Post by Axilya on Jul 2, 2008 13:14:19 GMT -5
1. Introduction
2. History
3. Uses
4. Buying a deck
5. Taking Care of Your Deck
6. Before Laying a Spread
7. Spreads
1. Introduction
It's Tarot kiddies, not like carrot. Ter-o. Pronounced like that. Tarot cards have the Major Arcana and then the Minor Arcana. The Major Arcana holds 21 cards. There is the 56 Minor Arcana that holds four suits, cups, swords, coins, and wands. The names sometimes change as well, it can depend upon the deck, but those are the general names.
Tarot cards are used for divination, but it is not always for the future either. Most spreads are about the here and now, as well as before, with a bit of the outcome. The definition of Divination is thus: the magical art of discovering the unknown through interperting patterns/symbols through flames, runes, Tarot, etc.
Tarot cannot truly tell you your future. Your future is not set in stone because of free will and the many factors surrounding your life. Though it cannot give you a definitive answer, it can help map out a trend to your future, or what would happen if you keep following the current course of action. Say if you asked it, if I kept shutting myself off from my friend, what would happen? It answers that they may leave and you could continue to be unhappy. The final choice is yours, remember that.
2. History
The history of Tarot cards are specualtive. They believe the origin of Tarot could be found in ancient Egypt or India. Though it could be mistaken because of Gypsies, who are descendants from Egypt. However, here is a brief history of what we do know.
The beginning of Tarot cards could be related to that of Playing cards. It seems to have developed 40 years or so after the introduction of Playing cards. Edidence is found in an Italian document by Martiano da Tortona. Da Tortona's document was written somewhere early 13th century. The early decks where a specific transportation of messages of a different content known to be philosophical, astronomical, social, and heradlic, for example Greek/Roman heroes.
The oldest surviving tarot cards are three early mid 15thcentury sets and are called the Cary-Yale Tarot which was created around 1442-47. They are displayed at the Yale University LIbrary of New Haven. For a long time tarot cards remained only a privilege for upper classes despite the Church's sermons that they are evil.
Tarot cards did eventually become as we know it, associated with mysticism and magic but was not truly adapted until the 18th and 19th century. Divination with Tarot became popular from 1910 with the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot. The traditional cards were replaced with imagery of symbolism and scenes. This deck is still a popular choice.
4. Buying a Deck
Buying a deck is by preference. Every deck can appeal to a different person. People also sometimes have several decks as well. One in which they read for other people and another that is generally used as a personal deck. There are many decks out there. Look for a beginner's set when buying one and look at as many decks as possible. There are ones for Power Animals, Faeries, Oracles, Ceremonical, Celtic...some are abstract. They have several beginner's kits to help you get going, they generally come with a book and a deck and sometimes a bag.
Symbolism is big in using the cards. Look for a deck that will be easy to read as well that you can pick up the meanings.
5. Taking Care Of Your Deck
It's important to take care of your deck as well. It is a good idea to keep it in a bag since Tarot cards are flimsy cardboard, can easy bend and degrade. If you can, go for a nice cloth bag. One of the suggestions are most well known is to have a special area to keep the cards, generally keeping it with your personal items that you use often. You can keep it with other estoric objects you own.
If your deck is used, it is best to cleanse it if using it, and even when you first get it's good. You can use whatever meathod you like to cleanse that is acceptable with cardboard/paper. Frankincense, Juniper, or Sage would be good to use. From time to time you may want to cleanse the deck as well of energies, especially if you are using other people to use it.
6. Before Laying a Spread
Before laying a spread, you will want to think of what you want to know. Proceed to shuffle with the question firmly in mind. Shuffle however you want, there is no set meathod of shuffling. People have a tendacy to also cut the deck in three and select the one they feel is right to use. There is not a truly wrong or right way to do it.
7. Spreads
You can easily design your own, though you have to know what it is your want to know.
The easiest to do is, if you are just seeking guidance, than lay 1 card down.
The simplest spread is one using only three card. This can be known as the The Quick Spread/3 Cards Spread.
1) Context/Past.
