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Some decks yes, some decks not so much, some decks not at all. I think the deck I feel most connected with at the moment is my Russian Tarot of St. Petersburg, partially because I just *like* the art and partially because I have fond memories of the trip when I bought it. But everything I have left that I read with I would say that I "click" with in some way. The ones I didn't, I gave away.
It depends on the deck and how the artist intended it to be read. I never use reversals with the Thoth deck, for example; instead I use elemental dignity to determine which cards are well- or ill-dignified. Waite, on the other hand, gives reversed meanings in his Pictorial Guide to the Tarot and so I read that deck with reversals. The LWB that accompanies the Russian Tarot of St. Petersburg gives reversed meanings but Robin Wood admits that she does not use reversals, so I use reversals with the Russian Tarot but not the Robin Wood (though sometimes I feel lazy and don't read reversals with the Russian, either!). The companion book to the Victorian Romantic deck gives suggestions for reversals, from what I understand (I can't find a copy of the book alone, only "kits," and much as I love the deck I don't need it twice), though I'm not sure if the artists give any thoughts or philosophies on reading reversals.
I like consistency, and that includes consistency between how the artist would read their deck and how I read it. The deck was designed with a particular reading style in mind, even unconsciously, and I like to maintain that consistency. Generally I find that I do not miss a whole lot by not using reversals 100% of the time, so this philosophy works for me.
I like consistency, and that includes consistency between how the artist would read their deck and how I read it. The deck was designed with a particular reading style in mind, even unconsciously, and I like to maintain that consistency. Generally I find that I do not miss a whole lot by not using reversals 100% of the time, so this philosophy works for me.
Almost never. Aside from the one reading I did for B (about her dad's health, I think?) when I first got my RWS deck, I've always used the whole deck in all of my readings. I don't like the idea of reading with an incomplete deck, generally. The one exception is this court card technique, though even then the entire deck factors in.
...and how much stress do you place on the “feeling” you get from cards through their artwork/symbolism, etc.? Do you do both, or one or the other?
I hold with the "textbook" meanings first and foremost, then the LWB that shipped with the deck (if there is one) and anything particular the artist is saying with their rendition. While it certainly helps to have a deck with gorgeous art, I rarely lean on the art alone to convey meaning. (Especially because there are many cards where the art is a nonstarter for me.) Generally speaking, I hold with Ginny Hunt about "the Tarot bones."
Which is funny, because as a system Tarot is not that old and it seems a bit ridiculous to get all in a huff about historical accuracy and so on. But at the end of the day I am a creature of structure and orderliness, so I opt to to read Tarot instead of using a Tarot deck to read intuitively. I do not really experience sudden, prophetic flashes of inspiration the way that many Tarot readers seem to do.
Besides that, I think very few people have enough intuition to go diving into cards without a lot of study first. If nothing else, study shows that you are dedicated to your craft and to being the best that you can be at it. Like with writing, you gotta know the rules before you break them.
Mostly I read for myself for advice and insight into troubling situations. I also offer the same types of readings to friends who ask for them.
I also use the Tarot for my writing, primarily as a writer's block buster.
I also use the Tarot for my writing, primarily as a writer's block buster.
(Why do you believe this to be so?)
I don't think there's a card in the deck that hasn't stumped me when it's shown up in "odd" place or an "out of character" reading. But continuously, I'd have to say:
1. Temperance
I understand the gist of this card, but I have a hard time distinguishing it from, say, The Chariot or even Strength: these are all cards about duality and finding a balance in duality, via some form of restraint or self-control. I freely admit that the distinction between them is sometimes too fine for my mind to grasp.
2. The World
How can you give specifics to a card that encompasses literally everything?
I don't think there's a card in the deck that hasn't stumped me when it's shown up in "odd" place or an "out of character" reading. But continuously, I'd have to say:
1. Temperance
I understand the gist of this card, but I have a hard time distinguishing it from, say, The Chariot or even Strength: these are all cards about duality and finding a balance in duality, via some form of restraint or self-control. I freely admit that the distinction between them is sometimes too fine for my mind to grasp.
2. The World
How can you give specifics to a card that encompasses literally everything?
(Feel free to show the spread.)
I wouldn't say that I create my own spreads often, as I rarely repeat the ones I come up with on the fly—they are usually more like a collection of single card spreads, with each position answering a specific question that would be irrelevant or nonsensical to anyone else.
