Tarot?

smiles

Is Tarot linked to pagan rituals (like i've been told) or is that mumbo-jumbo ?

<< Fio >>

Talliesin

A bit of both, and some other stuff that is neither.

A lot of Pagans, particularly Witches, use divinition of some form or another and the Tarot is popular.

As for ritual use, the Tarot is used in a number of different forms of ritual, but mainly Qabbalic ritual. The Qabbala is primarily a Judeo-Christian system. It was originally Jewish, but a lot of Christian occultists have added a lot of Christian stuff to it, and then other occultists added stuff from other traditions.

While primarily a Judeo-Christian system, it is used by many Pagans and others. Ellen Cannon Reed wrote a well-known book, The Witches Qabalah on the subject of using the Qabbala (including the Tarot) within Witchcraft, but I haven't read it myself, so I can't really comment on its worth.
(Her spelling it "Qabalah" isn't a typo on either of our parts, the word is transliterated from Hebrew and as such is spelt various different ways in Roman letters).

Nevyn

hmmm Tarot are not really my bag, where i started out i used playing cards and have dabled with runes.
At the moment palmistry seems to work really well for me.
But they are all just way of channelling your gifts

Talliesin

At the moment palmistry seems to work really well for me.
But they are all just way of channelling your gifts

I think that a lot of forms of divination have the "book learning" part and the intuition part. Both work, but in different ways.
I tend to be quite good at palmistry (too good - reading palms of someone with a trauma in their past can be very upsetting, and hence I don't like doing it), but I only "know" about 3 things about palmistry - I use those 3 things to get me started (half the time getting it completely wrong) and then start working completely intuitively whilst looking at someone's palms.
Other people get good results "going by the book".

Ritual use is a slightly different thing, though whether that is what smiles actually meant to ask about I'm not sure.
In ritual use you pick Tarot cards, rune stones, or whatever, for the symbolism that they have. So the use is almost the opposite as in divinition:
In a reading you might deal a Death card and interpret it as meaning "change".
In ritual use you might want to focus on changing something, and therefore use a Death card as part of the ritual.
As such it's almost divination in reverse.

Some Qabbalists associate the Tarot cards with different paths and sephirothim of the Qabbalic "tree of life" and hence use them quite a lot in ritual.

stormkeeper

I actually have some Tarot cards muyself, as well as some runes, although I haven't started using them properly yet. I bought a few books on Tarot, so I could start learning it, but I get the feeling there are some things about Tarot that even the books don't say?

Shilo

It's not so much there are things that the books don't say, Kennett, more that there's more to divination than you can read in a book.

For example, they can give you basic explanations of what certain readings indicate but you're the one who has to string it all together, if you see what I mean. It's about intuition as well. And if you're doing a reading for yourself, it's easier to extrapolate meaning. Personally, I always thought it was as well to get used to your cards by yourself before attempting readings for others. That way you sort of build up a feel for what they say and how they say it. I can only really give an opinion on tarot as I haven't used anything else.

It's not necessarily a case of practise makes perfect butit certainly can help. So read as much as you can and then take it from there in your own time!

stormkeeper

Thanks for the advice, I'll be sure to take it in consideration when I fanally get started on them

SOL

I don't suppose you could tell me where one can purchase tarot cards?

thanks

Talliesin

House of Astrology on Parliament Street have lots. Quite a few book shops sell them.

I'd recommend you start with a simple deck. The Arhur-Waite deck is simple, and will often be the same deck used in illustrations in books, which can help you associate what the book says with the card in your hand.

Avoid unusual decks until you know enough about them to be able to judge whether the way in which they are "unusual" would be a help or a hinderance to your own style.

stormkeeper

I was there on mondy... Interesting place, and I got a few goodies too, hehe... Helped me get a real start in all this Wicca and Pagan and generally unusual, but interesting things

Talliesin

Yes, it is a cool shop, if a bit "fluffy". Yellow Brick Road have some nice stuff too.

That said for most things nothing beats something you made yourself.

smiles

A friend of mine has been "reading" Tarot for a few years, and her auntie, who's been doing it for years, gave her her first cards, do any of you hold with the idea that unless they're a present (and have been used by someone with experience) then they're a lot harder to use, it's hard to explain what i mean, but basically my friend's auntie said that there was a certain transferance needed?

<< Fio >>

Talliesin

I think it's nice to get them as a present, but there's no point waiting around for someone to give you a deck!

Evil Phil

I agree with Talliesin, by them don't wait around for them as a present. I suppose if you really believe that they have to be a present then they´ll work better that way but in my experience it doesn't matter. Its been a while since I've read tarot cards (about 4-5 years). The one thing I've noticed is the more life experience you have the more accurate you'll be.

pepperkin

Many good suggestions here, I just want to add the other thing to keep in mind when trying to learn how to read Tarot from books, is that while the books can give you ideas of what each card MEANS, some things you only pick up by doing.

