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“Those Who Don’t Believe In Magic Will Never Find It,” by Mel Volkman
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ASTROLOGY IN FILM: Taxi Driver (1976) Sunset Boulevard (1950) Valley of the Dolls (1967) A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) The Love Witch (2016)
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Anonymous asked:
Your recent book cover cc is so aesthetic! Got me interested in reading those books tho (they look so legit, must be real lol).
Oh gosh me too man. I have quite a few of them on a wish-list. So since I was kinda bored I decided to share the links if anyone wants to look up/buy the books for themselves as well.
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Mondays vibes🍵✨🔮I found this gem of a tea cup at a thrift shop today!
Source: undomielle
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Source: weheartit.com
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me: okay i’ve complained enough about this it’s time to put it to rest
me five minutes later: actually you know what-
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Source: weheartit.com
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Source: weheartit.com
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Source: weheartit.com
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Palmistry 101: #1 The Major Lines & Mounts
Open your hand and look at your palm. There are a series of lines running through it, aren’t there? There should be. I’d be slightly concerned if the palm of your hand was completely smooth.
These lines are used in palmistry (a.k.a., palm reading or chiromancy), and depict a number of things. Each of the major lines has it’s own individual meaning and outlines a certain course in a person’s life. These lines come in varying shapes and sizes, and not every person has all six of the major lines - this is what we note when reading someone’s palm. Everyone does, however, have the top three in the list below. The words following the name of the line are the meanings and traits associated with that particular line.
The Major Lines
The Heart Line: (the heart line is the horizontal line that runs around half-an-inch beneath your fingers) emotions, insecurities, marriages, dependence and independence and the nature of the relationships you have/will have.
The Head Line: (the head line/line of mine is the line that runs about a centimetre below the heart line) intellect, reasoning power, prospective career paths/choices, your success potential.
The Life Line: (the life line is the that starts at the same point as the head line and curves in a reversed ‘c’ shape towards the wrist; it should finish at the heel of your hand) pattern and quality of life, physical vitality, stability or imbalance, willpower and logic, but not necessarily an indication of the length of life.
The Fate/Fortune Line: (a line that runs vertically from beneath your middle finger and down to your wrist) the strengths of character, career, friendships, daily issues and your personal ability to succeed.
The Health Line: (a line that begins where the life line ends, and ends beneath the little finger) health related matters, business and adventures; the spirit of discovery.
The Sun Line: (a line that starts beneath the ring finger (for lefties - for people who are having their right hand read, it’s the same finger I just don’t know what it’s actually called) and is usually a short line that stops when it connects with the line of health) the utilization of creative energies and potential for success through the development of talents.
The Mounts
The Mounts of the hand are what I like to call the ‘flesh cushions’ beneath each of the fingers and at the heel of the palm. They each have a personality trait with which they are associated and everyone has mounts. Some people’s may be… fleshier, than others but they are there nonetheless.
Mercury (☿): (beneath the little finger) buoyancy, shrewdness, wit, and spirit.
Apollo/The Sun (☉): (ring finger) creativity/creative genius, fantasy, imagination and happiness.
Saturn (♄): (middle finger) patience, responsibility; cautiousness.
Jupiter (♃): (index finger) leadership, honour, ambition, beliefs, philosophies and spirituality/religiousness.
Lower Mars (♂): (below Mercury) morals/moral courage and self control. Upper Mars (♂): (little fleshy blob above the Venus mount) resistance, coolness of spirit, calmness.
Venus (♀): (under your thumb; the bit your life line curves around) Love/affection, vitality, sensuality and success(es).
The Moon/Luna (☾): (runs along the outside of the palm; starts beneath your little finger and runs along the side of your hand) Imagination, creativity and emotion.
I will make a post about what the shapes/types of lines and mounts signify and link it here.
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Getting Started
There’s a lot of differing opinion about what to call each hand. The left is sometimes called the hand of your past or the hand of your potential, while the right is sometimes called the hand of your future or the hand of your actualization. Generally speaking, think of your left hand as where you’ve been and your right hand as where you’re going.
Each hand differs in the way its mounts, special zones, and lines look, one hand may even have something the other doesn’t have! So it’s important to exam each hand on their own, and for a deeper reading put the information together. (In order to make the above diagram easier to read, I’ve separated the information across two hands, but all points are mirrored across the hands.)
This guide is a starter guide, however, and won’t be getting into advanced structure palmistry such as knuckles, nails, palm/finger shape, or special markers, so keep that in mind.
I suggest making sure your hands are clean, well moisturized, and rested before you read them so that you can get the most clear and accurate read possible.
Note: * I did my best to include as even number of pros and cons as I could for everything but the literature is very biased… Don’t be discouraged if you have many “bad” traits, as they are all strengths, tools, or things to learn from (in their own way).
Terms
- Full: a large amount of skin/muscle
- Flat: a small amount of skin/muscle
- Weak: difficult to see
- Strong: easy to see
- Start, of a line: shortest distance to, or touching, the outer edge of the hand
- End, of a line: shortest distance to, or within, the center of the palm
- Short: line ends at the center of the palm or sooner
- Long: line ends after the center of the palm
- Fork: a line split into two or more parts
- Break: a line is completely separated, but the two halves are close enough to reasonably be assumed a continuation
- Branch: a “V”, line, or curve that the primary line passes through
- Doubled: a second, smaller line that follows closely to a primary line without crossing it
* Note: Sometimes the meaning of start and end are flipped in other literature, but these are the definitions that make sense to me personally. Once you get familiar with palmistry you can decide for yourself where the start and end are.
