Posted by: Tanoro
- January 05, 2007
Introduction
Are you looking for a safe, effective means to open
your psychic senses? Tarot was my first divination method and remains my
primary method to this day. Tarot is a truly special form of divination
that utilizes a deck of picture cards to tell the past, present, and future
of a given person's life. What follows is a general introduction to Tarot. This
article will explain how it works, what it can do, and can help you to discover
if it is for you.
No one is really sure how long Tarot has been
around, but the earliest known complete deck currently in existence is
the Visconti-Sforza, which is thought to have been created in 1450 or shortly
thereafter. There are literally hundreds of different Tarot decks to choose
from on the modern market, many of which influenced by the various cultures
of the world. Each deck bears differing pictures and suits, but all can
be used in similar ways. Some readers have even been known to use ordinary
playing cards.
The Cards
Unlike your usual 52-card poker deck, a standard
Tarot deck contains 78 cards, divided into two main categories: major arcana
and minor arcana. Also known as "trumps," the major arcana are powerful
cards that should be given more consideration in a reading than the minor
cards. Unlike the minor arcana, the major arcana do not fall under any
of the four suits of the deck. Some readers prefer to think of them as
falling under all of the suits. These cards contain characters and people
with specific personal qualities that can be associated with specific people
in a person's life. For instance, the Emperor card represents a demanding,
authoritative person who is similar to an emperor in many ways. The major
arcana also contain heavenly bodies such as the Sun and Moon which can
also be associated with certain circumstances in a reading. For example,
the Sun represents general happiness and a profound glow of satisfaction
around you as if it were a happy, sunny day.
The minor arcana are in many ways like a normal
deck of playing cards. The minor arcana consist of 4 primary suits, each
with a number set ranging from ace to ten and four court cards. Ordinary
playing cards contain three court cards instead (i.e. jack, queen, and
king). In a Tarot deck, the court cards are the Page, the Knight, the Queen,
and the King. In some decks, these cards may be identified differently.
For example, in some decks, the Page is called "the Prince," but the general
meaning of the card is the same.
The four suits in a standard Tarot deck are the
Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles. Again, the names of the suits vary
somewhat depending on what deck you have, but their meanings remain relatively
the same. Each suit corresponds to an element which represents the nature
of the suit. For example, the Wands are the suit of fire and represent
things of spirit, will power, and fortitude. The Cups suit is aligned with
water and represent circumstances of emotions, love, and healing. Swords
is the suit of air and represent creativity, justice, and intelligence.
Pentacles (also known as Coins in some decks) is the suit of earth which
presents worldly matters like your job, money, and career issues.
The Meanings
Contrary to popular belief, each and every card
in a Tarot deck does not have a specific meaning. Each card is associated
with a general feeling or personality type. The feelings and thoughts that
come to mind when you see the cards are called the "intuitive impressions." Make
no mistake, these are the same as your psychic impressions! When you see
a card and you know what it is trying to tell you, you are drawing from
your psychic senses. By reading the impressions you get from each card,
you can build an idea of what is going on and will be going on in the life
of the person for whom you are reading.
The number cards which go from ace to ten often
represent the path in life. For instance, the ace is the beginning of a
given path while the ten is the end of it. Apart from this, each card has
a general meaning of its own. In other words, the 5 of Wands in my deck depicts
five men armed with long rods, preparing to attack each other. The impression I
often get from this card refer to confrontations, arguments, and general social
tension. Of course, this is not the meaning I get from it every single time. The reader cannot associate each
card the same way every time it appears. A good reader knows the balance
point between knowing the meaning of a card and not over-analyze it. You
must simply learn to understand what is going on in the "story" of each
card and pretend it is a page from the life of the client.
Joan Bunning, in her book Learning the Tarot,
suggests reading the cards as you would a comic book with no dialogue in
it. Look at the cards and guess what you think is happening in the picture.
Once you understand that card's meaning, associate it with the person or
issue you are reading the cards for. The key point here is to go with your
first instinct. Your first instinct carries the first impression which
is the right one. This philosophy may sound a little dubious or perhaps
cliché, but take my word for it. You will realize very quickly how
accurate your first impression can be.
Spreads
When reading Tarot cards, you must lay the cards out as
you draw them in a specific pattern called a "spread." Each position in a spread
has it's own meaning and place in the reading. The meaning of the position
must be cross-referenced with the meaning of the card you place there in
order to identify its meaning properly. There is no wrong way to lay a
spread. In fact, you can invent spreads of your own using as many or as
few cards as you want. You only need to know what each position means to
you. I have invented many different personalized spreads for my practice.
I have even read of spreads that require the entire deck.
