Where to start...

[newrose]

Does anyone have suggestions on where to start with Tarot. I would love to learn how to do readings with it. I am familiar with Oracle cards and have done readings with them.

A dear friend and teacher of mine gave me a set of cards and I have cleared them and have been sleeping with them at my bedside each night. Should I be doing something else? Are there books in particular anyone would recommend reading?

[Peace]

that's how i took to it, actually. a book and set of cards that came together. k, i just went and got it..............."the instant tarot reader" by monte farber and amy zerner. it's pretty good. it gives all possible interpretations and different layouts for readings and such. i'm sure there are plenty, just look for one that calls to you. spending time with your cards is also very important, so you're right on there. just like a stone or even a person, one does (or may not) bond with their cards, runes, etc.

[Sloan]

Very good advice faery!!
Oh and one other way to clear your cards for future reference, use a clear quartz crystal and place it on top of the deck over night and it will clear them for you - then you have to recharge your crystal of course.
And one book I have on tarot is "The Pictorial Key to the Tarot" by Arthur Edward Waite, it's not a bad book.
Have fun!!

[♥Starlene]

Im going to suggest what I suggest to anyone I have taught the tarot to....
Get this book called "Tarot for Beginners" by P. Scott Hollander. It is an old book, but it is a wonderful beginner book. I find that a lot of books are just talking about a certain deck, which is great, but if you dont have that deck it may seem off... I also notice that some books give you TOO much information for a beginner... Which makes it seem overwhelming and you just give up.

This book is simple, effective and you can easily thumb through it when your actually doing readings, until you get your feel for the cards, it is totally OK to use a book!

Sleeping with cards is great, crystals with cards is good too, carrying them, connecting with them,,, my first actual tarot teacher, (i sort of taught myself then started taking classes) she said she always gently squeezes her cards before a reading and says Mother, Maide Crone, but if you like Father, Son, Holy Spirit, that works too... So does something like truth, intuition, guidance... Just find your little nich like that... I do that with all my cards, just a silent little thing in my own head, as if intending to say, ok,,, were connecting.

Also dont get hung up on different spreads, learn the cards first, and the 3 card or 5 card spread and then the 10 card celtic cross spread.... If you learn those, you will have learned more then MOST readers have learned... I cant begin to tell you how many people that read tarot, even for a living and didnt know those basics. If you got those down then get a cool spread book or something, but learn the basics first and let the rest come later..

The simpler you make it when your starting off, the better chances that you will stick with it long enough to become a reader,,, I think anyway

[newrose]

Thank you all so much for the advice. I definitely want to start slow since as you said Star too much info can be very overwhelming in the beginning. I will have to look for those books and see what I can find

[♥Starlene]

Sure no problem! I am working on a tarot section on my www.unfoggingthefuture.com website actually... It is only in the very beginning stages, but I want to eventually start to do classes online. You can check it out,,, just go to that page and click on ~Learn Tarot~ in the left navigation bar towards the middle of the page... You can see what I started and possibly bookmark it and come back again... As I add more stuff, it will become more useful

As I said, I love the tarot, it has really enlightened my on a lot of things in my life and I ask it for counsel like I would my spirit helpers, if you connect with the cards, I am sure you will wind up doing the same

I am glad you are interested in the Tarot, Rose,,, it is inspiring to me to share my knowledge of it with others!

((hugs))

[saffy]

I started with buying a deck of Tarot cards and really enjoyed using them, but as soon as I found out about the other divination cards, I got away from them. thanks for bringing this topic up...I feel the Tarot cards calling again.

[reikienergyheals]

I started with a tarot set that came with a booklet that helped me understand how to do it and what each card meant. Over time, I didn't have to look in the book as often. Practice practice practice.