How To Introduce Yourself To Tarot Cards

The spread positions are as follows:

Describe yourself to me. What would you say is your most valuable quality?
What are the advantages of your deck?

What are the deck’s limitations?
What exactly are you trying to educate me?
How can we work together to learn and grow?

What might the results of our collaboration be?

The cards can be arranged however you choose. I typically arrange them in a single long line, but you might want to try two rows of three or even a circle. You are you! Follow your gut when it comes to your deck. And your interpretations of each card can be as complex or as straightforward as you desire. For each one, I occasionally write an essay; other times, it’s just a couple of pithy lines. Although it’s entirely up to you, with this spread I’d advise trying to let the cards lead the way.

The Tarot of the Cat People by Karen Kuykendall, which I recently purchased, will be the deck I use for this experiment. For this one, I’m going to use a circle arrangement.

Tell me about yourself. What is your most important characteristic?

The Tarot of the Cat People is a determined, practical deck that will complete the task. As a magician, it combines the strength of all of my personal assets and then spans the chasm between the reader, me, and the universe. I get the impression that the card is saying “I am magic.” What you desire for, beware.

What are your strengths as a deck?

Whoa. This deck is attempting to lead me there. Out of my league, beyond what I’m willing to accept, beyond what is familiar and expected. This isn’t the deck to affirm what I want to hear; rather, it’s the deck to push me, shock me, and shatter my illusions and stale beliefs.

What are your limits?

This deck isn’t concerned with minutiae or unimportant details (as the Magician and the Tower have already shown.) It’s not for learning, gentle experimentation, or exploration. The Tarot of the Cat People stalks off in search of something greater as the Page of Pentacles approaches with curiosity, wide eyes, and a desire to learn. There is an arrogance here that resembles a sheer disinterest in the specifics I would find interesting.

What are you here to teach me?

This deck aims to push me past where I’m comfortable, but its main goal is to make room. This deck is meant to represent revolutions, complete changes, and the promise that lies beyond. The benefits are huge if I’m willing to accept the Magician and confront the Tower. Through a process of disassembling everything, this deck is intended for readings that have a transforming effect and help me rediscover myself repeatedly.

How can I best learn and collaborate with you?

I have to approach the Cat People’s Tarot on an equal footing. Not as a card reader in control of the deck, and not as a passive audience member at the mercy of their message. These cards ask me to have a fair and equal relationship with them, respecting their knowledge and strength as they will respect mine. I am urged to use these cards with consideration for power dynamics. the interactions between myself, the cards, and any clients I may be dealing with.

What is the potential outcome of our working relationship?

This reminds me a lot of dating a cat, to be honest! These cards exude the arrogant superiority that cats have no qualms about displaying, yet prove to me that it’s worthwhile to keep trying. The journey won’t always be smoothin fact, when reading with these cards, I may anticipate to feel completely lost and stretched to the limitbut in this case, this is nearly depicted as an initiation process. The Tarot of the Cat people will be an honest and supportive friend if I have the strength to bring my complete self and be honest about what I want and what I will.

What about you two? Recently bought any new decks? Try the spread, then report back on what the cards reveal!

How should I begin using tarot cards?

If you find this daunting, Howe advises you to take a deep breath and believe in your own initiative. “In order to see it less as “This holds all of these secret meanings that I have to do all this work to access” and more as “I know all the meanings; it’s just a matter of establishing the connections and being able to articulate them,” use language or knowledge that you already possess. She points out that the four elementsearth, water, fire, and airplay a significant role in the tarot, which is advantageous because the majority of people already have an understanding of the meanings of each element. ” If you do that, your viewpoint will be more personal, and you will be able to express yourself more freely.

Howe suggests the three-card draw and the Celtic Cross as the two fundamental spreads for beginning readers. In the former, three cards are chosen at random from the deck to symbolize the subject’s mind, body, and spirit, or past, present, and future. According to Howe, you could even up the stakes and use a six-card draw, with one card for each location.

How should you prepare for a personal tarot reading?

