My Journey Through the Tarot
In this article I will be giving you a summary of how I came to love tarot, the journey that brought me here, and where I see it taking me. I will provide a brief history of tarot itself, and provide some tips on the use and purpose of tarot. This article serves as an introduction to the upcoming tarot series I will be publishing here on the blog, which will examine the interpretations of the individual cards. Please feel free to post any comments or questions you have in the comment section at the end of this article.
My tarot journey began many years ago, and I did not realize at the time how influential they would prove to be in my life, so the beginning details are a bit fuzzy. I believe I purchased my first tarot deck in 1993, at the age of 16, from a small shop in Baltimore, Maryland. If I am not mistaken, it was called Grandpa’s Candle shop, which was right around the corner from Grandma’s Candle shop. This first deck was a Universal Waite. I still have my original deck, in its original box. The deck is in fine shape due to the loving care it has received, but the box has seen better days.
If you are not familiar with the Universal Waite deck, it is a recoloring of the popular Rider-Waite deck. The pictures seen in the Rider-Waite pack were originally drawn by Pamela Colman Smith, a struggling artist who never achieved any real success or acclaim in her lifetime, under the guidance of Arthur Edward Waite. The deck was first published in 1909 by William Rider and Son, London. The current publisher, U.S. Games Systems, commissioned Mary Hanson-Roberts, known for the Hanson-Roberts tarot deck, to recolor the original drawings in softer tones to enhance the flow of imagery and make the cards more pleasing to the eye.
Sadly, I do not recall the first reading I did with my new tarot deck. My family was against anything “occult,” so I kept it tucked away out of sight and only used it when I felt it was safe to do so. I knew nothing of tarot cards, I figured divination was for tricksters and charlatans. Yet I remember feeling inexplicably drawn to the cards, and I didn’t know why. I’d hold the box, not even removing the cards, and feel a surge of power like I had never experienced. It was a little frightening. I brushed all this off as a trick of the mind, and figured any tummy tingles I was feeling were probably due to the fact that I was hiding these cards from my parents.
However, things changed dramatically the following year. I moved out of my parents’ house at the tender age of 17, and got an apartment with my best friend. Having an apartment creates the need for money. I already had a part time job, but I took on an additional job in order to make ends meet. This is where my memories of my tarot beginnings become clear, as they took me by storm and began a journey I never could have imagined.
I began doing readings for friends, which was fun even if it was a bit disconcerting how accurate the readings were. Then I began reading for my coworkers, people I knew little about. It quickly became apparent that these readings were accurate as well, scarily accurate. Sometimes it seemed to me that the information I was getting from the cards was ridiculous, and completely off track. Then the questioner’s face would pale slightly, or their mouth would drop, usually followed by a confession of some sort that confirmed the reading. Being raised as I was, I didn’t know what this meant. I didn’t know if I was doing something wrong. So for the next couple of years I would come and go with my acceptance of the cards. Sometimes I would read fairly frequently, sometimes months would go by. And every time I pulled them out of hiding to share their knowledge, the answers I received were unmistakable. As can often be the case in matters such as these, I wouldn’t even realize how accurate the reading had been until I looked back and saw how the predicted events unfolded.
I want to divert from the topic for a moment to make a couple of points that these experiences taught me, or that I came to learn through study and evaluation.
- The predictions made in a tarot reading are not set in stone. A reading gives you information you need, a kind of ”heads up.” It is often, although not always, possible to prevent a predicted event from occurring. This may seem to contradict the story of my tarot journey as I have explained it, as I did in fact witness all the predictions coming to pass, but it is not in fact a contradiction. I was young, ignorant of the ways of tarot, and trying to prevent myself from really believing. When the cards showed me a negative situation, it didn’t occur to me that there may be a way to prevent it or lessen it, as doing so would be acceptance of the cards’ power and admission of my part in it all. Being older, more accepting, and hopefully wiser, I have had incidences where I was able to recognize a situation and change course to avert it. Although I admit that I need to do so far more often than I do. Tarot shows you a probable future based on the path you are on, the people in your life, and the decisions you are making. It need not be set in stone.
- Having a reading done is not a passive undertaking. If you have a reading done for you, please realize that you are not there to have someone magically solve all your problems, give you all the answers, and make decisions for you. You are there to get the message the universe is trying to send you, and see how that fits into your own knowledge of your life and circumstances. A tarot reader is just a messenger, not a magician. It is your job to take the information you receive and put it to good use. For example, a reading can tell you a person, place, thing, or mindset will lead to your undoing. Use that information to figure out which thing in your life it refers to, and work on removing, changing or lessening the influence of the item in question. This is especially true if a person card comes up in your reading. Your reader will likely describe the person’s attributes, but often they can not tell you who the person is. It is up to you to determine who the card is referring to based on the clues your reader gives you so that the reading as a whole makes sense and is useful to you.
