In This Article...
Questions you don’t really want answered
Even though it might seem apparent, it’s advisable to refrain from asking the tarot cards questions that you aren’t prepared to hear the answers to. That’s because answers to these questions can reveal information you’re just not quite ready to hear.
“Tarot can definitely come off as offensive if you’re not willing to hear the truth or consider an opposing point of view. Tarot reading Nicole Fortunaso
According to tarot reader and life coach Nicole Fortunaso, “tarot may truly come out as offensive if you are not willing to hear the truth of the problem or look at an alternate viewpoint.” She advises considering why you’re responding the way you are in order to reflect on the best way to address the underlying cause if you ask the question and are unsatisfied with the response.
Tarot cards may be altered.
Here are the elements you need for a fundamental deck even if you can customize your tarot deck with a variety of speciality alternatives like foil stamping, metallic ink, or linen texture.
How should my tarot deck be cleaned?
There are occasions when you might want to perform something more particular and ritualized rather than simply shuffling the tarot deck to purify and clear the energy of the cards. Cleaning your deck could seem like a nice place to start if you’re just starting to understand tarot.
You might want to clean your tarot deck for a variety of reasons, including:
- beginning with a fresh deck
- readings for other people
- You think you need to recharge.
- Your card readings seem a touch “odd” or “disconnected”
- Your deck hasn’t been used recently.
- Your deck has been handled by others
- You think you’ve been utilizing your deck a lot. A LOT, especially for books with strong emotional content
Why should you cleanse or clear your tarot deck?
Tarot deck cleansing helps keep the energy flowing between you and your deck. To keep the link strong and clear, think of it as a little spiritual hygiene. It’s not necessary, but if you have any of the aforementioned symptoms, try a few of the energetic cleansing techniques listed below and note which ones seem to work the best for you.
How often should you cleanse your tarot deck?
This is another way of stating USE YOUR INTUITION: there are no hard and fast laws. Don’t worry about it if you don’t think your deck need it. Alternately, if you like to cleanse them once per week or once per month, that’s great. If it feels appropriate to you, you can even place your favorite crystal on the balcony each night.
If you frequently place crystals on your deck and store it on an altar while not in use, you might not feel the need to cleanse it frequently because this quick ritual will likely be sufficient to keep your deck feeling nice.
There are numerous ways to cleanse your cards, just as there are numerous reasons why you might desire to do so.
Different ways to cleanse your tarot deck
Use holy smoke. Light a dried rosemary, lavender, cedar, sage, or palo santo cleansing wand until it begins to smoke. Hold the smoke a safe distance below the deck while holding the burning herbs in one hand and the deck in the other so that the smoke drifts upward onto the cards. Turn the deck so that the smoke covers it from all angles. Next, safely put your deck to the ground and put out the fire.
On the deck, set a selenite stone (or a black tourmaline or a transparent quartz). Although an hour would suffice, I prefer to let it rest like this for the entire night.
Set them on display during a new moon. The New Moon is energy of a blank slate; you can purify the deck by setting it on a window sill on a new moon night. At this moment, you can also make a brand-new intention for your deck.
Place the cards in a salty dish. A strong and stabilizing cleaner is salt. My preferred choice for a thorough cleansing is this. Allow it to sit anywhere from one to eight hours in a dry area.
Shuffle in chaos. Spread the cards out on the ground, then shuffle them around like a child playing in dirt. This method’s freedom and randomization serve as an excellent reset.
the shuffle and sort. Set up the deck in rows of seven cards across, commencing with the Major Arcana numbers 0 to 22. (see photo above). Next, arrange the cards, Ace through King, one for each suit, as follows: Swords, Pentacles, Cups, and Wands. View the deck in this configuration, then mix everything up (like the chaotic!) and shuffle it thoroughly.
How can I begin creating tarot cards?
What I really wanted to do was open a store that sold independently made tarot and oracle decks like the ones I collected, first online and then offline. I would purchase these independent decks from vendors like Two Sides Tarot and Little Red Tarot, and I imagined that perhaps I might create my own small collection to offer to Manila residents (and maybe Asia).
