Monday 14 September 2015

Tarot thoughts...

For a long time I've had an on-off relationship with Tarot...

Anyone who's interested in the power of images, archetypes, signs and symbols will be interested in, and curious about, Tarot - not necessarily as a divinatory tool to predict the future, but more as a tool for self-discovery.

One of the first books I read cover-to-cover two years after the stroke, when I could finally read again, was this


Jung has always been a favourite writer/thinker - he understand the power of images and collective wisdom. Certain words/images resonate across the cultures, and the Major arcana of Tarot tells the tale of a powerful, archetypal Fool's journey...

The fact - that I chose this book, when my damaged brain could finally keep the words straight on the page - should have been a powerful indicator to me that Tarot has something to teach me. 

But as someone who's been involved with the Anglican Church since childhood, whose degrees are in Theology, who considered entering the ministry, 'dabbling' in Tarot evokes A LOT of STUFF - on SO many levels...

So me and Tarot took a break...
*****

A year later, I joined TABI and embarked on their free Learn Tarot e-course, but sadly the forums weren't a good experience for me... Clearly there were past issues among some of the members - and as someone who doesn't deal with conflict well (even when I'm not involved directly in it), I left, without completing the course.

And Tarot and me parted company again...

*****

But I couldn't abandon my Tarot decks completely... I enjoyed the images, the messages too much!

This deck has been a go-to for a long time - especially when I just want to draw a card for the day, or when a friend asks me to draw a card for them. 

The combination of famous paintings and quotes is perfect for this!


Back in November 2013, I drew a card a day and shared it on what was, at that time, a new blog 


And, surprise, surprise each day the card I drew gave me exactly the message I needed to hear :)

Then, this year I 'happened' upon Beth and Carrie's blogs... And I now use two newer decks as I learn again to practise spreads...


Like every relationship, if it is to be nurtured and grow, one must invest time and energy... As I continue on my Sage Priestess training, I realize Tarot has an important part to play in my learning to trust my inner wisdom, what I already know on a Deep Soul level.

Already it has been a process taking several years , and I hope it will continue for years to come. As I learn to work with the cards, I know they will work with me... And I trust I will grow in confidence in my reading of the messages they impart.





5 comments:

  1. Hi Claire

    Interesting. I have dabbled with th Tarot over last couple of years, using the Wildwood Deck. My therapist 2 yrs ago leant me that book and I bought the Tarot de Marseille but I couldn't get into either. Then recently I started following a blog http://deepestwell.blogspot.co.uk which spurred me into getting the Rider-Waite deck and I started a drawing a card almost daily, partly as a way of learning the deck. I'm reading TheTarot: History, Symbolism and Divination by Place, which I'm finding a bit hard going with my poor concentration but interesting. But the book that I work with, and still have yet to read most of, is Holistic Tarot by Wen, which is excellent.

    Like you I find very often the cards are uncanny in their relevance. I work with them in a tapping the unconscious way, rather than in a fortune telling way.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is so interesting, Alison! I didn't get on with the Tarot de Marseille or the traditional Rider-Waite. I keep wondering about buying the Wildwood Deck... Thank you for the link to deepestwell - packed full of interesting stuff!!
    I only read/heard about the Holistic Tarot today - would you recommend it? The author in on the tarot blog hop I followed from Carrie's blog today, which prompted this post. It looks quite a tome...
    Thanks so much for commenting - it meand a lot :) xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi

      Wildwood is really good. The only downside of it is that it has a 'meaning' word at the bottom of each card, which can get in the way of working with the image. Hence why I decided to try Rider Waite. The Holistic Tarot is excellent. It is a tome but can be dipped into, which is how I am using it, and some chapters are aimed at professional tarot readers

      Delete
  3. I love my Tarot deck! It's just a regular old (emphasis on OLD) Rider Waite. While I find other decks beautiful artistically and aesthetically (I could easily become a collector if I let myself), I really only connect spiritually with my Rider Waite. There's something about not having everything spelled out for me that allows me to interpret each card individually and differently each time I do a reading. When I first realized that I was a pagan (I did not "become" a pagan, I realized that I have always been one) I used my tarot deck every day. Pulling one card a day, or doing readings all the time. Now that I've been living my path a long time, I only pull them out on occasion. They are familiar to my hand and my eye, and since I don't take them out for every bump in the road, it's more solemn, more sacred, and more joyous when I do. There are stages to immersing one's self in the pagan path - the romance phase, where it's all about the amulets and candles and triple moon necklaces or pentacle rings, then comes the work phase - the study and hard learning... eventually things deepen and even out, and things are much more interior than exterior. It's exciting to me to see others discovering and going through those layers!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, I'm certainly going through the layers!!
      And thank you for much for this thoughtful comment <3 <3
      I'm hoping I'll eventually connect with one deck and it will become my Beloved... But I rather know I'm a tad promiscuous when it comes to beautiful things, so I rather doubt it... The image is the thing for me, and I'm already finding my mood dictates which deck speaks to me at the time :/
      I guess it's all about accepting who I am, and it I'm an Art-Tart I may just have to embrace it and be proud - I do rather like the word, I must admit :D xx

      Delete

Your comments mean a lot. They show I'm not alone. Thank you!