- Serena 4 Comments

the one thing I wish everyone knew about tarot

the one thing I wish everyone knew about tarot

Confession time: I hate doing predictive tarot readings. I don’t like ’em one bit. I’ll suggest some possible outcomes of a situation when it comes up, sure, but the straight-up “will we get back together?” kind of stuff – I’m not here for it. That’s not where I shine – the thing that fascinates me about tarot is the analysis of a situation, the “why” instead of the “what.”

Sometimes predictions will come up on their own, but to get the most out of your reading with me? Ask me what you can do, not what will happen. (Hilary recently wrote a post about similar feelings.) Besides, I’m not the kind of person who even WANTS to know the future.

But I know plenty of amazing tarot readers who love doing predictive readings. They wear the badge of fortune-teller with pride. They’d be happy to tell you if your ex is coming back or if you should hit the road. That’s their thing, and they’re darn good at it.

The one thing I wish everyone knew about tarot is that it’s different for everyone and that’s okay. 

When I first started reading tarot for others online, I felt sick every time I announced that I was open for business because I knew that someone was going to ask me the “will we get back together?” question. I didn’t understand why it made me feel so uncomfortable. The reason I was offering readings to begin with was to help people, wasn’t it? Why couldn’t I make myself get excited about it?

the one thing I wish everyone knew about tarot
the starchild tarot

The more readings I did, the more I realized – it’s because that’s not the kind of help I’m best at. My readings are here to help you help yourself. My goal is to be a listening ear and to give you whatever guidance the cards have to offer. That’s what lights me up – delivering the messages you need to hear in that moment, so you can create the life you want to have. Those yes/no readings just weren’t doing it for me.

But for a few months after I started reading tarot, I did them anyway. Why? Because it’s hard to explain tarot to someone who doesn’t know what it is, especially someone who’s just stopped by your inbox for a quick free reading.

People have an idea in their heads of what tarot and tarot readers are supposed to be, based on movies or TV shows or whatever. To say I didn’t do a certain type of reading, when I was so new to it and felt like I had to prove myself, felt like admitting I was a fraud. It was fun to read for people who already understood tarot, but the people who only found me because they wanted one of my free readings? I didn’t know how to concisely convey what I did and didn’t do, and there was a lot of self-imposed pressure to live up to what I thought their expectations were.

(Of course, I don’t do free readings anymore, and people not respecting my guidelines is a big part of why!)

the one thing I wish everyone knew about tarot
the slow holler tarot

It’s funny to look back on that now and remember how much I worried about what other people thought of my tarot practice, but it’s only funny because I’ve learned and seen enough to know that everyone has a different approach to tarot. Some people use the cards to communicate with the other side, some use them in spells, some tell the future, and some don’t believe there’s anything woo-woo about them at all. All of these beliefs are okay! What matters is that your tarot style works for YOU.

It’s completely understandable to worry, especially when you’re first starting out, about how your practice compares to others’. Just know that you don’t have to do it all. Find the system that works for you! There are plenty of types of readers out there – you’ll attract the clients who vibe with you. Never be afraid to set boundaries about your readings – I have my rules posted in my Etsy shop so I can easily direct people there if they have questions.

It doesn’t mean you’re a fake or that your readings aren’t legit just because you don’t do everything. It would be boring if everyone read tarot the same way! Just do you and don’t worry about what other people will think. You don’t want to read for rude people anyway – trust me.

How do you feel about predictive readings? Love ’em? Hate ’em? Let me know in the comments!

- Serena 8 Comments

the difference between tarot and oracle cards + my favorite indie oracle decks!

the-difference-between-tarot-and-oracle-cards

One of the questions I get asked most often is the difference between tarot and oracle cards. I use both all the time, but it wasn’t always like that – in fact, when I first started reading tarot, I had 0 desire to get an oracle deck. None. I eventually caved and got one, the Connected and Free Alchemist Oracle, because it was pretty and I thought it would work well with my Wild Unknown deck. (It did!) Much to my surprise, I loved it and promptly ordered 23438195804 more. (Only a slight exaggeration.)

So what’s the difference between tarot and oracle cards? The quick and dirty version is that tarot consists of the traditional 78 cards, made up of the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana. They’re the ones you’re most likely to see in TV and movies and stuff because they look cool and seem ~spooky~ if you don’t know anything about them. (They’re not spooky though, I am a total baby and would know.) While the meanings of each card might vary slightly from deck to deck and due to each reader’s intuition, they’re pretty consistent for the most part – for example, Death almost always means rebirth and transformation in some capacity, the Three of Swords signifies heartbreak, etc. Once you learn how to read tarot, you can pretty much pick up any deck and be able to read with it as long as you jive with the imagery.