Each card has it's own intrinsic meaning, but where it is in the layout changes it as well. For example, if the Death card (which means drastic change) is dealt in the 4th position in the standardly used Celtic Cross layout, it means a drastic change in your past. If it is dealt in the 6th position, it can mean drastic changes occurring or soon to occur.

Then there's the way the cards relate to each other. Not only do they have meaning as themselves, they have other meanings when placed in certain positions in relation to other cards. If you put The Empress near the Death card, it *can* (not neccessarily DOES) mean the birth of a baby {sudden change+fertility} and whatnot. It's not quite that simple but...hopefully, you get the gist.

It's just sortof something you pick up as you go, is not only how to read the cards as themselves, but how to relate them to each other and as a whole in a layout. The best way to really start to do this is get a deck that is simple (Talliesin suggested the Arthur Waite deck, that's a good starting point) and when you first lay out the cards to read them, before you pick up the book, just look.

The Arthur Waite deck is very symbolic, the pictures relate strongly to the meanings of the cards. Study the pictures, make note of any impressions you get just from looking at the layout. See how many Swords you have, how many Cups, etc. There will be a tone to the layout. How many reversed cards and how many Major Arcana. Etc. I can tell a lot from just studying the way the cards are laid out and how they relate to each other. Just keep going...your intuition and experience will grow with practice!

I haven't had as much luck with runes, tho.

Okay, this board says it's for pagans from Ireland....I'm in the USA....can I come here, too?

Nevyn

Pepperkin you are most welcome here

Talliesin

Originally posted by pepperkin
Okay, this board says it's for pagans from Ireland

It does? I don't recall saying that.

This board has an Irish focus to the same extent that boards.ie as a whole does, it's Irish and most users happen to be Irish, there is no rule about it being Irish-only, all are welcome (as long as the abide by the charter).

The list where setting up this board was suggested has a stronger Irish focus, but that's a completely different thing.

pepperkin

'Twas a jest, you two!

I hopped in last night cuz Bard told me there was a new Pagan board, and asked if I had seen it. Being relatively sick of the fluff-bunny wanna-be's I'm subjected to, I was hopeful it wouldn't be more of that...I should have known that it's not going to be fluff-bunny and The Craft bullsh*t when Talliesin is involved Not to mention, I'm definitely vocal enough everywhere ELSE in boards.ie...

(pssst...I'm co-dependant on my keyboard.)
*grins*

spoofer

A friend of mine used to read Tarot cards but had to give it up...
He could see no future in it.....

Evil Phil

Reading for as many people as possible is a good way to learn but would you all recommend solitary reading (i.e. for yourself) as well?

You see I´ve just remembered why I quit. I was doing a reading for someone (who unbeknown to me was stoned) who really started taking the piss. I got so annoyed that everytime after that I tried working with the cards the anger came back and clouded everything out.

pepperkin

Well, I've never had much luck in doing readings for myself, because I'm too connected to the situation to read the cards clearly for myself. On the other shoe, my friend whom has been reading tarot cards as long as i have (14 years...gods, am I that old?) can give herself very accurate readings, and has a lot of luck with it. Guess I'm just unable to dis-associate well enough.

I worked for a 900-line here in the states for 3 months, doing tarot readings, and once I had a very antagonistic bloke ring me up and ask me questions about his pregnant girlfriend (wanting to know if the baby was his....sheesh, call the states attorneys and request a blood test you twit!) and my cards were b*tchy and uncommunicative for a time after that.

Now, this is just my theory...but cards being diagnostic/divinatory tools, they are very empathetic and will absorb the emotions of those whom handle them or query from them...and your cards could well have absorbed the antagonism you felt, plus the scrambled-vibes from your stoned mate! I personally like to cleanse my cards by leaving them in a spot of moonlight on the night of the full moon, or by sticking a few pieces of rose quartz with them. Try whatever works for you, but I'd say your cards are/were still pissed off. Emotions are "sticky"...they tend to stick to people and things.

Bubble bubble toil and trouble...

Evil Phil

I´ll give them a cleanse then, thanks pepperkin.

stormkeeper

I cleansed my tarot cards, and they ended up getting soggy

I'll have to remember to get a new deck, and somehow keep them from getting like that... In the meantime, I guess I should practice with the ones that I have....

Talliesin

Originally posted by Kennett
I cleansed my tarot cards, and they ended up getting soggy

In case that wasn't a joke, next time use incense and ritual.

stormkeeper

Um... Sorry, my bad, I should have been more clear.

What I meant to say was, that I put them on a window sill and condensation hit them... Hence why they got soggy...

Washing them in the sink or washing machine is madness... Even I know that... Gods help me if I didn't, I'd be in way over my head in that case.