Le Coffee Witch's Tips on Tarot

Welcome to Tarot

Are you a new reader? Out of practice and looking for a refresher course? Or simply having a hard time making sense of things? The following sections and chapters should help clarify a few matters. But of course with all studies it is best to start at the beginning. And that is where we shall start.

Tarot is a form of divination or fortune telling based around a deck of cards that include 78 cards in total. The cards meanings differ depending on if the card is right side up (Forward) or upside down (Reverse). Pictures can differ from deck to deck, and though pictures can often aid in readings they can not always be relied on fully for interpretations.

A tarot deck consists of five suits.

The Major Arcana
The Suit of Cups/Chalices
The Suit of Coins/Pentacles
The Suit of Swords/Blades
The Suit of Wands/Staves

Names of the suits may differ from deck to deck.

So where to begin? How to start reading? How to even begin practicing?

You can start very simply by getting acquainted with your deck.

Learning Your Deck's Tone

Like every person on the planet every deck has individuality. Your deck may be shy, or unable to perform with others. Your deck may be brash, or cold when asked certain types of questions. Some decks have even been known to point out the flaws of their readers, bringing to attention things we often ignore about ourselves. The tone of your deck is important to note when reading, especially when asking certain questions or when reading for others.

Some decks may like answering questions pertaining to romance. Some decks may like answering questions related to money. Every deck will have themes it likes answering, and themes it dislikes answering. So how do we figure out what is which?

Besides taking notes on how it responds to questions when asked, you can also consider trying a "Get to Know Your Deck" spread. There are plenty of these online that you can look up for free, as well as one you can find in the "Spreads" section of this book.

This will allow you to get more acquainted with your deck and to learn more about its unique personality. It's a good exercise for both you and your cards.

Bonding With Your deck

Just as friends must form strong bonds, so too must you form a bond with your deck. These are not simple cards after all, they are your partner in your craft. It is important to form a strong attachment to them and allow yourself time to become familiar with the cards.

There are plenty of ways to get to know your deck, and you may be shocked to find it is no different than spending time with a friend.

One of the most simple ways to bond with your deck is to sleep with it under your pillow. This is an intimate closeness with your cards and takes little energy, even restoring energy to you and charging your deck. The both of you will be well rested and ready to read.

Decks may even like to play card games like solitaire. Just as it is good for you to take a rest from work, it is also good for your deck. It allows them to have fun and recoup. All work and no play makes your tarot dull cards.

Watch movies with your cards. Shuffle them while the movie plays and ask them what they thought about it after. You may find your deck has a preference for certain genres, or in some cases evaluate certain characters and themes.

Shufflemancy is a wonderful and fun way to bond with your deck. Take your playlist and put your music to shuffle. Shuffle your deck while you listen. The idea is that your deck will decide what music plays next. Often times you will see themes in which music your cards choose, be it certain lyrics that are similar, a certain artist continuing to play, or songs with similar sounds.