Help needed.

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 09 Sep 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

moonlight	09 Sep 2004
Hello all, "Tarot of a moon garden" is my second deck of Tarots... the first one was one I got when I was about 12 from a discount store. So really this is my first real go of tarot reading. When I was in the new age store I was asking the woman at the counter which tarot deck she recommended I start with. She told me that she couldn't tell me the answer to that. She said I had to look at each deck and decide which one was best for me... she said i would just know. So that is what I did... i browsed. Anyway I felt this really strong sensation when I picked up the Tarot of a moon garden deck. I felt like I was drawn to it. I have always been one who loves stars, the moon, and all that kind of stuff. I ended up buying that deck. But now... when I do the readings I just can't get anything. I don't have that much understanding of the meanings as yet. And i'm wondering if that might be my problem?. I just feel like i've lost that energy that I had going in the shop!. Anyone got any hints up their sleave? I have tried studying my book and looking at the cards and coming up wiht my own meaning. I'm not that good with visuals!. Its getting to the point where I'm starting to doubt my ability. Sorry for rambling so much! xxxooo. PS: Does anyone apart from me use this deck? :).

Sulis	09 Sep 2004
Hi Moonlight, I don't have the MoonGarden deck myself but I understand that it's based on the Rider-Waite-Smith deck. Have you looked at Thirteens' Tarot Basics here on AT. Here's a link. Another good site for card meanings is Joan Bunning's Learn Tarot She has a free, downloadable course. Of course the best thing to do (IMO) is to develop your own meanings for the cards. You can do this by starting a tarot journal. You could draw a card a day and record your feelings, describe the card, write down anything it makes you think of and then watch out for that cards energies during the day. Hope that's helped. Maybe someone who uses MoonGarden will reply too :) Love Sulis xx

telcontar	09 Sep 2004
Hi Moonlight. First of all: Don't despair !! ;) Sulis approach is much better :D When I have a new deck I like to take it and look at all the cards. A lot of things come to my mind then. Sometimes I pick out one I especially like (or dislike!) and think about it. Whatever you do, it is certainly a good idea to start with single cards and not to try big readings with 10 or more crads right away. Start with single cards and take a lot of time for them. And when you feel better about it, start with asking simple questions, going from one card to the other. "What has happened?"- a card- "why has this happened?" - a card- "what can I do about it" and so on. You can try little spreads, too. But don't ask too much of yourself and your new friend (the deck). One stap at a time. I'm sure the energy is still there :) (BTW, don't have this deck either, sorry)

starhermit	09 Sep 2004
Hi Moonlight I felt quite lost when I first got my RWS deck too. Nothing made sense to me at all! I must say though, that I was not drawn to the RWS, I bought it purely out of practicality, as a learning tool. But I find now that after continued handling and study (though the study bit is quite on-and-off :)), I am 'resonating' more to my deck. With some cards now, I can simply look at them with my query in mind and have an immediate flash of insight. Freaky but fun! I bought another deck, the Arthurian Legends deck, simply because I loved the drawings but to date, there's been no spark... but maybe it's sulking cos I spend so much time w RWS hehe. Anyway... I found that shuffling, mixing up the deck thoroughly, and randomly drawing some cards and looking at them helped me with the RWS. Starting a journal with your insights could also help, I've been very lazy on that front though! And this might sound weird, but I found that sleeping with my RWS in its box either next to me on the bed or under my pillow helped. I guess it's the absorption of energies. Have a go and see what you think Moonlight. Above all don't stress too much about it, you'll just give yourself a huge mental block :) ps. I don't use this deck but went onto the main Aeclectic website and did a search, they are very pretty almost ethereal cards. I love the Lovers card, because for me the Lovers should be interpreted as love, so the RWS picture does nothing for me.

