Tarot Readings

Strength

The ninth card in the sequence of the tarot deck is that depicting the concept of Strength. As is the case with the entire sequence, the Strength card continues to build on the lessons of the cards that have come before it. The eighth card – the Chariot — already taught our traveler the absolute [...]

The ninth card in the sequence of the tarot deck is that depicting the concept of Strength. As is the case with the entire sequence, the Strength card continues to build on the lessons of the cards that have come before it. The eighth card – the Chariot — already taught our traveler the absolute importance of gaining control over his raw emotions and basic instincts. Now Strength teaches him to rise above them, achieving a greater state of being in the process.

One of the first things we learn from Strength is that it’s not the straightforward concept it might seem to be at first. There are many ways to be strong. Of course, being strong of body and muscle is probably the most commonly known way, but it is very important to note that this is not the type of strength that this card represents. Instead, we’re being asked to take a look at fortitude of mind, of will, and of spirit. When we have this type of strength at our disposal, it’s possible to overcome anything life throws at us, as everything must eventually bow to a will greater than its own.

The traditional tarot image of Strength depicts a woman clothed in flowing robes of pure white grappling with a lion. We can see that the lion’s will has already been bested by that of the lady, as he wears a lead of flowers around his neck. The lady herself is in the act of closing the lion’s jaws, although some believe alternatively that she is prying the jaws open. Whichever is the case, it is clear that the lady does not possess the same brawny variety of strength the lion does. Hers is instead a quieter strength based on steadfastness, persistence, and patience. It is also a strength built of courage. Eventually she will best the lion through use of all these virtues in tandem showing that inner strength is ultimately more powerful than outer strength.

The image as a whole represents the triumph of the human spirit and the mind over man’s raw, unfettered emotions and baser instincts. Once these powerful forces are harnessed and under control, they are no longer a hindrance to growth and can be used for the greater good at large. Learn to control your animal instincts instead of letting them control you, and you will become an unstoppable force in the world without question. It is the ability to master this process that separates man from beast.

When the Strength card shows up in a tarot spread, it can signify a number of situations. However, all typically have to do with powerful forces at work that can be controlled and bested through the application of inner fortitude. These forces may exist within or without, but either way, the Strength card assures the querent that control of the situation is indeed within his grasp. If Strength shows up in representation of another person, it most likely symbolizes a friend or acquaintance who is incredibly brave or steadfast.

The Strength card can also symbolize general issues as well – especially when it comes to impulse control. It can shine a light on the need to find a creative or clever solution to the problem at hand or it can advise to go about solving the dilemma in such a way that the querent’s ever important honor is not sacrificed in the process. Always it cautions the querent not to give up no matter what the circumstances and to do his best to keep faithful in the knowledge that he will be rewarded for his persistence with success.

Psychic Access Offers Free Tarot Card Reading

Psychic Access is offering a free 6 minute tarot card reading for all new registered users. They’ve even launched this new webmerical video to promote the offer.

To qualify for the reading, just visit the link below and sign up.

Click Here To Get Your Free Reading At PsychicAccess Right Now

Psychic Access is offering a free 6 minute tarot card reading for all new registered users. They’ve even launched this new webmerical video to promote the offer.

To qualify for the reading, just visit the link below and sign up.

Are You Paying Attention? If Not, Tarot Cards Can Help.

In the latest installment of Laura Rowley’s Money & Happiness column on Yahoo Finance, she discusses a new book  on the science of happiness. In the book, “Rapt: Attention and the Focused Life,” behavioral scientist writer Winifred Gallagher concludes that if you want to be happy, you need to pay attention.
 
“Pay attention to what?” you [...]

In the latest installment of Laura Rowley’s Money & Happiness column on Yahoo Finance, she discusses a new book  on the science of happiness. In the book, “Rapt: Attention and the Focused Life,” behavioral scientist writer Winifred Gallagher concludes that if you want to be happy, you need to pay attention.

 
“Pay attention to what?” you might ask.

“To whatever your brain is focusing on,” Gallagher would answer.

As she explains in her book, allowing your mind to become monopolized by negative thoughts only makes the situation worse. If you are constantly thinking about a negative situation, your conceptual reality and options are limited. You are not allowing your brain to recognize that alternatives to the current situation exist. You can even become paralyzed by the fear and anxiety that the situation causes. By trying to refocus your brain to think more positively, you broaden your conceptual horizon and are able to recognize more options. This leads to better decision-making on how to deal with the current situation.

Tarot cards can help with training your brain to refocus. The imagery on each card serves as a guide and literally gives your mind something on which to focus. The cards can help you view your circumstances in a different light.

One way to use tarot cards to broaden your conceptual horizon is through a daily reading. You can use your entire deck or just the cards of the Major Arcana. First, sit in a quiet part of your home and take a deep breath. Now spread your tarot cards, face down, in front of you and select one. Pay attention to the pictures and symbols on the card and what they mean to you. Do you identify with any of the figures on the card? What imagery on the card, if any, sends you a negative message? What imagery, if any, sends you a positive message? Now ask yourself how the situation at hand is influencing the way you view the card. Is there an alternative way to read the card?

