Tarot without Training Wheels

[billv]

Hi all,

Just curious - how long was it before you were able to do readings for other people without books? I know some people never use books, they rely strictly on intuition and personal interpretation. For me I feel like I want to have a good general knowledge of classic interpretations before trying to add my own meanings while doing a reading for others.

I've done some readings for my wife with the help of texts when I get stuck, but the thought of going without books or notes at all is intimidating, especially since I still sometimes get stuck in my own readings. I'm not looking to do this for money, but I would like to get fluent enough to do it for people I want to share it with.

When did you feel you were ready to do this?

Thanks!

Bill

 

[Brock Johnson]

I don't want to feel like I am discouraging you but it took me about 7 months or so until I was really able to rely just on my memory of the card's meanings. I was kind of slow at learning it and just about a month ago which is about two years after I started, I started using intuition. But you should start using intuition after you get the basic meanings down. Also, you can try looking through the deck and see what cards give you what feeling.

Brock

 

[Shaymus]

I don't know how practical this would be in your situation but, for me, I found that I've read, read and read.....so many Tarot books in the past year (probably getting close to 70) that the meanings (or energies/feelings) of each card became inbedded into my mind. Really, the only memorization that I did, was way back, when I memorized the pictures for each card, so that I didn't have to look up in a book when someone mentioned the 9 of cups, for example.

I think many people who start using Tarot, have to consult books more often at the beginning, but gradually the reliance on books seems to diminish. Also, remember that those books that list meanings, list the meanings that are truthful for the authors of those books. But by reading many different authors, you get a feel for the energies of the cards, and thus for the meanings for the situation that you do a spread about.

Believe me, the time passes quickly

Shaymus

 

[westsidegirlygirl]

It took me YEARS! (of not very intense at all study) There are 78 cards, I didn't have a frame of reference like a background in astrology, and it was years before I stopped using a reference book altogether. I think there will always be cards that are more cryptic than others. Many people have lifelong trouble with the court cards before settling down on a system.

I think our minds work best in context and doing alot of "dummy" readings for fake situations helped me to memorize card meanings in context and in relation to each other.

 

[squeakmo9]

I took up the tarot by taking a class at a local community school(3 yrs.ago). The teacher also has published a book on her interps of RWS. So the whole class focused on her take, which was fine because I had never had formal training on tarot anyway. I generally stuck with my first deck-RWS because frankly, I didn't know any other decks existed(LOL). So I read her book and a few others and practiced with my mom. It really wasn't a chore because I enjoyed the deck so much. It wasn't until I found some other tarot site, AT in particular that everything just busted wide open. So it took about 3 years for me to understand the book interps for RWS, believe me there are some that still stump me, but I just do the best I can. I've only been trying to read intuitively for the last month or so, very freeing. I think it's good to learn the basic meanings of the cards but don't be afraid to let yourself feel what some of the cards are telling you, experiment, it's fun!

 

[HearthCricket]

Ah, my post dropped...

I think a lot depends on how much time you give to Tarot. The more you practice with readings, both for yourself and for others, the sooner you will have them memorized. I started just reading with the major arcana and reading for myself and my parents (I was only 12). That came fast. Only 22 cards and you become a pro, quickly. Add the other 56 and you have some work to do. Practice in various ways. Do a Daily Pick. Examine the card, its symbols, how you feel. Make up a story. Some people keep a notebook or journal. Use one deck, then grab another and pick out the same card. Does it look the same, similar? Are the symbols the same? What are the differences? Does the story change? See how you feel. Only you will know when you are ready. When you can do readings for yourself or others without having to look, at all. Practice, practice, practice. And when you have been reading without a book for a while, go back and look at the books, or even the LWB and refresh your mind. See if you are missing any elements to the cards. And have a lot of fun!

 

[billv]

Great replies, all - thanks!