Eco74	09 Sep 2004
What I do is go through the deck, one card at a time and let it just flow through my head freely. Look at the colors, at the details, at the expressions if there are people in the image and the choice of items and ways to portray the images when there are not. After doing this a few times the deck and I are usually more on "speaking terms" and I can start getting ideas just by looking at the card after a question has been asked. I only refer to this as "getting to know the deck" and during these "getting to knows" I also figure out properly wether the deck is for me or not and what kind of readings it would be good for. Alternately what type of mood the deck has. Give it some time. Do little excercises with the cards writing short stories (just a sentence or a few) to get into the feel of what goes on. What happened before this image frozen in time, and what will happen next. This will vary from time to time so doing an excercise like this with the same card once a day for a few days is sure to give different details every time while the basic theme is the same.

telcontar	09 Sep 2004
Hallo Moonlight. It's me again. By now, I've found a site that shows the whole deck and I know now that this one is beautiful - but difficult to read! I can understand your problems. The cards all look very much alike and there are confusingly few hints at the meanings in them, I think. I don't think it is based on either Crowley or RW. At least, I can see no connection. Does a good book come with it!? There would be decks to give you an easier start, I'm afraid. It can surely be done, but there are easier ways...

lilsher	09 Sep 2004
With any deck, you're probably going to find that there are some cards that you "get" immediately, and then others that just draw a blank. I like to take the whole deck in my hand and go through them. I say to myself, "What do I get from this card?" I will have a lot of thoughts on some of the cards, and yet few on others. The ones you draw a blank with, look at them and ask yourself, "Why am I not connecting with this card?" Study it in the way you would a piece of art. What do you think the artist was trying to portray with that particular picture? The wonderful thing about illustrated tarot is that it usually is not just one picture as a whole; there are many elements that make up the whole. At first glance it appears simple, but if you dig deaper into it you can pull out a lot more. Ask questions like "What is happening?" "Why and how did this comeabout?" If there is a person depicted, "How do they feel about what is happening?" "What are their choices at this point?" If you can put yourself in the shoes of the character on the card, you can start to understand more than you did before.

Apollonia	09 Sep 2004
Hi, Moonlight! I'm sure your brain is now reeling with things to try! I very much like the daily card approach to learning a new deck. Sometimes when I didn't have a chance to draw a card ahead of time, later that evening I would sort through the deck and find a card that I felt best represented the events and feelings of the day. I also used to look at people at the bus stop or in line at the store, etc. and decide what card(s) they reminded me of. But I have to say that the deck I first purchased when I began studying Tarot, although beautiful in its art, didn't work for me at all in its imagery, and my ability to retain meanings and read cohesively improved radically when I found the Morgan-Greer deck.

Thirteen	09 Sep 2004
Quote: Originally posted by moonlight When I was in the new age store I was asking the woman at the counter which tarot deck she recommended I start with. She told me that she couldn't tell me the answer to that. She said I had to look at each deck and decide which one was best for me... she said i would just know. *Sigh* Can you tell me where she lives so I can hit her over the head? :D Sorry. I just get a little peeved at such people. It's kinda like taking a child who can't read into a bookstore and saying, "Pick out any book that takes your fancy and we'll learn to read from that." You certainly CAN teach a kid to read from any book, but really, it's a lot harder with some than with others. She ought to have directed you to a cheap Rider-Waite deck. This is the deck that at least 80-90% of all decks (Moongarden included) are based on. It's a good learning deck. From there, you can jump off to just about any other deck, Moongarden included. But as you've got Moongarden in hand, and since it's images are very Rider-Waite, you should be able to use it as a primer. I recommend starting with this site which connects a keyword to each of the Majors. I think it'll help a lot: http://www.learntarot.com/chmaj.htm You didn't say what level you're at so just to explain: The cards are broken up into three parts: Majors--start with them, they're the numbered cards 0-21. Memorize them and a one/two word meaning. Then go onto the Minors--Moongarden uses fireflies as swords but they're labeled "swords" so you should be alright. Staffs are wands, cups are cups and I believe there are pentacles, yes? Leave the Court Cards for last. Do not try reading reversed cards yet, that's for later. Go at a nice easy pace and don't be afraid to ask questions. Consider the keywords and other general thoughts on what the cards mean to be jumping off points--they're meant to stimulate your mind and help you see and make that connection. For example, in Moongarden, the Fool has three legs--one for each direction--that's the "infinate possibility" meaning of the Fool. He could go in any direction, travel anywhere. The feeling a person might have is of stepping out and seeing all roads open. You just have to pick a path. In short, these meanings are by no means absolute, nor will they be a perfect fit for your deck--adjust as necessary and as your instincts guide you.

