by Madhavi Ghare | Kabbala, Knowledge, Tarot, Tarot Card Decks
Did you know that there is a “correct” sequence of the four suits in a Tarot Deck? I didn’t either! Back in the day, I thought that the suits came packed in the order favored by the deck creator or publisher. In fact, I would order the suits in a way that I preferred: Wands, Swords, Cups, and Pentacles. Turns out I was wrong! There is actually a method to the madness! There is a very good reason why the sequence of four suits in a Tarot Deck is: Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles. And that reason lies within the basic structure of the Tree of Life in Kabbala. Let’s find out more, shall we?
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by Madhavi Ghare | Begin, Tarot Card Decks, Tarot
For those just starting out in Tarot, choosing the right deck is a well-established problem, as there are so much choice. Most people working with Tarot will tell you to ‘follow your intuition’ when picking your deck. This is an excellent piece of advice that makes good sense. Reading Tarot is about accessing your intuition, so finding a deck that speaks to your intuition is vital. But, ‘following your intuition’, especially when you are just starting out, is easier said than done. Here are some practical tips to consider when choosing a Tarot deck.
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by Madhavi Ghare | Readings, Being a Professional Tarot Card Reader, Rider-Waite-Smith, Tarot Card Decks, Video, Knowledge
Among the 78 Tarot Cards in a standard Tarot Card Deck, there are a few Tarot Cards that have similar or common meanings. Just as the imagery of each card differs from one another, these meanings carry subtle but important differences within them that affect the interpretation of that Tarot Card in a Tarot Card Reading.
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by Madhavi Ghare | Deck Review, Rider-Waite-Smith, Tarot Card Decks, Thoth |
Introduction to The Urban Tarot Deck
I found Robin Scott’s Urban Tarot Deck as I was navigating through the labyrinth that is the Internet, and ended up in love at first sight! ? This gorgeous deck is the result of a result of a very successful Kickstarter campaign in 2012.
The Urban Tarot Deck draws inspiration from the various locales of New York City — the streets, the buildings, the parks, the monuments, the people — everything about this lively and vibrant city is the source material for the images of this deck.
The latest news that I’ve heard is that the Urban Tarot Deck will be published again through U.S. Games Systems. However, Robin still has about 200 copies of the deck (as of 6 March 2017) — which could very well be considered to be the ‘First Edition’ ‘Collectors’ copies. ??
Psst: Deck Collectors! Get yourself a copy while the stocks last!
Cards of The Urban Tarot Deck
Each card is about 2 ¾ inches wide and 4 ¼ inches tall, with rounded corners. The surface has a smooth finish and the card is thick, but not too thick. The cards shuffle well during readings.
The back design of each card reminds one of the subway maps that you can find all over NYC. The card back is totally reversible, so if you use reversed cards in your reading, this deck is perfect!
The card images of The Urban Tarot Deck are so gorgeous, that I wished that they covered a bigger area on the card. However, this wasn’t a deal-breaker for me.
Psst: I also hear that this is going to be fixed with the US Games version.
You can see the card images on Robin’s site. And if you are into using Tarot Apps, you can find The Urban Tarot App on the App Store as well as on Google Play.
LWB and/or Book
The Urban Tarot Deck doesn’t come with an LWB, but there is a full-fledged book that you will have to buy separately. The book features full color images of each of the cards on one side, and a detailed description of the card imagery on the other. You will also find information such as the source of inspiration in NYC, and the models who posed for the pictures. Another wonderful thing about the book is that the edges of the pages are colored to sync with the suits — so it makes searching for the card meanings quite easy!
In my personal opinion, this deck is perfect for those who have a good base with Rider-Waite-Smith based card imagery, and want to explore the Thoth based imagery. This deck features images that are a beautiful amalagamation of both. So visual storytellers can find peace while working with Thoth-based symbols as well.
Although the book provides a lot of information about the various places and situations and people who inspired the designs, and why a certain sort of imagery was used, you may benefit by reading up on the Thoth system to take your readings to the next level. However, even without that, using a storytelling approach, you will still find the images beautifully expressive and informative.
One thing I do miss is having reversed card interpretations. But that isn’t a deal breaker either. If you’ve worked with Tarot for a while, and you use reversals, it isn’t rocket science to figure out the interpretations. ?
Here are some of my favorite cards from The Urban Tarot Deck!
Majors, Minors, Courts, Suits
The deck follows the Thoth system. Therefore, Major Arcana 8 is Justice, and Major Arcana 11 is Strength.
Also the Court Cards follow the Thoth system of nomenclature and hierarchy. Starting with the Princess card, we move up via the Prince, the Queen, and finally, the Knight card.
The Suit of Pentacles is called the Suit of Disks.
And yes, unlike the Thoth deck, these cards have stuff going on in the background of the suit images — which totally makes this deck a great mix of the best parts of both Rider-Waite-Smith and Thoth systems.
Reading with This Deck
I have had a ton of fun reading with these cards. Not only are the images deeply evocative, but they are also highly relateable. These are images not from some fantasy land, or imaginary place, or historical space and time. These are images from the world we live in, and see all around us. They are real, raw, and poignant. And they make a whole lot of sense.
Video
I even made a video about this deck where I talk a bit more (as usual) and give you a peek at the cards. Take a look…
https://youtu.be/gGrLWybxkHI
Giveaway
Robin has been so generous by sending me another copy of the deck and book (which she signed, btw!!) for a giveaway. So get on it, and make sure you’ve entered! The contest ends 31st March 2017.
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a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Your Turn
What did you think of this deck? Did you like the images? Did they speak to you just like they did to me? And if you already have this deck, what are your experiences with this deck? Tell me in the comments…
by Madhavi Ghare | Deck Review, Knowledge, Tarot, Tarot Card Decks |
The Cathar Tarot is a new deck that will be released on the 20th of December, 2016. I recieved a copy of The Cathar Tarot from the deck publishers in return for a honest review.
To be honest, as I started out, I did not have much knowledge of the Cathars. And I don’t claim to be an expert either. However, from a complete novice’s point of view, this deck does create a great entry point to get to know of the life and the culture of a people that have, sadly, been obliterated from this world.
The Cathar Tarot
The Cathars existed during the Middle Ages, and were found in Italy, Germany, Flanders, England, and France. The name ‘Cathar’ seems to have been derived from the Greek word ’katharoi’, which means ‘the pure’. They rejected several formalized beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church and believed that the world was not created by God, but by the Demiurge, a reflection of the real Creator. This world, therefore, was a poor copy of humanity’s true home, which is an earthly paradise where there was no ‘fall’, no ‘sin’, and no one was expelled from Eden.
Some interesting facts about the Cathars include: they were vegetarian, and they had pretty open view about sex. More than that though, the Cathars were a gentle people, and had very tolerant views about other religions.
Ultimately, these people were branded as heretics by the Church and were systematically hunted down and slaughtered.
A number of legends still prevail about them, chief among which is the belief that they held the secret to the Holy Grail, or even the Grail itself.
Deck Theme
The Cathar Tarot Card Deck is an interesting depiction of the beliefs, life and lifestyle of the Cathars in the Middle Ages. The images draw upon the beliefs of the Cathars, and then upon an ancient belief system called ‘Gnosticism’.
Deck Creator(s) and Artist(s)
The deck creator, John Matthews, and the artist, Wil Kinghan have used the universal symbolism and appeal of the Tarot structure to share the wisdom of these wonderful people with the rest of the world.
I liked how the artist has used a very interesting drawing style for the card images — you often find art and fresco drawings from the Middle Ages drawn in this exact way! I thought that this was a great way to connect with the time-period that the Cathars existed.
The Cathar Tarot: The Cards
The Cathar Tarot Card Deck comes packaged in a very sturdy box that holds the cards and a 112-page book that contains full color illustrations.
The cards are approximately 3 inches wide and 4.5 inches tall, and have rounded edges. The card stock itself is pretty thick, and so the entire deck is a bit of a thicker pile compared to, say, the Universal Waite Tarot Card Deck.
Regardless, shuffling the deck isn’t that hard for me — and I have relatively smaller hands. Probably the reason lies with the surface of the cards which is smooth and not matte.
Back Design
The back design is pretty, and features the Cathar seal. This is a part of the armorial bearings of the Counts of Toulouse and can be seen in the Languedoc region of France, where the Cathars had their final stronghold. This design is therefore also known as the ‘Cathar Cross’.
Due to the coloring though, one is able to easily know if the card is upright or reversed. For those of us who use reversed cards in readings (like I do), back designs like these can be a bit frustrating. However, I overcome this by closing my eyes while pulling the cards — that way I don’t get affected regardless of the card’s direction.
LWB
and/or Book
The deck is accompanied by a 112-page full color illustrated book.
The guidebook contains quite a bit of information about the Cathars, their way of life, and their belief systems. The card illustrations for the Major Arcana cards are big (take an entire page) but are comparitively smaller for the Minor Arcana.
The font size is pretty small though, so you may need your reading glasses for this one.
What I really liked about the guidebook is that the information is presented slowly, and it builds upon itself as you keep reading. As you read through the information of the Major Arcana cards, you learn more and then a bit more about the Cathars’ life and belief.
While I am not completely averse to info-dumps, I did like this approach very much — somehow, I wanted to keep on reading and thus learning more about these lovely people.
Meanings (Upright and Reversed)
For both, the Major and Minor Arcana cards the description included the information about the context and the imagery, and keywords for the ‘Light’ and ‘Dark’ aspects of the card’s meanings.
This is particularly useful for those of us who use reversed card meanings in our readings.
More Information
The back of the book contains a section where the deck creators talk about how one can get to know the deck better, and activate the cards. Three spreads, the ‘Cathar Cross Spread’, and the ‘Court of Wisdom Spread’, and the ‘Grail Knight Spread’ are included, along with a sample reading.
Finally, there are a few passages from actual Cathar writings that add to our knowledge of the Cathars and their beliefs and lifestyle. And if you are truly drawn into this, there is a short list of books and websites where you can learn even more.
The Cathar Tarot: Majors. Minors. Courts. Suits.
