Tarot Diva, page 4
are made with clarity, you begin trusting yourself more, and
you find life flowing with ease. You’ll gain confidence in your
tarot work, and synchronistic happenings will amaze you.
Synchronicity is two or more unrelated events occurring at the
same time. Say you are thinking about your favorite college
professor, whom you haven’t seen in years. You bump into him
on the street. You are listening to your favorite recording artist,
reveling in adoration. The phone rings. A friend informs you
the musician is playing a concert, and she’s surprising you with
tickets. Synchronicity is intuition in action.
Intuition versus Psychic Ability
Working with tarot will also increase your psychic ability. Psychic faculties are a much different animal than our intuitive faculties, although the two words are often used to explain the
same phenomenon. You can understand the difference between intuition and psychic phenomena by discriminating where the information is coming from. Intuition is deep knowledge, a certainty within yourself. Psychic information comes to us from the outside world and can rarely be controlled. Our
intuition is a constant current of energy, a river, a flow, while
our psychic ability comes and goes. I call psychic flashes “pops”
due to the way the information suddenly pops into your body or
mind. Pops can happen very quickly. The typical psychic pop
example is knowing who is on the other end of a ringing phone.
It happens in a split second: the phone rings, and before glancing at the caller ID, you know who it is. You answer—only to find out you were correct. How many times has that happened
to you?
True intuition is subtle and graceful and will leave you secure if you listen.
Sonia Choquette
Psychic information can be very specific and doesn’t always
make sense. It is important when you feel a psychic pop, especially if it doesn’t make sense, to say what you hear out loud or write it down. You must confirm if the information is right or
wrong. You may get psychic pops that seem silly or inconsequential, but you must validate them when it happens. The day you get a psychic pop that says there is a gas leak in the stove,
you’ll want to be listening. You’ll soon be on the road to trusting
those psychic gems as an added gift to your intuitive facilities.
Cultivating your intuition and trusting psychic pops will provide a richer context for your life. The reason importance is placed on intuition building is because the truth and beauty of
your life springs from your intuition. When you open yourself
up, are free, and don’t pass judgment on what you feel, life begins to flow. Life becomes a dance, with you on center stage, graceful and effortless.
Reading tarot sharpens your intuition in a very specific way.
Setting yourself up mentally to read the cards, you open up
intuitive channels on an energetic level. You are literally acknowledging your intuition is there and actively asking it for guidance. Think of your intuition like a flowing wellspring. Setting up for a tarot reading, you literally sit down next to the spring. As you turn over the cards and interpret the symbols,
you are now navigating the water. You see what floats to the
surface and what mysteries he beneath. You will learn to trust
what you see. Since no intuition is alike, no tarot reading is
alike either. Here, in front of the cards, is where you seek the
truth to your life.
Piercing the Veil
Come a step closer to reclaiming your intuition with the
following guided meditation, where you’ll meet a major
archetype of tarot. Approaching the tarot for guidance and accessing our intuition, we are attempting to lift the veil between unseen and seen reality7; the veil between this world and the
other; the veil that hangs before the world of our imagination,
our unconscious, the world of untapped possibility7, the spiritual. and the supernatural. We reach beyond the boundaries of a natural, explainable world. We can look at the image of a veil
and understand this is the veil between day and night, between
the living and the dead, between our conscious and our unconscious. Working with tarot, we attempt to raise, peek, and pierce this veil.
A HELPING HAND FROM THE H IG H PRIESTESS
Here is a meditation for you to embark on. The High Priestess represents the most highly intuitive and sensitive part of yourself. She is of invaluable aid to the tarot reader. Many tarot
readers feel most akin to the High Priestess because she guards
a veil of secrets. There is a belief that the most auspicious day
for divining the future is on Halloween; on October 31, this veil
between the living and dead is the thinnest. On this evening,
spirits wander, sprites play, ghosts haunt, and fortunes are
unraveled.
Notice the High Priestess sits in front of a veil, obscuring the
waterscape behind her. The water is your unconsciousness, and
the High Priestess is the guardian of what lies in the wellspring
of your intuition. The High Priestess is associated with water
and the moon. See the crown upon her head? This crown marks
the phases of the moon cycles, from waxing (growing bigger, toward a full moon) to waning (growing smaller, toward a new moon). An additional yellow moon is woven within the folds of
her dress, symbolizing an active energy7.
The High Priestess can assist you in your readings, reminding you of the strength of intuition. An additional quality7 of the High Priestess is silence. Even if you can’t articulate an answer,
somewhere deep down the answer is forming and will be revealed.
Look at the veil that hangs behind the High Priestess. Direct
your gaze to the immense water pictured bey^ond, your intuition
and the places where answers are found. The High Priestess is
the guardian of this place. You need only ask for admittance
and it shall be granted.
