i got my first deck

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 11 Sep 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Smack	11 Sep 2002
which i really shouldn't have done considering how broke i am, but me being a scorpio... when i want something, i find a way to get it. ;) anyway... i went to the bookstore with $24 in my pocket. they had a about 30 or 40 different decks there. i spent half an hour looking at them all, and finally just got the standard Ridere-Waite deck. there was another one that i really really wanted, but it didn't have the card names on the cards and i'm new so i figured i'd just play it safe. so what are some easy spreads for a beginner to learn with?

Kazz	11 Sep 2002
Smack, Congratulations on buying your first deck. I have the rider waite and it was a good choice as it is very good for beginners to learn the tarot. I suggest if you can get hold of a standard learning tarot book, there is so many to choose from. When I first started out I bought Elleen Connolly's "Tarot for the Apprentice" which gives you clear meanings of the cards and keys to understanding them. later you will find out what the cards mean to you as you start to use them regularly. 3 card spreads are best to start with; and there is threads about this but I cannot remember how to put the link up here so you can go to it. I will see what I can do to find them. Cheers Kazz :TQC

Kirali	11 Sep 2002
Congrats! Have fun studying your new deck. As for spreads, I would stick to 3-5 card spreads. Like the past/present/future one. [1] [2] [3] [4] 1. past 2. present 3. future 4. clarification (optional) The new deck spread! (this one is a must if you're a collector!) [1] [2] [3] 1. What it's going to teach me 2. What it wants from me 3. Our relationship Body/Mind/Spirit [1] [2] [3] 1. Body 2. Mind 3. Spirit/or soul 5 card Specific Reading [1] [5] [2] [4] [3] 1. the question 2. the background;events leading up to situation 3. the seeker in situation 4. the environment; may be influences of family & friends 5. the answer; appropriate action to take I like this spread although it's more than 5 cards Horseshoe Spread [1] [7] [2] [6] [3] [4] [5] 1. Past conditions 2. Present situation 3. Future outlook 4. Best approach to situation 5. The attitudes of others around seeker 6. Challenges to be faced 7. The final outcome and here's another good spread that I use regularly by Aecletic member: Talisman's Temptest in a Teacup spread. you can see it here: http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?threadid=1591&highlight=teacup Enjoy studying your new deck and if it gets overwhelming for you just meditate on the cards and look through them just to see things you haven't seen before! Good luck! :) Kirali *edit* grrrr the shapes didn't come out right... oh well they look like horseshoes if it's done right!

DarkElectric	11 Sep 2002
Hey, Smack, How goes it! I had good luck learning with the R/W deck. It made things a lot easier. And, books I found to be invaluable to me were "78 degrees of Wisdom", by Rachel Pollack, and "Tarot for yourself" by Mary K Greer. The Pollack book primarily utilises the symbolism of the Rider Waite deck. You might want to check it out. Spreads are explained in both books. By the way, I know about being impulsive about buying decks. I'm Scorpio too!

Smack	11 Sep 2002
great replies so far... i'm writing these all down in a notebook. i'll add those books to my wishlist, but money is tight right now. i have some good sites bookmarked though.

Liliana	11 Sep 2002
Make sure you have www.learntarot.com as one of your bookmarked sites :) :THP

Smack	11 Sep 2002
wow... great site! thanks :)

Strega	12 Sep 2002
Smack, congrats on buying your first deck! Have fun learning with it. :)

Liliana	12 Sep 2002
Im curious now, which deck had no titles so you didnt get it? Also check out thirteens basics here http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/basics/index.html :THP

Starfish	12 Sep 2002
Smack - Congratulations on getting your first deck! A classic deck is a great way to start. As for reading materials and spreads, there are countless options out there! Check out your local library - you might be pleasantly surprised to find some Tarot books there. :TQP Starfish

Emily	12 Sep 2002
Hi Smack, Congratulations on your new deck - I learned with the Rider Waite too - You'll find it will be a good stepping stone for moving onto other decks - One of my favourite books is 'The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Tarot' by Jane Lyle but like Starfish suggests I'd try the local library too. Most of these books will include a few spreads - simple spreads include the 3 card -Mind, Body, Spirit or past, present, future or ask the cards 'What do I need to know today' shuffle and draw 3 cards. Hope this helps :)

Umbrae	12 Sep 2002
My advice. Begin at the beginning Begin with three card spreads. Begin doing 3 card readings (for others). Do them for-ever. Do a lot of them. Buy a spiral notebook. Use it as a Journal (very important). Write down every reading (both cards and your interpretation). Only read for yourself no more than once a week. Three card readings are versatile, and accurate. More cards do not always mean better readings (but they look good on tv). Read books (but remember they are a reference tool, not a reverence tool) (I recommend “Tarot Reversals” by Mary Greer. 3 card spreads? Page 215. Read old posts on this site. As a newbie, jumping into too many spreads is to have no focus. Without focus, you are not learning. If you have no focus, you doom yourself to mediocrity. 8)

evangelion	18 Sep 2002
Glad you picked such a great deck! That was my first deck too! You'll come to learn the cards as you use the Tarot more and more but an excellent beginer's guide is "The Tarot Decoder" by Kathleen McCormack. It gives a few simple spreads including my favorite the "Celtic Cross" which you'll also see in a number of other books and websites. It gives meanings for each of the cards in every position of the Celtic Cross spread. Awesome! Keep reading! :)

The i got my first deck thread was originally posted on 11 Sep 2002 in the Talking Tarot board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Talking Tarot, or read more archived threads.