Tarot journaling is the self-reflective method that makes the tarot cards come to life if they are reflections of the soul. Tarot and writing are two excellent solo methods for introspection. However, when combined, they form a full practice that awakens a tremendous ability for self-healing.
Here, the word “practice” is employed on purpose. We must consciously cede control to the process. We cannot anticipate seeing revolutionary change in our lives without consistent practice. Tarot journaling as a whole discipline cultivates our capacity to accept and investigate the uncharted, making us more perceptive of the conditioning and patterning that keeps us stationary. You will develop a much closer bond with both yourself and your deck as time goes on.
In This Article...
Is tarot suitable for novices?
It’s understandable why Stardust suggests the Good Karma Tarot as a good place for beginners to start. The colorful, inviting images feature people from a variety of backgrounds. Even the supposedly “threatening” cards, like the Tower, become less frightening when viewed through this prism. Most importantly, the visual is simple to understand: With a deck this hospitable, you can quickly veer “off book.”
Kerry Ward, who writes a weekly tarot column for Cosmo, designed the deck. She matches the cards with a similarly hospitable manual that was authored by. The Good Karma Tarot is a wonderful present for the person in your life who wants to learn more about the cards because of its upbeat tone.
A tarot reading allows for note-taking.
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).
How can I create my own tarot deck?
What I actually wanted to do was open a store that offered independently made tarot and oracle decks like the ones I collected, first online and then offline. I would purchase these independent decks from vendors like Two Sides Tarot and Little Red Tarot, and I imagined that perhaps I might create my own small collection to offer to Manila residents (and maybe Asia).
Now I know some of you who frequent this blog do have tarot deck creation goals of your own… so I thought I’d put together a guide that can *fingers crossed* walk you through the creation process the way I did it.
Disclaimer: If you think this piece is going to be about suppliers, printers, and the like, I’m going to warn you right away that it isn’t. I get a lot of queries about those things. I encourage you to conduct independent research on execution. You can set together your decks just as easily as I did by conducting your own research. Your best friend is Google.
So let this serve as a guide, but don’t expect any spoon-feeding. Open yourselves up to the experience of learning through process, discovering through research, and creating a tarot deck all your own.
Have a goal in mind. Back in architecture school, we had to begin with a design challenge before we could even begin sketching or discussing aesthetics. You must understand your why. Initially, why are you building a deck? Is your deck an outlet for your creativity or an attempt to tackle a problem? Are you making a deck in order to generate income, support a certain cause, or get a little more tarot knowledge for yourself?
Knowing your why will set the tone for your entire creation process. Give this fundamental step time.
begin with a notion. These days, independently produced cards are based on themes. It’s too general to say, “I want to create a tarot deck.” Make your creation worthy. Do you want an animal-themed deck? Why? Do you favor having a “Stranger Things” theme? Eighties soap operas? political leaders
Select a form of artistic expression. If you’re into impressionism, Op-art, or post-modernism, go ahead and do whatever you feel at home with, unless you’re making a deck to broaden your style or portfolio. I selected collage because that’s the medium I’m comfortable with.
Setting your parameters will help you create a visually appealing deck (unless the concept you’re working with calls for a range of art styles, in which case mixing things up might make sense).
You need to accept your own artistic ability at this point. If you have a deadline, consider what you can actually accomplish in that time. Perhaps painting frescoes, photographing them, and then processing each image is not the ideal course of action if you want to complete a deck in a month. Consider whether you can actually complete 78 canvases (and possibly more since you’ll need extras for do-overs and such) if you’re comfortable working with oil on canvas.
Establish your guidelines so that you have a reference point to use when you build your deck.
Make sure you understand what you’re getting into before you even start. I am aware that many artists who have no background in tarot take on the task of creating a deck. But I think their cards have a distinct vibe than real tarot readers. They aren’t as useful as decks created by those who are proficient in spreads, have a thorough understanding of their archetypes, and can read for themselves or others. Even the most accomplished artists are unable to discern tiny elements when using the tarot, despite their skill.
If you are familiar with tarot, create a deck. If you are proficient with it, construct an oracle deck. Do your research.
Start working. The part that most eager beavers are anticipating, you’ll just have to put in the effort. Tarot cards cannot “magician their way into existence.” Get your iPad out, start using Procreate, get some scissors, paint thinner, and brushes.
Be prepared to make a lot of stops and starts at this phase of the process, and be nice to yourself. whenever you’re ready, display your work to the public. You’d probably benefit from getting feedback from both a non-tarot reader and a skilled reader, just to see whether what you’re doing resonates with both target groups.
Remember to keep the big picture in mind. Although we occasionally interpret tarot cards individually, we often use pairs of cards and broad spreads. You must have the ability to take a step back from your task and assess how the cards stack up. three, five, ten, and twelve-spot spreads. Lay them all out to check for stragglers, see if any visual or thematic trends emerge (extremely important in a deck! ), and determine whether you like the way they all look when arranged in a formation.
