TAROT
TAROT
Tarot. The tarot reveals imagery and indicates the way that life could travel. It can show a set of choices, but we do have free will to determine or change the outcome. The word Tarot comes from a latin word TA RO meaning a wheel. The cards symbolise the circle of life from birth to death.
TAROT DECKS (many of which can be found in our New-Age Shop):
Tarot packs consist of 78 cards:
22 Major Arcana
56 Minor arcana of which there are 4 different suits.
SUGGESTED DECKS:
The Universal Ryder waite (I find it a lovely deck)
The Hanson Roberts Tarot (Fairy tale imagery)
The Cosmic Tarot Deck (Beautiful illistrations)
The Connolly Tarot Deck
The Morgan Greer Tarot Deck
Tarot Deck – Alistair Crowley Thoth
CHOOSING A TAROT PACK;
I would recommend starting with a Rider Waite deck as most modern decks are also based on it and have similar imagary. I started with this pack and then was able to work with many other packs without any problems at all.
Our New-age Shop has a selection of opened packs for you to look at or have a folder of sample cards that you can look through. You can then look for the cards that you are personnally drawn to with imagary which inspires you. Once you have chosen your cards I would reccommend wrapping them in silk or putting them in some kind of wooden box.
I find that there is a lot of conflicting advice on shuffling, cutting and handling. I believe that there is not really any right or wrong procedure. I would say just develop your own way or follow the guide in the handbook supplied with the tarot deck that you choose. However, I do think that it is important to follow the same procedure every time.
You may then like to go on a course which can teach you the tarot, and allow you the chance to practice your skills with others of a like-mind. Some people also like to practice with family members, friends or relatives. I found that the more readings that I did, the better I got at it.
READING PROFFESSIONALLY:
If you decide to extend your tarot reading to the public after you have done a course and your tutor has certified that you are ready, the main motive in my view should be the desire to be of service to humanity and mankind. I feel that it is also very important that you must work in a completely confidential and professional way. People may come to you for a reading because they are needing assistance or looking for future direction or guidance.
Overall, destiny can be difficult to forecast as we all have free will. I don’t believe that there is really a master plan. You may see new opportunities ahead for your client but it will be up to them if they wish to take them or not. When you do Tarot readings try just do your best to help the client evaluate their own life so that they can realise their best potential. I would also recommend that you would keep a list of helpline numbers to hand as well, in case a client needs specialist qualified advice in a field that you are not trained for.
SITTINGS:
I would say that it is best to work from a room in a new-age shop or an alternative health centre. The reading room should be quiet, clean and comfortable so that you can relax.
I always ask the client if they have had a reading before and explain how I work and what I do. I like to tell the client not to tell me anything initially so I can give an unbiased assessment in the reading. After the initial reading, I may ask the client which areas they would like me to take a closer look at, and if they have any specific questions. I feel that it is the Tarot reader’s responsibility to give a positive, non-judgemental and constructive reading, as the reader is responsible for what they say. If, for example, the client asks: “What does the tarot indicate about me joining this tennis club”, if it was a negative card and the reader did not have good feelings about this particular club for the client, then there must be an alternative opportunity to say a different club that they could join that may be better for them.
WHEN CAN I COME BACK?
I don’t think it is a good idea to encourage anyone to get dependant on a reader. However, I would say, that the time for another reading may be when there is a diffferent set of circumstances and different decisons that need to be made.
Paul Perris, Healing Light