The Tarot and You
by
Vera Coe
Published by Smashwords
Copyright 2011 Vera Coe
Smashwords Edition
ISBN 978-1-4659-9371-7.
Discover other titles by Vera Coe at Smashwords.com
License Notes:
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Please note that this is a cottage industry type book, meaning that I have done all the work on it myself. Therefore please forgive any typos that have escaped the net, and any layout errors that have done the same.
Contents
Hello, and welcome to The Tarot and You
A few words of introduction
Chapter 1: What are tarot cards?
Describing what a tarot card actually is and what it is supposed to do, and the two ways in which they can be read: Traditional or Intuitive.
Chapter 2: Your tarot cards and other equipment
Helpful hints about how to purchase a set of tarot cards or what to do if a set is given to you, and what other equipment you need to have when you want to ‘read’ your cards.
Chapter 3: Your cards have arrived, what next?
Helping you understand how to harmonize your cards and giving you a choice of two methods to do so. Also, guidance about not being in too much of a hurry about getting answers from your cards and how to look after your cards when you are not using them.
Chapter 4: Two ways of ‘reading’ the cards: The Traditional Way
Here I describe the use of Layouts, why they are used, and how the cards which are being used for a layout are then ‘read’.
Chapter 5: Two ways of ‘reading’ the cards:
In this chapter I explain what intuitivity is, what it has to do with using the tarot cards, the benefits gained by working with your cards intuitively, and briefly giving you an idea of how to get in touch with your own intuitivity.
An overview of the three steps which will help you read your cards intuitively. Step one is learning to have a quiet mind. Step two is learning how to get in touch with your intuition. Step three is asking the questions you need answers to. With practice you will zoom along in your capacity to ready those cards of yours so don’t be put off by these three steps.
Chapter 7: Step One: The quiet mind
Here I help you understand what ‘Mind chatter’ is, and give you simple breathing exercises to help bring you into a state of quietness. All it takes is a fifteen minute pocket of time. The effort is well worth it.
Chapter 8: Step Two: You and your intuition
So now you need to learn how to connect with that inner voice of yours, which is your intuition. I explain how you need to prepare yourself and your tarot equipment, then show you how you can tell the difference between your thoughts and your intuition. You do this by working with five of your own tarot cards, and I give you three examples of what happened when I did this exercise. The chapter ends with information as to how many times a week you need to practice, and congratulating you on getting this far with your Intuitive tarot card project!
Chapter 9: Step Three (Part 1) Asking your questions
Now you are ready to try asking real questions to which you would like accurate answers, the tarot being useful tool for doing this. So I describe how the questions need to be formed, why it is a good idea to make a list of questions, and the importance of keeping a Questions and Answers book. This is preparation for the next chapter.
Chapter 10: Step Three (Part 2): Asking your questions
Now you are ready to light your candle and go into a questions and answers session with your cards, and here I explain what you need to do in order to receive an accurate and fast response from them and your intuition. Also what you need to do to close off from the session.
Learning to work with your card intuitively could help you develop psychic sensitivities and in this chapter I briefly describe what psychic development is, and give you a snippet of ‘My Psychic Toolbox’ which is a book I have written describing what it feels like when I am in psychic mode. This is meant to inspire you to have a go at using your tarot cards intuitively. I also briefly describe how you can work intuitively for other people.
Here I mention the subject of money in regards to tarot reading for other people. You will also find information about other books I have written, and the addresses of my website and YouTube videos.
Further information about my work, about the author, and other books I have written
***
Hello, and welcome to ‘The Tarot and You’
If, like me, your memory is atrocious then trying to use the Tarot cards by learning the meanings of them is a useless exercise. Of course you could always look up the meaning of an individual card from a book, but often there are multiple meanings given which can make you even more confused as to what the card is exactly saying. It might not matter, though, if all you are doing is ‘playing’ with your cards and don’t intend to take them seriously.
And yet this is doing an injustice to your cards, because they can be of enormous help to you: they can give you answers to questions which are bothering you and can give you guidance as to what decisions to make. They can also help you understand situations which are being difficult for you. They can clear the clutter, that’s what they do.
When I first tried to work with tarot cards I looked up their meanings, but I soon got bored with that because it left me with even more questions. Then I tried getting a ‘message’ from them by examining the graphics on the faces of the cards but that didn’t work either. So in exasperation I put the cards away, but years later I found them again and evolved a new way of working with them which has turned out very satisfactory. Now I ‘receive’ fast and accurate information with no effort on my part. No searching for the meanings in books or by spending ages looking at the graphics on the card to see if they will ‘speak’ to me, nor is my memory used.
It took a bit of practice at first, but the effort was well worth it because it helped spring board me into developing certain psychic abilities, like clairvoyance, clairaudience, and clairsentience.
If you are interested in the tarot in a genuine way, then try my method of working with them, and with practice you will become a skilled and accurate practitioner both for yourself, your family, and your friends, and everyone else who needs a helping hand.
***
Chapter One: What are tarot cards?
