So, I decided to mess around with classic tarot a while back. Wasn’t really looking for anything deep, you know? Just saw one of those classic Rider-Waite decks, the yellow box one everyone seems to have, tucked away in a second-hand shop. Picked it up mostly ’cause the drawings looked kinda neat, old-school.
Got it home, opened it up. First thing, shuffling these things is harder than it looks. Cards went everywhere a few times. Felt pretty clumsy. Then there’s that little white book that comes with it. Tiny print, weird descriptions. Tried looking up the meanings for a simple three-card thing – past, present, future, I think? Honestly, it felt like homework at first. Pulling cards, flipping through the book, trying to make sense of stuff like “Ten of Swords” next to “The Lovers.” Didn’t feel very magical, just confusing.
Getting the Hang of It (Sort Of)
I kept at it though, mostly out of stubbornness. Started just looking at the pictures instead of running straight to the book. Like, what’s actually happening on the card? That weird dude on the High Priestess card, or the family on the Ten of Pentacles. Sometimes that clicked more than the official meaning. Began shuffling better, not spraying them across the room quite as much.
Tried doing a reading for a friend. That was awkward. Felt like a total fraud, just making stuff up based on pictures. But my friend seemed into it, nodding along. Maybe just having someone listen is the point sometimes? Who knows.
Why Stick with Classic?
People ask why I didn’t get a fancier deck, something modern. Dunno, really. I just got used to this one. The images are kinda burned into my brain now.
- The colours are basic, yeah, but clear.
- The scenes tell little stories, even if they’re weird.
- It feels… standard. Like learning on the original thing before trying variations.
It’s not like I think these specific cards hold ancient power or anything. It’s just cardboard with pictures. But the routine of it, the shuffling, laying them out… it calms my brain down sometimes. Forces me to stop and think about whatever’s bugging me from a different angle.
Where I’m At Now
So yeah, I still pull out the deck now and then. Not every day. Sometimes the cards seem spot on, other times they feel like total nonsense. I don’t rely on it for big life choices. It’s more like a weird conversation starter with myself. Just shuffling, looking at those old familiar pictures, and seeing what pops into my head. It’s just part of my routine, like making coffee. Nothing too mystical about it after all this time, but still kinda interesting to play with.
