Learning Tarot
There are a million ways to learn Tarot, and some great suggestions on the resources link with books, sites, and videos you may enjoy. As far as practical tips, here are some ideas:
– Start a Tarot journal. If you prefer to work digitally, evernote and notability are apps I like.
– Pick 2-3 keywords per card; memorize them. You will change/add to these meanings in the years to come.
– Learn the Major Arcana cards first and begin reading from them. While this is not required, it can be helpful to tackle a smaller portion of the deck.
– Ask the Tarot for guidance for the day, and pull one card. Study it. Carry its message with you. Write about your experience with the card at the end of the day. Soon begin pulling 3 cards per day, so you can begin to connect the cards together and create a narrative.
– Someone else suggested this once – and I like this as there’s less pressure on you and the tarot to predict your day. Pull cards at the end of the day, asking “What happened today?” Take note of the correlations you see in the cards with the days events.
– Work on visualization techniques; talk about what you see happening in the image of a card when you pull it. Tie your visualization into abstract meanings (metaphor) as well as literal meanings (what’s actually depicted on the card and how that may represent something literal). Do this before you double check what the card actually means.
– Learn the elemental properties and the corresponding suits: SPIRIT, AIR, FIRE, EARTH, and WATER.
– Spend time with the Major Arcana cards. Identify myths, stories, and people (real or fictional) you see in the cards. Invent the story of each card, and THEN look at the real meaning. Write about what you see. Remember that Tarot card meanings are generally universal, but that what’s more important is that you make a personal connection to your cards.
– Work on one suit (Minor Arcana suit) per week or month. Is there a story as you progress through the card numbers? What does the suit represent or communicate?
– Make your own Tarot deck! By making your own Tarot deck, you must think about the ways in which you connect to the meaning of the card. You create an instant bond.
Spreads
Start with three card spreads. You can create your own, but here are some Ideas:
– What was / What’s becoming / What may be
– Mind / Body / Soul
– 3 things I need to know about ________
– 3 cards for advice in my life right now