The deck follows the Rider-Waite-Smith format — the Minor Arcana cards have pictures on them. And if you have experience working with the Rider-Waite-Smith or similarly-formatted deck, learning this deck won’t be hard.
In keeping with the deck’s theme, the suits are named as follows:
- Wands: Book of Shields
- Swords: Book of Swords
- Cups: Book of Love
- Pentacles: Book of Wisdom
The names of pretty much all the Major Arcana cards are also in keeping with the deck’s theme. Here however, they do not follow the Rider-Waite-Smith pattern — Major Arcana 8 is Justice, and Major Arcana 11 is Strength.
A comparative list of the names of the Major Arcana cards is also provided at the back of the book.
The Cathar Tarot: Reading with this Deck
As you may have seen, I’ve been doing my daily card readings for this month, on Instagram, with this deck, and the information flows so smoothly from the imagery!
My Experiences and Thoughts
Since this is a new deck for me, I do carry the book with me and glance through it while I look at the card image. But, even if I didn’t have the book, I wouldn’t suffer much. The imagery of the cards lends itself very beautifully to the storytelling process and to an intuitive reading.
Knowing the meanings of the symbols and the context specific to the Cathars beliefs and lifestyle does help — but if you are in a bit of a rush, and can’t refer to the book, then too, you won’t go wrong if you just mined the cards’ imagery and used your intuition to seek guidance. IMHO, this is the best thing about the Cathar Tarot Card Deck.
Video
I also made a video where I talk about this deck, and where you can get a sneak peek at the cards as well. Enjoy!
The Cathar Tarot Giveaway
The fun thing is that I accidentally ended up getting two copies of the deck in the mail. That meant only one thing. A Giveaway!
So go ahead and enter yourself into the giveaway thingy below. The giveaway ends 12 a.m. EST on the 9th of January 2017, and I will announce the winners on my Instagram and FaceBook, and also in the Comments section of this blog. The deck will be sent via USPS (and I think I ought to be able to provide a tracking number as well).
Buy Your Deck Now!
The giveaway has since ended, but you can still buy a copy of the lovely Cathar Tarot deck on Amazon!
Your Turn…
What do you think about this wonderful deck? Would you want to buy it for yourself? Or do you already have it? Do share your thoughts and experiences with me in the comments section below. It would be interesting to hear what you thought of this deck.
by Madhavi Ghare | Knowledge, Being a Professional Tarot Card Reader, Readings, Rider-Waite-Smith, Spreads, Tarot Card Decks
Ever since I had my first Tarot Card Reading about 10 years ago, I’ve been in love with the Tarot cards. The images, the colors, the art, the swirling magic of the stories that the images seem to tell me — all of it has in turn enthralled, intrigued, befriended, taught and guided me for all these years. However, my curiousity and some really happy coincidences have led to to discover that apart from the Tarot, there are a few more card-based divination systems out there.
Naturally, I have explored them — liking some for one reason or the other, and not really connecting with some. Today, I would like to share with you the different card-based divination systems that I’ve encountered and explored.
A Quick Disclaimer…
Just Because…
- This list is by no means complete. These are just the systems that I’ve encountered. If you know of any others, please share — put in a comment below the article! Thank You in Advance for that! ?
- I am aware that there are card-based versions of systems such as I-Ching and Runes. Since they are a migration of the original system, they haven’t been included in this list.
FYI..
I’ve also made a video about this, where I talk about these systems. You can have a quick look at the different decks that I have from these different systems and see what I’m talking about.. 🙂 I’ve embedded the video towards the end of this post, so just scroll down…
Let’s Begin…
Without any further ado, here’s the list:
Playing Cards / Cartomancy
Cartomancy is defined as “fortune telling by interpreting a random selection of playing cards”.
This is how it all began, I think. The deck of of 52 cards divided into four groups (hearts, diamonds, spades, and clubs) was used for divination purposes. A random draw of a certain number of cards from a well shuffled deck would be arranged in a specific layout and interpreted based on certain rules and ‘meanings’.
Personally, I haven’t explored this system — mostly because there aren’t images on the cards which will stir up my imagination and intuition — which seem to be a requirement for me.
However, it does remain quite a popular system of divination. A quick Google search will lead you to some really interesting websites where you can learn more about this topic.
In Summary…
- Images: None. Just the suit symbols. Face cards (Jack, Queen, King) have images.
- Card Order:Four suits (clubs, spades, hearts, diamonds) of 13 cards each. Cards are numbered 1 through to 10, plus 3 face cards (Jack, Queen, King). Additionally 2 or 3 Joker cards.
- Storytelling: A number of spreads can be used. Interpretation has a very logical approach and can include counting the numbers and positions of the cards.
- Playing With Others: Personally haven’t explored this. But this system ought to play well with other systems like Tarot and Lenormand.
- Guidance Value: No idea since I haven’t explored this system, but based on what I’ve read so far, it could very well be logical and systematic, and practical.
- Availability of Deck: Easily Available anywhere.
- To Learn: Books (on Amazon), Websites, and Videos (You Tube).
Lenormand Cards
The next evolutionary step for Cartomancy was when the 52-card deck was reduced to a 32-card Piquet deck by removing the cards 2s through the 6s.
This ‘Piquet’ deck was then later enhanced into a 36-card Deck, and the playing card symbols were substituted with actual symbols that was also loosely based on the popular ‘Game of Hope’ card game. This deck was then named after Mlle. Lenormand (1772-1843), a popular fortune teller based in France during the time of Napoleon. The system of divination using cards seems to have gained much renown due to her notoriously famous client-list and number of books she authored.
In my observation, the system of interpreting these cards is very logical and linear, while also incorporating intution. It is very unlike the Tarot in several respects. For instance, while reading with these cards, only the symbol on the card is important for the purposes of divining the meaning — contents of the card’s imagery bear no importance to the interpretation. However, just like in the Tarot spreads, the placement of the card in the ‘line’ or spread is important for the purposes of interpreting the message, and it always comes back to the context of the question that was asked of the cards. Also, the message that these cards give is very lucid and precise, compared to the very ‘feelings oriented’ and ‘deeply internal’ messages that the Tarot cards give.
It can be quite a shift for a very intuitive Tarot Card Reader to pick up these cards and read with them. However, when combined with a Tarot Card Reading, both these card systems play awesomely with each other — giving the reader both the deeper and the more practical messages. This can be advantageous for the client, who ends up benefitting the most from a very informational reading.
I recently found myself drawn to learn more about this system while I was working with the Dreaming Way Tarot for my Learn This Deck video series. I discovered that Kwon Shina, the artist illustrator who had drawn the images of the Dreaming Way Tarot had also illustrated a Lenormand Deck called the Dreaming Way Lenormand. Since I was in love with the quriky and cute artwork style of the illustrator I ended up purchasing the deck, and my journey of exploration began.
{I will write an article about the Lenormand Cards and include more details and links to resources in that article, and then link that article here. Promise.}
The Lenormand cards are a set of 36 cards in no particular order — there is absolutely no significance of why a particular symbol has a particular number like in the Tarot. Each card has the one main symbol on it. The background and other additional imagery carries no weight in the meaning and interpretation of that card. For a very basic spread, the cards are laid out in a single line and read linearly. The card to the right adds value or meaning to the card to its left, and so on. Each card can represent a single word (noun or adjective or verb or adverb) and you string them up to form a sentence which conveys the message. Plus, there is no concept of ‘Reversed Cards’ like with the Tarot. And unlike the Tarot, specific cards are decidedly positive or negative in their impact.
Although, it sounds pretty simple in theory, it is quite challenging to do this type of reading. For me, the challenge is in not letting my intuition get into the card’s imagery. This is why I have ended up looking for cards which have a very stark imagery style — just the symbol and nothing else extra on it. And the second challenge is in allowing only that much intuition to come into play which will let me know which of the meanings of that symbol apply in the reading. In short, I find myself running free but within a specifed area.
Of course, when I feel like I have ‘practiced’ enough, I plan to add these cards into my reading process so I can be of more help to my clients. For now, I have started with putting up a ‘card-a-day’ reading with this card on my Instagram and on FaceBook.
In Summary…
- Images: Usually just a single symbol. May contain additional background imagery depending on Deck Theme and Artistic Style. Also may contain the playing card suit insert or name.
- Card Order:36 Cards with no specific meaning or reason for their order.
- Storytelling: Linear. Logical. Each card makes up a word (noun / adjective / verb / adverb) and you join them to make a sentence. Several interesting spreads which have their own very systematic and linear interpretation methods.
- Playing With Others: Yes. Plays well with Tarot Cards.
- Guidance Value: Very practical. Hones in on the main point of the reading / question. Adds value to the Tarot Card Reading.
- Availability of Deck: Easily available on Amazon.
- To Learn: Books (on Amazon), Websites, and Videos (on You Tube)
- Resource Links:
Tarot
My first love. My best love. The Tarot Cards have been the doorway to exploring my intuition. However, they were also a great synthesis of my love for mythology, psychology, art, and symbolism, and the process of interpretation.
This is a complete system in and of itself. Typically, it has 78 cards, divided into 22 cards called the Major Arcana, and 56 cards called the Minor Arcana. The Minor Arcana are then further sub-divided into 14-Card Suits. The Major Arcana talk of a deeper truth filled with Arcana and Archetypal symbols and imagery. The Minor Arcana (through the four Suits of the Wands, Swords, Cups, and Pentacles) talk of the everyday things that people go through in their lives. The Suits also contain a total of 16 Court Cards or People Cards which are a composite of the 16 different Personality Types.
In short, the cards cover all aspects of a person’s life — spiritual, energetic, mind, feelings, and practical.
The cards are randomly pulled from a well-shuffled deck, and laid out in a ’spread’ where the spread positions correspond with the question asked to the cards, and give the cards their context. Intuition and storytelling plays a huge role in interpreting these images, and they offer all levels of guidance and prediction.
