Tarot & little ones

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 14 Jul 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

lunalafey	14 Jul 2004
My daughter who will be 8 in August, has always had a facination with 'the pretty cards'. Lately she has really took to looking at them. Several weeks ago she learned to put the Majors into their proper order. She now knows roman numerals. I think that is great! Makes me say that tarot is by far way more enriching than the general population thinks. How many 7 year olds know roman numerals? Any way, this morning while I was sorting through my Fey deck, getting prepared for a study of the deck, she sat and watched. I had several piles out for the sorting process. She saw the 10 of Swords (pic below if all works out) and asked me if that card meant death....I could not respond right away. I was very suprised. The image does not show the typical swords in the body pic. as you can see from the attachment (if I succeed in posting it- still new at all this) I did tell her that sometimes that card does mean death and that other cards and combinations of cards call express death. I am so proud of my little girl! She's gonna be a natural! She is taking after my father in alot of ways. My father was a visonary. She never knew my dad, for he had died about 5 years earlier. I have heard and seen my childern do things in thier more open and younger years that seemed quite 'in tune'. My pisces son is also interested in tarot, he has an Egyptian deck. He likes it very much and is more into the Gods & Godesses that he's been studing independantly. Once he applies his knowledge of the Egyptian culture to the method of tarot- look out.... His very first reading was a pyramid spread that was included in the lwb. His watery nature was deeply reflected in the spread. He was quite in awe. I had to laugh when he asked me "how does it do that?" SO- here is a thread where we can all gush with pride, telling stories about our children's experiences with tarot.

Flavio	14 Jul 2004
Tarot cards are great to spend quality time with children and we can learn a lot! :) This weekend my 5 years old niece and I were "playing" with my Hanson Roberts, she picked up a card, the Page of Cups, she was so happy to see the fish in the cup and told me a very loooooong story about the "little fish and his friend" really enjoyed the moment and made me see this card with new eyes, there is a big tank at home and everytime she visits me, feeds the fishes. Maybe sharing time with her help me take out the Page of Cups in me... synchronicity is amazin isn't it?

cjtarot	14 Jul 2004
Hi, My oldest daughter and I started by playing GO Fish with the cards...that was over 2 years ago. Now at 9 she finally said she wants to really learn the cards.. I'm glad your daughter is interested and can see past the "Book Meaning". encourage her. Blessings, CJ

aneski	14 Jul 2004
My five year old likes to ask questions and look at the cards, too. Like lunalafey, she asked if the 10 of swords meant death (in the Old English Tarot), and we got into a discussion of the ending of things and the dawning of the new. I hope she keeps her interest in it, too.

Tarot Sparrow	14 Jul 2004
Wow, congrats :D That's cute. I can't wait until I have kids and they ask me to teach them to read :D

TemperanceAngel	15 Jul 2004
Brilliant! Children have the greatest insights into cards :)

Mimers	15 Jul 2004
It is such a wonderful feeling when our kids show interest in things we love. It is one more thing that we can share with them. I love it when my daughter gives me readings. It sounds like your daughter is going to be a natural at it too. It is nice too that they are starting so young. I wish I had started earlier. Thanks for sharing Luna! Luv, Mimi

sagitarian	15 Jul 2004
My 4 yr old daughter was playing with her sister and brother when a friend came over for a reading. Ryann is very interested in the cards (my 4 yr old). She asked politely if she could climb into my lap half way through the reading. I then got stuck on a card, quieting myself in order to truly hear what the message is. I was distracted by the other two kids and couldn't focus. When I refocused, it still left me confused. I looked at ryann and asked her if she knew what it meant. She explained in her own way what the card meant, pointing out things in the cards, and how "these things protect her and keep her safe". After the influence of what she said, it suddenly became clear as day the message of the card, although ryann is the one that took credit to getting this message across...she just didn't know that what she said goes a lot deeper then what she was talking about (or does she?). A few more cards into the reading, I got stuck again, and purposely asked for ryann to help out. She took one look at the cards and said 'Nope, I don't like that card mommy, it's scary' and bolted out of the area of the reading. So i was left on my own to decipher it. I don't remember exactly what the card was, but it wasn't a "scary" card. The card she read seemed to be more scary then the one I purposely asked about. I can't wait to teach them tarot (but only if they express a desire to want to learn it). Sagitarian

rainstarhorizon	27 Jul 2004
Thankyou for this wonderful thread.I went to a girlfriends' yesterday and she showed me a different approach to kids n tarot as she leaves her dozen or so decks out in the loungeroom for everyone to touch,enjoy.Or in a gathering of people,those present often choose a card that they comment on-kinda informal study group,heh,heh,but no-not really-more of great talks started up-especially when the cards being handled are foreign to that person-some amazing insights....and group conversations. I, on the other hand prefer my cards to myself so first gave my children a deck to share. It was the aquarian tarot which I was "Over" and I thought it might be a bit hard work for them as its imagery is so "basic" read -plain if not darn dull. They worked thru the "sequences" or journey ok but now it's probably time to let them choose and buy their own deck as it Now needs to be more play than work I feel. I'd love to see Aeclectic do a kids-own tarot collection one day. My daughter came home with a painting the other day-quite different to her usual stuff from school.At first I thought it was the three of cups-except it had four figures in it.(I'd been personally studying the three of cups that week).I had to go back to my books to see which card it was most like and was amazed at how well it fit the four of wands:(details in the imagery)-she had just settled into a new "classroom"by having a new teacher!

Sillanza	29 Jul 2004
My daughter is almost 4, and is definitely interested in the cards. Whenever I'm working with mine, she will ask for "her" deck -- one I don't use. I will get it for her, and she'll sit and tell stories with it. Sometimes she gets other toys and gives them different cards. A reader in the making! ;)

rota	29 Jul 2004
Well, I don't have any kids or kid stories, but I can contribute this: http://www.lelandra.com/comptarot/tarotchildren.htm Lots of good choices!

Livia	29 Jul 2004
That's great!!! My daughter shows an interest in the cards, but it is culinary...she tries to eat them...next week she will be 1 year old. Hopefully in the years to come her insights will grow.

ferrous	29 Jul 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Livia My daughter shows an interest in the cards, but it is culinary...she tries to eat them... rotfl! :D My little boy is the same. He's almost eleven months old. I haven't let him get to any of my (only two so far) decks, but I imagine that soon enough I'm going to have to give him his own deck to play with while I play with mine. I actually have a deck of normal playing cards which are made 100% from plastic, so they won't crumble into a soggy mess if I let him suck on them. They might end up being his pack. *chuckle*

The Tarot & little ones thread was originally posted on 14 Jul 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.