Tarot in Daily Life
Because tarot is my job (as well as one of my passions), it plays a huge role in my daily life. Almost every day I’m thinking about, using, and writing about tarot: writing blog entries, articles, or reviews, analyzing projects for possible publication, reading forums and blogs, working on my own books, planning conferences and retreats, and working with the cards in my personal practice.
It is normal for me to pull a card for advice before going into a meeting. I use the cards in my journaling. I do readings about situations when I need help. I continually study to increase my knowledge. I lose myself in the beauty of the art. I collect original art or prints to hang in my office. I think of characters and plots in books and movies in terms of tarot. I use them in meditation and magic. I couldn’t imagine my life without tarot.
And sometimes I forget that not everyone is as immersed in this world as I am. How do other people (I am tempted say “normal people”) use tarot? What role does it play in their lives? Do you carry a deck in your purse or bag? Do you have one on your desk, coffee table, or nightstand? Do you use them only when facing large issues or do you play with them often?
Llewellyn (and by extension, I) want to provide you with the tools you want to make your lives better. I think we can do that more effectively if we knew more about how you use your cards. Share your thoughts. It’ll help me do a better job and, in the long run, be of some benefit you as well.
I draw cards each morning (well, mostly each morning) to help me navigate through the energy of the day.
I pull 3 cards each morning, for myself and I have my loved ones pull also. During the day, if a very stressful situations is brewing, I will pull 3 cards to use as a guide as to how best to diffuse the situation.
Hi Barbara! While I am tempted to say that so-called normal people don’t own tarot decks (hehe), I tend to draw a card a day too, to see what will come. This is also a great method for those learning the cards, as they will keep their eyes open for examples of the archetypal energy of the chosen card. Other times, if I need a card’s energy, I keep it nearby to meditate on for a couple minutes, then have the card sit in my work area (i.e. the Chariot card if I need perseverance, or the Emperor if I need structure, etc.).
I am completely new to this arena. I do not know much of anything concerning tarot…but depend on it pretty much daily. I receive my tarot reading via my home page electronic “daily tarot”.
I don’t know the source of the readings…could be a randomization software package for all I know. I do find significant correlations to my daily events and the inputs from the tarot reading…could be that I am looking too hard for the coincidence (?).
I would like to learn more…guidance?
j
Brandi, do you keep a list of them, maybe considering how they played out at the end of the day or watching trends?
dragonflybyte, those sound like useful practices. Do you use the same deck all the time or different ones?
Calantirniel, I also like the idea of keeping a card nearby and/or meditating on it when I need its energy. Unfortunately, I forget to do that a lot. Oh! I just had an idea…a bracelet or necklace with 78 different charms. If you need that energy, you put on that charm. I think a bracelet might be more effective, as I’d see it more often. Oh, well, since I’m on the computer all day, I could put the card up as my desktop picture. Okay. I have no more excuses now about forgetting.
Hi J, I can provide lots of guidance about learning tarot. Maybe I’ll do a blog entry on it. But for now, I’d say get a deck and a book and start playing! Llewellyn has tons. You might consider a kit, which has a book written specifically for the deck. I think The Gilded Tarot or The Mystic Dreamer are good to start. Since I wrote the books (full disclaimer), I know they are meant for absolute beginners. But there are so many beautiful decks available and plenty of great books. Also, online forums that are wonderful. I hope that helps.
Hi! I just love tarot. I read a card, at list, daily. Now, I’m learning about Marsella’s deck, with Alejandro Jodorowsky’s book (La Vía del Tarot) with it’s deck. It mix spiritual & psicologycal readings. For me, that’s the tarot sense: learn about the soul way, at the earth-path. 😀
“#6
Written By Barbara Moore
on September 11th, 2009 @ 11:11 am
dragonflybyte, those sound like useful practices. Do you use the same deck all the time or different ones?”
I use different ones. I “see” different things in the variety of different artwork for each deck. Yes this is a good learning tool for developing a relationship with the imagery in the decks. It has also helped me learn not “over-react” when certain cards come up.