Beyonc staging Bey-chella comes to mind. She had to make sure that everyone on stage appeared flawlessly coordinated.
Make a trial run. The effort isn’t ended once the art is finished, whether you plan to build your deck for sale or just want a copy for yourself. You want to check to see how the tarot cards represent everything. Look for a printer who can produce a single copy at a low cost on common card stock, or if you want to wreck your inkjet printer, do it yourself at home. This is to determine whether your art, in any size you decide, works. You can use this to check for border problems, uneven cropping, etc.
Use your test deck as soon as you obtain it. Carry it around and do readings for friends, family, and future clients. Trust me, once you acquire that tester, it won’t leave your hands. Check out how it functions in the wild.
Revision is essential. My least favorite project stage, but one that is absolutely necessary if you want to do things correctly. You will be able to determine what needs shifting and what needs altering after holding your sample in your hands and using it for 10, 20, and 50 readings.
With my initial run of the PM Starter Deck, I saw a few things that I wanted to change. The fact that I only had 11 copies printed allowed me to fix any errors I found without incurring significant costs.
Examine the market. If you’re quite certain about your deck, you can have a professional finish it right away. You can either order a task for a small print run for yourself or a large print run if you want to take the plunge. You may relax knowing that you tested your deck, made any necessary adjustments, and took into account everyone’s input.
See whether people are interested in your cutting-edge independent deck. Consider going commercial if individuals appear to be really engaged. Examine your numbers to see if you can feel as like you are taking a calculated risk.
If you decide to place a large print order, say a Hail Mary and good luck to yourself. Who knows, your invention could be the next item to appear on the independent shelves of Two Sides Tarot and Little Red Tarot.
What religion originated tarot?
Tarot cards are frequently cited as a component of New Age thought and practice along with astrology, aspects of Buddhism, paganism, and First Nations teachings in the eclectic scholarly approach to the New Age.
How should a tarot reading begin?
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.
After a breakup
Draw one card for each of the following inquiries if you’ve recently broken up with someone and want to know more about the reason or determine whether you’ll get back together:
- How energetic is the partnership right now?
- What caused the divide in the first place?
- What do they really think of me right now?
- What do they intend for me right now?
- What kind of relationship will this be in the future?
- Which action is ideal for me to take right now?
When job searching
You can use this spread to explore what kind of career guidance the tarot can offer if you’re feeling uncertain about your career path or thinking about a new employment. Draw one card once more for each query.
- How active am I in my career right now?
- What challenge must I overcome?
- What is my calling in life?
- How can I follow this calling more closely?
- What should I do to prepare for the upcoming month?
When deciding between two options
This spread can highlight the benefits and drawbacks of each option, guiding you toward the best decision if you’re using tarot to pick between two possibilities (two job offers, two apartments, perhaps a love triangle???). Getting the deal Per card, ask one question.
- What is the fundamental cause of this fork in the road?
- What is the likely result of choosing option A?
- What is the most likely result for option B?
- What more should I take into account that was overlooked?
- What’s the best thing I can do right now?
When something is off with a friend
If you’re concerned about the state of a friendship or feel like something is wrong but are unable to pinpoint the cause, you might be interested in seeing what conclusions and solutions this spread offers. Ask one question per card, once more, I repeat.
- What makes this friendship so crucial?
- What led to this sudden change in tone, and why?
- What has changed, in my friend’s opinion?
- What can I do to make this matter more urgent?
- What is the future of this friendship?
- What should I do at this moment?
What should I be aware of prior to beginning tarot?
You’ll discover as you study more about tarot that each author has a unique interpretation of what each card symbolizes. The majority of specialists will agree on a small number of keywords for each card, but beyond that, there will be a great deal of conflicting information. Additionally, each card will have a distinct meaning based on where and whether it appears in your spread upright or reversed.
That could be a challenge if you value clarity over ambiguity, but consider the tarot a chance to practice accepting uncertainty and building trust in your own intuition. Consider the keywords as boundaries for the meaning of each card, and then start paying closer attention to each name and image to determine what speaks to you individually.
Choosing one card to focus on each day and reflecting on its meaning is one approach to do this. Keep a journal where you can record your personal reflections on each card as well as the conventional interpretations of each.
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.
How can I interpret tarot cards on my own?
I discovered early on in my tarot excursions that knowing the meanings of each card isn’t necessary, even if there is much value and wisdom to be gained from them. Your intuition holds the key to learning how to interpret tarot cards. And this makes sense given that they are instruments for receiving and deciphering messages from the universe or our inner selves. Get the best advice from readers below to learn how to read tarot cards for yourself instinctively and without memorization.
What use can tarot cards serve?
Tarot card reading is a type of cartomancy in which practitioners are said to be able to predict the past, present, or future by using tarot cards. They create a question first, then deal out cards to answer it. There are 78 cards in a conventional tarot deck, which can be divided into the Major Arcana and Minor Arcana. You can also utilize French-suited playing cards, as well as any other card system that links distinct aspects to specific suits (e.g., air, earth, fire, water).
