Tarot cards are sadly controversial interest, as they’re connected to a lot of negative stereotypes and harsh judgment from those who don’t quite understand their purpose. This is only highlighted by ‘readers’ on social media that manipulate the message from the cards to fit the narrative they know most people want to hear, instead of the genuine message in hopes to get views and followers, which created an understandable – but harmful criticism of those who use tarot.
Now, it’s a common misconception that tarot cards can’t be used by people of religious faith, but they definitely can! You who choose to seek answers from is entirely up to you, the cards are simply a means to convey a message from God, the universe, or whatever higher being you believe in. When starting to get into tarot social media is a good starting point however, like I said before a lot of people are more focused on views than being truthful so I recommend buying your own deck and taking the time to bond with it, so you always know the messages are truthful. This may seem like a daunting task, but don’t worry I’m here to lay out the best ways to connect with a new deck and dropping the tips I’ve learned over the past year.
The first step is finding a deck, this is an entirely personal journey! My only recommendation is to find the first deck that speaks to you, the imagery and colors or even the title just seem right. While this may be nothing more than an ideal aesthetic feeling connected to the look of a deck – especially your first deck makes all the difference in your journey. I found my first deck in a random store, I wasn’t looking at all but right when I looked at it I fell in love. It’s remained a staple in my collection and I love it dearly but since then I’ve often found my decks on Etsy.
After you find your deck, go through it. Look at every single card and try to pick out recurring themes and imagery and think, what do they mean to you? Then naturally read through the guide book, familiarize yourself with the basics of each suit and the major arcana. If your deck doesn’t come with a guide, or it isn’t detailed enough, Biddy Tarot is a great resource! At this point, it may seem daunting to try and memorize all the meanings – but don’t worry about it! Using guides is perfectly okay and the more you practice the more you’ll memorize without even realizing it!
This directly connects to the next step, sleeping with your tarot deck. Yes, literally sleeping with your deck under your pillow – with the selenite on top. This creates a connection between the deck and yourself and opens up your mind to the messages the higher beings are trying to tell you and is in my opinion one of the most important steps!
The final step to preparing your deck to be used is to do a get to know you spread with your deck. This spread (can be found here) is a great way to ask the questions you need to know to understand your deck’s attitude, intentions, and how it communicates – and therefore which situations it’d be best to use it in. This spread helped me determine my first deck was rather stern and didn’t sugar coat anything and my other decks tend to be a lot more gentle with me.
After all of this work you’ll notice a big difference in the connection you feel to your deck and it’ll be ready to use on yourself and on others! Don’t forget to cleanse throughout your time with your deck if you notice any changes, go a long time without use, or notice a negative shift in energy and it should be good as new! Good luck with your new deck and I hope you find clarity and peace.