THE TAROT AND YOUR DESTINY---IT’S IN THE CARDS

With so many choices, how does a person get started in tarot? It’s probably best to start with a basic standardized interpretation of tarot symbolism such as the Ryder deck (and there are different paintings of these cards as well). After you get familiar with the basic symbols you may want a different ‘look’. Sometimes people quit working with the tarot because they chose a deck they don’t really like.

Of course, your individual taste in art has everything to do with choosing your deck. For example, ‘Shakespeare’ and ‘Robin Wood’ are popular with people who like the Renaissance period. ‘Cat People’ and Crowley’s ‘Thoth’ deck have very stylized fantasy illustrations. ‘Inner Child’ is for people who relate strongly to that type of therapy. ‘Daughters of the Moon’ appeals to feminists; ‘Medicine Cards’ are often chosen by people who relate to Native American ways. ‘The Witches Tarot’ and ‘The Well Worn Path’ are for people who are pagan and for those who follow Wicca. Other aspects of aesthetic appeal include the shape and size of the cards; ‘Mother Peace’ is round, ‘Voyager’ uses a collage style, and ‘Sacred Rose’ has some of the most brilliant

Colors of any printed cards.

Read the book about your deck, then set it aside and meditate on each card individually. It is important that you gaze at the cards in general and get a message or evoke a response. Look at each card as a whole picture rather than a series of details. See what each has to say to you. This is the best way to learn to work with the cards.

Most people take about six months to get familiar with their deck. The most common types of layouts are the Celtic Cross and the Circle. Professional readers often use more than one deck for different types of clients.

Let’s look briefly at how the tarot decks are comprised. The cards are divided into two sections, the major and the minor arcane. The major arcane as it appears in our readings and meditations mirrors our spiritual progress and evolution in relation to a particular situation. The minor arcane (the forerunner of our modern day playing cards) consist of 56 cards divided into 4 suits. Each suit represents aspects of our personal lives, and a very generalized description follows:

The cups indicate the subconscious mind, instinct and emotions; they are governed by the element of water.

The wands represent energy and growth, and the creation of ideas; they are governed by element of fire.

The swords depict courage, warrior spirit, and the will and the way to overcome obstacles; they are ruled by the sign of air.

The pentacles relate to business and financial matters; this is the sign of the earth.

In each suit there are numbered cards beginning with one (the beginning of all things) going up to ten (the culmination of all things). There are four court cards (the page, knight, queen, and king). They represent situations and/or people involved in situations. As the numbered cards in each suit progress we also see the progress in that aspect of our lives. Additionally, most cards also contain astrological references in the designs.

The purpose for using the tarot varies for people. Some see it as a fortune-telling device while others use it for meditation and insight. The cards as tools serve as psychic triggers in that, by observing them and their relation to each other in a spread, we respond to them in order to learn about ourselves and to understand what it is we are dealing with in certain life situations. Carl Jung said that symbolism evokes from our unconscious mind meaningful information that we can use in our daily lives. The cards are a symbolic means by which we can identify with our outer world of experience.

The following are suggested materials for reading: “The Complete Guide to the Tarot” by Eden Gray; “The Pictorial Guide to the Tarot” by A. E. Waite; and “The Secret Teachings of All Ages” by Manly P. Hall.

Other references include “Exploring the Patterns of the Tarot” by Norma Cowie; “The Easy Tarot Guide” by Marcia Masino; and “Tarot Made Easy” by Nancy Garen.

For those who are more adventurous, try:

“Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious” by Carl Jung; “Jung and the Tarot” by Sally Nichols; and “Tarot—Key to the Wisdom of the Ages” by Paul Case.

c. CKEVN, 1994.