The "Right" Way to Read

Okay, this is inspired from a heated debate I had to distance myself from.

The person I was arguing with was telling me that the only proper way to read Tarot is hitting the books, learning from older generations, and using only one deck, Rider-Waite because "all non traditional decks are useless" and if you have too many decks, you are a "hoarder."

Personally, I have nothing against reading traditionally... if that's what you're into, more power to you. I've learned from hitting the books and talking with better readers through this site and learning, but my nontraditional deck reads perfectly fine. My deck that's loosely based off Rider-Waite works perfectly fine, and if someone wants to learn on their own... well, that's perfectly fine too.

My argument to them was that it's a personal journey, much like spirituality. Just because you follow one religion doesn't make you right or wrong, it's your preference, it's what's right to you. What is right to you isn't right to everyone... because someone prefers a nontraditional to a traditional doesn't make them right or wrong. This is my personal stance on life, we're all different, I'm not going to freak out if someone does something differently from me UNLESS they tell me that my way is wrong and their way is the only right way.

And just because you have tens of decks doesn't make you a hoarder. It makes you a hoarder as much as someone who collects tea cups makes them a hoarder, or books, or posters, or figures or dolls or something along those lines...

What are your personal opinions on this? It would be interesting to see... is there one right deck and only one right deck? One right style and only one right style? Do you believe Tarot cannot evolve without retaining the same basic meanings behind the cards?

it's a silly argument to begin with...

it's like arguing that one can only meditate under a Bodhi tree sitting in a lotus position,

or that you can only pray in a church kneeling in a pew.

Like you say, Tarot is a very personal things, and it can range from simple collecting, to traditional reading to a great source of personal insight, and mediation.

Although I'm a beginner, Tarot crossed my path as I searched for "mediation" type cards for my practice of Engaged Buddhism, and so I have embraced tarot and use it in many different ways as mentioned earlier from the novelty collector decks to the traditional RWS decks to the incredible personal and intimate decks that I would never part with.

As for using one deck? do we eat just one type of food, or listen to one type of music?

Part of the magic of Tarot is while there are defined set of archetypes, each and every deck is a world into it's own and depending on the questions being asked, or simply the mood that I'm in the working decks at least have their specific reasons for being there.

The situation might call for the lovely Deviant Moon, the instrospection of the MAAT, or the reassurance of the Steele Wizard etc....

So as I said at the beginning, this argument is just silly.

Part of the beauty of Tarot, and other practices that help us on our path is to think and act outside of the box... so my only rule for Tarot is the one of having no rules...

That's like saying you should only use acoustic guitars and only play covers. Covers are fun, acoustic guitars are amazing, but I still write original riffs and progressions on my electric guitar. If personalization is wrong and I don't wanna be right and that applies to music, tarot, art, religion, pretty much anything and everything.

Hmm, well, let's see ... besides the fact that the Rider Waite Smith deck is most certainly NOT the original tarot??? LOL

I completely disagree with this person in every possible way.

Everything evolves, everything changes, and tarot is no different. What I'd say to her is "there are many paths up the mountains", "different strokes for different folks", and "bollocks!!!" LOL

I would make a ballpark guess that 99% of the members of this forum would disagree with all of her "rules"....
Nothing wrong with the RWS, learning from books, or having a teacher, but to say you HAVE to do all of these is a bit narrow-minded in my opinion.

To be frank- aside from learning keywords from the "book" versions (purely to give you a starting place), you don't need it. I'm finding that the meanings evolve out of what I'm seeing in the cards themselves and so far it's guiding me properly and I'm trusting my decks more.

Learning off a RWS deck is probably easier but that's like saying one language is better than another. Difference is the spice of life!

MissJo said:

The person I was arguing with was telling me that the only proper way to read Tarot is hitting the books, learning from older generations, and using only one deck, Rider-Waite because "all non traditional decks are useless" and if you have too many decks, you are a "hoarder."

Personally, I have nothing against reading traditionally... if that's what you're into, more power to you. I've learned from hitting the books and talking with better readers through this site and learning, but my nontraditional deck reads perfectly fine. My deck that's loosely based off Rider-Waite works perfectly fine, and if someone wants to learn on their own... well, that's perfectly fine too.

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That person's arguments are insubstantial; you don't need to learn with RWS and its not the traditional deck anyway.
But i think its silly not to read the books, because then every single new reader would need to invent the wheel so to say... most of the books i believe to be useless, but...

Kosjitov said:

To be frank- aside from learning keywords from the "book" versions (purely to give you a starting place), you don't need it.

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i disagree with this view completely.
Memorizing meanings is useless imho - but there are books such as Rachel Pollack's and Mary K. Greer's that do help get better understand both of the individual cards and of the system in general.

I would ask her if she thought she was GOD.

Don't waste your precious energy on ridiculous arguments. It's useless anyway, because everyone is going to have his/her own opinion anyway. Let it in one ear, and pick up speed out the other.

So, since I have alot more decks than just one, I'd be a haorder in her opinion eh?!

If you'd see my home, nothing is further from the truth.
Geez...some people!

Miss Divine said:

I would ask her if she thought she was GOD.

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Haha, I called her ignorant and that was about it.
After she called collectors hoarders I ended the argument. It wasn't that long to begin with.. but there comes a certain point in some debates where you just think "Okay. There is just no way this person is going to see things from my point of view, and no way I'm agreeing with her. I'll just let her think she's won and call it quits."

GryffinSong said:

Everything evolves, everything changes, and tarot is no different. What I'd say to her is "there are many paths up the mountains", "different strokes for different folks", and "bollocks!!!" LOL"

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My argument exactly!

MissJo said:

Haha, I called her ignorant and that was about it.
After she called collectors hoarders I ended the argument. It wasn't that long to begin with.. but there comes a certain point in some debates where you just think "Okay. There is just no way this person is going to see things from my point of view, and no way I'm agreeing with her. I'll just let her think she's won and call it quits."

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I've learned in my life that there are some people just too stupid to realize they've lost. Just walk away, get on your comp, PM me, and I will listen to all your rants and troubles. Trust me I have experience in these things haha.