Oracle cards, on the other hand, don’t belong to a specific system. Each deck is different and the meanings of the cards are determined by the deck’s creator. Often they’ll come with a guidebook to explain their meanings, but for the most part it’s up to you and your intuition to derive meaning from these babies. Some cards have keywords printed on them which makes things easier! I tend to prefer oracle decks that have very few words printed on them – just enough for my intuition to run with. (There are some exceptions, as you’ll see later on.)

While there are some really incredible mass-market oracle decks out there and I’ve used and loved a few of them, I’m really drawn to indie decks – I love getting to know a bit about the person behind the creation, especially if I feel like I have a lot in common with them! Because of that, most of the decks I own tend to be from independent artists. I’ve included 10 in this list that I own and love, in no particular order (and that’s not even counting the countless decks I love but haven’t bought yet! Looking at you, Awakened Soul…) These make really great gifts for the witchy folks in your life. I’d put them on my own wishlist except that, you know, I already have them…

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a deck hoarder, so please don’t judge the fact that I have 398534098 oracle decks, okay? Also, you know I’ll always mention if a post has been sponsored or if something was sent to me fo’ free, but all of these decks were purchased with my hard-earned dollars and all opinions are my own. Just wanted to make sure we all knew that. Do you trust me?? Okay, good, here we go!

connected and free alchemist oracle

  1. The Connected and Free Alchemist Oracle: The one that started it all! Mine is the first edition but there’s a second edition out now. I love the vibe of these cards and many people note it has a similar feel to the Wild Unknown deck, so if you like that style of art this might be a good one for you! I personally find that the readings I get with this deck are much gentler than what I get with the Wild Unknown, in case you were worried about that. sacred wild oracle
  2. Sacred Wild Oracle: This deck is a newer addition to my collection but I am so, so in love. The cardstock is thick and sturdy and the deck is small enough to fit in your bag! I usually keep mine in my purse along with my Linestrider Tarot in case I need a little on-the-go guidance. Each card has a gorgeous image, a word or phrase, and a few lines of how you can connect with the message of the card. Love!animal kin oracle
  3. Animal Kin Oracle: This is the first edition, but the second edition is also lovely! I freaking love the artwork on these cards, and what’s not to love about animals? Yes please!animal spirit oracle
  4. Animal Spirit Oracle: Speaking of animal oracles, the Wild Unknown Animal Spirit oracle is amaaaazing. It comes with a super comprehensive guidebook which I LOVE (I read intuitively for the most part but am a sucker for reading the guidebook after I get my initial impression of the cards!) It’s a little pricey but so worth it – the box is gorgeous and shimmery and the cards are absolutely stunning.earthbound oracle
  5. Earthbound Oracle: This one is from the same artist that did the Wooden Tarot. It’s got gorgeous natural imagery with just a hint of creepiness in all the right places. It’s portable and also very affordable! I really love his art style, even if the Wooden Tarot is a little too creepy for me to really use :’) sacred creators oracle
  6. Sacred Creator’s Oracle: Another deck that comes with a super comprehensive guidebook! This deck is great for soulful business owners or really any creative looking to put themselves out into the world. The cards each have a message on them that you can get intuitive meaning from, but I actualy really recommend using the guidebook for this one – Chris-Anne has included SO much information about how to work with these gorgeous cards. Did I mention they’re pretty? They’re very pretty.spirit de la lune oracle
  7. Spirit de la Lune Oracle: This is the first edition of the deck – I believe the newer edition has a different box. I’m a moon lover through and through (not like it’s in the name of my blog or anything….) and this deck offers a whole new way to work with the lunar cycles! I do use this for general oracle readings, but I usually incorporate it into my moon rituals by displaying it on my makeshift moon altar. Such a lovely way to connect with Mama Moon!arcana of astrology oracle
  8. Arcana of Astrology Oracle: This stunning deck is by the artist who brought us the Antique Anatomy Tarot and the Oracle of Oddities. It’s an absolutely beautiful, highly Instagrammable, astrology-inspired deck with lovely planets and constellations on each card. And how cool are those card backs? I love it so much! mini mandala medicine cards
  9. Mini Mandala Medicine Cards: Okay, I love this little deck and I love Steph Burton! Let me say first of all that this deck is tiny and adorable. It fits in any purse (maybe even your pocket if you’re wearing man-pants that have actual pockets instead of the fake pseudo-pockets that women’s pants have. ARGH WHY WITH THE FAKE POCKETS) and each card has a lovely mandala, a name, and a one-word message on it. I really love this deck for traveling as it comes with its own little velvet bag! If little decks aren’t your thing, she also released a larger version of the deck with a guidebook. I’m tempted to pick that one up too but trying to tell myself I don’t need any more decks for a while!! crystal affirmation cards
  10. Lavish Earth Crystal Affirmation Cards: My most recent deck and one of my all-time faves! First of all, this cardstock is my dream cardstock. It’s flexible and glossy and gorgeous. Second of all, I’m very interested in vibrational medicine and would love to have a crystal healing practice one day. I could completely see these cards becoming a part of that, and would love to offer readings with it alongside the vibrational therapy! For now, though, it’s really helping me connect more with crystals and teaching me more about my faves, like Celestite above.

