Help Please

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 14 Mar 2005, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Majik	14 Mar 2005
I just did my introduction, and it is very nice, but my question is Help. I’m lousy at Tarot, I have several decks, some I love, some thought they looked good but could not relate to it and some that I just order, because the well be a welcome addition to my collection. So question, “How do I select a deck I really enjoy plus use the ones I have. Maybe I’m being confusing “Do I have too many decks to choose from to learn Tarot? Majik

huredriel	14 Mar 2005
Have you had a look at the comprehensive decks listed at AT? I'm sure you would find one there that pulls at you. I have Tarot of the Old Path myself which I absolutely love, which is a wiccan/celtic based one if you want to take a look at that. And I don't think you have too many decks to choose from. If none of them are drawing you, you just need to find another. I think most people here have quite a few decks in their collection. I'm afraid even I have caved in after vowing to stick to one deck and have another two on order :D. And lousy at tarot???? Sure that's not just a lack of self-confidence? Well this is also a great place for practice :) Wishing you the best of luck in your search. x Huredriel

mnemosyne7	14 Mar 2005
Majik, Welcome! Too many decks? Hush your mouth. The more the merrier. Unless, of course, you can't decide. So what makes you think you are "lousy at Tarot?" Anything specific? Mnem

Keslynn	14 Mar 2005
I also must ask why you think you're lousy at tarot? Another question I have is: what things are you doing to learn with your decks? Learning and being comfortable with tarot isn't always about the deck. If you're not giving yourself a solid knowledge base with practicing and journaling and reading (books and here at Aeclectic), the prettiest deck in the world won't make a difference. Just a couple of thoughts right off the top of my head. :) Kes

Little Baron	14 Mar 2005
Hi Majik I think that you have a point. You can feel lousy at tarot if you can't settle with a deck. I remember the feeling well. I have forty+ decks and many are very unsuitable for my reading needs. I bought one because I thought it was the 'one', I bought another because it was recommended by people that read well with it, I bought a third because I thought it may offer me a new perspective, I bought a fourth because I thought it was a better deck for the beginner ... and so on, and so on. I don't think you have wasted your time, however, since the many decks I have have broadened my knowledge of decks and the different branches that tarot has passed through. I do think it is good to stick with just one or two when you are beginning, though. The others WILL serve their purpose many months later, when you have got your head round the basics. I only read with a small handful now; the Marseilles (and varients), the Morgan Greer, some old playing cards and an Italian deck. The pip decks are similar and the MG is there to give me a 'scenic' interpretation if I feel a need for that. Maybe you could tell us what decks you have already and that may shed some light on what is good and bad for you with what you already have. Talking about them may help you discover good features you may not have been aware of before. Hope you have some success and I doubt very much that you are lousy at the tarot. We all think that at times; the more and less experienced people on the boards have blanks when the cards do not speak, whether it is a deck they have had for five years or five minutes. Regards, LB

Majik	14 Mar 2005
I'm reading Tarto Plain and simple. But you are all right I need to learn more be steadfast in my study and journaling I have one, but would you recommed daily 3 card draws to get to learn them better, or study each card until I have down pat. Majik

Little Baron	14 Mar 2005
I think the best thing is to take your time. There was a thread recently about daily readings. If 'one' suits you, then that is good, but some find the one card hard to work with in their day. Maybe pick one card as an obstacle and a second, as how to deal with it. See how they work together. Are they majors? If not, do the suits contrast or work together? What would the characters in the second card advise the ones in the first? Do they remind you of yourself or someone you know? Jot down the simplest of thoughts. Hope this helps. Maybe do a three card reading once or twice a week for a better understanding of how things are going. Play around until you find what suits you, make notes of reuccurence of suits, make notes when the same card reoccurs (why do you think that is?). Above all, take your time and enjoy getting to know your deck. Write down what YOU think about the cards and then have a look at what the author in the book says. Ask questions here and discuss it. I am sure many have the decks you have - and I am also sure that they have been through the same thing with their decks. Make it as fun as possible and not a chore. LB

Little Baron	14 Mar 2005
Also ... another thought. There are some good threads here that show 'daily readings' - one is for the 'Thoth' deck and another is for cards from any deck. Sometimes, I go through them slowly and pull the same card from my deck - notice simularities in opinion and differences between the card from my deck and that of the other person. I also (maybe best when you have a little more of a grip on the cards), lay out the same cards as people have in the 'Your readings' section to see the thought process they have gone through. I am sure there are a few good 'three card' readings you can work through there - seeing how they got the interpretation they did and all of the useful advice given from other readers. LB

The Hierophant	14 Mar 2005
You are not lousy at Tarot but you are being lousey to yourself by deeming yourself to be lousy! You just have a lot to learn as anyone does whether they are beginner or advanced. I went back and forth between decks for a month until i was half mad but I finally settled into the Thoth deck because for one I found the interpretations to be so "deep" and the Artwork i found to be exciting. Somehow little midieval people dressed like Peter Pan was not cutting it for me although i do admire some of the early decks like the 1jj Swiss and I'm sure I'll get back to it once I have grasped the Troth even a little bit! Regards, H

