Absolute Newby

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 22 Dec 2001, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Mike	22 Dec 2001
Hi, I just bought a set today, The Sacred Circle Tarot, it has a book and the deck. I am an absolute newcomer. I have been interested and just today my grandma got me the set (she got a different one a few days ago). I am 15 years old and have no experience whatsoever in Tarot or anything like it. But I would like to learn and if you have any advice or anything like that I woud greatly appreciate it because other than what the book says and what I've read so far I know VERY little. One question I have right now is before you do a spread, the book starts talking about putting the first card down. But do you shuffle or do you just randomly get one or what? Another thing, could somebody explain the upside down card thing? (completely lost there!). Like I said, I am probably a lot younger than most people who start with Tarot but I am very open minded and am very willing to learn. Thanks, Michael

Mike	22 Dec 2001
Oh, yea. I was looking around this forum and I found a lot of stuff about Tarot and then Reiki. I know Reiki and can do it because my grandma let me go to a class on it once. I have a certificate and stuff. I can't remember what though, ummm. Need to go look. But my grandma has been to a whole bunch of those Reiki things. Just though I'd let you know. Thanks, Michael

Thirteen	23 Dec 2001
Not to hype my own section too much--but that's the purpose of it after all. Check Tarot Basics. Go back 180 days, and a few pages to the beginning. There are lessons and discussion there for the beginner. Just follow the numbers. Hope it helps.

Thirteen	23 Dec 2001
Oh, and you want to start with "The Fool"--which has no number--then go on to #1, The Magician, etc.

fairyhedgehog	23 Dec 2001
Hi Mike, Good to see you in here :) Thirteen's suggestion is good - that whole section on Basic Tarot is really useful. I would say, try not to be in too much of a rush thinking that you need to learn it all at once. (Which is advice I think I need to take myself :) ) Just enjoy your cards and try out different ways of using them don't worry about getting it right. There seem to be as many ways to use Tarot as there are Tarot users. You might also like to look at http://www.learntarot.com for some different ideas. And if you ask one question at a time in here, we can all discuss all the possible answers. Hope you have fun in this group, All the best, FH

GeminiLady	23 Dec 2001
Just wanted to say hello. This is a great place to learn from, you'll find many knowledgable people willing to help you. --and probably make some good friends. your grandma sounds great! How wonderful to have her encouragement and to take you to a Reiki class with her...that's fabulous! Good luck with your studies! Love and Light, Gem

Kiama	23 Dec 2001
Hiya, Mike! Well, I started learning Tarot when I was 9, and I know someone on here who started even younger, so don't feel your too young or anything: there is a pretty diverse range of ages on the forums here. I'm 17 at the mo, so pretty much at the same point in life as you! BTW: Your Grandma sounds cool! Wish I had one like her! (Wanna swap?!) To answer your first question: Most people shuffle the deck before they lay the first card out. This ensures the deck is well mixed and some say it gives your subconscious time to 'tell' the cards which ones it wants to pick. Upside down cards are what you get when you shuffle the deck with the cards any way up. An upside down/reverse card is when the picture is upside down. If this s the case, there is usually a different meaning for it, compared to when it is upright (When the picture is the right way up.) Some people pefer not to use upside downs, and keep all the cards the right way up. I'm one of those people. Anyway, welcome to the forums and enjoy yorself. BTW: I have the Sacred Circle deck too: It's not the easiest deck for a beginner (Try the Universal Waite, or Robin Wood) but it is beautiful. I only use it for meditation thouh, as it has more religious symbology (I'm Celtic Pagan)than most decks. Kiama

glamourbug	23 Dec 2001
Another good place for learning is a yahoo group/e-mail group called beginning2tarot where they do lots of reading exercises and discuss the cards etc. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/beginning2tarot The group generates a lot of emails though so you may want to go no mail and use the board like this one but it is well worth a look.

DeLani	24 Dec 2001
These are all really good suggestions. I was 13 when I started learning the cards, so don't feel like you're too young! I would also recommend Mary K. Greer's "Tarot for Yourself." It is a wonderful book designed to help you use the Tarot to learn more about yourself, and open your intuition in the process. It's a real gem - I went through it at 13, and now, almost 16 yrs. later, I still use that book a lot. She has a lot of good suggestions, such as: *Making your own Tarot journal, with one page for each card, and writing the meanings you think the card has. *Doing a daily 3-card spread And a lot more. You simply must have this book! :) Good luck, DeLani

Mike	31 Dec 2001
Ok. Thanks. Yea, my grandma is cool. I like her too :-)

Talisman	01 Jan 2002
'Lo, Mike, Of course, Thirteen's "Basics"! And, I'd like to reiterate what DeLani said with the strongest possible recommendation for Mary K. Greer's book. Wish when I'd started I'd had this book instead of "The Ancient and Authentic Gypsy Secrets of the Tarot." Talisman

Jewel	07 Jan 2002
Quote: Talisman (01 Jan, 2002 23:31): And, I'd like to reiterate what DeLani said with the strongest possible recommendation for Mary K. Greer's book. Wish when I'd started I'd had this book instead of "The Ancient and Authentic Gypsy Secrets of the Tarot." Talisman ~Giggles~ I still wish I could read that book Talisman *LOL* after your description of it I think many of us got curious *LOL*. Mike! Welcome to the wonderful world of Tarot and to Aeclectic! Again I will support DeLani's and Talisman's recommendation of Tarot for Yourself. We also have a study group on this book going on in the "Talking Tarot" Forum, the thread is called "Tarot Constellations and Manadalas." And again the Tarot Basics that Thirteen put together is the best beggining resource I have ever seen ... wish that Forum had been around when I started ~winks at Thirteen~ (Get to work on your book Thirteen ... the world is waiting!) Love & Light,

The Absolute Newby thread was originally posted on 22 Dec 2001 in the Using Tarot Cards board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Using Tarot Cards, or read more archived threads.