How do you add to your store of Tarot knowledge

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 06 Jan 2005, and now archived in the Forum Library.

mac22	06 Jan 2005
So how do you add to your store of Tarot knowledge? Do you use books, tapes, courses, intuition, contemplation, meditation or some other method?

Fulgour	06 Jan 2005
If you have a question, set about to find the answer. Your journey may take minutes, or many years, but always keep looking. Even if the question changes, remember that it was the beginning of your search. Following through will get you further than imagined.

mac22	06 Jan 2005
Fulgour wrote: If you have a question, set about to find the answer. Your journey may take minutes, or many years, but always keep looking. Even if the question changes, remember that it was the beginning of your search. Following through will get you further than imagined. Tarot journals are a fantastic resource.

RufusJ	06 Jan 2005
I'm a little unsure about what a Tarot journal is. Is that the journal with one's thoughts concerning each card written out on each page? Thanks for any insight you might be able to give.

mac22	06 Jan 2005
RufusJ wrote: I'm a little unsure about what a Tarot journal is. Is that the journal with one's thoughts concerning each card written out on each page? Thanks for any insight you might be able to give. You can do that. Or as I do, I document entire spreads & my thoughts on the spread.

Fulgour	06 Jan 2005
mac22 wrote: ...Or as I do, I document entire spreads & my thoughts on the spread. What other methods do you recommend?

mac22	07 Jan 2005
Fulgour wrote: What other methods do you recommend? what do you mean methods?

FaeryGodmother	07 Jan 2005
Tarot journals is probably one of the best and most effective ways, as has been mentioned. There's nothing quite like going back over what you wrote as the answer to a question/ spread with the benefit of hindsight. I constantly crack myself up with what I have written. For me, i find it funny to realise how something I thought would happen did but in such a differnt way. Anyway, another way I add to my store of Tarot knowledge is practise on family and friends. In some ways its hard to read for people who's situations you are intimately familar with. Problem one is of course similar to the problem of reading for yourself- you can see what you want to see. And problem two is when cards come up that you 'know' aren't right. For instance a happy card coming up in the recent past when you know your friend/ relative has been through a bad time. The reason this is a good way to learn and expand on your knowledge is that it sort of forces you to expand on your ideas either of a given card or of how to read the position. I find it easier to do this for other people because I actually have to explain the reading for them, and explain the card. When I read for myself I can sometimes 'gloss'. Meaning I can take one look at the spread and know what it means- of course then I cheat myself of a deeper and more meaningful reading, especially when the reading is telling me something I already know but wish I didn't. Obviously, since discovering this site, I have been learning a lot from the discussions here. I guess at the end of the day, there's no better way to increase your knowledge than by talking with like minded individuals. FGM

mac22	07 Jan 2005
FaeryGodmother wrote: Obviously, since discovering this site, I have been learning a lot from the discussions here. I guess at the end of the day, there's no better way to increase your knowledge than by talking with like minded individuals. FGM I can agree with that......:D

Fulgour	07 Jan 2005
mac22 wrote: what do you mean methods? Do you use books, tapes, courses, intuition, contemplation, meditation or some other method?

Moonbow*	07 Jan 2005
Each deck that I get is and education in Tarot and each time I use a deck or study the cards is too. Searching Aeclectic is one of the best resourses available but I also Google, read books and use the library. I think that it's important to ask questions if you don't know, whether that be here or through research. Each bit of knowledge gained will be drawn on at some stage in your Tarot journey. As far as working with intuition goes, there is no substitute for just using the cards.

Milamber	07 Jan 2005
At this early stage in my tarot learning, every spread I do and every daily card I draw is a lesson for me. I do keep a journal, which has all the spreads I deal, my thoughts on the daily card I drew, as well as anything else important that occurs to me about the cards in general. These very forums have already proven themselves to be a valuable learning tool. Despite all that, I have a feeling that it will be quite a while before I need to take another step to continue learning. The basics come first. :)

mac22	07 Jan 2005
Fulgour wrote: Do you use books, tapes, courses, intuition, contemplation, meditation ? All of the above...:)

Fulgour	08 Jan 2005
mac22 wrote: All of the above...:) Ok, mac22, here's my secret method for "adding to my store" of Tarot knowledge ~ share everything that you truly value, don't hold anything back ~ if it excites you, sing it out loud! And never, never be afraid of "getting it all wrong" or even making a mistake ~ if 5 errors result in 1 truth, it's a winner.

mac22	08 Jan 2005
Fulgour wrote: Ok, mac22, here's my secret method for "adding to my store" of Tarot knowledge ~ share everything that you truly value, don't hold anything back ~ if it excites you, sing it out loud! And never, never be afraid of "getting it all wrong" or even making a mistake ~ if 5 errors result in 1 truth, it's a winner. That's a good system...:)

SunChariot	09 Jan 2005
Well since I read only for myself, for self-knowledge...and to become my best I can be...what I use to learn more is (not necessarily in this order): a) this bb b) books. c) inpsirational newsletters, magazine articles, Internet articles, anything that gives me an idea of an area I would like to explore eventually turns into a reading. d) friends, e) life and of course my readings and my journal. Bar PS. Meditation is a good one too. I stopped for a while. I will try to get back to it soon. :-)

Rosanne	09 Jan 2005
Hi Mac22- I use all of your list, but firstly my Tarot Cards.I don't journal, I scrapbook and take notes from some readings.I talk to anyone who is interested and I seek out tarot on the internet and I ATF now. Regards Rosanne

Fudugazi	09 Jan 2005
I like to take a card - or two or three together - and tell a story from what I see on the card. Not an interpretation, nothing psychological, just a story: but my rule is - use all that I see on the card. I like stories, and this method makes me look at the cards much closer, notice overlooked details, colours, numbers, symbols etc. But all these must be woven into the story - not used to say "the wheel is the symbol of life turning". Sometimes I jot these stories down in my notebook.