In Summary…
Images: Deeply evocative imagery based on Deck Theme and Artistic Style. Full of symbols and hidden meanings. Every aspect of imagery may strike the intuitive-imaginative processes.- Card Order:Two big divisions — 22 cards in Major Arcana, and 56 cards in Minor Arcana. Minor Arcana cards further divided into 4 Suits (Wands, Swords, Cups, Pentacles) that include cards 1 through to 10, and 4 Court Cards (Page, Knight, Queen, King) in each suit. Each suit sequence and even the Major Arcana sequence has a logical and meaningful order.
- Storytelling: Deeply engaging and very subjective. Imaginative, intuitive process of interptetation. Images evoke feelings which are then translated into messages. A large variety of Spreads are available.
- Playing With Others: Plays really well with most systems. Can form the base system upon which other systems can add value, or vice-versa.
- Guidance Value: Deeply insightful. Feelings, emotions, situations, circumstances – lots of details to interpret.
- Availability of Deck: Easily available on Amazon.
- To Learn: Books (Amazon), Websites, Videos (You Tube).
- Resource Links:
Oracle Decks
For some reason, I could never find myself drawn to these decks — probably because these cards usually have a message printed on them which tends to distract me from getting into the intuitive flow.
However, that doesn’t mean that this system doesn’t have it’s adherants and followers.
In theory, this is also a worthwhile system to explore. And many Tarot Card Readers often use Oracle Cards to add more value, meaning, and guidance into their readings.
Nowadays though, I’ve discovered Oracle Decks which don’t have much in the way of messages printed on them — maybe just a keyword. The White Rabbit Oracle and the Sacred Symbols Divination and Meditation Cards are two such decks that have drawn me to them.
Typically, you will find a good number of Angel based Oracle Decks out there in the market. But there are others as well — and just like the Tarot, they are often based around a certain central theme or belief system.
Readers may use these in a ‘spread’-type layout just like the Tarot, or they often pull out a random card or two to add value or additional messages to an existing Tarot Card Reading. However, these aren’t really suited for prediction-based questions. By their very nature, they are meant for guidance and encouragement.
In Summary…
- Images: Depend on Deck Theme, and Artistic Style. Usually have an insightful or encouraging message printed on the image. Sometimes, its just a keyword.
- Card Order:Cards usually won’t have any specific number-based order, or any other meaningful order to their sequence.
- Storytelling: Messages usually offer encouragement and guidance. Limited use in predictive readings. A number of spreads available.
- Playing With Others: Plays truly well with other systems. Especially if you want to add a bit of guidance and encouragement during the spread.
- Guidance Value: Insightful, encouraging messages that offer a lot of guidance. Usually not very predictive.
- Availability of Deck: Easily available on Amazon.
- To Learn: Books (Amazon), Websites, Videos (You Tube).
OH Cards
I discovered these cards through a friend who had seen them when she went for a Reading. I ended up exploring the website and ordering this deck and three more later on. Of course, there are more decks based on different themes, which are totally on my wish list.
These cards, to quote directly from their website, “simulate creativity and communication”. The best part is that these decks can be mixed up with each other and still be fluidly used as a single deck.
The Original OH Deck was a unique creation, designed and painted by Canadian artist Ely Raman. There are 88 cards with pictures painted on them. These are complemented with 88 cards which have keywords on them. Randomly pull out a picture card and put it upon a randomly pulled word card, and see what comes up in your heart and mind.
Subsequently, several artists have created picture cards of their own, based on different themes, and added to this ‘image library’ and enhanced this deck.
I mix them up, and use them to plan / plot my story, or get to know my ‘characters’, both with and without the ‘word cards’. Sometimes, I also use them to gain a deeper understanding of my inner self and inner processes. Depending on how I feel during a reading, I may even add them into the mix for a client reading.
These cards come in real handy when the reading involves going deep into the client’s psyche to find root causes of fears, phobia, and other issues which have troubled them and left them in stuck positions in their lives. Of course, it requires a lot of trust between you and your client, and a lot of interactivity in your reading process. In my experience, these cards work especially brilliantly in readings when the client is willing to give the process a genuine shot — after all, he / she may have to sit and talk about what feelings and associations the image card + word card combo is stirring up within his / her psyche.
The accompanying booklet also describes how these cards can be used in a group setting in a ‘game’. These cards have found their use with counsellors and psychotherapists, as also with divination practioners.
In Summary…
Images: A number of paintings based on the Deck Theme. Different decks can be combined with each other to create a wider theme-palette of images to dive into.- Card Order: No specific numbers. Random order to their sequence.
- Storytelling: Very intuitive and imaginative. Can be paired with the OH Word Cards to add value, or can be used by themselves. Can be used in spreads, or just laid out in a line.
- Playing With Others: Plays really well with all the systems.
- Guidance Value: Very playful and insightful, full of imagination and intuition. Can include deeper psychological aspects as well.
- Availability of Deck: From the OH Websites.
- To Learn: Guidebook (with the Deck), Imagination, Articles on the OH Website.
Watch The Video
If you’d like a bit of a visual treat while I talk about the stuff that I’ve written in this blog post, then just click play and watch the video!
And if you would like to be notified every time I upload a new video, just head on over to my You Tube Channel and subscribe!
In Conclusion…
There are all kinds of different ways in which to access the intuition, the imagination — essentially the subconscious mind — using these card-based systems. Of course, these cards may or may not have all kinds of evocative images and artwork. Shuffling, then choosing random cards, and laying these cards out in a layout / Spread for the purposes of divination is a multi-layered system full of variety and innovative methods and tools.
Even though there may be a number of Tarot Card Decks out there to whet your appetite, these systems are also well worth looking into. Plus, they play really well with the Tarot.
Not only do they exercise your psychic muscles in different ways, but they also help you get more information, and put you in a position where you can help your clients better.
Of course, if you know of any other card-based divination system that I haven’t covered here, please just drop a line in the comments section below. Also, if you have anything else to add or say, please tell me. I would love to hear all your thoughts.
by Madhavi Ghare | Begin, Tarot, Knowledge, Tarot Card Decks, Book Review
Learn Tarot on a Shoestring Budget
P.S.: Most of them cost less than / around $20!
Do you want to learn Tarot Card Reading? Are you on a budget?
I think it is such an interesting turn of fate that we get drawn to wanting to learn Tarot Card Reading right when we are in the middle of something else, you know, like Life. 🙂 So there we are, wanting to learn Tarot Card Reading while pursuing studies, or working a full-time job, or raising kids.
And of course, we are on a budget – think shoestring budget. Most one-on-one or classroom Tarot Workshops cost a bit (mine included). And carving out time for the lessons is not always possible. How do you learn Tarot then? Especially when you are on a shoestring budget?
I’ve spent over a decade reading, studying, and gathering a bunch of knowledge and information about Tarot and taught Tarot Card Reading to many students. After all that reading and studying and teaching, I have compiled a list of processes, techniques, books, articles etc that may help you in your journey with the Cards.
I would like to share this with you. Part of it came about as a ‘Reading List’ that I give all of my students after they finished my workshop. And the other part — well, it is in the form of blog posts on this very web site. In this post, I’m just bringing it all together in one place, so you can have a single point of reference during your self-study process.
The learning is totally your domain though. That is one place you will have to help yourself. The biggest advantage of this resource list is that you can work through the list at your own pace while you juggle and balance all your other life stuff.
Before We Begin…
This list has been compiled with a lot of thought. I’ve either read / written every book / article / resource that I’ve mentioned over here. That is one reason why this list cannot, in any way, be complete. I still have many books sitting on my shelf, waiting to be read. And there are only so many hours in the day when I can read. So, while this list may be big and exhaustive, it is by no means complete. I promise though, that I will keep adding to it as and when I get to reading / writing those books and blog articles. Promise.
Please Note: Each of the images of the Amazon Books is a clickable link with my Amazon affiliate code embedded in it. This way, I get a few pennies as my affiliate commission if you choose to buy via these embedded links.
Now, without much ado, let’s really begin…
Learn Tarot on a Shoestring Budget
Step 1: Your First Deck + Basic Book with Card Meanings
Please resist the urge to buy the Universal Waite deck along with the book titled ‘Pictorial Key to the Tarot’. (The Book and Deck Set can be purchased for approx. $19). You can totally buy the book later if you want. This book was written by A.E. Waite, the creator of the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot Card Deck. It is written in old style english and has a lot of stuff that is pretty obscure and confusing to a beginner. The list of meanings in this book can and will confuse you. Some of them are, at best, of historic significance, and at worst, dated. It won’t serve your purposes right now to get confused. The history of this deck is pretty engrossing, but right now, you don’t want to spend time on that, right? You can do this later.
Learn Tarot on a Shoestring Budget
Step 2: Studying and Understanding the Cards
Learn Tarot on a Shoestring Budget
Step 3: Learning How To Actually Do Tarot Card Readings
Learn Tarot on a Shoestring Budget
Step 4: Go Deeper With Your Tarot Studies
Learn Tarot on a Shoestring Budget
Step 5: Explore the Card Connections
There are so many things areas within the cards where you can go deep and explore. You can either see the cards as a place where these things converge, or you can see the cards as a launching point to exploring these realms.
While there are many realms to explore, there are many areas which I haven’t explored. It is a simple matter of being drawn to a concept and not being drawn to another.
Everyone likes a different flavor of ice-cream. That doesn’t make the other flavors irrelevant. Or unimportant. And since this is a list of resources that I have compiled based on my personal experiences, you may find some interest areas ill-represented.
For that I apologize in advance.
Symbolism
The Tarot Card Images are filled with Symbols. From the simplest to the most complex, symbols populate each aspect of the card image. Symbols are like short forms or acronyms. They convey vast amounts of deeper truths in a very compact format. Just by being present in the image of the card, they suffuse the image with a wealth of meanings that probably could not have been conveyed otherwise. Often, the meaning of these symbols is rooted in logic. Apart from common sense, symbols derive meaning from myths and legends, and the psychological spheres that they evoke. Knowing about the various symbols and the mysteries associated with their interpretation can be quite useful in the interpretation of the Tarot Card Images.
