Hi there!
Welcome to the forums!
For me, I think incorporating some academic structure to the study of Tarot is one of the most beautiful things about the subject. There's no set way to learn the Tarot, so go for whatever feels good to you. Tarot can let you go freespinning through your subconscious, but it can also bridge you with hundreds of years of history, and thus the gentle traces of finger dust of individuals throughout the ages.
When you read your cards, why do you get the feelings you get? Why do you think of this when you see that symbol or image? A large chunk of it comes from your own experiences and subconscious, I believe, and your guides and higher self too, if you are in touch with them, but from an academic standpoint, the mechanics between the reader, the cards and the reading is a fascinating subject in itself.
Two ideas that are more academic (by my standards) have given Tarot so much depth to me: firstly, the idea that reading is not a "passive" activity, and secondly, the idea of intertextuality. The first idea describes reading books and watching films very well, but works just as well for Tarot: the writer/director/creator likely has certain ideas/feelings they'd like to get through to the audience, but the audience (or reader) brings to the work their own ideas, tastes and experiences: the end result is like a negotiation of all that. When you think of Tarot and its history, and of course, the artist of your deck, you are presented with so many different perspectives besides your own. It's like taking a walk through the woods to sort out your thoughts, only to find that the different trees also have voices and different ideas; do you know how to listen to them? For me, I have found that reading about the different theories behind the origins of Tarot and how people thought differently about symbols, etc. back then has given me a rich perspective of the cards. And as for intertextuality, it's amazing how when I look at any one card in any deck, I am not just reading the images there, but I am bringing to mind all the stories and emotions I've heard/felt of the images in the card, but also of how other decks have presented that card. Because most decks follow the main template of Tarot more or les, Tarot is a great opportunity to see how intertextuality works through yourself.
I may not have remembered those theories accurately, and I'm not that much of an academic myself, for better or worse, but the point is, if I hadn't even tried to think back to what my profs have said in class and tried looking at Tarot academically, I would be learning the art very differently—also for better or worse.
So in short, just try whatever feels right to you. I don't think there's anything negative about looking at Tarot academically. For me, one foot dreaming through my subconscious and the other treading quietly through academia has made me realise that Tarot isn't really just a path I am walking on, but it's more like an ocean that I've accidentally slipped into, with thoughts and whispers and glances and giggles abound in the water I am swimming, breathing in.
♥
Yvresse.
