By Sarah Taylor
I’ve been writing about tarot for Planet Waves for coming up on two years this July. During this time, I’ve covered a fair bit of ground, from taking close-up views of all the major arcana cards, to exploring the pips (numbered cards) and courts for all four suits; specific reading types; and the broader questions of ethics, using and deepening intuition, and why and how tarot works in the way it does.
Which brings me to my next point of contemplation: Where to from here? I have some ideas that I’m honing and crafting behind the scenes but, really, this column would be nothing without its readers. Which is where you have the opportunity to come in.
What I’d love to hear from you are your thoughts on any or all of the following:
– Do you have any feedback about the tarot column that you feel is important to share?
– Do you have any suggestions for specific articles, or any particular approach that hasn’t been given enough airtime?
– Do you have any questions about tarot that you’d like answered? These can be as specific or as general as you like.
You can post your replies in the comments section, or if you prefer you can email me directly at sarah [at] integratedtarot [dot] com. Looking forward to hearing from you.
— Sarah
If you want to experiment with tarot cards and don’t have any, we provide a free tarot spread generator using the Celtic Wings spread, which is based on the traditional Celtic Cross spread. This article explains how to use the spread.
Burning River and Sarah, I just wanted to share 2 things!
A couple of days ago, I entered my home’s side entrance which is shared. 2 young women were coming out, one of which was leading out a pretty restless dog, a Black Lab. As I passed her, the dog became VERY agitated. She took total control of that dog by cornering it up against the wall and taking her hand to muzzle it’s mouth, while firmly saying “no!”. Then as I passed, she said again firmly, “SIT!”. And that dog was under total control. It was really beautiful. I immediately thought of the Strength card. I’ve been pulling it a few times recently.
And about Leo’s. I just have to say, I love your warmth and ability to bring out the best qualities in people. I’ve tried a couple of times to have a relationship with Leos. I think we’re better matched as friends really. My response has always been to take with me the message I get and work on it in private, without ever depending on the “Leo Sun” for motivation. Leos have responded well to me when they are in their “introverted” phase and need good conversation with someone they trust about a heart matter private to them. Two highly independent signs meeting in the middle I suppose. 🙂
Hugs both!
HS
Leo rising, here. Which I had no idea about 40 years ago–but The Tarot did. Amazing, compelling, Mysterious. :>)
Thank you so much to everyone who has responded, both here and via email – I have some great ideas to work with now.
HS – I’ll take your suggestions about an interactive 3-card reading to the team here and see what they think about that, as well as your suggestion about doing something in response to a particular reader’s question. Working with more decks is definitely on the cards (a-hem!), and I have been in ‘acquisition mode’ in terms of buying new decks recently, so that should work well.
KathyC, abc123 and Diane – Your support is much appreciated and I’m glad that the tarot column has been working for you!
Burning River – Yes, absolutely – see my response to HS above about other decks; and the idea of comparison and contrast is great. It’s something I’ve done in the past, but definitely worth expanding on. I have a particular resonance with the Strength/Lust card, being a Leo.
Lots of food for thought! 🙂
Sarah, I have to confess that your tarot column is the one item on Planet Waves that I can never get enough of, so much more of anything you do would be great! Everything you write just resonates with me at every level so I’d like more and more frequently, please. Thanks from the land down under!
Also, ditto to abc123 and I also agree also with hs and KathyC
(((everyone)))
Hi Sarah,
My thought concerns all the different Tarot decks themselves. Exploring their history, intent, artwork and intended symbolic meaning could be very interesting.
Another thought of mine is to look at different decks to compare and contrast one particular card with the others from different decks.
This second idea of mine is based on my experience when looking for the “Strength” card . I had had my one and only reading in my mid twenties by a friend. It must have been the Celtic Cross for there were quite a few cards in the spread as I remember. The only cared from that spread that I clearly remember was the final care, the outcome card. And it was the picture I remembered. A woman standing with a staff in her hand–actually-I want to say I remember her holding it aloft, but straight up.
When I became interested in Tarot again I searched for that card. None of the new decks had a woman with a staff like that. Then I went to the library and found a book with pictures from old decks (this reading was 40 years ago and probably was an old deck perhaps even at that time).
I finally found a picture with a woman in a reasonably similar posture and from my reading of the Strength/Lust card descriptors and from that picture in the library book, and my own life experience and intuitive resonance I determined that it was that card as an outcome for me. At that time I had thought it was talking about “success at the end of my life” (which it might be) but as I read different interpolations I realized that it was talking to me at that time in my life and telling me what I would need and develop to get through that part of my life. (It has been relatively ongoing, really, since it was drawn and I first saw it.)
So comparing different pictures from different decks of the same card might be an interesting exercise in logic and intuition.
Warmest best to you
xoxo
Hi Sarah,
I look forward to your column every week. What amazes me is how much your Tarot reading has in common with the day’s/week’s astrological forecast. I like that. It’s as if each affirms the other, although I often find that I get more clarity from your column than I do from many astrological offerings.
For me, each of your readings is fresh and new. No need for changes here. Just know that you are very much appreciated.
I absolutely love your contributions. You explain each card, then interpret the relationship between the 3, maybe 4 so I understand perfectly. Tarot was always hard to follow until you came along ! <3
Thanks for bringing this up Sarah! My only thought was, how about having some type of interactive aspect. For example, you could post a three card reading midweek and then ask readers to interpret that spread in a brief summary in the comment field. Having delineated a cut off time, you could then briefly coach each response. Of course, the key to not making this a huge amount of work for you would be to make the cut off time a day perhaps.
My other suggestion would be in the same theme as was here on PW not too long ago (I believe it was called “Ask Jan”??) where someone would send in their question to you and you’d do a 3 card reading. That person’s question would be posted and could be also anonymous. Having that connection to a reader’s specific question feels really cool.
Or you can continue to pull randomly from a collection of different Tarot decks, offering us not only their images but their unique perspective.
My three cents. 😉
HS