The American Tarot Association Tarot Correspondence Course

Introduction to Tarot John Gilbert, CTGM Edited by Errol McLendon, CTGM Sherryl Smith, CPTR

800-372-1524 Table of Contents

Page Preface ––– Mentoring Tarot ...... 1111

Tarot 100 ––– Introduction ...... 4. 444

Tarot 101 ––– The Pip Cards ...... 8888

Tarot 102 ––– The Court CardsCards...... 13131313

Tarot 103 ––– The Major Arcana ...... 18181818

Tarot 104 ––– Beginning Tarot Spreads ...... 22 ...... 222222

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PREFACE - MENTORING TAROT

OOOVERVIEW ... One of the responsibilities of a mentor is to be able to satisfactorily critique a reading done by another reader and suggest any alternatives the reader may have overlooked. When you review a reading done by another tarot reader, it's very important not to criticize them nor judge the quality of their reading. What your students need from you are suggestions on how they might improve their readings and words of encouragement. What they do not need from you is personal condemnation nor words of disapproval and censure.

Try to point out the good things the reader did in this particular reading. If you find things they might have done better, suggest in a positive and loving manner things they might want to consider in future readings. Be kind and not rude. Suggest alternatives rather than judging.

You may certainly suggest alternative meanings for particular cards, and if done in a positive manner, this will count strongly in your favor. However, it is unwise to tell another tarot reader the meanings they've adopted for any card or cards is (are) incorrect. Suggestions are encouraged if done in a positive and friendly manner, criticisms are never acceptable.

TTTHE WWWAYS PPPEOPLE LLLEARN ... According to research done by professional educators, most people are visual learners who learn best by reading and taking notes. The next largest classification are the auditory learners who learn best by hearing something over and over. Most of us learn by combing either the sense of sight or hearing with the other senses. We also learn by thinking it out for ourselves or using our imagination. We learn by identifying the similarities and dissimilarities between things. Finally, we learn through inspiration or intuitive insights. The best way for any of us to learn is by using as many of our senses as possible, as many cognitive skills as possible, our intuition, and by expecting and anticipating divine intervention. The best way to encourage all this is to write it down, read it often, and practice.

TTTHE ATA L EARNING MMMODEL . The ATA believes the best way for people to learn is through sight, sound and touch using multimedia and multitasking. If we as teachers and mentors use as many techniques as possible we stand a better chance of communicating with our students.

Seeing, hearing and touching are the three basic senses used in our system. We encourage students to read, then write notes from their reading. We encourage students to listen to tapes and write notes. We encourage students to practice with their tarot cards. We encourage students to think it out for themselves. We encourage students to expect and anticipate intuitive insights. We encourage students to actively ask questions and communicate with their mentor. We encourage students to do all these things.

TTTHE WWWAYS PPPEOPLE TTTEACH . There are basically three ways people teach. First of all they do it verbally by lecturing, by telling people how to do things. They teach students how to do it the teacher's way. We call this the "My Way" method of teaching. Students are expected to learn using auditory skills. Most students learn better by reading than hearing.

Secondly, they do it by facilitating, by helping students understand things better through a process of listening, reading, writing and figuring things out together. We call this the "Our Way" method of teaching because the students and teacher work together cooperatively. In this method, students are expected to use all of their appropriate senses and to work cooperatively with the teacher, called a facilitator, and other students, to arrive at a consensus solution to all problems and questions.

Thirdly, they do it by mentoring, by helping students figure out what they want to do and how they want to do it. We call this the "Your Way" method of teaching because the student is encouraged to learn to do it his or her own way rather than trying to copy somebody else's system. Mentors set an example by what they do in their lives, how they handle themselves in all kinds of situations, and how successful they are as individuals and as professionals.

TTTHE ATA M ENTORING MMMODEL . When using this system, mentors answer any questions asked of them from the standpoint of "This is how I do it... this is how some other people do it... how would you like to do it?" The mentor does not tell the student this is right or this is wrong. Rather the mentor questions the student to help the student make up his or her own mind. Mentors ask questions like: Do you feel comfortable with this? How? Why? Have you considered any other options? What? Do you have any problems with any of these cards? What do you need from me? As mentors, we guide students to make their own decisions about what they want the cards to mean for them. As you do this you'll undoubtedly see your students struggle from time to time with problem cards.

These problem cards tell us what issues the student needs to work on themselves. For example, a student says they're having a difficult time remembering a key word, phrase or concept for a certain card. Ask them what meanings they've considered giving to this problem card. Tell them to write these meanings down. These meanings may describe problems in the student's life and personality. They may describe issues the student needs to resolve.

Be there for your students. It's always their responsibility to ask you for assistance when they need it. Let them know you're available by regular mail, email, telephone, fax or however you want them to contact you. Respond quickly when you can. Offer to be a shoulder to cry on, a sounding board for ideas, and a friend always ready to discuss tarot and related things. That's what being a mentor is all about.

TTTEN TTTHINGS MMMENTORS AAALWAYS DDDOOO 1. Mentors listen to you and read what you write 2. Mentors accept you for who and what you are 3. Mentors walk their talk 4. Mentors make themselves available to you 5. Mentors encourage you to do things your way 6. Mentors describe what and how they do things 7. Mentors explain how others do these same things 8. Mentors praise you for the things you do well 9. Mentors question you about the things you do poorly 10. Mentors answer your questions honestly and openly

FFFIVE RRRULES FFFOR WWWORKING WWWITH A M ENTOR 1. Ask questions and expect answers If you don't understand something, ask Otherwise you may never know the answer The more questions you ask, the more you learn 2. Constantly ask for reviews of your work You don't improve if you don't know what to improve Feedback is one of our best teachers Practice really does work 3. Explore the possibilities Always look for new and better ways of doing things for you The more you copy anybody the more difficult it is for you The more you develop it for yourself the easier it is for you Take the best other people have to offer and forget the rest Change it to work for you 4. Do not imitate your mentor, be true to yourself Be who and what you are (a unique person with a purpose) By imitating others you become less than you can be By improving yourself you become all you can be Regardless of whom your mentor is, do it your way 5. Find a mentor who works for you My way is absolutely the best way for me My way may not work for you Your way is absolutely the best way for you Your way may be a disaster for me Keep your mentor as long as it benefits you You choose your mentor, they don't choose you

Remember though, the best way to repay your mentor is to become one yourself and help somebody else. Mentoring is a process of helping other people because other people previously helped you. It's a way of paying back a debt of gratitude for who and what you've become because of the people who helped you become who and what you are.

