How often do you do use Tarot ?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 19 Feb 2005, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Ailill	19 Feb 2005
I want to practise more but I notice that there's not much questions fro myself and frds... I 've tried to offer Tarot readings online,but I think that's not I want,coz not everyone will give you feebacks...and ..just I dont want practises in this way.. How often do you use Tarot ?and..what kind of questions do you usually ask? Thx for replying this thread :]

Gyda	19 Feb 2005
I'd say evey few weeks for actual questions, I handle them 3 or 4 times a week for random cardm flipping. When I do ask a question it depends what's going on that day, it can be work, home, family anything. Gyda

TrueStar	19 Feb 2005
I'm in the same situation as you. I have begun recently with tarot and feel really interested in this art, but don't know how to improve as reader. I have realized that to do multiple readings on yourself in a short period of time only can waste tarot for you as a tool knowlege. I guess the best way to develop your reading skills should be looking for complete strangers to read for. This can be for free or rewarded in some way (considering that the novice readings are of less accuracy and insight). You can announce yourself (may be through a newspaper, or a public board), find a cafe, a bar or equivalent in you zone as social meeting place and ask for permission by the person in charge to use it as the place to do the readings. I have considered this possibility many times, but there's too many sour prejudices running in my zone about tarot and to show up involved in esoteric business can carry me a lot of trouble. Still, I'm looking for a regular basis for "get to the next level" in tarot. I know this is a matter of many years of work and experience, not a thing to get in a few weeks, but I don't feel that I'm heading in the right direction. Please, any advice by the experienced folks here?

tarotbear	19 Feb 2005
Every single day, kiddo, every single day. {Remember - coming here to Aeclectic counts as 'using' tarot - especually if you are talking decks or cards or in a study group!} I 'do my daily reading' about 5 times a week and record it every time. I usually do ask the same question: "Tell me about what I can expect out of my day today." It's a three-card reading; nothing too involved. Yes, at the beginning it's hard to want to keep learning but how many times can you bother the same people to read for and how many readings can you do for yourself? You have to learn to step back and let things settle inbetween readings. You can explore individual cards, go to a bookstore and read up on cards from books you don't own (yet!). Do comparisons between the same card from different decks. You can explore and learn Tarot without doing millions of readings each month! Although there is a book along these lines ("Tarot Tells the Tale" - I think), you might also do readings for historical people or imaginary characters - such as the cast of 'the Wizard of Oz.' What advice would you give Dorothy if she popped up at your gypsy wagon one day before a twister was coming? What could you tell Juliet? Napoleon? Simba? Mike Dukakis? These are all exercises for your brain ... silly, but fun. Get a large stuffed animal and set it in a chair across a table from you; assign it's historical personality, and do a reading for the animal. This will also give you an idea about how to conduct yourself when doing more readings for a general public. {Although she won't admit to this, Meewah does readings for a large teddy bear that she affectionately refers to as 'Tarotbear'!}

Fulgour	19 Feb 2005
Ailill wrote: I 've tried to offer Tarot readings online,but I think that's not I want,coz not everyone will give you feebacks...and ..just I dont want practises in this way.. The best feedback you will get comes from the cards. As for it being practice ~ you can't ever get enough!

VGimlet	19 Feb 2005
In a perfect world, (ie, if I didn't work full time, or ever have to clean my house) I would do a reading nearly every day. In the real world I probably actually read the cards once a week - right now it's less because I'm doing other tarot related things that take up a most of that piece of the "time pie".

Phoenix Rising	19 Feb 2005
Hi Ailili Just offer it in here, and ask that they give you feedback, we are all willing to help you, and we'll all jump at the chance to have a reading. I went through the same dilemma of wanting to do more readings, and well it just gets boring reading for myself everyday. So made a effort to do it on here, and now can't get enough. Or else join one of the circles on here, or what I did was pm'd a few of the guys and offered a reading..hehe And they can't refuse, because they just can't say no, when I plead with them. Oh please can I give you a reading"

