So, you wanna know how I got into reading my own tarot cards, huh? It wasn’t some big spiritual awakening or anything fancy like that. Honestly, I just stumbled across a cool-looking deck in a little shop one day and thought, “Why not?” I’d always been a bit curious, but never really dived in.
Getting Started: The Deck and the “Huh?” Moments
So, I bought that first deck. It was pretty, a classic Rider-Waite-Smith clone, nothing too wild. Got it home, opened it up, and immediately felt a bit overwhelmed. Seventy-eight cards! And each one supposedly meant something different. I grabbed the little white book that came with it, and man, it was like trying to learn a whole new language overnight. My first few “readings” for myself were just me staring at the cards, then flipping through the booklet, then staring some more. Mostly, I just ended up confused.
I remember trying to ask some big, profound question and pulling out like, the Ten of Swords. The book said something about rock bottom and betrayal. I was like, “For real? I just asked if I should have pizza for dinner!” Clearly, I was missing something.
Finding My Own Way
I almost gave up, figured it wasn’t for me. But the cards were still sitting there, looking all mysterious. So, I decided to ditch the little white book for a bit, or at least not rely on it so heavily. I started just looking at the pictures. What did I see? What did it make me feel? That actually helped a lot.
My process now is pretty simple, nothing too ceremonial, though some folks like to go all out. Here’s what I usually do:
- Chill Out: First, I try to find a quiet moment. Sometimes I’ll light a candle if I’m feeling it, but mostly it’s just about not having the TV blaring or a million other things going on. Just me and the cards.
- The Shuffle: This is a big part for me. I just shuffle them however feels right. Sometimes it’s a messy overhand shuffle, sometimes I try to be a bit fancier. While I’m shuffling, I try to clear my head or think about what’s on my mind, what I’m mulling over. I don’t always have a specific “question.” Sometimes it’s more like, “What do I need to focus on today?” or “What’s the general vibe?”
- Cutting and Drawing: Once they feel “done,” I usually cut the deck into three piles and then stack them back up in a random order. Then I just fan them out and pull however many cards feel right. Sometimes it’s one, sometimes three. I don’t get too hung up on complicated spreads, especially when I’m just reading for myself. A simple past-present-future or situation-action-outcome often does the trick.
Making Sense of It (or Trying To)
Okay, so the cards are out. Now what? First, I just look at them. All of them together. What’s the overall picture? Are there a lot of a certain suit? Lots of people? Animals? What’s the energy like – chaotic, calm, sad, happy?
Then I go card by card. I look at the imagery. What’s happening in the picture? What does it remind me of in my own life? For instance, if I pull The Fool, I don’t just think “new beginnings” because a book said so. I look at the dude about to step off a cliff, looking all happy-go-lucky. I think, “Am I being a bit too reckless about something, or do I need to take a leap of faith?” It depends on what else is going on in my life.
Sometimes the meaning is super obvious, like a punch to the gut. Other times, I’m scratching my head for a while. I might even sleep on it. I’ve learned that the cards don’t always give you a straightforward “yes” or “no.” It’s more like they hold up a mirror and show you different angles of your own situation or your own thoughts.
I also started keeping a little journal. Nothing fancy, just the date, what cards I pulled, and a few notes about what I thought they meant or what was going on at the time. It’s actually pretty cool to look back on later and see how things panned out or how my interpretation changed.
So, What’s the Point?
For me, reading my own tarot isn’t about predicting the future like some crystal ball. It’s more like a tool for self-reflection. It helps me tap into my intuition, the stuff I kinda already know but maybe haven’t fully acknowledged. It makes me pause and think about things in a different way.
It’s been a pretty cool journey, from total confusion to actually finding it useful. It’s not magic, at least not in the way people think. It’s more about connecting with yourself. If you’ve ever been curious, I’d say give it a shot. Don’t get bogged down in rules. Just play with the cards and see what happens. You might be surprised what you learn.
