Tarot Q&A and Discussion

[faye_cat]

Re: Tarot Q&A

From my understanding, most tarot decks are based on the Waite-Rider Tarot deck. The simple premise is that the Major Arcana (Starting with the Fool and ending with the World) tells the story of an individual's journey (some have compared it to a guided meditation). The Minor Arcana are associated with four different aspects of life, such as money/personal possessions, emotions, reason/thought, and creativity/will (for example, I'm sure someone else can word that better). They are also associated with the four elements.

Each deck is going to have a different personality, so to speak, but they will usually follow a similar path. Oracle cards are different from Tarot cards and tend to be much more individualized.

http://www.aeclectic.net/ is a great site for browsing the variety of cards out there and getting a feel for what kind of imagery you relate to. I know there are several blogs that review decks as well, and most book stores have a few decks, while metaphysical stores have quite a few.

[Bjorn]

Re: Tarot Q&A

How do you choose a Tarot deck?

Choosing the tarot that suited me best came only after having chosen one that didn't suit me very well (more on that later). It is my opinion that you can only know that a deck suits you or not after having used it for a while. They all have something to bring to the table, so if you find yourself in possession of a deck that you don't care for, there are lots of places to buy more decks (online is the best bet, you pay a lot less for 'froo froo tax' than you would at a metaphysical shop), and you can always gift your old decks to someone who is interested in the craft but doesn't know how to dive in yet. I gave my first deck away, and the person I gifted them to loves them dearly -- the deck was much more aligned with her than myself.

I have used the Celtic Cross layout for myself a couple of times using an inspirational deck (not Tarot) I own http://www.mandalaeartheditions.com/.../dp/1601090315. I got very good results from both readings, even though they weren't Tarot cards.

Personally, this is the best part of spreads to me. Spreads are universal (that is a slice of personal philosophy) since each placement has a purpose and whatever card lies there gives you insight as to something pertaining to that topic. I know folks who have used a regular Bicycle playing cards to read for themselves and have experienced satisfactory results. Sure, there are no Major Arcana, but the suits stack up pretty nicely (Hearts=Chalices, Diamonds=Pentacles, Clubs=Wands, Spades=Swords), so if you're determined enough, I believe anyone can find meaning with any kind of cards using any spread, really.

For some very interesting and thoughtful spreads, check out Yorin's amazing thread here: http://www.paganforum.com/showthread...=tarot+spreads

Also, I have found that the most comprehensive and insightful interpretations of the cards (as based of the Rider-Waite) to be at this website, which has never failed me: http://www.ata-tarot.com/resource/cards/

Are all Tarot decks the same? Meaning do they have the same characters and different representations for each character or are there Tarot decks that serve differently?

The short answer is: pretty much. The tarot of today follows the basic principles of the 22 Major Arcana and the 56 minor Arcana, divided into the 4 suits. However, there are many different artists, many different interpretations, and since we're dealing with the occult here, there really isn't anything that says 'you're reading this wrong.'

That can be what makes tarot so infuriating to the beginner.

More on why my first deck didn't 'suit' me: My first deck was absolutely gorgeous. It was the Art-Nouveau deck and each card was spectacularly beautiful, with rich colors, intricate hair and fabrics, and the style of Art-Nouveau redolent in every card. However, they were too 'light.' Too beautiful. I didn't feel as if the symbolism of what the cards were supposed to represent were as strong as the art was. Now, that was just my personal opinion, because you can see for yourself a sampling of how stunning these cards are here: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com...72a7de111a.jpg

But I needed something more serious. Something darker. Something more entrenched in the symbolism that I connected with. Then I stumbled upon the Russian Tarot of St. Petersburg, and knew instantly that it was the right deck for me. The cards are black, the history of them is ripe with melancholy, and the symbolism is very mystical. They spoke to me with greater depth, and there wasn't so much searching on websites to find the meanings because the cards spent all their time leading me to different conclusions just looking at the imagery on them. Here is an example of my deck: http://www.astroamerica.com/tarot/t-russan.jpg

TL;DR, just dive in. There's no wrong way to tarot.

