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Tarot rules: do I need to follow them?
Are there any tarot rules that you absolutely have to follow? I don’t believe so. As Rachel Pollack suggests in her book, Tarot Wisdom, “you are free to create your own methods.” Yes many of us choose to follow certain “rules” but that is through choice not because there is a universal set of rules that we have to adhere to. Unfortunately, that doesn’t stop people from implying that there is. All too often I come across people presenting their approaches as things that you should do rather than things you could do. Many beliefs, like, “You can’t buy your own tarot deck” seem to be falling away but sometimes…
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Tarot Tableau Revolution
I became aware of Tarot Tableau Revolution through Dina Rosenberg (creator of Crystal Keys Tarot). Dina runs a podcast called Apothecary After Dark with her business partner and one of the episodes she pointed me to was an interview with Maria Alviz Hernando, author of Tarot Tableau Revolution. While still listening to Maria speak, I grabbed my phone and ordered her book. While much of her teachings aren’t applicable to how I approach tarot, I found the book fascinating and I picked up some new ideas that I’ve since incorporated into my practice. I’ll be writing individual posts on those, but I will touch on a couple of them later.…
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20 Great tarot decks for beginners
While I’m about to present a list of the decks that I personally consider to be great beginner decks, I want to preface this list by saying, the best beginner tarot deck is the one you connect with. After all, to learn tarot you have to be keen to pick up your deck. Generally the things I would suggest you look out for when buying your first set of tarot cards, is an RWS based, fully illustrated deck. There are three reasons for this. My current list Below is my list. It is in no way exhaustive. Nor is it presented in any particular order. I have included the beginner…
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Cottage Magic Tarot
I bought the Cottage Magic Tarot because I felt that it matched what I wanted my life to look and feel like – calm and cozy. The uncomplicated art style offers a snap shot of how things could be. You don’t have to try and find meaning. It’s not “hidden” in a plethora of symbols. It’s just there in solid blocks of colour. Nothing feels busy or overwhelming. Put simply, in a chaotic world, it feels manageable. About the Cottage Magic Tarot Deck When I opened the Cottage Magic Tarot and saw the chicken at The Fool’s feet I knew this deck was going to surprise me. I’m a very…
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Using tarot to unlock the power of story
It is hard to partake of any story-based research without coming across the name Joseph Campbell — for good reason. The man knew stories. He dedicated his life to them. In his book, A Hero with a Thousand Faces, he claims that “deep-seated archetypes lurk in stories created by all kinds of cultures.” Anyone who’s picked up a tarot deck knows they exist there too. That is why tarot is such a powerful story-telling tool. But why is that important? Importance of story I’ll let Jessica Macbeth, author of the Faeries Oracle guidebook start the conversation. She wrote: First and foremost, for many of us, we learn, grow, and lead…
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Hidden stories spread
Recently I wrote a short article called Using Tarot to Unlock the Power of Stories, (you may have even come to this from there), and it inspired this Hidden Stories Spread. Uses Everything we do, think and feel revolves around a story, yet sometimes we are not aware of what those stories are. This spread can be used to help you uncover, explore and understand those stories. I would use this spread across many areas but the underlying intention remains the same — What am I not seeing? Below are some possible applications. Considerations Firstly I would suggest that you have a point of focus when asking your question as…
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Getting to know your tarot deck
As I was reading through the opening pages of The Faeries’ Oracle guidebook I came across an idea that I thought would also be a great way of getting to know a tarot deck. So, having tried it with The Faeries’ Oracle, I then tried it with the Golden Tarot. And wow, the notes from three of my five categories feature the same word — surprised. To put this into some context, the Golden Tarot isn’t a deck new to my collection, but, during this exercise, it felt like it was. The exercise So what’s the exercise? It is simply to divide your deck using categories of your own choosing.…
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Star and Strength Tarot for Beginners
The Star and Strength Tarot for Beginners, has been a real surprise. Since I prefer my tarot decks to be keyword free, having meanings printed on the cards seemed like a lot of distraction to overcome. But I also appreciate beginner friendly tarot decks. So, when Antonio reached out about this deck I was willing to give it a try. I’m glad I did! This deck has had such a positive impact in my household and it really has a lot to offer. The Star and Strength Tarot Cards The Star and Strength Tarot is exactly what it claims to be — a tarot deck for beginners. Using the RWS…
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The Green Witch’s Oracle Deck
According to the notes I wrote when I first opened The Green Witch’s Oracle Deck I bought it to pair with The Antique Anatomy Tarot. To be honest I don’t remember that. But it’s what I wrote at the time so it must have been the case. Although, I don’t remember ever pairing the two until it came time to write this review either so I’m not sure what’s going on. All I do know is that I like this deck. I like it a lot. The Green Witch’s Oracle Deck And, while I might not remember what inspired me to combine them I’m glad I listened. They work so…
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Tarot de St. Croix
Tarot de St. Croix healed what was lacking in my day when I pulled it off the shelf. I was feeling pretty flat so I wanted to work with a deck that I knew would bring a smile to my face. Logic told me it was going to be Way of the Panda Tarot because it is such a joyful deck, but as I reached out my hand to grab it, there sitting beside it was this deck and something made me select it instead. I can’t tell you what that was, but it was right. I haven’t worked with Tarot de St. Croix much since I bought it second-hand…
