Picking a Tarot deck

I have bought four tarot deck trying to learn intuitive tarot reading. I ‘think’ I connect with one deck better then the others but I try with two or three when I practice. Some cards I look at and what comes to mind is just a bit off the mark from the explanation that came with the deck. Most of the time I just stare in frustration because nothing comes to mind or I am 180-degrees to what the explanation of the cars reads in the book. I use the ‘Celtic Spread’. Any suggestion of how to practice or connect better with a deck?

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To connect better… The first thing I can say is perhaps to relax, meditate, and keep using it. You’ll eventually become more accustomed to it with time.

You can also try a clearing/cleansing ritual for the deck:

You can also “interview” your deck, if you haven’t yet:

In regards to practice, I think it’s good to keep things simple. If you’re learning, don’t use the Celtic Cross spread – this isn’t a super challenging spread, but it’s a lot to try do for practice with decks that you aren’t currently vibing with. Stick with single or three-card draws so you’re less overwhelmed and there are fewer cards to tie together.

The “Past Present Future” spread is great to practice with:

This daily four-card one could be another nice one:

Here are some more three-card spreads:

Personally, I went with a daily single-card draw and a weekly “past present future” draw until I felt more comfortable with doing the readings and the deck itself.

I’m not sure how you’re approaching it, but if you’re staring in frustration, you might be having certain expectations that are making it difficult. Maybe you’re expecting meanings and ideas to jump out at you when you look at the cards, maybe there are some blocks or things you aren’t yet ready to admit to yourself, maybe you need to open up your perspective to see things from different angles. For example, with that last concept, if a card is showing you traits that are different to what you currently embody, consider the question or topic. Is the card suggesting you try to understand these traits in others, suggesting you try embodying or using them yourself, or is it not about personality traits at all, and are they being used to represent possible events or solutions to problems? Readings are very contextual, in this sense.

I really can’t say much more, given what I know. So I’ll just leave on a note the generic advice most websites will say: don’t bring expectations in regards to possible answers, make sure you’re not doing these readings while under any stress/anxiety/worry/concern, make peace with the fact that this will take time, and practice looking at the meanings that come across from different angles.

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Hello @TommMaxx2,

Starborn has some really wonderful advice and resources for you- I’ll second what she’s already said! :grinning:

When it comes to reading, there are a few important things to consider. It’s good to choose a deck that you connect with- and some decks take time to forge a bond with, while others will just never be a good match (I have some decks I never connected with and thus keep them just for aesthetic- I don’t use them to divine).

Additionally, there are different styles of reading- from the traditional meanings of tarot cards in the Rider Waite Deck (explored here) to the unique meanings of your specific deck (found in the guidebook that came with your cards). Finally, there is also your personal interpretation of the cards (based on your own life and experiences). All of these ways to read are correct and can be helpful :+1:

Learning when to apply which meaning is a matter of practice- it is a skill, like any other, developed over time and use of the cards.

All in all, I would encourage you to continue to try to build a bond with this deck (and, if it still doesn’t match, explore other decks), continue your card studies, and keep on doing your readings. The more you practice, the more confident you will become with the cards and the more natural the readings will feel.

Wishing you all the best- happy divining! :flower_playing_cards: :sparkles:

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Hello @TommMaxx2

@starborn and @BryWisteria have provided some great suggestions and resource links.

I would add a few quick tips I received from reading The Easiest Way To Learn Tarot by Dusty White.

  • flip through the cards and say one thing you notice about that card. It can be a thought, a feeling, a colour, an item etc. None of it is wrong. Dont spend more than a few seconds on each card.
    -flip through and put the first two cards beside each other and say one way how they are similar, just take a few seconds before moving on to the next two cards.
    -do the same 2 card flip through but this time how are they different.

I did read an article which talked about how daily readings can interfere with learning tarot. I felt she had valid points. Here is a link to Jenna Matlin’s blog.

Although I do daily draws now, I did apply other techniques when I was learning as nothing was coming to me when I was starting out pulling one card a day.

I hope your tarot reading is going well. If you have a question about a card you can always post that question here in forum.

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