Tarot Talk & Technique

This topic is a continuation of something that came up in the de-enable thread. We started talking about how so many of us seem to have one or more decks in our collection (or that used to be in our collection) that we simply can't get good readings from. I am talking about the decks that we find to be the opposite of 'work horses' and 'talkers'. It is the decks that seem to be very unwilling to cooperate or to spill the beans. So I thought it would be fun to ask even more people if they have had this experience. If you have, were you able to get past it? (If so, how?). Have you decided to keep or to re-home those silent decks, and why? Although this is not about any deck…

Hi there, I have only ever used the Mythic tarot deck with 84 cards. I would like to buy a pack of cards and workbook for my niece but was suprised to find looking online that tarot decks vary in the number of cards. Is there a 'right' number? I think I will have to buy her an 84 pack as it is the only one I know so it would be confusing otherwise. All advice appreciated. I hope joining this site enlarges my understanding of the tarot. Which is quite limited really. I do my own readings twice a year and stick to that. Interestingly in my last reading (April this year) the central card was the hanging man, representing sacrifice. Which pretty much summed it u…

...of the Darkness of Light tarot, either 2nd or 3rd edition. Puh-leeze?! I thought I'd exorcised it out of my life. I really did. I bought the Mary-El and the Children of Litha, thinking those would assuage my hankering for a decent shadow work deck. But then I realized I didn't want the Darkness of Light for shadow work. I just wanted it. Period. I can't stop thinking about it, and I am baffled by my obsession, but there you have it. I tried emailing the artist, trawling eBay U.S. and international, posting on tarot Facebook pages - all to no avail. I am hoping the universe does right by me and sent me here with the hopes…

For the last year or so I've been developing my method for reading the Tarot de Marseille, and in the process I took a detour to rework my understanding of the RWS (which you can read here). In studying the Marseille, I've realized that there are a number of pip decks that I would like to read with but that won't work in relation to the system that I've developed. My system for the TdM relies partially on the visual arrangement of the foliage and the "looks" of the human figures on the cards, so beautiful decks like the Prediction Tarot (which have quite spartan minors and many figures that face outwardly) really won't work. What follows, then, is a system tha…

This goes beyond the specific deck mentioned in the video, and it’s a really important topic. Discriminating or making fun of someone who’s suffering from mental illness is simply not okay.

Hey dear community! Even though I have been reading for several years- I am still searching for a better way to attune to the energy of far away querents! So far I haven't found anything that noticeably increase my accuracy. While I know these things are individual- I would LOVE to hear your rituals/methods/tricks. to perhaps get inspired and try some of the ideas if possible CHeers!

Does anyone have any examples of unconventional suit meanings/associations that are still useful and illuminating? I'm thinking through a new method of reading with non-Marseille pip decks and would like some food for thought about how to understand the suits beyond the received wisdom (i.e. Wands = energy/spirit/ambitions, Cups = love/relationships/feelings, Swords = thoughts/communication, and Pentacles = job/health/money). Here are some examples of what I mean: - In my recent discussion about a new approach to the RWS based on reading the actual images, I noted my distaste for assigning the suit of Swords the typical meanings of "thoughts & communicatio…

Hi, I'm quite new to Tarot and my journey I have decided to start with reading as much is possible and learn and meditate on cards. I want to use Tarot for self-development and finding more about my inner spirit and how to become a better person. I'm using Rider & Waite deck. The books I have read so far includes: Alejandro Jodorowsky - The Way of Tarot 78 Degrees of Wisdom by Rachel Pollack Meditation on Tarot Ultimate Guide to Rider Waite Tarot Any further reading recommendations and information how to find out more about my deck, increase the connection. Many thanks…

Dear Tarot readers, Could you help me with this interpretation? Tarot Deck I'm using - Waite & Smith Card pulled in order - 9 of Cups, Tower and The Chariot I'm using Tarot for self-development and improvement, question I have asked: "What field in my life I should improve, what lesson do I need to learn" My interpretation: 9 of Cups I was living materialistic life, neglecting my spiritual side and soul, surrendered with similar type of "friends" who really care more about their image then true interpersonal relations based on trust, respect and love. …

Hello, I was wondering how others read Oracle or Tarot decks with Chakras Cards ? Do you keep the Chakra Cards in the deck or do you separate the Chakra Cards? I just purchased the Connected and Free Oracle deck and it has 8 Chakra Cards. I have separated the Chakras Cards and use it to understand the energy surrounding the person or question and then I pull a tarot card to clarify the Chakra card. I would love to know how others use decks like the Psychic Tarot by John Holland and the Connected and Free Oracle by Inner Hue?

Hey! Sorry if this isn't the right space, I'm new!! What card has been recurring for you guys lately? Any ideas why? In what context, maybe? I just thought this would be a fun thread as I've had a card of my own tacked onto my life recently and wanted to see if others have too lol. I've gotten the lovers A LOT lately. Every single time I've done a sit down for the past two weeks, in fact. It even came flying out of the deck like a bat out of tarot hell twice while shuffling today lol. Yesterday it popped out when I was taking the deck out of the bag!!! Very odd. How about you guys? Any card stalkers??