One that I think would be applicable, generally, is the advice spread I devised for TG:
Its purpose is to cut to the heart of the matter instead of pussyfooting around with useless dross or prediction attempts (like, say, the Celtic Cross). Each "cross" at the top of the spread represents a person involved in the situation, so the number of cards would change in each reading; TG was asking about her family so there is one cross for each family member. These function like the first two cards in the Celtic Cross: what covers and crosses each person. Then the three cards below are advice: what you should keep doing, what you should stop doing, and what new thing you should try. I thought about adding a fourth (what you SHOULDN'T try) but in the end I decided it would be too much.
Not sure how effective it is as TG has not had the time to chat with me about it—that is okay with me. I'm sure I'll find an opportunity to use it sooner or later.
I wouldn't say that I create my own spreads often, as I rarely repeat the ones I come up with on the fly—they are usually more like a collection of single card spreads, with each position answering a specific question that would be irrelevant or nonsensical to anyone else.
One that I think would be applicable, generally, is the advice spread I devised for TG:
Its purpose is to cut to the heart of the matter instead of pussyfooting around with useless dross or prediction attempts (like, say, the Celtic Cross). Each "cross" at the top of the spread represents a person involved in the situation, so the number of cards would change in each reading; TG was asking about her family so there is one cross for each family member. These function like the first two cards in the Celtic Cross: what covers and crosses each person. Then the three cards below are advice: what you should keep doing, what you should stop doing, and what new thing you should try. I thought about adding a fourth (what you SHOULDN'T try) but in the end I decided it would be too much.
Not sure how effective it is as TG has not had the time to chat with me about it—that is okay with me. I'm sure I'll find an opportunity to use it sooner or later.
I don't have any preferred spread. I don't always use spreads, even; often I draw just a handful of cards and decide right before I draw them what they represent or what question they're answering.
I think the Celtic Cross is far too bulky a spread to teach beginners. Ten cards is kind of a large spread and it's a lot of relationships and interactions to keep track of, not to mention that some of the card positions can be difficult to interpret, or can be redundant and confusing. When I read on something and just draw cards, I don't typically draw more than 5 or 6. I find that's enough to answer most of my questions.
I think the Celtic Cross is far too bulky a spread to teach beginners. Ten cards is kind of a large spread and it's a lot of relationships and interactions to keep track of, not to mention that some of the card positions can be difficult to interpret, or can be redundant and confusing. When I read on something and just draw cards, I don't typically draw more than 5 or 6. I find that's enough to answer most of my questions.
(or, is most often pulled to represent you?)
Most traditions assign Cancer (my Sun sign) to the Queen of Cups, and over time I've come to think of her as my significator:
Generally this is the card that feels the most "me" out of the courts. Aside from the Queen of Cups, I have a special place in my heart for the Queen of Swords: she is who I want to be:
However, it seems that the Page of Cups and the Page of Pentacles will pop once in a while to represent me.
Most traditions assign Cancer (my Sun sign) to the Queen of Cups, and over time I've come to think of her as my significator:
Generally this is the card that feels the most "me" out of the courts. Aside from the Queen of Cups, I have a special place in my heart for the Queen of Swords: she is who I want to be:
However, it seems that the Page of Cups and the Page of Pentacles will pop once in a while to represent me.
Generally speaking, I don't have cards that follow me around. Recently, however, I've been seeing the 9 of Pentacles, the 10 of Swords, and Justice.
I hesitate as to theorize why this is. Those cards together can be either redemption or devastation.
I hesitate as to theorize why this is. Those cards together can be either redemption or devastation.
I don't particularly dread any card, even awful things like The Tower and so on. This is largely because I rarely read for myself, at least about things that are going well. I read about things that confuse me, or frustrate me. Once in a while I do general life readings (usually a 12-card spread based on the astrological houses, usually one on Midsummer or my birthday, and one on Yule or New Year's) but I don't really worry myself about whether or not unpleasant cards will show up. Nor can I recall ever having a particularly awful, doom-and-gloomy spread of that variety.
What I do dread, however, are cards that are difficult for me to interpret, whether generally (Temperance and the World spring to mind) or within the context of the spread. Especially if I'm reading for someone else!
What I do dread, however, are cards that are difficult for me to interpret, whether generally (Temperance and the World spring to mind) or within the context of the spread. Especially if I'm reading for someone else!
(Both in terms of artwork and divinatory meaning.)
