Karma & Tarot

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 22 Apr 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

LGarrick	22 Apr 2002
I am a new member - and I've just receltly started reading for myself. So far it's been: Scary, informative, somtimes disturbing - but mostly inspiring & encouraging! I hope to learn more and I have a question... I had a professional reading last month and the 10 of Penticles came up ... the lady how gave me this reading is very respected, and teaches Tarot... she did a version of the celtic cross and at the end - laid 3 cards off to the left side: one card was the 2 of cups the other was the 10 of Penticles and she said: "That's a Karma Card......" Has anyone had experience with this? WHat "makes" a Karma card? Thanks for your thoughts!

Lion-O	22 Apr 2002
Quote: Originally posted by LGarrick ...and at the end - laid 3 cards off to the left side: one card was the 2 of cups the other was the 10 of Penticles and she said: "That's a Karma Card......" Although I have no clue what so ever I am wondering about the spread she used since 'normally' the last cards 4 cards are put at the right side of the cross. Ofcourse, as you also stated, she simply used a version as there are so many versions around. But this might also be the clue you need to discover whats going on; perhaps searching for the forms of the celtic cross may help out a bit. For whats it worth; there is something like a "Karma deck" out there: http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/tarotk.html#karma. Hope that this is helpfull nevertheless.

MeeWah	22 Apr 2002
LGarrick: That is difficult to say considering one does not know what position the card represented, or how the reader was approaching it. The card itself may have represented a particular message or some other quality of the card. I see 10-Pentacles as an aspect of 10-Wheel of Fortune; the Earth element of same. Accordingly, all 10 minor arcana are their respective aspects of the Wheel, which is also known as the Wheel of Karma or Wheel of Life. This also follows with the other minor arcana cards from the Ace of the suits, associated with 1-The Magician through to the Nines, associated with 9-The Hermit

MeeWah	23 Apr 2002
LGarrick: Regarding Karma, I do not see it as a quality specific of one particular card, but inherent within *all* cards. "Technically", ithe concept of Karma is within the context of all the Major Arcana because they represent Life Lessons. Following that concept, then those Major Arcana cards representing the individual Lifetime Cards would reveal Life Lessons or Karma. Along with the Major cards, the associating minor arcana have significance. If you want to know more about Lifetime Cards, see the thread "The Shadow Card" on page 2 of the Talking Tarot Forum. Also, Mary K Greer's book, "Tarot Constellations" discusses Lifetime Cards in depth.

truthsayer	23 Apr 2002
i have the karma deck by monte farber but don't really use it. the system is a little complicated and it helps to have a background in astrology. i couldn't really figure out why it's titled the karma deck. the colors and pictures on the cards are nice but not anything special. if you want to look at karma and reincarnation probably the phoenix cards would be better. as to your real question, probably the way we could best help you is to post the reading on the reading tarot section. after this much time you probably don't remember what she pulled but you can still post a reading and let us help you. it helps to get another perspective and it boosts your confidence in your reading abilities.

Mojo	23 Apr 2002
I think I may understand how the "karma card" reference was used. Whenever I have a challenging reading (what some people would call a "negative" reading), I will often add 2 or 3 additional clarification cards to the table. The first card is to help indicate where the querent should look for changing their actions in order to best change the predicted outcome. The second card is a "karma" or a "lessons learned" card which talks to what they can expect as a personal outcome to enduring what is told by the cards. And sometimes I add a 3rd card for hidden agendas or other things which are hidden from view (depending on what the reading says). The 10 of Pentacles as a karma card in this case would tell me that it is important to make sure that you have the support of your "family" (birth family or chosen family) in the situation the cards were talking about.

Minderwiz	27 Apr 2002
Hi, As was said above, Karma means ‘action’ or ‘deed’ in Sanskrit. The concept of Karma is routed in Hindu and Buddhist traditions and teachings. In Buddhist teaching, the law of karma, says only this: `for every event that occurs, there will follow another event whose existence was caused by the first, and this second event will be pleasant or unpleasant according as its cause was skilful or unskilful.' A skilful event is one that is not accompanied by craving, resistance or delusions; an unskilful event is one that is accompanied by any one of those things. (Events are not skilful in themselves, but are so called only in virtue of the mental events that occur with them.) Therefore, the law of Karma teaches that responsibility for unskilful actions is born by the person who commits them In essence Karma means that we have to confront the consequences of our actions and deal with them (this may, but does not have to, span more than one lifetime). All Tarot '10s' represent the completion of a cycle of events and the beginning of another cycle. It's possible that the reader was referring to this characteristic when she called the 10 of Pentacles a Karmic card. The completion of a cycle suggests that you have no unfinished business (Karma) to attend to in relation to that area of your life. Like the others I'm not sure whether she was also using a spread that had one or more postions linked to Karma, so my explanation may not fit her meaning - however I think it's a possible explanation. Blessings Minderwiz

The Karma & Tarot thread was originally posted on 22 Apr 2002 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.