Tarot Essays and Opinion
Tarot for the New Year. Work out your birth card, general and personal year card, and personal month card in this article from Bonnie Cehovet.
"New Year's is traditionally a time for 'out with the old, in with the new'. It is a time when we look at our lives, try to determine what is no longer working, what needs to be released, and set the foundation for our goals and aspirations for the coming year. It is a time to put our lives in order, making sure that our priorities are aligned with our goals, and that our decisions and ensuing actions are in alignment with the path that we have chosen for ourselves." Read more...
Mystique Moonlight gives his thoughts on the origins of Tarot.
"The origins of the Tarot Deck are obscure to say the least. Some may be convinced we can accurately date it as far as the 15th Century because historical proof provides this. But what of Tarot itself? Let us forget the images on the cards. Those beautiful pictures so many people over time have sort to recreate in their own inspired way. Where did Tarot come from? What is the concept of Tarot?" Read more...
Djenra explains how to weigh up the pros and cons of a new tarot deck.
"What comes after taking a look at the box, checking the style of the artwork, the quality of the cardstock, the sequence of numbers used, seeing if the backside of the card is truly reversible? How does one move beyond the superficial features of their new deck?" Read more...
A meditative look at the Fool's Journey of the major arcana, each with triple wisdoms or advice.
"As The Fool you must learn to stay away from people who praise you too much for easy tasks and deeds, who speak against you for their own benefit and who boast of deeds that they have never accomplished." Read more...
Bonnie writes about dealing with one of the most common of subjects for the tarot reader, relationships.
"Relationship issues of all types are right at the top of the list for requests for Tarot readings. Whether the relationship in question is a family relationship, a friendship, a work/business related relationship, or a romantic relationship, there are always deep emotions involved, issues of ego and self esteem, and expectations on everyone's part. Where on earth is the best place to begin to make sense of this?" Read more...
Mystique Moonlight's personal journey with the Tarot.
"Why can I do this? What's the purpose of all this? My sister had "dabbled" in Runes and Tarot since the 1970's often reciting many "tall dark men" and "your search for true love" scenarios to friends and family members. My readings however seem to get to a core somehow. I could bring a genuine tear or a nervous smile simply by holding the querent's hand, but why?" Read more...
Sloan Bella shares her views on tarot cards and their uses.
"Tarot cards are a creative venue and illuminated illustration, designed as a tool to use for development and harnessing of your own intuitive psychic insights and gifts." Read more...
Susan Ae's thoughts on the laws and processes governing Tarot.
"Tarot Readers who are seriously assisting their Querents in seeking life knowledge discover that this work is so much more than intuitive interpretation of spreads. In truth, they are counselors of the highest order not unlike priests or psychologists. With first time Querents, I have often found it necessary to teach how the Tarot works, and by what laws it is governed." Read more...
So you want to write a Tarot review, but don't know how to go about it? Bonnie explains the process of putting together a comprehensive Tarot review.
"Using your best judgment, comment on how the author has developed their material, whether you feel that it would be understood by its intended audience, and whether the author has achieved their goal. Try to keep your review on a positive note - highlight what works in the book, while mentioning what does not work, and why it does not work. In other words, evaluate the book objectively and present your critique." Read more...
The journey of the Bateleur - the Magician - written for a child.
"Once upon a time there was a young man who made his living by travelling from fair to fair and he would do tricks for people. Everyone would laugh and clap and throw some pennies. But one day, this young man, whose name was The Bateleur, decided he had had enough of doing the same tricks, again and again." Read more...
La Vonne Parker continues her articles on the conceptual links between Tarot suits and the chemical elements in part two.
"If hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and carbon are associated with cups, wands, swords and disks then their relationship will additionally pour over into the Major Arcana and not simply contained within the confinement of pip cards. Additionally, I began to see more biological connections as I studied each card." Read more...
In part three, La Vonne Parker introduces her tarot spread based on the chemical elements.
"Carbon, Nitrogen, Oxygen and Hydrogen all hold these elemental truths. Their appearance, texture, scent and behaviors all change according to the other surrounding elements but the element itself never changes. In tarot, we can use atoms and molecules as the foundation of tarot spreads." Read more...
La Vonne Parker explains her conceptual links between the four Tarot suits and four chemical elements.
"Perhaps you can imagine my surprise, after returning to college at the age of 40 for the sole purpose of gaining knowledge to further my research in Tarot, when I discovered that knowledge of tarot was to be unfolded, not only in obvious classes such as Philosophy and World Religions but also in Biology class." Read more...
Tilly Tarot writes about the spiritual journey of the Hanged Man.
"As the Hanged Man there is a feeling that he has betrayed himself, and to overcome this guilt, he is spending a time away from the world. Feeling like an outcast in society he seeks to find inner peace again in the only way he knows how, that is punishment and separation from society. There are not any expressions of sadness, only contentment that what he is doing is best for himself and others around him." Read more...