For beginners, I highly recommend the Celtic Cross
spread. This spread was the one I started with and I still use it today.
It is among the most versatile as it can be used for almost any issue you
can ask. This spread spells out the entire story of a given issue and you
can get superb detail with it. I consider it a primer for the aspiring tarot
reader.
Celtic Cross
The Celtic Cross is broken into two sections:
the Cross and the Staff. The Cross is the first section to be laid out.
The first two cards go in the center. Sometimes, the 2nd card is placed
sideways directly atop of the 1st card, but I find this blocks the view
of the 1st card and impairs my ability to read the impression properly.
However, if it works for you, then by all means. Secondly, some books which
discuss the Celtic Cross may vary the order in which the outer cards of
the Cross are placed. In some books, the top card is the 3rd to be laid
and the 5th is at the bottom. Some books instruct you to lay them out counter-clockwise
while others suggest clockwise. This is all really personal and immaterial.
Use whichever one you feel comfortable with and do not switch styles constantly.
Pick one and stick to it.
I will now discuss the general
meanings of each position in the Celtic Cross. Keep in mind that these meanings vary
a little. Tarot, like any other occult practice, is a very personal and
works best that way.
Position 1 represents the very heart of the
issue and matter at hand. Sometimes this card can reveal things about your
client that he or she is not telling you. Never expect them to give you
the whole story. Just use the meaning you get from this card to build the
first part of the story.
Position 2 is a secondary factor of sorts.
This card can tell you what is urging the issue on or who is trying to
fix things. When paired with the card in position 1, these cards can tell
you the "central dynamic," as Joan Bunning prefers to call it. This represents
exactly what the issue is.
Position 3 can give you an idea of what kind
of thoughts or images are in the mind of your client. This is a factor
which is greatly influenced by what led to the current issue. This card
represents the client's mental reaction to what happened in the past (position
4).
Position 4 is a card showing you the past
of the client's issue. When paired with position 3, these cards can show
you exactly what happened to lead to the issue that is happening in cards
1 and 2. This is the part of the reading that is leaving or fading away.
Position 5 is the client's current mental
status, attitudes, and beliefs. This is what they feel consciously and
often tells what the client is incline to do in reaction to cards 1 and
2. In other words, this card can tell you what the client wants to do in
order to resolve the issue. When paired with card 6, these cards can give
you a great view of the client's future and whether or not their strategy
is going to work.
Position 6 is the card of the future and
represents a factor that is quickly approaching. When paired with card
5, these cards can tell you where the client is going and what they can
expect from their current way of thinking.
Position 7 shows you an inward view of the
client. All too often do problems occur as a result of miscommunication
and simple misunderstanding. The card in position 7 will show you what
the client thinks of his or her own position in the issue of cards 1 and
2. This is what the client thinks of himself/herself.
Position 8 covers any external influence
or perhaps the position of other people involved in the issue of cards
1 and 2. For example, if the reading is about two lovers who are having
a hard time getting along, you can compare cards 7 and 8 for a great idea
of what exactly the root of their problems are. How do they feel about
each other? What are their own opinions of each other?
Position 9 is a guiding factor which represents
hopes and fears in the part of the person you are reading. This can explain
a lot about what the client is trying to do. If the client is asking about
his/her lover and the result is rather horrid, but this card demonstrates
a certain satisfaction, I would be under the impression that the client
was trying to forcefully break up with his her partner. This can give you
an idea of what kind of advice, if any, to give the client.
Position 10 is the overall outcome of the
issue. This is where the client will end up and what the deeper meaning
of the issue is. This is an important card and should never be left out
of the reading. Tell the client what you feel about this card and their
issue.What to do With All of This Information!
Now that you know who your client is, what their issue is, where it will go, and
how they will get there, it is time to inform the client about the impressions
you are getting and what they can expect in their future. Some cards may be
difficult to associate, but try to read them as best you can. At first it won't
be easy to use every card in the spread until you get some practice in. Once you
find yourself reading others well, use this information to their advantage and
give them some useful advice to help them on their way. If a person is having
trouble finding romance and you see nothing in the spread, suggest spending more
time meeting new people and going to new places. Use common sense here!
Also, instruct the client that getting news that was not entirely pleasant
does not doom them to that future. Tell them their future and challenge
them to improve it! Tell them to take the reigns of their destiny into
their own hands!
Reversed Cards
There really is
no wrong way to draw a card in a tarot deck. You can draw the cards any way you
like so long as you draw each one the same way. Draw from the bottom and flip it
up or the other way around. With this is mind, some cards will show up reversed
or upside-down. Some readers choose not to use them in their readings which is
perfectly acceptable. I don't normally use them in my practice either.
