Luna Shay Luv
Can anyone just pick up tarot cards and read them or is it a gift that is possibly learned??
Just wondering
DragonFae
Hmmm...just my thoughts of course...I believe that eveyone has the potential to be intuitive and to use the gifts they have at a much deeper level than we usually do....so in that regard I suppose anyone can read tarot or oracles...however....I also believe that just as we have different "levels" of IQ we also have different levels or abilities in regard to intuition...AND there are many many factors that contribute to this..here are a few
An openess to the idea: does a person believe in intuitive knowledge....if not they are not going to develop the talent regardless of how much they work with the cards.
Heredity: I think it plays a part just as in our IQ and physical apperance...some people's brains or souls for that matter are just more "in tune" to being able to read or "see" outside the typical world we know...
Experiences: And here I am referring to life experiences...it would seem to me that the more varied a person's life experiences are...the more they bring to the table as a reader...(not to say that younger people etc. can't be great readers...some have experienced a lot in a short time frame) BUT I believe that our life experiences give us ideas, feelings, concepts, beliefs, ways of seeing etc....and so increases the depth of things we can draw from when doing a reading.....but its NOT just about age...it is about the paths, adventures, experiences of a person's life...
Practice: readings become richer with the more time and reflection a person puts into working with the cards...it is a process....and as such becomes richer through practice....not necessarily even "learning" in a book sense...although reading and study can be part of it...but more so....personal reflections, exploring new ideas and ways of thinking, making connections, having conversations with others etc...
There are tons of other factors too but those are the ones that "jump" out at me....so everyone has some potential for being a reader if they choose to be open to it BUT the quality of the reader is influenced by many things
An openess to the idea: does a person believe in intuitive knowledge....if not they are not going to develop the talent regardless of how much they work with the cards.
Heredity: I think it plays a part just as in our IQ and physical apperance...some people's brains or souls for that matter are just more "in tune" to being able to read or "see" outside the typical world we know...
Experiences: And here I am referring to life experiences...it would seem to me that the more varied a person's life experiences are...the more they bring to the table as a reader...(not to say that younger people etc. can't be great readers...some have experienced a lot in a short time frame) BUT I believe that our life experiences give us ideas, feelings, concepts, beliefs, ways of seeing etc....and so increases the depth of things we can draw from when doing a reading.....but its NOT just about age...it is about the paths, adventures, experiences of a person's life...
Practice: readings become richer with the more time and reflection a person puts into working with the cards...it is a process....and as such becomes richer through practice....not necessarily even "learning" in a book sense...although reading and study can be part of it...but more so....personal reflections, exploring new ideas and ways of thinking, making connections, having conversations with others etc...
There are tons of other factors too but those are the ones that "jump" out at me....so everyone has some potential for being a reader if they choose to be open to it BUT the quality of the reader is influenced by many things
Sulis
I'd say that reading tarot cards is a bit like playing a musical instrument. There are people who have a natural talent for it but it still needs to be learned.
Whilst anyone can learn tarot not everyone will be able to read well.
Whilst anyone can learn tarot not everyone will be able to read well.
Le Fanu
Sulis said:
I like that metaphor...Now for my metaphor! I always think of it as learning a language. Some have a gift, but I really think that anyone can do it. However, it is what you do afterwards with the words, the grammar, the piecing together that makes the difference
Lilija
I agree with those analogies, but let me add these thoughts.
I think it takes a certain type of person to gravitate towards the cards, then to also have the stick-to-it-ive-ness to delve deeper, and really try to learn them, whether it's scholarly, or intuitively, or both. Then further, to actually pick them up and have the leap of faith (or science, or psychology) to actually read with and believe in them. I think it's an alchemy of character traits and personality types that also makes a good reader. There's many steps, from seeking out the 'right' cards for you, to reading the right books, and learning from the right sources (outer or inner), that sort of sifts through casual curiosity.
I think it takes a certain type of person to gravitate towards the cards, then to also have the stick-to-it-ive-ness to delve deeper, and really try to learn them, whether it's scholarly, or intuitively, or both. Then further, to actually pick them up and have the leap of faith (or science, or psychology) to actually read with and believe in them. I think it's an alchemy of character traits and personality types that also makes a good reader. There's many steps, from seeking out the 'right' cards for you, to reading the right books, and learning from the right sources (outer or inner), that sort of sifts through casual curiosity.
Aerin
That's a good point, it takes a level of determination to persist even in the face of confusion and setbacks.
Perhaps there are people who take to it easily and then never take it further as well?
I was talking to a piano teacher a few years back who said she preferred to teach the people who found it more tricky at first, as the people who found it really easy often just stopped at a certain point and didn't go further. She thought it was something to do with them never expecting a setback, and skipping over certain parts of learning that meant when they DID come to a sticking point, they had no stick.
I wonder if there is something there for tarot as well? I don't know.
There's also something about people who use the cards as a jumping off point for other gifts, and who don't really need the cards to do that.
(sorry, bit rambly)
Aerin x
Perhaps there are people who take to it easily and then never take it further as well?
I was talking to a piano teacher a few years back who said she preferred to teach the people who found it more tricky at first, as the people who found it really easy often just stopped at a certain point and didn't go further. She thought it was something to do with them never expecting a setback, and skipping over certain parts of learning that meant when they DID come to a sticking point, they had no stick.
I wonder if there is something there for tarot as well? I don't know.
There's also something about people who use the cards as a jumping off point for other gifts, and who don't really need the cards to do that.
(sorry, bit rambly)
Aerin x
olivia1
Luna Shay Luv said:
Hey! Someone else from Philly
Anyway, I think for the most part (if you have no reading experience whatsoever or any training with tarot), I think you need to study the deck before you can actually read accurately with it or even understand the message the cards are trying to tell you. How long it takes you to learn the deck varies, though.SunChariot
Sulis said:
That was pretty much exactly what I was going to say.
And also that no I don't believe someone can pick up a deck of Tarot cards for the very first time, knowing nothing about Tarot and just read them.Barbara
Rootweaver
SunChariot said:That was pretty much exactly what I was going to say.
Barbara
I think that would depend on whether the reader approaches it intuitively or scholarly. I see no reason why an intuitive reader cannot read the cards from the onset. Regardless of 'accuracy,' I think it can be done. The images may evoke many a truth - unhindered by a need to 'perform.' I have witnessed this.
I also think that anyone can be taught how to read Tarot (scholarly,) they too should be able to read the cards reasonably easily after being taught. I have witnessed this.
However, I believe that the most effective approach to reading the Tarot comes from a healthy blend & balance of study and intuition, and the standard of readings when approached in this manner will be directly influenced by practice, practice, practice - which speaks of one's commitment to the process and journey.
Raindance
I agree with the language analogy. Also, each deck is different. And a reader (who owns more than one deck) will need to learn how to "change gears" going from deck to deck. I'm still working on that one.
