Have you got more than one Tarot deck at home, but you’re afraid to start working with them because you don’t want to have to ‘re-learn’ a new deck?
You’ve already invested years of study to get to know your favourite Tarot deck inside and out, so now, do you really have to start over if you want to work with a different deck?
Today’s Ask Brigit question is from Christine who is facing that exact dilemma. She writes:
“My husband and I are learning together. He has a Rider Waite deck and I have the Morgan-Greer deck (a RWS clone). While the cards are pretty much the same, there are lots of symbols that are absent in my deck and some cards that are completely different (the Devil card, for instance). There’s so much to learn with just my one deck – do I have to “relearn” tarot with every different deck that I get?”
Great question, Christine! Watch this video to find out my answer.
http://youtu.be/Oh45mL9LrsQ
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Thank-you for watching and I’ll see you next time.
After you’ve watched the video, I’d love to hear your own techniques and strategies for quickly mastering a new Tarot deck. Leave your comments below.
Video Transcript:
Hi, I’m Brigit, Founder of My Tarot Club – the place to be if you’re an aspiring Tarot reader and you want to transform your life and others’ with Tarot.
And this is a special Ask Brigit video post where I answer your questions about the Tarot.
Today’s question comes from Christine. She writes:
“My husband and I are learning together. He has a Rider Waite deck and I have the Morgan-Greer deck (a RWS clone). While the cards are pretty much the same, there are lots of symbols that are absent in my deck and some cards that are completely different (the Devil card, for instance). There’s so much to learn with just my one deck – do I have to “relearn” tarot with every different deck that I get?”
Great question, Christine!
I have always resisted using other Tarot decks, other than the Rider Waite deck of course, because it took me that long to learn the Rider Waite deck and I don’t want to have to start at square one again.
Recently, though, as I have helped other people interpret their Tarot readings with a wide range of Tarot decks, I realised that I didn’t have to start over or ‘re-learn’ Tarot, as you say. Instead, I have learned a series of easy techniques for working with an unfamiliar deck.
So here are three of those techniques.
Technique #1: Apply what you already know
Many Tarot decks are derivatives of each other, so while the imagery and symbolism may be different, many of the underlying themes are the same. If you draw the Two of Cups, for example, in your different deck, recall what the Two of Cups means in your usual deck. Use these meanings as a starting point.
Technique #2: Tune into the imagery
It is usually the imagery that is different across Tarot decks, so pay attention to what you see in the card.
Gaze at the card and then notice what grabs your attention. Is there a lush garden in the background? An open hand offering a gift? A cloudy sky? Whatever it might be. Now think about how that imagery relates to the question. What message does it convey? What insight does it give? Pay attention, also, to an intuitive feelings it may trigger within you. What does that lush garden remind you of? What could that cloudy sky really mean?
This is also a great way to learn to read with your usual Tarot deck.
Technique #3: Know your numbers + suits
Not every deck will be rich with imagery. For example, the Marseilles deck has unillustrated pip cards. This makes it even harder to interpret when you’re new to the deck.
My advice? Learn basic numerology and combine it with what you know of the suits. For example, we know Twos are about partnership and Cups are about relationships and emotions. So a Two of Cups in any deck will be about partnerships based on an emotional connection. You won’t need elaborate pictures to tell you that.
So, what’s your advice? How do you read a different Tarot deck without investing years of extra study? Leave your comment below.
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{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
Great post My Tarot Club.This indeed is a very relevant topic as there is a very strong urge to try out new decks from time to time.Your inputs will go a long way in making the transformation easily towards new decks. However is it really advisable to try out new decks once you have mastered a particular set ? What are your views on this? I personally found the Zen Tarot Deck very appealing to my instincts and could relate to them easily.Apart from these 2 decks -Rider Waite,and Zen,I have not used any other.
Another easy way would be to lay out all the cards of different decks which reflect the same result , side by side and have an overview.This way learning could be faster.
Thanks for the post My Tarot Club.
-Aasheesh
Great idea to lay out the cards from different decks – I’m sure you would get some very valuable insights that way.
