The Easiest Way to Learn Tarot -Ever!

After spending much $$ on many books, I have finally found a book on learning Tarot that I can relate to. It's Dusty White's new book The Easiest Way to Learn Tarot-Ever! The book makes sense to me, and I understand that will be different for everyone. We all learn differently. If you are having any kind of difficulty understanding the cards, I highly recommend this book. Dusty's approach has you looking at all the cards, 'reading' what you see, and not what you've been previously told to see. He gives you the freedom to relax and enjoy the cards, but sneakily teaches you while you're not looking! The best part about this, Dusty has a website for online support. It's great, and I'm having a blast, and it actually is making me enjoy AT a lot better because now I can read something that someone's posted and get it!

The book on Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=1419692887/ref=nosim/aeclectic/

Dusty's site

http://forums.advancedtarotsecrets.com/index.php

I'm getting a lot out of this book and website too. One thing that makes this book unique for me is that he systematically teaches reading the cards. For me, the skill of being able to learn the meaning of the cards was not the skill of being able to read the cards. Or even having a clue as to where to start. The exercises are fun, lighhearted and non threatening. The forum is supportive. IMHO this is how beginners best learn new skills.

Question, since you've been working with the book how crucial do you find it to use one the recommended decks??

On the forum we've been doing exercises for two people so it's helpful for both people to be using the same or nearly the same deck for those. It doesn't have to be identical-could Universal Waite and Rider Waite, or Radiant. Probably something different but I would think both people would need the same deck.
For other exercises, I started out whining about the horrible,ugly Rider Waite and how I'd rather poke a sharp stick in my eye than use it. I just realized reading your post that I hadn't thought about it for a while, I guess I just got into the exercises and don't think about it anymore.
Ann

ann823 said:

For other exercises, I started out whining about the horrible,ugly Rider Waite and how I'd rather poke a sharp stick in my eye than use it. I just realized reading your post that I hadn't thought about it for a while, I guess I just got into the exercises and don't think about it anymore.
Ann

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Ok that's a good answer... That is kind of my hang up... I just don't like the Rider Waite deck... I don't know what it is about that deck but my eyes just don't find it as appealing to look at...and then my brain loses focus. But it has been so long since I've really sat down studied (and after reading a little of the book on amazon...) I think diving back into the basics again for a pick me up is a good plan. If you don't love the RW deck as much as I don't and can "see passed it" and just get into the exercises I think I can do that too. And I think it would be helpful if your partner was using the same deck... saying "the woman holding the lion head...blah blah" when they see a woman petting a lion with totally different colors might cause a titch of confusion....

guess who is going and picking up a RW deck and a new book... Thanks

I have just about every Tarot book printed- but not this one.
I read through what I could in the 'look inside' at amazon.
I think the writer has a good style. I think it will be a good teaching tool for a group I have been trying to entice into Tarot use.
Thank you for the recommendation - I am off to buy a copy.

~Rosanne

Sacred Vision - I absolutey despise the RW, most especially the original. It scares me so much I wanna cry! This was an issue for me, also. I use the Radiant (a tad less scary) for the exercises on Dusty's site, and weirdly, it's not as bad as I thought it would be. Really, now I'm used to them, but that doesn't stop me from looking at cards I like better, to see if what i see is the same, similar, or something different. I love the Anna K and DruidCraft.

If you want to join in before you get the book or just try the exercises they are on the forum. There's more information in the book, but you can see what its like in the meantime. If you don't have the Rider Waite its online in a fewplaces, like ******** so you could look at the images on the cards for the two person exercises.

This is the link to a podcast that gives a lot of information on the exercises.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/witchyliving/2010/10/25/the-easiest-way-to-learn-the-tarot--ever-part-1

It is a two hour show, I noted some times for certain sections so I could listen to them again. I used windows media player.

10:24 This is an interesting section on setting the cards up in a grid.
13:12 Cartomancy. Cairelle has a method she learned from her grandmother, there will be more information in a later podcast.
17:04 Deck recommendations for beginners.
18:00 Waite and the modern tarot, not a long drawn out history of tarot but good background delivered painlessly.
31:50 Tarot journaling.
35:00 Exercise 1, there are examples in the book but it is really helpful to hear more examples,a lot more examples. A breath of fresh air for struggling beginners who've had just enough study to try and remember keywords, symbols, etc. but panic and go blank when confronted with an actual card.
49:00 Exercise 1 summary.
1:12:24 Exercise 2. Like exercise 1 lots of practice examples and other good stuff.
1:44:00 Basic Stuff, including Dusty's philosophy of teaching tarot. This comes at the end but think it would make a good introduction.

Decks

SacredVision said:

Question, since you've been working with the book how crucial do you find it to use one the recommended decks??

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I use my preferred deck, The Alchemical Tarot, for exercises I do on my own and have a Universal Waite for when working with others (and to understand what the RWS people are writing about!)

Hope this helps

Blessings, Light and Love,

Nic