Now I know some of you who frequent this blog do have tarot deck creation goals of your own… so I thought I’d put together a guide that can *fingers crossed* walk you through the creation process the way I did it.
Disclaimer: If you think this piece is going to be about suppliers, printers, and the like, I’m going to warn you right away that it isn’t. I get a lot of queries about those things. Regarding execution, I encourage you to conduct your own research. You can set together your decks just as easily as I did by conducting your own research. Your best friend is Google.
So let this serve as a guide, but don’t expect any spoon-feeding. Open yourselves up to the experience of learning through process, discovering through research, and creating a tarot deck all your own.
Decide what you want. Back in architecture school, we had to begin with a design challenge before we could even begin sketching or discussing aesthetics. You must understand your why. First and foremost, why are you building a deck? Is your deck an outlet for your creativity or an attempt to tackle a problem? Are you making a deck in order to generate income, support a certain cause, or get a little more tarot knowledge for yourself?
Knowing your why will set the tone for your entire creation process. Give this fundamental step time.
begin with a notion. These days, independently produced cards are based on themes. It’s too general to say, “I want to create a tarot deck.” Make your creation worthy. Do you want an animal-themed deck? Why? Do you favor having a “Stranger Things” theme? Eighties soap operas? political leaders
Select a form of artistic expression. If you’re into impressionism, Op-art, or post-modernism, go ahead and do whatever you feel at home with, unless you’re making a deck to broaden your style or portfolio. I selected collage because that’s the medium I’m comfortable with.
Setting your parameters will help you create a visually appealing deck (unless the concept you’re working with calls for a range of art styles, in which case mixing things up might make sense).
You need to accept your own artistic ability at this point. Consider what you can actually accomplish if you have a limited amount of time. Perhaps painting frescoes, photographing them, and then processing each image is not the ideal course of action if you want to complete a deck in a month. Consider whether you can actually complete 78 canvases (and possibly more since you’ll need extras for do-overs and such) if you’re comfortable working with oil on canvas.
Establish your guidelines so that you have a reference point to use when you build your deck.
Make sure you understand what you’re getting into before you even start. I am aware that many artists who have no background in tarot take on the task of creating a deck. But I think their cards have a distinct vibe than real tarot readers. They aren’t as useful as decks created by those who are proficient in spreads, have a thorough understanding of their archetypes, and can read for themselves or others. Even the most accomplished artists are unable to discern tiny elements when using the tarot, despite their skill.
If you are familiar with tarot, make a deck. If you know how to use one, construct an oracle deck. Do your research.
Start working. You’ll just have to put in the effort; that’s the part that the majority of eager beavers are looking forward to. Tarot cards cannot “magician their way into existence.” Get your iPad out, start using Procreate, get some scissors, paint thinner, and brushes.
Be prepared to make a lot of stops and starts at this phase of the process, and be nice to yourself. When you’re ready, display your work to the public. To assess if what you’re doing resonates with both groups, it would probably be beneficial for you to seek feedback from both a non-tarot reader and an experienced reader.
To keep the big picture in mind, remind yourself. Although we occasionally interpret tarot cards individually, we often use pairs of cards and broad spreads. You must have the ability to take a step back from your task and assess how the cards stack up. three, five, ten, and twelve-spot spreads. Lay them all out to check for stragglers, see if any visual or thematic trends emerge (extremely important in a deck! ), and determine whether you like the way they all look when arranged in a formation.
Beyonc staging Bey-chella comes to mind. She had to make sure that everyone on stage appeared flawlessly coordinated.
Make a trial run. The effort isn’t ended once the art is finished, whether you plan to build your deck for sale or just want a copy for yourself. You want to check to see how the tarot cards represent everything. If you want to drive your inkjet printer to the limit, do it yourself at home or look for a printer that can make an inexpensive one-off production on standard card stock. This is to determine whether your art, in any size you decide, works. You can use this to check for border problems, uneven cropping, etc.
