What inspired you to read tarot?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 12 May 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Phoenix Rising	12 May 2004
Everytime I read a book on tarot, I thoroughly enjoy reading the authors experiences, on how they began. What inspired them, all the little unusual experiences that they had with the deck. You know like reading the interviews of the authors and creators of tarot. So I would like to interview members. 1. What inspired you to begin reading tarot? 2. What were the unusual experiences you've had with the deck? 3. When did you start to feel confident at reading for others? 4. And for the professionals: When did you realise you were ready to become professionals. So just tell your story incorporating all of these things. And whatever else you would like to put in it. Just like if you were writing a "Authors note"

eastarot	12 May 2004
[quote]1. What inspired you to begin reading tarot? 2. What were the unusual experiences you've had with the deck? 3. When did you start to feel confident at reading for others? 4. And for the professionals: When did you realise you were ready to become professionals. [quote] Hello:) Thank you for your questions. It's given me food for thought. Here are my answers. 1. Growing up in South Eastern Asia, I must admit we were ignorant about the existence of Tarot in the 1970s. More was known about feng shui and face readings, palmistry and magick than this equally fascinating deck of cards. If I recall, it was a book on Divinatory methods which had devoted a chapter to Tarot which was the trigger. Many years later, while talking with an American lady who was visiting India, she pulled out her deck and did an impromptu reading for me:) That experience did it! 2. I once dreamt of the King of Wands for 3 consequitive nights. One dream, I pull out the card. Another dream, he's there on my spread. And in another the card falls out. On the 4th day, the King of Wands appeared in my spread while awake. And a couple of days later, it jumped out while shuffling the cards. By the end of that week, I was climbing walls trying to figure out WHO was this King. Could he be a business partner? Could he be someone from the past> Could he be so and so. Etc etc etc hehehe. No such man showed up, and I gave up....actually got angry at my deck and put it away. Looking back, I realise the lesson of that week was "self reliance and assertiveness within" and not necessarily a man who fit those qualities. :) 3. I started feeling confident about reading for others after I completed my second level of reiki a few years ago. My intuition was getting stronger, and so was the urge to help others in a holistic way - mixing readings with alternative healing. 4. Going professional? After reading for my aromatherapist friend, who is one of the most supportive and encouraging souls I know. She let me a room in her Alternative Healing Centre twice a week, put up posters for her clients and slowly, people started making appointments.

Phoenix Rising	12 May 2004
Thanks for your reply and Pm about me posting my answers to my own questions so here it goes. I was inspired to read tarot when a lady had given me a gift voucher to buy me a christmas present last year. So that morning not really knowing what I wanted to get, I said to my guides "Ok what do you want me to do today" Not that I can hear them or anything, but I thought I'd just leave it up to them to inspire or guide me to whereever. I went to "The Warehouse" which is a huge store that sells everything you can think of. Right in front of me was a table that was selling "tarot sets" It was really cheap too, but it was the colour of the box that first got my attention "Violet" So then I just started reading it and reading all the tarot books I could get out of the library. A few weeks later I went to see a clairvoyant tarot reader. She was great. I was fascinated with her accuracy, and the meaningful reading she had given me. She told me that I would work in this field, and I would start off using the tarot, and then eventually it would tune me into clairvoyancy. She said that I had time on my hands to learn and study and when I was ready I would work. She said that I was a healer(which I have worked in few years ago- auric healing) But counselling (tarot) is also another form of healing too. So I am getting all the experience I can. But I have found studying the tarot that I am actually finding out so much about myself, and the connection to the universe and other people. I'm amazed at how we as members can do readings for people on the otherside of the ocean and how accurate the readings can be. Unusual experiences I've had with the tarot? Hmmm, nothing actually springs to mind at this stage, so I will fill you in later when it happens. I'm becoming more confident to read for others now, probably after a clairvoyant seminar I did about a month ago. But getting good feedback from members and others that I have done readings for. But I know that I have to do as much as I can to gain the experience, it's the only way I'm going to learn. And working through the confidence barrier mainly. I know that there will be some really life changing experiences with working with the tarot. Well I'm not professional yet. But i hope to be one day. I would most probably start out as charging "donation" first. As I did this when I was healing and it worked out fine. Although I found it hard to accept money back then. But in reality we're shutting ourselves off from gifts of the universe if we don't accept what is given graciously. And it is just as important for people to give some sort of exchange, it works both ways. Well that's a little bit of my story folks so enlighten me with yours.

