HearthCricket
I am not sure if this subject has ever come up, so apologies if I am bringing back a worn out topic. We have such a wonderfully diverse group, here at AT, that I was curious what first led people to tarot cards?
When I was still in Elementary School my best friend was a genius-seriously. Her whole family was smart as whips, but they had decided to not let her skip grades, but stay within her own age groups, always taking advanced classes and getting honours. And they constantly fed her hobbies. I really lucked out on that. When young we played with Breyer horses, trolls, plastic animals, then onto reading Bradbury, Tolkien, memorizing the runes, fantasy, sci-fi, mythology, etc. One day she showed me the IJJ Swiss Tarot which she had received for her birthday. We started to learn the major arcana and did readings for each other. We played rummy with the minors! I ended up getting the same deck that Christmas (I was 12). Later that year she had bought the RW deck and we started learning the minor arcana. And that was my first introduction to tarot. I fell out of taroting when I was in High School, but fell back into it, right after, when a gorgeous New Age store opened up down the street from my college. I walked in a glorious daze around this place with incense burning, mellow music, and decks in card catalogue drawers so you could see each one available. I purchased the Sacred Rose, Gypsy Witch and a RW deck, and was hooked for life. Not only for the artwork, but for reading and opening up possibilities that I would not have explored on my own. I can't even remember how I found AT, but I am so thankful I did! I am not sure if my friend, who I have long since lost touch with, still has any interest in tarot. She is a famous doctor/scientist/astronomer and the main character in the movie "Contact" was partially based on her! But I am forever thankful for her enthusiastic parents in allowing me to be part of her varied and creative childhood.
So....how did you fall into tarot?
When I was still in Elementary School my best friend was a genius-seriously. Her whole family was smart as whips, but they had decided to not let her skip grades, but stay within her own age groups, always taking advanced classes and getting honours. And they constantly fed her hobbies. I really lucked out on that. When young we played with Breyer horses, trolls, plastic animals, then onto reading Bradbury, Tolkien, memorizing the runes, fantasy, sci-fi, mythology, etc. One day she showed me the IJJ Swiss Tarot which she had received for her birthday. We started to learn the major arcana and did readings for each other. We played rummy with the minors! I ended up getting the same deck that Christmas (I was 12). Later that year she had bought the RW deck and we started learning the minor arcana. And that was my first introduction to tarot. I fell out of taroting when I was in High School, but fell back into it, right after, when a gorgeous New Age store opened up down the street from my college. I walked in a glorious daze around this place with incense burning, mellow music, and decks in card catalogue drawers so you could see each one available. I purchased the Sacred Rose, Gypsy Witch and a RW deck, and was hooked for life. Not only for the artwork, but for reading and opening up possibilities that I would not have explored on my own. I can't even remember how I found AT, but I am so thankful I did! I am not sure if my friend, who I have long since lost touch with, still has any interest in tarot. She is a famous doctor/scientist/astronomer and the main character in the movie "Contact" was partially based on her! But I am forever thankful for her enthusiastic parents in allowing me to be part of her varied and creative childhood.
So....how did you fall into tarot?