Happy World Tarot Day!

                                              

                                                                          The World

"Achieving balance, realizing goals and prospering, attainment of the heart's desire, fulfillment, peace of mind."

Today is World Tarot Day, a day celebrated May 25th every year. Den Elder, writer, Tarot Grandmaster and founder of The Church of Tarot, got the idea for World Tarot Day back in 2003, and it's been celebrated by many ever since. Tarot Readers, students, teachers and enthusiasts worldwide celebrate of the spirit of Tarot, and take a day out to promote the use of Tarot for the benefit and growth  and enrichment of the spiritual self.

It was twelve years ago when I got my first Tarot deck..it was the Elemental Tarot, not an easy read for someone just starting out and I indeed struggled to fully understand this deck so with time, it was relegated to a drawer until the day I ran into a gentleman that happened to be browsing the deck selection at my local Barnes and Noble bookstore. I was admiring the decks pondering which to buy when he advised me to choose the Rider Waite Tarot deck, I didn't care too much for the colors but I went on his recommendation and took my purchase to the register.

I worked with it for several months and used friends and family to try out my readings on, after a while, reading and understanding the Tarot came easier and easier. Once I had the basics down I began branching out to other style decks.

Eventually, I came across a book  called "Tarot Shadow Work: using the dark symbols to heal" by Christine Jette and that's when tarot began to enrich my life and solidify my spirituality. I come from a dysfunctional home, my father was a raging alcoholic and my mom was distant and very much co-dependent so I spent a lot of time with my grandparents (whom I miss very much.) Tarot taught me how to reach inside of my psyche and find those shadows that had grown from childhood into my adulthood and that continued to haunt me and how using the twenty-two Major Arcana could lead me onto a path where it was okay to be me.

It was like a light bulb turned on in my head...an "Ah Ha!" moment for me...tarot had far more possibilities than giving advice or entertaining, it  brought to the surface that which was buried deep in my subconscious and brought it out into the light. I like to think that tarot helped make me who I am, it brings clarity and insight into this crazy world and how I fit into it and the peace of mind I so desperately sought for so long. It has taught me patience too, sometimes it's answers were vague but over time I realized that the tarot was quietly teaching me that sometimes waiting will bring about the situations and opportunities in life that I so desperately wanted.

I hope that with every Tarot Tuesday post that I do, I can inspire people to learn, investigate and appreciate the Tarot as much as I do. Now on to the rest of this post...

Using different decks according to the type of reading

I, myself, like to stick with one deck at a time for reading whether it be for questions concerning romance, jobs, spirituality or advice but I took a small poll on Twitter and asked the question "Do you use a specific deck for different readings or just the one that you are working with at that time?" and the answers were pretty split down the middle.

Some readers use a certain deck or decks for romantic issues like the Robin Wood Tarot and other folks use the deck that they are working with at that time... It pretty much just boils down to personal preference with each individual reader.  

~Good, versatile decks include The Robin Wood Tarot which utilizes wonderful colors in traditional visuals. 

~ The Sacred Circle Tarot (by Anna Franklin and Paul Mason), which follows Celtic and Pagan themes. 

~ The Witches Tarot (Ellen Cannon Reed and Martin Cannon) is a powerful deck with clear-cut Wiccan imagery. 

~ The Secrets Deck is romantic and darkly gothic in tone, while the charmingly earthy Fairy Tarot utilizes the German suits of Bells, Acorns, Leaves, and Hearts. 

~ The Celtic Tarot (G. Gaudenzi and S. Tenuta) is a modern rendition that includes motifs arranged by suits for myths; the Tuatha de Danann, who are the Sidhe or Fairy Folk of Ireland, heroes and history. 

With so many styles and designs to choose from, you are bound to find a deck that seems to speak to you, that reaches out to you. When you feel this sensation in the presence of a tarot deck, it is likely to make a good choice.