A piece of card, similar in shape to a normal playing card, but has various types of graphics printed on the surface rather than having only the hearts, clubs, diamonds and spades that is usual for a standard playing card. Most tarot cards, though, do use symbols such as swords, pentacles (circles), cups, and staves which replace the hearts, clubs, etc, but not all.
Unlike a set of playing cards, there is no general design for a tarot card, so they are individual card to card, set to set, although will always have a theme general to all the cards in any one set.
What do tarot cards do?
They tell ‘fortunes’, that’s what people think they are supposed to do. Since ancient times, they have been seen as a tool of ‘divination’, this being ‘the act of predicting or foretelling events, or of discovering hidden or secret things by real or by alleged supernatural means, a conjecture of the future’ (Cassell’s Concise English Dictionary).
So that is what a tarot card is supposed to do.
How do they do that?
Well the graphics on an individual card are supposed to symbolize certain events or states of being, which, on observation and interpretation, can ‘foretell’ what is going to happen in the future, or what has happened in the past, or what is occurring at the present time, according to the ‘position’ of the card amongst the others which have been laid down with it.
Sounds complicated? It doesn’t have to be. There is an easier way, which I will tell you about in this book.
And a ‘tarot pack’ is?
A combination of cards, individual to each other although with the same theme running throughout. There are no rules as to how many, but most tarot sets contain about the same number as an ordinary pack of playing cards, which is about seventy.
And similar to ordinary playing cards and also for ease of use, they are normally segregated into sections, normally swords, pentacles, cups or staves.
Within each section there will normally be a ‘run’ of cards numbered one to ten, followed by knave, queen and king. But each set is different both in design and content. As I have said, there is no general rule for the design of a set of tarot cards or the number of cards contained within a pack.
How do you use a tarot set?
The Traditional Way:
I explain more about this method in Chapter Four, but to give you an idea of what it entails:
You shuffle the cards so they are not in any particular order, then you lay them face down in a certain pattern, called a layout. Each part of the layout represents a life topic depending on the type of layout being used. Again, there is no general rule for a layout, and you can even invent your own.
You would then turn over the card in one of those positions, and analyse what you see according to the topic governing the layout position for that card. Then you work your way round your layout, turning over and ‘reading’ the cards as you go.
Phew! That all sounds complicated! And it is! But don’t be put off the tarot because there is another way to work with them, which is:
The Intuitive Way:
I explain more about this method in Chapter Five, but for now:
All you do is put either eight or twelve cards in a circle, face down. In the centre of the circle you place another card, again face down. That is your start off point. After a few moments you turn that card over, and promptly, without any gap of time or any thinking on your part, some words will arrive in your head relevant to a question you want an answer to.
Easy! Well, not that easy in the beginning, but with practice it is.
So where do the words come from? From your intuition, that’s where. ‘Immediate perception of the mind without reasoning, instinctive knowledge’, that’s what intuition is, (thanks to Cassell’s Dictionary again) and we all have it. Further on from that, your intuition is a gateway between you and the energies of the Universe, but that I will speak about that later.
For the moment, this book will concentrate on helping you become in touch with your intuition so that you and tarot cards can work as a team, with the energies of the Universe looking over your shoulder, helping you along.
That still sounds complicated, so what are the benefits? The benefits are huge. Not only will you receive information relevant to whatever area of your life you choose to make a focus of, but also information relevant to aspects of your life to which you are oblivious.
Keep on practising and you will be able to do the same for family and friends, and keep on practising some more and you just might be able to ‘read’ the cards in a professional capacity, therefore helping many people.
Of course you could do all this via the Traditional Way of working with the tarot, but then you will have to learn the meanings of all those cards, plus remember the layout topics, then tie them all in together, and that, to me, is just too much effort. Not only that, but it is likely to be inaccurate as well, which is not a good thing for you, or for those you are ‘reading’ for.
Putting the effort into learning to work with the cards intuitively will always ensure accuracy. Tarot cards are not toys, and an inaccurate ‘reading’ can upset people’s thoughts about their life and their future. It could also upset yours. So put the effort in, learn to work with your intuition, and the tarot will work well for both you, and others you would like to help.
The Traditional and Intuitive mixed together:
If you become experienced with the Traditional Way of working with the cards, then it is possible that you could gain a ‘sixth sense’ about the right interpretation of them. Your familiarity with the meaning of each individual card plus your ‘sixth sense’ would give you, perhaps, the correct interpretation.
But this is not the same as your intuition working for you. Intuition gives you the words, sixth sense doesn’t. It gives you a ‘feeling’ of what the card is saying but it will not give you the in depth answers that working the Intuitive Way with your cards will.
So, all in all, the tarot cards are a good idea?
Yes, providing they are used correctly. The Traditional Way is alright, although not really sound in regards to being accurate. Telling someone that their partner is not the right one for them because you think the card is telling you that this is so, could mean that person goes into a tumble of depression, and so could you if you are reading the card for yourself.
But by using the same card using the Intuitive Way, then perhaps the words arriving in your head would be different. “You are having a spot of trouble with your partner, but it is the lack of communication between you which is the problem”, could be what arrives, which is far more optimistic.