Mounts
- Venus ( ♀ ): [Love, friendship, self-care, intuition, vitality, success.] A full mount indicates someone who has many friends or romantic/sexual relationships, takes care of themselves but may over indulge, is frivilous and impulsive, enjoys the arts and “the finer things”, seeks instant gratification, and is influential or well respected. A flat mount indicates someone who is critical, more selective with friendships/romantic partners, is not close with their family, is a deep thinker and not superficial, independent, and may face many hardships.
- Mars, positive ( ♂ ): [Courage, adventure, health, interpersonal, temperament.] A full mount indicates someone who enjoys “getting out there” and is unafraid to be in the spotlight, this person may be stubborn, aggressive, or may have a thick skull, they may have good health, and they communicate effectively but are very defiant. A flat mount indicates someone who has trouble expressing their feelings, is avoidant and anxious, easily over-stimulated, cautious, introspective, and reflective.
- Jupiter ( ♃ ): [Willpower, personal philosophies, self-image.] A full mount indicates someone who cares about how they are perceived by others and therefore works hard to achieve their goals and be on top. This person is hard working, ambitious, responsible, cocky, spiritual, domineering, and may be self-centered but is willing to help others. A flat mount indicates someone who is clumsy, dishonest, self-conscious, has a lack of ambition, is frugal, goes with the flow, is spontaneous, and seems to be socially and spiritually disconnected.
- Saturn ( ♄ ): [Intelligence, independence, patience, duty.] A full mount indicates someone who is in control of their life, responsible and trustworthy, sentimental, cautious, a bit of a show off, and can be depressive, shy, or withdrawn although they are friendly. A flat mount indicates someone who is superstitious, has strong religious or spiritual views, is superficial, disorganized, lacks introspection, this person may have a “go with the flow” attitude, and be more relaxed and carefree.
- Apollo/Solar ( ☉ ): [Wealth, outlook, imagination, compassion.] A full mount indicates someone who is quiet or mild tempered, has many artistic interests or passions, is a modest philanthropist, a perfectionist, quick-tempered and sometimes prideful, and can be envious but is outgoing and flexible. A flat mount indicates someone who over-indulges beyond their means, is disinterested in art, they do not make decisions easily, they have little imagination, are rational and level headed, and may be drawn more to history and hard science.
- Mercury ( ☿ ): [Wisdom, travel, communication, business.] A full mount indicates someone who is financially successful and shrewd in business, they are quick-witted and inventive but may have little follow-through, they may lie easily, and are flexible and adaptive. A flat mount indicates someone who is easy going although may be lazy, shy, and have difficulty communicating.
- Mars, negative: [Self-control, endurance, enthusiasm.] A full mount indicates someone who is steady and stable, endures many hardships, and may not be too courageous. A flat mount indicates someone who is indecisive, has bad luck, has difficulty motivating, but is calm, tactful, and resilient.
- Lunar ( ☾ ): [Imagination, intuition, creativity, emotion.] A full mount indicates someone who is very creative, spiritual, sentimental, and may be depressive or have their head in the clouds. A flat mount indicates someone who is steady, conservative, logical, and may be imaginative but doesn’t express it.
- Neptune ( ♆ ): [Emotions, health, success.] A full mount indicates someone who is very emotional, sentimental, enjoys good health, is charming and charismatic, this person may be cruel, may face many challenges, and may be a talented musician, poet, or writer. A flat mount indicates someone who is unreliable, asocial, without drive, and may have trouble expressing their feelings.
Special Zones
- Will, tip to first knuckle: If longer than #2 Logic, it’s indicated that this person is very reliable and hard working, but acts without thinking. If this portion is full, this person is egotistical; if flat, this person is irresponsible.
- Logic, first to second knuckle: If longer than #1 Will, it’s indicated that this person comes up with ideas easily but has poor follow through and execution. If this portion is full, this person is bossy; if flat, this person is indecisive.
- Love, second knuckle to wrist: Look at the thumb with the nail facing you. If this portion of the thumb widens as you move towards the wrist, it’s indicated that this person has a great capacity to love. If this portion remains the same width the entire length, then they are more reserved and closed off. (This change may be difficult to see, so really examine it.)
- Relationships: The number of lines indicates the number of significant romantic or non-romantic-committed relationships in your life. This does not imply marriage and the relationship itself did not have to be serious for the person’s impact on your life (or your impact on theirs) to have been in a serious way. A fork or break at the end signifies a divorce. Strong lines indicate someone who is open with their feelings and is able to be vulnerable with others. Weak lines indicate someone who is more critical regarding who they get close to but commits more seriously.
- Children: The number of lines indicates the number of children in your life. This does not necessarily imply children you may birth, adopt, or foster but instead reflects the number of lives you had a serious impact on. If a child line crosses a relationship line, you and a partner were both involved with that child. Strong lines indicate healthy children or children you were greatly involved with; weak lines indicate sickly children or children who were only in your life briefly.
Major Lines
- If the line ends at the index finger then this person has a lot of love to share, is a dreamer, but may be let down by their high expectations. If the line ends at the middle finger then this person is more reserved and level-headed when it comes to building relationships. If the line ends between the index and middle fingers this person is very genuine, honest, is free with their relationships, and makes friends/falls in love easily.
