Getting to Know You (The Cards, That Is!)

 

The Fool Tarot card in the "This Might Hurt" Tarot deck

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 each card but this is a good start and won't be as overwhelming. For a continuing practice, I suggest starting a Tarot journal. Pick one card each day, white down the card, and add your impressions of the colors and symbols. At the end of the day, reflect on how the themes played out during your day. It's a helpful way to connect the cards to your everyday life.

Here's a helpful tool for starting your Tarot journal. I created it for the Tarot Bootcamp I teach:

My One-Card Reading sheet

Ugh! What if none of the cards in this deck resonate with me? Maybe I chose a "bad" deck!

This is not possible. At least one card will jump out to you as particularly meaningful. Also - there are no bad decks and there will be many decks you come across that don't vibe with you. I dislike spending money on a deck that I end up not wanting to use. There are several things you can do (in order of personal preference):
 - Give it to someone else who reads Tarot
 - Find another use for the deck, such as a craft
 - Try selling it on eBay or some other sales platform
 - Keep it in your collection as a "novelty deck" (if you have enough space)
 - Throw it out

Thank yourself for supporting a deck creator with your money and you'll know it was never a waste of money! 

Any other questions about this topic? Leave 'em in the comments. 


















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