Tarot Cards

[Master Vigil]

The legend is that Tarot Cards were first used by the gypsies, and were first recorded to be used by the italian gypsies. Do you believe this? And have you used them? If so what technique do you use, and how successful have you been?

 

[jewscout]

I've had them read before once but i tend to avoid them, my mother had been doing the whole tarot and palmistry thing for years and is really really really good at it it's just creepy.

 

[Master Vigil]

Why do you find it creepy jewscout? To a Zingari (Italian Gypsy) spirits were an every day occurence. And dealing with those spirits was very special. It was a privelidge to read tarot and should be so today. It is not a game, it is serious. Such ideas of divination were forbidden by the catholic church, hence the very poor attitude towards zingari (and all gypsies for that matter). And this I think has accumulated into the "creepy" feeling people get about it today. But in no way is it creepy for those whom spirits are every day occurences.

 

[michel]

The origin of tarot cards is uncertain; they were perhaps introduced into Europe by Crusaders between 1095 and 1270 or by Gypsies, and are known to have been in use in Italy in the early 14th century. Although the game of tarot (also called tarok) is still played in central Europe, the cards are now mainly used for fortune-telling.
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I am half Belgian, and my wife is half Spanish; the only reason I am saying that is that modern Spanish playing cards still use the Tarot symbols for suits, as do old French packs of cards (Dont know about modern ones). The symbols are obvious; Wands=Clubs, Cups=Hearts, swords=spades and pentacles=Diamonds.
The Tarot can be used forDivination (self or for others), Meditation, Cabalistic Studies and spiritual Development. I use the Tarot for Meditation and for Self guidance and even perhaps for Spiritual development. There are many methods of using the cards, and as far as I know, each person 'finds' whatever method they personally prefer.
I have read Eileen Connolly 'Tarot - the complete handbook for the apprentice' ISBN 0-7225-3221-0, as I particularly like her style. Even if you doubt the 'divination' aspect, it is a beautiful study, full of prayers and noble sentiments. Good luck!

 

[lilithu]

The legend is that Tarot Cards were first used by the gypsies, and were first recorded to be used by the italian gypsies. Do you believe this?

Sure, why not?

And have you used them? If so what technique do you use, and how successful have you been?

When I was in Jr. High, I saw the James Bond movie with Jane Seymore on tv - what is it called? - in which she could read the future with tarot cards. I went out and bought the same deck that they used in the movie the very next day, and started with the ten-card layout that comes with every deck you buy. I've been told that I give pretty good readings, but to tell the truth, I never felt certain about the revealed truth of anything that I said. I based my readings as much on what I knew of the querent and some informed guesses as I did on what I saw in the cards.

Now I have several different decks, of which the William Blake deck is probably my favorite. I don't use them for fortune telling. I believe that people see what they want to see in the cards, but THAT in itself is informative/revealing to oneself and more useful than trying to pin down a future that has yet to be chosen. I basically use them as objects of meditation. And they work fine for me in that capacity.

 

[jewscout]

Why do you find it creepy jewscout? To a Zingari (Italian Gypsy) spirits were an every day occurence. And dealing with those spirits was very special. It was a privelidge to read tarot and should be so today. It is not a game, it is serious. Such ideas of divination were forbidden by the catholic church, hence the very poor attitude towards zingari (and all gypsies for that matter). And this I think has accumulated into the "creepy" feeling people get about it today. But in no way is it creepy for those whom spirits are every day occurences.

I find them creepy because my mother is so friggin good. She once predicted the death of one of her friends grandmother 2 weeks in advance!

 

[huajiro]

It is very big in Mexico to use tarot cards...I had mine read once a long time ago when I was dealing with relationship problems (can you believe it?)...anyway, much of what they said was true.

 

[cardero]

I believe Tarot Cards (also Rune Stones, pendulums, ouija boards) are tools that can be an extension of our own innate psychic abilities. I used to have a couple Rider-Waite decks but do not anymore. I used to enjoy performing the Celtic Cross spreads and the 3 card YES/NO spreads. Someone performed a reading on me with a Mayan deck that I found quite fascinating but I have not been able to find a deck like this. My grandmother also used to read from the Rider-Waite and an ordinary deck of playing cards. According to my father and Aunt she was quite intuitive.

 

[Ravensong]

First of all carrdero vbmenu_register("postmenu_78303", true); let me say I love your avatar he was my favorite guy in the yellow submarine :woohoo:
Anyway I've been reading the tarot since 91 when I first began to study magick . I also collect different decks . Because the symbolism is different with each type of deck ... I read for myself and from time to time for others . I was going to read for one of the phone lines but when I did a trial reading for the woman in charge she said I would have to not tell the clients everything I saw only the good things . I refused to do half readings ... :jiggy:

 

[robtex]

wow raven ...is there a tint button for you post! wow blinded...so what is a good weblink that covers tarot for people like me who have complete ignorance on the subject?