So those are my top 10 oracle decks! They’re seriously all to die for and I love to support creators in the community when I can, so I hope you pick one (or all of them!) up if they hit you in the decklust.

What’s your favorite oracle deck? Do you prefer tarot cards or oracle cards for your personal practice? Let me know in the comments, I’d love to hear your thoughts!

- Serena 7 Comments

how to read tarot: 10 resources to teach yo’ self

how to read tarot: 10 resources to teach yo' self

I didn’t want to write a post about “how to start reading tarot,” because what the heck do I know? But I do get questions a lot about where a beginner should start and what resources I’d recommend, so I figured it would be okay as long as I gave a big disclaimer that this is just how I, personally, learned to read the cards. This is by no means the “right” way, because I don’t think there is one! Pick something that works for you and run with it. Also, I have my top 10 tips for the tarot beginner right over here if you’re looking for some o’ that!

To start, I should say that I don’t have that long, deep history with tarot that many readers have. I was raised a good Catholic schoolgirl, then about-faced and turned into a staunch nonbeliever in anything that seemed vaguely spiritual or woo-woo (go figure.) I came across my first deck completely by chance at the Renaissance faire a few years ago. I picked up The Mermaid Tarot because it was pretty and I wanted a cool souvenir and that was that. 

The more I learned about the cards, the more my closed-off mind opened up and I realized there was more to this than I thought – and maybe the world was more magical than I had given it credit for. Some time after that I discovered witchcraft from a tarot YouTuber and I fell down the rabbit hole from there. And here we are! I went from a Catholic to a skeptic to a raging tarot-reading heathen. It happens. 

Anyway, that’s my story. But more importantly, here are the resources I used when starting out, and some I wish I’d found sooner! (Like usual, affiliate links are marked with a *. This means if you buy the thing through my link, I make a tiny commission at no extra cost to you! Thanks for supporting your friendly neighborhood tarot blog ♥)

how to read tarot: 10 resources to teach yo' self

What I Used:

LearnTarot.com – This website is pretty incredible and is the #1 resource I used when I was learning to read tarot. It’s formatted like a class and has exercises to do throughout to help cement the lessons in your mind. And it’s totally free. Like what?

Biddy Tarot – I used Biddy Tarot alongside LearnTarot for more in-depth info on each card! I’m not a huge podcast person, but Brigit also has an epic podcast where she interviews a TON of amazing tarot readers from the community. 

Tumblr – While the tarot community on Tumblr has had its fair share of drama, I found it to be a great way to connect with other tarot readers and develop my personal reading style! There are SO many people out there with different aesthetics and attitudes, it was really helpful to see so many different points of view. It’s also an endless resource for tarot spreads or ideas for new ways to use the cards! Plus, the decklust is real. I discovered so many of the decks I own through Tumblr! It’s a great way to keep up with what’s new in the tarot world and meet friends who are interested in the same stuff as you. I wrote more about finding my tribe in an earlier post, but having a group of tarot friends seriously helped me out so much when I was learning. 

