KAJAMA.COM NEWSLETTER

by Barbara Moore

(Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.)

With so many wonderful tarot decks available these days, it would be difficult to have just one. I try to imagine how it feels to be a complete novice today and be confronted with so many decks; it would be overwhelming.

I do know some people who only have one tarot deck. That is all they want, and they are fine with that. If you are one of those people, this article is not for you...however, if you do read it, you may find yourself inspired to buy another deck or two. You've been warned!

Basics
To start a collection, and really to start a solid study of tarot, I would make sure I had one each of the various editions of the following:

• Rider Waite Smith
• Thoth Tarot
• Marseilles Tarot

These are the three main traditions that are used for reading today.

To have a very complete collection, you would probably want a Visconti deck as well, since it is one of the earliest tarot decks we have, and a Minchiate Tarot (which has more cards than a tarot deck, but is a close and very interesting cousin). Also, throw in a Sola Busca deck, as that is a 15th century deck with illustrated minor cards...compare them to Pamela Coleman Smith's and you'll see some surprising similarities.

Suit Yourself
There are decks that play off either the RWS tradition or the Thoth by following their structure but adding another layer, usually by incorporating a theme. What are some of your interests outside of tarot? Fairies, Celtic studies, the environment, Paganism, a historical period, tattoos, science, Jane Austen, vampires, goth, magic, Arthurian legends, fairy tales, baseball? Yes, there are tarot decks that explore all these themes. Add a few decks that combine your personal interest with tarot.

This is a great way to learn the cards, because these decks take a subject you already know and apply it to the cards.

Something Completely New
Once you understand the structure of the tarot deck, it becomes a framework that will allow you to learn new subjects very easily. If you know tarot very well but do not know, say, science, then The Quantum Tarot can be an easy and fun way to learn.

If you want to learn more about Welsh mythology, then the Llewellyn Tarot would be a great choice. Because the myths are matched up with cards that you already know the basic meanings for, it gives you an instant connection.

Different Decks for Different Purposes
People use tarot for things other than readings, and consequently find that one deck may not work for every purpose. That is certainly the case with me. Here are some potentially different uses that might require separate decks.

• Reading for yourself
• Reading for others
• Reading at parties or psychic fair or in loud/busy places. For these situations, I find that simpler, lighter decks are easier to read. I save the darker, more complex ones for other situations. (By lighter/darker, I mean the coloring, not necessarily the themes.)
• Journaling. I actually use lots of different decks for journaling. I like ones that have more intricate art or that are non-traditional. I like my journaling to challenge and push me, so I pick decks that do that.
• Spiritual study. Of course, for this you'd want a deck that somehow reflects your spiritual beliefs. For me, the Gaian Tarot suits my needs beautifully.
• Meditation
• Magical work
• Brainstorming or Creative Inspiration. I like using tarot to help me write, particularly fiction (I also use Corrine Kenner's book, Tarot for Writers). As with journaling, I find that the more interesting, complex, and non-traditional, the better.

Different Types of Readings
Personally, I do not use different decks for different types of readings, but many of my colleagues do, so for completeness, I'm including that idea here:

• Romance
• Financial/Career
• Brainstorming
• Spiritual
• Seasonal. I like using my darker-themed decks (such as the Bohemian Gothic Tarot from Magic Realist Press) in the late fall. I prefer my lighter-themed decks, such as Shadowscapes, for spring. I have a hand-made Christmas deck of Major Arcanas that I use at holiday parties.
• Family-friendly or Child-appropriate. Certain events or reading situations call for a "non-scary" deck or one without nudity. These are not always easy to find. The Mystic Faerie Tarot has no nudity and is quite family-friendly.

To Grow
It seems that we work so hard at getting comfortable with the cards. But then, once we are, we run the danger of becoming stuck in a rut or stagnant. The most important thing to remember about tarot is that it is always evolving. The cards change, the way we use them changes. If tarot ever settled into an unchanging thing, it would lose the power to transform us.