I can't pick a favorite card universally. One artist will get one batch of cards completely right, another artist will get another, and a third, and so on, but I have yet to find a card that I feel is exceptionally well done across all the decks I use.
Artwork AND meaning:
I love the colors and the geometry of the Thoth's Star trump, so much so that I've designed a few pieces of jewelry around it. (A post for another day.)
Artwork:
(Josef Stalin as the Devil! Very appropriate.)
Bonus: favorite court cards
I can't pick a favorite card universally. One artist will get one batch of cards completely right, another artist will get another, and a third, and so on, but I have yet to find a card that I feel is exceptionally well done across all the decks I use.
Artwork AND meaning:
I love the colors and the geometry of the Thoth's Star trump, so much so that I've designed a few pieces of jewelry around it. (A post for another day.)
Artwork:
(Josef Stalin as the Devil! Very appropriate.)
Bonus: favorite court cards
It was probably the Celtic Cross, though I also learned that alongside the numerous ways you can read a simple 3-card spread and also the value of single card daily draws.
For someone besides myself, I take the question to mean.
The very first reading I ever did for another person was for B at some point in high school. It wasn't a particularly impressive reading—the only thing I can recall about it is that I only used the Major Arcana, for some reason, and that maybe even B had been out with me when I bought the deck (the RWS I bought to replace my Tarot de Marseilles and the deck I would eventually give to her a couple years later). We sat in the upstairs office she had turned into her computer room (it started out as a drafting office for her father, but he eventually became too sick to work) and I awkwardly shuffled the too-large cards and lay them out on the closed lid of her laptop before immediately consulting the LWB.
It was an awkward reading, to be sure: I was a totally novice reader and B was asking pretty heavy stuff that would have been better suited to someone more experienced and mature, both in life and with the cards in particular.
Except for a brief period of time doing readings for fellow members of a forum I used to frequent in late high school and early university (whose average member age must have been something like 15 or 16), I've avoided doing readings for others. My friends know that I have this hobby and sometimes they've asked me for a reading, just for fun (usually—B takes them quite seriously), and I've either made excuses and then grudgingly obliged only to get super nervous. Shaking hands, inability to make eye contact, the whole nine yards. That's why I don't think I could be a professional (or well, one of a few reasons why). I am content to volunteer my services via the Internet if a friend asks, and I can send it time delayed instead of doing it on Skype etc. IN REAL TIME, because nope.
The very first reading I ever did for another person was for B at some point in high school. It wasn't a particularly impressive reading—the only thing I can recall about it is that I only used the Major Arcana, for some reason, and that maybe even B had been out with me when I bought the deck (the RWS I bought to replace my Tarot de Marseilles and the deck I would eventually give to her a couple years later). We sat in the upstairs office she had turned into her computer room (it started out as a drafting office for her father, but he eventually became too sick to work) and I awkwardly shuffled the too-large cards and lay them out on the closed lid of her laptop before immediately consulting the LWB.
It was an awkward reading, to be sure: I was a totally novice reader and B was asking pretty heavy stuff that would have been better suited to someone more experienced and mature, both in life and with the cards in particular.
Except for a brief period of time doing readings for fellow members of a forum I used to frequent in late high school and early university (whose average member age must have been something like 15 or 16), I've avoided doing readings for others. My friends know that I have this hobby and sometimes they've asked me for a reading, just for fun (usually—B takes them quite seriously), and I've either made excuses and then grudgingly obliged only to get super nervous. Shaking hands, inability to make eye contact, the whole nine yards. That's why I don't think I could be a professional (or well, one of a few reasons why). I am content to volunteer my services via the Internet if a friend asks, and I can send it time delayed instead of doing it on Skype etc. IN REAL TIME, because nope.
Yes. If you speak to most Tarot enthusiasts, you'll find nearly all of them have a small library of decks. Over the years I have owned:
The Art Nouveau style is also appropriate and a nice nod to Pamela Coleman-Smith's original art. What was cute (and clever) about this particular deck is that the images in each suit, from Ace to 10, tell a story of sorts, with the same figures undergoing different trials and eventually succeeding or failing—without messing around with the meanings of the cards. It's subtle at first, but then once you notice it (or until you get to that bit of the companion book), you can't unsee it. Ravenscroft's art is really quite lovely and I never hit a wall with it the same way I did with Pracownik's, but it became apparent that Fae imagery and folklore isn't really "my thing" either, so I sent this deck off to another owner.
