Some books suggest that you sleep with your tarot deck under your pillow in order to bond with it. Having never tried it, I cannot recommend the practice. However, I do believe that a good tarot reader develops a relationship with their cards far beyond simply learning basic core meanings. Think of it this way: almost anyone can go to cosmetology school and train to be a hair stylist. All the graduates, in theory, can cut hair. But there are always some whose work seems a little bit better, more pulled together and polished. Then there are some who seem like artists that work with hair. It is the same with many skills, and it is the same with tarot. Almost anyone can learn to read the cards with minimal effort. With practice, experimentation, and attention, almost anyone can become a very good reader.
In order to improve your reading skills, the very least you need to do is practice reading the cards. Learning the meanings is like learning your ABCs. You can recite them; you can use your tarot cards like flashcards. But that is just the first step. When you put the letters together and make words—or combine cards to create a reading—that's when the magic happens.
Take every opportunity to shuffle your cards. Get used to how they feel in your hands. Lay them out. Create words, make music, discover magic. Read for yourself. Read for friends and family. Read for your dog or cat. Pretend to read for celebrities or imaginary people. Join a tarot forum online and exchange readings with others.
By practicing, you'll start learning how the cards—your cards—work together with each other and with you. You'll learn how you interpret the cards, which may turn out to be different from the meanings given in this book. You'll learn nuances, and cards that seemed so similar at first will reveal their differences. If you really want to dig into developing your own meanings and forming your own relationship with the cards, work through Mary K. Greer's 21 Ways to Read a Tarot Card. It takes the reader on a journey that creatively reveals hidden depths of wisdom.
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TAROT FOR BEGINNERS BY BARBARA MOORE
Mystery / ThrillerTarot has been a part of Barbara Moore's personal and professional lives for nearly twenty years. Right from the start, tarot intrigued her with its marvelous blending of mythology, psychology, art, history, mystery, and magic. She has studied under...