TAROT 100 - INTRODUCTION

WWWELCOME ... Welcome to the American Tarot Association Introduction to Tarot correspondence course of study. This booklet will guide you through your studies step by step and give you many helpful hints which can help you learn to read tarot cards the way you want to read them. There are several other things you may also find helpful.

MMMENTOR ... Your mentor has volunteered to help you learn the tarot. He or she is prepared to assist you in selecting key words or phrases for all the cards, words which communicate the meaning of each card to your subconscious mind. Your mentor is prepared to assist you in selecting the type of spread or spreads which work for you. This individualized instruction is available for you to use as you will. Nobody will ever force you to do it their way. Nobody will ever force you to learn the tarot. Nobody will learn it for you. All of these things are up to you.

NNNOTE TO STUDENTS ... Your mentor is expecting you to send him or her these assignments as you complete them. You may do them in any order. Your mentor will attempt to respond to you within three or four weeks by giving you feedback and pointing out areas which you might want to reconsider. How you and your mentor work out these details is between you. Remember, your mentor is dedicated to helping you learn how to read the tarot.

TTTAROT DDDECK . The first thing you need to do is to acquire a tarot deck. Buy a tarot deck that appeals to you. That's money well spent. Do not buy a tarot deck that does not appeal to you. That's money wasted as you will probably not use a deck that doesn't appeal to you anyway. Some authors will tell you to buy their deck and that's probably a sales pitch you should ignore. Other authors will suggest certain decks and you should accept their opinion as a suggestion and no more than just a suggestion. A few authors will tell you to buy a deck you like. Pay attention to those authors. It really doesn't matter what deck you eventually purchase as long as you feel good about using this deck.

Most tarot authors refer to the suits as Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles so you may be more comfortable with a deck using those suits. Most tarot authors also use the Rider Waite deck or one very similar to it such as the Universal Waite or Golden Waite. The order of the tarot trumps, particularly Key 8 Strength and Key 11 Justice, is different in some decks and this can cause a lot of confusion for the beginner. Other decks rename some of the Trumps and even add additional Trumps. This too is a cause of confusion. If you purchase such a deck your mentor can help you understand the differences between it and our teaching materials.

Some of the more esoteric tarot decks do not use pictorial scenes for the numbered cards two through ten and this makes these decks more difficult to memorize for some students. Most students feel the tarot is difficult enough without eliminating the various scenes as these pictures are an aid to memorization.

It's very important for you to use a tarot deck which you feel comfortable using. There's nothing more difficult than attempting to use a deck that does not feel right for you. Ideally your deck will speak to you and you will feel very positive about your deck. If this is not the case, you may want to consider purchasing another tarot deck and either save your first deck for later use, sell it, or give it away.

TTTAROT BBBOOKS ... Read at least one book on the tarot and as many books as you feel comfortable reading. The more you read about the tarot, the more you understand what other readers have already learned about the deep, deep mysteries of the tarot. In many respects, each tarot reader develops a unique relationship with the cards and reads his or her own deck differently than any another reader. The same card may mean several different things to several different people.

This is because the tarot is a system of symbols. Each of us interprets these symbols in a different manner. Some times the differences may be very subtle and at other times they may be grossly dissimilar. But the interesting thing is the meanings are exactly correct for each reader. For example, the Ten of Wands can be interpreted as being a card of opposition or indicative of carrying a heavy burden. One Tarot Grandmaster considers this a warning card and advises those for whom she reads to slow down and stop stressing the body. She also intuits a lot of cardiovascular disease when this card pops up in a reading. On the other hand, another Grandmaster considers this card the end of a cycle of intuitive growth and the beginning of a new cycle. Each Grandmaster is correct because each of their decks speaks to them.

The Fool is another card with many different interpretations by many different authors and professional readers. Some consider the Fool to be ourselves as we step off into a very spiritual journey. Other readers think the Fool is a foolish person doing foolish things. Which group is right? They both are!

The point is that different cards can mean different things to different people. One of the best ways to learn the tarot is to pay attention to the symbols inherent in each card, learn the accepted meanings and then discover the meaning this card holds for you. Allowing each card to develop this type of intuitive communication with you has proven to be the best method of developing psychic abilities with the tarot as well as other aspects of one's life. We encourage you to work with the tarot on this level.

TTTAROT JJJOURNAL OR TTTAROT DDDIARY . We're creatures of habit and forgetting is one of our habits. One way to solve this problem is to write down everything that's important. While studying the tarot you'll find it beneficial to write down things you learn about specific cards in a place where you can find that information again when you need it. Tarot journals and tarot diaries are good places to keep information about tarot cards. Any kind of a notebook will serve this purpose. By assigning one page to each of the seventy-eight tarot cards, you can easily find information you seek. As you work through your assignments, you may want to write down key words, phrases or concepts that appeal to you for each of the cards. You may also desire to make comments about

5 the meanings of certain symbols in each of the cards. The ATA recommends you keep and use a tarot diary or journal.

AAASSIGNMENTS ... You're free to work through the chapters and assignments in any order you desire and at your own pace. Some people like to start with the major arcana, and that's fine if you wish to do it that way. You're not required to do the assignments in any particular order. You're not even required to do them should you choose not to do so. Some people like to take their time as they learn something new. Others race through their assignments. How fast or slow you work is entirely up to you.

In our experience, daily practice is the best way to learn how to read the tarot cards. You can choose to spend a few minutes every day with your cards, or you can choose to spend an hour or more a day with them. Whatever you decide is entirely up to you. But setting a schedule and following it does seem to help.

We also feel those students who contact their mentor on a regular basis seem to learn the tarot more quickly and read the cards more expertly. This may be because students who contact their mentor on a regular basis are also those students who do the assignments on a regular basis. You are not required to contact your mentor nor are you required to do the assignments. However, we recommend doing assignments and contacting your mentor on a regular basis.

We recommend you read through this booklet at least once before starting your studies. We also recommend you read through the assignments so you understand what things we feel are important for you to know and understand.