Please set up your reading area before we get started (physically and mentally). Burning herbs, ringing bells or chimes, taking a bath, or utilizing your favorite stones are all effective ways to cleanse the energy. (My personal favorite is a Selenite wand, which can be waved simply and effectively over the area, the cards, and your own body, and is a great energy refresher that promotes clarity.) After the energy has been purified, find a quiet place to settle down and do your ritual. Close your eyes, cleanse your mind of any clutter, and picture a shield of protection all around you.

Shuffling and choosing the cards

Inhale deeply through your nose, then exhale through your mouth for a few breaths. Think on your query or the area in which you need guidance as you perform this exercise, leaving your heart and mind open to any guidance that might come from the cards. When you’re ready, rethink your desired enquiry as you open your eyes and shuffle the cards. Keep in mind that there are no wrong ways to shuffle. Start dealing the cards in front of you when they seem appropriately mixed (I promise, you’ll know!). The set-up pattern is known as a “spread,” and the way the cards are dealt and where they land affects how each card’s meaning is combined to produce the overall response to your question. It helps to know the spread you’ll be using before you start the shuffle, but as the results start to roll in, keep in mind that occasionally we need to draw more cards for clarification or start over with a new query from a different angle.

Open-ended questions

According to Fortunaso, the ideal questions to ask during tarot readings are open-ended inquiries. Examples comprise:

Inform me about your career.
How can I strengthen my bond with X?

What is going on in my love life at the moment?

According to Fortunaso, “the reason you want to have these wide queries is because you want the tale from the tarot, not the definitive answer.” “You wouldn’t just go to a movie and ask what happens at the end. You want to view the movie to understand the setting. You desire to make the voyage.”

When questions are phrased in this way, the cards are given the chance to reveal unexpected information that may be useful, such as highlighting significant individuals in a scenario, hidden emotions, or limiting beliefs that are preventing you from moving forward. Furthermore, just because a question is open-ended doesn’t exclude it from being specific. Be explicit when required, advises Krans. “Don’t be hesitant to include specifics in your question, such as names, places, and dates, if you have a specific thing you want to know.”

Whether you’re pulling your own cards or working with a reader, here’s a pro tip: make sure you’re at ease and composed before you begin. Take five to ten minutes to unwind before a reading, advises Krans. “Even breathing exercises, time in nature, or some meditation will help you hone your questions.”

General questions

Although asking the tarot cards questions about a particular topic can yield some insightful answers, Krans asserts that you are not need to ask any questions at all. You might request a general reading from your tarot card reader and then observe the messages that are revealed. Or, if you’re consulting your own cards, just state bluntly, “What do I need to know right now?”

Clarifying questions

It’s completely acceptable to ask for clarification if you draw a card and are still unsure of its meaning in light of your inquiry, according to Fortunaso. She claims that when additional explanation or questioning are required, the readings are frequently at their best. It may truly go into a subject.

To do this, Fortunaso advises telling the cards that you’re unsure of their significance and pulling another card in the hopes of receiving an answer. Do not randomly select a large number of cards if, after doing so, you are still unsure of what the heck the cards are trying to tell you. Simply sit with the response for a while and let it simmer. The significance will probably become clear in the future.

Keep in mind that it’s in your best interest as well as the tarot reader to keep these suggestions in mind. Additionally, if you have a deck of tarot cards, there’s no reason you can’t DIY a reader even though you may want to consult a professional on topics you’re particularly stumped on. You can learn the ins and outs of tarot using a spread, or you can start out with a one-card pull to set intentions or get clarification on a specific subject.

But whatever of the method you select, you can be sure that the cards will provide more accurate responses if you ask the right questions. In conclusion, keep your open-ended questions focused, but if you’re unclear of what you want to know, feel free to be general. Be prepared to ask clarifying questions after your first card if necessary, such as “What do you mean by this?” Above all, if you don’t truly want to know the answers to a question, don’t ask it.

How can you become familiar with a tarot deck?

Advice on connecting with your tarot cards whether it’s your first time using them or you’ve owned your deck for a while.

