Pagan Speak: Tarot and Me, Part 2

I like reading Tarot because it works for me. It provides enough of a structure to guide me, and enough freedom to use my intuition.

As I mentioned yesterday, my first Tarot deck was the Aquarian Tarot. It is based on the same symbolism as the Rider-Waite-Smith (RWS) deck, which forms the basis of one of the two schools of Tarot thought. (Aleister Crowley’s Thoth Tarot influences the other school of thought.) So, I began my Tarot studies using books based on the RWS symbolism. I took reams of notes, and wouldn’t read the cards without having my notes by my side. It is no surprise that I put Tarot aside for a little while during university.

In the past few years I have been taking a more intuitive approach to Tarot. I am really paying attention to the images on the cards. Sometimes a certain colour or flower or gesture will provide a trigger. I really prefer this method, but it is also more daunting. I find that my readings are more accurate, which can be a little intimidating, so I read less now.

I would really like to learn more about Tarot and the Qabalah. To that end, I have recently joined B.O.T.A.. I am eager to discover what their 13 year lesson plan will teach me. I am also trying to work up the ambition and courage to resume a daily card reading/study, but I just can’t decided which deck to focus on. Most of them use the RWS symbol set, yet they present them in such different ways.