Most witches practice tarot reading. Its not something that comes easy to every one. Believe it or not, not all witches are good at reading Tarot cards. I struggled way back when and I still struggle today. If you haven’t got it yet, relax. You’re still a good witch, your gifts just lie somewhere else.
My natural gifts are in the garden.
That being said, it’s still a good idea to get yourself a deck and practice Tarot reading anyway.
Yes, you can buy yourself a Tarot deck. I know there’s a rumor that it has to be given to you but it doesn’t.
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Tarot Basics
Tarot cards are NOT fortune telling. They don’t tell you whats going to happen. Instead, they read the energy surrounding you and reflect that in the cards. They offer a window into your life. If you’re really connected with your cards (and pretty well aware of yourself) the symbols and phrases that pertain to your situation will ‘pop’ out at you.
Just remember that whatever shows up in the cards is only a reflection of whats going on at the moment. It is not set in stone and it can change. Tarot cards pick up the energy of your hopes and fears. If you don’t like the outcome that the cards are predicting then change you mind.
A good understanding of the cards and human nature will guide you through whatever drama is showing in the cards.
My First Deck
I bought my first deck when I was 18, just out of my parents house and thoroughly intrigued with everything taboo. I probably bought it at Spenser’s in the mall. It was a classic, Rider-Waite variety because back in the early 90’s that was about the only one that hit the mainstream shops.
Surprisingly, my dad (recently divorced) was really excited about my deck. His favorite sister was a witch and had numerous decks and had done many readings for him.
I was able to visit my Aunt when I was 20. She informed me that Tarot cards tended to be very negative and she preferred oracle decks. They always told her good things. She was particularly drawn to Native American themed decks. I couldn’t find Oracle decks at the time. It wasn’t something that the local K-Mart kept on hand.
I played around with the cards often. I tried to practice tarot readings on myself but they always told me sad miserable things. At the time, I didn’t know that it was because I was sad and miserable. So I’d put them away for awhile and come back to them again.
Second Deck, second attempt
I bought my second deck in my mid twenties. I was just getting into the Craft and thought maybe a more witchy deck would help me read better. OF course this was when the Internet was just a baby and no one was very good at loading pictures on sites. The deck I found was called The Tarot of the Witches but had very few pictures of the cards.
I ordered it anyway, because that’s what you did. Sadly, I was disappointed. I didn’t like the artwork, It didn’t have all the symbols that I had learned and was subsequently even harder to read than my Rider-Waite.
I would pull them out from time to time but I never clicked with them.
Passing on the Tradition
The third deck I bought was for the Princess on her 13th birthday. She had been practicing with my Tarot deck by doing readings for her friends. I was the cool mom. I let her dabble in Tarot and witchcraft. Her friends loved me….They still do.
I bought her the The Mystic Fairie Tarot. It was a great fit for her. She connected really well and spent less time calling me over to interpret the reading for her. (Which was hilarious in itself because I still wasn’t very good at it)
I just bought Dark&Twisty her first deck, on her 13th birthday of course. She picked out The Beautiful Creatures Tarot because she liked the artwork. A quick flip through shows that it has a few different cards but it still has all the regular folks and some great symbolism
I just bought Dark&Twisty her first deck, on her 13th birthday of course. She picked out The Beautiful Creatures Tarot because she liked the artwork. A quick flip through shows that it has a few different cards but it still has all the regular folks and some great symbolism
(BTW, I didn’t buy the Boys decks because they had no interest in practicing Tarot.
I did buy Peter Pan a set of Runes when he showed interest in learning last year)
Finding the Right Deck
I had been contemplating getting myself a different deck for a number of years but I kept coming back to the fact that I hadn’t mastered the Rider-waite. I was afraid it would be the witch deck all over again. So I kept plugging away at the Tarot courses, picked up a few more books and studied in my spare time.
In those years I finally bought up a few oracled decks and Aunt Royce was right. They were very affirming, offering guidance sans the doom and gloom….
While I enjoyed and grew from playing with the oracle cards, I kept oogling all the pretty Tarot decks online, waiting for one of them to just insist on coming home to me.
Over the years I made witchy friends from all over the world. Some of them were very good at Reading. They suggested I find a deck that really speaks to me. They promised that if I found the right deck the reading would be easier. I was also informed of all the nuances needed to connect to the deck… like smudge it to remove any negative vibes. Handle the cards for a week or two before trying to read. Meditate while hold them, sleep with them under my pillow. Keep amethyst near by to open my third eye while reading.
Third times a charm
I finally found a deck I loved. This one seriously insisted on coming home. I followed most of the advice and I’m telling ya, it works. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m still not good at reading full spreads. I carve out time to practice Tarot reading every week, though, and I feel stronger in my abilities. I wouldn’t have the confidence to read for someone else but fr my own personal use, this deck is perfect. It’s my friend.
I finally found a deck I loved. This one seriously insisted on coming home. I followed most of the advice and I’m telling ya, it works. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m still not good at reading full spreads. I carve out time to practice Tarot reading every week, though, and I feel stronger in my abilities. I wouldn’t have the confidence to read for someone else but fr my own personal use, this deck is perfect. It’s my friend.
Regular practice
Practice with your Tarot cards every week (every day if you can carve out the time).
After you flip through your new deck and spend sometime learning the basics, develop an easy practice both to learn the finer details of the cards and also to strengthen your intuition.
If I had known back then, what I know now. I would have never bothered doing big spreads with lots of cards. I’m not knocking them, they are very informative but they’re also very intimidating and when you’re new. You’ll miss a lot of information in the details and that can give you a totally different message.
My daily Tarot practice takes about 15 minutes in the morning. I pull a single card while pondering a single question such as “What will today bring, Where should I direct my focus or How should I witch today.
I jot down the card and my impressions of the symbols and message before I look up the meaning in the handbook.At the end of the day I review and see if the cards lined up with my day and my intuition.
If you’re looking for a real good book on Learning the Tarot, I recommend this one.
After a while, when you have a good handle on card meanings, move up to practicing a 3-card Tarot spread. There are almost infinite ways to use this spread.
- past, present,future
- situations, action, outcome
- think, feel, do
- Nature, cause, solution
- Situation, obstacles, advice
- Or come up with your own.
This spread is great for answering question and getting guidance during stressful times.
Practing Tarot makes a better Witch
Reading for yourself is important in your magical practices. The Cards can help you find direction, clarity and even hope in stressful times. They can help you understand yourself better as well as others.
Even with 20+ years of practicing tarot, I am still learning. I still don’t always see the connections between the different cards but I very much like to share what I do know. I plan on writing about each of the 88 cards in no particular order. I’ll probably keep coming back to update different cards as my own understanding expands. If you know something I don’t, feel free to share.
I hope you stick with me and if there’s any particular card you’re struggling with, drop me a line, we can figure it out together.
