Alright, so today I wanted to chat a bit about my own journey with tarot cards, specifically digging into their symbols and the old stories, the folklore, that seems to be all tangled up in them. It wasn’t like I woke up one day an expert, far from it.
Getting Started: Just Curious, Really
It all began pretty casually. I’d seen tarot cards around, you know, in movies or maybe a friend had a deck. Looked kinda mysterious. So, one day, I just decided to pick up a basic Rider-Waite-Smith deck. Seemed like the classic one everyone starts with. When I first fanned them out, honestly, I was a bit overwhelmed. So many pictures, so many little details! I thought, how on earth am I supposed to remember what all this means?
My first step was just to look. I mean, really look at each card. I didn’t grab a book straight away. I just sat with them. I’d pick one, maybe The Fool, and just stare at it. What did I see? A guy with a dog, a cliff, a little bag on a stick. Simple enough, right?
Diving Deeper: Beyond the Obvious
Then I started to notice patterns. Lots of cups, swords, wands, and coins. Okay, so those are the suits. But then I’d see similar figures appearing, or similar colors being used. I started to get this feeling that these weren’t just random pictures. There was a story there, or lots of little stories.
I did eventually crack open a few books, but I tried not to let them dictate everything. It was more like, “Okay, this book says the Ten of Swords is about rock bottom. Do I see that in the picture?” Sometimes I did, sometimes my gut told me something slightly different. For me, it became about connecting the traditional meanings with what the images themselves were sparking in my own head.
For example, take the symbolism of animals. You see dogs, cats, lions, birds all over these cards. I started thinking about what these animals represent in general folklore. Dogs are often about loyalty, companionship. Birds can be messengers, or freedom. It wasn’t about a strict “this always means that,” but more like adding layers to my understanding.
The Folklore Connection: It All Started to Click
This is where things got really interesting for me. I began to recognize archetypes and themes from old myths and legends. The Emperor, all stern and authoritative – he reminded me of so many king figures from fairy tales. The High Priestess, with her mystery and intuition – she felt like the wise woman or oracle figures you hear about in ancient stories.
- The Lovers card: Beyond just romance, I started seeing echoes of choices, of Adam and Eve type stories, of paths diverging.
- The Devil card: Not just some scary horned dude, but more about those things in folklore that bind us, our own self-made traps or societal pressures that feel like chains.
- The Hermit: He’s that classic wise old man on the mountain, the seeker of knowledge you find in so many hero’s journey tales.
I actively started to seek out these connections. If a card felt a bit obscure, I’d think about what stories it reminded me of. Sometimes, a folk tale I’d heard ages ago would suddenly pop into my head and a symbol on the card would make perfect sense in that context.
My Practice Now: It’s an Ongoing Thing
So, after all this looking, feeling, and connecting, I’ve ended up with a pretty personal way of reading the cards. I don’t see it as fortune-telling in a crystal ball kind of way. For me, it’s more like a tool for reflection. The symbols and the folklore woven into them provide a rich tapestry to explore situations or feelings.
I still pull cards regularly. Sometimes for a specific question, sometimes just to see what themes might be relevant for the day. And I always let the images and the stories they evoke guide me. I’ve found that the symbolism isn’t static; it can shift and reveal new things depending on what’s going on in my life. It’s a continuous process of discovery, really.
It’s been a fascinating journey, moving from just seeing pretty pictures to understanding a bit more of the deep well of human experience and storytelling packed into those 78 cards. And it all started with just being curious and taking the time to look.
