Answers to your Questions about Tarot: The Emperor and the Hierophant

Recently I wrote a blog post about the archetype of the Hierophant, and the ways in which three modern tarot artists had reinterpreted that archetype. After reading that post, a number of people requested that I make a comparison between the Emperor and the Hierophant.

When we discuss tarot cards from an archetypal perspective, we need to understand that archetypes are different from interpretations. Tarot interpretations can vary a great deal, based on the reader’s intuition, preferred tarot traditions, and the context of both the question and the surrounding cards.

Archetypes, on the other hand, are fixed. The only wiggle room with an archetype is in our relationship to it and our resonance with it.  This is an especially important point to consider regarding the Emperor and the Hierophant, since these archetypes both include the very yang energy of masculine authority. How we react to these cards says a lot about how we feel about masculine authority!

I often call the Emperor the authority of the community, and the Hierophant the authority of the church. When I say this, I am thinking about the time and place that gave birth to tarot, where religious authority would have carried a bit more weight than mere political authority. The question is how these archetypes translate into our modern times, when neither politicians nor priests are automatically feared or respected. In fact, some of the funniest jokes I know are about politicians and priests!

Every personality, every character, and every archetype has a light side and a shadow side. I generally see the archetypes of both the Emperor and the Hierophant as positive and well-intentioned. However, both of these archetypal characters have the potential for corruption and abuse.

It is easy to see the ways in which the archetypes of the Emperor and the Hierophant are similar. In what ways are they different?

It might be helpful to look at some of the cards’ correspondences. The Emperor is card number four, the number of stability. The Hierophant is card number five, the number of expansion.

The Emperor is related to Aries, and the element of Fire. The Hierophant is related to Taurus, and the element of Earth.

To me, the numbers and the elements of these two cards seem to balance each other out.  Four is stable, but Fire is expansive. Five is expansive, but Earth is stable.

What do I conclude from this?  The Emperor needs routine, but may step outside of daily activity in extraordinary circumstances. As a politician, he can declare war. The Hierophant seeks spiritual enlightenment, but is limited by his own humanity. As a priest, he longs to be something more than his human self. In fact, some people may worship the Hierophant.

When I consider the archetype of the Emperor, I see a respected community and family leader, a father and a politician. When I consider the archetype of the Hierophant, I see a person who has mastered a particular doctrine, a person who has become an authority of some specific body of knowledge. By comparison, the Emperor has earned his position by being responsible, likeable and present, rather than by learning a body of knowledge.

In a reading, both the Emperor and the Hierophant could indicate people, generally men. Both of these people could be either domineering or helpful. Both of these people are leaders. The Emperor may be political in the way he operates. The Emperor will do what is necessary to keep his people happy, or to protect them. The Hierophant will operate based on the particular discipline of his body of knowledge or his belief set. He cares less about how others regard him– his concern is adherence to his discipline or dogma.

Both the Emperor and the Hierophant can also represent institutions such as banks, hospitals, governments or corporations.

In a reading, the Hierophant can indicate advanced education, business ownership or being the boss. The Hierophant can also predict a wedding.

In a reading, the Emperor can indicate a position of stability and responsibility, or suggest that a particular situation is stable and reliable.

Thanks to everyone who asked this question. I hope you enjoy the video!

If you have questions about tarot, please email me.

Christiana Answers a Question about the Emperor and the Hierophant

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Answers to Your Questions about Tarot: Advanced Tarot Reading

Today’s question is from a serious tarot student. He writes:

I had someone tell me that as I grow more proficient with tarot, I'll find that I can see patterns before I even have time to logically interpret the cards. It’s kind of like there's less reliance on the concrete qualities of the deck itself.

This makes sense. In many ways, there are things that come up in readings that aren't always pinpointed by the card, but seem to be right on point. What are your thoughts on this?

What a great question, thank you!

This brings up the ongoing discussion of intuitive tarot versus interpretive tarot. I have a lot to say about that, but I first want to address a less-often-discussed phenomenon of tarot reading referenced in this question.

Can we know our cards and our process so well that we are able to draw information from them without have time to think about the cards or their symbols logically? Absolutely, yes, we can.

However, I would not say that this process is necessarily less reliance on traditional interpretation. Practice, use and confidence allow us to interpret the cards quickly, without having to think about them cognitively. It is the difference between knowing two plus two equals four, and having to count it out on your fingers. Either way, you will arrive at the same answer.

Something happens in a tarot reading. Words seem to flow from us. Sometimes we seem to be channeling wisdom and information from another, higher, source. I call this occurrence “being in the zone,” and equate it to other “zone experiences” we have, perhaps playing sports or making art or music.

