Newbie To Tarot confused with meanings help

[Emily]

Like Sunchariot, I would also recommend Joan Bunning's tarot course. It was also my first introduction to tarot and might work well next to the course you are already doing.

There are also keyword charts contained within the course. If you are struggling with making your own keywords then take a look at these charts with the cards by your side and see if you can see why particular keywords have been attached to each card.

Keywords work as stepping stones but you need to walk before you can run and that does mean understanding the structure and symbolism used within the RWS. Later on as you learn more you'll realise that you are seeing more in the cards than just keywords but that comes with practise.

Don't stress yourself over this, eventually it will all start making sense.

 

[Sulis]

Hi Gracie2k,

As others have said, that sense that you're never going to 'get it' is part of learning tarot. It's a long, long process, it's not something that you can just pick up and memorise. Think of it as if you're learning a language because to me and many others, that's what tarot is: It's a visual language of symbols, images, numbers and elements. When you first start learning you can pick some things up quite quickly but you only really get fluent when you've been immersed in it for ages and it really becomes a part of you. It's possible to learn keywords and get a basic feel for the cards and their meanings but you really only feel as if you're really getting there when you understand why the symbols are there and what they mean on many levels...
It's easy to get some keywords for a card like the High Priestess for example but when you understand why she's holding a book, why her head-dress looks like an upturned moon with a full moon in the middle, why she's sitting between a black and a white pillar, your readings gain depth and you can feel as if you're really reading.

It took me a good 3 years before I could put the books down and I felt as if I could actually get a message from just looking at the cards in a reading.

It's a journey (I know that's a cliche) but it is. Enjoy it and take your time. Trying to rush and cram is not the way to go with tarot in my opinion. Reading cards is an art and learning to do it well can't be rushed.

I advise writing down your thoughts on the cards.. Pull one at the end of the day asking for a card that relates to your day then look at the card and try to relate it to what's happened to you that day.
How does it make you feel?
What are the characters doing?
Does the number mean anything to you?
How do the colours make you feel?
etc...

You could also try laying out all the Aces, all the twos etc and look at the similarities and differences between the suits.

As well as that, have fun with the cards. Lay some out in a row and try to make a story out of the pictures.. Forget about accuracy when you're doing this, just have fun and be as creative as you can with the pictures. Think of your cards as a book with the pages unbound so you can make the story any way you like.

Maybe the course you're doing isn't the right way for you to learn.

Good luck with it .

 

[saleeneh]

The cards are messages between your (well, you can call it lots of things...higher self, guide, angel, unconcious, superconcious, etc etc...it's the same thing...) and your concious, "ego" self.

You higher self (or whatever) can track whatever meanings you happen to retain and assign to a given card. It will gradually "stretch" you to see more and more meanings and those can get added to the meanings you already have, or re-assigned/re-programmed by you, your concious self...it's as if you say, "Ok, higher self, this card is going to mean THIS to me. And it will. Untill you (or your higher self) decides to change it. When that happens, you'll be sitting there, and the card will come up, and you'll say to yourself, "hmm, I know this card usually means X, but today it seems to mean Y." Then, you have a card that meand X and Y. And don't worry about memorizing it all, your unconcious/higher self is in charge of all that, and will remind you, and bring to the fore, the meaning it wants you to apply today. Personally, I think it's good to read books (cause that's the way I did it, and of course, I did it the right way ;-). Read bunches and bunches of them if you want... and if you see something that really leaps out at you and gives you one of those "OF COURSE! EUREKA!" moments, then great! If not, don't worry, you'll forget it along with the rest of the stuff you've forgotten. But the stuff that really impresses you does so because it touches deep, and your higher self will somehow (who knows how, really) retain that, and remind you.

Well said...absolutely true!!!

 

[HOLMES]

what is the courses?

there are awesome tarot courses out there like the tarot school cds that got a good review..
and just as there are awesome i am sure there are not so awesome courses.

I am like sulis where it took me nearly 3 years to get away from the book, and problay longer if it wasnt' for the mom, and friends telling me to do so.
the best thing is take a course, do it in a logical format as prescribe and take the best part of it with you. (since you intended to go through the with the course)

 

[Gracie2k]

