Tarot Beginner

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 16 Aug 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Tory	16 Aug 2002
Hi everyone! I'm new to the forum and to theworld of tarot, and I have a few questions about doing readings. I have been practicing a lot by doing readings for myself, but when I read for others I get nervous. I'm afraid to screw up or say the wrong thing. I always refer to the book or a definition of the card. I don't want to always be refering to a book. When I see a card ideas pop into my head but I'm not sure if I should be going with those thoughts for the chance that they might been wrong and I might be misinterpreting the cards. I was also wondering if it is good to say a kind of prayer before doing a reading. I heard that it is good to thank the spirits for helping you through a reading. Is this true? Well, thanks I hope to learn as much as I can, this site has already helped me a lot. Tory

Laurel	16 Aug 2002
I don't see anything wrong with prayer before a reading and thanking the spirits. Anything that makes you personally feel like you are entering "sacred communion" with the cards is a good thing. Go with the ideas in your head. Do you keep a tarot journal of readings you do? You might want to write down some of that mental processing. No tarot book will ever have the ultimately "true" answers on how to interpret cards, because each deck and each reader is unique. Over time, you'll have your own personal mental book, written by yourself, and it will be more valuable than anything on the shelf. :P Laurel

Tory	16 Aug 2002
Yep! I do have a journal. I have two pages for each card . On one page I write my feelings about the card and the other page is for suggested explainations for the card. I write in it about everyday and it helps me to remember what the cards mean, it's tough though, as I'm sure you know!! Thanks so much for your reply!! Ainsley

wavebreaker	16 Aug 2002
Hi Tory, welcome! :) For me, there is only one way to work with tarot, and that's the way that feels good to the reader. So if you like to say a prayer before doing a reading, go ahead! But if you don't like to, just don't. Whatever works for you! (And this is an answer you're going to see a lot on this forum ;) ) As for the meanings, I agree with Laurel: each book will give their own meanings for the cards, and there is no one "right" book, all these meanings are valid. If you define your own meanings, that's fine too, maybe even better. In the end it's all about what the cards mean to you.

Keslynn	16 Aug 2002
Welcome Tory! And I pretty much agree with what the others said as far as saying a prayer before reading. I have heard that some people even do their own special ritual before a reading. Then again, there are plenty who do nothing before a reading. It's a huge spectrum and you get to pick where you like to be on it! Experiment and find out what makes you happy. As far as doing readings for others, I found it best to start with my closest friends. I made sure to tell them that I was still a very new beginner, and they were always kind enough to bear with me. I also have some friends that I only talk to online and I e-mailed them their readings. That might be a little more comfortable for you. You might be less embarassed if you're not face to face. I also find that I collect my thoughts better when I'm typing it out. Those are just a few things to try. And when you're brave enough, you should certainly offer some readings to fellow Aecleticans on the Reading Exchange forum. We're all appreciative of the fact that we're all growing and learning so we're all nice. :TQS Kes

Thirteen	16 Aug 2002
Hey, Tory, welcome! One thing you can do is post readings here--or rather, in the "reading" section--what the question was, what cards you turned up on which position, what you felt they were saying. Get some support and pointers, so you begin to know what your strengths and weaknesses are. Give you confidence that you're on the right track. As for "wrong" readings, your querent will let you know if you're way off target. If it's not "right" in the "present" situation cards, then you can say, "Let's re-shuffle and try again--" before you even wandering into the dicy "future" cards. Also, start with small spreads. I advise this for almost all newbies--I know that little white book has the Celtic Cross in it--but DON'T USE THAT SPREAD! Not right away. It's waaay advanced and the little white book people should be imprisoned for psychological abuse for putting it into every damn little white book and expecting beginners to just dive in with it. Use simple spreads to begin--three card, or 6-7 card spreads. The less cards, the more direct (though not necessarily less complex) the answer. This will also help you to get to the know the cards better. 10 cards staring up at you can confuse, three cards you can learn, and they're way less intimidating. Build up to the Celtic Cross--mind you, that's my own personal prejudice and soapbox. Good luck, and hope to see more of ya on the forum.

Tory	17 Aug 2002
Hey Everyone!! Thankls so much for your advice. This is such a great place. I know I'm going to learn so much from you all. Cheers!! Tory

The Tarot Beginner thread was originally posted on 16 Aug 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.