Mythology
This is the aspect of Tarot that attracted me the most. Almost all of the cards in the deck are associated with some or the other myth. Being a storyteller, that was extremely attractive to me. Myths are the first stories ever told. Myths form the basis of storytelling, both simple and complex. I loved how the symbols and stories were intricately woven into the imagery of the card. And of course, understanding the meaning of those images and symbols added into the meaning of that card.
Read:
Psychology
This is the next aspect of the Tarot images that pulled me in. While the images are associated with myths, they also evoke many attributes of pyschology. The imagery is a pathway into the depths of the subconscious mind. It may not be simple or easy, but the cards can truly open the door to the deepest reaches of the mind so you can be guided by your subconscious mind.
Read:
Numerology
All the cards have numbers on them. Naturally, that makes it easier for us to connect them with the occult art of numbers – Numerology.
While you may find a number of texts about the subject as-is (i.e. with no connection to Tarot), there is an interesting book that does talk about Numerology and Tarot together.
Astrology
Due to the number of cards in the Major Arcana (22) a unique connection has always existed between the Major Arcana cards and the Astrological Signs and Planets.
Each of the 22 Major Arcana cards is either associated with a Sun Sign, or a Planet. Most of us stop at this point, and don’t venture any further. That’s cool.
But what if there is more to this connection than what you’ve known so far?
Download this PDF Chart of the Major Arcana Associations.
Kabalah
The mystical and esoteric elements within Judaism are called Kabalah. Briefly, the Kabalah aims at explaining the connection between the infinite and the finite Universe.
The arrangement of the Pentacles on the Rider-Waite-Smith / Universal Waite 10 of Pentacles card is quite similar to the image of the Tree of Life from the Kabalah.
Also, 22 Paths connect the 10 Spheres on the Kabalah Tree of Life. Many people see that as a very straightforward connection between Tarot Cards and the Kabalah with the 22 Major Arcana Cards and the 10 Suit Cards structure in each Tarot Card Deck.
Art
This is also a side of the card imagery that attracted me. The images and the art on some of the decks is often pretty compelling. From a storyteller’s point of view, these images can launch you into a completely different and intriguing world. Fantasy and imagination can easily find themselves combined within the artwork of many a Tarot Card Deck. A few such notable Tarot Card Decks that I own are:
Of course, tastes vary. As I love to keep saying, “Everyone likes different flavors of ice cream”. You may like a different sort of imagery. And that’s perfectly okay. 🙂
Learn Tarot on a Shoestring Budget
Step 6: Explore the History of the Tarot Cards
There is a very colorful history that surrounds the cards and their images. To be honest, I feel that this could be a whole ‘nother post by itself. So, I’m just going to give you the information, the links, and a brief description.
Read:
In Conclusion…
As I’ve said before, this list isn’t complete. But it does contain the links to resources that I’ve encountered first-hand, and over this past decade. As you work through the list, and in order, you will slowly develop and enhance your knowledge and experience of the Tarot Cards, and doing Readings not just for others, but for yourself as well. Wisdom comes from putting these principles and this knowledge into practice. Trying out various techniques and approaches to see which fits will no doubt open doors and pathways into various areas of understanding and help you grow and develop even more. As I see it, the Occult Arts of Divination are just another pathway towards self awareness, and self realization. The knowledge that you will gain from them will always help you, no matter what. Trust the wisdom of your soul, and you will find that your life opens up for you.
Your Turn…
As I read more, and learn more, and discover more resources, I will be sure to update this list. If you want to be notified when this list of resources updates, and if you are ok with getting some more emails from me about all sorts of Tarot-ically Speaking stuff, then sign up! You can save the PDF file on your computer / smart phone / tablet and access whenever and wherever you like. When the list updates, I’ll send you a download link for the new PDF. And I hope you won’t mind if I also send you the occasional emails with news, updates and article links. Sound good? Well, then sign up! 😀
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by Madhavi Ghare | Tarot Card Decks, Interesting |
Intuition.
A word I keep saying all the time. Something I totally believe in.
And something that many people often ask me about.
So I decided to write about what I feel about it.
Intuition: Definitions
My Mac Dictionary defines the word Intuition as: the ability to understand something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning; a thing that one knows or considers likely from an instinctive feeling rather than conscious reasoning. ORIGIN Late Middle English (denoting spiritual insight or immediate spiritual communication): from the late Latin intuitio(n-), from Latin intueri ‘consider’.
Wikipedia defines Intuition (philosophy) as: the act by which the mind perceives the agreement or disagreement of two ideas; and Intuition (knowledge) as: understanding without apparent effort.
Hmmm….
Intuition: So What is it All About?
The whole idea of Intuition was introduced to me by my Tarot teacher. She always used to say that Intuition is the first thing that comes to your mind when you see the card. So very true! And it applies not just to the Tarot Cards, but also to different situations in life as well.
Intuition is basically the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of something, or someone – and yes, the first thing that comes to your mind when you see the card.
We all grow up with a little voice inside our heads – it is that little voice that keeps on telling you what is right or wrong (for example, it is the little voice inside your head which probably told you that Mom will be angry if you do something) and it is that voice which keeps on telling you what the outcome of a certain situation can be (for example, the little voice inside your head that told you that the guy you are going out with is a total loser).
But then, we are taught, nay conditioned, that we ought not to listen to that little voice inside our head and instead follow logical and rational thought processes.
Not that I am against rational thought or logic, but there are many times where these things can totally fail us. All of us have discovered in our lives that some things which may seem rational and logical do not always correspond to reality. And it is that little nagging voice inside of our heads which was right all along. For example, that guy really turned out to be a big loser despite all appearances to the contrary, and Mom did really get angry for what we did.
Intuition Confusion: How Do We Know?
But then again, there can and often are so many other little voices crowding inside of our heads that we often think that they are Intuition. Those are the voices of our fears, the voices of our past experiences, the voices of our own expectations, and so on. All of these different voices can often cause confusion in our minds and cloud the voice of our Intuition.
So how do we separate out the voice of our Intuition?
To do that, we must first know ourselves better – know more about what we are doing and why. We must know our ‘triggers’ and our ‘responses’ to these ‘triggers’. And when we know that, we can separate these voices because then we will know their source, their origin.
Trust me, there is no easier way, no short-cut to achieving this. But there is a way. It is a combination of Awareness and Practice. And this is how I do it.
I try to remain Aware constantly – I try to watch myself, as if I am a third person, and observe what I am doing. Then I try to figure out why I am doing what I am doing. And then I tell myself all of that. It isn’t as complicated as it sounds – really. But it certainly takes a lot of time to get the process down to such an unconscious level that one does it like one breathes – without the awareness that one is doing it.
LOL 😀
Yes, I know – to be aware, you have to remain in the Present, become your own Observer, and then do this process Unconsciously, without Awareness.
Careful, you may be stepping into a very Zen territory out here! 🙂
And the next step is Practice – just keep on doing this. And you’ll get the hang of it.
Personally, I am still practicing – one is never really perfect, right? And yes, I do slip-up now and then. 🙁
And so, once we are aware of all the different things we do and why we do them, we will know what triggers our responses – what are the different stimuli that cause these different reactions. And by reactions, I also include the different voices we hear.
So now we can identify the origins of each of these voices – some may originate from past experiences, some from our fears, and some from logic, and so on. Meanwhile, you will also find a voice which has no origin whatsoever. And that is the voice of Intuition.
Something that has popped up into your mind for no apparent reason – and from no apparent source or origin.
Your Intuition.
Intuition and Tarot Cards: How Tarot Cards can help Spark your Intuition
And so, how do the Tarot Cards tie in with Intuition?
Well, the cards have pictures on them and these pictures mean something. Plain and simple, you can just see what’s happening in the picture and decipher the meaning. Or you can totally get into the symbolism, the myths, the philosophy, the astrology, the numerology – the whole jing-bang, and then decipher the meaning of the card.
Either way, the picture and its inherent meaning will be there right in front of your eyes for you to see.
But then, wait.
What did that little voice in your head say when you first saw the picture?
Pay attention. Really.
What did that little voice in your head say when at the first sight of that picture on the card?
Go on, listen to it. Really listen to that voice.
Learn it’s tone, it’s tenor, it’s cadence. Identify it’s source. Listen to how it sounds like (probably very quiet). Understand what it feels like (probably very peaceful).
That’s your Intuition talking.
Don’t be afraid. Don’t panic.
When you are doing a reading and you get these Intuitive, instinctive insights, don’t be afraid to voice them. Tell your client, that your Intuition is saying this. Don’t discount it. Don’t say that you could be wrong.
Believe in your Intuition. Trust it. Have total, complete, irrevocable Faith in it. Respect it. Treat it like it is something important. Special.
And trust me, your Intuition will become stronger and more spot on with every passing day.
Yup! It’s called the ‘Psychic Muscle‘ and just like any other muscle in your body, the more you exercise it, the more stronger it becomes!
And your cards can work as a wonderful tool for you to access that Intuitive force present within you. Because, they are simple and easy. And because they make it easier for you to focus on the true voice of your Intuition.
A daily one-card or three-card draw is a good way to keep this practice going and to keep your Psychic Muscle exercised.
And soon you will see that you get sudden insights and bursts of intuition – even without the presence of the cards. Your mind’s radio station will tune in more easily to the voice of your Intuition. And when you most need the guidance, the information you require will come to you.
Intuition: A Few Examples from my own life
Oh yes! I have had some interesting incidents in my life which have to do with Intuition. And I am going to share them with you.
And no, I don’t get flashes of stuff happening to me all the time.
Only when it is required.
Once, I was doing a reading for a client – and I saw something, almost like a movie scene, happening in front of my eyes. (And no, this doesn’t happen to me all the time!) And I described this scene to her. Guess what! She said, this had happened to her just the day before!
