Tarot Lesson 6

 DeBunking Tarot Myths, Part 2

So, what we're going to be tackling in this lesson are myths about reading the cards and the people who read them. This is a jump off from my last lesson, though I suspect it will hardly be the last time I do a lesson focused on debunking myths.

Only “special” people can read the Tarot! – While it is very true that some people's personalities, mental functions, intuition or creative impulses make them able to master the Tarot faster than others, anyone can use this valuable tool. And you are certainly going to hear people saying that they have "inherited" their skills or that they were "chosen" or other mystical sounding bullshit, but that's just a way for them to make themselves feel or seem like they are better than or more special than other people. It's an unfortunate trick of professional Tarot readers that is a carry over from way back in the day (like the 1800s or probably earlier) in order to discourage other people from learning to be readers, because that would cut into their business. There are a LOT of the myths in this lesson that spring from that same mentality.

Like any other skill set, it takes time and practice to develop your intuition and understanding of the cards. Just because you aren't great when you first turn a card, it doesn't mean you won't be a master in a year or two, once you've studied, practiced, and done some shadow work (often a necessary thing to clear your personal aura for clear readings. I'll cover shadow work in depth at a later time, there's just not space here.). But taking the time and putting in the effort to learn the Tarot doesn't make you more or less "special" than anyone else. It means that you have discipline and patience, that you are able to learn a skill.  

But I should leave a footnote with this myth, some people are better with other methods, such as pendulums, runes, dice, etc. There are dozens of ways to do the same things that Tarot does with other systems. If you find that Tarot just isn't your thing, but are still wanting to do the whole self-reflection & "divination" thing, do some research and see if anything else appeals to you.

You should never buy your own deck, they should only be gifted --  Can't even lie to you when I say that this is probably in my top 3 of stupid ass things people say about Tarot. 

It's another thing that comes from the way olden days when being a reader was a very lucrative business that only thrived under the idea that not just anyone could do it. By limiting the number of people who had decks or who tried to practice Tarot reading, the people who were making a living off of it were able to maintain their income. 

But let's be honest, with so many decks out there with so many different themes, how on earth are you going to find someone who knows you well enough to buy you the deck that will vibe with you? And this belief actually goes so far in some circles that it extends to even asking for a deck you want. It has literally become this weird, and very toxic, thing where people honestly believe that you if you aren't gifted a deck out of the blue, then you aren't meant to read Tarot. 

It's obviously total bullshit. I've bought myself many decks that have worked just fine and I have received some as gifts. But if you want to start reading Tarot, rather than waiting around for some magical fairy person to show up bearing the perfect deck, just get on Amazon (or wherever you want to buy from) and pick out a deck. You'll figure out if Tarot is a tool for you a lot quicker by trying it out than by sitting around waiting for a gift you aren't allowed to ask for.

Using the guidebook for reference means I suck at this --  Oh, sweetie no. Those books exist for a reason. Now, I rarely use them anymore but that's because I don't get new decks very often and the ones I do use I've been working with for a long time.  And I have an innate trust of my intuition that comes from 28 years of experience.

But, that said, I still grab a guide book when I'm at a loss. This is especially true with Oracle decks because the creators infused the cards with very specific intentions and I don't like to miss out on those because I'm too proud to crack open a little book.

And if you're taking these lessons, chances are you're just a baby reader, so those guidebooks are going to be your best friends for quite a while. They're going to help jump start your own impressions and intuition. You don't have to have every little thing memorized before you start reading. That's asking a lot of you before you start working with your tool. Don't stop yourself from looking up a card if you don't understand what it's trying to say. Don't feel ashamed because you're still learning. Hell, even 28 years in, I'm still learning. 

You can only have one deck!  -- Nah, that's another boring bit of nonsense. I use 4 or 5 different decks on the regular, and I have around 15 other decks for back up.

I don't really know where the idea that a reader could only have one deck came from, but I think that it's one of those gate-keeping things that insecure or poorly taught readers do. But I want to say that it is not at all true, especially now with all the different kinds of decks, both Tarot and Oracle style decks, that are available to us. 

You could have one deck that is fantastic for doing self-readings, and another that is your go-to for reading for other people. I've known readers who have specific decks for specific types of questions. Like this one for love readings, this one for spiritual questions, and this other one for career and money matters.  

If you find a deck that is multipurpose and makes you happy and never need another one, that's awesome. But that isn't the case for the majority of readers I have met. Many have several decks that they use regularly, and some find that a deck that was awesome for them at one point isn't as good anymore and they move on to a new one. That happens, as I can say from personal experience. I've had decks that I used almost exclusively for a long time but then as I grew and shifted, I needed to shift what deck I used.

At one time, I had (and I counted to be sure) 207 decks. For me being a practical reader and not a collector, I made the choice to pare down my collection to those decks that I actually use, which leads me right into my next myth that needs busting.

Never, ever buy a used deck! -- I talked about this in an earlier lesson, but I feel like I need to hit this point again. There's nothing wrong with buying or accepting a gift of a used deck. As long as the deck was well cared for, it's going to be just as useful to you as a brand new one.

If you are concerned about "bad energy" or whatever being stuck to the cards, there are about a billion ways to cleanse the deck from leaving it out in the moonlight for a month to crystals to smoke cleansing. And that barely scratches the surface of the options. Google and poke around and you'll find something that works for you or you can contact a local witch (or other practicing spiritual person) and they can either advise or even do the cleansing for you. 

And on the other side of this, if you have a deck that isn't working for you either because you've out grown it, or because you bought it based on the pictures on the internet and for some reason it doesn't vibe with you, there are several options for selling your lovingly used decks. Facebook marketplace and eBay are good for if you don't mind managing the listings and shipping or meeting up for the hand-offs. But there are some new age shops that will buy your lightly used decks to resell, or you can try used bookstores like Half Price Books. Call around and you might be surprised what options you have.

I think that about covers what I have for now, but if you have any questions about Tarot myths or practices, feel free to hit up my Facebook page. I have a pinned "ask me anything" post or if you're shy, you can send me a DM with your question and I will either answer it directly or add it to a future lesson.

And the rest of the lessons and other essays I've done are over here.