Close your eyres and clear your mind. Work your way through
your body to find relaxation. Release any tension you feel.
You are sitting upon a beach in the moonlight. Amidst the
seascape, you hear waves crashing and feel the sea foam. You
smell the salty air, and it tickles your nose. The sand is cool and
wet beneath your feet. You see a figure approaching. Mysterious, not at all threatening, she approaches you. blue and white robes flapping in the wind. She raises her hand and beckons
you to follow. You follow for some distance down the length of
the beach. She seems to glow with an otherworldly illumination.
In a moment, you are sitting across from her. She rests on a
throne, a pillar flanking either side, a veil suspended behind
them. Her skin is milky white, eyes sparkling violet. “You are
divine,” she says without speaking. She is communicating directly into your mind. “What lies here belongs to you. You possess all the answers that have somehow been lost. When you learn something new, you do not acquire knowledge but uncover what was already resting in your soul. The tarot will help you to remember. Your journey begins here.”
She stands up, and the pillars next to her slip away. She walks
toward you, dissolving into you like a shadow. The veil that
hung behind her dissipates in an array of muted colors and
twinkling white points of light. You are behind the veil. White
steps descend to a large, flowing river. You walk to the water
with care. This is a hallowed place. Water rolls along softly. You
see a beautiful face reflected on its surface. You are sublime.
Follow your instincts. That's where true wisdom manifests
itself.
Oprah Winfrey
You touch the water, inundated with feelings and emotion.
Happiness and joy pulse through you. The pleasure of living
moves in and out with each breath. You step into the water up
to your waist. Venture deeper. You begin to float with the river.
The night sky is alive and bright as you float, consumed with
the passions that have created your life. You are one with the
water, an open channel, and you begin to understand you must
follow your instincts and emotions. Your instincts will not lead
you astray. You trust your intuition. You trust your intuition.
You trust your intuition.
When you are ready, slowly come back to this world, trusting
yourself more than you did before.
[contents 1
Choosing Your Deck
Let’s be honest; to a fresh-faced new tarot student, seventy-eight
cards can appear vast and overwhelming. Choosing a deck that
captures your imagination—a deck that begs you to return
again and again to gaze, study, and contemplate it—is essential
to your tarot studies. Besides your own beautiful vision, the
deck is your most tr easured tool.
Many of us are actively engaged in a tarot practice. At times,
as in any relationship, we need to spice things up and break out
of a slump. A tarot artist’s fresh perspective and new tarot deck
can work wonders on your tarot work. New decks reveal additional layers of meaning and offer exciting new intuitive leaps.
Some tarotists become avid deck collectors, amassing deck
after deck of beautiful cards like book, stamp, or shoe collectors.
Other tarotists use only one or two decks for their practice. Old
decks become weighty and heavy with time and use, as if the
souls of all who have been read have somehow left their imprint
on the cards.
A CLASSIC D ECK
Each and every student of tarot must own a classic deck. A
classic deck is a traditional Rider-Waite deck or a clone deck. A
Rider-Waite clone is a deck pattered very closely after the Rider-
Waite. Why is it important to have a classic deck in your possession? There is an underlying structure to tarot that must be respected and adhered to if there will be a common order in the tarot world. Yes, each and every7 tarot card has an endless well of
potential meaning and interpretation. But like musical notation,
you can’t create a symphony without first knowing what the
notes truly mean and what they sound like. The Rider-Waite
deck is the common denominator for tarot.
Many modern decks take liberties by changing cards and
suits. There is nothing wrong with this practice, but it can cause
confusion among new tarot students. Tarot makes use of
archetypes. Imagine the original Rider-Waite as the archetype
for the variety of decks on the market today.
A SIG N A TU R E D ECK
A signature deck is a deck whose artistic sensibility captivates
you long enough to bring you back again and again. A signature
deck is the deck you fall in love with. The journey to tarot is a
long and time-consuming one, and a signature deck makes the
learning process fun and rewarding because you are so in love
with the images, you never tire of it. Your signature deck is an
extension of your personal style.
How do you know when you've discovered your signature
deck? Stumbling across your signature deck is quite akin to the
act and sensation of falling in love. The deck will look familiar,
though you've never seen it before. Something inside of you
clicks the moment it is in your hand. It feels right. You may
sense an uncanny, strange waver inside— a glimmer deep
down. You’ll find yourself thinking about the deck when it is
not in front of you. You'll want to pull it out again and again,
shuffling, flipping, and fingering through it. You won’t tire of
looking at it; in fact, you’ll be drawn back again and again for
more. You’ll become connected on a soul level to your deck.
This is how you know you’ve found your signature deck.
