What has helped you with Tarot ?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 09 Feb 2005, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Ahria	09 Feb 2005
I found that after the birth of my son, I was much more patient with myself and others and its been amazing how it has helped me with readings, I was wondering if anyone else experianced a time in their life where they made a huge amount of progress in a short time.

temperlyne	09 Feb 2005
I was always very restless inside, always searching for something but I didn't know what. I longed for love and purpose in life and felt that my studies were not enough for me. After a broken heart and various deep losses and encounters with death and fear, I made time to express my creative side and explore my other interests, I became much more at ease when I figured out a way to combine all my various interests. I think that made me ready for my true love and now my life is complete. I now have a direction in my life that was lacking before, the future is still obscure but I know now that I am strong enough to handle anything that comes my way. I have matured, aged and can understand all the stages of the tarot better for I feel I have experienced them. I do not fear negativity and respect it because I realise that it is part of the jouney. Maybe I just finished the first cycle of the major arcana.

Eco74	09 Feb 2005
For me, it was the other way around.. When I started getting serious about Tarot and getting to know the cards, the stories, the history and the arcanes it put a lot of things in perspective for me. Since I started living with Tarot in my life my on-and-off depressions have stopped which has made me calmer, more balanced and happier as a person. The only thing I can really recall made a huge difference in my approach to Tarot was when I started using the Tarot de Marseilles-style decks. After learning those "non-scenic" pips I seem to have become more intuitive and in tune with Tarot (all the other card styles I've been working with), which feels wonderful.

Kara	09 Feb 2005
OMG - yes!!!!! I've always had this interest, but I ignored it for a bit in the beginning. But, once I started, things fell into place quickly for me - sometimes readings were clearer, sometimes less clear, sometimes I connected, sometimes I didn't - but the jist of it usually came through. But sometimes I really had to work hard to 'get in the zone'... But since the birth of my daughter, which was a tremendous, mystical experience - like a co-operation with life and 'God' for me, my readings have become much better. It's incredible. And there was a noticeable difference, pretty much from one day to the next. Now, once I'm 'in the zone' it takes a while to get out; I mean I do, but if the reading was intense, the rest of my day can sometimes be a little hazy. And it's much easier to snap into a state of mind where I can connect easily. But also in everything else , my perception of life and myself has changed, everything. I'm grateful, to be a mother and to be entrusted with this life.:)

Kiama	09 Feb 2005
Aeclectic. Simple as that. I found these boards when I was 16, and even though I'd been studying Tarot since I was 9, I learned more in my first few years on Aeclectic that I did in the previous 7. I think it's because I was suddenly exposed to so many different points of view from all around the world... And I could ask people questions, debate issues, find where my own thoughts on Tarot weren't right for me, and so on... Perhaps its because of the kind of person I am, but I generally learn something better and more in-depth if I discuss it with people, and that's what happened here. :D Blessings, Kiama

tarotbear	09 Feb 2005
I found that I made huge advances when I made the time to study Tarot on a regular basis and not 'when I find a free moment.' This meant scheduling tarot into my week. I was offered advice, which I followed ~ which went something like this: 1) Do TWO readings a week for two weeks (for yourself) 2) The third week do THREE readings (for yourself) 3) The fourth week do THREE readings, but do one for someone else. 4) The second month repeat the above but the fourth week do TWO readings for others. 5) The third month repeat directives for the second month. I did this faithfully and recorded all my readings in a journal (Have we all heard this somewhere before? LOL!). Inbetween times I read my tarot library, studied cards, and worked on working with the images. It can't hurt - but you have to be willing to make the minimum committment.

Emily	09 Feb 2005
I think finding a deck I really felt comfortable with made my studying progress - I seemed to be switching from deck to deck without really taking the time to get to know any until I started to use the Morgan Greer last year. I used this deck to read with and study and I really started to understand the tarot. I'm still very much a fan of the RWS symbolism and still use the Morgan Greer as my primary reading deck although now I feel confident enough to try out other decks, some not RWS, but the DruidCraft is my current second favourite deck. I also think that finally taking my tarot studies seriously has helped and getting a journal organised to keep each and every card I lay in. And of course reading all the postings here - if they didn't motivate me, I don't know what would. :D

KathleenC	09 Feb 2005
I started out reading playing cards, where the image was pretty much irrelevent, and what mattered was the number or rank and suit. My biggest breakthrough in learning to read the Tarot, so far, was when I started looking at the picture on the card for its meaning, rather than glancing at the card and trying to recall keywords.

prudence	13 Feb 2005
getting the Thoth deck did wonders for me. I started out on feminist inspired decks, and they just didn't do it for me. I didn't see what they were saying as clearly as I can see when I read the Thoth deck. Also, the Angeles Arrien book that I use with it is immensely helpful. The way it connects the cards together, the constellations, and how it connects the astrology to the cards. Astrid

Rosanne	13 Feb 2005
What helped me most with tarot was an attitude I adopted. I 'came out' from the closet many years ago as a Tarot practitioner. I did not shout it from the rooftops or barrel straight into people about it. I treated tarot as a valid, sensible and perfectedly reasonable practice. I made a decision to remove the "Hocus Pocus ' aspect from it, in my use of it. I treated it as normal. I agree with Kiama in that, in the short time I have been at AT, it has been very valuable to my normal practice of tarot. Regards Rosanne

Kit	13 Feb 2005
I have to admit, when I found my first deck and began studying tarot, I threw myself into it. This cut into my school-study time and my marks suffered until I could strike up a balance. Then I found Aeclectic and I ended up spending way too much time online and not enough time studying. Again I had to find a balance. I've also had lulls where I am withdrawn from tarot (the most recent one being last December during exams :laugh: ). I think I make the most progress when I sacrifice other aspects in my life. This is not what I want to be doing (I have to do well at school this year to get into the course I want to do) so, unless I have a lot of free time on my hands, I find the best progress is balanced progress. ;) Kit

Sulis	13 Feb 2005
I'd say 3 things have really helped my tarot studies; Journaling, Aeclectic and finding a deck that I really respond well to. Looking back at old readings in my journal and re-reading my thoughts on certain cards has helped an awful lot. That's one thing about journaling - writing in it is quite easy but I get the most from my journal by periodically making sure that I read through it. Love Sulis xx

The What has helped you with Tarot ? thread was originally posted on 09 Feb 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.