Tarot Answers
I love doing tarot and at the same time I think it's crazy. How can cards give answers? I don't know, but I have gotten good answers to questions I've asked.
My favorite method of card reading is to shuffle the cards while holding a question clearly in my mind. Then I cut the deck and pick a card, which becomes my answer.
Interpreting the Tarot:
Here's what works for me. First, see what you can find
out using your own intuition. Begin by taking a good look at the
picture. Does it carry any personal significance? Can you answer your
question
using
what
the picture
is telling you? Perhaps it reminds you of a dream you just had, or
a
recent conversation, or an idea you were thinking about.
What's happening on
the card? Do the expressions carry any meaning for you? If no feeling
comes immediately, describe what you see on the card. It's amazing how
simply putting what you see into words can bring understanding.
Next step: enter the card. Imagine yourself there. Walk though
the story of the card in your imagination.
Second, turn to the book. There are lots of books out there telling you what the cards mean. If the deck is not Rider-Waite style, use the book that came with the deck. For Rider-Waite style cards, I use Learning the Tarot: A Tarot Book for Beginners by Joan Bunning (her web site) (Amazon.com). The interesting thing about card interpretation is that ultimately YOU decide what the cards mean. What you decide is what's true.
Having said that, now I'll say the opposite: take the time to memorize the given meanings. Reading is much easier when you aren't always flipping through the pages of a book. As the Tao teaches, memorization frees the individual for true creativity.
Evaluating a Deck:
It is essential that the pictures of a tarot deck
- have something to say. The pictures must be able to speak to you, must convey some idea or concept.
- be unique. Every card must be different from every other card.
- illustrate its concept. A card that purports to symbolize Oppression, for example, should not have a picture of birds flying free.
I Thought You Loved Me More Than That; ExplodingDog.com
Earth, my body,
Air, my breath
Water, my blood
Fire, my spirit