Mildred, I’m impressed. I have not yet had the desire to study the Marseilles deck. Is the Marseilles your first deck, or did you work with another before that? I’d love to hear about the transition from one to the other.
Thanks for replying, dragonflybyte (fun name). Now you’ve brought up something else that is interesting: the idea of over-reacting to cards. You can be sure I’ll be thinking about that and probably writing a post about it soon.
I began studying in 2006. I now create Masks of Tarot, Major Arcane, so sometimes I go all out studying what I am working on at the time, usually three. Then I do a reading and get back into the study on a whole.
I really enjoy this study, and sometimes when I’m with a friend or family member, I think, oh, you’re the Empress right now, or the Tower is very strong with you now, but I don’t say anything, they might think I’m nuts.
Catherine, I would LOVE to see your masks. Do you have any pictures online? I just did an interview (for the American Tarot Association) and they asked what draws me to tarot. What I said sounds like what you wrote: you can either go super deep into a single card or look at the deck as a whole, as a belief system, or as a map of existence.
I like that: “The Tower is very strong with you now.”
Yes, I can send you a photo. I would like very much to get feedback from someone who is into Tarot as opposed to me showing and explaining.
How can I send an attachment to you?
Hello Barbara…
I like the artwork and each artists visual rendition of the cards meaning(s). It is facinating how the cards artwork grabs your attention. Isn’t that what the Tarot is all about. The symbols on the cards will tickle the subconsious to divine.
I have one particular deck that “Speaks” to me. The Aquarian Deck. It is continualy triggering my subconcious with it’s symbology and artwork. Beautiful. I own a number of other decks, they seem to be just ornamental in comparison.
I tend to not use my cards in a daily practice. Instead I watch for the reoccurance of symbology in everyday life. For example… the butterfly is showing up alot in my travels. Printed, real, however depicted, If it “pops” at me more than I can justify. Then it is a living Tarrot… lol. Buterfly to me means a time of transformation. I consult my deck in times of indecision and when I need guidance. I don’t like to use it too often. The “Less is More” mentality seems to be less confusing for me. I also will take a picture of the spread to review after. I write notes on the spread in the beginning and after I revisit it again. It is all in the cards. We just have to recognise the signs and adjust accordingly.
PetraGem
PS>> great blog
I don’t use the cards for myself everyday. I did there for a while, but it just got confusing. Seems like I need to let the energy ‘stew’ after reading my own cards.
I don’t draw a daily card. When I do draw a card–or sometimes a card chooses me—I keep a blog where I muse on the qualities of that particular card and how it relates to me personally. I find that readers of my blog connect quite personally to the card I am blogging about.
I often use the cards and various decks as inspiration for writing. I’ve also created paper art dolls based on the Tarot.
I’ve recently splurged and ordered Joanna Powell Colbert’s limited edition Gaian Tarot. These are the cards I resonate most strongly with, now. I would like to incorporate her cards into a practice with Reiki healing.
Patricia, I also splurged and ordered the Gaian special edition. I’ve been watching that deck come to life for years now and cannot wait to work with it. I am enjoying using the cards for writing and would love to see your paper dolls.
I do a daily draw every morning and blog. But I also consult the cards anytime I have something important going on during the day. I find they give me confidence to tackle certain situations, and I love that ‘grounded’ feeling after the interaction with the deck.
I dont know if I qualify as a “Normal Person” I have been pretty deeply involved in Tarot for some years now. My Weekly routine involves pulling 6 cards, turning one over at the end of each day and reflecting on how the card played out in my day. I very often blog about this in a yahoo group I moderate. (not WE) I have also been twice through the deck writting a series of “Card of the Week” Essays. Oddly I dont turn to the cards for guidance myself much, while I do read for others, and get a lot of my guidance through that meme, for me its more a tool for reflection, not prediction; not that I am not often amazed at how perfectly a card I layed out 6 days ago fits today when its revealed; because after all these years, yes I still am.
Blessings, BB.