A recent example was just before my Green Card interview. Now, I was going in a different category – my Mom had applied for me. But many-a-times, people apply for Green Cards under different categories – typically, a newly wed wife applies for a Green Card because her husband has one. And at that time, they are supposed to show photographs of their wedding ceremony to the interviewer, to prove that a wedding really took place. The visa information website where all this stuff is written had not mentioned such a requirement for my category. And so, I was adding all kinds of documents in my folder – like my Birth Certificate, to prove that my Mom is really my Mom and that I am really her Daughter etc. etc. And then, suddenly, the voice inside my head told me to pack some photographs as well… pictures of me and my Mom. And so I did that. I looked through a pile of photos and picked out some nice pictures of me and my Mom and put them in a nice album thingy and packed it into my document folder. So, when I finally went in for my interview, the lady who interviewed me asked me a whole bunch of questions (as they normally do) and then instead of asking for any other document, she simply asked me if I had any pictures of me and my Mom. Thats it! That was the only ‘document’ she wanted to see. So, promptly, I said ‘Yes’ and gave her the album.
And then of course, there are those funny moments, when I suddenly feel the urge to hunt down my cell phone and then I get a text message or a phone call.
And then there are those moments when I just know if someone is going to drop by for a visit. Or not.
And then there was today morning when I decided to mow the rest of the lawn. I had finished half of it yesterday morning in the heat of the sun, and had decided that I would wait till today evening to do the rest of it because the Sun would not hurt me so much. But then, as I sat on the porch this morning sipping my second cup of coffee and smoking my ciggy, my little voice said to me: ‘The sky looks cloudy – not cloudy enough for it to rain right now, but it will rain in a few hours and it will keep on raining. So, if you want to mow the lawn, better do it now, or else, you won’t have the opportunity for at least a day or two. And then the lawn will be half finished.’ So I got up, and got down to it. I got a few drops of rain on my head just as I was finishing up on the last chunk of grass.
And it is still raining outside… So, if I would’ve waited, thinking that the rain may not fall, I would’ve had a very unfinished looking front yard right about now!
by Madhavi Ghare | Tarot Card Decks, Interesting, Readings, Major Arcana, Minor Arcana, Tarot |
This year began with a bang for me! After waiting for 6 years, my immigration visa interview came through and I am finally on my way to USA to meet my family, live with my Mom (till I find my own accommodation) and generally give my career as a fiction writer some right mileage.
But before I launch into all that, let’s have a look at some interesting number facts that I noticed along the way…
My final interview date was set on the 31st of December, 2008. Add it all up: 3+1+1+2+2+8 = 17 which adds to an 8. Then, my interview was conducted in a cubicle numbered 9. If you add up 8 and 9, you again get 17, which, adds up to an 8. I was the 8th last one from among the whole lot of people to be called in for the interview (the Gujrati (!!) lady next to me was keeping count!) 🙂
Interesting! Well, I was born on the 8th of Jan…. and I have often observed how this number and it’s half (the 4) keeps popping up in my life on and off for all the strangest of reasons.
My flight is booked for the 28th of Jan, 2009. Add these up and you can see that 2+8+1+2+9 = 22 which adds up to a 4! I live in a flat numbered 4.
I am going to live with my mom for some time, before I can figure things out in the USA. Her house number is 305 (another 8)!!
So, with all these numbers going around, let’s have a look at the year to come: 2009. This year adds up to 11 or 2. So, let’s examine these numbers with regards to our cards.
Beginning with the Major Arcana:
Key XI : Justice.
This one is the actual number that this year adds up to. The Justice card, among other things, talks about decisions – taking decisions, making decisions (oh, yes, there is a difference between them two!) and about Karmic Justice. This is the kind of open-eyed Justice, where all is seen and heard, and then action is taken with all the pros and cons in mind. The main feature of this card is also inherent in the pair of scales which she holds in her left hand – Balance, and the sword she holds in her right hand – Logic.
She is often likened to Themis, the Greek Goddess of Justice, or to Ma’at, the Egyptian Goddess of Justice. And in keeping with the qualities ascribed to both these Goddesses, she takes logical and balanced decisions, weighing all her actions and thoughts in accordance with the Universal Law of Karma.
My Prediction:
This is a year when all things will even out – Karmic Debts will be repaid and decisions will be taken with an even-handed, action-oriented, long-term perspective and an objective vision.
Key II: The High Priestess.
The High Priestess card is often held to be the most powerful card in the entire deck – simply because it is full of deep symbolism, and because it shows the inner sanctum of the Divine Feminine.
She is often likened to Persephone or to Isis, and sometimes even to the female Pope. The High Priestess is the perfect picture of the balance that one can achieve within the Duality of everything.
She is the inner self – the unconscious force which holds all the secrets concealed within her psyche. She is the representation of inner wisdom and intuition. She is the stillness before creation.
She simply is – and there is no disputing that fact.
My Prediction:
Taking forward the tone set by the Justice card, this year will also be one where focus will be drawn within – our souls, our inner worlds and our inner wisdom. Intuition and instinct will rule the decisions which will be made and taken. Although stillness will be the norm, it will foster new thoughts and ideas which will be waiting to germinate and sprout out into form (in the next year!)
Key XX: Judgement
The Judgement card talks of redemption – a redemption from the cycles of Karmic action. This is a card indicating freedom and release. Typically depicting a scene from the ‘Judgement Day’ scenario, this card signifies a movement forward on the Karmic ladder – where one transcends the flow of material life and moves into the spiritual form.
My Prediction:
Adding to the tone of the message from the Justice and The High Priestess cards, the Judgement card tells me that for those among us who ‘hear the wake-up call’, our intuitions will guide us along the right paths – helping us take and make decisions with a strong will power, and creating situations from where maintaining and generating Karmic balances will lead us on to a place where we will be free from struggles and transcend towards redemption. The key theme of this year will be Forgiveness.
So, after all these deep, heavy, top-level things, what will our everyday lives be all about? Let’s look at the Minors for that.
So, Moving On To The Minor Arcana:
2 of Wands:
This card from the Suit of Wands talks clearly about careers, work and seeking opportunities. This man standing on the terrace of his house, dressed in fine clothes, looks on to the sprawling ocean in front of him, while holding on to a wand in one hand and a globe in another.
This card talks of how the world has indeed become a small place. We don’t really suffer from the ‘frog in the pond’ syndrome anymore – rather, we have now begun to question ourselves more about our self-created perceptions of that pond. To me, this card is now raising the following questions:
- How would you described your pond?
- Do you want to explore another pond?
- Or do you want to remain in your own pond and be satisfied and content with what you have?
My Prediction:
Many of us will face these questions in different aspects of our lives – especially, our careers, and in any other area of life, where our desires and passions – our fire energy – comes into play.
2 of Swords:
This is a card which talks of choices and decisions. In this picture, we see a woman holding two swords in her hand, while crossing her hands across her chest. She has a blindfold on her eyes, and she cannot see. We also see a crescent moon in the sky, and a water body behind her. She is faced with decisions (remember the Justice card?) – but she also wants to protect her own heart from the consequences of these decisions. Perhaps, she is also afraid to see what lies ahead of her, and so she has chosen to be, or to remain blindfolded. There are choices available to her, but she knows, that she has no one else to rely on, except for her own intuition. She knows that no matter what decision she takes, she is liable to face the consequences.
My Prediction:
Many of us will find ourselves at cross-roads and at cross-purposes this year. Taking and making decisions will rule our minds – choices will be available: between a rock and a hard place, or between the devil and the deep blue sea. Take your pick! But the main questions that abound will be: ‘Should I choose now?’ and ‘Can I choose now?’. No matter how logical it may or may not sound, it is Intuition which will rule over the mind in the next year.
[Psst: Note how her sitting pose is strikingly similar to the Goddess in the Justice card and the High Priestess card!]
2 of Pentacles:
This card from the Suit of Pentacles shows a young man dressed up in clothes which look funny, but he is definitely not laughing. He is juggling two pentacles within a lemniscate – with boats going up and down on the waves right behind him. The whole juggling the pentacles business is exactly how many of us are going to manage our money this year.
My Prediction:
Many of us will spend time in an endless juggling match – trying to do this thing and that, trying to keep things going. And while this is going on, the emotional ups and downs in the background are not going to ease up on us…Add to this mix the whole career-questions raised in the 2 of Wands and the choices presented to us in the 2 of Swords, this year promises to be one filled with a seemingly endless up and down financial see-saw.
2 of Cups
This card seems to be the most promising one of all. Here, we see a young man and a young woman meeting each other and exchanging cups. Above them rises the face of a lion with wings and a caduceus – passion and healing, combined with an exchange of emotions.
My Prediction:
Many of us will find friends or lovers or significant others in this year. It will be a relationship where the key feature will be sharing of emotions which brings about healing and then leads on to passion.
Alternatively, this card also shows a harmonious partnership at the workplace or business. This kind of partnership is sustainable and creates a positive feel at the workplace.
Some of us may also experience a harmony coming about within the male and female parts of their psyche (the Animus and the Anima).
So, To Sum It All Up…
This year looks good with regards to taking and making balanced and logical decisions – in fact, the favorable decisions made in this year will be those which have been taken with the gut instinct / intuition in consultation. Similarly, in the different aspects of life choices, decisions, harmony and adjustment are the key themes which abound.
Perhaps nothing substantial may occur this year, but this is the year where the foundations are going to be laid out for the fruits of next year. So it is extremely important and essential that things be done right this time!
And so I leave you with a quote from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar (Act IV, Scene III), which is something which I always follow in my life:
There is a tide in the affairs of men,
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their lives
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.
On such a full sea are we now afloat,
And we must take the current when it serves,
Or lose our ventures.
May The New Year Bless Us All!
by Madhavi Ghare | Tarot, Tarot Card Decks, Interesting |
First off, let me apologize for writing a post after such a long time….
Lately, the world’s been buzzing about with books and videos related to creative visualization and manifestation of your desires. All this has taken off especially after ‘The Secret’ came out in the market. And now the sequel to the book has also come out (titled ‘Law of Attraction’) and it is creating quite a buzz too….
Let me start by telling you all that the video of ‘The Secret’ was one of the most amazing videos I have seen in a verrry long time…
So, back to the post….I have been experimenting with Creative Visualization and Manifestation for quite some time now. Back when I began experiencing these moments, I didn’t have these nice names for it – it began as a process of simply making a wish, and seeing it come true in front of your eyes. Of course, back then, I felt as if something tremendously magical was happening to me…Now I know that it is still magical, but there is a process and so forth to it…the video simply seemed to put things in the right perspective for me….
