For centuries, people have been shuffling and spreading the Tarot in search of answers regarding love, romance and career. And while your psychic side may not be as developed as the pros on our line, there's no reason you can't get acquainted with this ancient and magical divination tool - and learn to read yourself!
To help get you started, here's a basic Tarot primer:
It's all in the cards
Tarot cards help us dive into the collective consciousness, but also into ourselves and our subconscious minds. So, the first thing to consider if you're going to give yourself a reading (and delve into your own subconscious!) is that the deck you choose has to speak to you.
Your deck
Most beginners start with the Rider-Waite Tarot. This deck was first published in 1910 and is the most popular in the United States today. However, there are endless others. To find cards you connect, visit a store that has samples on display. Look at the colors, symbolism and design of the cards. If there's a particular archetypal tradition that speaks to you (Native American, Celtic, Afro-Cuban - there are tons of them), go for it! After all, life's mysteries will be easier to unravel when they're in a context you understand. If you're not familiar with anything you see, just go with your gut. Isn't that what this is all about anyway?
Major (and minor) considerations
The 78 cards of the Tarot are divided into two sections: The Major Arcana, which is Latin for "Greater Secrets," and the Minor Arcana, which means "Lesser Secrets." The Major Arcana cards (such as The Fool, The Wheel of Fortune and The Hanged Man) depict significant events and/or life-changing forces. The Minor Arcana indicate how we experience those events on an everyday basis. In short, they work together. For example: Drawing The Lovers may indicate that you'll be falling in love soon and turning over the Ten of Cups afterward illustrates the nature of the union.
Suit yourself
Because they're so… well… major, the Major Arcana cards can often be easily understood in relation to your situation. The Minor Arcana, on the other hand, can seem harder to grasp at first. That's where suits come in. Like playing cards, Minor Arcana cards come in four different suits. But instead of Clubs, Hearts, Spades and Diamonds we're dealing with Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles (or Coins/Discs). Each suit concerns a particular aspect of daily life, explains Raymond (ext. 9461).
Wands are associated with fire, intuition and spiritual life. Cups concern water, feelings and love. Pentacles are related to earth, stability and physical or material concerns. Swords are linked to air, thinking, intelligence and strife.
Get ready to read
One can study the Tarot forever and still have more to uncover, according to tarot expert Raymond. So while you'll learn more as you become more experienced with the Tarot, these basics are enough to get you started. If you feel you need more information, Raymond suggests a quick read like Tarot for Dummies or Tarot Plain and Simple. Of course you can always ask your favorite psychic for advice the next time you call.
Once you're ready to read, find a space where you're comfortable and won't be interrupted. Take a moment or two to center yourself, set your intention and relax. Then shuffle your cards until you feel satisfied. Spread them out on a flat surface (tradition says to use your left hand) and take a moment before selecting your cards.
To keep things simple at first, you can try an easy three-card spread: The first card represents the past, the second describes the present and the third, the future. Turn them over one at a time and consider their messages. Beyond the standard definitions, Raymond suggests that you use your intuition and trust your gut to interpret the cards. Hold each one in your hand and meditate on it. Travel inside the card and feel things out.
Remember, your definition may not "match" the books, but that doesn't mean you are wrong. Trust your intuition!
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