I use my cards when I feel uneasy or that can not find guidance through a tought spots. I’m still exploreing my deck, I use same deck each time. I want I new deck, but some told me that you have to get feel for the deck before you purchase it. That I how I end with me deck, basically you can say it spoke it to me. I take good care are my deck it has own box, with sage in it that sits under my bed.
I tend to draw 3 cards in the evening for the following day, as my mornings are hectic thanks to a two-year old son. I generally have 4 or 5 decks by my computer, which get swapped out fairly regularly depending on what I’ve recently bought, if I have an article to write about any of them, or just what feels right. I’m a double Gemini – rising and ascendant – so one deck just won’t do 😉 I’ll pick cards from one of those, depending on which one calls to me that evening.
If there’s anything big going on I may also do a reading on that, plus I read professionally, both on the phones and by email. For that, I prefer decks that are standard size or small, and easy to shuffle.
I also sometimes meditate on cards, or use them in spells. Big cards can be really nice for that, but to be honest the image is more important than the card size for me.
I’m looking forward to receiving my tarot amulet with the Gaian Tarot, and really like the idea of a bracelet with 78 charms you could swap out. I’d also like to see Llewellyn produce a really good tarot app – with the ability to read, save and email a variety of readings: daily draw, 3 card, 5 card, celtic cross.
Im very new to all of this … i just felt a feeling to do a tarot reading on myself online and i feel like something has pulled me closer to it and i feel this passion to explore it .. so if anyone will please be kind and offer me some advice or help all will be appreciated 🙂 chichigurl89@yahoo.com
Actually, as I’m pretty experienced with both tarot and astrology, I mix the two and come up with the card of the day (of sorts) – if interested in seeing how I do this in practice, check out my blog – http://debramoolenaar.wordpress.com.
I welcome comments and questions and will do my best to answer all and any!
I feel kinds silly… I didn’t think I could use the cards everyday for some reason… but heck if I can, trust me, I will!! I do keep tract of all my readings, I write down everything, what cards I were called and what the meaning was in the reading. But I have to admit, sometimes I’m still baffled by the reading and won’t understand all of it.
I have a question… I was told that you should never use your personal deck to do a reading for somebody else, is this true??
I have a couple decks in my nightstand & one in my purse at all times. I pull them out first thing in the morning & whenever I need some inner wisdom or guidance. I also use them in meditation.
I have had a deck of cards since I was a teenager…so almost 20 yrs now! My involvement with the cards has varied…I’ve gone thru phases of deep interest & giving readings to people, and other times when I’ve only turned to the deck in times of crisis.
For the past 6 months, I have been drawn to the deck as a writer, using it to guide my way through plot issues, character conflicts, etc.
Most interestingly, however, is that over the past 2 weeks, I’ve had a connection to the Tarot that is a bit difficult to explain…I can only say that all of sudden I started to ‘experience’ certain Major Arcana cards, either thru dreams or waking imagery (that just all of a sudden ‘comes to me)’. It’s a physical experience, felt internally, where I feel as though I am ‘living the Tarot’, and integrating an understanding of a particular card into myself.
Not sure where this is going to go, or what it means exactly but this sudden experience/awakening has led to a renewed interest in the cards (hence my visit to this site!)
Julie Johnson
http://www.busywriting.net
I usually draw one card and try to intuit a message from it
i used to pull a card out every day, usaully at the end, to see if any events of that day correspond to the card. i used this method when i was still a beginner, but now that im more advanced, i used tarot cards as a source of entertainment and when im having an issue. I love looking at the art and have a great connection to some of the cards.
Thank you so much for the article
To this day one year now I bean puling card of the day first thing in the morning ,and 3 card Body , Mind and spirit it help me to study the card plus advised me for the day and before bed card of the night everyday without exception and I right them in my journal .
I am passionate about Tarot and it become a part of my life and now I am doing a correspondence course Tarot School from NY so I am very excited what as been very profound is the Qabalah for Tarot reader it is very complex but fascinating. I am in it for life and loving it .