August 11, 2022
Half of a dozen "Tarot Ideas" . . . .
I’ve been getting reacquainted with my first book, History, Mystery, and Lore. In particular, the “Lore” section, which ends with a section titled “Closure: A Dozen Tarot Ideas.”
I suppose I can claim to have been prophetic (!), since most of my once-cutting-edge suggestions now seem pretty ordinary.
But still . . . when these ideas are taken all together, they suggest a kind of engagement with Tarot that seems worth revisiting. So I’ve updated them a bit to reflect our technology advances, and will share half today, half tomorrow.
1.Create an idea deck. Get a blank deck of cards, and write Tarot-related ideas, questions, intentions, and experiences—one on each card. Then shuffle and deal them into spreads to reveal new connections. Or draw one card from the deck whenever you need inspiration/motivation.
2.Enlarge your view. Scan or photograph the cards in your favorite deck, then use your preferred method to create bigger versions, and print them out. I think you’ll find that oversized versions of the card images spark new insights. And you can use them for other projects, as suggested in the next several ideas.
3.Make a Tarot notebook. It’s very helpful to record ideas about the Tarot, experiences with the cards, etc. You can also compile your own card meanings and associations, drawing on different sources. Special pages can be created for the notebook: for example, make enlarged copies of the cards, using the lightest setting on a copy machine, and you will be able to write right over the images. (Or use your preferred graphics program to make the images more transparent.) Another idea is to place thumbnail images in the corner of each page-frame and leave the rest blank. You’ll have plenty of room to write on the page, with the card image right there for reference.
4. Record your readings. Just use your preferred tool/method—phone, Zoom, etc. This is an excellent way to analyze the reading process, including your own skills, as well as the dynamics of the reading event, differences among querents, and so on. Also, you can use these records as a point of reference for analyzing the effectiveness of predictions. But even if you use audio or video recording, supplement with charts of the spreads. Draw the outlines of the cards on a page as they would be laid out for a spread; create one form for each of the different spreads you like to use. Make plenty of copies, so you are always ready to notate a reading.
5. For beginners: Create a “learning deck.” It’s helpful in the early stages of working with Tarot to see suggested meanings and keywords right on the cards, rather than having to page through books or refer to your notes. You can write on a standard deck by using a permanent marker pen, which will write legibly over the patterns on the backs of your cards.
6. For more advanced students: Create a composite deck. Pick three decks and paste up thumbnails from each on blank cards, like collages. (Three Fools together, three Aces, etc.) If you shuffle and lay out these cards in the usual way, the resulting spread will have extra dimensions of imagery.
See you tomorrow. C