That's an excellent suggestion, thank you. I always get the Minor Arcana much more jumbled than the Major Arcana, so this suggestion will probably help out quite a lot. Thanks again
Tsuki, I'm going to recommend to you what was recommended to me by my hubby a long time ago. By the way, he's the best reader I've ever met. No, I'm not biased. Ok, maybe a little.
Anyhoo, if you have a basic Rider Waite deck or a Universal Waite deck, I really recommend studying with that one. There are a million and one tarots out there, but a large part of them are based on the Waite system. That system is good and solid to start off with. Another reason I say this is that they both usually come with a little booklet that might not seem like anything spectacular, but is actually stuffed full of your best info on the cards.
First, just read through the book to get familiar with it. It's true that each reader will get something just a little different than another with any given card, however learning the deepest meanings of your cards is like learning the alphabet. An A is an A, no matter what font you use. Different fonts can give you different feelings, but you still have to know that an A is an A. Really the simplest exercise for this that I know of is to start at the beginning of your book and pick each card out as you go through the book. Study the card and the imagery on it. It's all there for a reason. A woman in the background, a branch, children playing, fire, stained glass windows, or any image at all--it's on the card for a reason. Learn to associate the imagery with the deepest meaning of the card. Once you are comfy with your knowledge of it, move on to the next card and so on.
This is a long process. It's definitely not something you can master in a matter of days or even weeks. But I don't really think you are one to want something the quick and easy way. I take you more for a person who wants to know the root of all of it. As you go through, you'll get to a point where those cards spark something in you. That's when you know you are developing a relationship with them. They will become your cards. Not just a deck of cards that you bought. I don't think it's best to start trying out reads until you really get a good foundation on the meanings of your cards.
Like I said, it's a very time consuming task, but it's well worth it in the end. Once you really, truly know your cards, you can do any spread at all.
I forgot to mention--My husband and I both stopped allowing anyone to touch our cards several years ago. We participated in local fairs and our standard procedure was to allow each querent to handle the cards before their read. We stopped because they took on some of everyone else's energy and that really started to have a negative impact. Treat your Tarot like you treat your toothbrush. 'Mine, and mine alone"
). I've tried studying Tarot for a while, but they always, always, always slip my mind. Thus, I posted here and once again you quirky writers haven't failed me
I really need to see that movie.This sounds very much like how Lyra reads the alethiometer in The Golden Compass.
I don't have a Waite deck. Luckily, however, I do know where to get one. I'll definitely try this suggestion out as well.
I plan on having knowledge of the Tarot with me for quite some time, so of course I'm willing to work towards it, just like I have with herbs (which, after nearly 8 years, is still an ongoing process and will be for quite some time
Thanks Carole
I know it definitely has with herbs, let me tell you! I can't even enjoy looking at a dandelion anymore without the word "Diuretic and good on salads!" popping up in my head
But, I'd have it no other way.
That's awesome. I still get mixed reviews, but the fact that I haven't been sick in two years does make some ask me how. Of course I give them my spiel about what to take and how to take it. They all still get sick and say it didn't work for them. I ask them how they took it, but they say that after the first dose, they didn't feel any better so they stopped taking it. ARGH!!! I can't make any of them understand that the herbs I recommend aren't like Nyquil--they don't mask symptoms. They make the cold go away instead, (or prevent them altogether if taken all season) which in my opinion is infinitely better. Maybe some day they'll get it, but for the time being they think I am just lucky.
I know, this irks me too! I can say, "This will get rid of that nasty sinus infection," and they think I said, "Here's your wonder miracle herb that'll clear your nose and make yuor headache go away right now!" I've tried to exaplin that herbs heal in a more natural way, and may help your body to build a resisitance to whatever the ailment is, and of course I get the world's most vacant stare in return
I know, this irks me too! I can say, "This will get rid of that nasty sinus infection," and they think I said, "Here's your wonder miracle herb that'll clear your nose and make yuor headache go away right now!" I've tried to exaplin that herbs heal in a more natural way, and may help your body to build a resisitance to whatever the ailment is, and of course I get the world's most vacant stare in return
The yuckiest part is that I accidentally used his toothbrush while he was sick (ours look the same) but I still didn't get sick. Unfortunately, most of my family still believes that if it doesn't come in a little brown bottle with a pharmacy label it won't work.
Great thread and advice! My family and friends now see my "hobby" of herbal salves as something to brag about - a bit different from the "huh?" looks I received when I started. Nothing like a little Black Walnut salve to save the day!
I'm picking up the cards again with regularity lately, I agree that the Rider-Waite is excellent for a working deck. My other are just for fun, in fact Santa brought me the Housewives Tarot for xmas.
My boyfriend has a bit of a sinus infection and a minor case of swollen glands right now. He asked me to make him,some herbal tea, I said it was no problem and I cooked him up a batch and gave it to him. Then I found out that he drank the tea, popped a double dose of cold and allergy medicine, a double dose of Tylenol, some cough syrup, and used so much sore throat spray that the bottle was gone in two days. I almost beat him over the head! I told him that, even if the herbal medication doesn't give him the immediate relief he wanted, that he needs to be patient and even if the herbs aren't for him, to only stick to ONE MEDICINE! He's a perfect example of, "Fix me now! Fix me now!" I had to sit him down with a couple of books and explain to him how taking so many medication is bad for him, and how they can cancel each other out, produce bad effects, not to mentions COMPLETELY trash his liver later on. He's kind of coming around, but the last two days I've stayed with him I've had to knock a couple of bottles out of his hand.Yes!!! I think everyone is so dependent on immediate relief that they don't care how much longer the cold/flu/infection/etc will take to get rid of. But at least my husband is coming around. He was terribly sick just before Christmas. He'd been out of town for a while, and i could see the signs of it beginning to move to his lungs. That always means bronchitis is on its way. But when he got home, I began dosing him up day and night. In two days, he was all better.
Use a chest plaster. As crazy as it sounds, I swear this'll pull the bad stuff out of you. At least for me, this recipe works from a slight sign of the sniffles to bronchitis to even an aching back. It's a recipe I got from my great grandmother and modified slightly.
I tried to talk him out of work, and he just shrugged it off saying, "if I feel sick, I'll just pop two Stackers and some cold medicine! I'll be fine!"
Holy crap, they could be brothers! My boyfriend just recently got out of the habit (thanks to lots of stomping and hair pulling on my end) of downing his sleeping pills with a beer. Ughhh, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad.
