Acing Tarot - Easier than you think

Tarot tells a story, it paves the way for questions to be asked and answered. It opens the door to the mystical, the deep subconscious... It opens a channel that the awakened dreamer can share its wisdom to the seeking soul.

If you are a card reader or have had your cards read by a Tarot professional then you will know that you are in the presence of something magical and otherworldly. For those that are learning and for the uninitiated the signs and symptoms old in the cards are mysterious and hidden. This is why they are Occult.

And, just so you know, the Occult is nothing to fear. The word itself only means beyond the range of ordinary knowledge or experience; mysterious. It originates in the Latin word Occult which means secret which was often used alongside the word occulere which means ‘conceal,’ based on celare ‘to hide’; the adjective and noun from occult- ‘covered over,’ at one time even what we know are the roots of modern medicine were once considered occult.

So there is your vocabulary lesson for today. But what I actually wanted to share with you is a little bit of insight into the Tarot. As a long-time reader, I have been asked by many people what is the best way to learn Tarot. Honestly love, I have a hard time answering that in one or two sentences. I personally feel that you will learn Tarot first in bite-size chunks. And as you grow and deepen your practice you will add to, and accumulate a great body of knowledge that will keep growing and fanning ever outward like a Fibonacci spiral.

So, to help, I thought it might be fun to talk about the ACES... oh yeah (cue Motorhead's Ace of Spades) I sometimes think that the Aces deserve a bit more attention because they are often overlooked at the very least of somewhat disregarded importance. That is to say, often readers will acknowledge the goodness of seeing an Ace in a spread, but why is it good? Or conversely when you see a card inverted (upside down) why is it problematic in a reading? It is the subtle details that give Tarot such depth and nuance.

You can finesse much meaning from the symbols that are hidden within the artwork of the card if you know where to look. So, my love, I will give you an in-depth tour of each of the Aces to deepen your understanding of them. Always remember that all the cards in Tarot have a somewhat fixed meaning as well as symbols that make the cards malleable that is then adapted to the question that your reading is answering.

Please feel free to ignore the goobery look on my face :) and check out the video below :)

Aces set the tone for the minor arcana. They give you a sense of what the entire suite holds in terms of energy and the mode in which that energy is expressed.

The Ace is the beginning of the suit as you know, it initiates the spark of energy for each suite and from which it will continue to build in intensity with each card. The progression of energy and experience that is described in the pictures of each of the pip cards as they ascend upward towards the court cards is all hinted at with the aces.

As you learn to read the cards learning the connection between the suites and the elements they represent is the key to understanding how the

Ace of Wands - Associated with Fire, Aries, Leo & Sagittarius

Wands represent - Spirit, the force of will, the force of life,

The creative spark; a new project or creative endeavor; a passionate union; a new start; willpower; inspiration; virility; spiritual insights; the vital life force; impetus.

Key Smbols: Wand = Power, Link between spirit world and mundane world

Hill with castle at the apex = Achivements in the physical realm through effort

Young Green Leaves = New Growth/ Life force energy

Right Hand = Indicates Yang polarity - expressive nature

Clouds = Hidden source of energy, mystery, unrevealed potential

Hill/ Mountain = obstecles, challenges

Ace of Pentacles - Associated with Earth - Taurus, Virgo & Capricorn

Ace of Pentacles Represents Foundations, practicality, mundane life, resources of a physical nature, physical body, that which is established in the physical world.

The beginning stages of something tangible; prosperity; growth; material abundance; new enterprise; improving finances or wealth; a solid fruitful foundation; a promotion; a pay rise; good luck; unexpected money.

Key Smbols: Pentacle = signifying the fourelements and the human soul, mundane concerns

Hedge = Veil between the physical and non physical worlds

Lilly = Purity, Innocence, rebirth

Road = Directing oneself toward a goal. Additional work to be done. Transition and or change

Left Hand= Indicates Yin polarity - receptive nature

Ace of Swords - Associated with Air, Gemini, Libra & Aquarius

Swords Represent thoughts, intellect, communication. The mental body. Ideas, attitudes, changing fortunes scattered energies, creative ideas; the sword of truth; gaining clarity; a brilliant idea; justice; mental strength; divine inspiration; quickfire thoughts and ideas, rational thought.

Key Smbols: Sword = Intellect, communication, logic and rational. Workings of the mind and thought. A tool for conquest, destruction. Honour & impartiality.

Laurel = Victory, accolades, honours

Mountains = Challenges, adversity, growth and improvement in the self after overcoming an issue.

Olive Branch = Represents Peace, resolution, completion of a promise, hope

Yod = The 10th letter of the Hebrew alphabet that indicates the presence of the Divine.

Right Hand= Indicates Yang polarity - expressive nature

Ace of Cups - Associated with Water, Cancer, Scorpio & Pisces

Love in its purest sense; its connection to the divine source; increased psychism & intuition; mind, body & spirit in union; abundance of emotion; a new relationship; birth or pregnancy; sensual passion; inspired creativity. Sensitivity, being impressionable, felt senses, emotional awareness, compassion, empathy

Key Smbols: Chalice = Represents the feminine polarity. Signifies receptivity, containment or void depending on its orientation. Also symbolizes emotion, intuition and adaptability.

W/M = W= Wisdom M=Mary (Mary Mother of God)

Dove = Purity, peace and messages from The Divine.

Communion Wafer = The Eurchrist - Body of Christ. Meeting between Earth & Sky or Male & Female, or Physical & Non-physical

Dew Drops/ Yod = Existence or Aleph in disguise. Light hidden in manifestation. It shows itself to be based in a union with archetypal resistance.

Left Hand= Indicates Yin polarity - receptive nature

Lotus Flowers = Regenerative symbol of the soul.

As you can see, these cards are so rich in expression and much can be gleaned from them to help you interpret their meaning. I always tell my students that even though there is a "fundamental meaning" for each card in the Tarot, it is more important to learn the meaning of the symbols. It is those very symbols that give the cards any power and relevance to their use.

I hope this hs helped you and if you would like to learn more about Tarot, I teach classes for beginners all the way up to Certification level with N.S.M.A.

Thanks for reading!

All my LOVE

Alysa

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Alysa Bartha is a professional mystic, who teaches and works with spiritual seekers from all over the world. Her dynamic personality and passion for the mystic arts is infectious. She loves to bring her wealth of metaphysical knowledge and depth of experience to her clients and students by providing and teaching intuitive and spiritual practices.

Alysa brings nearly 3 decades of practice reading tarot which includes her unique experience as the Artist and co-creator of The Sirian Starseed Tarot which enjoys a global distribution

In her professional practice, Alysa is a master tarot reader & teacher, second-generation traditional western astrologer, numerologist, certified professional past-life regressionist, 7th degree Reiki Master Teacher, certified Life coach, published author, artist, and founder of the North Star Mystic Academy which opened in the fall 2019.

Alysa’s client’s and students return again and again because of her straightforward, honest and accurate readings and engaging teaching style. She is known for her ability to balance fun with professionalism

Alysa lives and works in Hillsburgh, Ontario