SunChariot	19 Feb 2005
Ailill wrote: I want to practise more but I notice that there's not much questions fro myself and frds... I 've tried to offer Tarot readings online,but I think that's not I want,coz not everyone will give you feebacks...and ..just I dont want practises in this way.. How often do you use Tarot ?and..what kind of questions do you usually ask? Thx for replying this thread :] Yw :-) I am almost always in the middle of a reading, or reading a Tarot book... although this weekend I am taking a break to reread old readings to make sure I assimilated the info properly. :-) For me I read only for myself. I have gone through stages, but I always have way more ideas for readings than I can get too. I have about 15 saved on my computer now that I want to work on. What I have been into lately is doing readings spurred by e-mail articles that I get. I have a number of spiritual newsletters that come in once a month with about a dozen articles each. When I see and article on a topic that I would like to explore in more depth about myself, I save the article to a word document, and add a Tarot question and spread to work on on the topic at the end. I have had some amazing readings this way. The last was about connecting to the universe. I think it was my deepest and most useful reading yet. In the near future I will do readings on what it means to be empathic, how to set your own life pace (without being influenced by others), refinding the joy and freedom of childhood, seeing life for the miracle it is.....and some shadow work is in the near future too. Hope some of this helps.:-) Bar

Keslynn	20 Feb 2005
I used to only do readings about once or twice a month for myself. If I had a big issue it was maybe once a week. Now I read daily. Like tarotbear, I do a daily 3-card reading. I've found it to be insightful and incredibly useful. I had tried one-card readings, but they never really did much for me. I guess I needed more to work with. Plus, the spread that I use allows me to focus. When I first started, I practiced a lot on friends and coworkers. Mostly, I did readings for myself and read tarot books voraciously. Tarotbear gave some good suggestions. Another one would be to form a tarot study group if you have friends who are also interested in learning the cards. You can read for each other and study cards, etc. Good luck! :) Kes

yusia	20 Feb 2005
I take my deck out of the box every day 3 times after the meal. lol. Seriously - I started just a few months ago. At first i did a lot of readinds for myself, not missing a single day. When i decided that i need "real" practice, i just announced on some non-tarot forum that i do free readings with the only condition - feedback is required. Right now i have more work than i can do ( i do at least 2 readings every day). lol. And so far i got feedbacks just from everybody, and most people are happy and some even asked if i can do more detalized reading for money. So it worked for me. I wanted to offer readings here but decided that it will be a shame to annoy people who are so deep into the Tarot with my beginner`s conclusions. ;)

willowberry	21 Feb 2005
I'm a daily girl too - I keep a tarot journal and in that I draw up a little table with four columns - mind, body, spirit and summary. In the mind, body and spirit columns i record the 3 cards I have picked that day by drawing an aspect of each card that has atrracted me in it's respective column (it really helps you see into the cards and the symbolism as well as getting super-familiar with the imagery). I then record a one-liner about what that card is telling me about either my mind, body or spirit in the summary section and if i have time or feel i'm not understanding what a card is telling me then i will have a little meditation and a scribble about the confusing - or inspiring - aspect of life and tarot that day. So you can write as little or as much as you want, I find the most important bit is drawing and colouring in the cards. You can really pick up flashes and intuitive responses that way. Hope this helps!! Willowberry xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ahria	21 Feb 2005
I read when it calls, I would like to do it more often but I am not sure how to structure it.

tarotbear	21 Feb 2005
Ahria - Structuring it will depend mostly on the time available to you to use. When I first started this journey I was told by another reader to follow this plan (feel free to adapt or ignore): Week # 1 and #2 - do two readings a week (for yourself) Week #3 - do three readings a week for yourself Week #4 - do two readings for yourself and one for someone else. You should record all these readings in a journal ( have we heard this before on this forum? LOL!) Month Number Two ; repeat first month plan - weeks #3 & #4 do two for yourself and one for others. month Number Three - do three readings a week every week. Try to do at least one for someone else each week. Week #4 do one for yourself and two for others. This will immerse you into Tarot for 90 days. It will expose you to a lot of cards and a lot of readings. It is also very structured, so you would have to find or make time to fit this all in. I did it - and it will make you a very serious student of tarot.

Ahria	21 Feb 2005
Thank you tarotbear, I have my evenings mostly free so I can do it then. I was just wondering is it normal to struggle with readings for yourself?

tarotbear	21 Feb 2005
Struggle ~ As in : I can read for others but not for myself or I don't know how you people keep all this information straight and can apply it so well ?

Ahria	21 Feb 2005
As in I read easily for other people but when I pull for myself I seem to hit a blank.

SunChariot	21 Feb 2005
Me my readings for myself go really well. But I find it harder to read for someone else. Am I the only one like this? LOL Bar

willowberry	22 Feb 2005
I did find it really hard to read for myself and easy to read for others...arrggghh! I always came up against obstacles that said that one shouldn't read for oneself....that's until I got Mary K Greer's book Tarot for Your Self (new page books) - it's so good and really stretches you, I love it.... Give it a go, it worked for me!! Yay!!! Not that I am a more complete and rounded human being for the experience, mind, but it's a start!