I really enjoyed the video, My Tarot Club and it certainly gave clear and practical advice. I will certainly revisit numerology. I, too, have mainly worked with the Rider Waite but I’ve only been on this spiritual path for a couple of years. I really like RW but I have recently enjoyed looking at my Thoth deck because it makes me rely solely on my intuition. I find I engage with the card in a totally different way when I have no idea about the deck and when it gives you scant clues!! I purposefully haven’t read one iota about the Thoth, whereas I have read loads about the RW. I find that with the Thoth, you really have to peel back the layers of consciousness and ask the most basic questions. This in turn helps me to develop my RW reading because it makes me work harder. Your advice means that I have another tool to help support my learning, so Thank You!
(People will have to forgive me if this is how you are supposed to be doing it, but I am a relative newbie).
As a Tarot reader am commenting as to yes I agree with your suggestions on reading new decks..As we grow we change and will become attracted to different Decks but only the images change ..intuition is pronounced then as to the different images ..so knowing the suits and numbers you should let your spirit interpret as with the deck you became so familiar with ..good video clip ..
Yes! I SO agree. I worked through another person’s reading that used a completely unknown deck to me (the Cosmic Tarot) and I LOVED how the new imagery triggered totally new, yet accurate, messages. It helped me to see the cards in a very new way. Now, imagine if you were to do that with a number of decks – you’d have so many new and fresh perspectives on the Tarot cards!
I really appreciated you sharing the reasons you found it important to find efficient, effective ways to approach new-to-you decks! One (of the many!) reason I enjoy all of your teaching is that you make your own journey accessible to us. It adds “juice” to the lesson, when I can see how and why the teacher learned it herself!
Plus, I love your smile!
*smile* thanks
Brigit,
Thanks for sharing the video. I found it to be really informative and helpful. I use the Wildwood deck as well as the Rider Waite deck. I am definitely more in tune with the Wildwood and like to compare with the RW. As a student, it’s a good reminder to look at the imagery and numerology as when I study the cards. Mentally, I try to catalog the similarities of the RW with the Wildwood, so when I do readings for myself, I can quickly remember the keywords and how they are applicable to the Wildwood. Keep up the good work.
Dwayne, sounds like you are right on track
Brigit,
Thank you for addressing this. I have experience with the Rider Waite deck so, when shopping I was drawn to a more artistic deck, I struggled with it. I got it, but have had my qualms learning it! They are so different and do I really have the time?
The symbolism is so different, I feel like I am learning Tarot all over again! The artist’s interpretation is unique, but to someone who learned with a more traditional deck it is confusing!
You are right, apply what you already know…
It has helped me feel more confidant to use my new cards!
Blessings!
Hi, Brigit,
Your video was very helpful for us when we learn the tarot card reading. When I was younger, I learn some basic things about tarot card reading and just spread my knowledge to others but I always eager to learn the new things about tarot card reading. Your video was very helpful to me to learn some your technique in tarot card reading..
By the way, you are the first tarot card reader or teacher that look very beautiful and have a nice smile.
I collect tarot decks so I have quite a few. I don’t use them all for reading but I do use them all occasionally. I am lucky because I learned years ago on the Marseilles and do already know the suits, numbers and correspondences. As you say Brigit that can always help you with most any deck. But some are really different like the one I recently got hold of the Wheel of change tarot, comes with a whole book big as an encyclopedia (which I promised myself I will one day read) and no numbers on the cards at all. Decks like this really help you to use your intuition and think outside the box. I just took the cards laid them out and took my first impressions of each card. Then I told a story without trying to remember anything. It was an amazingly accurate reading and very freeing. I think it is a shame to stick to one deck because it does not stretch your abilities in an intuitive way.
I must correct myself the Minor Arcana have numbers just not the majors. sorry
That’s so true – when you read with a deck that is totally unfamiliar, it helps to bring out your more intuitive side.
Here’s an idea that has worked for me; why not try a pc program such as Orphalese (made in OZ) ? It’s free, and has a ton of free decks available, as well as forums.
I can lay out a spread using my RW decks in it, or even insert a real life reading I’ve already done, and then switch decks back and forth with a click, on the fly as it were. Same reading, different LWB notes. Sometimes I pick up something I’d have missed using one deck, or trying to layout the same reading using multiple decks, by hand. Each card, in each deck has a pop-up note that you can edit to compile your own information on, and eventually the notes are incredibly detailed.
I don’t recommend most tarot programs, because they’re cumbersome or they just don’t WORK for readings, but this one does. And it is easier than taking a pic and saving it.