A Tarot Kind of Life
In about 1976 my then husband gave me the Thoth deck for my birthday (25th) ... it had only been recently published. Two days later he tore it to shreds right before my eyes because we had picked up a couple of hitchikers who were heading to a spiritualist church. We decided to join them. I went into trance (scared me silly), my ex didn't, so he lost his temper and thus the end of the Thoth.
Six months or so later, I bought a Marseille deck ... I hadn't liked the Thoth anyway (and no that is not a rationalization LOL). I ... er ... borrowed ... er ... permantently, a couple of tarot books from my Dad's shelves (and later Kabbalah, Jung, Eliphas Levi and so on --- but drats, he's onto me these days LOL), and tried working with the Majors. I was too lazy to learn the pip cards.
Skip forward a couple of decades during which I messed with the cards, but was primarily involved in getting a couple of degrees, working, and bringing up my now 30 year old intellectually disabled son, on my own mostly, and re-marrying and divorcing twice (So I'm a slow learner LOL).
Then I got either the Morgan Greer or the Mythic first ... both around the same time. Was partially hooked, not so much with giving readings to others, but with using it for my own inner work... but on my way.
About 10 years ago I finally bought an RWS, but still played, but with more intention and seriousness. I then found a good course (on-line) about 5 years ago, and the rest, as they say, is history. I rarely read for anyone else... not the point for me, somehow. Besides, I spent years being a social worker and psychologist and then alternative healer, and I have passed the point of wanting to be a 'helper'.
I ran away from home ... at the ripe old age of 47 or 48, and spent 6 months back-packing through India with deck in hand, having ... er ... run away from home a few times before to visit other Asian destinations LOL). I kind of made it up as I went along ... good times! I then got deathly ill .... spent a few weeks on life support, and a couple of months in hospital, and was left with permanent chronic health problems.
So, in order to find a creative and fulfilling life that I could lead within the context of my health restrictions (Saturn in Virgo 12th house), I turned to tarot, painting and reading all those books that I hadn't had time to read before (even though I had always read heaps).
These days I'm more interested in reading about the history, the symbolism, the artwork of tarot... exploring those through the cards, through painting, through reading history, and my way through all of Jung, and anything else that pops up ... like alchemy, and magic and qabalah, through art and architecture, so on.
I'm kind of painting a deck .... but it is slow and I am not yet committed to the process.
I'm just a beginner really. But I figure I've got about 30 years left this time around, so it means that, in preparation for my next life, I will have nicely scratched the surface,
mythos