The LWB – I totally used the little white book that came with my deck to help me learn! While this might not be super useful in the long run, as they tend to be tailored to the specific deck you’re using and not to tarot as a whole, it did help me to see some of the places that the LWB deviated from traditional meanings. It helped me get to know my deck better and also to realize that there really are no wrong answers – a card can mean something different to everyone! 

how to read tarot: 10 resources to teach yo' self

What I Wish I’d Known About: 

Little Red Tarot – In this day and age, tarot-reading methods where the King represents a man and the Queen represents a woman and the Lovers are a heterosexual couple are outdated and not representative of the actual spectrums of gender and sexuality. Beth’s website takes an amazing look at the cards outside of these narrow binaries through guest posts and tackles topics such as race, motherhood, and healing, among others. Plus, Beth writes about her own life so beautifully that you’re going to love following along on her journeys! I haven’t taken her Alternative Tarot course, but I would love to in the future – it looks like an incredible way to get to know your deck!

Holistic Tarot* – Okay, first of all you could straight-up kill someone with this book. It’s massive. Benebell Wen does not pull any punches when it comes to delivering the straight dope on tarot reading and every card in the deck. This book is awesome because it removes spirituality and magic from the equation and looks at the cards themselves. Whatever your beliefs are about tarot and spirituality can come later, but I think it can be really hard to learn to read the cards when you’re also having dogma about being psychic or using energy forced on you, too. (Take it from someone who didn’t believe in anything she couldn’t see when she first started out.) You don’t have to worry about that with Holistic Tarot – while Benebell does cover some of the different belief systems that surround tarot and what’s actually happening during a reading, she doesn’t approach the cards from those standpoints. 

78 Degrees of Wisdom* – This is basically the tarot Bible, but I didn’t end up picking it up until last year. It really changed the way I look at the Major Arcana and I’m currently working through this while journaling about each card. It probably would have been helpful to have this muh earlier in my journey than when I found it. 

The Tarot Lady – Theresa Reed is a tarot goddess. She’s been slinging the cards for decades and she is SUCH an amazing resource, especially if you’re thinking about reading tarot for others! She has a free eBook that’s super helpful for learning the cards and a whole series of eBooks for readers who want to go pro. Plus, she’s regularly giving away her secrets for free on her blog and in her newsletters. She also has a tarot coloring book* coming out this fall (just in time for my birthday! hint hint, mom and dad…) so what’s not to love about that?? 

Ethony – If you like watching videos, check out Ethony’s YouTube channel. From deck reviews to spreads to tips and tricks, she is a fountain of information about tarot and oracle cards! She even has an oracle deck of her own coming out SO soon and I can’t wait!!

A caveat: Although all of these resources are incredible, at the end of the day I firmly believe that your intuition is your best teacher. It’s good to get an overview of the cards and dive into their symbolism and history, but if we all read based solely on those meanings then there wouldn’t be anything that made each reader unique! Your own experiences, your own intuition, and your own meanings are what will set you apart as a tarot reader. Don’t feel pressured to adopt the traditional meaning of a card if your gut is telling you it means something else! 

Have you used any of these resources? Do you have any you’d recommend to a tarot beginner? Tell me about it in the comments, I’d love to hear! 🙂

- Serena 9 Comments

top 10 tips for the tarot beginner

top 10 tips for the tarot beginner

When you decide to learn how to read tarot cards, it can be tempting to just plunge into the millions of resources out there right away – and by all means, go for it! The world of tarot is exciting and magical to discover, and if you’re lucky you’ll end up learning about yourself along the way, too. But with so much information out there and so many people with their own ways of doing things, it can be hard to know where to start or what to do. I’ve brainstormed the top 10 things I wish someone had told me when I was first starting out, so I thought I’d pass them along to you!

top 10 tips for the tarot beginner

(these party animals believe in you!)

1. Get a deck that you love.

As much as it would have made my life easier to start with a Rider-Waite-Smith deck, ultimately the reason I stuck with tarot instead of getting bored is because I loved the deck I had and I wanted to get to know it. The symbolism can vary either slightly or entirely from deck to deck, so make sure you know what you’re getting into before you buy one! But you can always learn the “traditional” meanings of the cards even if you don’t have the RWS. It’s more important that you connect with the cards you have.

2. That said, don’t get hung up on memorization.

The cards do have meanings that are widely recognized, but nothing is set in stone. You’ll hear all the time from tarot readers that you should trust your intuition and it’s true! Your initial feeling when you look at the cards is just as important, if not more important, than the definitions that have been traditionally assigned to them. It’s certainly helpful to learn these traditional meanings, but at the end of the day anyone can memorize some keywords and call themselves a tarot reader. To truly know the cards is to go deeper than just that, and in some cases the vibe you’re getting from a card might be totally different than what it’s “supposed” to mean. Trust your gut!

