Increasing your knowledge of tarot is hardly a "one
size fits all" process. Studying with the help of a
teacher or mentor can enrich your understanding of
tarot and can assist in monitoring your progress much
like any other educational undertaking.
The seasoned tarot enthusiast can certainly attest to
being a perpetual student of tarot as it offers so many
layers with its symbolism and tradition. Delving into
the deep waters of tarot may or may not be something
that is of interest to you. Some practitioners are only
interested in tarot as a divination tool, while others
are interested in tarot for its esoteric,
psychological, meditative and mythic connections.
The most important thing to take into consideration
when studying tarot is your personal learning style. Do
you need a lot of structure? Are you more visual? Does
a "hands on" approach suit you better? It's
important because it ultimately boils down to
understanding and retaining information - and in
tarot there is certainly lots of information.
Here are some guidelines:
Organization:
Find time and a place that is quiet and
distraction free.
Create a "tarot" atmosphere where you will
study.
Use and keep a notebook or journal.
Create a tarot library for references that are
easy to access.
Get an extra deck that you only use for study. You
can make notes on these or cut off the words and use
them as flash cards (if applicable).
In a group or classroom setting the instructor
usually provides structure so it will be left up to the
individual to organize handout, assignments, etc.
Study:
Depending on the tradition you choose to work with
or the deck you plan to use for readings, you may want
to get material pertaining to specific symbolism,
astrology, or artist's impression for the deck. The
Tarot School uses the Universal Waite /
Rider-Waite-Smith deck for their lessons.
Tarot is a language, and like learning any
language, the lessons start with an alphabet - one
letter at a time.
Your learning style plays a role. For example, if
your approach is primarily kinesthetic, you may wish to
hold the card or mimic the stance of a figure in the
card to gain insight about the card.
Set intentions for your study time. Think about
what you want to accomplish.
Practice, practice, practice. You can do readings
in online forums or at local Meetups. These are good
ways to work with a variety of querents.
Observation is key. Tarot is about you, so record
your observations as you get to know each card.
Tarot is a mirror of our inner processes and gives us
an avenue to soul evolution. It can lead to the
exploration of Qabalah, Astrology, Ceremonial Magic,
psychology, mythology and the study of other cultures.
We developed The Tarot School Correspondence Course
to meet the needs of self-paced students regardless of
their level of previous tarot knowledge. There are
numerous educational resources at TarotSchool.com and
other websites.
The beauty of tarot is its capacity to evoke as many
questions as it answers. This is where knowledgeable
instructors come in handy. Thank goodness for a large
and growing tarot community that keeps the questions
coming.