Ahria	22 Feb 2005
Thank you willowberry I will see if I can find Mary K Greer's book Tarot for Your Self and read it.

SunChariot	22 Feb 2005
willowberry wrote: I did find it really hard to read for myself and easy to read for others...arrggghh! I always came up against obstacles that said that one shouldn't read for oneself....that's until I got Mary K Greer's book Tarot for Your Self (new page books) - it's so good and really stretches you, I love it.... Give it a go, it worked for me!! Yay!!! Not that I am a more complete and rounded human being for the experience, mind, but it's a start! Another great book, that I love is Nina Lee Braden's Tarot for Self Discovery. Bar

mnemosyne7	22 Feb 2005
I read Tarot every day, but not the way you might think. In the last few years, I have come to recognize the feelings, emotions, symbols, and archetypes of the Tarot as they walk among us. So I may not pull out my cards every single day, but I do work with every lesson I have ever learned from my cards on a daily basis. Mnem

SunChariot	22 Feb 2005
mnemosyne7 wrote: I read Tarot every day, but not the way you might think. In the last few years, I have come to recognize the feelings, emotions, symbols, and archetypes of the Tarot as they walk among us. So I may not pull out my cards every single day, but I do work with every lesson I have ever learned from my cards on a daily basis. Mnem That's just beautiful! Bar

shandar	23 Feb 2005
Like Tarotbear said, every day, Kiddo, every day. I may be worse than others, cause I will read the cards every single day, and sometimes several times a day. In addition, I also do deep meditatations on specific cards for greater clarification. I do this in my bath tub with the jaccusi going. It is wonderful, and I am able to communicate with the cards quite well. People here in the Aeclectic have been very kind as to allow me to read for them. I feel this is a gift they have given me... and even if I am just a beginner, I try to immerse myself in the reading. I do sense from your statement that you haven't gotten much from your readings on the board, that your feedback wasn't what you wanted. If you aren't getting feedback (like, "was I right?") that you pm your querents and ask them if you were right. Some cultures don't feel this is polite, but you have to do this sometimes. People are probably not responding because you were spot on. All you have to do is to pm them and get their feedback. They are also supposed to read for you, as well, so follow up. Also, join the new readers groups. I can attest that this is wonderful, and my fellows there are very wonderful, and "jolly" (I use jolly because we are so much under the influence of the commonwealth in the Aeclectic) ;) Shandar curtsys to her wonderful new British and Aussie friends. :) Best of all, I feel that I am amongst friends and fellow seekers. With this in mind, PM Aeclectic leaders whom you see on the boards, and share your joys and frustrations. I have done this and have found (thanks Carol) that their advice and insight were just the ticket. Best of luck. Shandar

shaveling	23 Feb 2005
Since I'm new at this, and figure practice is necessary to learn any skill, I'm trying to read a couple of times each day. In the morning, I use Umbrae's two card spread for the day. [post]134134[/post] Then in the evening I'll do something bigger. Usually that will be a three card spread. But sometimes I'll go to something larger. And occasionally I'll get into the swing of things and do several spreads. Or I'll recreate an earlier spread and study it some more. (I find looking at the actual cards more engaging than just reading over a journal entry.) For my questions: I'm usually looking for ideas on how to approach different social or work situations, especially looking at what resources are available and how to use them. Or I might ask what in my life or behavior is affecting someone else, and in what way. Sometimes I'll look at setting priorities with a 3-card: Definitely take care of this, Don't do this, Don't worry about this too much, spread. At the end of the week, I might do a spread for the coming week.

Emily	24 Feb 2005
I use my cards everyday - I do daily cards. Also a couple of times a week I do a general reading or a specific spread with a question but my deck is never far away from me. I like to shuffle when watching the TV, its relaxing and I tend to pull a few cards too. :)

Ailill	25 Feb 2005
I do daily reading too.I ask the tarot"How's my day goin' to go?" then I shuffled 3-card ,but now I just shuffle a card . I dont really approve of daily reading,coz the result disappointed me.Yet,I will continue to do that,coz I wanna improve the skills. D'you guys do accurate in daily reading?? Really wantta know that!

tarotbear	25 Feb 2005
Dear Ailill, Any tarot reading is accurate, you just have to learn to interpret it corrctly. For your three-card reading - try this pyramid: ......................................card #2 - Peak ..............card #1 - Beginning ..............card #3 - ending Deal three cards. The first card at the base of the pyramid is what you can expect for the first part of your day. Since I work afternoons into evening, this tells me how my day before work may go. Card #2 - the peak of your day - tells you what can happen/what to expect for the busiest part of your day (or for me what i can expect when I get to work.) Card #3 at the base tells you how your day will end, but not necessarily your work day.

