teaching?...!

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 06 Jul 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Bosorka	06 Jul 2004
Hi all! Sure you have discussed such a thing here, but I'm very bad in searching old threads... :( I was reading cards for my new roommate, and she proclamed her interest in reading cards. So I agreed. We're going trough pips, and it's fun. But do you have a clue how to teach her Majors, if I don't want her to memorize meaning of cards? And what about courts? Is there any chance to teach her that, when I'm still not so familiar with them? Thank you all for your replies, I'm almost loosing my currage...

Alissa	06 Jul 2004
Teaching is a great way to learn! It sounds like you are stressing a more intuitive approach to reading, rather than route memorization. You might encourage your student to simply look at the images of a card from the Majors and begin to discuss what the symbols alone suggest. This would work with court cards, and then you can layer in other traditional meanings to their own observations, if you wish. Journalling your thoughts can be a great method for many as well, both teachers and students alike! Best wishes to you on your teaching journey... do not loose courage! :D

Ace	06 Jul 2004
I am probably not the one to answer. My idea of teaching an intro to tarot cards, is to say "____ (You), these are tarot cards, tarot cards, this is ____ Now, why don't you two go out to play? " But my suggestion is think of the majors as MAJOR movement in ones life, or influences on one's life that one can't always control. These are BIG gross movements, while the minors are details. In general, stop getting into a sweat trying to teach the One True Meaning of each card. They will all mean different things at different times and under different circumstances. And each of us will read them differently, even if we use the same deck for the same situation. Is that helpful? Barb

linabeet	06 Jul 2004
Majors can be understood in one way by threading them all together as a journey, The Fool's Journey as it is called. It would be challenging to teach that. I know if I tried I would find out which cards I really don't know and which cards I don't understand the relationships between.

morandia	06 Jul 2004
sent you a PM

Bosorka	07 Jul 2004
Yes, I´m stressing on intuitive approach, mostly because there isn´t one truth, and cards do have various meanings, and also because it is easier to remember all 78 cards, when you have fun learning. (Well, Jan Amos Komensky, teacher of nations, proclamed few hundrets years ago "school by playing" :D) Thanks Morandia, I´m printing your PM and taking it at home. (It´ll help me as well as my student!)

Ivy Rhiannon	08 Jul 2004
I am glad to hear that one is teaching that intuition is the only way to gather tarot meanings. There is a great thread...where'd I put that link?...oh here it is http://67.19.40.82/showthread.php?s=&threadid=15119 that shows a lot of threads with good info.

morandia	08 Jul 2004
not sure anyone's opinion of this book but... Heart of tarot: an intuitive approach by Amber K and Azrael Arynn K. it even has a chapter on "teaching exercises"... haven't looked at it closely, but, it might be worth checking...

The teaching?...! thread was originally posted on 06 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.