If you’re anything like me, you’ll be buying yourself a new Tarot deck for Christmas! Whether it’s your first deck or your 100th, I know you’ll be wanting some fun exercises to try with your cards. Look no further!
Here is a free Tarot webinar that I did one year ago….and I’m “re-gifting” it to you today 😉 Since it was a webinar that you had to register for, I never shared it publicly, so there’s a good chance you haven’t seen it yet. The only downside is you won’t be able to see the “chatroom” that I keep referring to throughout since that was only available to the live attendees. Meh, who needs chatrooms anyway?
In this webinar, I cover 5 hot Tarot topics:
How to choose a Tarot deck
Clearing your deck
How to connect with your Tarot deck
The best ways to learn Tarot
Making your own Tarot journal
When you’re finished watching the webinar, leave a comment and let me know how you liked it 🙂
Have a wonderful Christmas!
Hugs,
Kate The Daily Tarot Girl
It’s time to go on a hot date…with your Tarot cards!
Now that Summer is here, it’s the perfect time to pack up your Tarot deck, a journal and pen and head off to the beach, a park or your backyard and do some self exploration.
If you’re wondering what on earth you’re going to ask your Tarot cards, I’ve posted some ideas below. I encourage you to draw only one card per question and to spend some time contemplating and writing. And who knows where your new insights will take your life 🙂
Dame Darcy Tarot & iced tea…yum!
What do I need to know/see/understand right now?
What do I need to focus on right now?
What message do my spirit guides/angels have for me?
How can I have more fun in life?
What’s the best way for me to make a positive difference in the world?
What will help me feel more at peace?
How can I express myself creatively this week?
What talent do I have that I need to use more?
What part of myself am I ignoring/denying right now?
What do I need more of in my life?
What do I need less of in my life?
How can I feel more connected to others?
Who in my life do I need to reach out to right now?
What is influencing me the most right now?
What spiritual lesson am I trying to master right now?
How can I be more powerful and effective in my life right now?
What is my biggest block at the moment?
What characteristics do I need to fully embrace?
What area of my life needs the most attention right now?
How can I feel more free?
What if you get a negative card in a positive position?
For example, let’s say you ask “how can I make a positive difference in the world?” and you get The Hanged Man. How on Earth will you interpret that?!
1. Put yourself in the position of the figure on the card. When you become The Hanged Man, what do you notice?
I notice that I am powerless to do anything action wise, but I still have control over how I think and feel. Surrendering to what is brings peace, fighting what is brings suffering.
I also notice that I am upside down, which gives me a totally different perspective on things than I had before!
So I might interpret this as meaning that I can make a positive difference in the world by not wasting energy on fighting against what is. Instead I should put my energy on finding peace where I am and remembering that there is always more than one perspective. When I am in a peaceful state and when I recognize there are many ways to see a situation, I will behave differently and voila! I will have made a positive difference in the world!
2. Ask “what is the positive side to this card?”
All cards – regardless of whether they appear “negative” or “positive” have a positive side to them.
For example, The Devil is about addiction and feeling trapped and stuck, but it’s also about breaking free from addiction and stuckness. So if I had gotten The Devil instead of The Hanged Man for the above question, I may conclude that in order to make a positive difference in the world, I need to first break free of my own destructive habits and patterns and then help others to do the same.
Share your experience...
Which question(s) did you choose to explore? Did you have any epiphanies? Feel free to share you experience in the comments below!
As I was writing my upcoming Tarot card meanings e-book, which should be out in June, I had a bit of an epiphany and an idea for a fun Tarot exercise.
My epiphany was this: the Major Arcana in the Tarot (The Fool through to The World) represent different aspects of your self, while the Minor Arcana represent the different aspects your life.
This of course is not my own idea, as I’m sure it’s been written about in many Tarot books before, but I really truly got it as I was writing this book. It was one of those things I already knew intellectually, but suddenly understood it on a deeper level.