Use your test deck as soon as you obtain it. Carry it around and do readings for friends, family, and future clients. Trust me, once you acquire that tester, it won’t leave your hands. Check out how it functions in the wild.
Revision is essential. My least favorite project stage, but one that is absolutely necessary if you want to do things correctly. You’ll know what needs shifting and what needs tweaking once you’ve held the sample in your hands and used it for 10, 20, and 50 readings.
With my initial run of the PM Starter Deck, I saw a few things I wanted to change. The fact that I only had 11 copies printed allowed me to fix any errors I found without incurring significant costs.
Examine the market. If you’re quite certain about your deck, you can have a professional finish it right away. You can either order a task for a small print run for yourself or a large print run if you want to take the plunge. You may relax knowing that you tested your deck, made any necessary adjustments, and took into account everyone’s input.
See whether people are interested in your cutting-edge independent deck. Consider going commercial if individuals appear to be really engaged. Examine your numbers to see if you can feel as like you are taking a calculated risk.
Make a Hail Mary and wish yourself luck if you decide to place a large print order. Who knows, your invention could be the next item to appear on the independent shelves of Two Sides Tarot and Little Red Tarot.
What should I put in my tarot journal?
Please note that this practice can be done with any deck you choose (the Inquire Withindeck is one of my personal faves!). Here are the steps to my tarot journaling practice and, more generally, how to use a deck for self-growth.
1) Perform a grounding exercise before dealing. With your eyes closed, taking a few slow, deep belly breaths helps to greatly calm the nervous system and quiet the mind. Take as much time as your mind requires to sense some separation from the whirling ideas, obligations, and overall mayhem of the outer world. Instead of feeling hurried or distracted, you should be naturally guided to your cards.
2) Clean the area and the deck. Palo santo or a light-colored crystal can be placed nearby to draw in positive energy. Another way to bring some serious charm into your room is by lighting a candle.
3) As you shuffle the cards, consider the inquiries you wish to pose to your deck. It’s crucial to pose inquiries that invite conversation. Ask open-ended questions, such as, “What energy do I need to harness to make the growth I want in my career?” How can I express my needs and feelings to my spouse in a more sincere manner? In your journal, note the questions.
4) Dividing your deck, choose your cards. Any technique you choose to select your cards is ideal if you lead with intuition. My preferred method is to divide my deck into three piles and re-stack them, starting with the middle pile at the top. After reading each card’s related question aloud from my diary, I spread them out into a half-moon fan and choose each card. Before turning any cards over, make sure to finish selecting all of your cards. For tarot journaling, I would advise using no more than a 3-card spread, using one card for each question.
5)Spend some time examining the card’s artwork before rushing to find up the significance. What catches your eye? What emotions does it elicit? As words come to mind, write them down.
6)Think about how the meanings of the cards you choose from your guide book align with your intuitive readings as you read about them. You should also try to get a general sense of how the cards might relate to the questions you asked. Write the card that goes with each question you listed at the beginning next to it for your records.
7) Your diary entry now has a blank canvas. It’s time to put your imagination to work to make it happen. Treat the cards as if they were having a conversation with one another. What overarching themes do you see in the reading? How do they connect to the inquiries you made? What challenges do they present to you? What surprises you about them? Intentionally left open-ended, this process. It is up to you to use the information from the cards to create your own narrative.
8) After two weeks, observation is necessary. We have the chance to look back on the last two weeks and discover where and how the different energies of the cards appeared in our life. Look for any duplicate cards first. Repeating cards have a special significance that compels us to consider that particular theme in greater detail. If there aren’t any repeating cards in your readings, pay attention to any other patterns that pop up.
9) Free writing time. Spend 15 minutes intuitively journaling about the key topics you identified in the previous stage. Allow your unconscious to direct you. Allow your mind to wander freely through your work without self-editing. You might be amazed by the connections that the cards might help you make in your mind and heart!
