Ace of Pentacles: Cautiously Optimisitic

I rarely read for myself.  People often come to the Tarot because the emotion of a situation is too much:  Tarot readers are no exception.  When I read for myself this emotion leaks into the reading and I often just find myself with a mirror of my own emotional state as opposed to actual guidance.  But I thought I'd try today, as it's been a trying week and this has been the first day where I felt that my emotional "leveler" has finally reached the point where the bubble has found its way to the middle.  So I sat down and with the baby babbling and blowing raspberries (an excellent way to clear the mind, let me tell you) in the background, I shuffled the deck and drew my card.  I pulled the Ace of Pentacles.

The Ace of Pentacles was an interesting choice.  The suite of Pentacles deals with money and material matters.  It was strangely relevant because I am feeling very directionless these days.  I have no idea what I want to be when I grow up.  More importantly, like lots of people these days, I've found myself in the middle of a frustrating and fruitless job search.  It has been a serious blow to my ego because I've been continuously employed since I was 19.  I think I've been working and earning money so long, that it became an integral part of my identity.   As my search has dragged on, I've been the subject of so much "helpful" advice and "encouragement." There are people out there who will ply you with inspirational quotes, religious messages, etc when you find yourself in a difficult life situation, but the truth of the matter is that sometimes trying circumstances like these are lessons but just as likely they are sometimes just trying circumstances.  Crappy things happen to everyone. 

When you find yourself drawing an Ace Card in the Tarot, you can know certain things without even knowing it's meaning:  1) You are facing beginnings, seeds being planted, new things on the horizon, new possibilities.  2)  You should focus on the main theme of the suit as the Ace is often the epitome of these ideas.  Today's message is clear:  focus on the practical, the material.  The seeds have been planted--you just have to look for them.  If this is you and you too are going through an exhausting search for work, I encourage you to look for those seeds.  They are there.  Every crappy situation is NOT a lesson from the universe, but something can be learned from every crappy situation.  Blessings!

Three Important Aspects of your Tarot Ritual

When you hear the word "ritual" what comes to mind?  Secret, dark ceremonies performed in a forest?  Sacrificial rites performed by a cult?  Voodoo spells?  A great many people find the word off-putting, but ritual is highly important to a good reading.

The wonderful thing about your Tarot ritual is that it can be whatever you want it to be as long as it helps you clear your mind for the reading(s) ahead.  An unclear, emotional mind will definitely muddle a reading--bits and pieces of you and your own situation will leak through and affect the cards.  As you grow as a reader, you'll see this and begin to recognize it more readily.  It's one main reason that I read my cards so infrequently....it's really hard for me to approach what bugs me with a clear, neurtral mind.

When creating your ritual, you'll want to think about the following:

1.  Space:  We don't always have the luxury of dedicated spaces for our Tarot, but finding a quiet, calm spot away from the noise and distraction of electronics and family is important.  Once you've found your spot, try to do your readings there when ever possible.

2.  Preparation:  There are many ways to prepare for a reading.  You could find a special cloth you like to spread out to lay the cards on.  You could also light a candle.  Perhaps you could say a prayer, meditate or imagine positive energy filling the space around you.  The important thing is to approach the cards with a clear mind.

3.  The Cards:  Shuffling may seem like a minor detail, but I have always felt it was key to a good reading.  If I'm reading for another person and they are in front of me, I usually let them shuffle.  I start my readings by pulling a signifier out of the deck to represent the person, then I lay them all out on the cloth face down, mixing them up as much as possible and trying to touch every card.  I then divide the deck into thirds, placing the 2nd or middle third on top.  This is just an example--you will want to develop a certain way you like to mix up the cards that feels right to you.

The key to a good ritual is clarity.  Anything positive that gets you to a place where you can approach the Tarot with a calm, clear mind is definitely worth considering including in your ritual. Put your own personal touch on your ritual and it will work well for you.