Michelle	25 Feb 2005
I love this Tarotbear ! I usually just pull one daily card - and generally have a hard time applying it to my day. I'm going to try your spread and see how that goes. Thanks :).

Annabelle	25 Feb 2005
I would say that I "use" tarot cards every day, but I don't necessarily read them every day. Sometimes I draw a card (or even 3 cards) in the morning to see what to expect from the coming day, but I don't necessarily do this every day...often I'm so busy in the mornings that I don't think of it. However, I spend time with the cards every day. Each evening I'll get out at least one deck and just look through the cards, or study several cards in particular, or read through the accompanying book, etc. So in that way, I'm "using" tarot every day. Looking at the cards each day is really helping me learn them.

shaveling	25 Feb 2005
Ailill wrote: D'you guys do accurate in daily reading?? Really wantta know that! For my 2 card daily spread this morning, I drew 1 (What is today's situation/obstacle?), The Devil; and 2 (How do I resolve it?) The Tower. When I tried to start my computer, I found myself stuck in a login/authentication loop. Then I found myself stuck on the phone in tech support hell. That all seemed to go with XV. And to fix everything, I had to reformat my hard drive and reinstall my operating system and all my programs and data. Sounds pretty XVI to me.

Keslynn	26 Feb 2005
Ailill wrote: I do daily reading too.I ask the tarot"How's my day goin' to go?" then I shuffled 3-card ,but now I just shuffle a card . I dont really approve of daily reading,coz the result disappointed me.Yet,I will continue to do that,coz I wanna improve the skills. D'you guys do accurate in daily reading?? Really wantta know that! For myself, I found that only one card for a daily reading was too vague and not usually helpful. Recently, I started using a 3-card spread that I learned from Mark McElroy's site. It's 3 cards in a row: 1. Something I need to be aware of, something I need to know 2. Why it's important 3. The best course of action I get accurate results from it and using this spread has also allowed me to learn new nuances of particular cards. I think part of the accuracy of daily readings is dependent on interpretation but also on keeping a journal and being willing to look back and see how your day may have been reflected in the cards. :) Kes

Cagedflame	28 Feb 2005
I read, or go over readings I want to interpret carefully and slowly, every day. I might be using it even more soon since I want to write a zine with the writings illustrated by tarot cards that're appropriate to the situation, and also want to take some photos that reflect my version of certain cards.

Raven Reed	07 Mar 2005
Right now I do readings for myself every night, even if it's just a daily draw.

Taurus1979	07 Mar 2005
Practice makes perfect. I try to read mine everyday, usually I do a reading every morning. A five card reading, I usually ask "How will my day be?" When I have very serious question I'll do a reading after the problem has happened to get some more understanding of it.

Fudugazi	08 Mar 2005
A card a day for you is good - but I would not do multiple card readings for myself more than 2-3 times a month at most, especially in the early years. Record your readings in a notebook. Shame you don't like to read online, I improved my reading skills quite a bit that way. Ask friends to tell their friends that you read tarot. Take a deck when you go out and read for people you meet, if they appear open. Sit in a café and look through your cards- someone might come up and ask you for one, or simply want to talk about it. Ask your local new age shop if you have one - they might have some suggestions. I learnt by reading for friends, colleagues, their friends, close and distant relatives, people I knew and some I didn't really know more than casually. I just ask them if I can read for them. Some peopl say no - I don't want to know. Some say yes, why not, and some really engage. Once you start, people will come back. I also always made sure I had a mix of sexes, so I didn't only end up reading for women or for men. I also did "settings readings" - dressing up, or reading as a story, etc. Story-reading you can do for yourself in a notebook. You can post here in the Your Readings section if you ar unsure about a reading you've done for yourself or another, or if you want some additional commentary. As for how often - as long as it's not all for you, I would say as often as you feel the urge :)

Ivy Rhiannon	08 Mar 2005
As often as possible! I tried the everyday reading, but got bored with it.

The How often do you do use Tarot ? thread was originally posted on 19 Feb 2005 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.