a card from time to time now to just tuck somewhere symbolically.  Sounds so much easier than trying to learn all the complexities I don't seem to hold onto long enough to figure out patterns and meanings!

Thank you for that and your other ideas, as well! And thank you, Blue for adding the topic. Wasn't sure where'd it lead so its nice we may create a little something for everybody as a complimentary extra to Jeanne's gifts and contributions.

Thanks for sharing your tarot ways Maria and Michelle:) It's interesting to hear about your unusual spreads Maria.  I started by using the conventional 3 card past, present, future, but have switched to just drawing 3 cards and reading those, that seems to work for me, or just a single card reading. I've yet to progress to more complicated spreads, I think I need to practise more.

Regarding attuning with cards, with the last deck I bought I decided to go though and look at each card and see what symbolisms and meanings spoke to me before I looked up the meanings. The deck has cards similar suits to the traditional Rider Waite/Toth deck sense but is quite different in other ways.  I was quite surprised to find my intuitive interpretation matched the given meanings, with a only a few variations. I haven't got this so definitely with other cards I have, but this one seems so much easier to read for me, so I think it will be my go to deck:)  For me, the imagery is vital to stimulate intepretations. I don't think I'd be successful with standard playing cards.

I like the idea of placing cards symbolically to learn them or to draw and outcome in life - I'd never have thought of doing that.

You're right on with where I am with any regular use of Tarot cards, Blue.  Most of the readers who comment here seem to like to just pull one card and use that.  

But it sure seems that so many truly gifted readers and intuitive have created so many unusual and unique spreads that it just seems too easy to expect one card to have a very high accuracy. But then, I supposed if it's just a bridge to our own subconscious like a pendulum or Ouija board that's all a truly gifted person might need.

Hope Jeanne weighs in on this as she's not only gifted but a nationally recognized teacher of Tarot.

I’m coming!  Traveling with family in the Canadian Rockies in a long awaited vacation.   Will weigh in when I can.  I need to go through everything you all have written here first which looks amazing at first glance.  

But  since I saw a request to weigh in I will start with some thoughts. 

I love the tarot so much (and I read it so often) that when I’m doing readings these days the cards appear in my mind when I ask a question .  I don’t always have to have a deck with me anymore.  I love that.  

No card has a static meaning.  The whole process of divination is that we are surrounded by energies of consciousness that flow throughout the whole Universe.  When we pull a card or throw the IChing or Runes or any divination tool, we are using that tool to help us translate the energies around us into something we can understand that go beyond our everyday awareness.  But we can’t understand things that aren’t already in our minds so we make errors if our minds are limited.  

The cards are one of the easiest of the divination tools because they use our visual sense which we humans rely upon more than any other of our senses.  

But what we see in the cards is only as deep and as truthful as our own consciousnesses.  So it is as important to practice raising our own vibration with positive awareness as it is to learn how to read the cards.  

We need to know our own triggers and watch our egos.  It is difficult to read for ourselves if we have anxiety about the subject.  We often will pull our fears.  

We need to rise to the highest awareness we can and that includes pushing the envelope on hope.  

When you read a card. Take a breath first and ask your guides to lift you to the highest awareness.  Then note the first thing you see and how it feels to you.  

More later.  

I have recordings of eight tarot classes if anyone is interested. I do charge $50 per recording.  I will try to cover some of it here.  And I’m writing a book on it.  

Jeanne  

PS I read the Thoth deck (that is the deck the. Ok I’m writing uses) and also enjoy the Osho Zen deck. But I can read any deck and often see images in my mind from the Ryder Waite. When people here throw cards and tell what they got, I want to know what deck it was from.  

I got a Tarot deck with an instruction book from Amazon earlier this year and tried my hand at it a few times. I do AKC dog agility with two of my dogs and wanted to see how it would go in the future. I came up with "darkness before the dawn" (per the instruction book) for the current state and that turned out to be dead on. I also used the cards to ask about a current health issue and, per the instruction book, it indicated that I was facing a spiritual challenge as much as a physical challenge. I'll have to try it again sometime.

Posted by: Jeanne Mayell

 

No card has a static meaning.  The whole process of divination is that we are surrounded by energies of consciousness that flow throughout the whole Universe.  When we pull a card or throw the IChing or Runes or any divination tool, we are using that tool to help us translate the energies around us into something we can understand that go beyond our everyday awareness.  But we can’t understand things that aren’t already in our minds so we make errors if our minds are limited.  

A great way to describe it.

I love the idea of a book Jeanne I'd certainly buy it!

Jeanne,  did you tell us you were working on a book or did I dream it or am I making a fabulous prediction for the positive future ;-)

Awesome,  Jeanne! Love, love this explanation and that you are indeed writing a book.

Safe travels home! We miss you ♥️

Paul W - would you mind sharing the name of the book/deck you found on Amazon?

Laura F. - It was "The Essential Tarot" by Rosalind Simmons. 

https://www.amazon.com/Essential-Tarot-Kit-Book-Card/dp/0880882484/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1535193661&sr=8-1&keywords=essential+tarot+book+and+card+set

I thought this thread would be about Tarot card readings, as in predictions. This how I use the cards doesn't mean anything to me.

Elaine, Why not open up a topic asking questions of the cards?  People will weigh in.  :-)

Don't know how. I don't see a new topic button.