Joan Bunning I will research see what can help. I didn't expect so many kind replies helping me with this and I hope other's will find it useful too.
The Tarot is so vast, I realise I wanted to run before I could walk and I know now how much of a novice I am.
I did try one reading and was told at the start fo the course don't even try a reading when the cards don't link to you yet, you need a foundation. Boy was she right, I was out of my depth and sitting there trying to force myself to know what the cards meant 100% and convincing myself I had enough answers without really looking at the cards. I couldn't have been more wrong!
I see now why there are so many books in my home alongside the cards to understand things with workbooks for the sharman casseli deck and workbooks on spreads. I looked briefly in one and it had some nice keywords to help me with Temperance, I am keeping a notebook of keywords to refer to.
I find it fascinating and yes, I agree it's like a whole new language of symbols and words. Not to be taken lightly either. I would love to in time dip my toes into astrology and I mean dip ( best left to pros who have looked at it for many many years and I have the utmost respect for them for dedicating themselves to something so elaborate). I want to get the Tarot under my belt in time it's something I have wanted to do for so long but feared the fear of not knowing much, I am terrible at remembering things. That is my worst habit I remember images and colours but keywords I can forget...this is going to be a long journey. I don't feel I will ever master it right now.
I will have trying though and as they say practice makes perfect. I am hopeful.

 

[HOLMES]

confused myself

you mean you paid to get a course by joan bunning ?
was it the book you are refering to ?
or perhaps you mean that you decided to put the paid course away and study the free online course ?

 

[Rev_Vesta]

I am taking 2 course on Tarot. I am feeling out of my depth as, I decided to confuse myself very badly. I switched from their views to looking online at other's views and this is where i became lost. Each site each person has their own way with the cards. My problem is where to find the best book as a basis to know the meanings of the cards.
I am struggling. I am studying one course and the plan is then to study the next course.
I don't know how best to rectify the situation. Advice needed please thank you.

I remeber when I first started working with Tarot, I read and read and really got quite lost then someone said to me " STOP just for a min, Take a deep breathe slowly..... look at the Fool of the deck... picture yourself talking to the fool, what is he saying, how do you feel? what symbols are around you, colours, smells etc? write down everything then become the Fool and walk through a doorway, there you find a man standing beside a table with tools on it, He is the magician, what does he say, how does he make you feel? symbols, colours, ask him for a message, when he finishes thank him and walk through another door and speak to the woman on the other side...... etc... keep working through until you have completed all 22 Cards of the Major Arcana..... Now begin with the Ace of Cups and work through until you reach number 10 then find yourself shapeshifting between The Page,m The KNight, the Queen and the King, looking at them not as specific genders but aspects of self....."
When completed that part of the journey... you may find yourself looking at the words from the author with a different perspective..... It may help you get clarity....

For me if I can study a new deck that way it brings new life to my old deck (Native American tarot by Magda Weck Gonzales)......which I have been using for the last 12 years......my fav deck....

Hope tghis helps on some level so you can continue with the courses.....with clarity...

 

[Gracie2k]

you mean you paid to get a course by joan bunning ?
was it the book you are refering to ?
or perhaps you mean that you decided to put the paid course away and study the free online course ?

1) I didn't pay for Joan Bunning course I am yet to find it online.
2)I have paid for two other courses and I am studying the shorter basic one of the two.

( I didn't pay highly as you all know I have little money & I make cut price meals and I'm surviving my own cooking so far lol! I'm learning to expand my cooking skills by expanding them backwards onto cheaper items)

I have put the website learntarot on my taskbar and I love the fool journey exercise thank you for sharing, it does seem like a fun way to learn the cards as it's very visual and I am more visual than words, I have always been a hands on person. If someone says make this cabinet up form the instruction I go just show me, I will know then,) (not hands on if a guy can fix the thing lol)

 

[gregory]

learntarot IS Joan Bunning's course

 

[Gracie2k]

I noticed in your post SunChariot that the ways the cards are laying and the spread used can changed the meanings of the card. I like the fact they are not standard meanings locking our perceptions to just one keyword that we again have to re-learn things and the Tarot can continually test us as to our previous views of the meanings. I like knowing that I will end up creating other ideas from the cards surrounding them.


I've made a post on a small find I made on a book and I wonder if it would benefit other's.
TarotSchool my mother looked at and I think the value at the time was reasonable for the depth but, for me it was a lot of money to put out in one go. I don't see the courses running there.

I will keep reading only just got back from thrift shops, and doing the heavy lifting of carrier bags that cut into hands to bring shopping home.

I love Manga/Animie oriental tarot and recently came by The Elf Of Heaven tarot. The lady lovingly sent geodes with it and inside was a small silver butterfly charm so sweet and some Japanese incense, especially loving pure or How kind and caring is that?
I like Japanese incense so much it reminds me of the Tinkerbell perfumes in the 80's I love that kind of smell pure and happy that makes you feel like you're back at a good space in your head when life was full of hope and magic.

but, I am finding myself more driven to Egyptian now, this is something I never expected to happen. I like Egyptian History and became fascinated as a child spent hours looking through books in Libraries driving mother mad. Yet, she was pleased I had a fascination with history.


I am finding all the posts really caring and helpful and want to say thank you to anyone I have missed out here.