Tarot 101
What is tarot and where does it come from?
Tarot is a divination tool used by practioners of all kinds as a way to bring clarity to a situation. Sometimes this is by looking into the future and sometimes this is by giving insight into a present or past event. Reading tarot is a practice you can pick up in an afternoon and still be fine tuning your craft decades later.
Tarot cards aren't actually that ancient comparitive to other practices. They came into use in the early 1500's in Europe. While there are claims that the cards were brought to France by Muslims, those playing cards have no relation to the cards that became tarot decks. In reality, the original deck seems to have been made in France and created for a game called triumph that became popular in Milan (where they were called tarocchi cards). They entered into occult practices around this time and the practices were adopted in Francce and England shortly thereafter.
How do I get started reading tarot?
You're going to need a deck. There's really no way around this as you're not going to have much luck using a deck that's bound to another practitioner. I don't even like letting other people touch my decks (the exception is my husband, though my two fussiest decks don't like him).
When I was first learning tarot, an older witch told me that you should never buy your first deck yourself, you should receive it from someone else. While I do think that this is a good idea I know that it's not very practical. I think that this tradition comes from trying to help a new practitioner from becoming overwhelming.
How do I choose my first deck?
Don't worry about your first deck being expensive. If you can go to a occult store locally, that's the best method. A kindly witchy person there (I have never been to an occult/metaphysical store where the owner is not a kindly witch) can help you pick out a good deck or you can at least look at and get a feel for a deck that will work with you. A bookstore is the next best option because you can see the decks in person. If you are drawn to a deck online then go ahead and get it online.
Your first deck doesn't have to be super fancy looking. A lot of practitioners will suggest you start with the Rider Waite deck, but I don't think that's neccessary, either.
Do I need anything else?
Something to keep your deck in. I don't like leaving my decks in their boxes. Traditionalists suggest wrapping your decks in silk. I don't think it needs to be silk, but I do recommend a black piece of cloth as black will help protect it from picking up outside energies when they are being stored. The cloth you use can also double as a place to do the readings as you want to keep your deck clean and having a nice clean piece of cloth right there is a great idea.
I recommend also using a box of some kind as an additional protective layer. I have a nicely carved wooden box that I saved up for for a few months, but really even a plastic pencil box will work.
I'm ready to do my first reading.
Then go for it! Hang out with your deck. Spend some time shuffling it. Draw cards and study them. Do simple readings for yourself or for things around you. You will eventually begin to get a feeling for the personality of your deck. Some decks are kind, some are harsh. If you aren't sure how ot interpret a reading then don't worry about it. Don't feel embarassed asking questions of people who have been doing readings longer than you have. (My inbox is always open!)
I'll be doing more informative posts studying the tarot and different spreads, so keep your eye out for those.