Don’t be surprised if, at first, your signature deck is the classic Rider-Waite deck. There’s nothing wrong with that at all.
But with all the marvelous deck choices on the market, you
should be able to discover a deck that suits your personality and
taste perfectly.
F IN D IN G YOUR D ECK
An old wives’ tale states you may not buy or purchase your
own tarot deck—that your deck must be given to you as a gift.
Nothing could be further from the truth. For a lucky few, the
deck chooses us. We are given a gorgeous deck as a gift or inherit one from a relative. If a deck has already found you, consider yourself lucky and gifted with its presence. If not, then
enjoy the process of finding your signature deck. Hopefully, I
can make your selection process a touch easier by narrowing it
down.
T H E M O S T C O M P R E H E N S I V E O N L I N E
C O L L E C T I O N
O F BRO W S AB LE C A R D S CA N BE F O U N D AT
h t t p : / / w w w .a e c l e c t i c . n e t / t a r o t / .
D IS C O V E R IN G YOUR TAROT A EST H ET IC
Lucky for us, a massive variety of tarot decks are on the market. With thousands of decks and a few brick-and-mortar stores to browse in, how can you find the deck just right for you? In
order to facilitate your search for a signature deck, I’ve complied
a list of decks you might enjoy based on your particular aesthetic. Your aesthetic is your own personal sense of what you find beautiful, your taste and style. I’ve connected each deck
aesthetic to an archetype of one of the Major Arcana cards.
Begin your search by looking at your favorite Major card and
seeing what decks are suggested. The decks suggested are not a
comprehensive list but merely a jumping-off point in your
search for a signature deck.
The Fool
The Fool represents the openness and optimism of youth, a
fresh start, the beginning of a journey. The Fool is reminiscent
of childhood. If you revel in the innocence and optimism of
your younger days, one of these decks might be for you:
Children Tarot by Lele Luzzati
Whimsical Tarot by Dorothy Morrison and Mary
Hanson-Roberts
The Fair)’ Tale Tarot by Lisa Hunt
The Magician
The Magician is a conduit of spiritual energy, and he represents master)7 and control. He’s the ultimate ceremonial magician. If you find yourself grooving on his supernatural vibe, you’ll enjoy these decks that have been inspired or created by
the magicians of the Golden Dawn:
Aleister Crowley Thotlr Tarot by Aleister Crowley and Frieda
Harris
Golden Dawn Magical Tarot by Chic Cicero and Sandra Cicero
Initiator)7 Tarot o f the Golden Dawn by Giordano Berti and
Patrizio Evangelisti
The High Priestess
The High Priestess represents the psyche, divine intuition,
and your deepest, wisest self She is the source of ultimate feminine power. If you crave female divinity and goddess power, shower your celestial glow on the following decks:
Goddess Tarot by Kris Waldherr
Universal Goddess Tarot by Antonella Platano and Maria
Caratti
Mythical Goddess Tarot by Sage Holloway and Katherine
Skaggs
The Empress
The Empress represents pure and utter unabashed creativity.
She is artistry and originality in motion. If fine art and day tripping to a museum curls your toes, feast your eyes on these decks inspired by the work of famous artists:
Da Vinci Tarot by A. Atanassov and I. Ghiuselev
Dali Universal Tarot by Juan Llarch and Salvador Dali
Golden Tarot of Klimt by A. Atanassov
Touchstone Tarot by Kat Black
The Emperor
The Emperor, representing order, is a stickler for the rules
and a strict, old-school fellow. He is the constant, controlled
traditionalist. If structure suits you and you are ready to travel
back in time, check out these pre-Golden Dawn decks:
Ancient Tarot of Marseilles by Conver
Visconti-Sforza Tarot (by an unknown artist)
Ancient Minchiate Etruria Tarot by Pietro Alligo
The Hierophant
The Hierophant represents a great teacher and spiritual authority’. He’s the pope, professor, and advisor. His wealth of knowledge is yours for the taking when you pick up one of
these beguiling historical decks:
Victorian Romantic Tarot by Alex Ukolov and Karen Ma-
hony
Golden Tarot of the Renaissance by Giordano Bert and Jo
Dworkin
Da Vinci Enigma Tarot by Caitlin Matthews
The Lovers
The Lovers represent love, lust, romance, and choice. The
Lovers are the life force. If issues of affection, devotion, and
amour are overriding themes in your life, you might cozy up
with one of these decks:
Heart Tarot by Maria Distefano
Lover’s Path Tarot by Kris Waldherr
Tarot of Sexual Magic by Laura Tuan and Mauro De Luca
The Chariot
The Chariot represents speed and being in the driver's seat.
The Chariot moves fast, and so do our winged friends, the
fairies. If fairy magic and art helps your soul take flight, race toward the nearest fairy deck:
