The Next step

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 25 Apr 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Solty Dog	25 Apr 2004
I have been studying the tarot for some time now, and I feel lately I have been stagnating. I have bought many decks that appeal to me and cover different aspects of my personality. I also have a equal number of books on Tarot that talk about meaning and history and such. I must admit that memorizing meanings seems a daunting task. But I am trying. I have temporarily stopped my study of runes to give more attention to the Tarot. In an earlier post, I said that I have not read for others because the Universe doesnt think I am ready. I want to be ready. So I opened my new Universal-Waite and paced the floor shuffling the cards. I asked aloud, "What must I do to advance in the Tarot?". I repeated the question over and over again, shuffling while I paced. Finally, a single card fell out of the shuffle and landed at my feet. It was the 6 of wands. I saw the man sitting triumphantly on his horse. He had achieved victory. But how was this victory acheived? His posture radiated self confidence. A trait that sadly, in the Tarot, I am lacking. I am alwasy questioning the meanings of the cards, not trusting my intution. I come to the AT forum daily and read many posts, but rarely reply unless I am exactly sure what I am going to say. I am afraid that I will be ridiculed if I misinterpret a card or say the wrong thing. That ends today. Starting with this post, I will become a more active member of this community. And if I am told I am mistaken about a meaning, perhaps I can learn from that and not have to use my books as a crutch. Thank you to everyone who post thier experiences, spreads and decks, I have learned so much from you. I hope someday, even in some small way, I can be inspirational to someone as you have been to me. Blessed Be, B.S Dog

HudsonGray	25 Apr 2004
Have you tried just concentrating on intuitive readings for a few spreads? This might take some of the stress off the 'need to know' the memorized meanings. I'm trying to do this with one particular deck, the Animal Lords Tarot--strictly intuitive only, no book meanings. It's very strange, when you first start, but very freeing also!

WalesWoman	25 Apr 2004
Solty Dog #1. This is a nice place, people here are very open and understanding, I have yet to see any one being ridiculed. The members may disagree about things but are pretty nice about it. Don't be afraid to ask questions or state your opinion, please! As for 6 Wands, you are well on your way to your destination. I was terrified to offer to do readings in the reading exchange and made myself do it. It really does help you get better and more confident, honestly. I still have to run back to my books and check myself, see if I missed something important or read something wrong, but am needing to less and less all the time. So will you, trust yourself.

MeeWah	25 Apr 2004
Solty Dog: Welcome back! Good to see ye here again--been far too long! Given the subjectiveness of the cards, I am not sure that a card can be misinterpreted. There are layers of meanings & whichever aspect or view strikes first, that can be taken as significant. Even if a "book meaning", still could be of the intuitive or gut reaction. Ye need to trust that ye have what ye need, what it takes to advance in your journey. It can be seen as moving from 5-Wands (struggle; hard work) to next level. I see 6-Wands as an affirmation from Universe as having gone through the gauntlet. Go for it! Edited to add: Oops. Meant to include the next step of 7-Wands would represent an initiatory level, where the assimilated knowledge may be applied &/or tested.

Solty Dog	25 Apr 2004
Wow, MeeWah, I never even thought of the cards before and after, but it makes perfect sense...taking the suits as a whole journey and not just one card by itself. That will add alot to my studies. Waleswoman, I am going to force myself to do online readings as well, I just have to pick a spread. Not CC just yet. Most of mine at this point are all 3 card, Im a big fan of those. Hudsongray, I am going to do my best to trust my gut on the cards. The court cards still trip me up, and its funny that in my daily card I do every day, court cards come up more often than others. The decks are trying to help me, I just have to listen to them.

MeeWah	25 Apr 2004
Solty Dog: Court cards can refer to actual personality aspects. such as those being developed or being expressed; other persons; situations; stages or levels in a journey. In the last, Pages usually represent a beginning or creative impulse. Knights the understanding, decision &/or action underway. Queens, that assimilated & applied; made part of one's experiences. Kings, the culmination. A court card can represent an actual person or situation with which one is in contact & may impact in one's own life. Have also experienced seeing minor arcana, particularly the illustrated variety, as representative of actual persons.

closrapexa	26 Apr 2004
Learning Tarot is a lifetime commitment. The knowledge will come to you not if you battle with "the meaning" but if through a process called "effortless effort." Be patient, there no use in panicking because Tarot abhors a panic.

WalesWoman	26 Apr 2004
Go Solty! I've done a CC exactly twice for myself and about had a brain hemorrhage trying to figure it out. Lately I've been just getting bold and brave and adding more cards, but I think some of the best spreads yet have under 7 cards. When I went to some of the Tarot spread sites I would choose the 3 and 5 card categories, because anything larger than that gave me a headache and would take me three days or longer just to have it make any sense. It's not reading for others that is hard, it's wondering if you will offend them somehow when you go with what your gut tells you. The worst is when my imagination jumps in there and has too much fun, especially when you have no clue who this person is, what they are like or the life they lead. One reading was giving me fits, because I didn't trust what I thought (which was correct) and leaned too much on the book DM's (it totally threw me off into left field), so when I got to the Chariot I thought that perhaps someone was making a prison break and it was the get away car! There was just some really strange stuff I was getting from this reading, but all you can do is find something that feels right and go with that. When the person you are reading for gives feedback, it really helps clear things up and suddenly the whole reading does make sense. The feedback is so important and makes it all so worthwhile. Something I think I may do next time, when I'm befuddled by what I'm thinking I'm seeing is PM the person and ask a few questions before I actually post it. It would help a whole lot I think. Now the biggest challenge is sitting next to someone and doing a reading. I still haven't gotten that brave.

The The Next step thread was originally posted on 25 Apr 2004 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.