- A short line indicates someone who doesn’t think of relationships as being very important to them, they’re independent and some would call them loners, they’re more introspective and self-reliant although selfish and bad with communication. A long line indicates someone who is open and honest but may be harsh or blunt, they may have too high of standards, and be co-dependent.
- Breaks indicate instances when you’ve made a major sacrifice for someone or the end of a relationship. Branches indicate this person is consistent and considerate. A fork indicates a major dispute, separation, or divorce.
- If the line crosses the Heart Line it shows this person invests a lot of time in art and leisure, is very sensitive and sympathetic, but may have a lot of life troubles. If the line is very close to the Heart Line without touching it, relationships are a major part of their life, this person is comforting and supportive. If the line is joined with the Life Line at the start and branches quickly, then they are flexible and resilient. If the line is joined with the Life Line at the start and follows along, then they are introverted, indecisive, and cautious.
- A short line indicates someone who is rash and bold, cares more about material or physical accomplishments than intellectual or spiritual ones, is easily distracted, but achieves goals quickly. A long line indicates someone who is focused, stubborn, and may procrastinate.
- If this person has a doubled line, educational and intellectual pursuits are of highest priority, they have a high mental ability, and they like to look at issues from multiple perspectives. A palm-facing fork indicates someone who is imaginative, creative, and has a strong social bond. An outer hand-facing fork indicates someone who is clever and ambitious, but domineering and may not meet their high expectations. Breaks indicate poor health and career shifts, people with many breaks are strong-minded and need many relationships.
- A short line indicates someone who is easily manipulated, deceived, and taken advantage of, this person may be sick often, is able to easily overcome obstacles, and must take special care to understand their own limits. A long line indicates someone who is very in tune with their intuition, is resilient, enjoys sports and physical activity, has a lot of stamina and vitality, has good health, and draws strength from pushing their limits.
- Breaks indicate a serious illness or injury and unexpected changes in life. Outer hand-facing forks indicate someone who is diligent, ambitious, optimistic, and successful. Palm-facing forks indicate someone who focuses and work/school, is able to keep their personal and professional relationships separate, and will do a lot of traveling. Branches pointing to the fingers indicate success and achievement, branches pointing to the wrist indicate illness, worries, or life stresses as well as achievements
- If the line stops at the Heart Line, then this person is ruled by their emotions and make many impulsive decisions. If the line stops at the Head Line, then this person will have a major career change, of their own choice, and break out into their dreams. A line that ends at Apollo indicates success in the arts. A line that ends at Jupiter indicates great power. A line that ends at Saturn indicates someone who will achieve great success with little effort.
- A line that starts in Venus is destined to be wealthy or notable. A line that starts on the Life Line indicates someone who co-dependent, very emotional, and may have trouble with relationships. A line that starts in +Mars indicates someone who is very successful in business. A line that starts in Luna indicates someone who is very helpful and will network easily. A line that starts on the Heart Line indicates someone who will achieve success later in life.
- Breaks indicate difficulties in school and work. Branches indicate someone who will have great success and affluence. Forks indicate someone who has many dreams and goals and may be involved in multiple business ventures.
- No fate line indicates someone who is go with the flow and is happy to walk any path in life.
Minor Lines
- Fortune/Sun: If this line is present, it indicates someone who will have major success. They are extremely capable and have great communication skills and follow through. People with this line are very creative, sensitive, and popular. The longer the line, the greater the success and the longer you will have success. A very short line indicates someone who is ordinary but doing well. No line indicates someone who will struggle to achieve their goals, consult the Fate and/or Life lines.
- Health/Intuition: If this line is present, it indicates someone who stretches themselves to the limit. Generally this is the line of psychics, empaths, and healers. People with this line should take extra precautions when spending a lot of time around people in order to preserve their health. Consult the Life and Heart lines.
- Rascette/Bracelets: Most people have 3-4 of these lines. A strong first bracelet indicates good health and few obstacles in life. A strong second bracelet indicates a stable career and financial situation. A strong third bracelet indicates someone who is well respected in the community, popular, and/or influential. The presence of a fourth bracelet indicates an extremely long life. Having only one line indicates serious health upsets or depression.
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enjoy my basic palmistry notes ✨✨✨
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37 Mistakes I Made As A New Tarot Reader
I’d be lying if I said that I woke up one day and just knew all that there was to know about Tarot. During my journey as a new Tarot reader, I made a lot of “mistakes” and some fails. I’m putting mistakes in quotation marks because if it weren’t for these things I probably wouldn’t be the Tarot reader that I am today. I like to think that each one of these “mistakes” helped me gain a better insight into the type of reader I am. Along the way, I learned that my journey is mine and mine alone and no matter how authoritative the source of advice provided by someone else, I must ultimately do what feels right to me. I am not a perfect Tarot reader or learner by any means, and I believe this post shows a clear example of that.
Following The Rules
In the beginning, I read so many books and talked to many different readers who each had their own idea of the “right way” to read Tarot. I also had a huge fear that I was somehow using my deck the wrong way. I wish I would have known that there is no right or wrong way to read Tarot. What may work for one person may not work for the other and vice versa. I think that the amazing thing about divination is that each reader brings a little special part of themselves and their unique flavor to Tarot and that is incredible. I wish I would have been a more informed learner and allowed myself to form my own opinions instead of trying to follow someone else’s. No two readers are ever alike and they do not need to be either.