Connecting or reconnecting to your deck can be a helpful activity, regardless of whether you haven’t picked up your deck in a long, are hesitant to conduct a reading for yourself, feel “wrong” with the readings you’ve been conducting, or have purchased a new deck.

Check out Reading Tarot for Beginners: How to Start Reading Tarot for Yourself for advice on how to pick your deck.

Being a competent reader requires you to connect with your tarot deck. But you must invest time, effort, and attention in a good relationship.

How can I tell if I’m not meant to work with a deck or I just need to reconnect?

The connection you have with the deck has to be strengthened, or it might not be the best fit for you at this time, if you’re having trouble getting a good reading from it or feel off with it.

It’s possible that you and your tarot deck aren’t intended to be in a serious long-term relationship if you don’t feel like you connect with it or if you don’t appear to speak the same language. There is a deck available for you if you want to learn, therefore this does not imply that you are not destined to be a reader.

However, there’s also a strong chance that you can establish the connection with a little time and effort. especially if you were initially drawn to your deck.

You can utilize some decks for specific purposes and not others. The majority of your magic will probably be performed with one main deck, although you may occasionally use other decks for fun, support, or clarity. Since decks are exquisite works of art, I love collecting them. And I adore using them when I want to switch things up or am performing a certain style of reading, but I only use my original ride or die deck for all of my professional readings and lectures.

All of this is to indicate that testing out a variety of decks is a wonderful idea. For your first deck, conduct some study, examine the imagery, and choose the one that sparks your interest.

Here are some methods for getting back on your deck. I’ve listed them in the sequence I’d perform them, but you should feel free to customize this exercise according to your own preferences.

How to connect with your tarot cards

You can accomplish this in a number of ways, including by shuffling, using crystals, moonlight, salt, or sacred incense. Click here to learn more about cleaning your deck.

Hold your cards firmly in your palms while taking a few deep breaths. After that, think about the intention you want to have for your practice with them. It could be a word, a sentence, or an emotion. You can use this time to ask any guides or spirits you enjoy working with for assistance or to help you open your channel to divine advice that is in your highest and best interests.

Cleaning the energy in the deck through shuffling. Additionally, it creates the random system that allows us to access the advice we need from the deck. We can gain a completely new viewpoint from the cards because of the randomness that shuffling creates; by doing so, we are deviating from logic and embracing the unknowable. Check out this article on card shuffling.

To get to know one another, gain some fresh perspectives, and, yes, bond, spend some time completing a tarot spread that is tailored to your deck.

What details about you do you want me to know?

Your restrictions?
What type of partnership are we capable of having?
What task are we supposed to complete jointly?

Which card can currently be my teacher?
How can I use this card to explore deeper?

Make putting your deck away a ceremony. You might keep it in a box, cover it in a special scarf, place a crystal on top of it, or place it on an altar while not in use. Choosing to follow this quick procedure at the conclusion of each session or day is a way to show your deck some love, gratitude, and appreciation.

Bonus Tarot bonding exercises:

the whole picture The Major Arcana numbers 0 to 22 should be arranged in lines of seven cards across. Next, arrange the Ace through King cards for each suit in the following order: Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles. Take a good look at the deck in this format. Then thoroughly jumble everything together.

Select a map. To serve as your anchor and guide for connecting with your deck and intuition, choose a card based on its look and/or its meaning. Write down all the thoughts, emotions, and queries this card triggers for you in a journal. Use it to meditate. Keep track of how it manifests in your daily life and tarot practice (and keep a notebook of your observations!). When not using your deck, place this card on your altar. You can carry out this for a week or a lunar cycle before selecting another.

Put your deck beneath your pillow while you sleep. You can connect with the cards in your unconscious time if you can make it comfy.

Also keep in mind that it takes time to establish a connection and relationship with your deck. Like any relationship, it evolves as you develop and gain new knowledge.

Can I study tarot by myself?

You can learn tarot on your phone for free, but if you want to perform readings more frequently or for other people, I strongly advise buying a physical deck so you can get acclimated to the feel of the cards and close-up views of the images.