So here’s my idea for a fun Tarot exercise:
As a way to practice card combinations, lets pair up a Major Arcana card with a Minor Arcana card (not a court card, though). I chose the The Emperor and the Four of Cups.
Universal Waite Tarot
How would The Emperor deal with feeling bored and uninspired (Four of Cups)?
Or, how does your inner Emperor – the part of yourself that is independent, a bit rebellious and stubborn – respond to feeling this way? When you feel like the mopey moper in the Four of Cups, how does that effect your ability to be the Emperor in your own life (ie: the captain of your ship)?
Personally, when I’m feeling bored and blah about life, I tend to feel un-confident about making decisions and taking charge of my own life. This is when I might sleep till noon and spend the evening watching shit TV or reading celebrity gossip blogs. Aka Saturdays.
Let’s try another!
How would Death – the part of you that ruthlessly clears out what is no longer needed – experience the Ten of Wands (feeling overburdened and exhausted by crummy chores and stuff)?
Universal Waite Tarot
I’ll bet he’d delegate certain chores and start saying “no” more often. He would have no trouble allowing things to die (like droopy houseplants, dull friendships or lacklustre hobbies) if the upkeep of those things didn’t make him feel alive.
Through this exercise, you’re able to learn things about yourself and explore all the possibilities of who you really are.
Now it’s your turn!
Choose your favorite Major Arcana card and then randomly pick a card from the Minor Arcana. Ask yourself this:
1. When I feel like the Minor Arcana card, how does that effect the part of myself that is like the Major Arcana card?
2. How would the part of myself that is like the Major Arcana card deal with the life situation illustrated by the Minor Arcana card?
3. What does this tell you about yourself? Is it relevant to your life right now?
Share your results and interpretation in the comments below 🙂
Several years ago I went to all girls dinner party where I didn’t know anybody except the host.
When I entered the kitchen I was horrified to see that nearly every girl there looked the same. They all had these Justin Bieber haircuts (circa 2009) and names like Kellie, Suzie and Tawnie.
So picture a roomful of women with hair like this:
Even worse, they all had similar, professional-type jobs and wore identical denim capri pants.
How was I going to tell them apart?
Upon my arrival, their laughter stopped and they immediately began murmuring quietly to each other, leading me to conclude that they all hated me and I was a complete failure at everything.
In retrospect, maybe I was just feeling really insecure that day.
After meeting each of them I promptly forgot all their names. But as the night progressed I got to know each of them a little better and realized that there were, in fact, some slight differences between them.
By the time I left they seemed like a bunch of individuals and not a mob of identical Bieber-haired Stepford wives.
So now you’re thinking well that’s nice, but what the f*&k does this have to do with Court Cards?
Here’s the deal: my theory is that the Court Cards are hard to learn and read because they all look so similar.
Almost every Tarot reader will tell you that the Court Cards can be a major pain in the ass. For years I felt this way – often crossing my fingers that I didn’t get a bloody Court Card!
Why?
Because when I taught myself Tarot, I never really got the Court Cards. Sure, I read all about them in my Tarot books, but I could never remember what they were supposed to mean and I always felt confused when one turned up in a reading.
But once you get to know the Court Cards (just like I got to know those Bieber beotches), they will start making sense.
Try this!
1. Choose a Court Card from your Tarot deck (for this exercise I am going to go with the Queen of Swords)
2. Get a general sense of what this card is all about. If you don’t know your Courts very well, look up the meaning in a book or google it.
3. Go deeper: think of your Court Card as an actual person and really get to know them.
Personality keywords:smart, judgmental, clear headed, speaks her mind, confident
Favorite hobbies:reading intellectual books and making to-do lists
Best asset: clear communicator
Worst character flaw:judgmental and bitchy
Possible careers:professor, teacher, translator, speech writer
Blocks/challenges:being stuck in her head and thinking too much
Goals & dreams:to get a PhD and establish her career, write an instructional book of some sort
Biggest fear:having to work at Burger King to pay her bills OR having to sit through The Notebook again.