Meaning And Memorization Overload
I tried to learn and memorize all the Tarot card meanings overnight. While this may help some readers learn, I was not one of them. I quickly became frustrated and discouraged and it made learning Tarot into a chore. I set unrealistic goals for myself and I had such a difficult few months. I wish I would have taken my time to enjoy the experience of bonding with my cards and allowing the process of learning Tarot to develop and grow with me organically instead of trying to force it.
Lack Of Learning Plan
As I mentioned above, trying to memorize all the cards didn’t work for me. I was all over the place with my Tarot learning. I had several books all with competing ideas. Now when I go forward to learn a new aspect of Tarot I have a learning plan. It is something I wish I had done when I first started my Tarot journey as it would have kept me organized and left me with the ability to track my progress.
The Self Doubt Monster
I started off my Tarot journey excited and open to the possibility of growing as a person and learning about my life. As I mentioned above, I started feeling like I wasn’t good enough or that I would never truly grasp learning the cards. I had a lot of self-doubts and it led me to be depressed because Tarot was my first outlet of expression for me and I felt like I was bad at it. I wish I would have known that learning anything, especially Tarot takes time. I now know that my learning with Tarot will be a life long experience and I am okay with taking it one step at a time.
Do The Shuffle
One of my Tarot mentors told me that I had to shuffle my deck overhand four times, riffle shuffle three and cut the deck with my left hand three times so that my deck could be fully charged before a reading. It never really resonated with me but I still did it because I was told that was the way to do it. I wish I would have shuffled however and how many times I felt energetically pulled to do so. I now just riffle shuffle until I feel called to stop. Nothing fancy but it works.
Bonding
I never really resonated with sleeping with my Tarot deck but it seemed like that was what I was constantly being told to do when I started learning Tarot. I did it for a few night and felt like a failure because it just didn’t feel right. I wish I would have known that I could just talk to my deck, write poetry with it and even read for some of my favorite book characters as a way to bond with it. I wish I would have known that bonding is a personal practice and there is no one size fits all.
My Inner Skeptic
My uncles are very religious and when I started reading Tarot they made lots of negative comments that I was stupid for believing in a deck of cards. This negatively affected how I saw divination for a few months and led me to be skeptical of my findings no matter how helpful they were. I wish I would have kept an equal level of skepticism and belief when learning Tarot before others tried to discredit them.
Rituals And Sacred Spaces Oh My
I thought that in order to give the best possible readings to myself or to someone else I needed to perform an elaborate ritual before the reading started and after the reading ended. I also thought I needed a beautifully adorned space with lots of crystals, incense, and candles. It’s funny because I now read in places like coffee shops and bars and I do not really incorporate any set rituals into my practice because I don’t feel like I need to. I wish I would have just focused on the basics and then experimented with creating my own rituals if I felt called to do so instead of feeling like I needed to.
Readings On Repeat
Something that I would do early on was read for a single situation over and over again. I wanted to know all aspect of that particular subject but by pulling various cards. By doing that, the information either didn’t make sense anymore or it became extremely watered down. I wish I would have taken the time to read about one situation straight through and then come back at a later date and ask again if I still wanted more information.
Emotional Readings
I was told early on that I shouldn’t read Tarot when I was sad or depressed. One day I did just that and it helped me more than I knew it would. I wish I would have started to use Tarot more when I had a depression episode to help calm me down and aid me in my healing journey rather than putting my cards away when I needed them the most.
Fancy Schmancy Tools
I thought I needed a fancy silk scarf to wrap my cards in, an elaborate wooden box and expensive incense to purify my cards. Looking back now I want to slap myself. I wish I would have known that those things are all unnecessary in my practice and are just extras not must have’s. I now keep my decks in their original boxes or pencil cases which are both functional and cost effective.
Tarot System Overload
I thought that in order to be a true Tarot reader, whatever that means, I had to learn all the different systems. Imagine me, not fully able to comprehend one deck yet still trying to learn Thoth, Marseille, and Rider Waite Smith all at the same time. Needless to say, it was a disaster. Although I would have still explored the different systems, I would have chosen one to start with exclusively and get to know well before delving deep into another. This would have helped me to achieve a better handle on my Tarot learning.
Mirroring Other Readings
I really looked up to the way my mother and grandmothers read cards that I wanted to mirror how they read. I felt by doing so, I was honoring our family traditions. I quickly found that their style just wasn’t for me. I wish I would have just trusted that my own way of reading Tarot would develop over time instead of trying to mirror theirs.
The Waiting Game
Something that I think held me back was my decision to wait before reading for other people that weren’t my immediate family and friends. I had this mindset that I needed to be studying Tarot for so many years or be a resident reader at a metaphysical shop to be able to read Tarot for other people. I wish I would have allowed myself to take the chance earlier and start reading for strangers. I think this would have helped me become more comfortable in my reading ability and also provide me with the feedback I needed to become better. When I did finally take that plunge and start reading for others, it became the best decision I could have possibly made.