The Traditional Way is far more straight-jacketed because it relies on the card being interpreted and analyzed, whereas there is no interpretation or analysis with the Intuitive Way. All you have to do is listen to what is coming into your head. Of course, you will have to learn to tell the difference between those words and your own thoughts, but with practice this you will be able to do.
And in time, you could also become psychic because working with your intuitivity will naturally increase your psychic potential, but how you do that is for another book. As I have said, this book focuses on helping you get in touch with your intuitivity, which is a marvellous tool for getting ahead in life, because it is always right and will never lead you astray. And if you take notice of this side of yourself, then you will have a varied and interesting future. You most certainly will never be bored!
For myself, listening to my intuitivity led me to living on a small farm in France, which is something I never would have imagined when I was younger. But I followed through when the thought was posted into my head by my intuitive self, and off to France I went. It was one of the best things which ever happened to me. My intuitive self is also the part of me which writes the books, my other self not being creative enough to do so. Therefore, listening to your own intuitivity will bring surprising results in your life. Most certainly you will never be bored! Learning to read your cards by the Intuitive Way is a start.
Still interested in learning how to read your cards intuitively? Then read on………
To recap:
A tarot card is similar in shape to a playing card, but has certain graphics printed on the face of it rather than the normal playing card design of hearts, spades, etc.
A tarot pack is a combination of cards, individual to each other but with the same theme throughout. There are normally about seventy cards in a pack, but this can vary pack to pack, as does the graphics.
There are two ways to ‘read’ tarot cards:
The Traditional Way: the chosen cards are analyzed according to their positions in a layout and what the graphics on the cards suggest. It is normal to search for these answers in a book.
The Benefits: Not many, because of the tendency towards inaccuracies. An accurate ‘reader’ via this method is rare, and would probably be very experienced, relying on their intuition as well as their understanding of the meanings of the cards to give a reading. It is difficult for beginners to get such accuracy because of the searching for the interpretations of their chosen cards.
The Intuitive Way: This relies on a person being able to listen to their intuition when a chosen card is turned over so that its face can be seen. The info coming in will be immediate, with no time delay associated with thoughts.
The Benefits: Once you have got in touch with your intuition, reading tarot cards intuitively becomes effortless. There is also a high degree of accuracy, both at the lower levels of experience and those who are more experienced. Providing effort is put into to learning how to work with your intuition, then the Intuitive Tarot will help you find your answers, plus working with your intuitivity will encourage your psychic potential.
***
Chapter 2: Your tarot cards and other equipment
So, you need a set of tarot cards
Ah, so you have decided to carry on with exploring the Intuitive Tarot then! Good for you. So, first of all you need a set of tarot cards. Perhaps you already have a pack, but haven’t had much success with them. Don’t be disappointed, they will ‘work,’ but it is your method of using them which stops this from happening. Be patient! Give them another try!
But if you haven’t any tarot cards……
Receiving a set as a gift:
No problems here then! What I mean is, that you don’t have to spend acres of time dithering over which set to buy, and, if you are as indecisive as me, probably changing your mind a million times in the process before making a choice!
But what if you don’t like the gifted set. Or you can’t get ‘connected’ to them. Accept them with good grace, because it is a set which the Universe thinks is the right one for you. Look upon them as a ‘gift from above’ and accept them with a smile, then put them away, and let them ‘rest’ for a while.
And if someone gives you a ‘used’ set of cards, accept them with good grace too, because again, the Universe means you to have them. It makes no difference whether a tarot set is new and still in its packaging, or has been used. They have come your way so make up your mind to enjoy them.
Buying your own: Shop Browsing:
This is a good way of buying your cards, because you can give the pack a close inspection before buying it. The only problem is that the packs are usually held within a sealed wrapping, so you will not be able to look at the individual cards. All you can do is look at the cover of the box to get an idea of the graphical theme, and hold them to see how they ‘feel’.
Don’t buy a tarot set just because you have seen someone else using them, and misguidedly believe that if they ‘work’ for them then they will ‘work’ for you, because they might not. But if you like the look of the cards and feel that you would like to work with them, then go ahead and buy them.
Don’t purchase a pack just because someone else recommends them, because that might not work either. The cards you buy need to capture your attention and imagination, and they also need to feel ‘friendly’ to you, otherwise you won’t be able to ‘connect’ with them.
Don’t feel that you have to buy an expensive pack, nor purchase a large pack in either size or quantity, believing that they will be better to work with. If a set of cards ‘speaks’ to you, no matter if they are the cheapest, or the set carries the smallest number of cards in comparison to all the others, they are the right ones to have.
Buying your own: Shopping Online:
This is an excellent way of buying, because most web sites will show many, if not all, of the cards in a set. Of course you won’t be able to handle them but at least you will be able to get a good idea of what they look like. You can also spend as much time as you like choosing the right pack, unlike being in a shop environment which could hurry you into making a purchase before you are ready.
