Tarot for a Tarot reader

One of the biggest obstacle to reading Tarot for yourself is expectations.  The less involved you are the easier it is to be objective, when you read for yourself it can be very difficult to manage.  My work around is to go big, really big, all the cards big.

First I recommend using a standard size 78 card Tarot deck since any other size since it's designed to use 78 cards.

Step one is to draw out an indicator for your current state.  Next think of your first question, be very specific like "Should I post this blog right away?".

First card is at the top and the result.  Working clockwise around the circle with six more cards.  The upper pair is what you need to be aware of if you want to make this decision, the next pair the things you'll need to rely on, the last pair at the bottom is what will be holding you back or the downside.

This is almost speed Tarot, reading the last paragraph should take more time than these first 8 cards.

With this spread my answer is going to be no, I know it's not quite ready, I should ask for help and wow that last pair is pretty intense.  Inaction and emotions together.

Or in short no.

Now we repeat.  Don't look for a better interpretation don't look for the positives, just your first impressions as quickly as possible.  Come up with your next question, still on the same thread.

"My website is almost ready should I finish that first?"

Not a good idea, would be a struggle that would take a lot from me right now.

I like offsetting the cards because I can look at two or more answers at once.  I also take notes when an answer shows a clear concern or is a definite sign to go ahead.

The trick is to make each question slightly different.

"Should I work my website then post this?"

Looks like a plan but just to double check:

"Blog first website later?"

I was right the first time.

Continue until you have finished the deck with 11 questions.  

If you are working with offset cards the top card is going to slowly sift around.

And the end result is your entire deck and fairly chaotic.  I call this my circle of confusion actually.

This is not a great spread to use for anyone other than yourself.  Explaining the 78 cards would first take forever, the only other option is to flip over seven cards and give very short single word answers.  Neither is particularly appropriate.

Meanwhile it is great for personal use.  It pushes you to use your first impressions rather than trying to shape your reading.  If you're still learning you will go through your entire deck which is always valuable.

The other half of using this successfully is having a whole series of linked questions.  If you struggle with wording or knowing how to ask the right question this is a great way to challenge yourself.

Lastly if you really struggle with questions you can prepare them ahead of time but doing it on the fly further helps cut out your own opinions and prejudices.  Searching for the right question rather than planning can help make sure you don't just ask biased questions to get what you want.

Preparing for a Reading

First don't feel like you need to have anything ready ahead of time.  If you feel like walking in a making an appointment on the spur of the moment there is no problem.  Don't feel like you need to know anything about Tarot readings or have any experience with Tarot readings.  In fact coming in without expectations can be better than coming with a clear idea of what you think you want to happen.

If you want there are things you can do ahead of time.

If you have specific concerns you can work out which questions you have ahead of time.  Think about each question and see if you can break the questions into different parts.  Ask what is it you really want to know?

Don't worry about what answers you want, think about all of the different parts of your question.

If you don't have a specific concern on the other hand, take the time before your appointment to relax and let yourself be open and receptive.

If this is your first Tarot reading and you have questions about Tarot readings you can focus on those ahead of time.  Don't feel like you need to know anything about Tarot or Tarot readings ahead of time.  Even people who have had multiple Tarot readings can still have questions about Tarot.

Lastly if you want you can check out my Tarot decks and decide which you'd like to have for your reading.

If you are coming as a student, write out what your goals are.  Why are you interested in learning about Tarot?  What are you interesting in doing with Tarot?  What do you think you know about Tarot?  What do you want to know?  What are your concerns?  How do you want to use Tarot in your life?

I do not seek the inexperienced youth, but he seeks me. When he shows the sincerity proper for divination, I instruct him. If he asks two or three times, that is troublesome, and I do not instruct the troublesome.

First I am using the James Legge 1899 translation but please go here if you are interested in the I Ching.  It's a great website with multiple translations and far more information than I could ever hope to share on the subject of the I Ching.

The Book of Changes or the I Ching is made up of 64 different hexagrams each of which are made up of 6 lines, either complete or with space in the middle, and are divined using yarrow sticks.  While the I Ching is a fantastic resource I am just using Hexagram 4 to make my point rather than going into any depth on the subject.  The Book of Changes is one of the oldest texts on the planet and Hexagram 4 completely and perfectly explains where the limits of Tarot are and did so 3000 years ago give or take.

The limit actually makes a lot of sense, there is only a finite amount of information you can gain from a Tarot reading.  You can ask the same question any way you want but the answer isn't going to change.  In fact the answer will turn to the Tarot equivalent of gibberish before you'll get a new answer.  That's the point where you have become troublesome.

