Tarot

Perhaps one of Marseilles Tarot

the most popular and controversial techniques of divination, this is my first love.

Tarot is the name given to a set of cards used for a variety of purposes; the most common being to divine the future. A traditional pack has seventy-eight cards, each with a different symbolic picture. The set is divided into two sections: the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana. The Major Arcana consists of 22 cards (sometimes called the Trump Cards) and the Minor Arcana consists of 56 cards, divided into four suits, that are similar to those in a playing card deck. The four suits have 14 cards each and are called Pentacles (or Coins); Wands (or Batons); Swords and Cups.

There are literally thousands of different types of tarot available on the market. The course I teach is designed for a full set as described above � some sets consist of only the Major Arcana and, although they can be used for divination purposes, they do not give such a complete reading and can actually be harder to learn with than a full deck.

Origins of the Tarot

The theories for the origins of the tarot are many. These range from belief that they came from Ancient Egypt or Atlantis to more humble origins in the Italy of the mid fifteenth century. Nobody actually knows where the images originated, but certainly there is an inherent wisdom in the symbols that anybody can tap into, with a little application. Art Nouveau Tarot

Buying a Tarot Deck

One of the most frequently asked questions about tarot is how to choose (and how to buy) a tarot deck. There are so many that are easily available, the choice can be mind-blowing. There is also the belief that one should never buy their own tarot, but should have it given to them as a gift � or bad luck will befall them. This is simply not true. If you are very superstitious and feel you simply cannot buy your own deck, there is a way round this belief that lets you cater to your superstition and still have a choice of what deck you read from. First of all, choose your deck (see below). Then give your friend some money to buy it (making it very, very clear which one it is � give the ISBN number if necessary) and then they can give it to you. That way you have not bought it yourself, exactly. I have always bought my own tarot, although I have been lucky enough to be given several as gifts, too. My shop has a good selection, so you can tell your friend the title and URL of the tarot you would like, too!

Choosing a Tarot Deck

The choice of decks available on the market (now international as we have such ready access to the internet) is mind-boggling. You can choose a deck to suit a particular belief structure (like Celtic ) a deck based on mythical creatures ( like Mermaids) a deck based on the work of an artist (like the Da Vinci Egyptian Tarot

Tarot) or a deck based on modern popular art (like Manga). There are thousands of choices. So how do you choose?

First Impressions

The first impression a deck makes on you is vital. If it draws your eye and makes you want to look at it more, then it is worth considering. You will conversely find that some decks will make you cringe and you will feel very uncomfortable with their symbolism, construction and colours. Obviously, these are decks to avoid, no matter how much they are recommended to you.

Themes

Many tarot decks are themed (although just as many are based on mediaeval / traditional images). Look at the mediaeval / traditional decks and compare them to themed decks. Which decks speak to you most? You will normally find that you either love the traditional decks or absolutely hate them. I find that I cannot abide the mediaeval decks and really try to avoid working with them (not easy in my job), but I can get along with some of the more modern traditional decks. I also like themed decks, but only if I like the theme. What interests you? Do you feel you are drawn to a particular culture (i.e. Ancient Egyptian or Mayan)? If you are, look at the decks from that culture(s) and consider those. If not, you are really left with browsing the different types, but try to narrow down the styles that most appeal. Take into consideration the make-up of the deck. If you want to make life easy for yourself and you feel you really are a beginner, choose a deck which has full illustrations for the suit cards. All suit cards will normally have pictures and scenes on the Court Cards, but not so many have full scenes on the number cards. Often, the number cards are simply a geometric layout of the number of that suit (i.e. Four of Cups may just have four cups on the card). If you have a scene with the four cups in it, you will have more information to help you to tap into the symbolism and remember the basis of what the card is trying to tell you.

Uses of the Tarot

There are almost as many ways you can use the Tarot to enhance your spiritual and daily life as there are decks of Tarot. Here are just a few different w Fairy Tarot ays you can use the Tarot once you have got to grips with their symbolism:

A method of divination (predicting the future)
A tool for self-development and personal growth
A method of learning about your past lives
A tool for use in rituals
A focus for meditation
A method for getting advice from the spirit realm
A tool to help you develop your unique psychic abilities
A tool for helping to connect with our ancestors
Storytelling

One of the most important lessons I can teach you is to tell you that you can work with the Tarot to help you do whatever you want. You can read as many books as you wish to try to understand what the Tarot are saying and to experience traditional methods of using them, but at the end of the day: once you and your Tarot are �friends�, you can ask them to show you something (in any way you like) and they will. I will explore this concept later in the course and you will also get the opportunity to try it.

How to Treat your Tarot

As with choosing a deck, there are many superstitions and beliefs centring around how you should keep and store your tarot. I have heard and read so many different ideas: from putting them at the bottom of a drawer to wrapping them in black silk, putting them in a hand-carved wooden box and making sure they face East. At the end of the day, the most important thing you should do with your cards is keep them special. If you use them as a game (and certainly, in the past, there were used as a game in much the same way that we use playing cards today), they will only ever be a game to you. Even today, they are often published by companies that refer to themselves as �Games� companies and the blurb on the packaging will often suggest they are a game. This is as much to appease current legislation as it is to make sure that purchasers are not disappointed when they cannot predict the lottery numbers!

I would suggest that you either box or wrap your cards. The cards can pick up �influences� by touch as easily as we can and, if you are not adept at filtering other�s energies, you may find the cards hard to read. You can buy some stunning bags from Warty�s World, with are especially designed for Tarot. You can also make your own, if you are handy with a sewing machine or needle.

Also, if you are not used to shaking off other�s energies: keep your tarot away from others and don�t let them touch them unless you are reading for them. Some readers won�t even let their clients touch the cards when they ARE reading for them!

Blessing your Tarot

You may wish to bless your Tarot, and to dedicate it. How you do this is up to you. You may just wish to sit with your Tarot in your hands and offer a prayer to your deity/deities and dedicate the tarot to the service of the greater good. Or you may want to do a full ritual � with all the smells and bells. I find that just sitting with them and making up a prayer in my own words with genuine intent is sufficient. The blessing makes the cards extra-special and focuses your mind on their separation from the mundane.

Get familiar with your Tarot

It is important to really make friends with your Tarot. Try to handle them as often as possible and get to know what the cards are like and how they speak to you. Notice cards that come up regularly and speculate what they may mean, see if you get an idea that pops into your head as you turn them over. Shuffle them frequently � put them in order and then shuffle them again. This gets your energies on the cards and it also helps you to become familiar with them.

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