SSSTUDY GGGROUPS ... Some people find it easier to learn if they work with one or more companions studying the same thing. You are free to form your own study group in your own community and share the ideas you'll be learning from us. We ask that you not copy or distribute our materials as that would be a violation of our copyright, but you can certainly share our ideas if it will help another person learn to read tarot cards. Let your friends know how wonderful we are and invite them to join too.

Objectives of the Introduction to Tarot Course. 1. The student will choose and learn one key word for each card in the tarot deck of his or her choice (we do not used reversed cards in this course). 2. The student will create and use one, two and three card spreads of his or her choice and be able to do readings using those spreads and the tarot deck of his or her choice. 3. The student will read at least one book on the tarot. 4. The student will keep a notebook containing the list of meanings for the cards in the chosen tarot deck. An optional assignment we recommend is writing a paragraph explaining why a particular key word, phrase or concept was selected for each card as this reinforces the learning process. 5. The student will keep a diary of his or her tarot readings using the spread and tarot deck of his or her choice and recording the outcome of the reading. 6. The student will contact his/her mentor on a regular basis. Remember the learning process is the student's responsibility though mentors are there to help students through that process.

TAROT 101 - THE PIP CARDS In the first lesson we'll be using only the pip cards. The pip cards are the Aces through the Tens of each of the four suits. The pip cards do not include the Court Cards (face cards) nor do they include the Major Arcana (Trumps) which are numbered Zero through XXI. As we said earlier, the pip cards are usually Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles in the more commonly used tarot decks. However, in your deck the suits may be different and you will need to know which is which. For example, Wands are sometimes called Staves or Clubs. Cups are sometimes called Bowls, Chalices, Cauldrons or Grails. Swords are occasionally called Daggers or Blades and Pentacles are called Disks, Coins, Circles and lots of other things.

If your deck does not include Wands, Cups, Swords or Pentacles, you'll need to discover which of these suits is represented by the suits in your cards. If the information we have just given you is not sufficient, contact your mentor. It's important that you know which suit is which, because we will be teaching the Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles approach. This is the standard method for teaching tarot.

Start by writing down the commonly used meanings for each card (40 cards total). This can be done with a notebook. Most of our students prefer loose leaf notebooks so they can add pages whenever and wherever they want, but any notebook or pack of index cards will work. In the front of this notebook, keep a list of the books you have read and key them with some sort of code so you can identify the book whenever the need arises.

In the notebook itself you should have at least one page for each of the seventy–eight tarot cards. On these pages you should note the code (the book code just described) of the book where you found the definitions and write out a list of meanings given by that author for that card. At some future date, should you ever have any questions, you can refer back to the book and re-read what the author had to say.

After you've completed a list of the meanings of all the pip cards in your notebook, get out a dictionary, a Thesaurus, and a book of synonyms (you can find all three at your local library) and expand on this simple list. If you like, you can encode these additions with the codes D, T, or S, standing for Dictionary, Thesaurus and Synonyms.

Separate the pip cards of your deck into four groups: 1) Wands 1–10, 2) Cups 1–10, 3) Swords 1–10, and 4) Pentacles 1–10. Take up any group of your choice and look at each card in that group singly and one at a time. Look at the card. Look at your list of key words, phrases or concepts. Look at the card and list until you find one key word, phrase or concept that seems to fit that card for you. Make a special note in your journal indicating this is the key word, phrase or concept you're gong to use for that card.

For now select one key word, phrase or concept for each card. Repeat the key word, phrase or concept you've chosen for that card, and memorize this relationship. If a key word doesn't work for you, change it. Anytime you want to choose another key word, phrase or concept for any card, do it. Make sure you and your subconscious mind agree!

It's very important at this stage of learning that you have key words, phrases or concepts that really fit for you for each card. If any of the key words, phrases or concepts you've chosen for a particular card feel awkward, or if you have trouble remembering them, it's time to start over. Find another meaning for the card before you go on. You can obtain this meaning from any source. Change it and revise it until you have a key word, phrase or concept that works for you.

Esoteric Approach to Learning the Pip Cards The system of learning the tarot being discussed here is often referred to as the esoteric approach. When using this approach what you're really doing is writing down a number of possibilities and selecting one that seems to fit for you. This system seems to work well for people who are just developing their intuition. It also works well for those who learn best by writing down notes and working from them. There are other approaches to learning the tarot.

Astrological Approach to Learning the Pip Cards In the astrological system, you assign one of the planets to each of the ten ranks of pip cards. This approach works well for those who already know a little bit about astrology. Choose which planets you want to assign to each rank of pip cards. The most common way of doing it is: 1 Neptune 2 Uranus 3 Saturn 4 Jupiter 5 Mars 6 Sun 7 Venus 8 Mercury 9 Moon 10 Pluto

Another way is to assign the "positive" planets to the even numbers and the "negative numbers to the odd numbers: 1 Mercury 2 Venus 3 Pluto 4 Neptune 5 Mars 6 Sun 7 Moon 8 Uranus 9 Saturn 10 Jupiter

Elemental Approach to Learning the Pip Cards This system requires you to define the suits themselves. This is normally done by assigning one of the four elements to each of the four suits.

The most common way of assigning the elements to the suits is

Pentacles Earth Swords Air Cups Water Wands Fire

You are free, of course to assign any element to any suit of your choice. Some authors assign Swords to Fire and Wands to Air. If that works better for you, please use that method. However you assign the suits to the elements is really up to you. Now all you need to do is define those elements. This is the most common way of doing that.

Earth Material things, financial affairs, money Air Thoughts, ideas, attitudes Water Relationships, love, emotions Fire Intuitive insights, careers, will power

Feel free to choose other definitions. You can even choose different definitions for different types of questions. For example, for a question concerning health, you might use

Earth Health Air Attitudes about health Water Emotions concerning health Fire Intuitive insights regarding health

For a question about relationships, you might use

Earth Financial situation Air Ideas about relationships Water Love Fire Intuitive insights regarding relationships

Numerological System for Learning the Pip Cards The numerological approach also uses the four elements as does the astrological approach to learning the tarot. Just figure out what you want each element to mean and assign one element to each suit. Then you need to define what the numbers mean. You can do this using any numerological system you want to use or invent your own.

Here's one common system: 1 Beginnings 2 Expansion, addition 3 Restriction, pulling back, subtracting 4 Order, bring order to 5 Over–expansion, overdoing things 6 Balance, to bring balance to 7 Introspection, to learn a lesson 8 Preparing for an ending 9 Endings 10 Endings and new beginnings

Use any system of numerology you like. Combine several systems by keeping the best and forgetting the rest. Invent your own personal system. You need to decide what works best for you. This system works well for those who are more mathematically inclined and those who prefer numbers to words.