In some ways I have been following Shaymus in his approach duing this past year of learning - I've got many books and have been reading like crazy. It's probably not as good as studying one book in-depth, but I feel I get a better overall consensus as to what the general card meanings are doing it this way. I am pretty good so far at certain types of correspondences - I'm getting good at analyzing the elemental relationships, and am working on the planetary correspondences for the majors. I'm also generally familiar with the general meanings of several of the minors, and probably fuzziest on the court cards, although the elemental correspondences help there, too.

I know I'm on the right track - I would probably guess that I'll feel fairly comfortable reading for others without any books or notes by this time next year, if I keep up my study like I'm doing now. I know that might sound like a long time to some, but I want to really know the cards - I want my readings to be like playing a musical instrument. When you play an instrument and you're really good, you don't think about the technique, you just let the music flow through you - and Tarot is the same way. And just like some instruments have a different sound than others, some decks have different "sounds" than others too. (I'm liking this analogy!

Anyway, thanks everyone for chiming in.

Bill V

 

[Zephyros]

In my mind, there is no such thing as a "classic" interpretation, unless you are reading a book by the creator of the deck, such as the Book of Thoth. Every creator of a deck sets out to say something, and it may be worth you while to know what they said about their own deck.

However, I have seen so many different interpretations of the RWS alone that it would be truly confusing trying to learn all of them by heart, let alone fusing all of them together.

As intimidating as it may sound, the fact that something is written in a book does NOT make it right. Tarot is not like any other field of nowledge, especially unlike paying a musical intrument. When you see an experienced player make music, it may sound effortless, but there is a lot of technique involved. In tarot there is no technique, only feelings.

A good thing to do would be to sit with yourself and a tarot journal and write the meanings of the cards that you feel they are, and with a dictionary of symbols to find out what the creator of the deck thought to include in that card.

 

[Knightward]

Since I see you actually play music, I am going to try to explain it that way.

Take the panio, please, its heavy and I hav eno where to put it =p

With the Panio, we can learn to play it three ways

1: You can learn by book and with a teacher
2: You can learn by yourself and a book
3: You can learn to play by ear and just playing what sounds good. The drawback here is you may not learn to read music.

As far as Tarot goes, you can learn one and two fairly easily. Typically however, with the panio, option one would be best.

For best results however with Tarot, you would want to go with option 3. You need to learn the deck and how you respond to it by trusting yoru feelings. This is actually very hard for most people. When you trust your feelings the meanings are going to be more correct then any book or teacher can tell you once your used to it.

I have read several books on Tarot, and I own several decks, I referance the books rarely, but I always go by what jumps out at me in the card for a meaning. Ocassionally I am wrong, more often then not however I am correct.

Take the Rider Ace of Pents. Sure it signifies a strong begining and stuff, but simply looking at the card and you see a hand holding out a large coin. First thing that would come to most people's mind is neat, something good is going to happen with money. Which really isn't that far off any book meaning.

I see you have the Thoth also, which is alot differant then the Rider. For example, with the Thoth I focus more on what the configuration of the various emblems are and what colors the cards are. Due to my background in Astrology, I typically factor that in also.

When I read with the Rider, or a Rider clone however, I focus on what the people in the pictures are doing. Take the Four of Cups as an example. The picture is of someone ignoring a cup being offered because they are staring at 3 other cups. You can read this a ton of differant ways, but the key function here is someone is not acknowleding something being given to them. Either they don't care, or they are refusing to look at it. Which verison of that meaning you use will always vary by how you feel when you look at the card.

I would recommend reading for the theory and such, but only fall back on it when you can not "feel" what the card means. It is quite hard for some people to unlearn all the book meanings and start over with what they feel after a long time with only book meanings.

-Fenier

 

[Alta]

I had to read using books for a long time, probably more than 10 years. Books are really useful and open up possibilities in the cards that any one person might not come up with. They can open up whole avenues of thought. Reading interps by the best readers here can also give you a lot of 'aha' moments, in fact it is a privilege to see some excellent readers in action.

I am not against the 'your own feelings' school, but I feel that any one person's take will always be limited to their experience, their knowledge. Reading books and seeing what others see will widen your field of view immeasurably.

Plus, back to the piano, practice, practice, practice!!!