2) Focus/Present.
3) Outcome/Future
Here is an image of this spread ( www.rajunasrefuge.com/spread1practice.jpg ).
The next more complex is the Event Spread and What's ahead of me.
The Event Spread is laid right next to each other in a row.
1) What does this event have in store for me?
2) What do I need to watch out for?
3) What can I do about it?
4) Result.
The What's Ahead of Me? Spead is very similar.
Here is how you lay it out: www.mindgallery.info/images/spread_ahead.gif
1) What you need to leave behind, to release.
2) What you must confront.
3) What you need to know.
4) What you attain (the outcome).
This seven card spread is called the Ellipse spread. Here is how you lay out this spread: www.angelpaths.com/images/ellipse.gif
1) Past influences bear on the situation
2) Now - what is influencing you at the minute
3) Future influences that may affect
4) What to do
5) Exeternal influences that can effect
6) Hopes and fears
7) Final outcome of the situation
The Bird Spread requires 8 cards to be laid down. Here are two ways you may set up this spread:
www.tarotsight.com/BirdSpread.gif
www.tarot.carolinewood.co.uk/images/tarot-10-bird.png
1) How your emotions are, on your mind.
2) Factors influencing you, what is happening.
3) The direction so solve the problem.
4) The outcome
5) Unexpected influences that may come up, that can affect the situation.
6) A clue to help you solve the problem.
7) The future outcome; how the present course will effect your life.
8) Optional: overall view of the reading.
The Celtic Cross is my favorite sdpread and one I have used most of all. Optional adding to this 10 card spread is another four cards. These four cards can spread light to what you want to know. Someone has also done a reading of me laying 3 layers of the 14 card version. It gives an indepth knowledge of what you want to know.
Here is how you lay the Celtic cross down: www.alexanderandthings.com/Celtic%20Cross.jpg The other four cards that you may or may not use go at the bottom. The image provides the meanings of each card laid in that particular order.
There are other spreads out there as well. Here is a link to look at some more of them. www.tarot.carolinewood.co.uk/types.html There are many spreads out there and you can google them.
Any questions?
2. History
3. Uses
4. Buying a deck
5. Taking Care of Your Deck
6. Before Laying a Spread
7. Spreads
1. Introduction
It's Tarot kiddies, not like carrot. Ter-o. Pronounced like that. Tarot cards have the Major Arcana and then the Minor Arcana. The Major Arcana holds 21 cards. There is the 56 Minor Arcana that holds four suits, cups, swords, coins, and wands. The names sometimes change as well, it can depend upon the deck, but those are the general names.
Tarot cards are used for divination, but it is not always for the future either. Most spreads are about the here and now, as well as before, with a bit of the outcome. The definition of Divination is thus: the magical art of discovering the unknown through interperting patterns/symbols through flames, runes, Tarot, etc.
Tarot cannot truly tell you your future. Your future is not set in stone because of free will and the many factors surrounding your life. Though it cannot give you a definitive answer, it can help map out a trend to your future, or what would happen if you keep following the current course of action. Say if you asked it, if I kept shutting myself off from my friend, what would happen? It answers that they may leave and you could continue to be unhappy. The final choice is yours, remember that.
2. History
The history of Tarot cards are specualtive. They believe the origin of Tarot could be found in ancient Egypt or India. Though it could be mistaken because of Gypsies, who are descendants from Egypt. However, here is a brief history of what we do know.
The beginning of Tarot cards could be related to that of Playing cards. It seems to have developed 40 years or so after the introduction of Playing cards. Edidence is found in an Italian document by Martiano da Tortona. Da Tortona's document was written somewhere early 13th century. The early decks where a specific transportation of messages of a different content known to be philosophical, astronomical, social, and heradlic, for example Greek/Roman heroes.
The oldest surviving tarot cards are three early mid 15thcentury sets and are called the Cary-Yale Tarot which was created around 1442-47. They are displayed at the Yale University LIbrary of New Haven. For a long time tarot cards remained only a privilege for upper classes despite the Church's sermons that they are evil.
