Guidance please

Hi everyone,

I know that it takes years (decades) to understand tarot, but if you were to pinpoint a place to start where would you start? Now, without using intuition or reading keywords from books. The reason for this is that I like to read tarot intuitionally, but I want to expand myself instead of just sticking to one. I know that people use astrology, numerology, etc, but I am not sure where should I start. Do I need to read on numerology first or astrology? Or is there a book that explains tarot without the 101 (I got too many of those and it just talk about the keywords, how to read the Celtic Cross, cleansing your deck, journaling, etc).

So any advice, tips, recommendation that you can give to this novice. I would really appreciate this a lot.

Lil Red said:

I know that it takes years (decades) to understand tarot, but if you were to pinpoint a place to start where would you start?

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I'd start with the deck itself. Seriously. It is your best teacher.

Now, without using intuition or reading keywords from books.

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Every human being uses intuition every time they have a thought, to a greater or lesser degree. You'd be hard-put not to use at least a little intuition in any conversation, let alone a reading, faced with cards that trigger intuition whether you realise it or not.

The reason for this is that I like to read tarot intuitionally, but I want to expand myself instead of just sticking to one. I know that people use astrology, numerology, etc, but I am not sure where should I start. Do I need to read on numerology first or astrology? Or is there a book that explains tarot without the 101 (I got too many of those and it just talk about the keywords, how to read the Celtic Cross, cleansing your deck, journaling, etc).

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Um ... you want to use Tarot without using your intuition, and without using books. Then you ask what you need to read? That sounds like books, to me.

Tell me - does a numerologist need to learn Tarot to be able to use numerology? Does an astrologer need to know Tarot to raise a chart? They are different skills, and they do different things. You *can* draw rough parallels between a few aspects of the skills, but they are not exact, and they are misleading to the unwary. I tend to make a point of ignoring any astrological signs, runes, I Ching hexagrams etc that I might find on some of my Tarot decks when I am using them for Tarot readings. If I am using them for studying comparisons between entirely different skills, then I'll take note of them.

If you want to use I Ching, get yourself some yarrow stalks. If you want to use astrology, get an ephemeris. I'm smiling - my tone of voice is probably warmer than words-on-screen make it seem.

So any advice, tips, recommendation that you can give to this novice. I would really appreciate this a lot.

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For a start, if you ever manage to find a way of reading without using intuition, let us know. Run workshops - you could earn millions! I don't know what to say to make you feel happy, and I'm truly sorry about that.

I enjoyed Mary Greer's book, Tarot for Yourself. Its a book, but it contains a bunch of creative ideas to expand your intuitive knowledge of the cards. I thought it was brilliant, and it was the first (and possibly only?) book about tarot that I gleefully devoured.

@Nisaba I think I understand what Nisaba is trying to say and the cards does indeed trigger to use intuition as well memories. So, I do not have to read all numerology, runes, etc to read the cards well? Then I am worrying over nothing. Thank you for the insight Nisaba.

@GryffinSong I am guily of saying that I have that book and yet I had not read it, since I've been putting it on hold. Also, can that book help you with any tarot deck that you can use. For instance, can I use that book to read the Mariselles? Or is the Mariselles a different story? I am not really sure in that one.

Use your cards daily, doing exercises/games like these found in Greer's book "21 Ways:"
http://www.tarotforum.net/forumdisplay.php?f=147

Lil Red said:

@Nisaba I think I understand what Nisaba is trying to say and the cards does indeed trigger to use intuition as well memories. So, I do not have to read all numerology, runes, etc to read the cards well? Then I am worrying over nothing. Thank you for the insight Nisaba.

@GryffinSong I am guily of saying that I have that book and yet I had not read it, since I've been putting it on hold. Also, can that book help you with any tarot deck that you can use. For instance, can I use that book to read the Mariselles? Or is the Mariselles a different story? I am not really sure in that one.

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Yes, I like this book, because it does NOT limit to one type of deck for the most part. I have been doing this book on and off for the past year and a half, now finally starting to understand the court cards. I keep picking it up, then practicing for a while at each stage, then taking it up again when I feel I am at then next level.

Pull a card a day,face down, and see how the day goes...

then at the end of the day, flip the card face up and see if it depicts the days flavour..

This way you can work with your cards...

without intuition the only way we could read cards would be via keyword. Someone else's idea of intuition.

What helped me was reading some of the older tarot books about the basis of tarot, and concentrating on symbolism in the cards.
I'd suggest you get a good book on symbols, or bookmark a good site
When you draw a card concentrate on a symbol in the card.
Then look it up and incorporate that meaning into your reading.

We can't rely on nothing, a blank slate, to live our lives in. The foot bone is connected to the leg bone, without both, neither would work very well.

and your quest for deeper understanding will carry you through, good job.

21 Ways is great - but simply to get to know your cards in depth and make you think about them outside of reading with them, Lynda Cowles' Tarot Playbook goes way outside the box - AND - it's fun !

A few months ago I asked the same question on AT. Even now, I am often confused if I am doing things right. However I found these helpful (for me):

1) Having a Tarot journal where I would record my readings. This also prevents the "compulsive readings" and makes me analyse each card better.

2) I started studying LWB and read my each deck using their meanings provided in the LWB. I try to play with keywords and see what comes up.

3) I stopped using reversals and limit my spreads to 3 cards and get the most out of it.

4) Sometimes I just take the whole deck and do a reversed reading. I shuffle it and wait for the question to come. I ask 26 questions and draw 3 cards from top until the deck is exhausted. Sometimes I record it in my journal, sometimes not. That makes me feel closer to the deck.

5) Astrology may be hard but numerology might be useful and even essential when reading tarot decks like Marseille or ancient Italian. A good book to read is "Numbers - Their Occult Power and Mystic Virtues" by W. Wynn Westcott. Also anything by Pythagoras is great because W.W. Westcott is quoting a lo of Pythagoras' works. Numbers also have their planet, so you might get to know some astrology through numerology.

6) Another thing that helps me is: "Keep it simple, have one keyword for each card, understand your spread's positions and have a very clear question." Sometimes imagining that tarot reading is a bit like maths, may help to "ground oneself" and base one's intuition on it.

These are some things that I came up upon and am using currently. I don't know if they are "correct" but I let myself learn through making many mistakes. Of course, I forgot to mention that reading books is very useful and I love watching card reading videos on Youtube. They make you feel that you're not that much out of the track as you think you are. Also, intuition is great. If you have a great intuition, you might not even need the tarot cards as you might get messages you need to get through seeing, feeling, etc. So intuition is the base of everything in life, I guess.