[thalassa]

Re: Tarot Q&A

I totally agree that finding the right tarot deck is a matter of trial and error. unfortunately unless you have someone's deck that you can shuffle through and and try out, your really not gonna know what works for you or doesn't work for you without buying it and actually trying it. I have decks that I got on a whim because they just seemed kind of random and I love them and I've had decks that I was like "oh my Gods I have to have this! This is so me!!" and I never use them... so it just really depends.

[anubisa]

Re: Tarot Q&A

I agree with thalassa. I think it is a matter of trial and error. You just have to find one that has the right feeling for you.

[Azvanna]

Re: Tarot Q&A

Thank you so much ladies, very helpful.

[Willow]

Re: Tarot Q&A

How do you choose a Tarot deck?

I have used the Celtic Cross layout for myself a couple of times using an inspirational deck (not Tarot) I own http://www.mandalaeartheditions.com/.../dp/1601090315. I got very good results from both readings, even though they weren't Tarot cards.

I don't think I would do readings very often, just when I am over-thinking and over-complicating a problem or am really lacking in foresight.

Are all Tarot decks the same? Meaning do they have the same characters and different representations for each character or are there Tarot decks that serve differently?

The main one I use now I stumbled across while perusing the interweb for Tarot deck photos. I caught myself being "drawn" into the artwork, like my mind could just float away inside the card without really focusing on it first, and I was still noticing all the detail and colors of each card.

That being said, that's not how I came across my first 10 decks and all but one of the first ten have found new homes. Sometimes it takes awhile. If you have a used bookstore near you, sometimes Tarot cards that have been sold by previous owners can be found there and because they aren't sealed you may be able to handle a few different decks and see if anything draws you in.

[Bartmanhomer]

Tarot Accuracy

What's the accuracy of a tarot reading?

[monsno_leedra]

Re: Tarot Accuracy

Truthfully BartmanHomer I think it depends on to many aspects to give an inclusive answer. it depends upon the reader, their experience, their connection to both the cards and the deeper currents. It depends also upon truthfulness of the person asking the questions. It depends upon how far out your trying to read. It depends upon what movement is heading towards a person, how the person reacts to any situation, etc. Not even touching upon is the person a hot or cold reader, how much of their reading is based upon the physical presence of their subject. Depends upon how truthful they are to themselves and reading the cards vice trying to make things better or easier on who they are reading.

[Azvanna]

Re: Tarot Accuracy

I think Tarot can uncover much of the subconscious mind. For this reason alone I think very accurate.

[Bartmanhomer]

The Tower Card

I have a bad experience with the Tower card it's not even funny. I remember when the day I got the Tower card I got hit by the door at college a few years ago. What's your experience with the Tower card?

[Dust]

Re: The Tower Card

The tower isn't a card I particularly relish in drawing, but every card has it's lessons. My experience with the tarot hasn't been one of fortune telling nor has it had much to do with non-permanent incidents or accidents. I see them as a suggesting a resolution to a problem, a way of looking at my life's situation from a different angle, giving me something to think about during the month, week or day, a warning, a positive pick-me-up to give this little cynic some optimism, etc...

Mostly when I draw that card I wind up muscling my way through whatever tough situations are thrown at me that day and try to look on the bright side.

[thalassa]

Re: The Tower Card

The tower card is just a card about change...its nothing ominous.

[Threshold]

Re: The Tower Card

I've never had it come up except when poop was hitting the fan...I'm referring to readings being done for me.

Addiction, relapse, divorce, suicidal feelings, ending friendship etc.

But each querent has their own idea of what they experience as disaster, and every reader has their own relationship with the cards and how they interpret them.

[Bartmanhomer]

The Moon Card

The Moon card is so confusing. One of the traditional meaning of the cards is deception and lies the other meaning is psychic and intuition. Same thing in the reversed meaning it means everything will be reveal and the other one in reversed is mental illness and deception. What is the real meaning of the Moon card?

[Hickory67]

Re: The Moon Card

Depends on what your intuition tells you in context of the querent. The above are legitimate meanings, but depending on the querent's circumstances, one or the other will be more relevant.