Tarot Demystified

The differences between Tarot and the other divination methods I use

Last month one of the subscribers to my newsletter asked me what the difference was between the different types of readings I do through my website. I thought it would be a good time to stop and explain that in a bit more detail here this month. :-)

On my site, I offer Tarot, Oracle and Angel card readings. Besides that I am always happy to do Rune readings of playing card readings if anyone prefers. Since they are not currently listed on my site, anyone who would prefer me to read for them using Runes of playing cards, just use the Contact Me form on my site to let me know and we'll set that up. Any of these methods will answer your questions. It's just of a matter of which you would like to see in action. :-)

So here are the basic differences:

Tarot

 (card from the Gendron Tarot by Melanie Gordon)

Tarot is a, needless to say, a deck of cards. It has a set structure to it. A standard Tarot is divided into 2 main sections: The Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana. The first would have 22 cards and the last 56. The Minor Arcana is divided into 4 suits, in the same way that playing cards are, and has Court cards as well but 4 to each suit instead of three as in a modern deck of playing cards. The can be some variation between decks in all this but a Tarot follows this basic structure.

There are set meanings to the cards, but each reader tends to individualize them. As well., Tarot is more of an art than a science, so there is really no set way that you have to do anything, Each reader finds the way that works best for them. A lot of that comes from inside of them.  I personally tend to be a very intuitive reader. For me the est meanings I have don't make up a big part of what he cards tell me. I take most of the answer from the card images and through my intuition.

Oracles

 (card from the Gaia Oracle by Toni Carmine Salerno)

An Oracle deck is similar to a Tarot, but it has no set structure. It can contain almost any number of cards the deck creator wants to add in, And it is usually just individual cards, not divided into any sections of any kind. I do have a few decks that are divided into sections but these tend to the the exception to the rule.

Honestly, because of the way I read, there is not a huge different between a Tarot reading and an Oracle reading. Since I do tend to read mainly intuitively for Tarot and Oracles, through the images, the way the answer comes out of very similar.


Angel readings

(card from Messages from your Angels by Doreen Virtue)

Here is where things start to change. An Angel reading is quite different. An angel deck is similar in structure to an Oracle, in that it has no set structure. Technically speaking Angel decks are Oracles. But that is where the similarity ends.

An angel reading is for those who believe in angels, so not for everyone, and who would like to know their angels want to tell them right  now. Angel readings contain direct messages from your angels for you. And as such they tend to have a specific tone and energy to them, very love filled and encouraging and full of hope and love.

Playing Card Readings

(The second deck shown here is The Key to the Kingdom, Tony Meeuwissen)

I have two types of playing cards that I can use for readings. Here is an example of the same card in each.

The first, of course, is a regular playing card. And the second is from what is called a transformational deck. The main feature of the deck is that they work the symbol of the suit into the card image, something I personally find a lot of fun to see how each artist does it. As you can see here in the second card, the spades have been turned into fish.:-)

When I read with regular playing cards, I tend use use more cards as they are not as talkative for me without the imagery. So i just pull more cards to compensate.

But the images in the transformational decks make them more like Oracles, so each card can have more to say.

Runes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Rune stones and Rune Staves, Elder Futhark)

And last but not least, I do love my Runes very much too, as the Runes. I have 2 kinds, Rune stones and Rune staves shown above (in that order).

The Runes represent the letters of an ancient alphabet that proceeded our own. Although there are different types of Runes representing different alphabets, by far the most common is the Elder Futhark Runes. These are the ones I have.

The Runes come from a time when each letter represented a concept or word. And in fact depicted it. Berkano, which looks a lot like our modern-day B for example (but more angular and less round) represented birth and the start of something new. You can see in a sense how a B looks like a pregnant woman from the side. Ehwaz, that looks like the letter M, literally means horse, And I can kindof see it, how the M looks like a horse's two ears at the top of his head. :-

Runes are a lot of fun as they give you a bit of insight to people who loved long ago each time you use them.E.g. the Rune for cattle means wealth. So you can see there was a clear correlation between the two at the time.

I tend to use 8 Runes in a Rune reading and I also take into account the pattern they call into,

So I hope this answers any questions anyone has on the methods I currently use to read. And if not feel free to contact me. 

Coming next month: past life readings