So, how can you use the Tarot cards for this process of Creative Visualization? There is a very simple process quite like a meditation with the card. Here is how it goes…
Choose a card which resonates with what your wish, and your desire is. Hold it in your hand. Watch the card closely and close your eyes. Try to recreate the image of that card in front of your closed eyes. Open your eyes after some time, and see if you got all the details correct. And then close your eyes again. Now visualize that these details from the card are actually manifesting or happening all around you. It is almost as if the card is materializing all around you. Stay in that image / visualization for as long as it takes for you to feel right at home in it. Then, slowly imagine that the elements of that card are dissolving in the reality around you, and that the energy of those elements is now getting transformed into your desired outcome (which has to be in resonance with the card you have chosen, of course). And then slowly open your eyes…
If you want to, you can even choose 2 or more cards if you want a certain situation to manifest. But for a start, you can choose just one card, and then work your way up to more.
However, a few words of caution / wisdom here: Choose something which is in alignment with the forces of Nature, and make sure you follow the ‘Harm None’ philosophy. Otherwise your manifestations could just bombard you in a way you may have not imagined it and things can end up going crazily out of control for you….
So, I leave you with the card I am going to meditate with for now…
Card from Osho Zen Tarot Deck. Card from Rider-Waite-Smith Deck.
So, which card would you be meditating on?
by Madhavi Ghare | Rider-Waite-Smith, Tarot, Tarot Card Decks, Interesting |
The Large Hadron Collider has been in the news lately for all sorts of reasons. So, today, I decided to have a look at the Wikipedia page about it here. Fascinating read!
To be honest, all the technical stuff kinda went over my head (yeah, well, that’s why I am no scientist!) – But then the ‘Purpose’ section of the Wikipedia page made me stop, think and wonder. Apparently, among other things, this machine will help Mankind understand so many different concepts and theories – all relating to the creation of the Universe itself!
All the people, especially those from the scientific community are obviously very excited about this – and of course there are those doomsayers who think that this experiment may pose a danger to the world itself.
Creation.
The one word that has inspired many books, concepts, theories, ideas, philosophies, myths and even religions – why are we so curious (often to the point of being obsessive) about how things began?
What does any person think that the beginning of anything will really reveal?
How does the BEGINNING of anything make any difference to what that thing IS NOW – or for that matter how it ENDS?
An interesting thought – considering that everything that ends must have begun somewhere and unless it begins, it simply cannot end. But it is sure that creation and destruction are both, equally inevitable parts of every single thing that IS.
In Hindu Mythology, there are 3 Gods who are associated with these different aspects of existing – Brahma is the Creator, Vishnu is the Protector, and Shiva is the Destructor. These 3 Gods form a Trinity, to keep everything going. And as per the Divine plan, everything begins remains and ends – apparently all at the same time – simultaneously.
Will knowing how the Earth or even the Universe began really make so much of a difference to Mankind – or is he just satisfying his innate inherent curiosity – and that’s all there is to it?
Or is Mankind waiting for some kind of a revelation to happen at the end of this discovery?
What does Man hope to gain from finding out how it all began? Is it a quest for Glory? Or is it for attaining the honor of becoming a God?
Will that satisfy the thirst?
When we find the Beginning will the search End?
You know what I think: I think that we all exist because of our will to exist and if that will went away, then everything will cease to exist.
It reminds me of something I saw when I meditated once: I had been sitting for some time watching the darkness in front of my eyes and feeling the tingling in my body. And then in the darkness there was a voice that asked: ‘Who Am I?’ And so a blue dot began to take form in that darkness – and it grew and it grew till it covered everything. It was all water, I think, rippling and flowing – and it was almost as if the question had stirred up echoes of reverberations all inside it and on the surface of it. And when each part of that flowing liquid resonated and asked the same question, the cacophony of sounds grew and grew till the whole thing exploded because of the sound. All those particles – each and every one of them – wanted to find out, individually (of course!), who they were! And they all began to move around and began to take shape and form – trying to find their identity in this and that – trying to find out whether this was who they were or that was who they were. They changed their shape and size and form and design – but the answer still eluded them. So they kept on going and going – because each shape and size and form and design – gave them no way, no method and no means of reaching any satisfactory conclusion. The more they changed, the more they began to become more confused about who they were. Soon it came to a point that they even began to forget what the question was in the first place. And it became commonplace for them to keep on changing their form from one thing to the next – completing a life-cycle every single time. And soon, the world (as we know it), began to take form. And then these particles began to become trees and birds and animals and then human beings. They liked becoming human beings – because they could now find several means of expressing their ideas, their thoughts, their concepts and their new questions. So they continued to remain more and more in this human form – they somehow thought that it was the most superior form that they had ever achieved. They were pleased with themselves. But then again, they realized that this form was not quite satisfactory too. Meanwhile, a few among them began to look deeper and probe more and more within themselves. They began to ask more and more questions. All these questions were about the same thing – how did it all begin? And the most important question of all – who were they? And so it all came full circle – and Mankind was besieged by this question – ‘Who Am I?’ Some of them have been able to ‘crack the code’ as it were – and then they supposedly merged with the Supreme. In my meditation, I saw that some of these became glowing blue dots and then some of them, the rare ones, just simply disappeared and started to form the darkness all over again.
And one day, it all went back to becoming the glowing blue dots, and then found its way back to the darkness – of course, only till the next time that a voice asks, yet again: ‘Who Am I?’
And as I moved far away from this, I saw that there were many such blue globes floating around in this darkness – each and every single one of them in different stages of this process. And each particle within each globe asking the same question: ‘Who Am I?’
Creation, Preservation, Destruction – all of them carry within them the seeds of the other. Everything came from the darkness and will go back there to rise once again – in the endless search for the elusive answer.
And this is not the first time this story has occurred. It has happened again and again and will keep on happening for ever.
Nothing is Everything and Everything is Nothing. Everything comes from Nothing – Nothing creates Everything. And then Everything turns into Nothing.
As I came out of this meditation, I realized that either of two things could be possible: that I had a really fantastic imagination (yeah, well…) and that what I saw was REAL.
So I decided that it was really great to JUST BE and ENJOY THE HERE AND NOW and stop chasing the elusive answer. Perhaps that is just the answer.
I AM. AND NOTHING ELSE MATTERS.
Reminds you about the symbolism of the Number Zero [ 0 ] – The Fool Card and The World Card – both merged together – doesn’t it!
by Madhavi Ghare | Tarot Card Decks |
In our world – which is full of so much psycho-babble and spiritual what-nots – this is one question that always manages to rear its ugly head in the minds of people like me – especially when one is on a certain spiritual path. So I am going to venture out and pen down a few of my thoughts about this topic. And of course, I am going to take the help of some wonderful Tarot card imagery to do so… 🙂
In the world where we live – we need money to buy the things we need for our basic survival – such as food, clothing, shelter, Internet etc. We need to pay our bills and since the barter system has become obsolete, money is the best manner of purchasing what we want.
Since the need for having money has firmly been established as one of the essentials of living in today’s world, it is reasonable to want a certain amount of money in order to live.
However, what needs to be addressed is a situation when this desire becomes overwhelming enough for a person to be ruled by that desire. I have seen people become obsessive about the amount of money they earn, or spend, or don’t spend or even save! Really, how much money is too much money?
Economics tells me that ‘wants are unlimited’. In short, no amount of money is ever going to ‘feel’ enough. So let us look at what some of the cards in the Tarot deck have to say about money and wanting money…
The first picture from the Robin Wood deck shows a couple pulling at what seems like a treasure chest full of money. But both of them are pulling it in opposite directions. It seems as if they have found a way out of a dark place – but then the chest seems to be bound by chains and both of them are at cross-purposes. The next image from the Druidcraft deck shows a man locking away his money in a big chest. And the third image from the Universal Waite deck shows a man who is hugging his money to his chest – he also has a coin on his head and two coins each, below his feet.
All these images show the situation of what happens when you cross the invisible line between wanting money to buy you things that make you happy and wanting money because you never seem to have enough.
Well, to be honest, wanting to make money is not a bad thing. That is the bottom line. But then, wanting money above all else – well, that is a sure-fire way to take you down in that dark place (like in the Robin-Wood deck) where you are going crazy to take something but you are fighting your inner self and others to do so. It is also not a good thing to keep the money so close to your self that you cannot see, think or be anything beyond or without it (like in the Druidcraft and Universal Waite deck images).
The thing that we must understand is that money helps us buy the things we want or need, so that our lives can be better, and that we can live comfortably well. Saving money is not a bad deal either – because in that manner we ensure that we have something for that ‘rainy day’ or for our ‘old age’. But, at the end of the day, one must not get so carried away by it.
The way is not the destination. Money is the way to buy the things – money is most certainly not the aim of life. Money is used to buy things – don’t let money buy you!
So, to answer the question: wanting to make money is not ‘BAD’ – but thinking that money will solve all your problems, is most certainly an unwanted approach towards it.
Meanwhile, here are some interesting tidbits for you to chew on:
The Wikipedia Page on Money states:
Money is anything that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts. The main uses of money are as a medium of exchange, a unit of account, and a store of value.
The article also goes on to state:
The word ‘money’ is believed to originate from a temple of Hera, located on Capitoline, one of Rome’s seven hills. In the ancient world, Hera was often associated with money. The temple of Juno Moneta at Rome was the place where the mint of Ancient Rome was located. “Juno” etymology may derives from the Etruscan goddess Uni_(mythology) (which means “the one”, “unique”, “unit”, “union”, “united”) and “Moneta” either from the Latin word “monere” (remind, warn, or instruct) or the Greek word “moneres” (alone, unique).
Interesting, isn’t it?
by Madhavi Ghare | Tarot, Tarot Card Decks, Interesting
Here is a link to a video that I happened to catch on YouTube…watch it till the very end…Lovely Stuff…
(The link will open a new window)
The girl has a point!
by Madhavi Ghare | Rider-Waite-Smith, Tarot, Tarot Card Decks |
Continuing my trend for looking at things from the other way round (as with the Minor Arcana cards), here I am trying to look at the journey of the Major Arcana Cards from the other way round, -i.e.- from The World to The Fool.