Reversed cards mean exactly what they do when they
are not reversed. The only difference is that reversed cards represent
a circumstance or impression that is not currently being expressed. This
means the impressions are present, but they are weak and probably overlooked.
This happens when something is about to happen or is in the process of
leaving. For instance, the 5 of Wands showing up reversed may mean your
ability to get along with others is either getting worse or better. The
impressions you get during the reading determine which meaning is right.
I, myself, prefer reading without reversed cards. I get the same impressions
no matter which way I turn them, so for visual convenience, I turn them
up.
Do's and Don'ts
When you draw a card and you understand its meaning,
go to the next card. Do not glance back at a card that you have already
looked at. Doing this will make you second-guess the impression you felt
when you first looked at it. This is a mistake. The first instinct is right
and you must stand by it in every reading. Because of this, confidence
is very important in reading tarot. You cannot stand by your instinct if
you have doubt in it. When you learn this rule, you will be ready to read
into more details.
Never read with a book open in front of you. If
you have a general idea of the meaning of each card, then you are ready
to read without a book. Tarot books typically contain examples of what
each card usually means or the meanings of each card as interpreted by
the author. However, these meanings may not work for you. Get to know your
deck by spending some time staring at each card and try to guess a "story"
out of each one. Give each person in every card a life and a personality.
If it helps you, give each person in each card a nickname. For a good example,
the 7 of Swords shows a man quietly sneaking away from a crowd with a bunch
of swords in his hands. Just for personality sake, I nicknamed this man
"Sneaky" and he is an underhanded, manipulative, and deceptive person.
Never let the client you are reading for shake you
because you appear inaccurate at first. I have read for people on numerous
occasions who claimed I was inaccurate because I had said something personal
or something they were trying to keep a secret. This is especially so when
others are watching the reading. Skeptical clients tend not to admit when
you are right! You can often identify these kinds of people by looking
them in the eye when you tell them something or listening for the nervous shake
in their voice. Read the impressions there
too. Also note that there are sometimes truths that you can identify for
a person that he or she has no knowledge of. Those kinds of readings are
useful, but the client will not know what is going on in order to confirm
it. For instance, if a person is asking about the loyalty of their lover. They
will not know what the truth is and are relying on you for that.
Limitations
Tarot reading is a simple form of divination that
can prepare you to do basic readings within weeks if you study hard on how it
works and get to know your deck. Tarot is not without its limitations,
however. For the obvious, you must have your deck with you in order to
read someone. Given enough practice and years of experience, you will get
to a point when you will be able to get impressions without them, but this
takes years of practice. Palmistry has an advantage here because it requires
nothing but the palm of the client. However, Tarot also has an advantage
there because Tarot can be done over the phone, internet, or any other
means to connecting with a person.
Tarot does not help you connect with the dead. Practicing
Tarot is a great prerequisite for spiritual training, but being a tarot
reader does not mean you can talk to spirits or ghosts. Your cards, at
first, will only allow you to feel general impressions. You will not be
able to pick out actual bits of information like physical appearance or
the sound of a person's voice without extensive practice, training, and
perhaps a familiarity in other forms of divination. On that note, you may
find it complicated or even impossible to contact another person's spirit guide, totem animal,
or a deceased relative without some familiarity in spiritual contact.
Tarot cannot predict exactly when something will
happen. Clients ask this kind of thing all the time. For the longest time,
I refused to answer questions that involved asking when an event might
occur. I slowly became sensitive to seeing seasonal changes in my visions,
so I could sense about what time of year it would be, but there is no way
to tell what day it is in a vision. This, of course, also comes with practice.
Tarot is not suitable for locating lost objects
or people. Tarot is a form of divination that involves empathy and the
ability to sense delicate emotional changes in order to feel out the situation
and what will come of it. But as you are using cards, there is no way to
really tell exactly where a given object or person is. Dowsing is preferred
for this type of question.
Tarot has its limitations and there is really nothing
you can do about it except expand your knowledge into other forms of divination
in order to minimize such limitations. Most frequent customers of the psychic
trade do not realize that their psychic may be using combinations of three
or four types of divination in a single reading. All the customer sees
is the cards, but they cannot see what is going on in the mind of the reader.
Conclusion
Learning to feel impressions in Tarot can help you
to become more familiar with the basic practices of other forms of divination.
Using multiple forms of divination is a strong key to great success in
the psychic trade. You will be able to see more accurately and feel what
is going on in a person's life. You stand a better chance of guiding a
person onto the right path of satisfaction and happiness while teaching
them that destiny is in our own hands.
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Article Posted by: Tanoro