I didn't take all of my decks with me during my trans-Atlantic move: the Gilded Tarot, the Feng Shui Tarot, and the Robin Wood Tarot are among the things I still have to pack up in the US. Out of those three, I haven't read with the Feng Shui in YEARS. It would probably be better off in the hands of someone more enthusiastic about Feng Shui and I Ching than I am now (I was at one point, but am no longer), but I can't bear to part with it until I know that I can find prints of the Major Arcana cards. The years have not dimmed my appreciation for the art in this deck.
(The Connollys renamed Death "Transition" in this deck.)
But as far as Tarot goes....well. This deck went to some weird places. The suits all have different names, instead referred to by an animal with the appropriate elemental association: Swords are White Tiger, Wands are Black Tortoise, Pentacles are Green Dragon, and Cups are Red Phoenix. I'm not schooled enough in Chinese metaphysics enough to argue whether these are correct associations, but it can be quite disorienting when you begin to read with this deck, especially if you're not well-versed with the elemental associations of Feng Shui (never mind that when you try to shoehorn a 5-element tradition into a 4-element system, things get wonky). People appear only in the Majors and in the Courts; on the pips, the image features just the animal in question, a setting that supposedly has some kind of specific Feng Shui energy, and a trigram in the bottom right. Like the Dragon Tarot, the Feng Shui Tarot is not a deck where you can easily intuit a card's meaning; I often found myself using the Tarot keywords (and my copy of the I Ching) to try to understand what was going on in the picture, to be honest. The art, at least, is lovely. I love the Majors but really the whole deck is some eye candy.
The Gilded and the Robin Wood I've used from time to time. I was in love with Robin Wood's art the moment I saw it in Tarot, Plain and Simple; I like it a little less now, but it's still lovely. The same goes for the Gilded Tarot.
I save the Thoth for special occasions: readings for solar returns, the new year, and so on. I use the St. Petersburg Tarot for "the little things," you could say: day-to-day advice and frustrations. Soon after I purchased The Victorian Romantic deck I put it aside for special Story Duty so I haven't had too much of a chance to read with it yet.
Out of those five that I still read with, I'm not sure which one I would say is my favorite. I do love the miniature style of the St. Petersburg, though the images can often lack clarity. The Victorian Romantic has beauty as well as clarity. But then, those two are also my newest decks; who knows how I'll feel ten years from now!
- The Tarot de Marseilles (as I mentioned in my last post)
- The Rider Waite Smith (as I also mentioned in my last post)
- The Thoth
- The Gilded Tarot
- The Robin Wood Tarot
- The Mystic Faerie Tarot
- The Russian Tarot of St. Petersburg
- The Dragon Tarot
- The Feng Shui Tarot
- The Victorian Romantic Tarot
I don't have all of these anymore! Again, like I mentioned in the previous question, my Tarot de Marseilles deck got trashed and I gave my Rider Waite Smith deck away. Out of the rest on this list, I still own the Thoth, the Gilded, the Robin Wood, the St. Petersburg, the Feng Shui, and the Victorian Romantic decks, though I don't read with all of them.
A moment to talk about the decks I've since gifted away. The first is Peter Pracownik's Dragon Tarot. Other fantasy nerds (and note the use of other, there: I count myself among the benerded) went apeshit over this deck. I bought it mostly because it was different. It ended up being quite popular with the people I was reading for online at the time, but eventually I found the art a bit dull, inaccessible, and even juvenile. Sure, one air-brushed picture of a dragon in your bedroom when you're 14 is pretty cool, but a whole Tarot deck full of them (and it is almost nothing but blue, black, purple, and white, over and over again, with some red thrown in with the Wands and some green thrown in with the Coins) is overkill. Never mind that much of the art seems fairly disconnected from its RWS origins, almost like Pracownik decided to slap some Cups and Coins on his pre-existing art and call it a Tarot deck:
Sure I had the basic meanings and keywords of the cards (according to the RWS canon) I could draw on, but I found it impossible to extract any meaning or hint from the art whatsoever. After a couple years, I admitted to myself that this deck was a mistake and gave it away.