Keslynn	14 Mar 2005
Majik wrote: I'm reading Tarto Plain and simple. But you are all right I need to learn more be steadfast in my study and journaling I have one, but would you recommed daily 3 card draws to get to learn them better, or study each card until I have down pat. Majik Hi Majik! If you have a journal and you're posting on here, then you're doing exactly the right things. :) When I first started out, I bought books and decks voraciously. I was so eager to learn. All of them have taught me something. There's nothing wrong with having lots of decks. It's the practice that counts (and you can use as many decks as you like), but definitely go at a pace where you feel comfortable. Yes, it is studying to a certain degree, but don't ever push so hard that you lose the fun. I personally recommend some sort of daily reading. I learn best by just diving in and doing it. If you learn that way too, then that would be a good choice for you. Also, by actively doing readings, you'll pick up more personal correspondences for the cards. Personal correspondences are easier to remember than ones you pull from a book. Another option is to read for other people to get practice. People are almost always willing to accept a free tarot reading, and there's also a Reading Exchange Forum. On the other hand, if you're more comfortable getting more meanings under your belt first, then do that. Whatever works best for you and helps keep the magic. :) Kes

mnemosyne7	15 Mar 2005
Hi Again Majik, Daily readings are a great way to learn about the cards (and a whole lot about yourself). Most readings work from a certain point forward and the intent is to decide what the card means. Have you ever tried working backward and deciding what the card meant? If you are really overwhelmed, try learning your cards backwards. Each morning pull a single card at random. Don't look at it. Don't peek. Set it aside. At the end of your day, don't look at the card yet. Instead, pick up your Tarot journal (yes, you should probably journal this exercise) and write down two or three significant things that happened during the day. After you have noted those things in your journal, look at the card that you drew in the morning. Write down the card in the same page as your journal. If you see any connections between the card and any (or all) of the significant happenings of the day, make a note of that, as well. Don't force meanings, and don't pressure yourself into finding connections every single time. Instead, let each individual daily card speak to you in its own time. If you do this exercise regularly for two or three months and go back through your journal, you will begin to see connections that perhaps you missed earlier. That's great! Write them down when you find them. We all read Tarot differently. Learning your cards backwards is a great way to find out how Tarot is going to work for YOU. Just a gentle suggestion if you get stuck while working with more traditional methods. Happy readings! Mnem

Bosorka	15 Mar 2005
When talking about daily readings... I usually draw one card each day, write down what it could mean and try not to think about it too much during day. It happend too many times that early in the morning something happend that I thought that it´s just what daily card predicted just to find out that it was something what took place lately in the evening. That´s also reason why I make notes about what actually happend just next morning, befor drawing card for next day. Perhaps my sisters way will work for you also - except of daily card she draws three cards for a week, as she´s learning to read more cards together. And another thing that helped me wery much is writing my own "tarot book". Every card has there two pages (it´s not so big now ;)) and I´m writing there separately from my diary, meanings that are "proven" that works for me, or meanings that I find on aeclectic or "regular" tarot books. It is something like cheat sheet, but writing cheat sheets was always for me the best way to learn. :D

psychic sue	15 Mar 2005
Hi Majik, Don't call yourself a lousy reader! Think positive. You are doing all the right stuff as someone else has posted. Have a look at all the decks available here, and I guarantee you will be drawn to one. However, you may find it easier to chose a deck which has a pictoral image of the pip cards (like the RWS). Actually, the RWS has many books on interpretation for that particular deck too. But obviously, you have to chose the deck that suits you. Another thing you can do, as well as the daily reading, is take one card for meditation each day. Pull one card in the morning, and meditate on the meaning of that card throughout the whole day. 78 days later, you have done an indepth study of the whole deck! Good luck Majik, I'm sure you will soon be thinking of yourself as a reader, in a much more positive light! Love Sue x

SunChariot	19 Mar 2005
Majik wrote: I just did my introduction, and it is very nice, but my question is Help. I’m lousy at Tarot, I have several decks, some I love, some thought they looked good but could not relate to it and some that I just order, because the well be a welcome addition to my collection. So question, “How do I select a deck I really enjoy plus use the ones I have. Maybe I’m being confusing “Do I have too many decks to choose from to learn Tarot? Majik Maybe. I think it would be really a lot easier to learn on just one deck and then progress to the others. I can't imagine trying to learn on more than one deck. That would complicate things a lot. Once you've gotten one down pat, it will be easier to learn the others by association. Each deck is very different after all, with many different meanings. I don't think you are lousy at anything. You are just new to it, and like any skill it takes time to learn. And like any skill you will improve considerably with practice and knowledge., I would pick the one you feel most drawn too, that you like the artwork the best and just like the best, learn on that, then come back to the others, one by one later. You may just be trying to assimilate too much info too fast, and that's just too confusing, That's my advice. Bar

The Help Please thread was originally posted on 14 Mar 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.