As a tarot reader, you'll want to keep pushing yourself. You don't have to agree with every new deck or technique or idea...but approach them all with an open mind. By honestly exploring them and weighing their pros and cons, you will only strengthen your own beliefs. There is nothing bad about that.

To feed your own growth, every once in a while spend time with a deck that is outside of your comfort zone.

One that is sure to push some kind of button on every reader, no matter how forward-thinking, is the Tarot of the Silicon Dawn. Emily Carding's Transparent Tarot is another that is really unusual with the potential to shake up your world.

Other ideas:

• Decks about subjects that make you uncomfortable or that you think are silly (what can you learn from, say, the Gummi Bear Tarot?)
• Round decks
• Decks that follow no recognizable tradition

Oracle Decks
Many tarot purists do not care for oracle decks. Oracle decks are any sort of divination deck that does not follow the structure of a tarot deck. Oracle decks may have some sort of internal structure or none at all. They can be whatever they want! And this really bugs some people.

However, oracle decks can play a role in the life of a tarot lover. Get an oracle with a similar theme or art as your usual tarot deck and add a position in your spread for a "secret message from the Universe." Pull the card for that position from the oracle deck.

Find an oracle that you like and use it to end a session with a client, having them pull a card as a final message.

Use an oracle deck for an inspirational message of the day.

Lenormand Decks
Lenormand decks are really coming into vogue now. Some readers are frustrated because their clients want mundane, clear readings about their everyday lives. Tarot readers sometimes find that tarot is not well suited for such readings, or at least they are having trouble using them in that way. Lenormand cards, however, are made for those sorts of readings.

I am currently studying Lenormand cards. I hope to create a process whereby I can begin with the Lenormand deck and answer mundane questions in a mundane way. Then we can move on to the tarot cards and add depth, understanding, and power to the reading, and consequently to the client's life.

Maybe you should try that, too, and in a few months we can compare notes!

Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal. Copyright Llewellyn Worldwide, 2011. All rights reserved.

Last year I moved back home after living in a city that was not a good place for me to be. I'm back in my hometown, but it doesn't feel like where I am supposed to be living either. It's like I can sense that there is a place that would feel like a good fit to me, a place that would feel comfortable and like home. I'm planning on moving again this year, but I don't know where I want to go. Is there some way I can tune in and figure this out? Are there signs I should be watching for that can lead me to the right place? Thanks a bunch!

- D.

Dreamchaser:

I can easily relate to your situation, as I have moved around quite a bit myself. Sometimes a place felt good and sometimes it was horrible. I also lived in a city that sucked my soul dry. Fortunately, I have returned to the Deep South where I belong!

Your hometown is a good pit stop for you. You can rest there. You know your needs will be met and you know you have people around you who support you. That is exactly what you and your soul need right now.

I suggest that you start to make a list (on paper) of what you would really like to have in a new place to live. List everything you want, no matter how small it may seem. Keep adding to the list every time you think of something new. Also, every time you add something else to your list, read through the list in its entirety.

By doing this, you will start to create it. You also need to ask the Universe/ God/ whatever-name-you-prefer for what you want. Speak your wishes out loud. Ask for clear-cut signs. Continue to do all of these things on a daily basis. It could take a while if your perfect place is not available yet or if you need more "down time" before you move on for some reason.

I created where I live now, and it's is the perfect place for me. When I was miserable in the city, I would ask for things like a big backyard full of birds singing all day long, and I sure do have that! I have all kinds of wonderful species of birds in my big back yard. They sit in the trees and sing all day.

That may seem like a miniscule detail when you are making a list in order to create a whole new world. However, it is a wonderful blessing now that it has come to fruition. So be sure to ask for everything you want, no matter how small it may seem.

When you ask for signs, you will get them in so many different forms. There is no one in particular I can tell you to look for. You will hear things in songs, in passing conversations, on television, in books, and pretty much everywhere. You will start to hear or read the same thing over and over again. You will start to notice "coincidences" and synchronicities.

Once you begin to notice those, then you can move on to the next step of how to make it happen. Again, if you ask for help from the Universe, things will start to fall into place. When we are in the flow, everything just flows.