For example, let’s say you drew The Tower for your daily reading. Initially, you may see the card’s imagery as only reinforcing how you already feel in your current situation — out of control, chaotic, upheaval. But is there another message here? Could it be that you feel overwhelmed because you are only focusing on things over which you have no control?

Instead, what if you began to focus on the parts of your situation that you can control? In doing so, you will have expanded your options and increased your ability to make a better decision. Instead of feeling helpless you can begin to pay attention to the things in your life that you can influence, however insignificant they may seem at the time.

Or what if the card is offering a suggestion on how to better handle the same situation in the future? On the card above, the tower is severely damaged by lightning, but what if the tower could be rebuilt to better withstand lightning? Notice, I’m not saying that it won’t ever be struck by lightning again. The lightning is an act of God and is not something that can be directly controlled. What I’m pointing out here is that, should lightning strike again, the tower could be better equipped to handle the blow in the future. How might you prepare yourself to deal with or avoid a similar situation in the future?

Again, the above illustration is only an example. The meanings you gather from your daily reading will depend entirely upon you and your circumstances. But it does illustrate how using tarot cards can help refocus your brain away from constant negativity and thereby help you to recognize alternatives.

The power of paying attention is nicely summarized at the end of Rowley’s article by a statement by the poet W.H. Auden: “Choice of attention — to pay attention to this and ignore that — is to the inner life what choice of action is to the outer. In both cases, a man is responsible for his choice and must accept the consequences, whatever they may be.”

Tarot Cards For Beginners

The world of tarot can be an exciting personal journey, but it can also be very daunting to the newcomer. There are so many cards in each tarot deck and so many different decks to choose from, that it’s easy for the novice to become easily overwhelmed. Add to that the hundreds of tarot spreads [...]

The world of tarot can be an exciting personal journey, but it can also be very daunting to the newcomer. There are so many cards in each tarot deck and so many different decks to choose from, that it’s easy for the novice to become easily overwhelmed. Add to that the hundreds of tarot spreads that are available and it’s no wonder why so many newcomers feel confused.

 
I always like to remind those who are just starting to study tarot, that it is indeed a journey — not a race. With time, patience, and practice any beginner can learn to excel.

 
I also like remind novices of the KISS principle…Keep It Simple Silly. There is no way anyone can pick up a deck of tarot cards and learn everything there is to know in one evening. There is simply too much information contained within the cards. So instead of trying to become an expert reader overnight, I encourage beginners to set smaller goals with the idea that each small goal achieved will lead them further down the path toward self-enlightenment.

 
Here are my recommendations for beginners, based on the KISS principle:

 
Choosing A Tarot Card Deck

Step1: Choose a tarot deck.

 
At first glance, this step may seem a lot easier than it actually is. Do a simple serach on Google for “tarot cards” and you’ll literally find hundreds of decks from which to choose. Don’t become overwhelmed by all the choices. Just find a deck that you like. The imagery on the cards will guide you in your readings so it is key that you choose a deck that you find aesthetically pleasing. There is no use in choosing a deck that doesn’t speak to you or that offends you in some way.

 
A popular deck for those new to tarot is the Rider-Smith deck, or the Rider-Waite-Smith deck. This deck is especially suitable for beginners because so much has been written about it. There are several companion guides for this deck that list the common keywords and meanings associated with each card. These guides serve as a handy reference until the reader feels comfortable enough interpreting the cards on their own.

 
Another tarot deck that is good for beginners is the Morgan-Greer deck. This deck is based on the Rider-Waite deck but features updated artwork.

 
Despite which deck you choose, just know that you are not locked in to using only that deck. Many readers try several decks before they find one they like. Other readers just simply like to use more than one deck. Either way is fine.

 
Getting To Know The Cards

Once you have chosen a deck to work with, you need to become familiar with your cards.

 
For beginners, I recommend starting off by using only the cards of the Major Arcana. This is a much simpler task than trying to learn all 78 cards at the same time. Become familiar with the cards of the Major Arcana and then add cards from the Minor Arcana, one suit at a time. This way you won’t get overwhelmed.

 
Begin by looking at each card and trying to get a sense of the card. Ask yourself, “What images immediately jump out at me? What feelings do I associate with the card? What emotions or actions are the figures on the card displaying?”

 
After getting an initial impression of each card, learn some of the keywords that are associated with the cards. Try to see how the keywords are reflected within the imagery of each card. Don’t be alarmed if not every keyword speaks to you. You’ll find that some make far more sense than others. That’s okay. Everyone’s experience with tarot cards is different. Just let the cards speak to you.

 
After you feel comfortable giving a general meaning of each card from the Major Arcana, try giving yourself a simple reading.

 
Your First Reading

 
For your first reading, use only the cards of the Major Arcana. Shuffle the cards until you feel like they have been shuffled enough (use your intuition here). While you are shuffling the cards think of a question. Keep thinking of that question the entire time you shuffle the cards.

