I hate to disappoint you, but you can’t do Tarot wrong

A lot of us grew up being told not to mess with “the occult”.

Maybe we were told it was dangerous.

Or that it was from the Devil.

Or that we’d lose our minds. (My ex husband liked that last one).

Whether that was from a materialist perspective of that stuff doesn’t really exist,
or from a religious perspective that it was of the devil,
​there was a sign that read:
DO NOT ENTER.

So maybe you’ve picked up your first Tarot deck, but instead of being excited about what you might discover, you’re worried about doing something wrong.

Imagine you grew up near an expansive dark forest.

And all your life, people have warned you about it.

Don’t go in there. It’s dangerous!
Big Foot and the werewolf live there.
​Things you don’t understand are in there.

But you’ve always been fascinated by the forest.

It calls to you.

So finally, one day, you decide to enter the forest.

But the minute you step inside the quiet canopy of trees, you start worrying.

Am I going the wrong way?
Is Bigfoot watching me?
Should I have brought something?
What if I step on a fairy?

You brought someone else’s fear and warnings into the forest with you.

And now, you are paralyzed with fear and can barely take another step.

This can happen when you first start exploring Tarot, or any other occult practice.

You’re so worried about doing something wrong that you forgot that exploration is part of the process.

Tarot evolved over centuries.

Different people developed different traditions, interpretations, rituals and ways of working with the cards.

And somewhere along the way, these traditions turned into dogma, as tradition often does.

-you have to cleanse your deck
-you have to have a deck gifted to you
-you can’t ask yes/no questions

Really?

According to who?

Is there value in studying different Tarot traditions? Yes!

Is there one true tradition, or deck, or way of reading? No!

There is a difference between studying a tradition and being obligated to follow it.

You can experiment. You can try different approaches. You can discover what works for you.

How to safely explore Tarot as a beginner

Think of it like exploring a city for the first time.

Do you try to memorize every street, every museum location, and how the subway is laid out?

No.

You might meander the streets-

Or pick an interesting coffee shop or park to start at, and then you explore from there.

Approach getting to know Tarot the same way…

Buy a Tarot deck or 2 or 3

Yep.

If you’re agonizing over which deck is the right deck to start with, pick 2 or 3.

Don’t let perfectionism or fear of getting it wrong derail you.

Pick out 8-10 cards that interest you

ONE -Go through the deck and put aside all the cards that catch your attention in some way.

Maybe you like the artwork.
Maybe you’re curious about the image or symbols.
Anything.

Just keep it to a workable number.

TWO - Get a journal and dedicate a page or 2 to each of the cards you pulled.

Write down any impressions, anything you notice about each card.

Then cross reference and look up “definitions” or what other people have said about each card.

Notice if any of the interpretations overlap with what you noticed.

For example, maybe you’re drawn to Temperance and the water pouring between two chalices.

And you enjoy making tea blends.

You just connected something personal to the card of Temperance!

If nothing overlaps or connects, don’t worry about it. You’re not doing it wrong. Just keep doing it.

THREE - Start a daily draw practice

Think about what happened.

What did you experience?
What happened externally?
What was going on internally?

Now look at the card or cards you drew.

Any connections? Once again, no worries if there aren’t.

Just write down 2 or 3 sentences about your day and the cards you drew.

And remember, the cards aren’t always about YOU. Sometimes they speak to someone close to you or in your sphere.

Then at the END of the day go back and review the card or cards.

Does anything make more sense now?

Just remember, you’re not trying to pass a test. You’re developing a relationship with the cards.

Over time, you’ll develop a language and relationship with the cards all your own.

That’s why it’s a practice.

Want more practice?
There’s a FREE class on the daily draw inside the Tarot Underground.
And FREE Tarot Cocktail Parties every 3rd Saturday via Zoom
See you there!

-Cassandra the Card Reader
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