Tarot for the good times OR alternative ways to use the cards

[Page of Ghosts]

Prompted by some discussions and comments I thought I should start this topic since I know we're a diverse bunch on here who use tarot for so many different things.

 

For a while I've been not quite in the mood for tarot, because I burned myself out doing small daily readings. Daily readings can be fun and it's nice to see a card every day, but the way I went about it just exhausted me. While I'm not ready to delve back into tarot again just yet I was thinking about how I could use the cards for other things than guidance when I do get into it again. I'm not feeling as lost or confused anymore as a general state so I don't feel the need to ask my deck for advice about my life. Usually I will go to my cards when I need personal guidance and/or a good kick in the shin. Life is actually kind of alright at the moment, thus "tarot for the good times", when I'm not struggling and want a little brainstorming with my cards. I know there are so many other ways to utilize a tarot deck, so if you have any general ideas or suggestions for workbooks please send them my way!

[TheFeeLion]

If you want to do dailies again you could try pulling a card at the end of the day instead of the beginning. That way you get a nice little sum up of the day and maybe some insights into what happened throughout the day

[Arabella]

Yes, I hear you. Life is kinda good these days for me too. I've started to ask my cards in the morning "where can I find JOY today?"  I've had a couple of "pat on the back" cards and some "look on the bright side" draws as well. It's nice.

I'm keeping my practice up, not burning out, and I think if I draw a more negative card I'll be more inclined to take a positive approach to whatever it's saying.

[hierophant]

Slightly weird suggestion, but: What about taking a tarot break? Have a tarot free weekend, and enjoy nature?

 

I am not saying take a break from us at the forum, but maybe for a day or two, don't draw any cards at all? To just let your mind think a bit outside of the tarot box it has been in?

 

Or, what I have done. Snap chatted a suitable card to friends every now and then. Like, when a friend was being an idiot and not participating enough, I snapped him 4 pentacles :P

 

So, I used it as storytelling, and visual effects, I guess. And that's kinda alternative, isn't it?

[Rose Lalonde]

Maybe The Fool's Journey solitaire card game :)

 

I haven't played yet, but I keep meaning to. The rules are 9 pages with pics, but look interesting. (Rules available for free download under the files tab, but you have to sign up for an also free account.)

[Bookworm]

If you like to write, it's fun to use for writing prompts.

[Page of Ghosts]

Slightly weird suggestion, but: What about taking a tarot break? Have a tarot free weekend, and enjoy nature?

 

I am not saying take a break from us at the forum, but maybe for a day or two, don't draw any cards at all? To just let your mind think a bit outside of the tarot box it has been in?

 

Or, what I have done. Snap chatted a suitable card to friends every now and then. Like, when a friend was being an idiot and not participating enough, I snapped him 4 pentacles :P

 

So, I used it as storytelling, and visual effects, I guess. And that's kinda alternative, isn't it?

 

Luckily I have had a tarot break going on for a while ^-^ Not done much in terms of readings or even looking at any of my decks, only recently as I'm sorting through which decks to keep and which to let go of. Right now I kinda want to ease my way into it again, but daily draws are not very tempting at the moment. At least not in the way I used to do them. I've thought of using a notebook to write my own guidebook, kind of, if I was to do daily draws again! And TheFeeLion[/member] (love your name!) it's a good idea to draw them at the end of the day, I used to switch between that and doing it just after I woke up.

 

My birthday is coming up and since I love to use year cards in my practice I could also evaluate the year that was with Death as my guide and get deep into finding all my Hierophant cards, which will be the next one up. The Hierophant is also my birth card so I'm thinking it has to do with getting back to my roots somehow... will have to do some research on that.

[hierophant]

Oh, birth cards! How does one know what it is?

 

I have never done daily draws. I guess I would get sick of it really quickly if I did. So instead, I take the cards out just for readings. Also, I think reading just for others can be a good idea for a while.

[Page of Ghosts]

Oh, birth cards! How does one know what it is?

 

I have never done daily draws. I guess I would get sick of it really quickly if I did. So instead, I take the cards out just for readings. Also, I think reading just for others can be a good idea for a while.

 

Yeah, that's kind of the case for me. My days are very predictable so I didn't see the point to daily draws after a while. Maybe if I'm doing something special it can be fun but for a regular day it's not necessary.

 

Birth cards can be calculated a number of ways. I do it the 3rd way explained here since I own the Tarot For Your Self book by Mary K Greer and that's where I first learned about birth cards: https://www.biddytarot.com/tarot-birth-cards/

 

Some people don't think they make any sense and thus don't put much stock in them, but I think they are fun and mine makes sense to me so you'll just have to see for yourself what you make of it ^-^

 

I'm not very efficient with typing up readings but I have participated in the Circle of Seasons reading circle on the forum and it's been fun in the past! That's also a good idea. I'm not very confident in my skills with reading for others but eventually it could be nice to give it a try again.

[Page of Ghosts]

I was thinking about getting The Tarot Activity Book by Andy Matzner. Do any of you have it and if so, what do you think about it? I think it fits with what it is I want to do - an entire book with many different activities that you can use to get to know a deck or work on your intuition.

[EmpyreanKnight]

I don't really need to have any reason or concern to access a deck. Sometimes I just love staring at the cards of my deck du jour, soak up the images and just revel in their beauty.

 

Regarding birth cards, check out our thread HERE.

[Jewel]

Hi Page of Ghosts,

 

Once upon a time I tried the daily card thing and well that just did not work for me.  I love doing tarot exercises of various kinds, not all readings.  I have a book called Tarot for Self Discovery which has some interesting exercises, as the book title indicates it is about using Tarot for self discovery and it is not readings per se.  If you have enjoyed Tarot for Yourself, and have not yet tried 21 Ways to Read a Tarot Card, I really enjoyed that work book.  I did the whole apprentice level and when done went back and did the Journeyman level.