Go by your first impressions: if you feel ‘drawn’ to a pack as soon as you see them, then they are the right ones for you. If none of the packs for sale inspire you to buy, then wait until one does. Never hurry the purchase, buy from a reputable site, avoid buying a set of cards just because they are under ‘special offer’.
Why spend time choosing the ‘right’ cards?
You could make a grab for a tarot card pack, disregarding my helpful hints about making a purchase, but you won’t have a happy association with them.
Why is that?
Because your intent maps out your future pathway with the cards. If you are hurried, and can’t be bothered to spend time choosing the right ones, then this will be reflected in how you and your cards work together in the future. Buy a set because you like them and they visually please you, then you will bond with them better, and that will help spark off your intuition. Buy a set without any regard to this and you will be wasting your money, and your time.
It’s about treating the whole process of using your tarot cards with respect, and buying them carefully makes for the start of a long and happy association with them.
And can I recommend a certain pack for you?
The answer is “No”. The pack that suits me would probably not be right ones for you, so you have to make the connection with a pack of tarot cards yourself. But it is fun choosing and I wouldn’t want to rob you of the happy hours of shopping for the right set!
My first set of tarot cards was the original design of the Rider-Waite cards, which were the only ones in existence at that time, and became the forerunners of most of the tarot designs of today. I have had various packs since, and the one which I would most like to have now is the one I was inspired to give away to a client several years back, and I can’t remember the design name so will have to trawl through the Internet to find it again when I have time, giving me happy shopping hours as well!
As I have said, choose your cards because they appeal to you.
Other equipment
There isn’t much else to purchase, and you probably already have what you need for working with your cards. So just a few things really, which could also be purchased with your tarot cards if you felt like doing so, but a home search is just as good.
The box:
Tarot cards often come in quite flimsy cardboard boxes that can eventually become a bit tatty around the edges. So a good idea is to find a stronger container to keep them in, which can be bought specifically for that job, or can be a container that has emotional associations, providing they are happy ones.
I have a wooden box given to me by my son after his trip to Hungary. The box is attractive and strong, but also has emotional connections so is ideal for its job. But you can use anything you like: plastic, wood, or metal, providing it is strong and looks attractive to your eye.
Keeping your box in a special place is a good behaviour to get into, because making an effort to take care of them enhances the respect factor. It doesn’t matter where you keep them as long as you don’t push them away from you without any regard for their care.
Again you might question why you should do this, but as I have said, if you respect them then you will build a positive bond between you and them, which in turn helps your intuitive self which in turn makes it easier for you to connect with the energies of the Universe, which you need to do if you are going to fly high with your skills in regards to tarot work.
The cloth:
To stop the graphics on the surface of your cards from becoming worn away by friction between them and the table surface you are working on, putting them onto a cloth is a good idea.
If you are being a traditionalist then the cloth has to be silk because it is a pure weave fabric, but you can have any type of fabric you like providing it is not too light weight: try laying out your cards on a piece of net or voile and see what I mean! They will drift about all over the place every time you try to touch them! So, sensibly, the fabric has to be reasonably substantial in weight.
But what it can’t be is gregariously bright in design. Having a garish psychedelic print blazing away in front of you is likely to be quite off putting to your concentration. Therefore a plain fabric is best, with a colour choice to suit you providing it is not too painfully bright. Dark colours, like navy blue or black, are popular but I prefer white or cream.
But whatever you choose, always keep it especially for tarot use. Don’t grab any fabric to hand then toss it away without thought afterwards, then grab another piece of fabric from wherever to use when next you want to read your cards. Why do you need a cloth at all? Like I have said, not only does it help to centre your concentration by acting as a backdrop to your cards, but it also stops them looking old and tired before their time by preventing them rubbing against the hard surface you have put them on.
Since you have a ‘house’ for your cards, it would be a good idea to keep your tarot cloth with your cards, folded up tidily with the back of the fabric uppermost. Sorry to be a bit of a fuddy-duddy on this, but looking after your equipment will help when the time comes for intuitive tarot work.
The Candle:
Candles are very good for focussing the mind, so having a lit candle when working with your cards will help you to concentrate. The light is warming to look at, and if you have a lapse in concentration such that your intuitive flow has dried up and your ‘every day’ mind is threatening to take charge again, then looking at the candle flame for a few minutes should get your intuition back on track. If it doesn’t, then put your cards away because it isn’t the time to work with them. Try again another time.
The type of candle doesn’t matter, but I think colour does. For this work, I feel a white or cream candle is best.
I also think that the candle-holder is important as well. Pretty coloured glass ones are gorgeous to look at, but the actual candle flame can’t be seen too well, so a candle-holder which allows you complete sight of the candle flame is a must.
And don’t forget something to light your candle with!
Writing equipment and clock:
Usual writing stuff: pen, paper. This is to write your questions down first of all, then to make a note of the answers your intuitive self gives back to you subsequently, but I will explain all about this later in the book.
To keep track of how long you have been working with your tarot cards, you need to have a clock in easy view that has a clearly defined face. Again, more on this later.
