ShadowWolf - Aquiring a Deck

Since this is a beginners class, this lesson is going to attempt to address the beginner questions that so many have. Its probably not going to be all inclusive- so please be sure to ask or comment on things I may have omitted. I am trying to cover generally the various "huh?" questions about the cards, doing readings, that sort of thing so that we are all on the same page of hopefully the same book!

OK. The last time we met we discussed divination. By now hopefully you've seen that the art of telling the future, using divination (not pure psychic abilities) is both a science and a mystery. To be a decent tarot reader- to be able to provide a reading that has meaning for your querant requires that you listen to their questions, make sure you understand it from THEIR point of view (this is more difficult than it sounds, differences such as languages, geographics, culture, age, experiences all play into this and it is an area that needs attention before getting to a reading), and that you use the energies that are already in place.

You may have ALSO seen from the coin toss exercise that binary, yes/no questions leave something to be desired in foretelling the future. Often it leaves something to be desired in foretelling the past! Perhaps that is why something like the tarot holds such a compelling draw for those who would look for answers to their questions about the past, present and future. They have complexities and depths to be explored, and which in turn provide the reader with an even better divinatory tool.

Now what about the tarot. The next lesson will start a discussion of the history of the tarot. In that we will begin to see how the tarot became associated with the occult, kabalah, astrology, and so on...warning though, this will be a chicken egg lecture coz while there is much we know, there is much we don't know! But first, lets make sure we all know the basics of the decks etcetera.

Tarot cards are pictures of some sort that include 22 major arcana cards, 16 court cards and 40 minor arcana cards to total 78 cards. There ARE decks with more and less cards- but most of us are familiar with the 78 deck and that is what we will discuss in this class. I sometimes use the Healing Earth Tarot with has two extra suits of minor arcana. It works well for me, but then I use it generally only for inner quest type readings. One theme that will occur over and over in this lecture is that in much of this, there is no right or wrong depending on what you do and learn.

This isn't to say there are not FACTS. But much of modern 'usage' of the tarot revolves around rituals, lore and myths that have evolved over time, and there is no right or wrong way of doing certain things, like cleansing your cards or shuffling. Where I do think you need to get serious is really looking at what the symbolism of the tarot cards meant to the deck creator(s) and then, and only then, taking the steps to developing your sense of what they mean. When you use decks not based on Waite's or Crowley's, I would suggest you do the very same thing. There is a reason the creators put certain symbols on the cards, and it is a true gift to learn these reasons as it will help you become all the better at divining with the cards.

OK, so what deck do you buy and where? Well, obviously I 'forced' you to buy the Rider Waite for this class. I have many reasons- the foremost being that this deck is one of the first to use occult symbolism for various purposes, the most popular today being divination. There are others such as Crowley, which I personally like. Rider Waite is the most discussed in many books, and has been the model for many many of the subsequent tarot decks. I would note that the artist of the rw deck used decks available at that time for her designs, so there is a continuum of history. Waite pulled together alot of symbolism in his deck, and I have learned that by taking the time to learn this symbolism you then have skills to aid you in using other decks that are modeled after his work. The same goes for studying the Thoth deck and the subsequent takeoffs.

But what if you don't like the Rider Waite deck, or find it abhorrent? I know some folks indeed do feel like that about the RW deck although at first I found that hard to believe as its so, well, not bland, but certainly not so striking, well, nevermind. So then what? Well, try and bear with me during the class for the deck <G> and then get another. The best place to find tarot decks is through a new age store although some chains carry a decent variety (Borders has in the past, although I gather it all depends on your location). Because people don't want decks that have been "opened" for reasons such as keeping the deck "pure" and the more obvious theft problems, stores will usually have one open deck you can peruse. The really good stores will have the deck either in some envelopes or in a binder so you can flip through and see the cards easily. There are two web sites that I'd recommend that show several decks, Michele Jackson's' and Mary Greer's'. Naturally I don't have the urls as I type this, but you have access to many on this list. You can also use Kaplan's Encyclopedia of Tarot to look at various decks, although most of the plates are not in color.

I would suggest finding a deck that you visually like. That is the best you can do at the store. Then its a matter of working with the deck and seeing if it "feels" right. Now what does that mean? To some its an intuitive thing. I'm a bit more basic. I like the feel of certain papers and shapes. I also don't see worth a darn so I like cards that have images that are clear or bright-the pale ones are lovely, but if I have to lean over the table to see what the heck the card is- even with glasses- then I'm not comfortable with it. I like the Rohrig deck alot- I use it for readings constantly. The artwork is stunning, I can see it, and even though I didn't think I'd like bigger cards, I've found them easy to handle. The Motherpeace deck is too pale for me-I can't see the images at all, and those round cards go flying off in every direction when I shuffle, so I'm not comfortable with it. These are personal preferences. I give them to illustrate that we each have our own tastes. I would suggest you give the decks a chance though-- I am usually of the "older, more renaissance" style decks. If I'd simply heard about Rohrig, I would have though, hmm, sounds interesting but modern? Instead, the artwork in it was such that it grabbed me instantly, and I've never looked back. I feel that way about Arnell Ando's deck and the work of Alexandra Genetti- these are two vastly different styles, but the work is stunning in both. So I've decided that there is no rhyme or reason as to what draws someone to a deck, just personal taste.