3. Go at your own pace.

It can be frustrating when you’re starting out if you feel that everyone else already has a mastery of the cards, but there’s no need to compare yourself to others – take your time! It’s okay if it feels like it’s taking you forever to remember what the cards mean or to feel confident doing a reading without consulting a guidebook. Everyone learns at their own pace, and if you do it right then you’ll never stop learning since there’s always more to learn. It’s okay to not be a tarot pro right from the start – no one is. Every tarot reader out there has had to start from zero at some point, and whether you’re five or fifty when you start learning, the important thing is that you DO start.

4. Define your mindset.

What does tarot mean to you? Do you believe in divination, or do you want to use it as a tool for meditation and self-exploration? Maybe you want to use them to contact spirits, or maybe you just see them as playing cards. There are so many ways to use the tarot, and although it might not be immediately obvious to you what you want to get out of them, it is important that you take the time to think about it at some point. If you’re using them to predict the future without really believing they have the power to do so, you’re going to be wasting your time. If you’re only using them for self-reflection when you think they can do more, then you’re not getting the full experience. See what feels comfortable for you, but really do take a moment to figure out why you’re using the cards to begin with.

5. Don’t feel pressured to read for others.

As soon as you bring up tarot in conversation, people are going to ask you for a reading. It’s pretty much guaranteed! Reading for others is a great way to test yourself and can be incredibly rewarding for all parties involved – there’s no better feeling than helping a friend work through a jam because of your mad divination skills. But you never have to say yes. For one thing, if you read for others before you feel ready or comfortable doing so, it might leave a bad taste in your mouth and prevent you from trying it again in the future. For another, reading the cards takes time, effort, and energy, and a lot of the time friends and family will expect you to do it free of charge! There’s nothing wrong with that and they probably don’t mean any harm, but it’s a service and it’s your choice to perform it or not – and you’re within your right to gently state that you don’t do free readings if you don’t want to.

6. Carry your cards with you.

When you’re first learning to read tarot, I really recommend carrying them around with you as you go about your day-to-day life. It’s a great way to form a bond with your deck, and you never know when they’ll come in handy! You can do a quick one-card draw to see what you should focus on at work that day, study up on the cards on your lunch break, or maybe even read for a friend who needs it if you’re comfortable doing so. My cards have started plenty of conversations and I always make sure to have a deck with me just in case!

7. Connect with a community.

When I joined Tumblr, I found an amazing community of tarot readers that proved to be an indispensable resource. Not only will you meet like-minded people and hopefully make friends, but you learn so much from bouncing ideas off others and seeing how they’ve learned what they know! If Tumblr isn’t your thing, there are other ways to engage – check out the #tarot tag on Instagram, for example, or stalk Twitter and Facebook for people and pages. Of course, it’s totally cool if you’re more of a lone wolf kind of reader, but there are so many great resources to take advantage of if you pick someone else’s brain every once in a while!

8. Have others read for you.

Whether in-person or online (there are plenty of Etsy and Storenvy shops where people sell their tarot readings, like mine!), I think it helps to see how others deliver their readings and interpret the cards. If you do join Tumblr, people often offer free readings in the “tarot community” tag, so you don’t even have to pay a dime if you don’t want to! Sometimes seeing others’ reading styles helps you form one of your own.

9. There is no right or wrong.

At the end of the day, there’s really no right or wrong way to read tarot. It’s so subjective and so much of it depends on the reader, the deck, the client, or some combination of all of them. You could give two tarot readers the same card and they could interpret it in completely different ways, and that’s part of what makes tarot so great! Don’t be afraid to say what you feel is right, even if it might be different than what the norm might think. Whether it’s something like not reading card reversals or not wanting to do certain types of readings, what matters most is what works for yourself. You’ll get the most out of your readings if they’re true to you.

10. Don’t get overwhelmed.

My last piece of advice is this. There’s an infinite amount of knowledge and resources out there about the tarot – don’t feel overwhelmed by it all. It can feel impossible at times to be able to remember all the information you need or to read every good book/website/whatever that’s out there, but you don’t HAVE to do all that. Take it step-by-step and you’ll be where you want to be in no time. Don’t let frustration or fear keep you from being a part of the wonderful world of tarot!

Do you have any tips for a tarot beginner? Let me know if mine were helpful!