Performing tarot readings right away when first learning tarot is an amazing way to open up your intuition and build your confidence. Seriously, right from the get-go, even before you’ve memorized the meaning of the cards, give it a try. You’d be surprised what you come up with!
Many people when first starting out hesitate before reading for others and even hesitate to read for themselves. They want to perfect their skill or level of knowledge before venturing out and doing readings. Here’s my take on this. The tarot is a collection of symbols and scenes that are interpreted via our subconscious. You don’t need to memorize the meanings to tap into this. Instead, you will have your own unique interpretation of the symbols based on your life and experiences. You can also go deeper into the collective unconscious and draw from there for meanings as well. No need to memorize.
Practice Makes Perfect!
Here’s a great way to practice this using a technique I learned from Geraldine Amaral. Lay down the cards and just use the scenes to tell a story. No rules, just go for it. Remember when you were a kid and you couldn’t read? You’d go to the library and pick out a book with the pictures you liked the most. Then you’d take the book home and pretend to read it to your imaginary friend by following the story the pictures told. Well picking out the book is like picking out the deck and reading the pictures in the book is like interpreting the cards. Pick out a deck whose images you love to look at, lay them out, and tell the story as you see it. It’s that simple. You can write them down and revisit them in the future to see how your perspective has changed.
Try reading the story of the cards by pulling the same cards from a different deck. It’s great fun and interesting to see how it changes up the story. Each deck brings out the creator’s unique and very personal expression of the tarot cards so each deck will tell a story a little different.
See the above cards and how differently the same cards from different decks can convey a story. The top row are from the Light Seers Tarot and the bottom row from the Connolly Tarot. Both very different interpretations of the tarot.
An Example Tarot Reading
Here’s an example of a ‘reading’ I did using Geraldine Amaral’s, “A Tarot Story” spread. I found it on the website, Tarot Passages, which is no longer in existence. It was posted as the June 2003 spread of the month. My tarot reading was also posted on the website as an example for the spread. You can find the details for this ‘spread’ here. Geraldine’s websites can still be found here.
Four – The Past Influences – Strength
One – The Heroine – Nine of Cups
Two – The Conflict/Challenge – 10 of Cups
Three – An Ally – Seven of Staves
Five – The Future – Queen of Swords
Six – The Resolution – The Fool
The Tarot Story
The story begins with a beautiful young woman. sensual in body, free in her mind. She feels her way through life with sureness and gracefulness. This woman is surrounded by spectators that have everything money can buy, yet they watch her live her life and secretly wish they could be like her–so free. So content with who she is.
She dances in the home of another. She lives in the riches of a castle that does not belong to her and longs for a man that will play the music that she will dance the dance of life to. This man is right there, next to her, but alas, her eyes are closed and she does not see him. Her hand is stretched out but she cannot reach him.
She longs for her own castle on a hill overlooking the water. A place to call her own with the love and blessings from God abounding. She can see it, her castle, yet there is still one more bridge to cross. One more wall to climb. Can she do it alone? It’s so big and so far away. Will she ever reach it?
She draws on the energy deep inside of her being. the energy that enables her to dance through life. The woman draws upon the wisdom, love, and strength that is given freely from God. As she does, she grows stronger and larger. Even though life’s challenges loom around her, she remains focused on God and the strength she was born with. Eventually, she will grow bigger than life. Her greatest ally is herself!
She has been through tougher challenges than this in life! She has always been able to look at tragedy and see what the good is in it all. This task will be no different for her. This fierce and unforgiving life has made her stronger and smarter. She takes what life brings her way and makes it work for her.
The Ending
With the help of her spirit guide, Kara, she will realize her dream. She will envision her home and make it her own by sheer will and visualization. What once seemed so far away and protected, now lies at her feet! And it will all be her own because she will have created it, but even grander than what she had envisioned. Instead of a home surrounded by a mere moat, she will have a home surrounded by a body of water that is alive!
It will have tides and will support life, including her own soul’s. She will watch her dream with happiness and glee become reality as she realizes her own power and how easy it is once she sets her mind to it.The story ends with Amy beginning her new life with freedom of heart and soul. Her future was in the cards because she had it inside her the whole time. Now it is time for her to begin to share her wisdom with others and help them learn to dance the Dance!