Summary These are a few of the systems commonly used by beginning students to learn how to read tarot cards. You are free to use any of them, to combine them or to invent your own system. The most important secret to learning the tarot is to choose key words, phrases or concepts you understand and can remember for each of the cards and then practice using these words, phrases or concepts.

When you've assigned keywords to all 40 pip cards and are able to go through them one at a time saying the key word, phrase or concept you've selected for that card, you're ready to complete Assignment — Pip Cards.

The more effort you put into your assignments and the more you do them from memory without looking at your books or notes, the more quickly you'll learn to read tarot cards. So if you get stuck while doing an assignment, it's probably a good idea to stop, review your notes, practice some more and do the assignment later.

You probably got stuck because the key word, phrase, or concept you chose isn't the right one for you. Consider choosing another key word, phrase or concept. Or work with the card and find some alternative ways of saying the same thing that feels more comfortable for you.

We suggest you look through your list of meanings in your notebook on a daily basis until you know your cards inside and out, and then on a weekly basis for several months, and then about once a month for a few months for review. Thereafter you may want to review your list every once in awhile. In this way, the meanings of the cards become impressed upon your conscious and subconscious minds. As you advance in your tarot readings this becomes more important.

Assignment ——— Pip Cards 1. Write down the key word or phrase you've chosen for each of the forty pip cards.

2. Optional. Explain how you came to choose the key words, phrases or concepts you chose.

TAROT 102 - THE COURT CARDS

Esoteric Approach To Learning The Court Cards One way of looking at the court cards is to view them as the people who interact in our lives or in the life of the person for whom we are doing the reading. The Kings and Queens represent the more mature persons in our life while the Pages and Knights represent the younger people in our life. The Kings and Knights represent masculine qualities such as aggressiveness and power while the Queens and Pages represent the feminine qualities such as receptivity, fertility and concern for others.

The Kings are the persons who do the things depicted by the twos in the tarot deck. They represent the masculine qualities of older persons who bring these things into our lives. The person may actually be a man or a woman. They may also actually be younger than us, as older is a relative term. They may be older in some quality such as intelligence or common sense. They may act older and more mature than some other people in our life. They may simply be an older soul or older than some other people we might feel have an influence in our life.

For example, assume your word for the Two of Pentacles was "balance," the King of Pentacles, then, would be an older person who brings balance into your life in a masculine way or a person who brings balance in a masculine quality in our lives. This balance may be wanted or desired or it may be unwanted and undesirable. Whatever it is, there is a person who brings this into our lives and this person is represented by the King of Pentacles.

The Queens are the persons who do the things depicted by the threes in the tarot deck. They represent the feminine qualities of older persons who brings these things into our lives. The person may actually be a man or a woman and they may actually be younger than us. Age is not a determining factor, quality is.

For example, assume your word for the Three of Swords was "sorrow," the Queen of Swords is the person who brings sorrow into your life. This person is in some way older than you and is expressing this emotion from their feminine side and not their masculine side. The person who brings this sorrow into your life is represented by the Queen of Swords.

The Knights are the persons who do the things represented by the sixes in the tarot deck. They express this quality from their masculine side and in a manner which is younger than us. This person may be a man or a woman, a boy or a girl. They are just acting from their masculine side and they are acting younger than us in this one thing.

For example, assume your word for the Six of Cups is "joy," the Knight of Cups is the person who brings joy in your life. Whenever the Knight of Cups appears in a reading, that Knight represents the younger–acting male or female who brings joy from a masculine perspective into your life or the life of the person for whom you are reading.

The Pages are the persons who do the things represented by the tens in the tarot deck. They express this quality from their feminine side and in a manner which is younger than you. This person may be a man or a woman and they may be chronologically older than you. As with all of the court cards, we may not see or understand the age thing. Whether we see the person as acting younger or older than us is not the point. The point is what this person is doing or what they bring to our life.

For example, assume your word for the Ten of Wands was "burden". The Page of Wands is the younger–acting person who is a burden upon you or whom you perceive as being a burden. If you are doing a reading for another person, this Page represents the person whom they feel is a burden upon them. If in the past, it represents a person who was previously a burden, and if in the future it represents a person who will become a burden.

The court cards may represent actual persons, living or dead, male or female, younger or older in age, mentality, maturity, business sense, common sense, financially or emotionally. These persons do the things to us or for us, or we perceive them as doing these things to us or for us, which are represented by the meanings we have attributed to the twos, threes, sixes and tens of the tarot deck. If we are reading for another person, the court cards represent things actually being done to them or for them or things they perceive as being done to them or for them.

Since in using this approach the court cards represent actual people, we should be able to identify these people, we should be able to attach a name to them right now or at some future date when we meet them. If the court card appears in a position indicating the past, we should be able to determine exactly whom that person was, and if in the present whom that person really is. If the court card appears in a position indicating the future, we will be able to identify that person as the future unfolds.

This system was developed by the Golden Dawn. Another system similar to it is to assign the Pages to the Aces rather than the Tens, The Queens to the Nines rather than the Threes, and the Kings to the Tens rather than the Twos. You might experiment to see if either of these two approaches makes any sense to you. For future reference the first system is sometimes called the System of the Cross, or the System of the Hanged Man and the second is called the Middle Pillar, the Pillar of Balance, or the Middle Way.

The ATA suggests you adopt an easy system for handling the court cards, at least in the beginning. We'll now discuss three systems you might find appealing. Choose one system, combine them as you want, or invent a system that works for you.

Mystical Approach (1) to Learning the Court Cards Let Pages represent people who like to talk about things. They chatter about this and that and always say they're going to do something. The Pages are the talkers of the world. The things they talk about are the things represented by their suit.

Let Knights represent people who get things done. They don't talk about it and they don't procrastinate and waste time. The Knights get things done. The things they do are the things represented by their suit.

Let Queens represent people who advise you emotionally. They support you and love you and care about you and they advise you about things emotionally. They are loving and nurturing advisors about the things represented by their suit.

Let Kings represent people who advise you intellectually. They reason things out with you logically and unemotionally. They are wise and knowledgeable advisors about the things represented by their suit.