A glass of water:
Sipping a glass of water is useful if you are feeling ‘stuck’ and have lost touch with whatever it is you are supposed to be doing. When working with the Intuitive Way of tarot work, you will also need to sip a glass of water to ‘close down’.
A glass of water is better than a bottle of water, mostly because it is difficult to do sip properly when drinking out of a bottle.
A quiet place:
This is not something you can buy of course, but I thought I would mention this requirement now:
It is not a good idea to even begin to think about working with your cards in the middle of a high traffic zone of people, like the kitchen for instance, when all the family is busy to-ing and fro-ing. And neither is it a good idea to have the TV blaring away in the background, or indeed any other type of sound unless it is meditation music, which could help maintain a bubble of quietness around you and keep your mind calm and focussed.
Phone off as well! To even receive an incoming text message is going to be a distraction, because you are bound to want to know who is messaging you, which will break your concentration. However, in our busy world it is difficult to find total quietness, and as you become more skilled with the use of your cards then you will be able to work with your cards when surrounded by noise and hubbub, because you would have trained yourself to stay focussed despite distractions. But it is likely that you are a novice if you are reading this book, so a quiet place you need to find!
Sitting comfortably:
You need to be in a comfortable sitting position if you are going to be able to concentrate when working with your cards. Lolling about on a sofa, floor, or bed, is not going to help at all, because the risk of becoming distracted is magnified by the awkwardness of your position. I find it quite seductive to be anywhere near a pillow or a cushion. Seems to make me want to have a nap!
Sitting up at a table is therefore better, although sitting on a sofa with a coffee table in front of you would be just about alright as long as you are upright and your spine not too bent over. I find that a dining room table is best because I can spread out wonderfully well on it, and there are no comfy items, like pillows or cushions, to pull me away from concentrating.
The reason why you need a flat surface to work on is because you will need to spread some of your cards into a circle. You will also need room for the other items I have mentioned, so the size of the table needs to be big enough to accommodate them. Squeezing yourself onto a tiny coffee table is not going to give you enough space at all. The table surface needs to be uncluttered as well, because trying to concentrate amongst a lot of clutter might distract you.
And the clock:
For the training sessions you will need to pace yourself, so having a clock handy is a must, the face of which needs to be clear enough for you to see. So a watch, mobile phone, etc, is not really suitable, because it could be distracting for your concentration if you have to keep picking up smallish items such as these to have a look at the time. Digital clocks are not really helpful either.
A small travel clock is what you need, because you could then move the hands round to the twelve o’clock position which will make it easier to note the times as you go through the learning curve of getting in touch with your intuition.
So: you have your equipment assembled, you have found a time-slot in your busy schedule, a quiet place has been prepared, now off you go!...........Mmmmm! Actually, no! There is the next chapter to wade through first!
To recap:
There are two of acquiring a set of tarot cards: as a gift, or buying your own. If you are given a set, and don’t feel connected to them, don’t worry, once you start working with them you will grow to enjoy them.
If you buy a set, take time to choose them, and wait until a pack says ‘buy me’, and don’t take notice of anyone else’s recommendations. Your deck of tarot cards must be personal to you.
You will also need:
A sturdy container in which to keep your cards so they don’t become damaged, and a special place in which to keep them. Looking after your cards creates respect for them.
You could also wrap your cards in a lightweight silky fabric before you put them into the container. This again shows you are respecting them, which will make a difference to how successful you are when working intuitively with them.
A comfortable sitting position is a must, preferably up at a table and sitting on an upright chair.
You will also need a plain coloured cloth of firm fabric, to put on the table surface which will protect the face of your tarot cards, and will also act as an arena in which to work.
To help act as a focus, a candle is needed, plus something to light it with of course!
A notebook with blank pages in, three in total: one for The Book of Woes, one for Work in Progress, and one for Questions and Answers. Plus a pen to write with.
A glass of water, and a small travel clock which has an easily readable face.
A quiet place is going to be important for your concentration.
You will need to find fifteen minutes for each intuitive training session.
You will also need oodles of patience!
***
Chapter 3: Your cards have arrived, what next?
If you have bought a new set:
Eagerly you open the packaging and investigate your pack of cards, sifting through them quickly, impatient to see what you have purchased. Oh you can’t wait to ‘give them a go’, and see if they ‘work’. Shame that it is not possible to also buy a huge pile of patience at the same time as you bought your cards, because this you are going to need in quantity!
But if you rush your fences you will crash:
In other words, if you hurry with trying to ‘read’ the cards you will be disappointed and quickly lose interest in your tarot project. Into the cupboard they will go, there to gather dust and be forgotten, which is a shame. By not being patient with the ‘getting to know your tarot cards’ process you will be losing out on all the possibilities that are ahead, but only if you can manage to contain your impatience!
However, it is likely that your curiosity will get the better of you and you won’t be able to resist seeing what happens if you have a go at giving yourself a quick ‘reading’, but be careful about what you think comes back via the card. It is likely that you will work with them using the Traditional Way, which is by using a layout spread and looking up the meanings of the cards from a book. This can be an arduous process, and also prone to inaccuracies. I will explain more about this later.
