Tarot Cards

[dragon_wings]

So I just bought my first deck of Tarot cards. A friend told me to rub lavender oil on them, which I have done. Now I'm working on memorizing the meanings of the cards.

Anyone have any Tarot advice to give a newbie Tarot reader?

[Sarlon]

first you should not of bought your own first deck...its bad luck.

second. keep them with you as much as possible, they will attune with your energy more then reading the meanings more, and give a more natural feel if you read them for someone.

[Shroo]

Actually the deck I've had the longest, the deck that works the best for me is the first deck I ever bought.
Personally I still use the book--I've had them for almost ten years but I still double check the meanings of both cards and placement just to be sure I'm seeing what the cards need me to see, not what I (or anyone else) want to see.

My biggest piece of advice--respect them. Thank them for their help.
Every single one of my friends knows not to disrespect my cards, even in a joking manner (especially when I'm in the middle of a reading for someone else, dumbass! Stupid kid in my drama club made a pokemon joke while I was giving a reading and about five other people told him to stfu and gtfo).

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Don't get so hung up on what the books say are the meanings of the cards over what YOU think the meaning of the cards are.

And the meaning may change reading to reading.

Sometimes a wand is just wand.

[dragon_wings]

Thanks you all. I'm just nervous I think.

[Amethyst Hunter]

first you should not of bought your own first deck...its bad luck.

Why is it bad luck? (Asking because I've had an interest in tarot for some time now and have been thinking of buying a set for myself.)

To the OP: Don't be immediately freaked at the sight of major arcana like the Death or Devil cards. People too often take these literally, but in tarot, these names can have multiple meanings that are usually unrelated to what we normally equate "Death" with. For example, the Death card is almost always in regards to letting go of something that isn't working anymore, such as a bad relationship or habits that are self-sabotaging. Your old habits need to 'die' so that new, and hopefully more empowering ones, can take their place.

A good book I would recommend looking into is Teach Yourself Tarot by Naomi Ozaniec. It can help you interpret the different cards as they might apply to your readings.

[draggar]

Don't get so hung up on what the books say are the meanings of the cards over what YOU think the meaning of the cards are.

And the meaning may change reading to reading.

Sometimes a wand is just wand.

Yep - its more about the placements of the cards, what order they come up on. Yes, you can learn the basics of what they mean but they can have different meanings if they come up indifferent orders. Don't try to think about their literal meanings, let it come to you.

While I never did Tarot, I have done a Bhuddist version of card reading (or was it just Vietnamese?). Sometimes it's eerie what comes out of the cards, so be forewarned.

[wraiths_crono]

first you should not of bought your own first deck...its bad luck.

second. keep them with you as much as possible, they will attune with your energy more then reading the meanings more, and give a more natural feel if you read them for someone.

I agree, and I also agree to respect the cards, in a way they are a new friend of yours just we warned sometimes the cards to like to have fun and will mess with you from time to time. Or in the case of my friend AJ as I was about to give him a reading "he shuffled the deck and as he was about to stop a card lept onto the top of his hand which after reading what it ment answered his entire question." twas the most awesome thing I ever saw.

[dragon_wings]

To the OP: Don't be immediately freaked at the sight of major arcana like the Death or Devil cards. People too often take these literally, but in tarot, these names can have multiple meanings that are usually unrelated to what we normally equate "Death" with. For example, the Death card is almost always in regards to letting go of something that isn't working anymore, such as a bad relationship or habits that are self-sabotaging. Your old habits need to 'die' so that new, and hopefully more empowering ones, can take their place.

A good book I would recommend looking into is Teach Yourself Tarot by Naomi Ozaniec. It can help you interpret the different cards as they might apply to your readings.

Yeah, that's one of the first things I realized while researching Tarot before actually getting my deck. Except the card I kept thinking about that's would have freaked me out if I was uninformed is the Hanged Man.

Almost a year ago I went to a used book store and found a book in the Occult section on Tarot and I bought it. It's called The Tarot Revealed by Eden Gray. It's old. The copyright date in my copy is 1960.

[Kaylyn]

The books out there are great guides, but certain cards are going to speak to you in certain ways, and that's going to give you more accurate readings if you use your personal interpretations rather than a book's stock interpretation.

Also, different decks will feel differently for certain types of readings. I don't know what deck you bought, but I started with Robin Wood Tarot. It was a revamp of the classic Rider-Waite style; same pictures basically but the artwork appealed to me more. That deck has long since gotten trashed and I need to get another one. I have the Necronomicon deck which I got mainly because I'm a Lovecraft fangirl, but I have tried using it, and it feels darker to me, so I'd feel better using it when dealing with dark topics. Other decks I've used are Gilded Tarot, Celtic Dragon, and Llewellyn Tarot. I never could properly read with the Celtic Dragon deck, but the art was amazing.

[Amina516]

I received my first set of cards from my mom. She worked as a librarians assistant for some years and lots of random things would be donated.

She brought home a set of Aleister Crowley Thoth Tarot, old and worn. In the original box with the original guide book.. Let me tell you...They were like magic. I taught myself to read and wow, the results I got were real and therefore scary ( I was like 16 at the time), and i ended up putting them away. Sadly, some time passed before I thought of them and i couldnt find them after that.

I then purchased myself the same deck a number of years later and got the same results. But can i ask why purchasing your own is bad luck?

[Lady J'ssem]

My first set of cards are a set by Brian Froud, the Fairy Tarot. They're the most intuned to me, even though before I got them I knew very little about the tarot. I had bought them for my-self and never knew it was bad luck. Not that it matters since I bought them years ago. They're still in easy access, and I use them from time to time to help sort through my own head. My cards aren't exactly proper tarot cards though. But they called me, and I've taken care of them very well.

[Amina516]

My first set of cards are a set by Brian Froud, the Fairy Tarot.

I have the same ones! Ive never tried to read with them (I got them as a xmas gift one year...I like fairies and Brian Froud). But they are beautifully illustrated.

[dragon_wings]

I got the Deviant Moon Tarot set. The art is cool, abet a tad dark. But I like them. I'm gonna go through the deck tomorrow and admire the art while comparing each card to its meanings.

I have read that it's better luck to be given a deck as a gift then buy it for yourself, but I don't remember reading anywhere that its bad luck. I could be wrong though.

[NateTheChops]

first you should not of bought your own first deck...its bad luck.

I bought my first deck and I never had any bad luck. It all comes down to personal choice and experience. Because frankly, no one in my family or "friends" circle was going to be giving me a deck anytime soon. So it was either buy one or go without.

It's taken me ten years of reading different decks just to get off the book and to be confident enough to where I could read professionally.

Just remember not to get hung up on the text book meaning of each card.