Tarot Certification
When I started learning Tarot, a few of my mentors and people I looked up to talked about Tarot certifications and that every reader should aspire to be “Tarot certified” whatever that meant. I wanted to become certified not because I wanted to learn but because I felt it was what everyone else was doing. I thought having a shiny certificate with my name on it was fancy and somehow would prove that I was an amazing Tarot reader. Looking back now, I am glad I never went through with a certification. It isn’t that I do not think it is valuable because for some readers it may very well be but for me personally it never resonated with me and me wanting it back then was for all the wrong reasons. I wish I would have known that I could still be a great Tarot reader with or without a certificate.
Oracle Deck Allowance
At the beginning of my Tarot journey, I never gave myself a chance to use Oracle cards. I think using oracle cards alongside Tarot readings adds such a fabulous new dimension and layer to an already insightful message. If I could go back, I would give myself permission to enjoy oracle cards as well.
Defining Myself
When I started my Tarot journey I allowed other people’s opinions and judgments to define me as a reader and how I viewed and utilized my Tarot cards. For some reason, I wanted other Tarot readers approval but that wasn’t me at all. I wish that I would have silenced all those things and just remained authentic to myself. The many opinions others had of me influenced how I read the cards and that is something I still am actively letting go of today.
Burning Out
When I started out with Tarot, I tried to learn as much as I could. I did Tarot reading after reading for myself and even offered some practice readings on free forums. Long story short, I ended up burning myself out. I wish I would have given myself the time to take a break from Tarot and allow my mind to process the information instead of tiring myself out.
The Comparison Game
When starting on my Tarot journey, I used to compare myself to other Tarot readers. Comparing yourself to other people is never a good feeling and I wish I could go back and focus on the skills and good qualities that I had as a reader instead of those that others had, that I lacked.
Being A Solo Reader
At the beginning of my Tarot journey, I didn’t really have a lot of friends. This wasn’t by choice as there weren’t lots of local metaphysical shops as there are now but I wish I tried harder to find people who were of a like mind. I connected with a lot of my Tarot peers through online forums like tarotforum.net and it helped me shape who I was as a reader. I didn’t stick with it though and continued most of my study solo. The accessibility of social media that we have today is something that I do not take for granted because back then, connecting with other Tarot readers was so difficult, especially if you were a beginner.
Those Darn Book Meanings
When I would start reading for myself with the cards I heavily relied on the book meanings. I would go through either the little white book or one of my many Tarot books I had from the library and try to decipher the message. I wish I would have learned to trust my own intuition and create my own meanings of the cards.
Fear Of Being Wrong
When I first started reading for others I had this huge anxiety of steering people in the wrong direction when using the cards. I wish I would have been honest with myself and my reading style and instead of trying to focus on concrete predictions, I would have made the client feel empowered and provided choices and avenues they could consider so that they could ultimately make the choices instead of me trying to make the choices for them.
Meaning Fluidity
When I started learning the meanings of the cards I was rigid in how I interpreted them. I thought The Fool always meant new beginnings and Death was a drastic change no matter where it was in a Tarot spread. I wish I would have known that each Tarot card has a myriad of meanings and that one card can mean something completely different in the context of one reading versus another.
Recording My First Readings
When I started out in my Tarot journey I did lots of readings for myself, my favorite book and television characters. I wish I would have written down or recorded my first readings so that I could now be able to see how much I have grown as a reader.
All Work, No Play
I took my Tarot study very seriously that I never allowed myself any time to just enjoy the process. I wish I would have given myself permission to experiment, have fun and be silly with my cards as I am now.
The Celtic Cross
I know, I know. There are some readers who swear by the Celtic cross as a great beginner Tarot spread. I, however, am not one of them. The Celtic cross was so intimidating to me when I first started out. There are ten spread positions and as a beginner, I felt like that was the only true spread I could use. I wish I would have stuck with pulling one to three cards to become more comfortable with reading before I jumped into a large spread like the Celtic Cross.
Cleansing The Deck
As a beginner Tarot reader, I thought I needed to cleanse my deck every time I gave someone else a reading because it is what so many other people told me was the “right” thing to do. I don’t ever cleanse my decks anymore. I mean okay that is a lie… I’ve cleansed one deck, in the last year because that deck was being a total buttface but other than that I don’t feel like I need to. I wish I would have known that how many times I cleansed my deck was personal to me and doing so should be my choice and how I felt instead of following other people and their way of doing things.
Living The Daily Tarot Life
After I consumed myself with Tarot for the first year I put it away and I quickly forgot everything I learned. I wish I would have incorporated Tarot into my daily life like I do now. Something as easy as pulling a card of the day for myself would have helped me still keep Tarot in the forefront without taking lots of time and energy.
Wrong First Deck
I felt like I had to read with the Rider Waite Smith, Thoth or Marseille because that is what the majority of what other readers were using. I wish I would have allowed myself the permission to choose my own deck based on what I liked and what felt right instead of succumbing to what I felt I needed to start with.
Those Darn Scary Cards
I admit, when I started learning Tarot I dreaded pulling the Death card, the Tower or even The Devil cards. They scared the crap out of me. I wish I would have known that each card within the Tarot has both a shadow and illuminated aspect and that there aren’t inherently “bad” cards within the deck. Knowing this early on would have helped me see that there can be empowerment in the tower and sadness in the sun card.
Reading Boundaries
One of the biggest mistakes I made when starting reading for others was to not set clear boundaries of the types of readings I was comfortable doing and the ones I wanted to stay clear from. I learned quickly to be upfront with anyone who wanted a reading from me about what type of reader I was, what type of questions I do not answer and what my ethics were. During my first year of reading for others, I did a lot of free practice readings. I made it a habit to let those know that I was still learning and that the reading provided was to help me grow as a reader while giving them insight but for them to take it with a grain of salt.