Properly Storing Your Tarot Cards

Leather Drawstring Bag from My Grandmother's Hands

If you've decided that this year you are going to begin learning the Tarot or if you've simply just decided as I did many years ago that Tarot cards are neat and you want to collect them, then you are going to want to learn about how best to keep and store them.  How you accomplish this will depend completely on your intent for the cards you have in your possession.

I'm not by any means the supreme Tarot expert, but in my experience, Tarot cards that you collect and Tarot cards that you use have to be treated as two separate things, though not for the reasons you think.  Many people will tell you that storage of your cards effects their energy.  This is where I disagree.  The power of any type of tool comes from the bearer and not the tool itself.  Tarot cards are just pieces of paper until you touch them and allow your energy to guide the cards.  Many Tarot readers will tell you that you MUST store and handle them a certain way, but the truth is there is no super secret mystical reason for the various methods of storing cards people insist on.

If you are collecting cards then you want to be practical in your approach to caring for them.  Generally, cards you are collecting should be protected just as with any other collection, so you should store them just as you would any other collectible.  I don't have room to display my collection, so for the time being mine are kept in a heavy duty plastic container with a lid.  When I'm not looking at them or showing them off, I keep them in a dark closet away from the sun.  When I take them out of their plastic box, I keep them away from water, wash and dry my hands before handling them and don't allow food or drink near them.

If you plan on using a Tarot deck and actually reading from it, you will want to keep it in a special way.  Ritual is incredibly important to reading the Tarot--having a ritual you maintain every time you read is essential to getting your mind ready and clear for the reading ahead.  How you store and care for you cards is a major part of this ritual.  As I mentioned before you'll find some very strong opinions on this (I've even seen people berated for the way they maintained their cards).  You'll also find that there are as many different opinions on how to store your cards as there are readers, but I've found having them wrapped or contained in special bag, pouch or box made of natural material is not only a good way to begin this ritual but it also serves to protect the cards better. (I like natural material pouches and boxes because for me the texture and feel of the pouch or box is important.)

Oftentimes when you buy a set of cards it comes with a pouch which is generally a see-through tulle type fabric.  There is nothing inherently wrong with keeping them in this type of bag (and if this feels right for you, then you should carry on) but it does offer very little protection for your cards.   Protection is important because you and perhaps everyone you read for will be coming into contact with your deck.

If you are not able to find a container made of natural materials that suits you, there are countless vendors online who sell all types of pouches and boxes to store your cards.  Last year I bought a wonderful leather pouch for a special set of cards my husband bought me from Kim a seller on Etsy.  An example of one of her pouches is at the top of this blog and below is the picture of the one I bought from her. I can't say enough good things about her wonderful bags--her pouches are beautiful and soft and her prices are very reasonable.

The pouch I bough from Kim's Etsy shop My Grandmother's Hands on Etsy

I also have used a solid wood trinket box I bought a while back to store my cards in.  This one is a bit on the fancy side because I picked it up while deployed, but any solid wooden box will work well to store a deck.

And finally, if money is tight and you're crafty (or even if you're not) hand made pouches work equally as well.  When I bought my first reading deck, I crocheted this pouch from cotton yarn to keep it in.  But if you're not fond of crafts, it doesn't have to be this elaborate.  A simple cloth wrapped neatly around your deck will work just as well.  The point being is do what works for you and your individual ritual.  There may be a million things that a person can do to give a horrible reading--misinterpretation of the cards, judging the client, letting our personal biases affect the reading--but storing cards the "wrong" way isn't one of them.  Keep them clean and dry and protected and they will serve you well for many years.

Disclaimer:  I did not receive compensation in any form for any endorsements made in this blog post, nor was I asked by Etsy or any of its sellers to make the preceding recommendations.

So You Want to Learn to Read the Tarot.......(Part One) Your First Deck

I was always a little afraid of the Tarot.  It seems silly now in retrospect to be intimidated by a deck of cards, but I was.  So when I finally got brave enough to begin this journey, I started off slow, collecting decks without much thought or knowledge behind why I chose each individual deck.  I bought what I liked, mostly based on my reaction to the aesthetics of the cards.  Five years later, I now possess dozens of decks.....many of which are beautiful to look at but not really good to read with.  I hate to say this, but I was completely closed-minded when it came to traditional decks.  I wanted nothing to do with the traditional decks like the Rider Waite Tarot, which seemed incredibly boring and blah to me.  When the time came to actually start reading, I went with a small deck from a cheap kit for the simple fact that I found it easier to manipulate the smaller cards in my hands.  Unfortunately the cards did nothing to help me learn the tarot.