diane drizzy	12 May 2004
Hi Phoenix Rising! 1. Although I had some of my best years during "The Age of Aquarius" and owned an Aquarian Tarot deck and an Eden Gray book, my interest didn't really pick up until I found AT!!! As fate would have it a friend looking over my shoulder saw me checking out AT. She later told me she had bought a deck of cards for me for my birthday, before seeing me on AT, and got a bit of a chill! 2. When perusing the cards I picked The Hermit as my favorite card. Later I found he was my guide card. I had also bought a deck of the Zerner Faber cards - because I liked the box cover which had a picture of The Hermit. When I opened the deck all the cards were intact and I had two Hermit cards. 3.I'll read for my closest friends, although I don't feel confident. I have however gotten very positive feedback from them.

cartarum	12 May 2004
i first started using the cards for less than virtuous things. my experiences did give me knowledge that i would not have had in my experiences in the future without the cards. so it was a trade. every failure was a stepping stone to a greater realisation of the truth.

jog1118	12 May 2004
i dont know. i've always had this taste for the occult...OH WAIT!...i remember reading a horror novel based on tarot cards when i was around 13 yrs old...hehe! i guess thats it... :smoker:

Indigo_lady	12 May 2004
1. What inspired you to begin reading tarot? I felt attracted to tarot, among other methaphysical and spirutal things, for many years and eventually I went to a reader that had been reccomended to me. Her reading was AMAZINGLY ACCURATE, on the verge of IN SHOCK accurate. After some time I started lurking the internet for information about it and eventually bought the witches tarot, ellen cannon reed 2. What were the unusual experiences you've had with the deck? The first time I did I reading I was by myself sitting in the dinning room in my house, and as I was turning the cards down I had this very clear sensation that I had done it before but I was in an old wooden house like the ones in the caribbean, in the dinning room, surrounded by 2 or three women that were my relatives 3. When did you start to feel confident at reading for others? I'm not all that confident yet, but I'm getting there ;)

Shalott	13 May 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Phoenix Rising 1. What inspired you to begin reading tarot? 2. What were the unusual experiences you've had with the deck? 3. When did you start to feel confident at reading for others? 4. And for the professionals: When did you realise you were ready to become professionals. 1. Dark Shadows My local PBS station ran it when I was in Jr High, and when they went to 1795, the Countess DuPres was the resident Tarotist. I thought it was supercool. At the time all I cared about was did boy-of-the-week like me? Of course, the answer was always, accurately, NO!!! (I was a big dork...imagine that!) 2. Just a few months ago, in a reading about work, I learned that a co-worker was pregnant. That wasn't my question, and I wasn't sure I was reading it right. Didn't say who, but 7 out of 10 cards possibly indicated a pregnancy, and I knew it wasn't me! A few weeks ago I discovered it was true...that's the most startlingly accurate, unexpected experience I've had so far. In a way I'm not surprised, but I realize how amazing it is. 3. In high school, a friend had a REAL deck (I had drawn my own as I wasn't allowed to buy one) and had brought it to class and we had a free day at the end of a quarter or something and I did an ACCURATE reading and other ppl were watching and were pretty impressed. 4. Oh I'm not ready for that yet, but it's an appealing idea!

Phoenix Rising	22 May 2004
Thanks for your posts so far. It would be nice to have a few more stories from the members don't you think. Basically, for those ones who's written books or are in the process of writing books, or who even think that one day they would like to write a book. "What would you put in your "notes about the author" section, of how you got started! Is what I would like to know!

lunalafey	22 May 2004
1. What inspired you to begin reading tarot? I have always been drawn to the metaphysial/spiritual aspects and ways of life. I grew up in a home without organized religion. So I was able to develope my own ideas about the workings of the Universe. When I was 22, a friend did a reading for me and then gave me a deck. 2. What were the unusual experiences you've had with the deck? communiation with a person who is passed over 3. When did you start to feel confident at reading for others? I'm still in limbo there- I can read for friends, but end up with stage fright when I think about reading from strangers. 4. And for the professionals: When did you realise you were ready to become professionals. N/A :D So just tell your story incorporating all of these things. And whatever else you would like to put in it. Just like if you were writing a "Authors note" [/b][/quote]

Staramber	22 May 2004
1. I thought it seamed romantic. 2. This very morning, I planed to go out with all my friends and I was asking the cards if they would come. For one of my friends I heard a voice in my head saying 'yes she has a present for you' It was the first time we'd seen each other since my birthday (10 days ago), and I wasn't expecting a present so I put it down to wishful thinking. Sure enough she turned up with a little bag of goodies for me. 3. When I did a reading for my wonderfully sceptic friend and he said it was very accurate and it tempted him to talk to some of his friends and help them. 4. I think I'm ready because I often get very clear messages and I like to talk to people (any excuse) but I'm not sure how to go about it.

