Learning To Read Tarot Cards: Finding Meaning In The Cards

There are countless books on Tarot Cards and Tarot Card Meanings. They can be a valuable tool for the beginning Tarot reader. However, the more you become familiar with Tarot reading, the more you will begin to associate your own personal meanings to the cards. The best Tarot readers are one’s that utilize their own personal associations to the cards. Every individual has their own, unique point of view. Tarot reading offers you the insight to truly understand your own, personal story. It does this by illuminating the nature of your purpose and identifies how your story has framed your own view of the world. The more you become conscious of your story, the more you can understand yourself. Furthermore, it helps you understand the story of others. When we identify with another person’s experience, we can gain a deeper understanding of our shared experience. This is our humanity. As a Tarot reader, it’s important to be able to identify where your story ends and another person’s begins. Neutrality and objectivity will be your greatest allies in Tarot reading, particularly if you are reading for someone other than yourself. It’s also important that you become conscious of your own projections. In other words, you do not want to project your story onto someone else’s. One way to ensure you don’t do this is by committing yourself to your own process of self-discovery. Tarot reading can help you do this by reflecting your own story back to you. The following exercise can be very useful for this process. Separate the 22 Major Arcana cards out from the rest of the deck. Begin with the Fool Tarot Card and spread them out in numerical order. Thus, the Fool would be followed by the Magician. The Magician would be followed by the High Priestess, etc. Take out a piece of paper and examine the first card: The Fool Tarot Card. Ask yourself the following question: What is the story of the Fool?rnWhere have I been the Fool?rnWhere does my story differ from the Fool? Where is it the same?rnIf the Fool where to speak to me, what might he say to me? What might I say to Him?rnWhat might the Fool say to the card that follows him? In this case, it would be the Magician. You can continue this narrative throughout the Major Arcana until you finish with the World Tarot card. Allow each card to tell you a story. In turn, you can use the cards to tell your own story. The ultimate purpose of this exercise is to help you identify your own story and life journey. More importantly, this exercise can deepen the Tarot cards meanings. This is also a great way to interpret the cards for those you may be reading. Knowing traditional interpretations can be useful, but there is nothing more powerful than letting the Tarot cards speak for themselves. For more on Tarot Readings and Tarot Card Meanings please visit Carolyn's blog.