Welcome to Gaia! ::

As much as I love Tarot, I sadly have no idea what to do when handed a deck. Growing up in a Catholic family has restricted me from doing anything of the sort. I played with tarot cards once, and my mother found out. I was punished and told never to touch them again v_v;

Anywho~ I hope others post in this thread though. I'd love to see how many members are tarot readers :3

Tarot cards are ALL about the pictures, down to the interpretation and how they make you feel. I love that about them.

I know quite a few people who's parents are deeply fearful of Tarot cards for one reason or another. I believe this is an irrational fear based on shear lack of understanding. I would talk to your mom about it. Enlighten her and help her realize her irrational fears. (If she's religious, this might be harder. A friend of mine had to get rid of his because his Christian parents (although accepting of them,) were uncomfortable with them.)

Here are the main points of misunderstanding with Tarot cards:

1. The cards are NOT EVIL.

-This is a misconception brought about by the Christian community. Because they are not described in the bible, I suppose, and because of who uses them; At the peak time of their popularity, a lot of people began to dabble in "communicating with spirits" and the occult, which didn't please the orthodox communities. they've been discouraged by Christians, but in fact, there are many Christian figures that appear in the depiction of the card; particularly angels; Adam & Eve, lots of priests, churches, etc. And a lot of the messages given by the cards reflect the Christian values.

- The truth is, there is NO religious orientation for the cards. They don't care who or what you believe in. I've known lots of people coming from various religious backgrounds who use Tarot cards and pray to their own god over them. The only thing that really matters is that you respect the cards. Its all about the energy you bring, so if you're goal is to play with the cards irresponsibly or joke around, like playing with fire, you will get burned. If you think the card are evil, then you open up that possibility to them. If you treat the cards with respect, surround yourself with good energy and light, the cards will only act in your favor.

- You get what you wish for, so don't call them evil.

2. Lets clear up some things that movies and television have distorted about some particular cards in the deck:

-The Death card- does not mean physical death. Not ever. Its a scary looking card, with a grinning skeleton on a horse, standing over the dead, waving a big black flag with a red rose, but in Tarot, the card has positive connotation. It represents change. The death of one event in life, and the birth of a new one.

- Non of the cards can really anticipate the death. Unless you ask a specific question about the death of someone.

-There are no "BAD" cards in Tarot. Every thing has a good side and a bad side. Same with people.

3. Bad luck and misfortune will not fall upon you just because you use the cards. Thats really not what they're about.

- going back to my first point, the people who joke around with the cards, or use them to manipulate people, it opens doors to let bad things in. In my opinion you'd have to be trying to invoke that kind of punishment on yourself. Its quite simple: don't be a jackass.

- The events that come up in a card reading do not define a fate set in stone. By the cards rules, you are a master of your own fate and possess the ability to change it as you see fit. So if a warning does come up in a reading, consider it advice from the "beyond" to keep an eye out, plan and prepare.

4. Elaborating on that point, I really believe the cards are more a great tool for seeking advice or foresight into a situation or people.

-For me I hardly see the difference between asking a good friend's opinion on a matter and asking the cards. The only advantage the cards seem to have on your friends is their ability to foresee future events; Devils and demons don't come out of the cards to possess you (unless, that's what you want... I don't know why you would...) and they don't control your destiny (again... unless you want them to.... you probably don't want that either.)

That's another thing. Its probably a good thing you didn't have Tarot cards at that time, because someone else's messed up energy can effect you, or draw unwanted energy to your home.

Now's a good time, if you are looking for a deck of your own. When you possess your own space and feel in control of your surroundings, its generally a better environment to have cards and do readings.

If you're looking for a good starter deck, most people recommend the Rider- Waite Tarot deck (http://www.triple7center.com/images_global/Asoc_Friend/KT-TarotTab.png) Its the most commonly used and most Tarot decks are a variation on this deck. Most guides refer to this deck, so interpretation can be easier choosing this deck to begin with. This was my first deck, and I still use it to this day.

There are other decks by other artists that I think are much prettier, but BE CAREFUL. Some of these other decks will throw you extra cards with their own meanings. This can be really confusing if you're trying to learn for the first time from a guide book that uses a different deck. (Not all guide books are created equal, either, by the way. Some are a lot less helpful than others: vague interpretations of cards, etc.)
Not saying these decks cant be wonderful, but it makes everything ten times easier if you've learned the basics first.

So make sure your deck has 21 Major arcana cards, 4 suits of minor arcana cards, ace through 10, including 4 face cards in each suit (i.e. Page, Knight, Queen, and King.) if you want to learn from a traditional deck. That's 14 minor arcana cards per suit.

I recommend doing a little research before you choose your cards. Don't just choose them for the pretty pictures on the box, find a deck that speaks to you personally, or that agrees with your personal beliefs.

You don't have to settle for what you see in the stores either!
If you do a little digging online and through your favorite artist's communities, you can find some REALLY awesome renditions of the Tarot deck. (most of them are Rider-Waite Tarot based, I think, but again, do your homework.) My best friend found a deck by his favorite artist, Neil Gaiman. Its called The Vertigo Tarot. If you like his art style and his stories, he really did an amazing job, making sure every last detail on each card spoke to the intended interpretations. A lot of his own characters appear in this deck to parallel with the meaning and the deck is just beautiful: (http://www.elsewhere.org/tarot/vertigo/)

DeviantArt.com also has some nice ones, too: http://azurylipfe.deviantart.com/art/All-Card-Mystic-Dream-Tarot-70221288

I'll keep an eye out and post other nice decks as I find them for anyone curious. smile

When you're just starting out, don't expect the readings to hit 0 dead on. Just like with new shoes, they can take a little breaking in, so be patient. I recommend sitting someplace quiet where you can be alone with your thoughts and just shuffle them for a little while. (plus, getting used to shuffling huge cards can take practice.)

Don't be intimidated by "rules" or technique. There's nothing that says you HAVE to shuffle your cards a certain way, or a certain number of times... just relax and do what come natural to you, then make that your ritual.

Yeah! Making your own is a great idea, but it does take time. There are a lot of cards. Keep in mind, a lot of simplified designs leave out a lot of subtle yet important symbols that have relevance to the cards. Each one holds a complex story. Think of it as having a wider vocabulary with which to speak. If you do make your own, make sure you don't leave anything out that has significance to you or the meaning, no matter how slight.

That's the main thing that bothers me about most revised/remodeled versions of Tarot. A lot gets lost in translation.