This is a very workable system but one of the problems you need to resolve is how to tell when the card is talking about you (or your client) or another person in your life (or in your client's life). You can resolve this by using inverted cards and/or dignities which are discussed in Tarot 201. What you might do is consider the card to be speaking about you (or your client) when the card is right side up. The card would be speaking about another person when it is inverted or ill dignified.

Mystical Approach (2) to Learning the Court Cards Another way is to let the Pages represent seekers, people going around looking for things, trying to find something out. The Page of Pentacles seeks money. The Page of Swords seeks knowledge. The Page of Cups seeks a relationship. The Page of Wands seeks a career. Or you can use your own key words, phrases and concepts for the four suits.

In this system, the Knights are non–seekers because they already know it all. The Queens are teachers and the Kings are non–teachers because they have no knowledge to teach. The Knights think they know it all and the Kings don't think they know anything.

Mystical Approach (3) to Learning the Court Cards Another way of looking at the Pages is to consider them dreamers who dream about things, the things represented by their suit. The Knights run around in circles accomplishing nothing because of their excess energy. The Queens mend relationships and help people fix things. The Kings make decisions and run things. The things they do are represented by their suits.

So there you have three easier to handle and understand systems for working with the court cards. Choose one. Choose two and combine them. Choose part of any of them and create your own system. Remember, there is no absolute way to universally use the court cards but there is a right way for you. You get to choose what the right way is for you.

Astrological Approach to Learning the Court Cards In astrology the relationship between planets is called "aspect." We use the court cards in the tarot deck to represent the different aspects between the planets. One way of doing that is like this:

Pages Sextiles Knights Squares Queens Trines Kings Oppositions Two or more Conjunctions

When a Page appears in a reading all you need to do is identify the two planets which are sextile each other. These planets will be represented by the planet cards closest to the Page. If only one planet card or no planet cards appear in the reading, the reader will need to draw additional cards until two planets are represented. Some readers say that when two cards representing the same planet are drawn, then the reading is projected into a future transit when the same planet will be in the same position in the future.

Other readers always assume the ruling planet of the client's sun sign is the second planet. Again if this is a duplication, then the next future transit of that planet is being considered in the reading. However you decide to handle this special situation, write it down so you'll remember what to do if and when the time arrives.

Numerological Approach to Learning the Court Cards Pages 11 = 1 + 1 = 2 Knights 12 = 1 + 2 = 3 Queens 13 = 1 + 3 = 4 Kings 14 = 1+ 4 = 5

How you define the numbers two through five is up to you. But once you've defined them, you need to be aware that in numerology all the bigger numbers reduce down to a number between one and nine by adding the digits of the larger number together as many times as necessary to obtain a result less than ten. Hence on the previous page we give both the assigned and the reduced number for each of the court cards.

The difference between a Page and a Two is the Page is an eleven reduced to two. Hence in numerology we say the Page is a higher vibration of the two. A higher vibration is more positive, less negative, more hopeful, less hopeless. The same holds true for the Knights, Queens and Kings.

In numerology the court cards are merely numbers and do not represent people in any way. Thus the King of Pentacles is a more positive rendition of the Five of Pentacles and is not a masculine card in any way.

Having chosen a way for handling the court cards, write it all down in your tarot diary or journal. Study the key words, phrases or concepts you've chosen for the sixteen court cards. Memorize these and when you're ready, do the Assignment for Tarot 102, which is Assignment — The court cards.

If you've decided to study the Introduction to Tarot course in any other order than pip cards, court cards and then major arcana, you may be doing this particular assignment out of sequence. That's not a problem, but you may want to at least read through the material for the pip cards before completing this assignment.

Assignment ——— The Court Cards 1. Write down the key word or phrase you've chosen for each of the sixteen court cards.

2. Optional. Explain how you came to choose the key words, phrases or concepts you chose.

TAROT 103 - THE MAJOR ARCANA

Esoteric Approach To Learning The Major Arcana The trumps or the major arcana are considered to be the most important cards in the tarot deck by most authors. As you learn the tarot you will become more and more aware of the importance of these twenty-two cards. You will also learn about additional cards which appear in a few tarot decks, but we will not address them at this time.

Essentially, the esoteric approach is to write down every meaning for every card you can find or imagine. Then by looking at the card in the deck you've chosen for your studies, review this list of words until one key word, phrase or concept "clicks" for you. Choose that key word, phrase or concept.

There are many different approaches to learning and using the major arcana. How you do it is entirely up to you. Our suggestion to you, now and always, is to select one key word, phrase or concept which best expresses your understanding of the meaning of each card. Commit this key word to memory and associate this key word, phrase or concept with the specific card whenever that specific card comes to your attention. Write it down in your tarot diary or journal. Review your notes often until you memorize the meanings you want to use for the cards.

Another approach is to use the pictures as a guide to interpret the inner meaning of the cards. This system is the basis for most of the older decks still in use today and the decks derived from these earlier ones. What you're doing is choosing a key word, phrase or concept based on the picture appearing on the card itself.

Your own subconscious mind and higher Self communicate to you in a very unique manner. It's your responsibility to learn what your subconscious mind is telling you and to establish a set of rules for that communication. The best way to do this is to select one key word, phrase or concept for each of the cards in the major arcana and to memorize that meaning for that card. Let your subconscious mind know what you want that card to mean in your communications. Use the information given here and the results of your own reading to select one key word, phrase or concept for each card of the major arcana.

Once you've memorized one key word, phrase or concept for every card in your tarot deck, you must practice over and over with the cards and your key words. In this way your higher Self learns how to communicate with you through the cards. When a message needs to come through, your mind and body will cooperate with your subconscious mind and the right cards will be placed in the right position to give you the answers to the questions you pose.

You're now ready to do the assignment for Tarot 103 and to proceed with your studies with Tarot 104. But before you do that, the next three pages show three different systems for handling the major arcana you may find interesting.

Astrological ApproaApproachch to Learning the Major Arcana Using this method, each card in the major Arcana is attributed to one of the planets or to a sign of the zodiac. And since each sign has a planetary ruler, you can just use the planets to make this a complete workable system. The method of attribution most often seen is as follows:

Trump Planet Or Sign 0 Uranus I Mercury II Moon III Venus IV Aries V Taurus VI Gemini VII Cancer VIII Leo IX Virgo X Jupiter XI Libra XII Neptune XIII Scorpio XIV Sagittarius XV Capricorn XVI Mars XVII Aquarius XVIII Pisces XIX Sun XX Pluto XXI Saturn

This is a very workable system for those tarot readers who have some knowledge of Astrology or the Kabalistic Tree of Life. The meaning of the astrological sign is the same as the meaning of the tarot card assigned to that sign or planet.