I would digress here with one caveat. If you are reading for "public"- by which I mean folks you don't know, and in an atmosphere that is not really familiar to you, I'd suggest using a deck with minimal nudity. Now in some cultures, its not a biggie, but I forgot that axiom once when doing a charity reading and drew a rather graphic card for a young girl. Luckily I got it covered up, but she saw it and was a bit embarrassed, and I learned a valuable lesson, what I may find acceptable isn't for everyone, and if we open our readings to the public, we need to remember to respect that point. Simply that, respect- not an abeyance of our own values. By the way, my last class got into a HUGE debate on the nudity aspect so let me note that this is simply being respectful of others and perhaps 'safe' in more conservative locales, not a comment on the constitutional rights of individuals.

OK, so you have found the perfect deck. Now what? You get home and can tear it open and start to shuffle. Or you can do a cleansing ritual to start the process. I love rituals. I'm not sure why, but I think that they are important to help us focus on what we are doing...when I do a special ritual to open a new deck I focus on that deck and give it recognition. Is it necessary? No. Again, personal preference. I tend to be somewhat scattered in thoughts- always wanting to do more than one thing at a time. A ritual, and mine are self created and not fancy, simply allows/forces me to stop and focus.

To cleanse a deck you can use sage and sweetgrass incense. Pass the cards through the smoke-- cleansing and, I've been told, that helps take away the "glossy" feeling some cards have when new. You can then do a meditation; or put the cards out and look at each one; or do a first reading for yourself. That's up to you. Or you could light a candle, put on some Kate Price, and just look at each card then start to shuffle. OR....

Most people keep their cards in a pouch or box. I make bags that are lined in black silk- years ago I was told that helped keep out bad things and being Italian, and very superstitious, I figured, ok, black it is. I use all sorts of materials and styles. Again, there are some folks who don't think the silk lining matters- or the type of material. As long as you feel ok, then its fine. I do suggest if you carry more than one or two decks (I generally take a few with me to readings, never knowing what or who I'll encounter!) then get a carrying case. I have in that case a couple of tapes and cds for my own focusing (at parties it helps when alot of noise is swirling around), a small candle, some incense, and a crystal prism that I use for my prefocus time. Its my little ritual stuff, not necessary but I Like it! Again- this isn't written in stone, you can develop what you want. I'm a nitnat on organizing things just so, but I've done wonderful readings without the trappings and such so it really is a matter of just enjoying this part.

You can also use a box to store them in. A specialist on this list, in document preserving has noted that most the containers we use are not the best to guarantee longevity over the hundreds of years for our cards; however that may not be a problem for most of us unless we've collectors items. It is easy to lose cards...I lost one at one party I went to a few months ago which was a fiasco and just not fun at all. I wasn't surprised that a card got lost. So do keep things together as you would any other valuable item.

Can your friends or family touch your cards? Up to you. I have some decks that are for me only- just coz. But I don't take them out when others are around, hence I just don't get that problem. Those decks I use alot in public readings (my term for reading for alot for others, known and unknown) I'm less picky about - and even when reading, someone will pick up a card and ask about it- so why get freaked out ? I save those moments for fighting traffic! Some people are very careful and let no one else cut the deck, even the querant. I like the querant to cut the cards- I think it allows the energy to get a moving right into the cards themselves immediately. I'm told by some that they get great readings without the querant shuffling the cards, so I gather that it is again, a matter of preference.

By now are you getting the idea that there is NO right or wrong way to do much of this? I hope so, coz there are thousands of ways to use the tarot- and so many times folks get caught up in these myths and while they are fun, sometimes I think its easier to spend time doing the cleansing, etcetera than to work on learning the cards.

Oh that reminds me, there was a question of buying a deck vs getting it as a gift. Some of us might have to wait awhile to get a gift of a tarot deck! If you MUST go by this, then consider buying the deck a gift to yourself...but I've NEVER had a problem with a deck I bought. Actually I've even gotten used decks and had zero problems. Maybe the key is that I don't allow other's superstitions to get in the way of my own- I'd wager my Italian superstitions against the best of them!!!! I do my thing with each deck (fyi, I sometimes do the smudging, sometimes I just listen to music and look at each card, sometimes I just shuffle and shuffle them, doing spread after spread, getting to know them)

I'll talk about tarot spreads and readings in general the next time.

YOUR EXERCISE: Get the Rider Waite deck out. If you've not opened it, do so. You can find sage and sweetgrass at many newage stores (warning, it can sometimes be confused by less knowledgable as something illegal- you can use other incenses and if you think that may be an issue, don't push it-use the lavender incense!). Do whatever ritual you feel appropriate. One thing I'd like in this ritual (the next are your own to plan!): take each card of the major arcana- they are marked 0 to 21. Look over these carefully. We'll be using these in this class. Also take a look at your other cards, try to get a feel for the different suits, the various people in the Court cards. If this class continues past the Majors, we'll get into the minors and courts, and really start getting some punch in those readings!

OK, any questions? Did I leave something out so far? I'll be doing the basic spreads in the next lecture and a sample spread as best I can to illustrate a reading for those who have never had one. Oh, one last thing--- do try and get a reading from a good professional in your area. That is money well worthwhile not just for your own personal uses but also for seeing how one other person does it- while I'll try to give you all the 'standard' set ups for readings, I will tell you that my own readings are a blend of the celtic cross and my own creation from what I needed over time- and that I will change that if I feel the querant is blocking me, or I need more clarifications.

When I travel I try to find a reader if I've time. I love to see the variety, and boyhowdy, variety is the word for it, of styles of reading. I learn each time, and that is one of the beauties of the tarot- I hope to still be learning and reading, even at the retirement home! (OK, maybe they WON'T let me in those places, but you get the drift!)

More later,

ShadowWolf