I want to love the Tarot....

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 27 Jun 2005, and now archived in the Forum Library.

CircuitsOpen	27 Jun 2005
But I find myself continually using the I-Ching instead. Right now, the only real time I use the Tarot is for my morning "what will the day bring" question regarding the energy of the day, underlying factors and advice from above. I love that morning reading and it's always pretty accurate. The only thing is -- that's almost all of what I use the Tarot for. I've had a lot of major life decisions on my mind at the moment and find myself going to the I-Ching instead for direct answers. I love the Tarot visually however. How can I take a question like "How will my job hunt change my life?" or "What is the best way to approach....?" or "What about going out tonight?" -- the I-Ching seems to give direct easy answers. My question is -- how can I consult the Tarot with questions like that and get the answers I need also. The P-P-F spread is a little strange for me, for example. If I wanted to ask "What about going out tonight?" -- how would I consult the Tarot? I think I have a hard time picking sensible spreads. It seems like the I-Ching takes out all the guesswork and is direct and easy while the Tarot is pretty dependent on the right spread I guess. What can someone offer that might help me utilize the Tarot for more than just a daily morning energy reading? Thanks :) -Circuits

closrapexa	28 Jun 2005
The Power of Tarot lies not in its spreads, but in the the reader and your intuition. I myself use the Tarot for a hundred different used, at times without a set spread. "How a bout going out tonight" would be answered with a quickone or two card draw in order to see what I can expect. For questions regarding how a job hunt would be necessary, a larger spread would be necessary. I think you can find a whole world of answers, and mopre importantly, questions, in Tarot. but if the I-Ching works better for you then thats fine. I love Taort, but the I'm biased. I know nothing about I-Ching.

sunflowr	28 Jun 2005
CircuitsOpen wrote: But I find myself continually using the I-Ching instead. Right now, the only real time I use the Tarot is for my morning "what will the day bring" question regarding the energy of the day, underlying factors and advice from above. I love that morning reading and it's always pretty accurate. The only thing is -- that's almost all of what I use the Tarot for. I've had a lot of major life decisions on my mind at the moment and find myself going to the I-Ching instead for direct answers. I love the Tarot visually however. How can I take a question like "How will my job hunt change my life?" or "What is the best way to approach....?" or "What about going out tonight?" -- the I-Ching seems to give direct easy answers. My question is -- how can I consult the Tarot with questions like that and get the answers I need also. The P-P-F spread is a little strange for me, for example. If I wanted to ask "What about going out tonight?" -- how would I consult the Tarot? I think I have a hard time picking sensible spreads. It seems like the I-Ching takes out all the guesswork and is direct and easy while the Tarot is pretty dependent on the right spread I guess. What can someone offer that might help me utilize the Tarot for more than just a daily morning energy reading? Thanks :) -Circuits If that is all you use the tarot for and are getting so much out of your I-Ching readings, that is fine! :) Daily readings is using the tarot quite a bit as it is! I too find the I-Ching to be very direct, and easier to consult. I-Ching was the 1st oracle I ever learned, even before tarot. I was 14 when I learned I-Ching. So, it's like an "old friend". :)

Imagemaker	28 Jun 2005
Years before I used the tarot I studied the I Ching--accurate, specific, and yet (for me) in all the readings I kept seeing 3 main answers/choices: retreat, wait, move forward. That simplicity was good, but I felt blocked by the laborious method of casting to ask for more details. As a former math student, the statistical variation between using straws or coins for getting odd or even lines also bothered me. And straws take so long! And then the tarot images drew me in. I enjoyed the ease and sensual color of the cards compared to the (to me) more "distant" I Ching. Plus, the tarot seemed to shift the wisdom I accessed, from outside myself to inside (greatly helped by not needing to look up hexagrams, in the various translations, for understanding the cast). So I switched to tarot and have found a gold mine :) Keep doing what feels best to you.

WhiteRaven	28 Jun 2005
Have you tried to do comparison readings? Do a reading with I Ching and then with Tarot....(same question)....that or have you tried to intertwine the two together for a reading... Just some suggestions to perhaps open your "Tarot" world a little bit more. :) That or, perhaps it's the idea of "cards"...have you tried the I Ching cards to get used to reading with "cards"?

wizzle	28 Jun 2005
IMHO, we have a range of tools to figure out who we are and what we are doing at the moment. To me, the most immediate oracular tool is the I-Ching. Ask a question, you get an answer. The book itself is wise and provides counsel regarding the situation. But suppose you want to go past the moment? Then the Tarot is a better tool. It describes the situation in more general terms and suggests alternative courses of action (given the right spread). Ready for even more general information? Then consult your natal horoscope. This tool will never provide specific information about your life at the moment but will explain, in excruciating detail, your personal strenghts and weaknesses. If you are able to accept its insights, you may very well be able to interpret the more immediate advice more effectively.

lunakasha	28 Jun 2005
CircuitsOpen wrote: I love the Tarot visually however. How can I take a question like "How will my job hunt change my life?" or "What is the best way to approach....?" or "What about going out tonight?" -- the I-Ching seems to give direct easy answers. It seems like the I-Ching takes out all the guesswork and is direct and easy while the Tarot is pretty dependent on the right spread I guess. I wonder if you have looked into the Tao Oracle as a way of combining the I-Ching's straightforward answers with the visual appeal of tarot/cards??? Although I do not own the Tao Oracle myself, I find the artwork absolutely stunning and have heard they are easy to work with. http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/tao-oracle/ :) Luna

sunflowr	28 Jun 2005
Yes, it's a beautiful set! The best of both worlds (I-Ching and oracle cards) in my opinion. :) It's what I use now, for I-Ching. I sometimes just cast the coins and read the book that comes with the card set, and take the corresponding card(s) out to look at/meditate on.

tao51	29 Jun 2005
The Tarot does not require that you love them. The do bring respect and reverance. They like the I Ching are ways of seeing and undrstanding change. I revere the I Ching. Likewise, I revere Tarot. Both can help you explore the changes which is life. I have often meditated on the I Chning hexagrams and poetry. When you revere them you begin to open to the hidden secrets of these vehicles.--Tao

The I want to love the Tarot.... thread was originally posted on 27 Jun 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.