There is a way around it, you can look at different aspects of the same question.  Before I become troublesome I will usually try to approach it from a different angle.  There is usually more than one question you can ask about a single subject but again you don't want to be troublesome.

My advice is if you have a problem before you arrive at your appointment think about all of the questions you have about it.  For instance if you have a question about your job.  What is it that worries you about your job?  What worries you about changing your job?  Are there other aspects of your life that might impact your job?  What are you hoping to achieve?  Any of these questions might be answered early on or you might not have enough time to address all of them so figure out what the most important questions are and have a variety to work through.

Faerie Oracle

This time I can say this is hands down my favourite oracle deck without making it sounds hyperbolic.

Using it in a reading is tricky, these are oracle cards not Tarot.  They are better fit single draw readings.  

One of the things I love about these cards is the sheer variety.  You can split them into sections but these are very variable cards making them good at accuracy.  People draw what they need and it's usually pretty obvious even without my input.

The art is by Brian Froud, also known for his work on Jim Henson's The Dark crystal and Labyrinth, as well as several books he has illustrated all full of faeries.  Each card is less about specific symbolism and more about pictures telling a story.  That said these are faery cards often have faery logic.

The more experience you have with faeries or oracle cards the easier they are to interpret, so I'm more than happy to offer my experience, but anyone with an instant reaction should cheerfully ignore me in favour of their own intuition.,

Mediaeval Cat

Medievally Cats sounds quirky but it's really an interesting modern take on pre-Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot.  That and cats.

Before AE Waite the "suits" did not have individual illustrations.  Rather they were like traditional playing cards.  If you look at a deck designed before the turn off the last century there are very few visual clues apart from the number and suit.  Similarly each minor arcana card has only a small picture over a gorgeous cat themed playing card design, like fish covered cups or bird swords.

While cats seem modern on first glance in reality the cards themselves are very traditional, pages and knights even a Popess.  Still the images on the minor arcana are fairly typical if more cat filled.

As a slightly crazy cat lady I love it.  Great art if limited art with very clear imagery.  It's also a nice blend of early Tarot design with modern sensibilities.

Rider-Waite-Smith

If you are thinking Tarot chances are pretty good you're thinking of the Rider-Waite-Smith deck. This was the biggest shift in Tarot history and also is the first modern deck to become popular.  What the deck is called varies, the names of import are A.E. Waite, the architect of the deck, Pamela Colman Smith, the artist of the deck and the publishers the Rider Company.  At the time Tarot decks typically only had detailed pictures for the major arcana, or around one fifth of the total deck.  A.E. Waite also drew on the work of mystics of the age so each card was designed to have symbolic meaning.

More importantly the images are in the public domain so pop culture typically uses the images from this deck rather than a deck which is still copyrighted.

 The first decks were published in 1910 and were a very early foray into a complete mystically symbolic Tarot deck and it shows.  On the other hand A.E. Waite knew what he was doing.  This is one of the best and most comprehensive decks ever created and has stood the test of time.  Every part of every card is carefully thought out.  In fact you can read the Rider-Waite-Smith deck pictorially if you are well versed in the symbolism in use at the time.

To this day one of the styles of Tarot decks are Rider-Waite-Smith.  This is also the oldest deck I prefer use.  Earlier decks, like the Marseilles Tarot, are beautiful in their own way and I'm content using them for myself but I find them needlessly esoteric when I'm using them for other people.

There's something very special about this deck.  I already had a few decks when I finally gave the Rider-Waite-Smith a chance.  General Tarot books all referenced it and I thought I should have one for myself.  I was amazed at how simple such complex concepts could be illustrated and how easy the deck was to use.  While I only use decks I am very familiar with this is a deck where I know each and every card incredibly well.  I always reference back to this deck when I have a new deck but because I know it and I don't need to have it with me to do so.

While I love beautiful and more modern decks, this is the pinacle of tarot design.

Gendron

This is a favourite and one of my oldest decks.  A mix of traditional and modern while still being incredibly flexible.  The major arcana has both astrological and Qabalah notations and the whole deck is full of animals and clear symbolism.

While there is a clear Rider-Waite-Smith influence its also clearly a modern deck.  Princesses and princes alongside queens and kings.  Several cards, especially a lot of the court cards are very accessible, as they are very modern versions.  For instance the hermit is female and has guiding star instead of a lantern.