If you speak your wishes out loud, write them on paper, and reread the entire list when you add something new, you will witness the incredible creative power of words in your own life.

I wish you the ability to create the home you desire.

*****

Astrea:

Given the high price of gasoline right now, going on a "road trip" to explore the right location for you is probably out of the question, though that would be a great adventure and a really fun way to determine where you want to live.

There are so many spiritual ways you could approach this decision. One of the easiest ways is to consult your astrology chart.

There are cities and towns that are especially beneficial for specific signs. For instance, New York City is a good place for Fire Signs to find love, while Pisces women would be better off in Albuquerque, New Mexico, or Paris, France!

If you ask a good astrologer, he or she will be able to tell you what cities and towns would best suit you based on your birth chart. Remember to always supply the time and place of your birth, for the time of day you were born is the MOST important element for determining the right location for you.

You could also try using a pendulum. Tie a key to a pencil and hold the pencil flat on your palm, palm to the ceiling, with the weight hanging between your middle and ring finger. (Any key will work, but a house key would be ideal.) Hold the pencil above a map of the area of the world you think you'd like to live in.

Allow the pendulum to swing back and forth over the map. Close your eyes (your hand will move automatically, don't fight it), and when the pendulum stops, open your eyes and you'll see one of the places that may work best for you.

Some tarot readers can find places for people. Sometimes I even get the names of streets in a certain city from my cards. I believe that Nancy Garen's "Tarot Made Easy" includes locations in the cards' meanings. If you're interested in learning tarot, that's a good book to own anyway.

A numerologist can also suggest the best locations for you by taking your name value and adding it to the value of different places until you find a spot that "adds up" for you. You can even choose the numbers on the street you wish to live on if you want to really personalize your choice.

If it's an apartment, you may be able to choose which number, and in some cities, you can even request a specific telephone number. It would amaze you how often the numbers people request are available! Numbers offer their own kind of protection, and should be chosen carefully before you go to the trouble of moving again.

I'm sorry that moving home didn't work out for you. I feel that your Guides and Angels got you there when you needed to be there, however, and now they'll help you move on to a wonderful new adventure!

Astrea:

Many times in life we hear, "You will always have what you NEED, but not necessarily what you WANT." Your spirit must have needed to experience the feeling of leaving your human body, and the suggestion in the next chapter of Sylvia Brown's book was all it took to get you there.

Even though you hadn't read it yet, your SOUL recognized the title of that chapter as something it had been seeking, and your soul, knowing that you had that reference to read after your experience, got with it and out you went!

While I don't usually recommend her books, Sylvia Brown has a wide reaching and powerful effect on lots of people. A Gemini like you would be able to relate easily to her writing and put it to good use. Synchronicity - you gotta love it!

I like your description of "getting caught." That's exactly what it feels like, isn't it? One minute you're free and hovering above the room, and the next minute, ZAP! back down into your corporeal form you go!

As a little kid, I loved that "feeling of return." With practice, most of the time we can control that event, but sometimes, when our physical ears hear a distracting noise or something else occurs to knock us back into reality, back we go. With practice you will be able to control your return better.

I find it interesting that you were visiting your mother-in-law and not someone in your own genetic family. Evidently, you and your husband got married for reasons that are even deeper than love. His family's interest in "psychic stuff" will nurture your children in such matters and help them to grow into their own abilities.

You'll never have to be concerned that when your daughter visits them, she'll be discouraged from exploring her own psychic life and power. My parents encouraged me to develop my psychic senses in a time when it wasn't nice to even discuss such things in public. Heck, it's STILL not considered a great topic at the dinner table in some families!

Your kids will get to talk about it ALL and ask questions and read and study. This is going to give them such an edge in life! Talk with your husband about how you want to present this to your kiddos, so that you are united in your approach and ready to tell them their experiences are all natural and okay.

A word or two of warning: Geminis often have difficulty staying grounded in REAL LIFE. Don't get so strung out on your ASTRAL life that you neglect what you're doing here on Earth.

You are at the beginning of a long journey to learn where your power really lies. Try to be patient with this process and take your time.