How did you learn?

[Esther]

just because they are professional does not ensure that they are qualified to teach or that they're any good as readers.

My thing, too, is a lot of the Tarot is personal, figuring out what works best for you. Reversals is a big example, here. Some people prefer to use them some of the time, all of the the time or not at all. There's no definate right way. I think a good teacher would teach you what they know and do and encourage you to study and find things that work for you, but you can't really teach something you're not familiar with, either. You might glean some wonderful lessons from someone, but still find a technique in a book that ends up being very important to you.

 

[Seafra]

how I learned

I received a card deck, the witches tarot I think it was, when I was in the 6th grade or so from my mother. Ummm, late '60s probably, same size as bicycle playing cards. Then a friend was given a RWS deck in exchange for babysitting and the medieval artwork really sang to me but couldn't find one to buy (lived in the country). The only deck I could find was Les Marseilles and a paperback Eden Grey _Tarot Explained_. The town librarian actually told me that my mother wouldn't appreciate me looking for books on Tarot and refused to help me! I slept with those cards, stared at those cards, shuffled those cards, did reading after senseless reading. It was my tarot journal and seeing my errors in retrospect that taught me how to use them. Tarot Readings + Rocky Challenges equaled education. Was a tough way to learn but I appreciate going through it. But ahhh the thrill of finding Tarot Communities on the internet .. there are no words. - Sea

 

[Sinduction]

Learning tarot is the same as learning anything else. Study, study, and study some more. I like to think of readings as tests. I love the tarot because my studying never ends.

I've always been a self-learner. I prefer to learn from as many sources as I can. That way your knowledge is not one-sided. I would not want to learn from one person because how would I know how well taught they were? I've learned from reading tons of books, talking with many different readers, and with my own insights from merging the two sources.

 

[Papageno]

I've always been a self-learner. I prefer to learn from as many sources as I can. That way your knowledge is not one-sided.

ditto

(and a little help from above doesn't hurt either)

 

[a_shikhs]

I was introduced to tarot by a friend's mother and learned it from my friend. I learned the basic meanings of every card and then kept trying various experiments and learned a lot myself. The accompanying books of decks really helped me go deeper in understanding each card.

 

[Sophie]

A single deck, quite a few books (most of them not about tarot at all), lots of readings for other people and for myself - all journalled over a period of years (I only journal "big" readings these days). And an incessant, rampant curiosity about everything

 

[coolpm]

Perhaps this will sound a little odd to some, but I, actually, think that some of my tarot knowledge came from past lives.

I totaly agree with that, if you knew how to read tarot and were psychic, you know/ are now. You have had many past lifes and most lkely you have used tarot.

 

[Somnilocus]

Well I am more drawn to Thoth and I think that learning that deck is much different than most (I started with more traditional decks but then never bothered with them much ). I have the Book of Thoth which I have read a few times--of course there is so much information in that book that you can't possibly remember it all in one read. So ongoing personal research on symbolism and Kabbalah in particular, from as many sources as possible, is how I am learning... as well as through personal meanings/symbolism... and I don't expect to ever "finish" learning.

Perhaps this will sound a little odd to some, but I, actually, think that some of my tarot knowledge came from past lives.

Totally agree *claps*

 

[Knight of Wands]

Instead of past lives, I'm more inclined to believe that it's more likely the collective subconcious and the archtypical images.

Like we know certain images, they resonate with us, from experience in walks of life other than that of tarot.

But y'know, maybe it is past lives.

 

[rebecca-smiles]

I go with the resonating thing. When i saw the tarot i felt i knew them, but i never felt any feeling of 'before' just knowing them from within.

( I had no idea what i knew though )