Fear Of Success
Once I was comfortable using Tarot to help myself and others, I began to somehow fear and sometimes even sabotaged my own successes. I doubted if what I was doing was even real and if I was indeed helping others, despite the glowing reviews and acknowledgments from others. I wish that I would have taken the time to sit with myself and understand my feelings of success and why it scared me so much.
Saying No No No
Once I started opening up to read for other people, my close friends and family members started asking for readings on an everyday basis. It got to the point that people only wanted to hang out with me so that I could read their cards. I wish I would have been firm and said no to my family and friends who abused my kindness and generosity while I was still learning.
Feedback And Criticism
I wish I would have known the difference between someone bullying me and giving constructive criticism. While I did face times where people discouraged, bullied and belittle me, I wish I would have taken the advice from those who provided constructive criticism and genuinely wanted to better me as a reader instead of seeing it as a personal attack.
Life Answers
During my first few tries with Tarot, I thought the cards held all the answers to my problems and would be able to tell me what to do with complete clarity. I learned rather quickly that Tarot was a guide and it was my choices and the commitment to those choices that made up my life. I wish I would have known to not rely on Tarot as an all-knowing oracle and instead use it as a tool for guidance in regards to me making my own decisions within my life.
Using The Wrong Spread
When I wanted to expand my Tarot arsenal, I tried many different Tarot spreads. Because of the sheer amount of spreads I used to read for myself, it proved very difficult in keeping track of what Tarot spreads worked for me and what didn’t. I wish I would have tested out spreads more thoroughly before using them to give myself readings instead of just assuming that it was going to answer my question perfectly. I also wish that I was selective in what spreads I used for certain question and had the courage to tweak them to fit my specific situation. I learned quickly that there are some spreads created for one specific purpose that may not necessarily work for another purpose and can give confusing results.
Wrong Questions
Throughout my early years of Tarot, I would sometimes dance around the issue I wanted to know about when performing a reading for myself. In the same respect, I would often ask questions that were disempowering to me and lead to me feeling anxiety with the question I was seeking insight for. I wish I would have taken the time to really focus my questions before starting a reading. I now know the importance of doing a reading that empowers and uplifts instead of leaving me to feel hopeless and defeated no matter what the answer is.
Post Notes: Please do not remove the captions. Title: Thirty-Seven Mistakes I Made As A New Tarot Reader Copyright: © Ivan Ambrose 2017 Disclaimer: I use the term mistake very loosely in this post as I am a firm believer that each one of my mistakes has helped shape me into the reader that I am today. What I may consider a mistake in my practice and as a Tarot reader may be something that is totally acceptable in your practice. Just because I viewed something as a mistake in my personal practice does not mean that that particular topic should not hold or cannot hold a place of validity and acceptance in yours. The premise of this post is to showcase some of the mistakes I believed I have made as a new Tarot reader. This may be different from your own and that is okay. This post in no way, shape, or form is intended to tell you how you must go about being a new Tarot reader but as a reflection of myself as someone who was once a new Tarot reader. The intention of this post is to share my experiences and my growth as a Tarot reader. I encourage and open up this conversation to respectful debate and added commentary to supplement this post of any kind. Safe Space Tags: Long Post Navigation: Table Of Contents | FAQ | Contact me
Source: tarotprose.com
placidusplant reblogged
25 Tarot Books You MUST Read If You Want To Grow Your Tarot Skills! By THERESA REED.
- Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom: A Book of Tarot by Rachel Pollack – deep and rich with information, no list is complete without this book. If I did have to pick a favorite, this may be it.
- Learning the Tarot: A Tarot Book for Beginners by Joan Bunning – based on her online course, this book will get any tarot newbie reading the tarot proficiently in no time.
- Mary K. Greer’s 21 Ways to Read a Tarot Card by Mary Greer – novel ideas to expand your tarot skills.
- The Complete Book of Tarot Reversals (Special Topics in Tarot Series) by Mary Greer – I’m a fan of reversals (they are not mandatory by the way) and this is THE book for those of us who choose to read upside down. (Honorable mention: Joan Bunning also has a good book on reversals, Learning Tarot Reversals )
- The Complete Tarot Reader: Everything You Need to Know from Start to Finish by Teresa Michaelson – this book has a massive amount of information – it’s like a little encyclopedia
- Tarot Masterclass by Paul Fenton-Smith – this book is rarely mentioned but I think it is pure genius. Not just a tarot primer but also a great section on being a professional tarot reader. (Honorable mention: Fenton-Smith also has a great beginner’s book, The Tarot Revealed: A Beginner’s Guide )
- The Tarot Handbook: Practical Applications of Ancient Visual Symbols by Angeles Arrien – featuring the Thoth deck, this book will help you to understand tarot clearly – even if you do not read with the Thoth deck
- The Way of Tarot: The Spiritual Teacher in the Cards by Alejandro Jodorowsky and Marianne Costa – This profound book gets super deep with the Marseille deck. How I wish I would have had this book when I first started out!
- Tarot Plain and Simple by Anthony Louis – loads of interpretations and a slant towards beginners, this is the book I recommend to all my students
- Understanding the Tarot Court (Special Topics in Tarot Series) by Mary Greer – face it, the Court cards are one of the hardest suits for any tarotist to master. Greer spells it all out with clarity. LOVE this one.