Fulgour	09 Jan 2005
As a volunteer reader for the American Tarot Association's Free Tarot Network and Free Reading Network and serving internationally, I have now completed 1,630 consultations. My trial goal had been 100, but the experience has brought benefits that have richly rewarded and renewed my efforts.

Moongold	09 Jan 2005
Congratulations Fulgour. That is an awesome achievement. You have spoken eloquently about the value of journaling. Is there anything else *key* that is worht offering? I am much newer to Tarot than many in this thread even but I am beginning to see that I have to slow slow a lot- to reflect on each card and notice things. My spirit and my eyes would dance over things before. Now I know I must slow down. let things sink in. Otherwise I don't remember or don't make the connections that a more contemplative approach will lead to.

Fudugazi	09 Jan 2005
Well done Fulgour! I have great trouble journalling. I tend to ramble and write all over the place. :( I keep a computer file of all my (written) readings, but I don't yet have the discipline to write down my verbal ones. I did 3 live readings this afternoon (all 3- card spreads) and I should probably write them down - I jotted down the cards and the questions. I feel, however, that the value of live readings is in their "on-the-spot" quality - quite different from written readings, which one can reflect on - even though I try and read as closely as possible to "live readings" even if I am intending to write up a reading. But inevitably the written form influences the form of the reading. For one thing, there is no-one giving instant commentary, and you don't engage in a dialogue, as in a live reading, which can lead to more discoveries in the cards.

SunChariot	09 Jan 2005
RufusJ wrote: I'm a little unsure about what a Tarot journal is. Is that the journal with one's thoughts concerning each card written out on each page? Thanks for any insight you might be able to give. Your journal is your personal learning tool. It can contain whatever you want it to, anything you find useful can go in. There isn't a set format. Mine has basically anything in it that I learnt about Tarot. All my readings are in there, along with any interesting sychronicites that happened at the time of the reading. Also, I add in anything I learnt about Tarot while doing the reading, related info, as well as what I learnt about my reading technique from a particular reading. I even have an article in there on how to crochet a Tarot bag. And any internet articles about the subject I am dealing with in the reading that will help understand it more. I just started with my Goddess Deck, so I added in some info on the "Divine Feminine" recently as I had had no idea what the term meant. In a reading I am doing on some inner child work, I added at the end some Internet articles about how to contact and heal the Inner Child... Actually about the only thing I don't have in there is my thoughts on each card LOL Although technically they are contained within the readings. But the point is that a journal is personal. It is your personal learning tool. Whatever you think will teach you something that you may want to remember later and look back on is what you can add in. Hope this helps, Bar

SunChariot	09 Jan 2005
Rosanne wrote: Hi Mac22- I use all of your list, but firstly my Tarot Cards.I don't journal, I scrapbook and take notes from some readings.I talk to anyone who is interested and I seek out tarot on the internet and I ATF now. Regards Rosanne Scrapbooking and taking notes on your reading is journalling. Journals can be in any shape and form you want. If that is the way you are happy doing it, it still is journalling. You could have a journal with only pictures in it and no words at all and it would still be a journal if it felt good to you and taught you something,:-) Bar

SunChariot	09 Jan 2005
Helvetica wrote: Well done Fulgour! I have great trouble journalling. I tend to ramble and write all over the place. :( I keep a computer file of all my (written) readings, but I don't yet have te disciplie to write down my verbal ones. I did 3 live readings this afternoon (all 3- card spreads) and I should probably write them down - I jotted down the cards and the questions. I feel, however, that the value of live readings is in their "on-the-spot" quality - quite different from written readings, which one can reflect on - even though I try and read as closely as possible to "live readings" even if I am intending to write up a reading. But inevitably the written form influences the form of the reading. For one thing, there is no-one giving instant commentary, and you don't engage in a dialogue, as in a live reading, which can lead to more discoveries in the cards. You don't seem to be having any trouble journalling at all to me. :-) You have a system that is working for you, as it should be. There is nothing wrong with rambling if that is where your thoughts take you. A journal should be personal and non-judgemental. You should be able to follow your moods and do it however you want. Even write in crayon if the mood takes you. There is not need to ever judge yourself, if it works for you, teaches you something adn makes you happy then you're doing it perfectly. Don't try and make someone else's values your own. It's about being yourself. I can see you are committed to it, and you keep all your readings. What more could you as? No one is making you keep the verbal ones. It is your learning tool, if you feel like it write them down, if you don't,don't. Only do what you enjoy. Journalling should be fun , not ever a chore. If you are not wholely into adding something in, don't. That's my take, Bar

Fulgour	09 Jan 2005
Moongold wrote: Is there anything else *key* that is worht offering? The simpler the task, the more precise the work must be, and while study is our natural approach to understanding, discovering the energies present in the cards when doing a reading can be an exciting once in a lifetime adventure. There is the element of leaving your preconceptions behind, like going out and coming back in ~ reintroducing yourself to the possibilities contained in the images, the implications that they may portend, and of embracing the opportunity.

Fulgour	09 Jan 2005
Helvetica wrote: I keep a computer file of all my (written) readings, but I don't yet have the discipline to write down my verbal ones. While I don't usually look back after I've done a reading, there are benefits to keeping notes, or brief recollections. The experience gained is what will remain, and it grows naturally with each reading. It is the awareness of caring.

The How do you add to your store of Tarot knowledge thread was originally posted on 06 Jan 2005 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.