When two or more Major Arcana cards show up in a reading, the relationship between those cards is the same as the aspects between planets, triplicity or quadriplicity of the signs and the relationship of the planets to the signs. Readers can also use the astrological houses to glean even more details. Thus a great deal of information can be communicated to the person who has a knowledge of these things. This does not mean that all tarot readers should become astrologers. It merely points out the advantages of more knowledge whenever one decides to learn the tarot. Knowledge is power.

Psychological Approach to Learning the Major Arcana Another method of approaching the Major Arcana is to assign an aspect of the whole person to each card. This psychological method of attribution is most commonly put together something like this:

0 Superconsciousness I Self–consciousness II Subconsciousness or Memory III Creative Imagination IV Reason or Will Power V Intuition or Psychic VI Discrimination VII Receptivity VIII Spiritual Activity IX Responsiveness X Interim Reward XI Equilibration XII Reversal of ideas XIII Transformation XIV Spiritually Verify XV Spiritually Renew XVI Spiritual Awaken XVII Spiritual Revelation XVIII Spiritualize the Body XIX Regeneration XX Realization XXI Cosmic Consciousness

Many authors use their own words to explain this process of changing from a person of this physical universe to a spiritual person in tune with the true universe. This spiritual awakening is a psychological awakening to who and what we really are.

Some authors consider this a mystical approach rather than psychological. We tend to agree with them only because we've never found a psychological approach for handling the pip cards that made any sense to us. That doesn't mean such a system doesn't exist, just that we haven't found it yet.

If you decide to use this system as a basis for your own system, you may need to change a few key words, phrases or concepts here or there in order to make the system fit your needs. This is perfectly acceptable. In fact, it's advisable to do so if you want a system that works for you. If any of the key words, phrases or concepts given here are unfamiliar to you, please consider using a dictionary, thesaurus or book of synonyms to assist you in your studies.

The Esoteric System for Learning the Major Arcana The esoteric approach is pretty much what this course has been teaching you to follow. It's a system of gathering together all the alternatives and choosing the one that works best for you, the one that feel best to you, the one that makes the most sense for you. The esoteric system is the basis for most of the older decks still in use today and the decks derived from these earlier ones. A typical attribution is as follows:

0 Spiritual forces I Self–confidence II Mystery III Fertility IV Authority V Dogma or Convention VI Conflict VII Triumph or Victory VIII Courage or Strength IX Meditation X Change or Cycles XI Balance XII Spirituality XIII Rebirth or Renewal XIV Adapting to Change XV Materiality or Bondage XVI Disruption XVII Motivation XVIII Psychic powers XIX Contentment XX Revelation XXI Completion

Again, you're encouraged to adopt different key words, phrases or concepts for each of the cards of the major arcana. If you decide to start with the key words given here, list them in your tarot journal or diary and use various methods to expand these lists. These methods have already been discussed but include copying down information from other books, tarot readers, articles and using a dictionary, thesaurus and book of synonyms.

Assignment ——— The Major Arcana 1. Write down the key word or phrase you've chosen for each of the twenty-two cards of the major arcana.

2. Optional. Explain how you came to choose the key words, phrases or concepts you chose.

TAROT 104 - BEGINNING TAROT SPREADS

One Card Esoteric SpreaSpreadsdsdsds The esoteric approach to tarot spreads is to use the Seven Rays of Discernment, which in modern terminology are the seven basic questions of journalism. These seven rays are:

Who What When Where Which Why How

Ask yourself a question, any question. Make certain the question is about you and not some other person. If your question starts with one of these seven key words, then go through your normal rituals, state the question out loud, write it down in your journal and draw one card. How you draw one card is entirely up to you. Use whatever ritual you want. Just be certain you and your subconscious mind both know what system you're going to use. If you don't have a ritual for drawing cards for a reading, here are a few suggestions.

1. Choose the top card 2. Cut the deck and choose the top card 3. Count down a certain number of cards and pick the next one 4. Shuffle the deck until one card falls out 5. Fan the deck and choose the card your mind chooses 6. Fan the cards and choose one by its vibration 7. Fan the cards and choose one by its heat

When choosing a card from a fanned deck you can place your hands over the deck and intuitively feel for the vibration or heat. You can also use your third eye and choose a card with your eyes open or closed. You can use any system you want to use just as long as your subconscious mind knows the system too.

Suppose your question doesn't start with one of the seven rays of discernment given above. What you do then is rephrase the question so it does start with one of those seven key words. Just change the question around until it starts with one of those seven key words.

Now you have a question and a card. Look at the card. Write down the meaning of this card. Now see how this meaning answers your question. That's all there is to it. Let's do a few examples next.

Question: “Why is Mary upset with me?”

Great, the question starts with a "why" but it's not about me. So, the next thing for me to do is rephrase the question so it's about me. Here's a few ways that can be done.

1. What did I do to upset Mary? 2. Why am I upset with Mary? 3. Why did I upset Mary? 4. What can I do to help Mary?

Let's choose the first question – "What did I do to upset Mary?" and draw one card. Let's say that card is the Tower and the Tower means "abrupt change." The answer to my question is, I made an abrupt change and that upset Mary. Now all I need to do is figure out what that abrupt change was and do something about it.

Let's choose the second question. "Why am I upset with Mary?" and draw one card. Let's say that card is the Hanged Man and the Hanged Man means I got "things reversed or upside down." That could mean I'm not upset with Mary at all, but I think she's upset with me.

Let's choose the third question. "Why did I upset Mary?" The card drawn is the Seven of Wands which means "a conflict." This means whatever I did is starting a conflict between us. I evidently did something that offended her and it's up to me to put an end to this.

Let's choose the fourth question. "What can I do to help Mary?" This was a trick question because it's still about Mary and we're not going to do third party readings about another person as part of this course. So rephrase the question into: "What can I do to help myself?" Let's say the card drawn was the Five of Cups which means "accept a relationship ending." Looks like I take care myself and accept reality for the moment.

In answer to "Who?" questions, the cards will always describe something about the other person to help you identify the person in your question.