- Many people find it harder, sometimes even impossible, to read for themselves than for others. I mention this for two reasons. One, and most importantly, you may experience this yourself. Don’t feel that you have failed if the readings you try to do for yourself come up wonky. With enough work, time and concentration, you may overcome this hurtle. Two, if you have a professional reading done, you may find that your reader’s life isn’t perfect. This confuses some people, as they figure that if someone is gifted their life should be coming up roses 24/7. Even the best readers may experience blocks when it comes to reading for themselves. Even if they can pull the needed information from the cards, they may not be able to recognize the situations unfolding until it is too late. As with many things in life, things look clearer from the outside, so being too close to a situation can prevent one from seeing the whole picture.
As the years went on, my acceptance of the cards, and my obvious connection with them, grew. Eventually I became employed by a service offering tarot readings over the phone. These went swimmingly, and were quite enjoyable, but I had not matured in the tarot enough to handle them. Although the readings were still accurate as always, I would feel emotionally drained and exhausted when I was done. I didn’t know how to prevent this tarot fatigue, so eventually I stopped doing phone readings all together. I have since learned to “tune in” to my psychic centers without having to drain all my energy.
In 2002 I opened my new age shop online to help me be more connected to my spirituality, and to allow me to work from home so that I could be there for my daughter. In 2004 I moved to Arizona, just outside of Sedona. The energy of the area drew me, and I instinctively knew that this energy could be a battery for my growth. I continue to do readings, and may even be opening my “professional reading” doors again soon.
So that’s my tarot journey in a nutshell. So what advice do I have for you as you begin your own journey into this beautiful world of mystery and answers?
- Pick the deck that calls to you. Walk around the room (if you are in a store) or scan the pages (if on a website) over and over until one just seems to say “I’m yours.” It may sound silly, but if you give it some time and are patient, it will happen for you.
- Use the meanings in the book that accompanies your deck, but don’t get married to them. If you look at a card and it says something to you that is not in the book, don’t discount it. A tarot reading is based on intuition, trust yours.
- Realize that a tarot reading’s usefulness comes from contemplating and using the information provided.
- Give yourself time. Learning to read tarot well can take awhile, or you may be a natural. Either way, you will need time to learn and grow. The best readers are the ones still learning until the day they die.
- Trust your instincts. If something pops in your head, even if it seems impossible, use it. You’ll find that those first thoughts are often correct.
- Have fun!
If you are in need of a tarot deck, feel free to browse the selection in my store of tarot and oracle decks until you feel the one that wants to belong to you. If I can assist you in finding the perfect deck, feel free to contact me. I also offer a selection of tarot books for your learning pleasure 
Be sure to bookmark my blog if you haven’t already, as the next tarot articles are forthcoming!
~Anyanka
Related posts:
- Tarot Reading Accuracy; a Lesson Learned
- Exploring the Tarot – 0 The Fool
- Exploring the Tarot – 1 The Magician
- Customer Appreciation Giveaway #2 – Tarot Readings & more!
6 Comments on My Journey Through the Tarot
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I just read this blog and really enjoyed it. Thank you very much for sharing. This helps me realize that my path of learning is going as it should. =)
-Melissa
Great to know information, Love the witches tarot! I’ve had my deck for 22 years. Keep up the blog, Love it!
[...] More: My Journey Through the Tarot:Witches Cupboard Blog [...]
Hey Sandy. Good topic. I actually own several decks. One that I bought for myself (The Celtic Tarot; back before one of my mentors told me that it was better to actually get your deck from another), and one from by boyfriend (The Fairies Oracle; as a gift for Samhain a few years back). Have you heard of people who believe that getting the Tarot from others is a better way to go about it?
I have heard that it is better to get your first deck as a gift, I’ve heard you should get ALL your decks as gifts, I’ve heard you should pick it yourself, and about 10 other ideas for how to procure your deck(s.) Personally, I find it works best to find a deck that really calls to you. The most impotant thing is to have a deck you connect with, and waiting for someone else to get you one leaves too much to chance IMO. However, stick with whatever method you personally believe in as you can manifest results based on yoru beliefs. When it comes to magickal issues, always trust yourself. There is rarely one true answer. We each walk our own path, and you’ll find that what works for you will not work for someone else.
Great Blog! I understand completely about the family thing, everyone thought I was in an occult or something. It was crazy! Then I moved out and have been reading Tarot ever since! I even started my own business and they all couldn’t believe I actually had people that wanted readings from me. Also I bought my decks, I just chose the one that called out to me, and I love the ones I chose. I feel more connected to them then just some random deck of cards.