Anybody here familiar with tarot?

[witchcraft]

TL;DR I'd like to learn generally about other people's experiences, maybe how or why they got started, what sorts of questions they ask (I really struggle with this), how they handle their deck in terms of "cleansing," if they read the cards purely with their own intuition or if they rely on more established meanings / formulas, and so on. I've only attempted single card readings because I find all the stuff about Celtic Cross and more complex formats(?) a bit overwhelming. But I'm still open to learning about those reading formats.

Hello, contrary to my username I'm not wiccan or anything—it's a long story but basically I was very involved in a specific video game that I played competitively (not for money) for many years. Got accused of hacking, video game "witchcraft," and was "banned at the stake."

Just wanted to clear that up so I don't come across as a poseur lol. My username is more of an inside joke and was a way to try and overcome losing a group of online friends and ultimately closing the chapter on that game / small community. Also, I might as well say that I'm a dude, this is just how I present online.

ANYWAY.

I just wanted to know if anyone else here is familiar with tarot. Even if you consider yourself a beginner, you're probably further along in the journey than I am.

My deck is an anime themed tarot deck (Natasha Yglesias). I first became interested in tarot from a secular point of view, as someone with a nooby interest in the work of Jung. I also really enjoyed Persona 5, which I played not long after breaking up with an ex-girlfriend who was into tarot. I had no clue what the Persona series was, I just played it at the repeated behest of my college roommate / friend, so I took it as a kind of vague sign I guess.

One thing I've struggled with is the Christian view of tarot. I've grown up here in the US, and I'm a superstitious person. Been struggling for many years now with life, my mental health, and muh church is always one of the top things being pushed for people in my kind of situation. Tried numerous churches but it never clicked; they seem to work better for people who are already well adjusted, particularly if you're an extrovert. I'm not good at making friends and I'm really sensitive to when I think I'm being excluded. I worked up the courage and tried to volunteer to help deliver meals to people in need for my local church and they turned me down even though I'd been going there for a little while.

No offense if church helped you, whoever is reading this. It just made me paranoid, anxious, and feel judged, no matter how many times I was preached at about how Jesus loves me etc etc. It just seemed like at every turn I was being told this is wrong, I am wrong, lots of guilt and worry. Just unhealthy. I did meet a few nice people but I never felt like I belonged; strangely enough I got more culty vibes than from tarot or occult interests which tend to be presented as culty. Ironic.

I only share my personal experience with religion because it's been psychologically traumatizing. Tarot is the devil or whatever. Which is so confusing to me, because isn't it steeped in Christian mysticism? Wasn't this all just a European card game from the Renaissance until like 1900ish lol?

I'd like to talk about tarot and seek advice on how I might overcome some of this anxiety and be more comfortable using my deck. I don't want to invite bad energy or forces into my life; I got enough of that already. I'd like to use it as a tool, a means of reflection *NOT* fortune-telling. Because if I start trying to tell the future, I feel as though that's going to lead to some bad self-fulfilling prophecies and I'm going to get all in my head about it and stuff.

And just to set expectations, people are welcome to PM me about the topic of tarot specifically. I'm not against friends but I'm also not looking for friends if that makes sense... Like, I don't want people to think that replying to this is some big commitment or anything.

 

[BradGuy123]

I like to use the Rider-Waite deck. The meanings are easiest to understand. I don't do the Celtic cross. I just kind of pull cards until I feel like I have my answer. I did take a class that teaches us basic meanings but usually I kind of use my own intuition.

 

[witchcraft]

I like to use the Rider-Waite deck. The meanings are easiest to understand. I don't do the Celtic cross. I just kind of pull cards until I feel like I have my answer. I did take a class that teaches us basic meanings but usually I kind of use my own intuition.

Thanks BradGuy. That is the one challenge with this anime deck I have; it's a pip deck, so the numbered minor arcana aren't illustrated. It did come with a booklet though that has succinct but seemingly solid explanations for every card in the deck, illustrated or otherwise.

I've thought about pulling multiple cards, like three (I like the number 3), but I usually just pull one. Like, I know there are certain questions you can ask that involve past, present, future or something similar, which could go with three corresponding cards. Then again, I suppose that I could just draw one card and ask myself how that one card applies to the past, the present, the future.

So I guess that I really need to find my own path lol, there is no one right way. I think I will do what you did though when it comes to learning the cards considering this is a pip deck. I wish I'd had a class about tarot, or even one about mysticism more broadly like the one in Persona 3.