Connecting with your deck
I just wrapped this fall’s Journey through the Arcana, which was a five-session series on the big, wide tradition of tarot. Like everything, the more I teach something, the more I learn.
I have a deck that I love, that I’ve been trying to create a connection with. Its imagery is just my style—skeletons, gold, black and spooky (pictured above). I just couldn’t get a conversation started with it, and for a long time, I just thought it might be a beautiful art deck in my collection that I take out to admire, but not use.
I took it out The Marigold Deck during my teaching of the workshop and studied it again in earnest. It’s just gorgeous, and has incredibly detailed illustrations, and it finally spoke to me. The images began to make sense, and I could see the story in the cards for the first time. And the way the cards shuffle—just a delight.
I’ll be honest, committing the tarot deck to heart takes time. That statement may give a deep sense of dread, as it did for me when I began. And yes, it’s work, but it does not have to be drudgery.
Even before you have a basis of the tarot in its entirety, the most important part is finding a deck that can engage with you in conversation. And what I mean by that is that the deck must have:
Imagery that makes sense to you. How many symbols and things can you identify in the card(s)?
People that you can relate to. Can you tell what the people are doing and trying to communicate?
Landscapes with detail. What else is happening around the centermost image? Are there any other thoughts you can glean?
The biggest tip I have is to take a moment to study the card, and notice three distinct details. What do those symbols, people, landscapes or colors mean to you?
It is here where you begin your tarot reading each time. It’s not about memorizing each card, but having a relationship with the deck as a whole. And yes, please use your resources—the little white book that came with the deck and any other books you prefer—but they will not stand in place of your time spent with the cards.
It is my belief that the more humans that are given the tools of self-discovery, the better, more empathetic, and generous the world will be. And just like yoga, tarot is one of these tools.