Sounds interesting? Well, then, click here to read on.
by Madhavi Ghare | Tarot, Tarot Card Decks, Interesting |
This is a post that I feel deserves to appear on both my blogs for the simple reason that it is something about my life, and also something about Tarot. And both are integral parts of me.
This post is about the Devil.
First a little background to why this post sprung up. It is essential. I was surfing the net as I am wont to do when I don’t have anything better to do. Just ended up on Yahoo! Answers and put in “Tarot” in the ‘Search’ box and hit enter. Just to see what comes up, you know. Then stuff began to pop up which began to make me wonder.
Tarot is recently gaining quite an amount of popularity in India on account of a Tarot reader (I really don’t know who) who came on to a cricket match show and predicted the outcome of the game. Soon enough, we had a bunch of Tarot readers on the popular news channels and newspapers giving out advice and daily/weekly predictions for each sign. And then we have “Tarot Readers” springing up all over the place, teachers teaching Tarot all over the country and so on and so forth.
Like every other method of ‘fortune-telling’ this one also has its bad apples, and its materialists. For me Tarot became something else altogether. I admit it began as a ‘fortune-telling’ medium, but as I studied and as I came closer to the meanings of the cards, it became much more than just that for me. Tarot cards became the lamps lighting my way on my spiritual path, guiding me.
Of course, I have to point out here, that being a Hindu, I have not much of an idea about Christian concepts and ideologies. However, the Tarot was full of them. So I ended up doing a bit of research. Since I have had a fascination of mythology and the concept of ‘story creation’ as a base of myth, I had some idea about Greek, Roman, Egyptian and of course, Hindu mythology. I never knew that reading up on all this would one day culminate into Tarot so simply.
So when I saw all the people on the site condemning Tarot for being ‘the work of the Devil’ and all those who practiced Tarot were supposed to be ‘the Devil’s disciples’ and so on, I began to wonder. Luckily, in India, which is primarily a Hindu nation, perhaps this drivel won’t filter down. Perhaps, that is why I am able to see this without prejudice and without any pre-conceived ideas. Who knows?
I have met a couple of Christians in my time: a guy who won’t read ‘The Da Vinci Code’ for example (it’s just a book for crying out loud! And it says ‘Fiction” very clearly on the cover!) and this woman who told me that we all were ‘born in sin!’. So yeah! In my experience, I find these people a bit, well, cuckoo! Oh yeah, and yesterday I ended up watching ‘Carrie’ on MGM. 😀 LOL 😀
So who the heck is this Devil guy anyway? I know that there is a Devil card in the Tarot. Of course, I kinda had a personal interest in him because in the Tarot this card of the Major Arcana also stands for the sign Capricorn. And according to my date of birth, I am a Capricorn. So you see I had to know more. So I googled the Devil. Heeheehee. A lot of sites turned up. The list of what all I had to read through is given at the end of this post. If anyone is interested in some further reading…
So the Christian Bible, the Islamic Quran and the Jewish Bible have got this Devil character figuring in there. Apparently, he was one of the angels that God had created. When Man was created, God asked these angels to bow before his creation. But this fella refused to do so because he preferred to bow down only in front of God. So God became angry with him and cast him out of Heaven. (!!!???!!!) And then when Adam and Eve were living in the Garden of Eden, this Devil in the form of a snake convinced Eve that she ought to eat this fruit from this ‘Tree of Knowledge’ so that she would be as knowledgeable as God. Not only did she eat this fruit, but she also gave it to Adam, who also ate it. After that these two (Adam and Eve) ended up ‘knowing’ (what?). This was the ‘original sin’. And that is why all the descendants of Adam and Eve (that is all of us!) are ‘born in sin’.
Phew! I hope I got the gist right! If not, please do feel free to correct me if I have missed out on something.
There is a Tarot card showing something like this in a card called Lovers.
In this card we see Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Behind Adam is the Tree of Life (with its flame-like leaves) and behind Eve is the Tree of Knowledge (complete with the apples and the serpent). Adam looks on to Eve, who in turn is looking heavenwards, at the Angel blessing them both. This card means choices, relationships, love, divine inspiration and so on. But this picture conveys so much more than all that. The man and woman can reach bliss and thoughtlessness only when they are ‘with’ each other. This bliss is often referred to as a glimpse into an enlightened state of being. Towards this end, for the man this woman becomes the means to achieving this state. But then, it also says to me that the woman doesn’t need the man to get to this state. She is the womb and thus the Mother. She goes through these cycles of creation-able-ness every month. She instinctively knows what it is all about. She can get to this enlightened state of being simply through her own awareness of the movement of the cycles on a spiritual level. The man can also reach this state of bliss on his own. He, however, needs to do more work on raising his awareness levels and getting attuned to these cycles.
Methinks Mr. A.E. Waite was a feminist.
We have a whole bunch of people criticizing and condemning, not just Tarot but also other forms of divination. Now ‘divination’ means ‘A prediction uttered under divine inspiration’. Apparently the Bible condemns all this, and the people who do this ‘divinition’ are all witches and so on. But, as far as I can see from all the info about the Bible and Quran on the Net, the Bible and the Quran itself have a bunch of predictions and so on within them. Now what’s the deal with that?
Now don’t get me wrong. I am not against any religion. Really. I am just against the hypocrisy created by ‘organized religion’. My own religion is also included in this list. Any religion, when it becomes ‘organized’ becomes open to corruption. Either from within or without. This corruption becomes an essential part of this drama created by that religion. So then we have dogmas emerging, and we have rituals emerging and then we have strict enforcement of certain religious statements emerging. True debate over the concepts in that religion is suppressed. Each statement is easily open to debate and criticism. But that is suppressed. Each person within this religion is expected to follow the rules that are laid down. There is no place for rational thoughts and complete obedience is expected. And usually there is a Priest of some sort at the top of this hierarchy laying down these ‘laws’ based on the basic religious text of that religion.
But then, each religion does have its good points. As far as I know, there isn’t a single religion in the world that tells you to lie, cheat and steal. All religions tell you to be good, tell the truth and be kind to other people.
And yet, we have people killing each other in the name of a religion. We have people discriminating in the name of a religion. We have people hating each other in the name of a religion. Why?
Even in Hinduism, we had the caste system which created discrimination. Today, this kind of discrimination has been abolished by the law, but it still exists. This is the bit I don’t like about it myself.
There is a card in Tarot which represents this bit about ‘organized religion’. It is called ‘The Hierophant’. This card shows a Pope blessing two students and there are two keys at his feet. This card can stand for morality, society, religious initiation, systematic and orderly mode of study, and so on.
What I feel that this picture is trying to convey is that ‘organized religion’ need not be the barrier that it is made out to be. Religion and its study and practice need not be so ritualistic and dogmatic. For somewhere within the babble of this and that, lie the keys to your own realization. It’s just a question of how you end up using that knowledge and when and what you use it for. Within this card therefore, I see a very valuable paradox. This card is not quite what you see at first glance. Although, one must pass through certain strict processes to look within and understand the basic tenets of any religion, once one has the keys to that inner wisdom, one can still make a choice and use that knowledge well. Only those among the learned ones who feel the need for control go the way of fanaticism and those who truly understand the concepts use it for good deeds. The rituals are simply the means of getting attuned to that particular energy level. Most religions have them, one way or the other. These, I feel cannot be truly avoided or done away with. In fact, there exist a plethora of rituals because not one size fits all. To each his own. Even in that, every religion has given us some space.
So where does the Devil fit into all this? Yup, like I said before, we have a card called The Devil in the Tarot deck.
In this card, we see the two characters from the Lovers card chained to this block. But the chains are not tight about their necks. This funny looking person who has horns, bats wings, the upper body of a man and the lower body of some furry animal and claws of a bird for his feet is sitting on top of this block. He looks unhappy. In one hand he carries a flaming torch which he points downwards, right behind the backside of the man. And with the other he makes some sort of a ‘V” sign (remember Star Trek?) with his fingers. Also there is an inverted pentacle on this person’s head. Now, the man and the woman have also undergone some changes. They both have sprouted horns. The man has a tail with the end being a leaf from the Tree of Life and the woman has a tail with a bunch of grapes at the end. The landscape is darkness.
This card means to tell us to look within our inner darkness – this is the darkness of the soul. To see that the chains and shackles are of our own making. To understand that we should not be tied to the rituals and moral codes of living and knowing. That we should understand that these are the things within us that keep us locked into this darkness. The ritual does not mean attainment. That the moral code is just the way but not the answer. This card also ties into the materialistic outlook that people have about their life, which ends tying them down. Sometimes, to me, it talks of addiction, relationships and jobs that feel like chains and restrict your personal development and so on.
Perhaps, this is also a lesson to the Capricorn-people to come out of their materialistic attitude about life.
This funny looking person on top of the block is actually a synthesis of a whole bunch of pre-Christian deities such as Pan, and Cernunnos, and The Horned One. Each one of them had their own bunch of myths.
Here is a quote from the bit about Pan as to how the symbol for the sign of ‘Capricorn’ emerged:
The constellation Capricornus is often depicted as a sea-goat, a goat with a fish’s tail: see Aigaion or Briareos, one of the Hecatonchires. One myth that would seem to be invented to justify a connection of Pan with Capricorn says that when Aigipan, that is Pan in his goat-god aspect, was attacked by the monster Typhon, he dove into the Nile; the parts above the water remained a goat, but those under the water transformed into a fish.
And of course we have the pentacle being condemned for being a symbol of the Devil. When in fact, it is a symbol of all the five elements in Nature: Fire, Air, Water, Earth and Spirit. Upward pointing pentacles, to me signal that all these elements are being channeled into the spirit. Downward pointing pentacles signify that this spirit essence is being channeled within us.
Of course, the horror film industry has built this whole thing up into a vast money making business. And this added to the ideas of the masses that the pentacle was a sign of the Devil. I suppose, the Church also gave it some added impetus. And thus, the Pentacle became an ‘evil’ symbol. So tell me, where is this ‘evil’ in all the five elements of nature?