In answer to "What?" questions, the cards will always tell you exactly what you did, you're doing, or what you can do. You decide if you want the question phrased in the past, the present or the future.

In answer to "When?" questions, the cards will always tell you something that needs to happen first. As soon as this thing happens, that's when what you're asking about will happen. If you ask about something in the past the cards will tell you about something that happened just after whatever you're asking about. Here's a couple of examples of how "When?" questions work:

Question: “When will I get married?” Answer: The World. “When” is whatever the World means to you.

Question: “When did I antagonize Mary?” Answer: The Seven of Swords. “When” is whatever the Seven of Swords means to you.

In answer to "Where?" questions the cards will always explain something about the place you are trying to discover. For example:

Question: “Where are my car keys?” Answer: The Chariot. Do you suppose the keys are in the car?

Question: “Where did I leave that book?” Answer: Two of Pentacles (which means balance financial affairs). So the answer is wherever I balance my check book or accounts.

In answer to "Which?" questions, the cards will give you a description of one of the options that cannot be mistaken for the other option. For example, in answer to the question: "Should I read this book now or go for a walk?" if the card drawn is the High Priestess, you have your answer. But that answer of course depends upon your key word, phrase or concept for the High Priestess. Let's say my key word is "subconscious" and the time for me to communicate with my subconscious mind is during walks. So it's not time for me to read that book right now.

In answer to "Why?" questions, the cards will always describe why something happened or is happening.

The Seven Rays of Discernment are very powerful ways for you to probe the communication between you and your subconscious mind. Remember, the cards always tell the truth. That's because your subconscious mind is incapable of telling you anything except the truth. That's one reason we suggest students write down their questions, the cards drawn to answer that question, and the meaning of the cards. Later you can review your readings to verify that the cards always tell you the truth and nothing but the truth.

One Card Mystical Spreads These are sometimes called "Elemental Spreads" because the five elements are used to identify the meaning of the card in the spread. The five elements most commonly used are:

Earth Questions about money, health and material things Air Questions about ideas and attitudes Water Questions about relationships, friendships and love Fire Questions about intuition, self–determination and careers Spirit Questions about spiritual work

These spreads are used in the same manner as the Seven Rays of Discernment. State your question, say it out loud, write it down, draw your card, write down the card and its meaning, and do the reading. Let's do a Fire Spread for the question "Is tarot reading the best career for me?" Assume you draw the Ace of Pentacles. What does this mean?

First of all, compare the elements. Pentacles are Earth and this is a Fire spread. Earth tends to put Fire out and diminish its energy. So does Water. That's not very good. Next, consider the meaning of the Ace of Pentacles which we'll say is a "new financial venture." Put it all together and we have to decide it's going to be tough but it is a new financial adventure.

We say Earth is friendly to Water and not friendly to Air or Fire. Water is friendly to Earth and not friendly to Air or Fire. Air is friendly to Fire and not friendly to Earth or Water. Fire is friendly to Air and not friendly to Earth or Water. Another way of saying this is Water and Earth are feminine elements while Fire and Air are masculine elements. The feminine are fine with each other and so are the masculine, but the mixture is not friendly.

Spirit is usually seen as neutral and not having any effect on either the masculine or the feminine elements. But in a Spirit spread any major arcana card would send an extremely powerful message.

One Card Astrological Spreads Choose a house and do a one card spread for that house. One interesting way of doing this is to draw a card a day and advance by one house a day. All you need to do is define the houses. Here's one way.

House 1 Me, myself, my health House 2 My money House 3 My communications with others House 4 My family House 5 My other relationships House 6 My service to others House 7 My attitude toward other people House 8 My attitude toward other people's money House 9 My attitude toward other people's ideas House 10 My relatives House 11 My career and business House 12 My spiritual work

Use the same technique of speaking your question out loud, writing it down, drawing a card, writing down the card and its meaning and doing the reading. Write down your interpretation of what the reading is all about and any other comments intended to help you learn when you review this reading some time in the future.

One Card YesYes––––NoNo Spreads One simple way to do this is to shuffle the cards in such a way that half the deck is inverted during each shuffle. If you always shuffle in this way you will always be mixing the cards up — inverting some and setting others upright. Then when you draw a card it may be either upright or inverted.

You can use inverted cards to mean "no" and upright cards to mean "yes." The meaning of the card can also be used to help you understand the answer in more detail. This same technique can be used for all questions which could have a positive or negative answer.

This technique can also be used to decide between any two actions. Such a spread might be a This–That spread or an Encouragement–Obstacle spread where the upright card is This or something encouraging and the inverted card is That or an obstacle to be overcome. There are as many variations of the Yes–No spread as there are tarot readers.

Two and Three Card Spreads By using two or three Rays of Discernment you can create your own two or three card spread. By using two or three Elements you can do the same thing. By choosing two or three houses you can do a two or three card Astrological spread. You can even choose the same house or element or ray more than once. For example, you could use House One or the Earth Element for a question about your health and then create one other question using the same element or house.

Yes–No spreads can be expanded to two or three cards. In the two card version you draw one card for "yes" and one card for "no." The cards are telling you the consequence of choosing either "yes" or "no." Using three cards gives you the opportunity to use inverted cards in an interesting manner, where no inverted cards means absolutely yes, one inverted card means maybe yes, two inverted cards means maybe no and three inverted cards means absolutely no. Maybe can be changed to "probably" if you like.

The Past and Present can be used for a two card spread where you identify a problem in the present and then identify what in the past could be the cause of this problem. Time is not specific in such a spread. By adding a third card you can also look to the future to see what the consequences will be if you continue to act as you did in the past. This way of using the third card in a spread is using it as an "outcome" card. All outcomes are based on the action card in the present. Continue to do this and you can expect such and such as an outcome. That's what the cards are telling you. Any two card spread can be expanded to a three card spread by adding an outcome card.