- Tarot: A New Handbook for the Apprentice, Classic Ed (Connolly Tarot) by Eileen Connolly – this is the first tarot book I ever got my hands on. It’s still a treasured favorite. Some might be put off by her Christian undertones but I find the interpretations to be pure gold. I love all of her works.
- SuperTarot: New Techniques for Improving Your Tarot Reading by Sasha Fenton – although this is out of print, it is worth searching for a copy. The techniques contained within will help you expand your tarot skills.
- The Secret Language of Tarot by Ruth Ann and Wald Amberstone – a fantastic book detailing the symbols in the tarot cards.
- Tarot for Life: Reading the Cards for Everyday Guidance and Growth by Paul Quinn – A modern book with real life examples of tarot readings, this one will help you bring your readings to life.
- Best Tarot Practices: Everything You Need to Know to Learn the Tarot by Marcia Masino – another great book that tends to be overlooked, this one has novel exercises and good advice on reading tarot professionally.
- Tarot: Your Everyday Guide by Janina Renee – this book focuses on using tarot for dispensing advice.
- Beyond the Celtic Cross: Secret Techniques for Taking Tarot to an Exciting New Level by Paul Hughes Barlow and Catherine Chapman – a very different approach to tarot – card counting and elemental dignities explained in a conversational format.
- Rachel Pollack’s Tarot Wisdom: Spiritual Teachings and Deeper Meanings by Rachel Pollack – once again, Pollack delivers an impeccable and thought provoking book with new insights for the modern tarot reader.
- Classic Tarot Spreads by Sandor Konraad – I’ve had this book for years and learned many a good spread from it. (Honorable mentions: Learning Tarot Spreads by Joan Bunning and Tarot Spreads and Layouts A User’s Manual For Beginning and Intermediate Readers by Jeanne Fiorini)
- The Spoken Cabala: Tarot Explorations of the One Self by Jason Lotterhand – based on the Thursday night talks from Lotterhand, this book will give you some insight into the Kabbalah and how it relates to tarot. (Honorable mentions: Tarot and the Tree of Life: Finding Everyday Wisdom in the Minor Arcana by Isabel Radow Kliegman for a glimpse on how Kabbalah weaves through the Minor Arcana plus The Tarot Workbook: Understanding and Using Tarot Symbolism by Emily Peach which is a great Kabbalah/tarot primer for beginners)
- Tarot Decoded: Understanding and Using Dignities and Correspondences by Elizabeth Hazel – every single dignity and correspondence you can imagine is featured here.
- Who Are You in the Tarot?: Discover Your Birth and Year Cards and Uncover Your Destiny by Mary Greer – this is a fantastic book that gives deep insights on your personality, life and journey based on your “birth card”.
- Tarot for Beginners: A Practical Guide to Reading the Cards by Barbara Moore – the easiest beginner book out there, this one will appeal to absolute newbies and those who are really sure they can’t “get it”. Moore shows you that you CAN.
- Tarot 101: Mastering the Art of Reading the Cards by Kim Huggens – excellent exercises, good reading list suggestions and a unique format make this book one you cannot miss. Good for all levels.
- Tarosophy : Tarot to Engage Life, Not Escape it by Marcus Katz – Hip and modern, full of useful information and exercises – plus it has stuff for all levels (beginner, intermediate and advanced). It’s a very intellectual book – this is no “tarot for dummies”.
placidusplant reblogged
How to Read Tarot Cards When You Don’t Know Shit
OR: HOW I STOPPED WORRYING AND LEARNED TO LOVE PRACTICING TAROT
This is a simple exercise I’ve done really to hone my intuition while divining. I like to pull a three card spread (past, present, future) but you can really use whichever spread you’d like.
Major Arcana:
- Most trump cards can be self explanatory if you’re good at word association.
- The Fool card starts a story that follows a journey through to the World, the end. Everything in between is character development.
- Death does not mean death. Unlike most horror films, its appearance can actually signal a new beginning or change.
Minor Arcana: Know what each suit means or symbolizes in general.
- Cups: Water, focuses on your emotional self, creativity and romance, following your heart over your head.
- Pentacles: Earth, focuses on your physical self, material ideas like business or wealth, manifestation.
- Swords: Air, focuses on your mental self, action and concentration, intelligence and conflict.
- Wands: Fire, focuses on your spiritual self, intuition and inspiration, values and flaws.
All in All:
- Use the context clues in the imagery of your cards to guide your intuition.
- Don’t worry about misreading a card or getting anything wrong. This is really about trusting yourself and your gut instincts.
- Don’t be afraid to take the surface value of the card during this exercise. It’s just an exercise.
I hope this helped you if you’re just starting out, want to try a different method to divining with tarot, or just want to generally work on trusting your gut.
placidusplant reblogged
Advice for Learning the Meanings of the Tarot Cards
I’ve been a tarot enthusiast for many years. I even did readings for myself, sporadically, for a little while, but I always had to use a reference book for the meanings of the cards. This means that my readings weren’t ever very helpful, because I never memorized the cards and therefore I never developed a relationship with the cards. It’s kind of like only being able to dance when you have pre-painted footsteps on the floor onto which you must be careful to place your own feet. You never learn to feel the music if that’s how you’re dancing.