Something even more happens in a reading. This is something beyond being in the zone or knowing your cards super-well. Perhaps it really is channeling. Perhaps it really involves communication with the spirit world. I truly believe that the cards can function as a psychic gateway, allowing us to commune with those in spirit.

As you become more proficient with tarot, a few things can happen. You can know your cards so well that you won’t have to think to interpret them. You can enter the zone; a state where your energy is truly flowing and elevating your process to a higher level. You can also become an open channel for spiritual forces who speak through you, and through the cards.

Now, let’s talk intuitive tarot and interpretive tarot. There are many tarotists, even professional readers, who have never actually studied tarot, nor memorized a key word, nor learned a particular set of associations. Intuitive readers let the colors, images and psychic nature of the cards guide them.

This is a very effective reading technique. In fact, if you can’t allow that sort of flow to happen in a reading, you aren’t ready for professional reading.

There are intuitive readers who warn against the practice of tarot study, saying that memorizing interpretive values will confuse you, and take you out of your intuitive mind and into your logical mind where the flow doesn’t happen.

This is why I think what this person said is so smart. Tarot confusion doesn’t come from tarot study. Tarot confusion comes from not studying enough. When you know the cards cold, you can rely on your inner knowledge of their traditions and interpretations, and open yourself to the flow of the reading and the wisdom of Spirit.

A final point speaks to the comment that often information is revealed in a reading that doesn’t seem to correlate to any particular card. If I see someone might visit China, it is clear I didn’t see a “China” card within the tarot. Where did I get that information? A small element within a card image may have triggered a memory, or a thought, or an image in my mind. That’s how it usually works. That’s why I prefer colorful tarot decks with intricate designs.

That’s how my process seems to work, and how I interpret what you were told, based on my experience. Other people have different tarot experiences, I’m sure. The more we can talk openly about our experiences with the cards, the more we will learn about the seemingly limitless ways in which tarot can work.

Thanks for a great question. If you have a question about tarot, please email me.

Christiana Answers a Question about Advanced Tarot Reading

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Answers to Your Questions about Tarot: The Devil, and Presenting the Darker Cards

I am so excited to share this question and answer with you. It’s a follow-up to an earlier video on Tarot and Christianity. Here’s the letter from Michele in its entirety. I had to share it because of her awesome “Airplane” reference.

Dear Christiana,

Hi! Your video on Christianity and the Tarot was really enlightening. Here are two related questions.

I know of a tarot reader who lost a friend because that person thought that tarot was a "tool of the devil". It's a tough sell to explain that it's not when that card is actually in the deck. Personally, I've come to appreciate the card's symbolism. It's even had positive meanings in some spreads like "look out for your own best interests".  How do you explain the Devil card to someone?

 In a newer deck some of the cards that can seem frightening were renamed. To give two examples: The Tower became Life Experience and Death became Release. Again, I can embrace the symbolic meaning of the cards. Yet, I don't always enjoy the images either. When I see The Tower for instance, my first reaction is, "Surely this can't be good." How do you feel about renaming the cards? (And I'll stop calling you Shirley!)

Many Thanks,

Michele

P.S. Thank you so much for your Video posts. I've really learned so much and gained new perspective on the Tarot because of them. They're much appreciated!

Michele, thanks so much for your support, and for some great questions.

When I explain the Devil to someone, I remind them that tarot comes out of Roman Catholic Italy, and includes many symbols familiar to Christians, including a “devil” image.

We need to remember that within Christianity, there are many denominations, each with significant doctrinal differences. Not all Christian denominations are fundamentalists, or biblical literalists. Not all Christian denominations believe in Satan, or “the Devil,” as an actual entity.

Many Christians see the biblical references to Satan as symbolic and allegorical. What does the symbol of Satan represent? Perhaps Satan represents the things we attach ourselves to that don’t serve us. Satan represents temptation, materialism and unhealthy behavior.

Now, let’s look at the Devil card in the Major Arcana of tarot. What does it represent? To many people, it represents unhealthy attachments, temptation and materialism! So we can see that, coming out of a culture of Christianity, the Devil is an appropriate symbol to describe our need to really look within and acknowledge and release our unhealthy attachments.

Now, when I am speaking with folks who acknowledge the Devil as a spiritual and corporeal entity, I can present the Devil card in a way that really speaks to them. I like to show them the Waite image, and show how the human captives are free to walk away at any time, but choose not to.

I ask them to consider the ways in which they are not “walking away from the Devil.”

Many of my Christian clients are able to understand and change their unhealthy behavior by using this process.

I also explain the Devil as the gatekeeper on the path to spiritual enlightenment. As card 15, the Devil is the first card of the last seven. I see these last seven cards as describing our path to enlightenment. We must confront the Devil on our way to that enlightenment.

I think whether we see the Devil as literal or symbolic, most of us can understand the process of confronting the Devil. I will sometimes talk about Jesus’ temptation in the desert in this context. With what does the Devil tempt you? How do you grow from that understanding? How do you heal from this temptation?