Posted by: Jeanne Mayell

 

I love the tarot so much (and I read it so often) that when I’m doing readings these days the cards appear in my mind when I ask a question .  I don’t always have to have a deck with me anymore.  I love that.  

PS I read the Thoth deck (that is the deck the. Ok I’m writing uses) and also enjoy the Osho Zen deck. But I can read any deck and often see images in my mind from the Ryder Waite. When people here throw cards and tell what they got, I want to know what deck it was from.  

I was just thinking the other day if it was possible to know a deck so well that one didn't even need to throw the cards but could just let the card pop into one's mind. Seems like it is!

I absolutely love the Osho deck. I have Toth also, as that's one I started with years ago, but sometimes it can be tricky to read I find.

I have been teaching the Thoth (Crowley) deck for 30 years.  The artwork is unsurpassed.  The depth of this deck is also amazing. Crowley was a genius who traveled the world to learn from ancient spiritual traditions.  This deck draws from Celtic, Roman, Hindu, Egyptian, and Tibetan traditions and the Kabbalah.  

It helps to understand that the images are a picture of the mind and emotions, not reality.  The swords cards show the most struggle because swords are a picture of our thinking and humans get caught up in distorted thinking.  So when you pull a negative swords card, know that it is distorted thinking that is causing that difficulty, and distorted thinking can be healed.  

Here's an article I wrote on reading scary cards:   https://www.jeannemayell.com/how-to-read-the-scariest-tarot-cards/.

I find the Thoth deck a little bit "too much". It even has all those Hebrew letters on it, it's a bit intimidating. I'm not sure if I'd recommend it for somebody who was just beginning with Tarot. I suppose it depends on how you approach it. When I started with Tarot, all I had for guidance was a magazine article that wasn't too good, so I just spent a lot of time looking at the cards and trying to make sense of them myself. If I had had access to somebody who could explain it to me, I'm sure it would have been different.

Maria I understand how you feel.  There is no perfect deck for everyone. It's a matter of personal preference and it helps to have a good teacher. I didn't have a tarot teacher, but I love art, was a painter, and am turned on by visuals, so I loved the Thoth deck.  When I taught myself the cards, I read a couple of books that got me going. For the Thoth Deck, (until my own book comes out - lol), I suggest Gerd Ziegler's Tarot: Mirror of the Soul. 

Best rule of thumb for picking a deck - use the deck whose images inspire you. 

Try, or at least take a look, at different decks until you find the one that moves you. 

1. I've taught hundreds of people to read the Thoth deck. It is so beautiful and stimulating, I feel it is worth the effort, but only if it inspires you.  It is the second most popular deck, next to Ryder Waite.   

Bluebelle learned the Thoth from me, and is giving great readings now. Same with Andrew Posey, Yaeko, Ginny, and many others, who were in my classes.  All started as beginners and are now reading it like experts.  I love how stimulating it is,  and the beauty and power of the art work.  The creators, Alistair Crowley and Lady Frieda Harris,  were a Lennon and McCartney team who somehow came together perfectly. Crowley was an iconoclastic bad boy genius who cavorted with the giants of the day, like Winston Churchill, Isadora Duncan, the sculptor Rodin, and WB Yeats.  

My mentor, David Hall, suggested I start with the Aquarian deck. It's beautiful but was too static for me.  I need stimulation!  He thought is would be an easy deck to start with, but if it didn't inspire me, so  I couldn't read it. 

When I began reading the Thoth deck, the images would sometimes jump right out of the card.  There is so much movement and color.  When the images start moving like that, you know you are reading energy.  David used to tell me "to throw light on the card." He meant to focus on the cards inwardly and see the energy they are evoking in you. I could do that readily with the Thoth.

But if you are uncomfortable with the Thoth, then it's not the deck for you. 

2. The Osho Zen is also wonderful, calming, and filled with wisdom. I love reading it and these days, I use it along with the Thoth when giving a reading. 

3. The Ryder Waite is the most popular deck.  It is easy to read because  the images are little tableaus that you can readily interpret.  If you are reading and enjoying it, then good to stay with it.  But it doesn't give me the full range of spiritual power and breadth that I feel in the Thoth.  Compare the Star card in the Thoth with the Ryder Waite and see if you notice a difference. Maybe it's just me.  

Conclusion: Use the deck that awakens you. 

I have to agree, from my experience. Both the Toth and the Rider Waite deck both apparently  come out of the Golden Dawn teachings, it's interesting to see how visually different they are. I think the Rider Waite is so popular because it seems more visually 'accessible'. I haven't personally used it but from the imagery I think it could be just as layered and deep as the Toth deck. I think some of the symbology of the Toth deck which has so many details and so much going on can make them seem hard to understand, or can be off-putting to beginners especially without prior knowledge of numerology, astrology and kabbalah, and because the imagery is so dynamic could be overwhelming.  When learning about the Toth deck symbology it sometimes feels like unpeeling and onion, more than other cards.  But it's also interesting how popular that deck is too. 

I also use the Osho Deck with Toth, sometimes for clarification. Another wonderful deck I have is the Dreams of Gaia Tarot. I find the imagery stunning and feel they are very spiritual cards.

But yes, you have to choose decks you personally feel drawn. I'd love to hear what other favourite decks are for folks here.