What lead you to tarot?

[cedars]

Hello Jomommy

There is ample knowledge here on the boards.
Moreover, do not hesitate to air your questions by separate topic in the General Tarot forum and one of us will try and help you.
dont give up.

[tweitner]

For me I have always loved divination. I was the kid who was checking out books from the library on fortune telling
when I was 12 or 13. I just love to try differant metaphysical things. I dowse, do tarot and oracle cards, I have some
runes I play around with. I love it all, astrology, numerolgy, paranormal, the whole thing.
I was so shocked when I first started to read tarot how the cards that were being turned over actually described
my mood or circumstance so well that I was completly hooked! It's so amazing the what we are thinking and the energy
of our thoughts can be so well projected onto the card or other divination forms. The one thing to remeber or try to
do is ask for assistence from guides etc, use protection, and try to stay neutral, the last one being the hardest of all
for me. Keeping my emotions neutral when reading something of an emotional nature for myself. When I don't think
I can and I really want a good reading, I still ask someone else to do it.
Donna

it was the same for me, though I am interested in all esoteric things and am currently studing the R+C teachings.

[Southern_Sky]

Since childhood I always interested in Divination and metaphysics. Coming from a Roman Catholic family, it was hard to search into these matters. During my teens years, I was dragged by one of my friends to go to this card reader in another town. We skipped school to go to this lady. She read the cards for me, she didn't use fancy cards like nowdays or RW type, it was plain cards from which you play spades with it. Somehow, her reading was impressived and very accure and I wanted to one day do the same. Its been years since that reading and still wonder about Tarot cards. I started with the pendulum first in 2007, after all my grandpa used to be a dowser searching for water I thought I could do the search on my own now that I am older. It wasn't until 2008 when I bought my first tarot cards set (Gilded Tarot), I played with these for short time but lost interest quick, found them real complicated, perphaps was not my time.

Recently I got deployed to Iraq and while at there I continue reading metaphisical books and using my pendulum here and there. However, since I tend to have vivid dreams full of symbolism, tarot came to mind again. At the end of my deployment, in most of my dreams, animals were present and thought I need to learn the animal languange somehow. One day was browsing the net for more metaphysical books when these Animal Spirit Guide cards from Steven Farmer popped, I was really drawn into them and bought them. I used them daily and also gave some reading to some of my fellow soldiers. The funny thing is, I don't use typical spread and do use the book for references. I just draw the cards I feel it needs for the reading, it could be 3 or up to 5, I look at the animal picture and associate the animal behavior to the situation or person. It seems to make sense to the other person, funny when I give them the reading afterworth through the book.. its not quite the same and they rather have the first one.

Nowdays, I have adquired other Tarot decks and just this week, been using Dream Inspirational Cards from Isa Donelli. These cards are full of symbols that I like to play with, figuring out the message hidden in them. I really enjoy these cards as well the Animal Spirit Guide cards. Haven't confirm its accuracy but I am working on it this week

Never thought that Tarot Cards can have an answer to anything, but the more I use them, the more I get amaze of its wisdom..

Blessings
Liz

[Cascade of Light]

Ahhh wish I had read this post first lol, that explains things  Tarot has such a bad reputation and that helps other cards come into their own I think. Glad to have you back safe with us


Cassie xx

[cedars]

Well done SouthernSky..... that is an inspiring story.


Arent you in Iraq anymore?

[Southern_Sky]

Cascade of Light and Cedars.. Thank you for your replies

I return home from Iraq on Sept 4th 2009 after a 12 month deployment in North East Baghdad. I took 39 days off before returning to my job (police officer) by mid October. Its been hard to get use to be home and settle with civilian life for sure, however.. little by little everything is settle down and falling place in the good way. I done with the military after 20 yrs of service, so this trip to Iraq was my last rodeo I didn't see no meaning in re-enlist or stay any further in the military, I am seeking a more spiritual life..

I hope to learn more about Tarot as the months pass, now that I have more time to be into it Thank you for your replies..

Blessings, Love and Light

Liz

[cedars]

You are welcome Liz and many blessings to you

[scarabcameo]

I originally bought my first deck when I was 16 -- I was drawn to the images and symbolism. Three years ago my interest reawakened as I discovered Salvador Dali's deck.

[MysticMari]

I started reading regular playing cards when I was 8, by just playing around with them and asking questions. I started "reading" them for family members - aunts, uncles, etc and everything seemed to turn out scary accurate. I bought my first tarot deck on my own when I was 12. It was a tarot deck I was drawn to with pictures based on native american and animal symbolism. I started practicing on friends and family until I started doing tarot professionally when I was 18. I have several different decks now, but I still have and use my first set of tarot cards (which are all old, bent and frayed now lol)

[pirbid]

I first became interested in many esoteric fields on my early teens. I believe I tried to learn Tarot at the same time as hand reading -is that how you say it?-, and got more proficient at the latter. It took me ages to be able to link all card meanings in a spread and come up with a coherent thread.

I was trying to somehow verify if these things worked from a 'non believer' point of view. Whatever I believed myself, I soon found out others found it very easy to believe: they wanted to believe! I guess they found it a relief that their life was somehow mapped out, must take a load of responsibility from their shoulders. So I read for others till I found out hand reading dealed too much with health issues and even life and death for my liking. That meant in some cases I never gave a complete reading: what's the point in scaring someone with an information I could never be sure of? So I kept it to myself but then saw it come true, since I was reading for people I saw regularly, and it was painful. So I soon dropped hand reading.

But I was still interested in every esoteric thing. I read about astral projection and tried it: it's not that hard, but it takes up too much time to do it properly. So I stayed with dream analysis, which I never stopped finding fascinating. I also learned about runes, made my own set and did some readings with them, but they never inspired me as the beautiful Tarot pics do. I bought any deck I took a fancy to and collected them just for their beauty. And I kept trying to find out how and why Tarot readings were accurate, when I was never too sure of the meanings myself.

With time, I have found reasonable answers to my questions and ease with the techniques, so I now relax and enjoy them for their sake. I read for others when asked, but I would rather teach them how to do it themselves, so they don't have to depend on anybody else. So I guess I wouldn't be much good if I had to make my living out of it, unless I just tried to teach  :smt002

[Lovelife]

All of these stories are very interesting to read!

I can't remember when I first became interested in tarot... but it was sometime in my teens.  My family is christian and I was raised that way... but I have always felt separate from them.  My mom jokes they are all hands and I am a foot.  I have always been drawn away from religion and towards spirituality.  I am very much in my head.. always thinking and always searching.  My first love was astrology.. I think from my interest in psychology and people's personalities.  Then I found tarot.  I think I got a deck when I was in my teens with my friend.. but we both had to hide it and couldn't keep it long. As all of my spirituality books and interests had to be hidden growing up.  So I think my first personal deck was around 22 or 23... so only a few years ago.  I have rarely read for anyone but myself.. but recently I've realized that I seem to be better at reading for others than myself.  I still feel that I haven't found my favorite/meant to be deck yet.  Maybe I will go hunting for it again soon.  I find it so fascinating tho.  I would also love to learn to read playing cards as that seems amazing to me since there are no images to help you with.  Tho maybe it takes more "powers" of divination... which tho I try and try and easily believe in many mystical based things.. I seem to be lacking in psychic anything.  Oh well.. I do love it all no matter what.