To review, we've discussed the following spreads:

One Card Spreads One of the Seven Rays of Discernment One of the five Elements One of the twelve Astrological Houses Yes–No or This–That

Two–Card Spreads Two of the Seven Rays of Discernment One Ray selected twice Two of the five Elements One Element selected twice Two of the Astrological Houses One Astrological House selected twice Yes–No or This–That Past–Present

Three Card Spreads Three of the Seven Rays of Discernment Two of the Seven Rays with one Ray chosen twice One of the Seven Rays chosen three times Three Elements Two Elements with one Element chosen twice One Element selected three times Three Astrological Houses Two Astrological Houses with one chosen twice One Astrological House chosen three times Yes–No or This–That Past–Present–Future Any of the above with a Future card Any of the above with an Outcome Card

We cannot stress the importance of you developing your own vocabulary for each card in the deck which works for you. This vocabulary forms the basis of communications between your conscious and subconscious mind. If you don't select key words, phrases and concepts that work for you or feel right for you and with which you're comfortable, you'll probably never be a good tarot reader. If you do these things, and continue to do them as you grow, the odds are very much in your favor that you'll be a good tarot reader.

This completes the teaching material for Tarot 104. The assignment associated with this section is Beginning Spreads — Assignments One and Two.

Assignment OnOnee ——— Beginning Tarot Spreads 1. Do a series of five one card readings for yourself using a variety of one–card spreads.

2. Do three readings for yourself on three different questions using a variety of two– card spreads.

3. Do two readings for yourself on different questions using two different three–card spreads.

4. Write down the question, the cards drawn, the meaning of the cards drawn, the spread used, the meaning of the positions in the spread, and a one–sentence reading for each card.

Assignment Two ——— Beginning Tarot Spreads 1. Do a series of five one–card readings for one or more other people using a variety of different one–card spreads.

2. Do three readings for one or more other people on three different questions using a variety of two–card spreads.

3. Do two readings for one or more other people on different questions using two different three–card spreads.

4. Write down the question, the cards drawn, the meaning of the cards drawn, the spread used, the meaning of the positions in the spread and a one–sentence reading for each card.

Practice Readings It's been said there are three things that make a good tarot reader, and they are:

1. Practice 2. Practice 3. Practice

There's some truth to this. The more you practice anything the better you become at doing that thing. Great athletes become great because they practice. Great musicians become great because they practice. Great tarot readers become great because they practice.

The American Tarot Association recommends you practice every day by doing readings for yourself and your friends. Don't apologize. Ask your friends if they'd like a tarot card reading. Tell them you're just learning how to read the cards. Tell them some of the things your cards have already told you and how accurate they are. The cards are always right, you know. They always tell the truth. And where there's error, the fault lies with us and not the cards. And the only way to avoid making errors is to (you guessed it) practice!

Practice doing readings as much as you can. The more you practice, the better you'll become. The more you practice, the quicker you'll learn to read the cards. The more you practice, the better your reputation as a tarot reader.

Here's the secret to becoming a great tarot reader:

1. Learn a key word, phrase or concept for each tarot card 2. Learn how to rephrase questions so the cards can answer them 3. Learn to create your own tarot spreads 4. Learn how to use reversals and/or dignities 5. Practice, practice, practice

Good luck! We're here to help you learn how to become a great tarot reader.

THE TAROT CERTIFICATION PROCESS Upon your successful completion of this course you may wish to become certified. There are three organizations which offer certification at this time. The American Tarot Association encourages you to contact each of them and choose the one best suited to you goals and abilities. We list them here in alphabetical order. Should you have any questions about certification, please see the FAQ on the American Tarot Association website at http://www.ata-tarot.com/faq/faq_tarot_certification.htm.

American Board for Tarot Certification (ABTC) P.O. Box 6304 Woodbridge VA 22192

Email: [email protected] Web: americanboardfortarotcertification.org

Canadian Tarot Network (CTN) P.O. Box 51175 Beddington RPO Calgary, Alberta T3K 3V9

Phone: 1-866-478-8808 (toll free) or 1-403-730-4805 Hours: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. MT

Email: [email protected] Web: tarotcanada.com

Upon completion of this booklet, you have the skills to apply for the Certified Apprentice Tarot Reader level

Tarot Certification Board of America (TCBA) P.O. Box 6935 Albany NY 12206-0935

Phone: 1-800-872-0556 Fax: 1-775-249-6513

Email: [email protected] Web: tarotcertification.org

Upon completion of this booklet, you have the skills to apply for the Certified Apprentice Tarot Reader level.

ATA CORRESPONDENCE COURSES AND AUDIO TAPES The American Tarot Association offers the following correspondence courses and audio tapes for its members:

1) Introduction to Tarot 2) Intermediate Tarot 3) Advanced Tarot

Members are assigned a Tarot Mentor to assist them with their studies. The courses are self–paced. All correspondence courses and audio tapes come with a set of assignments to help the student learn and master the material. Completed assignments are sent to the student's Tarot Mentor for evaluation. These courses are more fully described on the inside back cover and elsewhere in this booklet.

Costs The cost of each of these three correspondence courses is $15 for each book. Each set of four audio tapes is $40.00 for members. Both the audio tapes and the correspondence courses cover the same material. Both the audio tapes and the correspondence courses come with a set of optional assignments which may be completed and turned in to a mentor for grading. These books and tapes may be ordered by going to http://ata-tarot.com/paypal-application.htm.

Benefits of ATA Membership Membership in the American Tarot Association currently costs $35.00 per year for regular mail delivery of our Quarterly or $25.00 per year for internet delivery of our Quarterly.

U Reduced prices for seminars, conferences and conventions U Low priced audio tapes and course books U Free award–winning ATA Quarterly U Tarot Mentor to assist you with your studies U Internet Discussion Lists for all ATA students

ATA Internet Services

ata-tarot.com freetarot.us freereading.us

Plus plenty of discussion lists to serve you

Contents of the Correspondence Courses

Tarot 100 ––– Introduction to Tarot

Preface ––– Mentoring Tarot

Tarot 101 ––– The Pip Cards

Tarot 102 ––– The Court Cards

Tarot 103 ––– The Major Arcana

Tarot 104 ––– Beginning Tarot Spreads

Tarot 200 ––– Intermediate Tarot

Tarot 200 ––– Introduction

Tarot 201 ––– Reversals and Dignities

Tarot 202 ––– How to Write a Code of Ethics

Tarot 203 ––– Intermediate Tarot Spreads

Tarot 204 ––– Building a Tarot Business

Tarot 300 ––– Advanced Tarot

Tarot 300 ––– Introduction

Tarot 301 ––– Writing Techniques

Tarot 302 ––– Advanced Tarot Techniques

Tarot 303 ––– Consulting Techniques

Tarot 304 ––– Teaching Techniques