Are you picturing an old gypsy woman – scarf on her head, large gold hoops hanging from her ears – sitting with a crystal ball and a deck of cards? This is how most of us first hear about this ancient art. And as is often the case with stereotypes and information handed down through television and comic strips, it is misguided. It makes for a great story, but that doesn’t mean it’s the whole truth.
Most of us have not encountered Tarot firsthand. It’s something in books or movies or that other people do. The assumption is that you have to go to an expert – someone at a psychic fair or a woman named “Isadora” who reads palms, tea leaves, and Tarot in her front parlour. Nothing could be further from the truth. You can consult the Tarot yourself – with nothing in hand except a deck of Tarot cards and one of the many Tarot teaching books on the market today. Of course, having another perspective is important and sometimes the advice of others is just what we need, but it’s a mistake to think that someone else has all the answers. The ability to use your intuition and to effect change is within you. The Tarot will help light your path.
Tarot readings.
Despite what you may have heard, a Tarot reading isn’t about one thing that you should become, or one path that is available, or only one choice that is right for you. The difficulty is in seeing all the options. The Tarot helps you cut through the excess to find what is important. Ask a question, focus on the cards, and the answer will arrive in the spread. This isn’t just magic though, learning to read the Tarot requires work and dedication to understand the cards. The Tarot is a guide to finding answers that are already inside you. It provides insight into the world around you so things will seem clearer.
Hopefully this post will inspire you to embark on a journey with the Tarot, but remember this is a journey that never ends. You will never reach a point where you know everything there is to know about the Tarot and the 78 cards that make up a deck. Eventually you will know your favourite tarot spreads by heart and you won’t have to look up card meanings every time, but the Tarot will never stop showing you something new – often a new way of looking at things. How could there be an end point? Insight and focus will lead to discovery.
You need to make the Tarot your own. If it makes you feel better dressing up in long flowing scarves while reading, then by all means do it. The important thing is that you involve yourself with the Tarot and learn from experience.
Enjoy the Journey … Blessings to All, Francesca