The art includes photos so the faces are often of real people but set in a Tarot setting.  Rather than making things harder the faces draw you in.  These are people you understand so in turn you can understand the cards.

These are well thought out cards that also lend themselves to reflection. The longer you look the more you can get from them.
I will say that Melanie Gendron's art does drift into the surreal on occasion. I personally think that it's appropriate for the cards which are the most surreal and that the minor arcana tends to stick with very straight forward images.

A mystic and magic deck without being too esoteric.

Shadowscape Tarot

While saying decks are my favourite can seem bit redundant, after all I don't use decks I dislike. This deck has so many of my favourite cards.

I was looking for a good Stratford Tarot deck and I was thinking about going Shakespearean or period, but I couldn't find anything that appealed to me.  Lots of research later I noticed that the Shadowscape Tarot by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law uses swans frequently for sword cards.  Even more research followed before I was willing to risk it.  While not my newest deck, this is a recent addition to my Tarot collection.

At first it might seem like another fantasy deck, there are a few details scattered through it, but it's actually more than that.  It's more magic than fantasy and more theatrical than literary.

There isn't as much detail to the background but each card was careful thought out.  There is plenty of symbolism and amazing scenes, many of which look like concept art for a play, but again it's a very easy to connect to.

This is another modern deck, our fool is about to step off with a flock of birds to protect her, the hanged man is surrounded by fairies and dryads. While I just said this isn't as detailed, each card requires a second look.

I'd say that rather than letting each card embody an idea, each card represents a fresh look at how to represent that idea with an active scene.

It is also very beautiful.  The water colour artwork helps create a vibrant world making each reading a story that clearly fits together from start to finish.

Mythic Tarot

I have to say that this is a weird deck.  On first glance it's simple enough but the differences are enough to make most people pause at least once. Also I like this deck so much I have two of them.

One is the 1986 Tricia Newell version, the second is the 2008 Newell and Caselli or "The New Mythic Tarot" version and they each have their advantages.  The earlier deck I have has much higher quality cards, the newer version has updated artwork which begs the question, which do you care about more?

The left is the newer release and the overall look is softer but the original has much more detail especially with the faces.  The original does look dated which I admit isn't as accessible.  There also a few changes, Athena's sword has changed shape and her arms have changed angles so she looks less relaxed.  Hera's posture has also changed slightly and she is now looking at Paris.  Paris meanwhile has a new crook and like Aphrodite has had a hairstyle change.  Aphrodite seems to be the most improved.  More Goddess less woman who grabbed the nearest scrap of cloth in a rush after getting out of the bath. I could even say it's lost details in the art while paying more attention to details.

With the deck there is a very comprehensive book which you will need.  This is the lovers card after all and it's clearly the judgement of Paris.  While choice isn't alien to the lovers card, it's a seriously weird card.  Yeah choose love and start a massive war that will destroy your entire country!  If he had made the more practical choice, military strength or a cat empire he still could have found love and if he needed to fight a war over it he'd be able to.

Not sure who I'd pick but it would not be Aphrodite.  This isn't even the weirdest myth choice.  There are several obscure myths and stranger choices throughout.  So if you really like the Rider-Waite-Smith and you don't like quirky decks just stop now.  If you like variety and a challenge though this definitely does that.  It's not a good Tarot deck if you are more traditional unless you are very interested in Greek mythology.

I have enough experience with Tarot and Greek mythology as well as a desire for new challenges to really like this deck and I love using it. I`m not surprised that it`s not for everyone.

Universal Fantasy Tarot

Every time I use this tarot deck I can't help but think "If I could i would read these books".  The art is lush and suitably creative.  This is strangely not all that way to read artistically since this is less about detailed symbolism and more about single scenes.  It's very evocative but not as straightforward as many decks but still it's utterly gorgeous.

Another note is that unlike most decks there is very little in the way of religious or spiritual themes.  Most Tarot comes from an obvious religious background of one type or another.  This is well thought out from a fantasy background.

There are plenty of bold choices and non traditional scenes with magical beasts and monsters all set in fantastical locations.

The minor arcana isn't as thematically linked, something fairly common, but it feels like each card is part of the same world filled with bold imagery and intriguing characters.  If you like fantasy, the pictures will easily inspire you but, if not it, might be harder than normal to connect to it.

All of that and it’s just so cool.  Throughout the deck there are characters you’d want with you in a fight or to fall in love with or to aspire to be.  It’s also interesting how often powerful is an appropriate adjective, not just with the heroic characters but nearly every card exudes power.