How might tarot cards be used as writing prompts?
We occasionally lose sight of the power of the unconscious mind, the portion of the brain that has a fundamental understanding of story, when we are too preoccupied with the minute technical details of writing and publishing.
Caroline Donahue discusses how to access your creative unconscious with the Tarot in this episode.
I have appeared on the great Secret Library Podcast, which Caroline also hosts, multiple times to discuss writing and creativity.
Have you ever wished there was a device you could use to access your unconscious mind so you could write your book?
People are frequently shocked to learn that the tarot may also be utilized to aid in the writing process because they frequently equate it with fortune telling or personal growth techniques. These 78 cards portray the complete spectrum of human experience, from life’s major turning points to smaller, more commonplace occurrences. Like a decent book, I suppose.
I won’t delve into the history of the tarot for the purposes of this essay because you don’t need to be a tarot readeror even a card enthusiastto benefit from using it for your writing. Instead, let’s start writing right away.
First, let’s talk about how to pull a tarot card as part of your writing process
When you have a specific query that doesn’t have a clear-cut yes-or-no answer, the tarot is most helpful. “In this scene, what is missing? is, for instance, a significantly more useful query than “Does this scene look good? Below, we’ll go over some samples of questions for specific scenarios.
Shuffle the cards after you have your question. The cards can be shuffled like ordinary playing cards, mixed loosely in your hands, spread out over the table, and then put back together in a deck.
As you shuffle, keep your question in mind. When this happens, I always take a look at the card that fell out. Pick any card that feels right to you and flip it over if none of the cards fall out.
For the card’s meaning, wait before consulting a tarot book or another source of information. Look at the image on the card in front of you instead.
- What does it do to you?
- What kind of ideas do the pictures evoke in you?
- Do you have any personal connections to the image?
The interpretation of this card that first comes to mind is the most significant.
Check to see if the image you interacted with has the answer to your query. Sometimes the events shown in the image are sufficient to show how your story will progress. If you had a question about a character’s motivation, look at the card’s emotional intensity. See what’s happening in the card and see if it can help you if your query was about the plot.
Utilize this propensity to your advantage and let your thoughts fill in the blanks between your inquiry and the card in front of you. You can accomplish this by reflecting or go further by responding to the question and the card in freewriting or a notebook.
You can research the card’s conventional meaning for more information if you’d like after you’ve looked into your own associations with it. But first, be sure you understand what it means for you. Whether or not this approach improves your work is what matters, not whether or not you “got the card right.”
The planning process
The tarot can accompany you as you create your outline if you are a planner or plotter. Do you remember the instances when you weren’t sure how to move your character from point A to point B or when her purpose wasn’t totally clear to you as you were creating outlines in the past? The time to consult the tarot is at that point.
suitable inquiries for this phase:
- Why is this crucial to this character, exactly?
- What terrifies him/her/them the most?
- What does my character want to accomplish?
Drafting
Tarot cards can accompany you throughout the entire draft if you prefer to write on the spur of the moment. Once you get an idea for a story, you can write until you run into a brick wall, at which point you can select a card to continue. It can be a lot of fun and is somewhat similar to a pick your own adventure method.
Suggestions for pantsers:
- In the upcoming scene, who will my character encounter?
- What challenge is about to arise?
- He/she doesn’t realize it, but.. (Freewrite on what this reveals)
Character development
This was the first time I had ever written about the tarot. I created a tarot spread for a fictional character in a friend’s unfinished book rather than for myself or a friend.
Although there are many intricate spreads available, something as straightforward as “history, present, and future of any figure” can lead to a wealth of knowledge. It’s also incredible to do this for your adversary because their psyche is just as significantand, in my opinion, endlessly intriguing!
Character-specific cards to be drawn:
- a brief overview of their youth
- Relationships: Choose a card to stand in for their grandma, mother, or other relative.
- Their greatest wish or the thing they are pursuing in the narrative
- The weak point of either your adversary or main character.