Teaching children about tarot

[DawnsLight]

My kiddos who are ages 13 and almost 8 have shown interest in wanting to learn how to read tarot cards. My son has his own deck and is actually quite good at reading and knowing what the cards are saying. (I've been told he is psychic?) He has always just done simple readings for himself or for me, and I usually ask simple things like 'how will my day at work go').

My daughter (8 y/o) wanted her own deck, so we printed a major arcana deck off the computer. She knows that each card has it's own special meaning. Mostly she "plays" with the cards (makes up her own 'games' with them like you would a regular deck) and does her own little "Readings" for friends her age (asking typical little girl stuff like "Does Joey like me?" or "will I have a good day at school")

Where they are both showing interest, I wondered what everyone's thoughts were on helping my kids learn more about tarot and reading. Do you think they can learn? Do you think it is OK for me to help them learn? Do you think there is any negativity in teaching them? I personally dont see anything wrong with it, and I actually enjoy the "family time" when we get a deck out and study a few cards together and share what we all think of this or that card.... or doing small 1 or 3 card readings for each other.

I just wondered what other people here think about this. Thanks for any opinions!

 

[Disa]

I think it's a great thing to teach them. You are helping them to expand their creativity and imagination and probably teaching them a few life lessons along the way that may not have come up otherwise. I think you should let their interest guide you. My daughter at 13 also had a bit of an interest. She picked out the dragon tarot and a tarot for teens book. She's 14 now and has lost interest but says she does refer to the cards from time to time when she has a question. The only catch- she doesn't want anyone to know we read cards!!! So, you have to take that into consideration as well.

In the metaphysical shop last week I saw a young grandmother, her daughter, and her daughter's daughter I presume all sitting in the floor of the shop riffling through the stacks of cards and discussing which decks to purchase. The youngest was about 4 years old I would guess. The sight of it warmed my heart.

Good luck and let us know how it all works out.

Disa

 

[The Hanged Man]

I think that it is a really wonderful thing to be teaching your children about Tarot. I began reading Tarot on my thirteenth birthday, when I bought my first deck in a gift shop with some of my birthday money - I've been reading ever since, Tarot is a passion for me that will be with me all my life, and perhaps beyond. The only thing I lacked was a more experienced adult to go through the learning process with, I taught myself, which probably wasn't such a bad thing really.

If you get your kids into Tarot now, by time they're adult, they'll make wonderfully in-depth readers. Tarotism is also a profession, so they could make money out of this when they're older.

I don't have kids myself, but I read for my nieces and nephews, whose ages range from three to ten, and they take a lot of interest in it. Hopefully, some of them will take an interest in learning to read for themselves, then I can pass on some of my decks to them, and perhaps pass on some of my knowledge and unique ways of reading the cards.

It's really good that you teach your kids Tarot, because education is so bias towards logical, linear left brain thinking. Introducing kids to thinking in symbolic and intuitive thought, balances the hemisheres of the brain and increases intelligence.

Best of luck to you and your kids in your Tarot studies.

x

 

[tantricknite]

Decks for kids

My son is 10 and likes the tarot.The R.W. themed decks are good as the pips are illustrated and looking at the cards are like reading a story.He also has a pet ferret so I was thinking about surprising him with the ferret tarot.Its a cute deck.Were a spiritual family not a religious one so tarot for kids is a good way of introducing ideas like Karma and moral values...............

 

[chrisam-crystals]

i was started off on tarot as a small child, and my two boys - 5 and 8 - are now learning.

it is more easier to learn the meanings from an early age, and they do like to make up little stories with the cards! lol

 

[Sulis]

My daughter who's almost 8 has had a Hanson Roberts deck for around a year now.
She uses it to make up stories with the characters on the cards - they're quite good.

A couple of months ago I gifted her my Fey Tarot as it's not a deck that I use any more and she loves it.

So yes, I think its a good thing to let children play with tarot cards - if nothing esle then it'll help them to use their imaginations.

My 15 year old son has never shown any interest though, he's much more of a Dungeons and Dragons type computer geek

 

[DawnsLight]

LOL! My oldest is 19 and he's a computery geek as well.

I can't thank you all enough for the postive replies. I was so scared of being put down as some sort of bad mother or freak mom for letting my kids "do such a thing!" My son uses the plain old RW deck, and he wants the Dragon deck as well. I noticed the other day that our shop has a couple dragon decks in stock. I plan on buying the deck for him and then surprising him with it. I've also seen the ferret tarot online, and have thought about buying that for the kids as well (each their own deck), since we also have ferrets. (Plus those cards are black and white and I thought the kids would have fun coloring their own decks as well). My little girl wants the Mermaid deck. (Which I wouldn't mind having! LOL)

I also thought that the Tarot for Dummies might be a good, easy to understand type book for my son. Like I said, I'm relieved to hear that others think its OK for kids to learn about tarot. Thanks again

 

[zach bender]

as with anything else in child rearing, though, you need to maintain enough perspective to see that your own ideas about particular cards are yours, and that they need the freedom to form their own ideas.

zb

 

[Deana]

My eight year old son has a Hanson-Roberts, a Whimsical, and Inner Child Cards. He also likes to read with just playing cards. I have Yasmine Galenorn's book of Tarot meditations (Tarot Journeys) and he likes to do the guided meditations. He loves Tarot, he's a fanatic. My mom and I both do Tarot, so it's normal to him.

My five year old son doesn't have any decks, but he loves to pull a card from the Motherpeace (of all decks). He's shy and doesn't like to make up a story about it (the opposite of his outgoing brother) but he loves swirling the round cards all over and then choosing one. He doesn't like any of his older brother's decks, he says they're for "babies". He wants the Thoth.

 

[firewoman]

Hi all. My son is 7 and has always shown an interest in my cards and whenever I have astrology books out we have just started going through my cards (morgan greer deck) and he likes to give me impressions about how the card makes him feel and then notes what stands out on the cards to him (it still amazes me the small details on the cards that he notes that I have never noticed!) It is a great learning experience for me as well as him ..