The Tarot Librarian: Following the Fool's Journey

  The Dance of Interdependence I adore the threes. In the Major Arcana, the three is the card of The Empress, who is a bit of a role model for me. Three is also my Birth Number. But the reason I love threes so much is that they demonstrate the interconnectedness of our souls and the common threads woven throughout the experience of being human. We clearly see this in the image of the three figures seemingly dancing in the Three of Cups. They hoist their cups in joyful exuberance as they stand on their tiptoes to get those cups as high in the air as they can. Each is acting independently in that they choose to be there and are dressed in different outfits and colors. Their coming together, however, is symbolic of the understanding that humans thrive in connection with one another.  In this corporeal experience, our ego self operates seemingly independently as it checks things off of its "to do" list and deals with a myriad of mundane details. We accomplish and pat ourselves on

  Let's talk about spreads As mentioned in a previous entry, there are as many spreads as there are Tarot readers (and likely many more). That being said, I have found that the easiest spread for beginners is a three-card spread. A spread involves cards in particular positions and a predetermined relationship between those positions . There are many possibilities as to how the positions in a spread can be defined, but it's important to decide upon the positions in the spread you're using prior to reading.  My favorite examples of three-card spreads are: Past, present, probable future Situation, action, probable outcome What I know, what is hidden, what I need to integrate Again - you can define the card positions in the ways most meaningful to you, but stick to those definitions throughout the reading. You can always use a different spread next time! The definitions of each position are so important because they will dictate how you tell the story. Let's look at the thr

  Why Do You Want to Read Tarot Cards? In other words - what kind of a reader do you want to be? Let me elaborate. When you talk to different readers, you'll find they each have their own approach to reading the cards. In very simple terms, it's their Tarot philosophy . Some will tell you that they don't predict the future but instead use Tarot as a tool for discovery and insight. Others may use the cards to see into the (possible) future. Still others will have different approaches, all of which are valid.  It's important when starting out to determine your own philosophy. What is your reading goal. Another way to consider this is: What do you hope the querent will take away from your reading? Don't be concerned if your Tarot philosophy changes over time; this is completely normal as you grow and develop your craft. In the past, I was more "future-oriented" and, while I still factor this concept into many of my readings, I encourage much more open-ended q

  So, you have a new Tarot deck. Now what? Whether you've purchased a deck or received a deck as a gift, the intent is the same: to spend some time studying it - not with the intention of learning all the meanings, but instead to get more familiar with the images and the vibe of the deck. This should be an enjoyable process, since the cards will likely be lovely to look at. Your deck may be larger in size than you're generally used to, but your hands will adjust with practice.  One of the best ways I've found to accomplish this is to lay out each card one by one and examine each in detail. You can ask them to tell you their story and then listen using your intuition. Shuffle the cards a few times; get a sense of how they feel in your hands. Select the cards that personally resonate with you the most at this time (this will likely change over time depending on your life circumstances). Write down your impressions of these specific cards - I'd recommend you do this with e

What is this thing called Tarot, anyway? Let me start by saying that I have been reading for over 35 years, and I don't claim to understand exactly the mechanisms behind Tarot reading. There are many different ideas about this, and I won't get into all of it here, but I think it's important to know that it does work .  Here are some basic theories, just for reference (if any of these resonate with you, great. If they don't, it won't prevent you from reading effectively):  - Tarot allows the reader to tap into their intuition and is therefore a tool similar to channeling , but with pictures  - Tarot taps into symbolic themes within the story of humanity (often referred to as archetypes  or the collective unconscious)  - Tarot involves the higher self and/or spirit guides , which are all around us and hold special information and insights All I know is that my readings are super accurate, and I'm not going to let a belief system stop me from continuing to be pas