 

If you enjoy writing, there are all kinds of resources on using Tarot for storytelling, character development, etc.  If you are artistic you could even use your decks to get an idea and create some cards of your own just for fun.

 

I think one of the best things I ever did for myself though was getting into my "Deck of the Month" project.  I pick a deck each month and whether readings or exercises I use that deck mainly for the entire month.  I do not set a schedule of what I am going to do, it may just be to pick it up and look at the cards.  Like EK I sometimes just enjoy looking at my cards and nothing more.  I just enjoy them for the art.

 

I have even been thinking about making some doll clothes inspired by Tarot cards to do some doll photo shoots  ;D

[DanielJUK]

I think there are two matters here...

 

- Tarot Burnout or feeling blocked using it. We all get it and need a break! You can have a break and not read for a while or try a new deck, do something different in your divination, that normally jazzes things up! a new deck or a new method of doing it!

 

- as you get more experienced with tarot, I think you do less readings for yourself, especially when you don't need advice! I only ever do it sometimes and I do a monthly card. Often I think, do I really want to read on this or know? So I have found that I have become less is more in my approach! I do enjoy reading for others which I recommend doing! It can help with your blockage or apathy! Also read for fictional things, like when you are watching tv or other stories, that is fun! I did World Cup predictions for football (I don't even like the sport that much) but it was a lot of fun!

[Grandma]

Hi Page of Ghosts -

 

Sometimes I pick several decks from my collection, preferably very different from each other.  I pull a card from the first, then select the same card from the others.  I don't ask a question or set an agenda or goal, I just meditate on the cards.  It's amazing the different interpretations the various depictions of the same card produce!

 

This also works with readings, which always fascinates me - how the same spread, done at the same time and place, can yield such different results.

[Page of Ghosts]

Thanks for the additional tips  ^-^

 

DanielJUK[/member] It's true I've struggled with burnout this spring and summer. Right now I want to ease myself back into it because I miss using my cards, but I'm not sure how to create a sustainable practice that won't let me burn out again, so this thread was born. I consider myself an intermediate reader and I think you're right when you say some of us don't want to read as much for ourselves as we become more experienced. I've gotten good feedback from the times when I've read for others but I'm not very confident in my skills... When I read for myself it's only I who will be dissatisfied should I not be able to make much sense of the cards, but maybe I should be brave and get more into it, once I am sure the burnout is completely over.

 

Grandma[/member] I enjoy looking at the different depictions of a card, which I why I have many decks. I really want to do this with the Hierophant soon! You make a good point about laying out an entire reading in a different deck, I love having different decks for the ways they will bring out special qualities of a card that might be absent in another deck.

 

Jewel[/member] I have in my decluttering project not been able to let go of many decks, but I have sorted them into 3 categories: 10 decks I have out in a box in my living room that I pretend are the only decks I own to be less overwhelmed, some decks in a box in my closet that gives me joy but I'm taking a break from them and a final category of decks I am unsure if I wanna keep or let go of. I really like your deck of the month project and while I'm not sure if that's gonna be possible for me I like that I have narrowed mine down to just 10 that I have as working decks at the moment. I'll look into your book suggestions!

 

EmpyreanKnight[/member] I love tarot decks for the art so it's a good idea to just look through them. I have many decks I enjoy for the art, I just wish to have them in more use, if that makes sense?

 

 

I will probably make a journal entry in my physical journal with all your good advice, it's starting to become a lot and I feel like I'm getting an idea about what to do next  <3

[Jewel]

I will probably make a journal entry in my physical journal with all your good advice, it's starting to become a lot and I feel like I'm getting an idea about what to do next  <3

Cool!  Sounds like motivation is afoot!  :))

[Saturn Celeste]

Maybe The Fool's Journey solitaire card game :)

 

I haven't played yet, but I keep meaning to. The rules are 9 pages with pics, but look interesting. (Rules available for free download under the files tab, but you have to sign up for an also free account.)

OMG Rose that is so awesome!  I have printed out the rules and intend to learn this game, then maybe do a video on how to play it!  I still have a Mantegna video to shoot one of these days too. 

I also found this tarot game:

I would caution the use of this game because it pits your cards against each other and that might not be the type of energy you want out of your deck.  If you have a deck you won't be using for tarot then perhaps that will work out for you.

 

Page of Ghosts[/member], try reading other people maybe?  Take your cards and go to a park before the weather turns and sit and see if anyone wants a reading, you might even pick up a few bucks doing it.

[Page of Ghosts]

I compiled all your ideas into one whole page in my journal! For some reason I wrote it in Norwegian, while I kept the intuition exercise suggested by Jewel in my forum journal in English. Weird...  ???

[Jewel]

I like your journal!  You have very pretty handwriting  ;D

[Page of Ghosts]

I like your journal!  You have very pretty handwriting  ;D

 

Thank you! I worked hard to whip it back into shape some years ago after it had deteriorated to the point where I couldn't read it very well myself ^-^

[DanielJUK]

When you feel less burnt out Page of Ghosts, sign up to one of the monthly circles if you would like to! It is a great way of practising with others and you make new friends with the people on here. It's a good way of reading for others in a place that is gentle and for learning. If you feel confident, you can start an exchange reading for others but there is a risk with that with burn out! After a while of doing them I feel quite tired but you can make it fit you.

 

You learn so much from reading for others here, it's one of the best ways of learning  :) <3