But I would advise you to get your cards harmonized quickly, and there are instructions as to how to do this over the page. If you put off doing this, then you might become bored with the whole tarot project.
If you already have a set of tarot cards:
Now where you have been keeping them? Stashed away somewhere? Had a go at ‘reading’ them and got fed up, because understanding them took too much mental effort? And so you put them away, your original enthusiasm for investigating the tarot having died.
But hey! You must still be interested in the tarot because you are reading this book! Good for you! You have had a go at the Traditional Way now all you have to do is persevere with learning the Intuitive Way, which incidentally should be easier as you get used to the various steps of learning. If you manage to persevere with this then a whole new world will open up to you: keep on reading.
So don’t be downhearted if your already acquired set of tarot cards are no-go for you at the moment. They just need waking up, and you get them to do this by waking up your intuition. This means using them in a different way to that which you did before you lost interest and put them away.
Find patience from somewhere:
To get the best from yourself and your tarot cards, as I have said already, you need to find some patience. Think of yourself as a tarot athlete! First of all, like an athlete does, you have to ‘warm up’, then you have to start training and practising, practising and training, training and practising, until the required skill levels are reached. This takes effort. There is no ‘quick fix’. But you can practice and train! And the more you do, the faster success will come.
So you have your cards, and now you need to go on to the next step in the process of intuitive tarot work, which is building a positive energy around them. What you are actually doing is building a bond between them and you, so that every time you pick them up they will have a ‘feel good’ feeling about them.
“Crikey”, you might be saying, “They are only a load of printed cards, so why do I have to make all this effort!” But if you treat them like bits of ‘printed card’, then you will never be intuitively successful with them, and you may as well give up with your reading of this book. If you like and respect an object then you will build an aura of positive energy around that object, and it will feel ‘warm’, as if it has an inner life, and the same goes for your tarot cards.
But if you treat your cards without respect, and that ‘warmth’ is not built up, then you will find it difficult to work with your cards intuitively. Therefore spending time getting to know them is a must, and here is how you do that……
Harmonizing your cards:
There are two ways to do this: the Sunshine Blessing or the Candle Blessing. It is your choice as to which blessing you choose, but the Candle Blessing is probably the better option if the weather is not too helpful and the sun is refusing to shine.
The Sunshine Blessing:
You will need about half an hour plus a sunny day. Best to go outside as well. Doing this in front of a window is only making a half-hearted effort!
You will also need a quiet corner where you will not be disturbed.
1) Outside you go, with your tarot cards:
The sun is shining, you find a quiet place, and you stop for a moment and think about what you are going to do. At the moment it might sound a bit on the weird side to do this, but trust me: you will eventually understand why I ask you to do this, although it might take lots of practice before you do.
2) Bringing them into the light:
Remove your tarot cards from their container, packaging, or box, and hold them in your hands with the backs of the cards uppermost.
3) The sun shines on their faces:
Turn the first card over, so its face is open to the sunshine.
Hold this position for a few minutes while you look at the card and absorb its graphics, watching as the sun bathes it in light.
Do not try to ‘read’ the card, which might be a temptation if you have had the pack for some time and have already tried to work with them by the Traditional Way of tarot card work. You need to concentrate on what the card looks like, not what you think it is saying. For a new pack this should be easier because you will be less familiar with them.
Now gently turn the card back over, so it is face down again, and put it at the bottom of the pack.
Then from the top of the pack, turn the next card over and do the same as you did for the first one.
Repeat your way through all the cards, giving the same amount of time to each. Be careful not to let your focus and concentration slip. After all, you have a lot of cards to work through. But it’s a nice day, so enjoy the experience and don’t hurry to get the blessing your cards over and done with too fast.
Why do all this?
…..because not only does it starts getting you in touch with each card, but it is also a way of showing respect to them. In time this will create a bond of positive energy between you and your cards. Bringing the warmth of the sun onto each card also acts as a blessing from the Universe.
4) The final blessing of the cards:
Hold your tarot set, still face down but all together, in both hands with palms open, letting the sun continue to warm the cards.
Now ask a blessing for them along the lines of: “I ask a blessing on these cards, that they may inspire my intuitive self.” You don’t have to use these words exactly, but you do need to ask for the blessing.
You don’t have to repeat exactly what I have suggested, but whatever you say, make the words come from heart and don’t rattle the words off as a necessary chore. Now you are done, and can put your cards back in the box or carrying container you were keeping them in.
And why don’t you linger for a few moments longer and enjoy the sunshine! You deserve it!
An alternative to the Sunshine Blessing:
The Candle Blessing
It came into my head last night to offer you an alternative way of blessing your cards should you be eager to get this done, but cannot due to a bountiful amount of inclement weather. Being in the middle of a two week cold snap together with snow, rain and whatever else the heavens can offer you, might prove frustrating if you are eager to get started with your cards. You just might even feel inclined to skip the ‘blessing of your cards’ altogether!
