Learning The Tarot On Your Own

Many people are interested in learning the tarot these days but they're afraid because of various negative connotations that accompany the word 'tarot'. Usually this word is associated with 'scam', 'scam artists', 'quackery', 'cold readers', 'fake psychics' and many others. I'm sure you've already come across some of these.

So before learning the tarot, you need to take these preconceptions out of your mind. Tarot is not bad, is not evil and not everyone is out to get you. There are in fact many people who have bettered their lives by learning to read tarot for themselves.

Don't think that tarot is only about divination and fortune-telling. It is also about self-growth, about learning more about yourself and the world around you. And most of all, it is about forming connections with the universe, your guide and other people around you.

Once you've accepted this fact, you're ready to go on learning the tarot on your own. Like everything else in life that needs learning, tarot is also something that might take a while to master. However it is not difficult to get started in. There are very few things you need, and as hobbies go, this is a very cheap one. One which could potentially turn to a very lucrative small business by side if you want to earn some extra money.

What you need to learn tarot

There are two main things you need to learn this craft: a tarot deck and at least one book to get you started. That's all you need, really.

There are practically thousands of tarot decks to choose from and some are more gorgeous than others (I should know, I have over 20 decks myself). However to get started all you need is the very basic Raider Waite Smith deck. You don't need anything more than this.

The next thing you need is a good basic tarot book to learn from.

You can learn without a book too, however you first need to understand the basics of card meanings. Each tarot card has its own meaning, and to add to the confusion, there are different meanings for the same cards across different decks as well.

So this is why once you have chosen your deck, you need a book that teaches you the basic meanings of the cards in your deck.

What you don't need to learn tarot

Having said that, I found that many people invested lots of money and time to learn tarot on things that they don't really need. For example you don't need any online courses on tarot.

There are many websites that claim to teach you tarot and have you shell out hundreds of your hard earned dollars.

Don't do that. You don't need such courses. A good introductory book on tarot is all you need, next to your deck.

Practice is all it takes

Finally you need to simply sit down and do it. You need to practice. Take out your deck, start reading the book and follow the exercises. Most good books have exercises that help you along your journey so that everything is systematically and gradually introduced to you.

Something else that I found helped me a great deal when starting out was a tarot journal. Keeping a journal really brought my knowledge forward leaps and bounds. You simply jot down your experiences with the cards and especially your readings.

Early on you will only read for yourself and this is where the journal comes in handy. You can journal your daily readings and after weeks and months, when you look back at your earlier entries, you will realize how far you've come along. Also something that happened to me more often than not, I've come to realize just how many 'predictions' from my earlier days actually came true. It's almost spooky, but great fun!

Maria B. Char is a tarot enthusiast and lover. Visit her blog at http://www.tarotbookreviews.com/ where she reviews the best books on learning the craft of tarot on your own.

Why don't start your tarot journey with the Tarot plain and simple by Anthony Louis (one of the best books to get started with)?