So now we come down to what it actually boils down to, for me.
This ‘Devil’ is nothing but the inner darkness that we all have to face from time to time. In Hinduism we have the concept of ‘Dvaita’ which means ‘Duality’. Within us exist both good and bad, black and white, yin and yang, male and female, positive and negative and so on. What we as human beings are challenged to face is the creation of a synthesis of all these aspects. Because that is essential for us to attain the state of being closer to an enlightened state of bliss. This is what we have to conquer within ourselves.
Without one, there is no other. If there would not have been ‘bad’ then we would not know what is ‘good’. Without white, black would be meaningless. The male and female principles have to unite to generate the act of creation. This duality is therefore essential to any kind of movement of the spirit.
So Tarot cards have got these principles and these secrets intertwined within them with the use of pictures and symbols. This so-called ‘secret knowledge’ is freely available for those who choose to know it within the Book of Tarot. The Tarot readers who understand this knowledge and incorporate this knowledge within their life, will find that they are part of a free and straightforward system of attaining that state of enlightened bliss. And their journey then begins.
Of course, it is not easy. No one said that it would be. But it is a beginning and as such, this process is fully comprised of looking within and creating and inner awareness and seeking out knowledge and so on. Thus, this system does not need any intermediaries between the reader and the universal consciousness.
It’s like a direct connection with the knowledge within oneself and within the universe. And the Tarot cards are just like the runway for the soul-aeroplane. They provide the place or the means for this jump or this connection to take place.
Perhaps this is why the Church opposes the Tarot cards. If everyone had such a connection, then these Churches would not be needed. And perhaps that is why they are called the work of the Devil. Because they are a straightforward means of getting the ‘knowledge’ – like eating the fruit from the tree of knowledge.
When I was a child, my grandmother always told me that if I had to stand against something or not like something, then I had to find out what it was all about in the first place before condemning it.
My suggestion to all the Tarot-haters of the world is that they find out what the cards are all about in the first place before they condemn it. Half knowledge is, in fact, a dangerous thing.
If one really sees the cards and their meanings for what they are, then one will understand that they don’t give out any ‘bad’ messages. (Of course, there is more to it than that as well, but that is for another post!)
And as far as the knowledge of the future events goes, all Tarot-ists will tell you that the future is something that isn’t hard and fast written on stone. It isn’t something that cannot be changed.
In fact, Tarot readings are meant to be a guidance for the future. They are meant to help the querents see how they can prepare themselves for the forthcoming events and to see how they can use their ‘free will’ to create a change within themselves so that it reflects in their lives.
Because somewhere we all have the power within ourselves to create and generate our lives. What we think, feel, talk – is all converted into energy and gets manifested within our lives. So we are in fact active participants in our future. Perhaps that is why each religion tells us to speak the truth, be kind towards other people and so on. Because this energy that we send out to the world is thus going to manifest in our life in a good way.
And then when we don’t see this cause-effect relationship manifesting, we begin to question more deeply and stumble upon the concepts of Karma, Past Life Karma and so on. But all that is fodder for another post – wot say? Stay tuned! 😀
So here are the links that I mentioned at the very beginning, a bibliography of sorts:
http://www.lucifer.com/lucifer.html
http://religion-cults.com/Occult/O-Overview.htm
http://www.religion-cults.com/Occult/Satanism/Satanism.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devil
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_and_Eve
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horned_God
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cernunnos
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan_%28mythology%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devil_in_Christianity
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Original_sin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iblis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garden_of_Eden
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04764a.htm
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09410a.htm
Does give you something to think about, doesn’t it?
Each card is about 2 ¾ inches wide and 4 ¼ inches tall, with rounded corners. The surface has a smooth finish and the card is thick, but not too thick. The cards shuffle well during readings. 
The Urban Tarot Deck doesn’t come with an LWB, but there is a full-fledged book that you will have to buy separately. The book features full color images of each of the cards on one side, and a detailed description of the card imagery on the other. You will also find information such as the source of inspiration in NYC, and the models who posed for the pictures. Another wonderful thing about the book is that the edges of the pages are colored to sync with the suits — so it makes searching for the card meanings quite easy!
The Cathar Tarot is a new deck that will be released on the 20th of December, 2016. I recieved a copy of The Cathar Tarot from the deck publishers in return for a honest review.
The cards are approximately 3 inches wide and 4.5 inches tall, and have rounded edges. The card stock itself is pretty thick, and so the entire deck is a bit of a thicker pile compared to, say, the Universal Waite Tarot Card Deck.
The back design is pretty, and features the Cathar seal. This is a part of the armorial bearings of the Counts of Toulouse and can be seen in the Languedoc region of France, where the Cathars had their final stronghold. This design is therefore also known as the ‘Cathar Cross’.
The deck is accompanied by a 112-page full color illustrated book.
Ever since I had my first Tarot Card Reading about 10 years ago, I’ve been in love with the Tarot cards. The images, the colors, the art, the swirling magic of the stories that the images seem to tell me — all of it has in turn enthralled, intrigued, befriended, taught and guided me for all these years. However, my curiousity and some really happy coincidences have led to to discover that apart from the Tarot, there are a few more card-based divination systems out there.
Cartomancy is defined as “fortune telling by interpreting a random selection of playing cards”.
Images: None. Just the suit symbols. Face cards (Jack, Queen, King) have images.
The next evolutionary step for Cartomancy was when the 52-card deck was reduced to a 32-card Piquet deck by removing the cards 2s through the 6s.
It can be quite a shift for a very intuitive Tarot Card Reader to pick up these cards and read with them. However, when combined with a Tarot Card Reading, both these card systems play awesomely with each other — giving the reader both the deeper and the more practical messages. This can be advantageous for the client, who ends up benefitting the most from a very informational reading.
The Lenormand cards are a set of 36 cards in no particular order — there is absolutely no significance of why a particular symbol has a particular number like in the Tarot. Each card has the one main symbol on it. The background and other additional imagery carries no weight in the meaning and interpretation of that card. For a very basic spread, the cards are laid out in a single line and read linearly. The card to the right adds value or meaning to the card to its left, and so on. Each card can represent a single word (noun or adjective or verb or adverb) and you string them up to form a sentence which conveys the message. Plus, there is no concept of ‘Reversed Cards’ like with the Tarot. And unlike the Tarot, specific cards are decidedly positive or negative in their impact.
Images: Usually just a single symbol. May contain additional background imagery depending on Deck Theme and Artistic Style. Also may contain the playing card suit insert or name.
My first love. My best love. The Tarot Cards have been the doorway to exploring my intuition. However, they were also a great synthesis of my love for mythology, psychology, art, and symbolism, and the process of interpretation.
Images: Deeply evocative imagery based on Deck Theme and Artistic Style. Full of symbols and hidden meanings. Every aspect of imagery may strike the intuitive-imaginative processes.
For some reason, I could never find myself drawn to these decks — probably because these cards usually have a message printed on them which tends to distract me from getting into the intuitive flow.
Images: Depend on Deck Theme, and Artistic Style. Usually have an insightful or encouraging message printed on the image. Sometimes, its just a keyword.
I discovered these cards through a friend who had seen them when she went for a Reading. I ended up exploring the website and ordering this deck and three more later on. Of course, there are more decks based on different themes, which are totally on my wish list.
Subsequently, several artists have created picture cards of their own, based on different themes, and added to this ‘image library’ and enhanced this deck.
Images: A number of paintings based on the Deck Theme. Different decks can be combined with each other to create a wider theme-palette of images to dive into.
There are all kinds of different ways in which to access the intuition, the imagination — essentially the subconscious mind — using these card-based systems. Of course, these cards may or may not have all kinds of evocative images and artwork. Shuffling, then choosing random cards, and laying these cards out in a layout / Spread for the purposes of divination is a multi-layered system full of variety and innovative methods and tools.
I think it is such an interesting turn of fate that we get drawn to wanting to learn Tarot Card Reading right when we are in the middle of something else, you know, like Life. 🙂 So there we are, wanting to learn Tarot Card Reading while pursuing studies, or working a full-time job, or raising kids.
This list has been compiled with a lot of thought. I’ve either read / written every book / article / resource that I’ve mentioned over here. That is one reason why this list cannot, in any way, be complete. I still have many books sitting on my shelf, waiting to be read. And there are only so many hours in the day when I can read. So, while this list may be big and exhaustive, it is by no means complete. I promise though, that I will keep adding to it as and when I get to reading / writing those books and blog articles. Promise.
All the cards have numbers on them. Naturally, that makes it easier for us to connect them with the occult art of numbers – Numerology.
The mystical and esoteric elements within Judaism are called 
The whole idea of Intuition was introduced to me by my Tarot teacher. She always used to say that Intuition is the first thing that comes to your mind when you see the card. So very true! And it applies not just to the Tarot Cards, but also to different situations in life as well. 
But then again, there can and often are so many other little voices crowding inside of our heads that we often think that they are Intuition. Those are the voices of our fears, the voices of our past experiences, the voices of our own expectations, and so on. All of these different voices can often cause confusion in our minds and cloud the voice of our Intuition.
Well, the cards have pictures on them and these pictures mean something. Plain and simple, you can just see what’s happening in the picture and decipher the meaning. Or you can totally get into the symbolism, the myths, the philosophy, the astrology, the numerology – the whole jing-bang, and then decipher the meaning of the card.
And then there was today morning when I decided to mow the rest of the lawn. I had finished half of it yesterday morning in the heat of the sun, and had decided that I would wait till today evening to do the rest of it because the Sun would not hurt me so much. But then, as I sat on the porch this morning sipping my second cup of coffee and smoking my ciggy, my little voice said to me: ‘The sky looks cloudy – not cloudy enough for it to rain right now, but it will rain in a few hours and it will keep on raining. So, if you want to mow the lawn, better do it now, or else, you won’t have the opportunity for at least a day or two. And then the lawn will be half finished.’ So I got up, and got down to it. I got a few drops of rain on my head just as I was finishing up on the last chunk of grass.