 

[t3gah]

The first time I ever saw Tarot Cards was in the movie Live And Let Die with Roger Moore and Jane Seymore.

The second time I saw them was in the back of this woman's car. She was doing the card reading thing for me and then well...

 

[cardero]

Thank you Ravensong and welcome to RF.

 

[Watcher]

I just got the Celtic Dragon Tarot deck. So I am just learning how to read them, and working on memorizing them. My deck is absolutly beautiful! I did a reading for my mom and it was pretty accurate. Then my sister read mine and it said I might move, which my mom has been talking about.

 

[lilithu]

The first time I ever saw Tarot Cards was in the movie Live And Let Die with Roger Moore and Jane Seymore.

Yes, that was the first time that I saw them to and went out and bought that same deck the very next day. The Tarot of the Witches deck. It sucks.

The second time I saw them was in the back of this woman's car. She was doing the card reading thing for me and then well...

lol! Did she foresee that in the cards?

 

[lilithu]

Anyway I've been reading the tarot since 91 when I first began to study magick . I also collect different decks . Because the symbolism is different with each type of deck

Hello Ravensong, namaste and welcome!

I love your username, btw. I collect decks too! I have the Marseilles deck because it is supposedly the closest to the original Tarot cards; they look a lot like our playing cards. And I have the Rider-Waite, the Golden Dawn, Crowley's Thoth deck, Haindl (beautiful!), one based on the artwork and mythology of William Blake (my favorite), and one based on the DC Vertigo comic books. While the William Blake deck is perhaps one of the more unrothodox ones, I find it much more comfortable to work with. The suites of painting, poetry, music and science, and Blakes' own mythology make sense to me. Which decks do you prefer?

 

[Bastet]

There are some beautiful tarot decks out there (was trying to find a website I had bookmarked, but it must have been on my desktop pc), but I only have a 'beginners' deck with the major arcana that I bought when I was about 18. I didn't get into it that much, but I got drunk and did a reading for a friend a year or so ago, and it was kinda eerie how spot on I was lol. Haven't really touched them since...

 

[Master Vigil]

My girlfriend is learning tarot. It is her field, but she is quite good with them. But she doesn't practice as much as the spirits would like. That is my fault I assume. Since I don't press the issue. But she has a couple really beautiful decks, I am not sure which ones they are though.

 

[Bastet]

Ahh, here it is! http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/ I love the look of the Dragon Tarot and Tarot of the Cat People. If I bought a deck it would probably be one of those...

 

[Feathers in Hair]

I believe Tarot Cards (also Rune Stones, pendulums, ouija boards) are tools that can be an extension of our own innate psychic abilities. I used to have a couple Rider-Waite decks but do not anymore. I used to enjoy performing the Celtic Cross spreads and the 3 card YES/NO spreads. Someone performed a reading on me with a Mayan deck that I found quite fascinating but I have not been able to find a deck like this. My grandmother also used to read from the Rider-Waite and an ordinary deck of playing cards. According to my father and Aunt she was quite intuitive.

I think that's precisely how I feel about tarot cards and the like, Carrdero! They might not have so much of a mysticism on their own, but they allow your inner abilities to come forth.

It's odd. Normally (and I'm not bragging, just contrasting) when I want to learn something, it usually takes me a day or two to get the basics. Tarot cards seem to be something I'm having a huge difficulty learning. I'm talking you I would not recognize a Hanged Man if he managed to kick me with one of his free legs.

Do you think this is some sort of block? It's not as if I haven't been trying to learn these things, but I'm confused as to why I'm not picking up on something I'm so attracted to.

 

[lilithu]

It's odd. Normally (and I'm not bragging, just contrasting) when I want to learn something, it usually takes me a day or two to get the basics. Tarot cards seem to be something I'm having a huge difficulty learning. I'm talking you I would not recognize a Hanged Man if he managed to kick me with one of his free legs.

That's my card! (the one that seems to reoccur with greater frequency and certainly the one that best represents me)

Do you think this is some sort of block? It's not as if I haven't been trying to learn these things, but I'm confused as to why I'm not picking up on something I'm so attracted to.

Which deck are you using? Different decks use different forms of symbolism and some are easier for a newbie than others. Also, regardless of experience level, some just "jive" better with different people.

It's also possible that the Tarot just isn't for you. Personally, I've always been attracted to the I Ching - it being from my own heritage and all - but try as I might, it's interpretation is a mystery to me. Whereas the Tarot makes intuitive sense. I guess my mother is right and I am just a banana (yellow on the outside; white on the inside). But I would experiment with a different deck first before you give up, especially if you are drawn to it.