 
When finished shuffling, draw one card from the deck. Now study the card’s imagery and try to interpret the meaning of the card within the context of your question. Let the illustration on the card and your intuition guide you.

 
When you become comfortable with doing one-card readings try a two-card or three-card spread. Eventually, you can add the cards of the Minor Arcana as you become more familiar with them.

 
Remember that no tarot reader is 100% accurate so don’t get discouraged if something doesn’t make sense to you during your reading or if you have trouble interpreting the cards. Just relax and try to enjoy the experience.

Tarot Interpretation - Part 2

Technique 2
The second method for interpreting cards is not as widely known. This technique involves relying solely on your intuition for interpreting the meaning of each card.
 
While both methods involve using intuition, intuition readers do not study keywords. They focus on letting the imagery of the card speak to them and develop their own meanings [...]

Technique 2
The second method for interpreting cards is not as widely known. This technique involves relying solely on your intuition for interpreting the meaning of each card.

While both methods involve using intuition, intuition readers do not study keywords. They focus on letting the imagery of the card speak to them and develop their own meanings through this process. As a result, there tends to be less uniformity in meanings across cards.

Step 1 in the Keyword Technique discussed in Tarot Interpretation - Part 1 is the basis for intuition readings.

This is a less structured way to learn to read tarot cards but it poses its own challenges as well. Beginners may get easily frustrated as their own intuition may not be developed enough to allow them to distinguish between the subtleties of 78 different cards.

Each reader’s relationship with the Tarot is different and their learning process will reflect that. For beginner’s, I recommend starting with the keyword method until a familiarity with each card has been established. At that point, I would urge tarot students to really focus on letting their intuition guide their readings.

After all, no two readers interpret tarot cards the same, regardless of their experience level. It is a very personal endeavor.

That’s the beauty of tarot cards!

Tarot Interpretation - Part 1

Interpreting Tarot Cards - Technique 1
 
The first technique used for tarot interpretation is the one with which most people are familiar. This method involves learning the keywords and general meanings associated with each tarot card.
 
The Rider-Waite deck is one of the most recognized tarot decks in the world. Part of its popularity stems from the [...]

Interpreting Tarot Cards - Technique 1

The first technique used for tarot interpretation is the one with which most people are familiar. This method involves learning the keywords and general meanings associated with each tarot card.

The Rider-Waite deck is one of the most recognized tarot decks in the world. Part of its popularity stems from the fact that so much has been written about the deck, that it is easy to find the keywords and general meanings for each card.

I recommend that beginners start by only using the cards of the Major Arcana. These are the 22 cards numbered from 0 to 21 with names like The Fool, Temperance, Death, and The World. By starting off with only the Major Arcana, beginners are less likely to feel overwhelmed by the number of cards there are to learn.

Step 1: Look at each card of the Major Arcana and make a note about your first impressions of the card. What is the picture in the card telling you? What feelings do you associate with the imagery on the card? Positive? Negative? Neutral?

Step 2: Review each card and some of the keywords that are often associated with that card. Look to see how the keywords are reflected within the illustration on the card. Remember that the card’s imagery should guide you in interpreting the cards meaning.

Step 3: Continue the process in Step 2 until you feel comfortable giving a basic interpretation of each card of the Major Arcana. At that point, practice giving one card readings. To do this, ask a question and then use your intuition (or “gut feeling”) to draw a card from your deck. (Remember to only use the Major Arcana cards.) Now look at the card and interpret its meaning within the context of the question you asked.

Congrats! You’ve just completed your first tarot reading.

The second method for tarot interpretation will be discussed tomorrow.

Learn To Read Tarot Cards Video

Here’s a quick video I did that introduces beginners to the art of reading tarot cards!

Here’s a quick video I did that introduces beginners to the art of reading tarot cards!

Tarot Certification

Did you know you can get ceritifed as a tarot card reader?
 
In the United States there are two boards of certification in tarot readings. The first one is the Tarot Certification Board of America (TCBA). To get a certification, a reader must pass some of their tests. The TCBA has seven certifications varying from apprentice to [...]

Did you know you can get ceritifed as a tarot card reader?

In the United States there are two boards of certification in tarot readings. The first one is the Tarot Certification Board of America (TCBA). To get a certification, a reader must pass some of their tests. The TCBA has seven certifications varying from apprentice to grandmaster. The name of the other board is the American Board for Tarot Certification (ABTC). They have five levels of certification. In addition to the American boards, there are foreign boards of certification available in countries around the world.

By getting certified, a tarot reader gets the satisfaction of knowing they are doing what is acceptable in their field according to the Board that gives them the certification. It also may lead to credibility when doing readings and/or opening up their own practice.

But do those seeking tarot card readings really look for certified readers? I’m not convinced they do. The relationship between seeker and reader is far more nuanced than simply having a certification. Chemistry and trust are far more important.

Who are the real winners from tarot certification? The tarot card readers? Their clients? Or the boards that charge fees for certification?