The next deck I released back into the wild was the Mystic Faerie deck. The art was much better than the Dragon Tarot. Vibrant colors, expressive figures, and a clear intent to actually convey meaning in every image instead of just HERE'S ANOTHER DRAGON:
The next deck I released back into the wild was the Mystic Faerie deck. The art was much better than the Dragon Tarot. Vibrant colors, expressive figures, and a clear intent to actually convey meaning in every image instead of just HERE'S ANOTHER DRAGON:
The Art Nouveau style is also appropriate and a nice nod to Pamela Coleman-Smith's original art. What was cute (and clever) about this particular deck is that the images in each suit, from Ace to 10, tell a story of sorts, with the same figures undergoing different trials and eventually succeeding or failing—without messing around with the meanings of the cards. It's subtle at first, but then once you notice it (or until you get to that bit of the companion book), you can't unsee it. Ravenscroft's art is really quite lovely and I never hit a wall with it the same way I did with Pracownik's, but it became apparent that Fae imagery and folklore isn't really "my thing" either, so I sent this deck off to another owner.
I didn't take all of my decks with me during my trans-Atlantic move: the Gilded Tarot, the Feng Shui Tarot, and the Robin Wood Tarot are among the things I still have to pack up in the US. Out of those three, I haven't read with the Feng Shui in YEARS. It would probably be better off in the hands of someone more enthusiastic about Feng Shui and I Ching than I am now (I was at one point, but am no longer), but I can't bear to part with it until I know that I can find prints of the Major Arcana cards. The years have not dimmed my appreciation for the art in this deck.
(The Connollys renamed Death "Transition" in this deck.)
But as far as Tarot goes....well. This deck went to some weird places. The suits all have different names, instead referred to by an animal with the appropriate elemental association: Swords are White Tiger, Wands are Black Tortoise, Pentacles are Green Dragon, and Cups are Red Phoenix. I'm not schooled enough in Chinese metaphysics enough to argue whether these are correct associations, but it can be quite disorienting when you begin to read with this deck, especially if you're not well-versed with the elemental associations of Feng Shui (never mind that when you try to shoehorn a 5-element tradition into a 4-element system, things get wonky). People appear only in the Majors and in the Courts; on the pips, the image features just the animal in question, a setting that supposedly has some kind of specific Feng Shui energy, and a trigram in the bottom right. Like the Dragon Tarot, the Feng Shui Tarot is not a deck where you can easily intuit a card's meaning; I often found myself using the Tarot keywords (and my copy of the I Ching) to try to understand what was going on in the picture, to be honest. The art, at least, is lovely. I love the Majors but really the whole deck is some eye candy.
The Gilded and the Robin Wood I've used from time to time. I was in love with Robin Wood's art the moment I saw it in Tarot, Plain and Simple; I like it a little less now, but it's still lovely. The same goes for the Gilded Tarot.
I save the Thoth for special occasions: readings for solar returns, the new year, and so on. I use the St. Petersburg Tarot for "the little things," you could say: day-to-day advice and frustrations. Soon after I purchased The Victorian Romantic deck I put it aside for special Story Duty so I haven't had too much of a chance to read with it yet.
Out of those five that I still read with, I'm not sure which one I would say is my favorite. I do love the miniature style of the St. Petersburg, though the images can often lack clarity. The Victorian Romantic has beauty as well as clarity. But then, those two are also my newest decks; who knows how I'll feel ten years from now!
My very first deck was the Tarot de Marseilles, but it didn't last long.
When I saw it billed in the bookstore as the "original" Tarot deck I decided to get it because I like authenticity and originality. Who doesn't? Imagine my confusion when I took it home, opened it up, and was greeted with images like this:
Okay, I'll need a book, I thought to myself. I picked up a copy of Tarot Plain and Simple by Anthony Louis. All these years later I have thoughts about Llewellyn publishers and the overall quality of their books, but I didn't have that opinion at the time; almost anything related to magic or paganism or witchcraft that I could find was coming out of Llewellyn. Today, I think Louis's book is at the high end of the bell curve when it comes to Llewellyn's offerings. I gave my copy to a friend who wanted to learn Tarot so I don't have it around to reference, but I remember it as being quite practical, grounded, and not very twee.