So now you can see that a memorable, distinct personality is emerging. Whereas before you may have thought of the Queen of Swords was just another boring, Queeny card. NOT SO! Please feel free to share your own card and responses in the comments below 🙂
Do Tarot card meanings differ depending on what deck you’re using?
Does The High Priestess in the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot deck have the same meaning in TheDruidcraft Tarot or the Shadowscapes Tarot?
Yes AND No!
Let me break it down for you and show you how to read Tarot like a pro – regardless of what Tarot deck you’re using…
When reading Tarot with different Tarot decks, keep these things in mind:
1) Each Tarot card has a basic meaning, which typically will not vary much from deck to deck. Think of this as the underlying structure of the card, like a blueprint for a building.
2) Each Tarot deck will depict the cards a bit differently. The underlying structure of the card remains the same, but the artistic differences are like interior decorating – they add a different twist to the basic structure/meaning.
3) Your initial interpretation of a Tarot card will remain very similar, regardless of what deck you’re using – but how you elaborate on that meaning will differ, depending on what images and symbols appear on the card.
In this month’s episode of the Menage A Tarot podcast, three Tarot readers – myself, David Dear and Rhonda Snow – have gathered to answer your most frequently asked questions about Tarot card reading.
Questions like:
Can I read tarot for myself + how do I stay objective?
This article has proven to be the most popular article on my site, consistently getting the most views and comments – so I thought I would expand on the topic for those of you who are ready to take things a step further!
My favorite thing to do when I get a new deck (or if I am just feeling disconnected from an old deck) is to interview it. This sounds a little kooky at first, I know, but hear me out…
I like to think of my Tarot deck as a close friend – one who knows all my secrets and who gives fantastic advice when I need it most.
Hezicos Tarot
And like a close friend, I would never just dump all my problems on her and then walk away without asking how she’s doing or what’s new in her life. So why would I treat my Tarot deck that way?
Truth of the matter is, sometimes I start thinking of my Tarot deck as just a stack of paper and I forget to treat it like a good friend – and that’s when my readings go to shit.
So take the time to get to know your Tarot deck. Ask it some deep questions.
What is your main mission or message in this world?
What is most important to you?
What do you want to share with me?
What would you like me to know about you?
Do you have a favorite card in this deck?
What is your biggest fear?
Which card sums up your personality?
What can I do for you that would ensure we have a good relationship?
When I asked my Crystal Visions Tarot deck “what is most important to you?” I got The Hermit, which I interpreted as meaning that meditation and deep contemplation were meaningful things for this deck.
When I asked the same deck “what can I do to ensure a good relationship?” I got the Six of Pentacles– a card about give and take and helping each other. I often see this card as being about being able to receive help from another, so this card could mean that gratiously receiving the help that this deck will give me is what will ensure a good relationship.
But what if you get a weird card?
For example, you ask “what is your main mission in this world?” and you get The Devil. Good god! What does it mean?
Crystal Visions Tarot
Look at your cards in the most positive light possible. The Devil is all about addictions and having the opportunity to bring awareness into the cycle of addiction so that you can rise above it. So this could mean that your deck’s mission is to help you break out of destructive cycles in your life.
Have fun with these questions and feel free to share your results in the comments below!
As 2014 comes to a close, I have been doing something weird….reading my own blog posts (and enjoying them!)
So I decided to round up my top 4 favorite Tarot articles and share them with you. These are the articles I had the most fun writing, so I hope you have just as much fun reading them 🙂
This post generated the most discussion and comments…
There is something that I occasionally hear people say that drives me batshit crazy. It is this: “I don’t charge for giving readings because being able to read is a gift so therefore I would never charge someone for it.” Ummm….what the f*ck?!
