Deana
Sorry if this seems like a daft question. I've seen lots of people suggest that the way to learn to read intuitively is to look at each card and write a journal entry about every thought that comes to your head about that card.
I've tried this with several decks, and then found later than I wasn't reading that deck intuitively; I was reading it through the filter of my first impressions when I wrote the journal entry...much the same as if I'd read a book and memorized the meanings. The only difference is that I came up with the meanings myself.
I get my best intuitive readings from decks I barely know. I can look at the cards and I don't have preconceived notions about what they mean, either from a book or my own previous reaction to them, and I can get some amazing leaps of intuition that seems to happen less with the decks I know inside out and upside down.
Or is that just what I tell myself so I can justify buying new decks? <g>
Has anyone else noticed journaling getting in the way of intuitive reading? Or am I just the odd one out on that? On another thread, someone called it "public school syndrome" and I really like that. I worked hard in school and cared about my grades because I thought those things would make me successful. They have not. Nine times out of ten, approaching life the way I approached schoolwork blocks me up and messes up whatever I'm trying to do. Maybe my brain sees what I wrote in my journal entries as "my answers" about a card and still goes into "get the right answer" mode.
This is how I run myself in circles: I get a new deck, preferably very different than what I'm used to and I get amazing intuitive readings from it. Then I start feeling like I'm just being lazy and that everyone knows you have to journal each card blah blah blah. So my "let's do it the right way" self journals each card, and then my intuition shuts down because it just likes to play. I am very good at running myself in circles because the part of me that wants structure and the part of me that feels caged in by structure can't work it out.
I've tried this with several decks, and then found later than I wasn't reading that deck intuitively; I was reading it through the filter of my first impressions when I wrote the journal entry...much the same as if I'd read a book and memorized the meanings. The only difference is that I came up with the meanings myself.
I get my best intuitive readings from decks I barely know. I can look at the cards and I don't have preconceived notions about what they mean, either from a book or my own previous reaction to them, and I can get some amazing leaps of intuition that seems to happen less with the decks I know inside out and upside down.
Or is that just what I tell myself so I can justify buying new decks? <g>
Has anyone else noticed journaling getting in the way of intuitive reading? Or am I just the odd one out on that? On another thread, someone called it "public school syndrome" and I really like that. I worked hard in school and cared about my grades because I thought those things would make me successful. They have not. Nine times out of ten, approaching life the way I approached schoolwork blocks me up and messes up whatever I'm trying to do. Maybe my brain sees what I wrote in my journal entries as "my answers" about a card and still goes into "get the right answer" mode.
This is how I run myself in circles: I get a new deck, preferably very different than what I'm used to and I get amazing intuitive readings from it. Then I start feeling like I'm just being lazy and that everyone knows you have to journal each card blah blah blah. So my "let's do it the right way" self journals each card, and then my intuition shuts down because it just likes to play. I am very good at running myself in circles because the part of me that wants structure and the part of me that feels caged in by structure can't work it out.
) People read the suggestions given here and just automatically go into that mindset, thinking that's what a person has to do to learn tarot or that something else they read here is what they have to do. I know I felt that way at first. To learn tarot, do what works best for you. If journalling isn't it, then don't journal. I think sometimes people word their posts in such a way that it may sound as if there's just THE way to do the learning when they often only meant to give suggestions. There isn't just THE way to learn tarot. Learn by doing whatever works best for you and you'll get the best results. Then when you share what worked for you, just remember to phrase it as a suggestion. 