For this blessing you will be working with a lit candle instead of the brightness of sunshine, so it is probably best to do this blessing during the evening and under subdued light, which will help the flame of the candle shine brighter.
What you need:
You need: a table, a chair, a piece of fabric you can use as a tablecloth which is pleasing to your eye, a candle in a candle holder which allows you clear visibility of the flame, and a portion of quiet time. Plus your tarot cards of course!
Your preparation:
Put your special tablecloth on the table.
Put your tarot card container on it, just in front of you.
Place the candle just beyond that, leaving sufficient space to work with your cards.
1) Light your candle:
Remove your tarot cards from their container, packaging, or box, and put them on the table with the backs of the cards uppermost.
Now look at the candle flame and pause for a moment.
Think about what you are going to do as you observe the candle flame. This will help you concentrate and keep focussed.
2) Bringing the light of the candle upon the cards:
Take the first card from the top of the pack and lay it down beside the others, turning it over so that you can see its face. Both the candle and card should be in your line of sight, so that you can see both easily.
Now look at the card and absorb its graphics at the same time as visualizing the light from the flame flowing over the face of the card, giving it warmth and light.
The same as with the Sun Blessing, do not try to ‘read’ the card, which might be a temptation if you have had the pack for some time and have already tried to work with them by the Traditional Way. You need to concentrate on what the card looks like, not what you think it is saying. For a new pack this should be easier because you will be less familiar with them.
Now gently turn the card back over again and put it face down to make a new pile of cards.
From the top of the pack, turn the next card over and do the same as you did for the first one.
Repeat your way through all the cards, giving the same amount of time to each. Be careful not to let your focus and concentration slip, after all, you have a lot of cards to work through.
3) The final blessing of the cards:
Having finished working through the individual cards, all the cards should be together in one pack again, face down.
Pick them up, still face down, and let them rest in your hands, keeping your palms open. Let the light from the candle flame continue to shine on them.
Similar to the Sunshine Blessing, you now ask a blessing for them, such as: “I ask a blessing on these cards, that they may inspire my intuitive self.”
You don’t have to say exactly what I have suggested. Use my words as a guideline only, but whatever you say, make the words come from the heart and don’t rattle them off as a necessary chore.
Now you are done. Put your cards back in the box or carrying container that they are being kept in.
Observe your candle for a few more moments, then extinguish the flame, putting the candle holder and your special table cloth away with your tarot container.
Sunshine or Candle Blessing – which is best?
I prefer the Sunshine Blessing because I like being outside, feeling the warmth of the sun on my body and the power of being with nature. But the Candle Blessing is just as good, although I think it takes more effort of concentration for a beginner.
Why don’t you try both methods to see which you prefer.
Looking after your cards:
So you have a set of tarot cards. You would like to see if they can work for you, and you possibly have had a go at seeing if they will, and probably not met with any success as yet. Now perhaps you will feel inspired to have another go, the activity of blessing your cards having inspired you and filled you with enthusiasm to carry on learning how to work with them.
Your next step is to find a safe place to keep them, somewhere where they won’t become jumbled up with other things and get tumbled around. They also need to be out of sight of people. Having children, family or friends ‘playing’ with them just will not do. Why? Because taking care of them and keeping them in a quiet place is all part of respecting your cards, which will make a difference to how your intuition responds when you starting working them.
…and no galloping at the fence!
I know that all this sounds like effort at the moment, but if you gallop at the fence too soon, then you are likely to become disappointed with the results you get. Be patient, and fix in your mind the thought that it is going to take time to get to the point where your intuitive self and your tarot cards can work as a team. This is why giving them a blessing helps start off the bonding process.
If you skip this stage because you think it a waste of time, or can’t be bothered, then you will crash into that fence. In other words, you will not be able to carry on working with your cards intuitively. The same as with learning anything new in life, if you hurry and try to get quick results, then you are more likely to give up because you aren’t getting them fast enough.
Galloping at those fences, that’s what you will be doing, and then out of the saddle you will tumble! By being patient with yourself, then you might become surprised at how effortlessly that particular learning curve is, and how nice a feeling it is, staying seated in that saddle and sailing over that particular fence!
So, what do you do now?
For the moment, put everything away and continue on with reading this book so you get a general idea of how the intuitive approach works. It isn’t complicated, but needs practice, that’s all.
And I can borrow your attention for a moment: Our intuition is a very strong part of us, which most times is not paid any attention to, the reason being that we are too locked into living life as a human being and this deadens our ability to hear the inner voice of our intuitive self.
But those intuitive inner voices of ours are connected to certain energies of the Universe. You see, we are not on our own here on planet Earth. Keeping us company through all the days of our life is an energy that is our friend. Some call this energy ‘God’ or other some such name. Or ‘spirit guides’ or ‘archangels’. I call it ‘The Powers That Be’, or the ‘Upstairs Crew’, or ‘Universal energies’ depending on the mood of the moment. For this book I shall use ‘The Powers That Be’ and ‘Universal energies’.