VGimlet	23 May 2004
1. What inspired you to begin reading tarot? I first learned about tarot when I was around 4 or 5 years old, watching Dark Shadows. Yes, my mom let me watch (my favorite show) and the neighbor ladies would call and ask me what happened if they missed it, LOL. I also liked stories about the supernatural, and ran across tarot a few times. I was fascinated by the idea of using cards to tell the future. Probably my biggest inspiration was reading the first book in the Amber series by Roger Zelazney when I was around 9 years old. That's when I really got the fever for tarot cards, but it wasn't until a few years later that I got my first deck, the Aquarian. 2. What were the unusual experiences you've had with the deck? I think the coolest thing was a reading about three months before I met my husband. Another short-term relationship had gone splat, and I was starting to wonder if I would ever find someone. The reading hinted I wouldn't be attracted to the person at first. He would be younger than me, and there would be some problems with my family because of that, but it would end up being a long-term relationship. The funny thing was, I didn't remember that reading until a few years later, after we got married, and I was reading through some of my old journals. 3. When did you start to feel confident at reading for others? Even though I've been reading for a long time, it's only in the last 2 years, since I came here, that I've become more comfortable reading for more than family or close friends.

Flavio	26 May 2004
1. What inspired you to begin reading tarot? I was curious about it for a long time but started formally when looking for fresh insights on concepts like change, death, transition etc... during a small 30 y/o crisis. 2. What were the unusual experiences you've had with the deck? As a beginner, I get a mix of proud, happines and fear when I see that my readings are accurate, I hope never loss that special feeling. 3. When did you start to feel confident at reading for others? I was eager to read for others!!!, so about 1 week after I started studying Tarot I made my first readings at a party, I was honest all the time about my beginner status and my need to increase reading experience.

Sillanza	26 May 2004
OK, here goes: Inspiration: I was always fascinated by tarot cards, and knew a woman who practiced cartomancy (using playing cards to read). After I bought my first deck and tentatively "outed" this interest to my mom, she told me about her great aunt, long since deceased, who was a very gifted tarot reader. This gave me the confidence to continue. Unusual Experiences: Generally, the uncanny accuracy of some readings -- especially when they seem improbable. E.g., the cards revealed that my husband's entire group at work, including his boss, was going to be laid off. My husband was panicked, but I assured him that the cards also indicated that he would not only be safe, but would have several internal offers to field. Needless to say ... he was pretty pale the day he came home with the news confirming these events. When Did You Start to Feel Confident about Reading for Others? When I began keeping a journal of sorts, and found I had way more hits than misses. I'm not a professional, nor plan to be, so #4 doesn't apply.

lunakasha	26 May 2004
1. What inspired you to begin reading tarot? I think I was curious about tarot since college (a few years back). One of my best friends did a tarot reading for me one day (I have no idea which deck she used, LOL) and it was really amazing. I remember that the reading was very accurate, and that she mentioned things that I had never shared with her, about my past. But at that time, I was among the unenlightened masses who believed or had been told that somehow the cards were "evil"....I don't think I personally felt that way--just the opposite in fact--but I was immediately fascinated by them, yet afraid to get more involved with them... Flash forward to three years ago: during a very chaotic time in my life, I accompanied my best friend to her psychic reading. The woman must have had about 100 tarot decks...which, at the time (pre-Aeclectic :P) completely blew my mind! And I observed her reading the cards (again, don't remember the deck she used...did not know enough about decks to recognize any!) and fell in love with the whole idea of tarot at that moment.... I bought my first deck within a couple of months...Crow's Magick. Then discovered Aeclectic almost two years ago! 2. What were the unusual experiences you've had with the deck? I definitely do get stronger messages from certain cards when I do a reading....some that seem to almost literally *jump* at me when I read them. These are the "flowy" cards, the ones that give me TONS of information in a brief period of time....whereas other cards I may struggle with just to pick up a little bit. That's about it really....nothing earth-shattering....but I am always amazed when I do a reading and I can feel a deep connection with Spirit...all of these thoughts, words, images coming at me in a certain way, focused on a specific issue....it always amazes me!!! 3. When did you start to feel confident at reading for others? At this point, I have still not had the confidence to read face-to-face for others....but I have performed quite a few distance readings for friends and family members, which I really LOVE to do. I am generally much more comfortable with writing than speaking in a sense...one of my fears is that I would get "tongue-tied" during a reading and thus give away the fact that I am less experienced and/or confident than other readers....I hope that in time I will finally feel confident to try face-to-face readings for strangers....that would be the ultimate experience. :) Luna

The What inspired you to read tarot? thread was originally posted on 12 May 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.