Returning to tarot - best strategies?

OK, so I'm returning to tarot after about 9 months away, and there's a few things that I'm doing - I am starting a course which I have no idea where it's from, but it's in Adobe, and is called Learning the Tarot in 19 Steps (I got it from my housemate's computer, no idea where she found it).

I'm also using the tarot cards to create characters (incredibly good fun), and also to think of little stories, with a deck that I was never able to connect with for readings, but love the artwork - Mystic Dreamer...

I was wondering if other people had also taken long breaks, and struggled to restart, and what techniques that you used to get back into it.

I am just now returning to tarot, after many years away. It was especially difficult for me, as I have a deck that I truly love the pictures, but lost the book somewhere along the way. I managed to do searches here, and came up with definitions for the cards that I couldn't remember. It was truly amazing how many I did remember just from looking at the cards.

For me, I have found it easier to start a journal, and to draw three cards every day to study. As I am on my computer almost the entire day, I scanned my cards, then I put the three cards I am using in Publisher, saved as jpg, and use that as my desktop image. Every morning I change the three pictures, and I have two or three words written below the pictures to help me remember. This is working out fabulously for me.

That's something that I'd never have thought of, like you, I'm on the computer pretty much all day, and the scanner is easy enough to access. I may have to give that a try.

I cycle in out and out of all my hobbies, so sometimes when I come back to Tarot I do struggle because I have a horrible memory. I usually start doing readings with my favorite and most intuitive deck (which for me is the DruidCraft) and journal about it, read my old journals, and just get back on the horse.

SkadisPhoenix said:

That's something that I'd never have thought of, like you, I'm on the computer pretty much all day, and the scanner is easy enough to access. I may have to give that a try.

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I have found this to be of so much help, when I'm not posting here, of course. When I close all of the windows I have open, such as when I'm washing dishes, etc... I can look at the computer for a second, and I have my reminder. I have my screen saver set to turn on every 30 min or 60 min, so I usually see my cards all day.

You may also find it helpful to join a study group, or atleast read the study group postings for your deck, or a deck that is somewhat similar to yours.

SkadisPhoenix said:

I was wondering if other people had also taken long breaks, and struggled to restart, and what techniques that you used to get back into it.

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I took 26 years off and found the best approach for me was to read a couple of books, then read a load of cards.

I think you'll find it's like bicycle riding if you just start reading.

Good luck!

Oh, you call 9 months a long break?

I call my 5 to 6 year stint my "tarot hiatus." Some of the things I have tried to do now, as a collector with a severe storage space (and recreational cash) shortage who wants to develop in tarot in ways that were either not available to me in the past or not "en vogue" in tarot circles then is:

1. Limit my intake of new decks to ones that do a useful "job": e.g. a dark deck, a deck for purely intuitive picture interpretation, etc

2. Work through some of my existing collection more intensively (spending an allotted time with each deck)

3. By "work," that means using learning and growing methods that are new to me, so I feel like I am not moving backwards to my pre -hiatus days but rather, growing in tarot. Forinstance, I came of age in tarot at a time when fixed spreads were the rage. Every bookstore had at least a dozen books containg only spreads. And although I had been composing my own spreads for several years before my hiatus, I was wedded to the concept of fixed position spreads.

But after my hiatus, in 2010, I decided to stretch my boundaries and experiment with spreadless interpretation. I also tried other techniques that I had not used before, such as so called "intuitive" interpretation of artwork (as opposed to traditional meanings). Basically, anything that turned my tarot work on its head became fair game post -hiatus.

4. Keeping up with signifiant new publications and developments that have occurred in the tarot world during my hiatus. For you, I would doubt that much of note has unfolded in 9 months. However, for me, I learned of some important books on tarot history that had been published during my absence and have since acquired them and spent some time in study. I have also been seeking out blogs (not nearly as many people had personal blogs before my hiatus) from tarotists including many ffrom AT, to help get inspiration and a fresh perspective on the practice and art of tarot.

Best of luck.

I was never all that great at cycling you know, a distinct lack of balance! However, I have a lot of books, including companion books, and they're organised in my new altar (I love it so much, it's gorgeous!)

And for me, yes, 9 months is a long time. I know I'm only 26, but when you're stuck in bed most of the time, having things to do helps, and it feels like years... But I was really struggling with depression, hence the lack of tarot. I was too depressed to even make my cards, which kinda says it all.

If you're into Tarot and technology, I have a widget on my Android Tablet that displays a different card (RWS) everyday. I don't always look at it/think on it too much, but it does keep Tarot on my mind.

After my twelve-year Tarot hiatus, I just bought a deck, read the companion book, and dove in, occasionally referring to the book when I got stuck. I recently gave the book away, but I've got sixteen decks now...