Tarot cards. Angel cards. Oracle cards.

I was first introduced to these magical cards during my spiritual 101 classes back in 2005. When I first started learning how to use these I had no clue what I was doing or what I was supposed to be looking for.

“Grab a deck, take some deep breathes in and out and then shuffle. When “you feel” an urge to stop, Stop! and then pick the top card….Now, what does the card say?”

Ummmmmm…..????

I have no clue teacher.

“Well, what do you FEEL the card is saying..?”

Oh man…. (face plant)

So I took the card and I starred at it. I looked all around, looked at the imagery, the colors, the people, what they were wearing, their mannerisms, the icons, the symbols. As I started to do that I started to “see” more. I still had no idea what the card was saying but I was starting to feel at least some sort of a connection to the card. Like an “aha” moment.

After that my spiritual teacher asked us to grab a partner and read their card. Tell them what the card meant for them. (Another face plant.)

Couldn’t I just do energy work on them instead? I was good at that!!

Reading cards just seemed way to hard. I could guess of course…. and that is exactly how I felt when I “did my first reading”. I felt like I was guessing. I second guessed everything I said, I was unsure and to be totally honest I felt as though I was just making stuff up. It made me feel uncomfortable and like a child not wanting to brush their teeth, I wanted to stop learning cards.

But you know what happened instead?

After I left class I wanted to learn more.  So over the next few days, I bought two Diane Virtue angel card decks from our local bookstore.

I was not confident in my own intuitive abilities and so I went against what I was taught and I used the instruction books to guide what the cards were telling me. And for the most part, my readings with my cards hardly ever made any sense. And of course, they didn’t make sense! How could someone else’s interpretation of the cards make sense for my own reading? If I would have followed my instructor’s teachings back then, I would probably be a better reader today.

So with that being said, these are the things that I wish my head had recognized to be true back then and that I one hundred percent believe to be true now. (and my readings confirm it!)

1. Put the instructor manual/book down and read the cards from your own intuitive mind. Your readings will be more insightful and spot on. And guess what??? Its NORMAL to feel confused when you first start reading tarot. Just like anything new that you begin to learn. That’s where the magic happens…..in the uncomfortableness of new beginnings.
2. There is no right way when it comes to all things Tarot. For example, YES you can buy your own tarot cards. you do not need to wait for someone to buy you a deck. Some say that it is bad luck to buy your own deck, I say that’s a load of nonsense. Use your guidance within your own soul to find the deck that calls to you! You will know what deck is right for you. Also, just by making a conscious decision to tap into your own intuition means you are already doing it right! For years I felt like I was doing it wrong, but I also knew I was not following my own intuitive guidance…. I was following a book. (of someone else’s intuition)
3. Its ok if you see something different in the cards than “in the book”. Why? because you are using deep intuitive connections within your own heart and your own memories that are more right for you, that make more sense for you. Your intuition is always there wanting to guide you. Trust that instinct. Create that special connection to the cards, a bond that can’t be broken.
4. Tarot cards are not just about fortune telling (as some people may think.) Yes for sure cards can help open up insight into what the future potentially holds but it can also help you in a much deeper way. Looking at a card in a reading can help to unlock ideas and thoughts that may have been sleeping, or you may see things in a way that you never thought of before. The cards help to push past the obvious and into the subconscious. There are Images and symbols within the tarot cards that you may be drawn to that reflect more of what your higher self is asking you to tap into.
5. You don’t need to know all the rules of Tarot! You don’t need to know all about astrology or numerology or the history of different realms of existence. All you need to know right now to get started with Tarot is you need a deck of cards, an open mind, and your intuition. The rest, if you want, you can learn along the way. If you want to learn more about numerology then learn it as you go, look up angel numbers as they come up or buy a book for reference as you go. But you do not have to know it to learn to read Tarot.
6. You do not need to be a psychic to read tarot! You just need your intuition. We are ALL intuitive. It is our birthright and something that you have always waiting to be utilized if you are willing to stay open to it. We are either aware or unaware. We are either living consciously or unconsciously. It is a choice we make every day. But you definitely do not need to be psychic to read tarot. If you want more clarity in your life you can also do things like eating cleaner, more meditation to clear the mind, things like. But really? Just be Open.
7. BREATHE and HAVE FUN!!!!! Tarot is so much more fun when you are using your intuition to guide you.

Now go pick up your deck, put the instruction book down and read your cards with an open mind and just have fun.

Much love!

AM