moonlight	09 Sep 2004
Hi everyone and thanks for all the feedback!. Believe it or not, you have helped me a lot!. LOL Thirteen you don't want to come half way across the world just to hit someone in the head do you??? I certainly wouldn't waste the money! haha. Anyway... Last night I went through thirteens discriptions of the major acrana (sp?) along with my cards and now I feel like I have achieved something! I feel like I know the basics about the majors :). Now all I need to do is learn the minors and the courts... All the sites you provided are excellent! I found them really helpful. I was wondering... and I know this might be a STUPID question, but hey, I'll ask anyway! :). How do you make the connection between a person and their reading? Like... each card has different meanings... how do you know which of the meanings (of the card) apply to a particular person? Is it just a skill you develope? or is it part of one's sixth sense?. I ordered this book a few days ago (before I had a chance to check out your recommendataions) "A Complete Guide to the Tarot" by Eden Grey. Has anyone come across this book before? If so did it help you a lot?. I have written down the books that you all suggest and soon enough I will have my own copy :). Oh and before I go, do you think that I should invest in a RW tarot deck? I got the impression that almost EVERYONE has one in their collection LOL.

telcontar	10 Sep 2004
Hi moonlight. I don't think you HAVE to own a RW. But if you can afford it, it is certainly worth the money as it will make it a lot easier for you. I had read from a fancy deck (The Art Nouveau Tarot by Matt Myers- the story was very similar to yours ;) ) for years when I bought a Crowley and a RW deck. And they really gave me a hard push forward. At once I saw meanings in the cards that had been hidden to me, because they were only hinted at with a small symbol in my deck- but very explicit in the RW. I still like to compare cards and think it deepens my understanding. For example, putting my daily draw next to the same card in the RW or Crowley-Thoth and searching for what they share, what they don't share and where the things that are hinted at are more explicit- why one deck focuses on something the other doesn't... Maybe you can do this online, too. There are RW-pictures on www.learntarot.com , for example and when you enlarge them by clicking on them you can study them quite well and even safe them or print them. But if I'd start learing the Tarot again, I'd buy a deck the meanings most people use today are based on, not vice versa. And I'd advise anyone to do so. On the other hand, I would't want to miss the times I've struggled with my Art Nouveau Tarot.... :D But at least you can easily discern the numbered cards there- I think it is more difficult with the Moon Garden...

Pook	11 Sep 2004
HI Moonlight! I have the Moon Garden tarot deck and like you, I bought it because of its imagery. Something about gardens filled with butterflys unicorns and dragons..... But it is a hard deck to use, because, thought the imagery is there, it blends into the busy background. Some of it I didnt notice until I compared it side by side with the Rider-Waite. I dont think you need to buy a RW deck, but perhaps a book illustrated with the RW cards, so at least you can compare your cards that way. Good Luck and I look forward to seeing you around.

Fulgour	11 Sep 2004
Quote: Originally posted by moonlight I ordered this book a few days ago (before I had a chance to check out your recommendataions) "A Complete Guide to the Tarot" by Eden Grey. Has anyone come across this book before? If so did it help you a lot? Believe it or not, before there were any other good Tarot books, when it was all Victorian magicians and Continental kabbalists, Eden Gray decided to write her little book, The Complete Guide. She had a bookshop and people kept asking her all these questions, so she put her notes together and found a publisher. The next year she basically revised it, and published Mastering the Tarot. In that book she leaves behind much of the kabbalah shenanigans and, with her son and his wife, made her own complete statement. Both books are more alike than different regarding basic meanings. The best little book I've ever found is by Rowenna Stuart. Collins Gem is the publisher, and the title is simply TAROT. (Although with the attributions for the Majors, like always, you will want to explore for yourself until you find your own.) ISBN 0-00-472297-3