Michelle Grooms tells the story of the Fool's journey through the minor arcana cards.
"The Fool, the unmolded potential, has gotten his tools from the Magician. Now he must explore the lessons that each of them has to teach. With the Aces, we have the first glimpse of the potential: the first stirrings of emotion and intuition of the Cups, the first foundations of the material world with the Coins, the first wispy tendrils of ideas with the Swords, and the first spark of creativity with the Wands." Read more...
Tarot writer, Cathi Bitzer, refutes the claim that the Tarot cannot be truly effective as a tool for guidance or prediction.
"One only has to ask an avid Tarot user to know that readers and clients alike have hailed the cards for their accuracy in prediction and their aptness in guidance. In the personal experience of myself and many others, the more a particular deck is used, the more it seems to be “in tune” with its reader, making the readings all the more apt." Read more...
Tilly Tarot explores the body language of the Queens in the court cards.
"Such an essential part of the reading is to read the body language of the individual pictured in the card. I read with the Classic Tarot and so only the Major Arcana and the court cards depict people. I would like to discuss the Queens in the deck and how they really do show such particular body language in their stance. " Read more...
Bonne Cehovet shares her experiences at the 2009 Readers Studio event in New York.
Very early on I knew I wanted to be at the Readers Studio 2009, largely because of the presenters. Rachel Pollack, is always worth hearing, and I did not want to miss the chance to meet two people that I admire greatly for their contributions to the Tarot world, James Wanless, Ph.D, and Geraldine Amaral. Read more...
Liberate those unused decks from obscurity and get to know them a little better in Cathi Bitzer's article.
"Each deck of cards infuses in itself the personality of its creator. The images and text on the cards go a step beyond this to add a sense of their own aura. When the deck is transferred to the recipient, the user completes the process by combining his or her own personality with that of the cards." Read more...
Angelo Nasios explores the sometimes controversial world of Tarot reversals.
"The wacky world of Tarot reversals is a controversial subject among Tarot readers. The views and opinions on how to read them differ. Some readers do not use them at all. First let’s look at why we would or would not want to use reversals. Then I will discuss some ways to read reversed cards." Read more...
Veet Pramad approaches the use of the Tarot from the therapeutic perspective.
"Therapeutical Tarot presumes human transformation. To this purpose it works towards revealing and explaining psycho-emotional blocks, fears, and behaviour patterns which impede the individuals full realization, and by offering precise guidance in resolving these factors." Read more...
When a Client Closes Off, Open up the Tarot Primer! Andrea M. Stark explores dealing with clients who start with the best of intentions only to get sideswiped by reality in a reading.
"Tarot produces such extreme reactions in clients, they may start with the best of energies, and then when something private is revealed, even in a gentle and natural manner, they turn off. They wish to continue the reading but the cables have been disconnected. Reasons for this power outage? Let's explore a few." Read more...
Exploring the Major Arcana and what these cards hold for you.
"The Major Arcana depict images, characters and symbols that convey deeper meanings, messages, insights to encourage you to delve deep into your soul, to reveal the shadows, the secret longings or pain, fears as well as hopes, the forgotten blessings and joys; it may even point to possibilities you have never thought of." Read more...
A compilation of views in answer to the question "What is Tarot?", collected by Jean-Michel David.
"Below are some of the many possible answers... reflecting on these, with a deck by one's side, may certainly deepen our own understanding." Read more...
A step-by-step guide to help you give guidance and communicate through a Tarot reading effectively, and reshape the lives of those you read for and yourself.
"Many of the lessons in this book will help you move towards feeling confident in who you are by helping you understand more about yourself. The more you get to know yourself, and allow yourself to go through the up and downs of learning, the easier it will be for you to trust yourself and what you bring through for others as guidance." Read more...
Part II of a step-by-step guide to help you give guidance and communicate through a Tarot reading effectively, and reshape the lives of those you read for and yourself.
"It is important for you learn how to recognize the three selves and how they influence the way you express yourself, not only by your words, but also by your actions. You will learn how to work with the three selves to remain balanced and centered when you communicate with others. You will also learn to recognize which "self" is motivating the other person and how to direct the conversation in such a way that the person will be able to "hear" the guidance coming to them through you." Read more...
Part III of a step-by-step guide to help you give guidance and communicate through a Tarot reading effectively, and reshape the lives of those you read for and yourself.
"If you are finding yourself, intellectually, tearing this book to pieces, in order to take your life back, you need to somehow find how to lighten up and be more open. Make an agreement with your middle self to read it as an exercise in futility, and not take it seriously, that should buy you some time and you will be able to keep reading." Read more...
Author of several books on women's spirituality and the Goddess, Z Budapest, writes her thoughts on Tarot readings.
"You see their faces leaning over the cards, examining them, then looking into the querrent’s eyes and telling them what they see? How can wisdom be so readily avaible? How can wisdom be touched by these unusual looking people, are they charlatans frightening the people, or do they really say something of worth?" Read more...
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