Learning Tarot

Why learn Tarot? It's a good way to learn about yourself & your intuition. It's an easy way of accessing your own subconscious. It's a way of learning lots about psychology, archetypes, other people's needs, wants, desires, motivations, & aspirations.

How do you learn Tarot? Today there are many ways. Find a deck that appeals to you and start there, read books on how to read Tarot, join Tarot forums.

Fifty years ago I just picked a deck...Back then few decks were available I chose the (RWS) Rider-Waite-Smith deck. Waite wanted a deck that reflected his deep Mystical views & understandings which included an illustrated minor arcana (suit cards)....It also retold the Grail legend. It was the first deck that had an illustrated minor arcana. That remains part of its popularity today. Waite thought the deck was a "rush" job and probably wouldn't gain popularity.. he was wrong. :)

The colors of the cards have hidden meanings, based on an inner plane color scale. The RWS deck is part of the Western Mystery Tradition. It's also a fairly easy deck to learn to read with, whether you use the traditional card meaning listed in the numerous Tarot books available or you explore your own intuition in Tarot readings.

Waite chose a gifted psychic & artist from his own order the Golden Dawn in 1909 to draw his vision of Tarot, Pamela Coleman-Smith. Pixie Smith drew her deck with deep insight and whimsy. She also littered her deck with many Easter eggs... have you found them all yet? I've been hunting 50 yrs and still find new ones.

The Four Suits

Wands - FIRE (though some decks have it as Air). If FIRE then:

Represents passion. As such, in a reading it usually stands for a Querent's ambition, career, creative endeavors, religion and/or philosophy. Anything a person might put their energy and soul into, such as teaching and leadership, this is something you have to do, whether you are recompensed for it or not. It is something that burns inside of you and you need to act on it.

Cups - WATER

Represents the emotions. Best known for representing the Querent's love life, but it also stands for emotional extremes, such as elation, depression or bliss, and the negatives that come with such emotions, like over-indulgence in food, drink, drugs. Likewise the positives like poetry or music. Also, psychic powers, visions, illusions. These are feelings that you surrender to, that you flow or sink into.

Swords - AIR. AIR though some decks have it as Fire. If AIR then:

Represents pure mind, thinking, speaking. Best known for representing problems and troubles especially those relating to communications or bad press, but really about anything to do with either words and/or thoughts. Brilliant thoughts as well as nightmares; sharp ideas or a sharp tongue. This is the card of scientists and analysts, of thinking things through or thinking/saying too much. Ideas breeze into your mind, words are given breath, written letters and messages fly on the wind.

Pentacles - EARTH

Represents the body and the physical. Best known for representing health and money, but is also anything to do with work, a job, a task, a craft. Also luck. That which is solid, real.

There are many ways to use Tarot. You can do readings for yourself, and others. Use them for several types of meditation, aid with dream interpretation, do Deep Psychology, archetype study, mine your unconscious for useful nuggets. Tarot can be used for deeper insight into the Qabalah and the inner planes. To further explore the meaning of myth.

For some years now Tarot has help some of my hospice clients find value & meaning in their life lived at the sunset of their lives.

At Integrated Magic I bring all that I have learned in 35 years of reading Tarot, Psychology, Magic/k, the mind-body connection, Quantum Fields, Matrix Energetics, Quantum Physics, embedded cultural myths, which Campbell called public dreams, to bring about a Shift & change to a higher reality in your life. Contact me and we can discuss how the practice of Tarot can be exciting & advantageous for you.

SHIFT HAPPENS.....

Have you played with the universe today? - Dan McClure

You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation." — Plato

References & Links

The Tarot School - Distant Learning

Tarot Masterclass by Paul Fenton-Smith

Tarot Overview

Tarot History