RedMaple	11 Sep 2004
Quote: Originally posted by moonlight I was wondering... and I know this might be a STUPID question, but hey, I'll ask anyway! :). How do you make the connection between a person and their reading? Like... each card has different meanings... how do you know which of the meanings (of the card) apply to a particular person? Is it just a skill you develope? or is it part of one's sixth sense?. Not a stupid question at all! There are a few different things that have helped me. First, I think it's useful to have a specific question, one that is not a yes/no type question. Especially when you are first reading, the more specific the question, the easier it will be to tell what a particular card means. Second, I think it is important to spend time really getting to know the cards, one at a time. Really look at the images - what do you see? What do you feel? What is unclear? This is where having a RWS deck or at least a book dealing with RWS images is helpful. Because these images are used in so many decks, getting to know them well means that these are meanings that will be there for your intuition/subconscious to draw on as a foundation when you actually do a reading. Third, when you do the reading, rely on your intuition as much as possible. What comes to mind when you see the card? What part of the image are you particularly noticing? It takes some practice to pay attention to these feelings and images. One way to do this is to tell a story about the cards - out loud. You will be surprised what adding your breath and voice to the cards will accomplish. It's like giving your intuition permission to speak. In my storytelling, theatrical, poetic life, I find that technique is something you have to practice very consciously. Then, when you actually perform, you forget about technique. Otherwise, your rational mind gets in the way of the performance. You have to trust that the work you've done gives the part of you that knows how to do it the tools it needs. The same with Tarot. Learn the traditional meanings, get to know your deck, see what each card means to you personally. Then, when you actually do a reading, forget all that and Trust that the part of you that knows how to read will have all the tools it needs. Hope this is helpful. :)

Ace	12 Sep 2004
Quote: Originally posted by moonlight Last night I went through thirteens discriptions of the major acrana (sp?) along with my cards and now I feel like I have achieved something! I feel like I know the basics about the majors. I was wondering... and I know this might be a STUPID question, but hey, I'll ask anyway! :). How do you make the connection between a person and their reading? Like... each card has different meanings... how do you know which of the meanings (of the card) apply to a particular person? Is it just a skill you develope? or is it part of one's sixth sense?. I ordered this book a few days ago (before I had a chance to check out your recommendataions) "A Complete Guide to the Tarot" by Eden Grey. Has anyone come across this book before? If so did it help you a lot?. I have written down the books that you all suggest and soon enough I will have my own copy :). Oh and before I go, do you think that I should invest in a RW tarot deck? I got the impression that almost EVERYONE has one in their collection LOL. I second most of what people have already said: you may have started with a difficult deck. Should you get a RWS? maybe, or try the Robin Wood, I find that even more accessible than the RWS. But don't memorize the meaning of the cards. The Eden Grey is a good book to start with to familiarize yourself with a basic meaning for each card, but if you don't insist that a card HAS to mean that, it will for whatever the situation is. As you develop your intuition, you will discover new meanings. Even in cards you have used a hundred times!

Mesara	13 Sep 2004
Try "the Idiot's guide to Tarot". It is a great guide to the Rider-Waite deck; it goes through each card and describes the meanings and symbolism in simple and precise terms that would be great for a beginner. You should have no problem seeing the resemblance between the Rider-Waite deck and your Moon Garden deck with this book to use as a reference. As for your question regarding multiple meanings of cards and how to assign them to the question at hand; I think this is something that comes from experience and the utilization of your intuition. Ive only briefly seen the Moon Garden tarot, but it does look quite beautiful. I can see why you chose it. Your first deck is really special, and although your feeling overwhelmed now, I think you will form a strong bond with this deck over time. Just don't give up! P.S. "The Idiot's guide to Tarot" also has some great exercises to help you familiarize yourself with the cards.

magpie9	13 Sep 2004
Just wanted to say that you may be able to find "Idiots" and other tarot books and decks at your local used bookstore. I find a lot of treasures I couldn't otherwise afford that way. :)

The Help needed. thread was originally posted on 09 Sep 2004 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.