So I sat down with my book and my deck and tried again. (I think I was trying to do a reading about college?) After puzzling over it for a few days, I put aside the cards from the reading in one set of drawers and returned the cards in their box to another set of drawers. Then I was off on a trip to San Antonio, and while I was gone my father decided to dump everything from that set of drawers into the garbage, so only ten cards from that deck remain with me. I can't remember if I couldn't find the Tarot de Marseilles again, or if I wanted one with pictures, but either way the next dack I picked up was the classic Rider Waite Smith deck. I did many more readings with that than the Marseilles, so I think most people would consider that my true "first deck." I ended up giving that deck away to B at some point during college, as even then she was quite aggressive about asking for readings. I figured if she had her own deck, she would read for herself. By that point I also had a few other decks I was using instead of the Rider Waite Smith, so it was no loss on my end. She ended up losing it within a few years and was back to asking me for readings.
The first deck I bought that was neither the RWS nor the Thoth was on a trip to Salem, Massachussetts for Halloween. I still have the deck today, though not currently with me. I don't use it as much anymore because the art has kind of lost its appeal, but I can't bear to give it away, either, for sentimental reasons. That deck is The Gilded Tarot by Ciro Marchetti:
If I ever get back in a deck-buying mood again, there's a good chance I'll pick up one of Marchetti's other, newer decks, because it looks like he took the art to a whole new level. Like in the Legacy of the Divine deck:
When I saw it billed in the bookstore as the "original" Tarot deck I decided to get it because I like authenticity and originality. Who doesn't? Imagine my confusion when I took it home, opened it up, and was greeted with images like this:
Okay, I'll need a book, I thought to myself. I picked up a copy of Tarot Plain and Simple by Anthony Louis. All these years later I have thoughts about Llewellyn publishers and the overall quality of their books, but I didn't have that opinion at the time; almost anything related to magic or paganism or witchcraft that I could find was coming out of Llewellyn. Today, I think Louis's book is at the high end of the bell curve when it comes to Llewellyn's offerings. I gave my copy to a friend who wanted to learn Tarot so I don't have it around to reference, but I remember it as being quite practical, grounded, and not very twee.
So I sat down with my book and my deck and tried again. (I think I was trying to do a reading about college?) After puzzling over it for a few days, I put aside the cards from the reading in one set of drawers and returned the cards in their box to another set of drawers. Then I was off on a trip to San Antonio, and while I was gone my father decided to dump everything from that set of drawers into the garbage, so only ten cards from that deck remain with me. I can't remember if I couldn't find the Tarot de Marseilles again, or if I wanted one with pictures, but either way the next dack I picked up was the classic Rider Waite Smith deck. I did many more readings with that than the Marseilles, so I think most people would consider that my true "first deck." I ended up giving that deck away to B at some point during college, as even then she was quite aggressive about asking for readings. I figured if she had her own deck, she would read for herself. By that point I also had a few other decks I was using instead of the Rider Waite Smith, so it was no loss on my end. She ended up losing it within a few years and was back to asking me for readings.
The first deck I bought that was neither the RWS nor the Thoth was on a trip to Salem, Massachussetts for Halloween. I still have the deck today, though not currently with me. I don't use it as much anymore because the art has kind of lost its appeal, but I can't bear to give it away, either, for sentimental reasons. That deck is The Gilded Tarot by Ciro Marchetti:
What I liked about Marchetti's art then, and I still do now, is his vision for blending the magical and the mechanical, like the image for The High Priestess:
If I ever get back in a deck-buying mood again, there's a good chance I'll pick up one of Marchetti's other, newer decks, because it looks like he took the art to a whole new level. Like in the Legacy of the Divine deck:
Or maybe his Lenormand deck, a type of deck which seems to be the hot new thing in the Tarot community:
I found this 30-day Tarot Meme on another blog and decided it would be fun to answer here!
I feel like there's not a teenaged girl in affluent nations who usually has nothing to worry about beyond school, social life, and parental stress who doesn't get interested in the occult and magic at some point. At least, barring the kind of fanatical religious belief that would discourage her from any sort of esoteric pursuit. Not that boys didn't also, but it seemed to have a special appeal for the girls. Maybe it was some kind of instinctual reaction to a strongly patriarchal society and a nameless sense of not really being able to control our own destinies, at least not in the same way the boys could. I don't know. Hannah E. Sanders touched on it in her essay: "Living a Charmed Life: The Magic of Postfeminist Sisterhood," which seems to only be available offline in the collection: Interrogating Postfeminism: Gender and the Politics of Popular Culture. Unfortunately I don't have it onhand to quote from directly, but if you have a chance to pick up the book, it's well worth reading.