Hello, Everyone. It’s been awhile since I’ve logged in here. I’m reading a lot about archetypes from a number of sources and, at the same time, learning new songs on my guitar. One of my favorites is Tom Waits ‘Shiver Me Timbers’ and this morning I started thinking that it might contain an archetype if leaving or the one who consciously leaves everything behind. Also a very beautiful song. I First thought of the fool but the man in the song is not an innocent. He is longing for something and he does have a structured life he is yearning to leave behind, A wife and friends he trusts to break the news of his leaving to her. So which card? Maybe the four of wands as…

It's called The Spread Machine and I'm gonna link it now in the hopes that that's not against the rules in this section. (If it is, can someone let me know so I can delete the link, please?) But anyhow, do I need it since I'm such a newbie tarot reader? Or am I being seduced by the pretty font and colors and I can find all that info on my own on the web so I should just save my money for more decks instead? 😉

Lately I've been chewing on the subject of "keyword overload" for tarot beginners. I wrote a couple of posts on it that take their inspiration from the more focused approach of Lenormand. I call it more "inductive" (start small and build) than "deductive" (try to swallow and digest the whole thing at once). Our romance with the synonym could be the culprit. The original post is linked to this one. https://parsifalswheeldivination.com/2020/07/14/down-with-the-synonym-variations-on-a-theme/

Since people have been so kind and helpful with my first ever forum inquiry, I am gonna push my luck and post another, if I may? The Spirit Seeker's Tarot is OOP and going for a small fortune in the resale market. The creator says she won't be reprinting any year soon. An Etsy seller is collabing with Benebell to make tarot tiles. Is a set worth $350 USD? Anyone who has the SK deck wanna chime in and talk about how it reads? Anyone who owns tarot tiles wanna speak to how readings work with tiles over cards? Do you just put them all in a bag and draw like runes?

Hullo! I am brand new to this space so I hope I am posting in the proper area. If not, my apologies to the mods and I defer to them to move this wherever they see fit. But on to my dilemma: I was able to purchase a used copy of the Truth Seeker's deck - yes, the one with the gold foil - for a super reasonable price, but upon arrival, I discovered that the deck was missing the entire 22 cards of the Major Arcana! Sob! I have since emailed the seller in hopes that she just forgot to put the cards in the box, but in case she hadn't, what do you advise I do? The way I see it, here are my options: a. Use the deck without the Major Arcana (i…

I recently had an interesting conversation on another forum about personal reading style. I sat down and captured everything I could think of about my own approach to reading the cards, developed over nearly 50 years of doing it. Here is the short list, and a link to the full narrative. Note that the "curmudgeon quotient" may be a bit high in some of this and it will likely push a few buttons. Don't take it personally, it's only one man's opinion. https://parsifalswheeldivination.com/2020/06/30/favorite-things/ Use of Formal (and Usually “Positional”) Spreads “Subconscious Induction” (Client Shuffling and "How Tarot Works") “Gestalt” O…

I just wanted to let everyone know that there is a seller on etsy that is listing fake decks and fake original drawings by Pamela Colman Smith. These fakes are, to me, extremely obvious so I don't think it will fool many people that know anything about Pamela or about the RWS, but still, this person seems to have made quite a few sales so I felt it was worth to make sure they don't get away with it. I urge everyone to report it. And in case the site is taken down, I thought some of you might enjoy a peek at the blatant lies and the fantastic quality fakes that are on offer 😁 https://www.etsy.com/shop/TAROTKAT Description of the drawings (scroll do…

Does anyone have any uncommon techniques for reading a nine-card-square spread without positional meanings? In my journey learning to read Tarot de Marseille, I've discovered that the most common method involves a line of three, five, or seven cards without positional meanings. The same is apparently true for a square of nine cards (i.e. three rows of three cards each). In his Playing Marseille set, Ryan Edward features one such reading of a square, but his advice (following his teacher Camelia Elias) is simply to attend to the rhythm and flow of the images overall. This approach is a bit too open for my taste. As a reader, I like a little bit more structure t…

I think this is an important topic that doesn’t get talked about as often as it should. This article is well worth the read! https://www.groveandgrotto.com/blogs/articles/how-to-spot-a-fake-tarot-deck-and-why-you-should-care?fbclid=IwAR17mgi_z2b3SzDKu9arCRTTmafOvnZvDfov9jPCU01_z5oWkHwWrmVtD7s

I thought we could have a thread dedicated to round decks. What are your favorites? What round decks do you know of? How do you store them? How do you use them? I am experimenting with the directionalities that is described for the motherpeace tarot and I have found them very useful. I am sure most of you know about them but here is a quick one: If its upright then it is upright If it is reversed then the energy is blocked or felt unconsciously If the card is tilted to the right then the energy is being pushed harder than necessary And if the card is tilted to the left then the energy is being held back …

I just had me a curmudgeonly rant about some of the dearly-held myths of tarot. I'm sure I missed some (or many). Anyone care to weigh in on the subject? I'm not looking for defense, just identification. https://parsifalswheeldivination.com/2020/06/14/the-myths-of-tarot-sacred-cows-and-tin-gods/

Hello, I am new to this website and tarot in general. I've been trying to learn tarot(mostly for personal reading) last couple months. I had a deck which was not mine previously(belonged to my mother as far as i know, which she barely used and the deck has been gathering dust in my room in the last 10 years.) and i thought it would be okay to start with this deck to learn basics. So i started reading tarot for myself and i didn't seem to have any issues with picking cards and reading them(even though i use internet and books for meanings most of the time :)). But today something odd happened, something i overlooked all these months. I found two copies of same card in my d…

I was thinking about different kinds of readings one could do, and it occurred to me that when reading about a relationship, it might be helpful to have both (or all) members of that relationship present, if they are interested in all knowing more about what is going on or what might happen in future. For example, maybe two parents are thinking of moving their kid to another school, and want to know if that is a good idea. Or maybe a couple want to know what will happen if one of them takes a new job and they have to decide between relocating or having a long-distance relationship. Does anyone here have experience with this? How do you conduct these readings a…

Llewellyn is holding a free online conference with 4 workshops presentations each day, beginning today and going through next Friday. A number of the sessions are tarot focused! More info here: https://www.llewellyn.com/LlewellynCon2020/index.php.