Here is one of my favorite things to do with my Tarot cards…
Do you ever wonder what your “higher self” is trying to tell you? Well guess what? Messing around with your Tarot cards is one of the best ways to find out!
Here’s a simple script to help you communicate with your higher self via your Tarot cards.
This post was so much fun to write, as I got to take a trip down memory lane…
Let’s get personal. Did you know that each card in your Tarot deck symbolizes a particular event, person, place or thing in your life?
This is my simple, 3 step process for connecting to your Tarot deck and your life.
Writing this series has been the most fun of all, even if hardly anyone comments on these posts (I know your reading them. Google analytics doesn’t lie!). Warning: my evil twin Veronica helped me with this one…
The Knights are my FAVORITE court cards to hop into bed with! Why? Because they are essentially alpha males in training. They have all the vigor and sexual energy required of a hero in a steamy romance novel, but lack the overbearing bossiness of the Kings.
The surefire way to get confused as f*ck is to ask your Tarot deck Yes/No questions.
In my opinion, Yes/No questions + the Tarot just don’t mix. The Tarot is an amazing tool for inquiring about things and making discoveries. But it is total shit at answering Yes/No questions.
I know, I know, it’s so tempting to ask. I do it all the time. Even though I know that Yes/No questions never really work well with Tarot, I ask them all the time….and I always end up confused and frustrated.
Why is the Tarot so hopeless at answering your Yes/No questions?
Here’s my take on it – the Tarot is a reflection of the world around you. If you study your deck closely you will see that all the archetypes, emotions, everyday challenges and joys are all depicted in the Tarot.
Our world is complex, messy, interconnected and bursting with colour, sensation and vibration. We don’t live in a black and white world where everything is distinct, separate, clean and neat. And Yes/No questions are black and white.
But here’s a sneaky way to get your Yes/No questions answered anyway…
All you need to do is rephrase your Yes/No Tarot question.
For example, if I want to ask “should I seduce my 19 year old neighbor, yes or no?” I could rephrase it as “how do you feel about me seducing my 19 year old neighbor?” (in this case the you could refer to your higher self, the universe, your spirit guides – whoever it is your trying to communicate with via your Tarot deck)
Asking open ended questions when working with your Tarot cards will make for much better readings and less confusion.
Let me demonstrate this concept a little more….
Today I asked my Tarot deck “should I take a month off to travel around Costa Rica in 2015? Yes or no?” and I pulled the Seven of Pentacles from the Anna K Tarot deck:
Anna K Tarot
I was confused at first. Does this mean “yes, but be patient” or does it mean “no, you should be focusing on work”?
So I rephrased my question and asked “How do you feel about me taking a month off to travel around Costa Rica in 2015?” and then I took another look at this card.
Suddenly, it all seemed very clear! A few months ago I planted some seeds (aka started some projects) and those “seeds” have taken root and are beginning to sprout. If I go away now, those shoots will die from neglect. I need to tend to my garden (garden = my life and my creative/business projects) first and once things are more established, then I can take off for a month. I need to be patient now – patient with my projects and business and patient because I will get to go to Costa Rica eventually, just not right now.
So not only did I understand that the answer to my question was NO, I could see the reasons why it was a no and what I needed to focus on in the meantime.
Here are some other ways to rephrase your Yes/No Tarot questions:
1.What is the potential of ___________________?
For example, “should I accept this job offer? Yes or No?” becomes “what is the potential of accepting this job offer?”
2. How would I feel if I ________________?
For example, “should I sell my house now?” becomes “how would I feel if I sold my house now?”
3. What would be the outcome of ____________ vs ____________?
For example, “should I marry Bob or Dave?” becomes “what would be the outcome of marrying Bob?” – draw a card – “vs marrying Dave?” – draw a second card.
Your turn!
What Yes/No question do you have for your Tarot cards? Try one of my alternate rephrases and see how it goes! Feel free to share all about it in the comments below 🙂
