For those of you who follow me on instagram, you probably have seen me promoting my new tarot deck sets. I used to roll my eyes at palm reading and tarot cards because I thought it was, well, a bunch of crap. I became curious about tarot cards after my sister received a reading from a friend last year. I ordered a set of classic Roger Waite cards and did a simple reading for myself at home using some internet resources and then they say in a box for a year. When we returned from Mexico late last winter to discover that all hell had broken loose at home, everything changed. It did for everyone and it affected us all in different ways. I lost my job (temporarily) and we had no business coming in, the kids were no longer in school and overall I felt like I was losing purpose. In a search for inexpensive ways to calm myself and re-center, I found myself pulling out the tarot deck again. I did just a simple reading, I set my intention; to re-center and find purpose, shuffled the deck, took a deep breath and laid out three cards. What are tarot cards? Tarot cards are a deck of cards, each with a different picture that tells a different story. I've only used the Roger Waite cards and definitions so that's what I'll use in my posts and what my cards are themed after. There are 78 cards in total. There are 22 Major Arcana cards, these cards are overall themes and life lessons. Major Arcana cards that show up in a reading often guide the meaning of the other cards. There are four suits of Minor Arcana cards, each containing 14 cards. Cups are associated with emotions and relationships, Swords with intellect and attitude, Pentacles with physical situations and well-being and Wands with spirituality and intuition. How are tarot cards used? The use of tarot cards isn't definitive and many people use them in many different ways. Speaking from experience, I get the most out of them when I'm at a crossroads, having difficulty making a decision or feel like I'm lacking perspective in a certain area. Just like there are many ways to use the cards, there are many ways to interpret them and it will depend on what you're feeling, if you have someone doing the reading for you and what's going on in your life currently. How do I do a reading? Personally, I like to research different spreads (pinterest is fun when you're learning). I find a quiet, sacred space, usually this is my bedroom with the door closed. If you feel like it you can light some candles or play music. For me, sitting on a clean, made bed and taking some deep breaths to quiet my mind is all I need to make my space sacred. Before you begin, you'll want to set an intention. Ask yourself what you are hoping to learn or gain insight on from this reading. Ask your heart and mind to be open and receptive to a new perspective. For example, when I did the reading back in March, I was looking for guidance on how to use the time I had at home so that was my intention. When you're ready, shuffle and split your deck, then lay out cards in the spread you've picked. I'm still a bit shaky and don't know many of the meanings by heart so I use the Biddy Tarot website to help me interpret the cards I'm unsure of. I find it important not to take the cards literally, say I am looking for guidance on my business and I draw an upright 8 of Swords which usually means negative thoughts, restriction and victim mentality. Perhaps, for me and my intention, this card means that I'm holding myself back from opportunities and harboring some negative thoughts that are keeping me from moving the business forward. From here I can ask myself what those thoughts are and dig deeper on how to move beyond that. Perhaps the next card will offer insight on how to do that or from here I can set another intention more specific to these feelings and go again. How do I know what spread to use?
I'll be posting a series of beginner spreads. Since I'm also a beginner, we can learn together! Check back every Monday for a new spread. I'll be kicking off this week with a Winter Solstice Spread to guide you into the winter months and some example intentions with each. If you'd like a set of my tarot cards, please reach out to me at pluspeace.me on instagram or send me an email at [email protected] PlusPeace
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AuthorI am a Maine maker and mother of two. I dabble in graphic design and co-own a screen printing business with my husband of 9 years. Archives
April 2024
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