How are Tarot cards purified?

Here are four simple steps to purifying tarot cards.

Meditate. Simply unwind for a moment and get rid of all your thoughts.

Pass each card through the smoke after burning sage.
Place bay leaves within the deck of cards.
And for protection, place a crystal on top.

How are Tarot cards charged?

Leave your deck in a sacred location where you can “knead (shuffle) it each hour, giving it your magical power with your hands, for one waking day, much as you would a loaf of rising bread.” The greatest time to use this charge is when you’re taking a day off at home or in a retreat.

Do I need a tarot card reading?

It might be time for you to try a tarot card reading, whether you’re searching for some clarification on your crush, insight into that promotion at work (crossing your fingers), or wondering if that girl’s trip is a good idea.

People have used the tarot deck to predict the future ever since the 15th century. Tarot card readings can assist you in finding the answers to all of your questions, giving you the knowledge and intuition you need to proceed. Simply put, it’s a simple (and fun) self-help and self-love activity.

The Major and Minor Arcana of the tarot deck each contain 78 cards. Consider the Major Arcana as the trump cards of the deck, or the A-list stars of Hollywood. The Emperor. A lover. a Devil. The Dunce. the organization of awareness in people. A reading with a large number of trump cards is potent and may imply that the matter is out of your control and is left to “fate.”

The Minor Arcana (the suit cards) are the supporting players that give the reading greater depth and perspective. If the majority of the items on your spread are suits, you are being advised to assume control of your course.

The four elements of air, water, earth, and fire are discussed in the Minor Arcana. These are shown in the tarot card images, which might give you a deeper understanding of your reading:

If you receive several sword cards in a reading, it may indicate that you are overthinking the situation or that you need to pay closer attention to the details. Swords stand for reasoning and communication.

The cups serve as a holding place for our feelings and highlight how we relate to how we feel about ourselves and other people. They can be viewed as either being half full or empty. Your decision is yours.

These coins stand in for the physical world. anything that you can touch directly. Money, your new shirt, and your roof are all important. Many pentacles in a tarot reading typically indicate practical issues involving our resources.

Wands typically represent the possibility of action or expansion (and potentially emanate). Perhaps it has to do with the promotion or the person you have your eye on.

There are a few things you should be aware of before having your first tarot card reading in order to truly appreciate the tarot’s power. You won’t regret it, I promise.

We understand that it’s simple to be dubious of any wellness technique that lacks strong scientific support. Tarot readings are meant to serve as a roadmap for obstacles in your life, and they can be interpreted in a way that points you in the right direction. Give yourself some power through reading. Otherwise, feel free to leave what you’ve learned at the door if it doesn’t resonate with you.

Bring some specific examples of situations when you’d prefer more clarity to the reading. You could inquire, “What is preventing me from receiving ? such as “Should I relocate to New York City? It is simpler to relate the meaning of the cards to what you’re going through the more detailed your inquiry is.

When I was younger, I used to be scared of tarot cards and psychics because I thought they would foretell an imminent catastrophe. It turns out that a “poor reading” doesn’t exist. For people going through a difficult time, the Death card in the deck may be a really encouraging element of a reading because it actually denotes the conclusion of a cycle and suggests that it will soon be finished.

Reading-related insights can be incredibly restorative and helpful, but they won’t be able to give you guidance if you can’t recall them. Your tarot reader won’t mind if you take notes or record the session so that you don’t have to try to process everything at the speed of light (there will be a lot to listen to). It won’t hurt your experience; it will only improve it.

You become more used to the lessons that can be learnt from each reading when you pull your cards more frequently. Keep in touch with your intuition and the spiritual forces that shape our earthly energy by buying your own deck, studying the tarot’s rules, and getting weekly (or monthly) readings from a professional.

Do you have a hankering for a tarot card reading? Is Mercury Retrograde giving you the cold shoulder? I gave my buddy three readings, and each confirmed that she was feeling the power of the full moon. View the cards she has (hint: she might have pulled The Devil card).