You see, while it may be obvious to some, it wasn't obvious to me at the time that the pictures contained on each card actually meant something, and that by using a more traditional deck, I'd be able to pick up the meaning of each card better than if I just picked a deck because it was beautiful or "cute."  Even if you aren't drawn to traditional decks, I highly encourage those wanting to begin reading to start off with a good standard deck.  Traditional decks can be found in all sizes (if you have small hands like me).

A bit of warning though, traditional decks do tend to be loaded heavily with Christian symbolism and imagery.  If this isn't your thing, I'd still argue that starting with this type of deck is still going to be your best bet--not only will it aide you in the learning process, you'll find that a lot of your clients will identify with this imagery, and can get them past the "fear" of seeking out your advice.

Finally, if you want a deck, go buy one.  It's not bad luck to buy your own deck.....if you wait to be gifted one, you may be waiting forever.  There's no time like the present to start learning to read the cards!

Learning the Tarot: The importance of Clarity & Reading the Tarot

If you read this blog regularly, you've probably gathered that I'm in the military.  Very, very soon after my little parasite is born, I will be taking a HUGE leap by letting my contract expire after eight years in the hopes that I will be bringing a little sanity to my life.  It is a big leap because while husband can feed us and keep a roof over our heads, paying my credit card debt down (racked up long before I ever set eyes on him) is really not in the budget.  We have about four or five months of savings to cover us then it's back to work or.........(actually I really don't know what comes after the or).  It reminds me of those old maps of the world when it was still thought the world was flat and one could sail over the edge into the mouth of a great monster.  I'm headed to that monster right now.....oh sure, the water is fine now, but soon, I will get pulled over the edge........

It was in this agitated mood that I approached the Tarot one night (can you see where this is going?) and asked about my immediate future.  The cards came back to me, not as I'd hoped, (with a glimpse of the future or some hint as to what avenue I should take) but instead with a reading that made me say, "No shit, Tarot!"

My very first deck, used for personal readings only

What I got back was just an immediate reflection of what I already knew......conflict: between having many choices ahead of me and trying to make plans.........my short term future:  BIG Changes coming!  How I see myself: feeling like I'm becoming a big moocher because I'll be staying home with the baby for a bit.....and then funniest of all, the over emotionality of my future outlook card .  I say funny because as anyone who has had a baby knows emotions are insane right after birth and for a bit thereafter.....with my first child, I cried at the drop of a hat for a long time, at anything (though mostly baby commercials).....things are a bit hormonal at first.

So now, getting to my point.  Reading the Tarot is more than just shuffling some cards, laying them out and looking up meanings in your favorite guide.  Clarity and connection are important.  Clarity of mind allows for a true connection......not a reading jumbled with emotions  and desires of the reader.  If you have decided you want to study the cards, it's important that you prepare yourself each time to read the cards properly.
Some ideas on how to do this:

• Read in the same spot every time.  Pick a place without a lot of distractions, away from noise as much as possible.
• Create a ritual.....I'm not talking spells and curses here.....just a routine that you follow each time you read.  For example, you can shuffle the same way every time or split the deck exactly the same way.
• Give yourself a moment of silence before you begin touching the cards.
• Clear your mind of everything but the focus of your reading or question being asked.  Let nothing else cross your mind until you have finished laying out the cards. 

Clarity of mind is very important for those seeking a reading as well.  Coming to your reader in an emotional state will get you a very disconnected reading.  Try and approach your reader with a calm a mind as possible.  Push all thoughts away of anything else but the issue or question at hand.  Focus in on it until the last card has been drawn.   Keep this in mind and you too can avoid your own, "No Shit, Tarot!" moment.