And this very special energy will talk to you, and help you, get through the ups and downs of daily life. It does this via your intuition, and the tarot cards act as a doorway through which this Universal energy, via your intuition, can bring you words of help and understanding relevant to the situations that are currently in your life.
That is why you need to respect your cards right from the start, because in the respect you show to them you are not only showing respect for yourself and your intuition, but also respect for those energies of the Universe.
But to stop overloading you with too much information, I shall not go any further into the subject of Universal energies in this book, or the ways in which that energy makes a connection to us, apart from mentioning the intuitive link but you can find more info at www.aspectsofself.com.
To recap:
You have your tarot cards, and are looking forward to working with intuitively, but there are a couple of things you need to do first, one of which is ‘warming up’ the cards by giving them a blessing. You do this so that your cards become familiar to you, and also shows that you respect them, which is important for your intuitive tarot work ahead. There are two ways to do this, and you can choose the one most convenient, or do both if you want to.
The Sunshine Blessing: You do this outside in a quiet place on a sunny day. You will need your tarot cards and up to about an hour of your time. The Candle Blessing: You will need your tarot cards, your tarot work tablecloth, a candle, and a quiet place. And you do this indoors, preferably under low light so you can see the candlelight better.
For both blessings, the cards are individually turned over, so that either the sun, or candlelight, shines on the face of the card, giving it warmth and light. When this has been done for all the cards, then they receive a final blessing by being held in the hands, face down, altogether in one pile.
Looking after your cards is important. Giving them a blessing is a start, next you need to find a safe place where you can keep them. This is all part of respecting your cards, which will help you feel more bonded with them when you come to work intuitively.
Before you can work with your cards intuitively, you need to learn the difference between your thoughts and what you are receiving via your intuition, which is a gateway between your human self and a very special energy which will talk to you and help you through the ups and downs of your life.
This ‘energy’ is the quiet voice within, the one which ‘speaks’ through our intuitive thoughts, and your tarot cards act as a doorway through which this energy, via your intuition, can bring you words of help and understanding relevant to the situations that are currently in your life. That is why you need to respect your cards right from the start, because in the respect you show to them you are not only showing respect for yourself and your intuition, but also respect for that ‘energy’.
You can find more info about what this ‘energy’ does and how it works on the Aspects of Self website. You can find the address at the end of this book.
***
Chapter 4: Two ways of ‘reading’ the cards
(1) The Traditional Way
You have blessed your cards, so now you need to take the next step, which is learning how to work with them. Earlier on I mentioned that there are two ways of working with them: the Traditional Way and the Intuitive Way. And here I think it would be useful if I was to explain the differences between them, so that you can make your choice as to which method suits you best.
Layouts:
For using the tarot cards with this method, a layout is normally used. This is when the cards are laid down in certain positions, for example ‘past’ or ‘relationships’. When the card sitting in one of those positions is ‘read’, then the interpretation is connected to its position in the layout. So for the ‘past’ position, the interpretation would be connected to the graphics on the card and how they connect to the ‘past’ of the person for whom the card is being read.
A layout does not have to be used, but it is supposed to give a scaffolding for the tarot reading by providing subject areas on which the reading can be based.
The Celtic Cross Layout:
There are different types of layouts, and you can make your own if you want to, but one of the most popular layouts is the one called the ‘Celtic Cross’. This uses ten cards, chosen at random and face down, so that the graphics on the face of the card remain hidden until it is turned over for viewing. Tarot cards are always chosen in this way, with the faces of the cards always being kept from view until it is time to read them.
These ten cards form the basis for this layout, and represent various areas of a person’s life. For example: Present, Immediate challenge, Distant past, Present past, Best outcome, Immediate future, Factors affecting the situation, External influences, Hopes and fears, and Final outcome. And they are placed on the table, in the specific pattern of the Celtic Cross, and ‘read’ in numerical order.
According to the Traditional Way, what is a ‘reading’?
If you are using a layout design, then the cards have been laid down in a certain order, or you have decided to lay out just a few cards and ‘see what comes up’. Either way, the ‘reading’ of the cards is about to begin.
But what is a ‘reading’? Well, the cards are, quite simply, ‘read’, which means that the graphics on the faces of individual card are interpreted and analyzed to find out what they are ‘saying’. In times past, this was how the term ‘having a reading’ started off.
Personally, I use the word ‘reading’ when I am channelling help and advice for people. While I am not actually ‘doing a reading’ but ‘channelling’, if I was to use the term ‘channelling’ then people would not understand what it is I am doing, so I also say ‘I am giving you a reading’ to keep things simple for those I am working for. But for the sake of this chapter ‘having a reading’ means interpreting the face of one particular card, and its relation to others in the layout, according to its position in the layout.
And if you learn to work with your cards via the Intuitive Method and become a skilled craftsperson, then you could ‘give a reading’ to someone else, although you wouldn’t be ‘reading’ the cards the same as you would be if you were using the Traditional Way of tarot card work. You would be working like I do, that’s what you would be doing. You would be ‘channelling’. (Go to my website if you would like more info about channelling. Try the Questions and Answers section, or the Psychic Info section. )
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