newbie!

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 06 Dec 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

mbs730	06 Dec 2004
Hi! My name is Miriam and I am currently studying tarot and numerology. I purchased the beginners guide to tarot and it came with the Sharman Caselli deck. I have to say that I have read means of cards in both Arcanas from different sources and the meanings differ slightly here and there but perhaps it depends on the deck I suppose right? Sorry, I am such a newbie right now but hopefully soon that will change! Well I am new to the forum and I hope to learn a lot and meet some great people :) Blessings, Miriam

Thirteen	06 Dec 2004
mbs730 wrote: I have to say that I have read means of cards in both Arcanas from different sources and the meanings differ slightly here and there but perhaps it depends on the deck I suppose right? It can depend a lot on the deck. There are three major decks out there: Marseilles, the oldest known deck, Rider-Waite, the most commonly used and copied deck, and Thoth the most esoteric. Most decks out there are based on one of these three decks. That said, each derivation can also have it's own focus, interpetations, spin, if you will. What the artist/creator felt was most important, or relevant given the deck's theme appears in not only the artwork, but in the deck's "text book" of meanings. You've only to take a look here to see how many decks there are out there, each with their own little handbook of definitions: http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/list.shtml That said, it's surprising how often decks can agree on symbols and meanings. How do you deal with all these contridictory meanings? My advice: Start with the basic meanings of whatever deck you're using--that handbook (make sure it is the book for that particular deck, not the "little white book" that comes with almost every deck. The L.W.B. is often generic and no help at all). Why should you start with the text book on that deck rather than any other tarot handbook? Because that book *should* be geared to those particular cards. So if the Empress is wearing green and holding a jar of honey, the handbook might tell you why and what it means. After you've gotten comfortable with the deck's meanings, you can start to expand on them. You can read meanings in other books, in discussions here, or just make up your own mind about what you think the card is about. And that's when you can start to create your own little book of meanings. Just find a nice notebook and write down the meanings and interpetations for each card that feel right and true for you. Jot down anything that crystalizes it for you. Some folk even feel that a reader should toss the textbook out entirely and just write their own books about what they personally and intuitively see in each card. Personally, I feel that a mixture is best, because the creator of any deck picks, chooses and uses certain symbols with a purpose in mind. Often these symbols have fascinating historial, mythological and cultural interpetations explained in the book. It seems a waste, IMHO, to just ignore these; I think they can really add insights to your own interpetations. So my advice has always been to go for both--your own insights and some book learning.

mbs730	06 Dec 2004
Very good advice and thank you! I will do that... your own interpretation, your own gut feeling is THE answer for pretty much anything.. including tarot. The more practice I get, the more confident I will feel. Same goes with just about anything. Blessings, Miriam

The newbie! thread was originally posted on 06 Dec 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.