Several factors interfered with my learning the card meanings, one of which is the sheer number of meanings to memorize: 78 cards! 156 if you’re using reversals! Wow - a daunting prospect to be sure! And even when I would periodically decide to memorize those meanings, I ran into the fact that every book I checked seemed to give different meanings for some of the cards. Whose meanings should I memorize? So, for years, I just gave up. Despite my love for these cards, I gave up. So much wasted time!
A little while ago, during a reading from someone I trust, I got word that I was supposed to be working with the cards. This confirmed what I’d always felt but failed to act upon. Well, I’ve recently decided to pursue a working knowledge of the tarot. I’m still a work in progress, but it’s been going well, so I thought I’d share with you what’s been working for me.
1. Find the meanings you’ll be using The first thing I had to do was make peace with the fact that different folks give the cards different meanings. If I wanted to begin learning the meanings, I would have to decide upon one author who seemed to know what they were talking about and stick with that author’s meanings. I realized that once I began to form a relationship with the cards, I’d develop my own nuances and associations with the cards. But I wouldn’t be able to reach that place until I was able to work with them, and I wouldn’t be able to work with them until I had some meanings memorized as a starting point. Kind of like how Pablo Picasso painted like other painters until he became confident enough to develop his own unique style.
2. Divide the deck In order to learn this much information, I decided I’d best break the deck up into bite-sized chunks. I did this by breaking the deck up into six sections: one section for each of the suits of the Minor Arcana, and then I divided the Major Arcana in half. I decided to begin with what I thought would be the hardest part first: learning the Minor Arcana.
3. Turn the deck itself into your flash cards This part felt a bit like sacrilege to me, but I took the cheapest Rider-Waite deck I could find and started taping mini index cards to the back of each tarot card. Instead of just looking at a list in order to learn the cards’ meanings, I wanted to learn to associate each card’s meaning with the actual image on the card. So I took mini index cards and wrote a bunch of key words and key ideas on each one and used packing tape to tape each mini index card to the back of the appropriate tarot card. I tend to be a visual learner, and this step has really turbo charged my learning.
4. Review the deck, a chunk at a time I knew that I wanted to learn the deck well, so I got over the idea that I had to learn quickly. I spent the first week just learning the suit of Cups. I didn’t require of myself that I learn the meaning of each card perfectly; I just had to know it very well. After all, I will keep reviewing them over time and working with them in readings, so there will be plenty of time to refine my knowledge of the meanings. I used a sort of spaced repetition as I reviewed the cards: if I knew the meaning of the card very well, I would put that card at the back of the pile. If I didn’t know it very well, I’d put the card back in the middle of the deck so that I’d review it again before I finished. And if I totally blanked on the meaning of a card, I put it back close to the front of the deck so that I’d get a chance to review it again much sooner.
5. Integrate the next chunk When it came time to learn the next suit, I’d spend a day with just that suit. Then, I would mix the two suits together and review them that way. When I began to study the suit of Swords, I didn’t want to forget the meanings of the suit of Cups. I did the same the next week with Wands, and then with Pentacles. Spend some time with just the new suit, then mix together all the suits you’ve studied thus far.
6. After the third week, make any necessary modifications After you’ve been studying for a while, you’ll notice that the first suit you chose to study is getting the most study time. So, once you’ve been at it for three weeks or more, feel free to spend more time with the suit/cards which you’re finding require more review time. For example, during my fourth week of study, I found that I had been reviewing the suit of Cups for over three weeks and knew it pretty well, so Cups didn’t need as much review time as Wands did, and I took the Cups out of my review pile for the week. At five weeks, as I moved on to the first half of the Major Arcana, I found that I was memorizing the Major Arcana pretty easily. I had thought that I would; that’s why I left them for last. But I found that the court cards (Page, Knight, Queen, and King) of all the suits were giving me an unexpected amount of trouble. So, I decided that my fifth week review deck would consist of the first 11 cards of the Major Arcana along with the court cards of the suits of Cups and Swords (the first two suits I studied), and that my sixth week review deck would consist of the last 11 cards of the Major Arcana along with the court cards of the suits of Wands and Pentacles.
7. Start doing readings, if you haven’t already Once you’ve got basic meanings of all 78 cards mostly memorized (remember, we’re not aiming for 100% perfection!), start doing readings. Doing readings is the real way that you will internalize the meanings of the cards and also how you’ll flesh out the meanings. The meanings will become more layered and complex as you see them in multiple contexts. You’ll likely still need to check your references for the meanings of some of the cards as you do your first readings, but you’ll likely be pleasantly surprised by how often you remember the meanings of the cards. Begin with simpler readings: 1-card readings and 3-card readings. You’re now moving on to taking the basic meanings of the cards and turning them into stories. If the individual cards are like words, a 3-card reading is like a sentence and you’re learning to construct sentences in a new language.
8. Learn (or don’t learn) the Reversed Meanings Up until this point, I haven’t addressed the usage of Reversals: what the cards mean when they show up in a reading upside-down. This is intentional, for several reasons: 1) if learning the meanings of 78 cards was daunting, learning 156 meanings probably would have seemed impossible; 2) some of you may decide not to use reversals; and 3) once you’ve learned the meanings of all 78 cards, you will pretty much already know the reversed meanings.
placidusplant reblogged
more to follow soon✙.¸¸. ✶ ✪ *☽ ✪ ☾