Introduction to Tarot
Joie de Vivre Deck by Paulina Cassidy
Tarot is a wonderful form of divination that can really shed some light and give us great insight about issues we are having a hard time resolving throughout our day to day lives. There has always been such a negative stigma that come with the usage of tarot, and many often associate them with dark or evil connotations. That couldn’t be farther from the truth, as I personally feel that they can offer you a beautiful outlook on your life and give great advice as to how you can interact and react to people and situations around you!
MY JOURNEY WITH THE TAROT
I have always been extremely drawn to and enchanted by the mystic and metaphysical realm. As a teenager, I would read books about new age subjects, astrology, symbology and the occult for hours on end. I began to seek knowledge wherever it would present itself to me, and there was something about the realm of the tarot that intrigued me. Its ancient mysteries have always captivated my imagination and I would wonder what it would be like to get divine messages from those beautifully illustrated cards.
However, for a beginner, learning how to read tarot can seem like an extremely overwhelming undertaking. There were 78 cards to learn not only upright, but in reverse as well. It seemed like an impossible feat to master. It was always something that I would pick up, and then get overwhelmed, only to stop again and again.
I had bought my first deck when I was about 22 or 23 years old. It was an enticing kit that I had purchased at a local bookstore; it came with the Tarot de Marseille, a guidebook on different spreads along with the upright and reversed meanings of each of the 78 cards, as well as a shiny purple silk cloth to wrap the cards in. I took it home and unwrapped the deck, and devoured the book trying to make sense of it all. Little did I realize, the character names of the Major Arcana and the Court Cards were all in French, and also all of the PIP (numbered) cards were numerical suits only, and lacked the helpful illustrations like that of the more universal Rider-Waite. Well this was truly discouraging and I abandoned my desire to unlock the mysteries of the tarot once again!
I was pretty certain at this point that defeat had gotten the best of me. I had engaged in a love/hate relationship with the tarot, pretty much for the rest of my 20s. It wasn’t until I reached 30 that I started to truly ponder my direction in life, and I needed a source for answers. Not only did I need a source for answers, I also needed a solid figure in my life to just point me in a general direction. I knew I needed to find a mentor and a support system, if I was truly going to learn the tarot once and for all. I had then put it out into the universe that I wanted to find a mentor to teach me all there is to know about the tarot and its wonderful mysteries.
In the summer of 2015, an app called Periscope had made its way to the mainstream, and I was invited by a friend to watch a random scope of a woman doing live one card readings for her audience. I was intrigued by her knowledge and patience and her demeanor was just so encouraging and filled with positivity and light! At the end of her scope, she had announced that she was opening up a course for anyone interested in learning how to read the tarot. Not only was she opening the course, she was giving away a handful of course scholarships which would enable the lucky selected applicants to take the complimentary course. Well I knew I had to submit my video application as soon as I possibly could.
However, for a beginner, learning how to read tarot can seem like an extremely overwhelming undertaking. There were 78 cards to learn not only upright, but in reverse as well. It seemed like an impossible feat to master. It was always something that I would pick up, and then get overwhelmed, only to stop again and again.
I had bought my first deck when I was about 22 or 23 years old. It was an enticing kit that I had purchased at a local bookstore; it came with the Tarot de Marseille, a guidebook on different spreads along with the upright and reversed meanings of each of the 78 cards, as well as a shiny purple silk cloth to wrap the cards in. I took it home and unwrapped the deck, and devoured the book trying to make sense of it all. Little did I realize, the character names of the Major Arcana and the Court Cards were all in French, and also all of the PIP (numbered) cards were numerical suits only, and lacked the helpful illustrations like that of the more universal Rider-Waite. Well this was truly discouraging and I abandoned my desire to unlock the mysteries of the tarot once again!
I was pretty certain at this point that defeat had gotten the best of me. I had engaged in a love/hate relationship with the tarot, pretty much for the rest of my 20s. It wasn’t until I reached 30 that I started to truly ponder my direction in life, and I needed a source for answers. Not only did I need a source for answers, I also needed a solid figure in my life to just point me in a general direction. I knew I needed to find a mentor and a support system, if I was truly going to learn the tarot once and for all. I had then put it out into the universe that I wanted to find a mentor to teach me all there is to know about the tarot and its wonderful mysteries.
In the summer of 2015, an app called Periscope had made its way to the mainstream, and I was invited by a friend to watch a random scope of a woman doing live one card readings for her audience. I was intrigued by her knowledge and patience and her demeanor was just so encouraging and filled with positivity and light! At the end of her scope, she had announced that she was opening up a course for anyone interested in learning how to read the tarot. Not only was she opening the course, she was giving away a handful of course scholarships which would enable the lucky selected applicants to take the complimentary course. Well I knew I had to submit my video application as soon as I possibly could.
I submitted my application and hoped for the best! A couple days later, I was so excited to find an email in my inbox that had notified me that I was accepted into the course via scholarship, and it was then when I had officially found my tarot mentor who would teach me all there was to know about “intuitively” reading the tarot. Her name is Krysten Burkhardt-Hansyn and her guidance and support has played an essential part in my journey in finally learning the tarot in a way that has kept me intrigued and motivated without feeling like I need to be glued to some guidebook.
Her methods lie mostly in paying attention to the illustrations on the card, and she really made me realize that maybe I just started off with the wrong deck. Restarting my tarot journey with the Rider-Waite deck made a world of a difference to me; its vivid illustrations really helped me hone in on symbology. They activated my imagination and before you know it, I was piecing together my own stories through the practice readings I was doing for my classmates. I learned all about how the elements related to each suit and her lessons on the Fool’s Journey and archetypes were what really set my imagination on fire! She has taught me that all I need is everything I have had all along: my intuition.
After my 6 week intensive course, I had submitted my final paper, and became a certified reader. I still continue to blog and journal about the tarot through my own practice spreads and exercises and am currently continuing my tarot studies with Kristen and Supernatural Tarot. When I think back on how I came to find Kristen to help me complete my desire to pursue the tarot, it still amazes me:
I asked the universe for her, and it was most certainly listening…
Her methods lie mostly in paying attention to the illustrations on the card, and she really made me realize that maybe I just started off with the wrong deck. Restarting my tarot journey with the Rider-Waite deck made a world of a difference to me; its vivid illustrations really helped me hone in on symbology. They activated my imagination and before you know it, I was piecing together my own stories through the practice readings I was doing for my classmates. I learned all about how the elements related to each suit and her lessons on the Fool’s Journey and archetypes were what really set my imagination on fire! She has taught me that all I need is everything I have had all along: my intuition.
After my 6 week intensive course, I had submitted my final paper, and became a certified reader. I still continue to blog and journal about the tarot through my own practice spreads and exercises and am currently continuing my tarot studies with Kristen and Supernatural Tarot. When I think back on how I came to find Kristen to help me complete my desire to pursue the tarot, it still amazes me:
I asked the universe for her, and it was most certainly listening…
