How Long Did it Take you to Memorize The Cards?

[Rainforest Elf]

So, I'm very very new to Tarot and I've been gradually trying to learn the cards and their various meanings.

I know people study Tarot their entire lives, but I'm wondering... how long did it take you to feel totally comfortable with your cards? I mean, when did you feel comfortable enough to stop referencing a book for the general meaning behind a card? And what tools did you use for memorization?

 

[Silaria]

Honestly, I didn't really start to learn the cards until I stopped trying to memorize the meanings and worrying about being "right".

The keys for me understanding the cards was Thirteen's Tarot Meanings - specifically key words - and Comparisons of similar style decks side by side to look at similarities. Also learning to trust my intuition rather than a book meaning (key words help unlock this) really helped me take a leap forward.

One thing I strongly recommend to people who ask me about where to begin is to study a card a day and keep a journal. Pick a card, note in the journal what symbols and/or colors catch your eye first and what reaction you instinctively have to them. Then look at the entire card and make notes about what you observer. DO NOT stare at the card, just look at it for a minute or two. Meditate on the card at some point during the day. Keep your eyes open to events during the day that may relate to the card. Will your instincts always match the Little White Book or larger book that accompanies a deck - no, not always. But part of the journey is learning to trust yourself and your instincts.

 

[Promise]

I never memorized the cards.

There are hundreds of tarot decks out there, therefore hundreds of images for the "same" card. In my mind, it's a great disservice to the decks themselves as well as their creators to just use the same old blanket meanings for every deck you read with.

I prefer to just follow wherever the imagery leads me. Sure, there are some underlying patterns that I've noticed over time, but for the most part, I just go on intuition and "the bigger picture".

I think when we start trying to freak out with memorizing and making Tarot "work", we've lost sight of the beauty of it; that it's personal and individual for every single reader.

Get to know your deck. Touch it every day, even if it's only mindless shuffling, or just flicking through the cards and looking. Look at the colors; do they tell you anything special? Do they mean anything to you? How do they make you feel? Look at the details in the background. Look at the faces of the people in the deck. Start to weave a story out of it all.

 

[Yurikome]

I'm right with Silaria here. Trying to remember the meanings was the most discouraging part of working with tarot. I drifted towards and away from reading for 8 years, all because I was too stressed at not being able to get the "correct meanings" into my head. Instead, just look at the cards as you would at panels of a comic - there's a logical connection between them all, just SEE it. If the "correct meaning" feels safer than your intuition try thinking about it this way: if the cards you're using were well designed the "correct meaning" should be able to be distinguished from the pictures alone anyway! Observe, compare, and find out for yourself, rather than cramming words into your head. Each card has such a wide range of meaning that I personally am against all keywords - they limit it down too much and lock me in one fixed interpretation when the complete opposite could be the message I'm supposed to see! I understand this may not be a problem to others though

So, I got comfortable with my cards in about half a year. Which doesn't mean I feel I know them inside-out. It just means they don't stress me out and I'm capable to do a face to face reading for a stranger with them. And this isn't the deck that has been with me those 8 years. It's one I acquired at fancy, and turned out to be so graphic and easy to relate to I instantly forgot all about how misreable "studying" was up till then. It's just something that clicked in my head. An exhilarating realization that there was nothing wrong with my head, only with my method!

Good luck to you, maybe this will apply

 

[Silaria]

Each card has such a wide range of meaning that I personally am against all keywords - they limit it down too much and lock me in one fixed interpretation when the complete opposite could be the message I'm supposed to see! I understand this may not be a problem to others though

I agree with you here; to a point. Any system can easily become a trap if you aren't careful. However, when you are learning, they can provide a valuable foundation.

I find keywords helpful when my brain "clicks off". I start running through lists such as elemental keys (earth, fire, water, air), elemental relationships (foundation/strong/steady/money/etc = earth; active/excited/ready for action/etc = fire, etc., etc.), some key words for the numbers (Ex: beginnings for aces, balance for 2, conflict for 5), and so on until my brain turns back on and starts to put the puzzle together again.

They are a tool; not the "only" way to read a card. As with all tools, if used properly they are very helpful.

 

[Mariana]

Oh, memorising meanings isn't the problem. Just read a good book on them and you'll remember them. It's forgetting meanings that's far more difficult, and far more important. Especially if you're a left brain person, then your first reaction when reading is 'ah, I know that this means x' - fill in any keyword. But life isn't about keywords. What a card means in your life, in that context, is far more dynamic than a keyword. Besides, everyone has personal symbolism as well, based on personal experience. Your subconscious will know how to communicate to you. Just listen to it.

 

[avalonian]

Oh, memorising meanings isn't the problem. Just read a good book on them and you'll remember them. It's forgetting meanings that's far more difficult, and far more important. Especially if you're a left brain person, then your first reaction when reading is 'ah, I know that this means x' - fill in any keyword. But life isn't about keywords. What a card means in your life, in that context, is far more dynamic than a keyword. Besides, everyone has personal symbolism as well, based on personal experience. Your subconscious will know how to communicate to you. Just listen to it.

Wow, thanks for that, Mariana, I wish I could have read that years ago, I think it is one of the most useful and profound paragraphs I've read. Hope you don't mind but I've just copied it into my journal and shall refer to it on a regular basis.

 

[StellarMyst]

Over a year. I wanted to make sure I was comfortable with the deck (Gilded was my very 1st.), and not just *start a new hobby-type-thingy.* I think it took me up until a few short months (weeks?) ago to become comfortable with RWS, & various other decks based on the imagery within.

I'll have to come back later to this...forgive me if it's in a couple of days/weeks. plz&ty!

Blessings,

StellarMyst

 

[Mariana]

Wow, thanks for that, Mariana, I wish I could have read that years ago, I think it is one of the most useful and profound paragraphs I've read. Hope you don't mind but I've just copied it into my journal and shall refer to it on a regular basis.

Thank you! For real inspiration, read Umbrae's and Enrique's posts, though...

 

[Avel]

It took me ages to learn my first deck which was the typical sterile drawing the number of pentacles for pentacles and nothing else to show how the cards should be interpretated deck. We're talking years. I haven't bothered to memorize any other deck like that since.

For my current deck it took me about 3 weeks to get it into my head. So here's how I did it and I hope it works for you.

1. Go deck shopping for one that really speaks to you and you can pin relevant stories to (or it comes with relevant stories) for each card that describes how it should be viewed. (I use the animals divine tarot)

2. Get a little log notebook (hard covered notebook), or just a regular notebook. Then go through with each card, analyze the card for any details in the artwork and try to get a feel from it, then read the story writ in the book it comes with and look at the card AGAIN to match the images with the story so it's easier to recall later. Then write down the important meaning (notes work best) for the individual card in your notebook under an appropriate title and preferably in order so you can go back later to check if you need a reminder. (ie: Hierophant: blah blah blah blah blah)

3. Do step 2 for each card and take as much time as you need to get it into your head the first time around. I averaged about 7-13 a day. Keep all the notes in the same notebook in order.

4. Then when you've finished with that, start your readings and record them in the same notebook after the pages with the notes and definitions of each card. This way you have everything in the same place and it'll get easier and easier to interpret.

I hope that helps, it's basic note-taking and study technqiue and it worked wonders for me, I rarely need to look back at my notes to help interpret now and I NEVER need to refer to the actual book it comes with. If nothing else it streamlines the reading process.