There was no particular, magical moment that I felt ~the call~ from Tarot. No one gave me a deck, I didn't have an amazingly accurate and insightful reading from one of the fortune tellers that hangs on the fringes of the large music festival near my home every summer, no one was ever blown away by the accuracy of a reading I did for them. So my answer to this is pretty boring.
What has kept me interested in Tarot years later, at an age when many people look back and cringe at their high school selves, is its complicated set of symbols that can be manipulated into all kinds of stories. Anything to do with story-telling immediately captures my attention, writer ("writer") that I am by training.
Unrelated to that, I appreciate having an objective outside opinion on things, and Tarot (or I Ching, or runes, or any sort of divination tool) is a great way for you to access that without having to open up to other people. Granted, this is a skill that takes time, and I'm not really there yet. But when you have a randomly generated set of images or keywords, just noting the way that you respond to those images in connection with the issue at hand can tell you all you need to know. I think being able to tell a story over a randomly-generated group of input is an important life skill that everyone should have, but that might well be a post for another day.
I feel like there's not a teenaged girl in affluent nations who usually has nothing to worry about beyond school, social life, and parental stress who doesn't get interested in the occult and magic at some point. At least, barring the kind of fanatical religious belief that would discourage her from any sort of esoteric pursuit. Not that boys didn't also, but it seemed to have a special appeal for the girls. Maybe it was some kind of instinctual reaction to a strongly patriarchal society and a nameless sense of not really being able to control our own destinies, at least not in the same way the boys could. I don't know. Hannah E. Sanders touched on it in her essay: "Living a Charmed Life: The Magic of Postfeminist Sisterhood," which seems to only be available offline in the collection: Interrogating Postfeminism: Gender and the Politics of Popular Culture. Unfortunately I don't have it onhand to quote from directly, but if you have a chance to pick up the book, it's well worth reading.
There was no particular, magical moment that I felt ~the call~ from Tarot. No one gave me a deck, I didn't have an amazingly accurate and insightful reading from one of the fortune tellers that hangs on the fringes of the large music festival near my home every summer, no one was ever blown away by the accuracy of a reading I did for them. So my answer to this is pretty boring.
What has kept me interested in Tarot years later, at an age when many people look back and cringe at their high school selves, is its complicated set of symbols that can be manipulated into all kinds of stories. Anything to do with story-telling immediately captures my attention, writer ("writer") that I am by training.
Unrelated to that, I appreciate having an objective outside opinion on things, and Tarot (or I Ching, or runes, or any sort of divination tool) is a great way for you to access that without having to open up to other people. Granted, this is a skill that takes time, and I'm not really there yet. But when you have a randomly generated set of images or keywords, just noting the way that you respond to those images in connection with the issue at hand can tell you all you need to know. I think being able to tell a story over a randomly-generated group of input is an important life skill that everyone should have, but that might well be a post for another day.
Some Levity
Nov. 24th, 2014 02:51 pmI've been a fan of the-toast.net for a while now, mostly because of their recurring series of commentary on Western art, courtesy Mallory Ortberg. Ortberg has another series on the art of Tarot Cards: Highly Literal Tarot Readings. So far she's looked at Wands and Swords. They're killing me.
The Stick War Has Begun
Now Let Us Attend a Good Charlotte Concert Together
Don't Look At Me
Okay You Can Look Now
The Stick War Has Begun
Now Let Us Attend a Good Charlotte Concert Together
Don't Look At Me
Okay You Can Look Now
Spread: Hulk Smash!
Nov. 17th, 2014 05:25 pmI was searching Aeclectic for all things related to anger (relevant to an upcoming post, maybe, if I feel like writing it will be worthwhile), when I found this Hulk-themed spread on anger by Glass Owl. Usually I find pop culture themed spreads to be a bit frou frou and gimmicky, but this one cuts right to the chase. If the Hulk terminology makes you roll your eyes that much, you can of course just use other words.
This is a 5-card spread, laid out like so:
Here are the card meanings:
1. Bruce Banner
This represents your typical, usual self.
2. Turning Green
This is what makes you angry or what aspect of your current situation is making you angry.
3. The Hulk Is Unleashed - SMASH!
This card will show how you express your anger, whether it is towards yourself or others.
4. Calming The Monster
This calms you down or helps you regain control.
5. A Lesson In Anger Management
This is an important truth you need to recognize or accept about yourself or your situation. This card may put things in perspective, or offer insights into how you can positively manage or channel your feelings.
I'll be giving this spread a try soon!