Tarot cards did eventually become as we know it, associated with mysticism and magic but was not truly adapted until the 18th and 19th century. Divination with Tarot became popular from 1910 with the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot. The traditional cards were replaced with imagery of symbolism and scenes. This deck is still a popular choice.
4. Buying a Deck
Buying a deck is by preference. Every deck can appeal to a different person. People also sometimes have several decks as well. One in which they read for other people and another that is generally used as a personal deck. There are many decks out there. Look for a beginner's set when buying one and look at as many decks as possible. There are ones for Power Animals, Faeries, Oracles, Ceremonical, Celtic...some are abstract. They have several beginner's kits to help you get going, they generally come with a book and a deck and sometimes a bag.
Symbolism is big in using the cards. Look for a deck that will be easy to read as well that you can pick up the meanings.
5. Taking Care Of Your Deck
It's important to take care of your deck as well. It is a good idea to keep it in a bag since Tarot cards are flimsy cardboard, can easy bend and degrade. If you can, go for a nice cloth bag. One of the suggestions are most well known is to have a special area to keep the cards, generally keeping it with your personal items that you use often. You can keep it with other estoric objects you own.
If your deck is used, it is best to cleanse it if using it, and even when you first get it's good. You can use whatever meathod you like to cleanse that is acceptable with cardboard/paper. Frankincense, Juniper, or Sage would be good to use. From time to time you may want to cleanse the deck as well of energies, especially if you are using other people to use it.
6. Before Laying a Spread
Before laying a spread, you will want to think of what you want to know. Proceed to shuffle with the question firmly in mind. Shuffle however you want, there is no set meathod of shuffling. People have a tendacy to also cut the deck in three and select the one they feel is right to use. There is not a truly wrong or right way to do it.
7. Spreads
You can easily design your own, though you have to know what it is your want to know.
The easiest to do is, if you are just seeking guidance, than lay 1 card down.
The simplest spread is one using only three card. This can be known as the The Quick Spread/3 Cards Spread.
1) Context/Past.
2) Focus/Present.
3) Outcome/Future
Here is an image of this spread ( www.rajunasrefuge.com/spread1practice.jpg ).
The next more complex is the Event Spread and What's ahead of me.
The Event Spread is laid right next to each other in a row.
1) What does this event have in store for me?
2) What do I need to watch out for?
3) What can I do about it?
4) Result.
The What's Ahead of Me? Spead is very similar.
Here is how you lay it out: www.mindgallery.info/images/spread_ahead.gif
1) What you need to leave behind, to release.
2) What you must confront.
3) What you need to know.
4) What you attain (the outcome).
This seven card spread is called the Ellipse spread. Here is how you lay out this spread: www.angelpaths.com/images/ellipse.gif
1) Past influences bear on the situation
2) Now - what is influencing you at the minute
3) Future influences that may affect
4) What to do
5) Exeternal influences that can effect
6) Hopes and fears
7) Final outcome of the situation
The Bird Spread requires 8 cards to be laid down. Here are two ways you may set up this spread:
www.tarotsight.com/BirdSpread.gif
www.tarot.carolinewood.co.uk/images/tarot-10-bird.png
1) How your emotions are, on your mind.
2) Factors influencing you, what is happening.
3) The direction so solve the problem.
4) The outcome
5) Unexpected influences that may come up, that can affect the situation.
6) A clue to help you solve the problem.
7) The future outcome; how the present course will effect your life.
8) Optional: overall view of the reading.
The Celtic Cross is my favorite sdpread and one I have used most of all. Optional adding to this 10 card spread is another four cards. These four cards can spread light to what you want to know. Someone has also done a reading of me laying 3 layers of the 14 card version. It gives an indepth knowledge of what you want to know.
Here is how you lay the Celtic cross down: www.alexanderandthings.com/Celtic%20Cross.jpg The other four cards that you may or may not use go at the bottom. The image provides the meanings of each card laid in that particular order.
There are other spreads out there as well. Here is a link to look at some more of them. www.tarot.carolinewood.co.uk/types.html There are many spreads out there and you can google them.
Any questions?