There are many ways tarot can lend itself to the practice of Christian devotion.

I appreciate your concept that the Devil can have positive interpretations. I’ve seen the Devil come up to indicate the difficult things we chose to do to help the people we love; caring for the sick and dying, for instance.

Now, all of that being said, there are still people who will find tarot inappropriate, and who will insist that the cards are evil. And some of those people believe the Earth is 5000 years old and Jesus rode on dinosaurs. There will always be superstitious people in the world, and there will always bigots. It is not our job to change every mind and every heart. Losing a friend who proves themselves to be ignorant and closed-minded isn’t really a tragedy.

Now, for the second question. The deck you are referencing is Doreen Virtue’s Angel Tarot. One of my problems with this deck is the way Hay House marketed it, suggesting that Doreen was with first to adjust some of the Major Arcana names to make them less disturbing.

Long before Doreen Virtue’s Angel Tarot were Connolly Tarot and Celtic Dragon Tarot, just to name a couple. Both of these decks, and many others, rename some of the Majors for the same reason. How do I feel about this practice? Personally, I don’t love it, but I appreciate that it makes tarot accessible to some folks who otherwise might not embrace it.

I think if you choose to use such a deck your understanding of the cards will be improved if you learn their traditional names and interpretations, as well as the slant given by the particular deck. I don’t think that such a deck will perform and better or worse than any other deck, if you like it, it is the perfect deck for you.

I also think that, if you are reading for the public, you recognize that some decks may make people more comfortable than others. As a rule, a deck which has softened the impact of card names will do the same with images, making the deck a bit more public-friendly, if you care about that sort of thing.

Now, finally, to your very valid point about how we react to the cards, regardless of our intellectual understanding of them. “Surely this can’t be good.”

Yes, we have all been there. What if this natural reaction is part of the healing nature of tarot?

Consider this scenario. In a reading, you see something that you react to in a negative way. As you process the reading, you come to accept that some things may go differently than you had hoped.

You make some plans and preparations in case your understanding of the cards’ message is accurate, and you figuratively buckle your seat belt.

When the Tower comes in real life, you’re ready. You are able to navigate it easily, because you have already had a chance to react to it, in advance.

In retrospect, that the situation was predicted is often a comfort. What is foreseen resonates as something that is meant to be, or something that may serve a greater purpose.

Sometimes, too, the dark cards are comforting. When they appear to show us that the Universe registers our pain, we feel validated. Sometimes looking at a picture of how much something sucks helps us to get a handle on it.

The question is, would the renamed cards and gentler images have the same effect in these two circumstances? Maybe yes, Maybe no.

I think tarot reflects life, and life has a lot of horrible stuff in it, as well as a lot of beauty. I think, as a society, our desire to pretend the horrible stuff doesn’t exist hasn’t helped us, but that’s just my opinion.

The most important thing is that each person has to use the deck(s) that works for them. It's good that there are so many different decks from which to choose.

Thanks for a great question! Enjoy the video. If you have a quesiton about tarot, send me an email!

Christiana Answers Questions about the Devil, Christianity, and the Darker Cards

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Answers to Your Questions about Tarot: How to Learn Tarot

Answers to Your Questions about Tarot

Today’s questions comes from Jean-Phylipe, a new tarot student working with Tarot de Marseille, and definitely on a spiritual journey. His questions are:

1. Learning tarot is somewhat lengthy. I can’t seem to read the tarot if I don't have the book with me. Do you have any tips on how to be able to use tarot, or learn it in a way that is simple and straightforward. I read for some friends and family, and pulling out the booklet seems to lose the tarot’s credibility for them.

2. While I love tarot, I’ve opened up to many different divinations. I was wondering if you use other tools during a tarot reading?  This is something I would love to do, since a book I translated is called Chinese Fortune Sticks, and I feel like I could adopt this as a second tool to enhance the reading. Is this something that is common with practitioners, or do most stick to one tool?

These are great questions. That you are asking these questions tells me you are really on a great path as a student of tarot and spirituality.

Yes, tarot is tough to learn. Heck, if it were easy, everyone would do it. Some may argue that your chosen deck, Tarot de Marseille, is harder to learn than a more fully illustrated deck would be.

I have four suggestions to help tarot students memorize the cards. The last suggestion is perhaps the most important, and addresses you comment about referring to the book during a reading.

Arguably, the hardest cards to memorize are the forty pip cards; the Minor Arcana.  Here is a hint to help with them.

First, think about numerology and the Four Elements. What does each number represent? What do each of the Four Elements represent? Then you can put it together. So, for example, if one, or Ace, is a new beginning, and Pentacles, or Earth, is about material matters, perhaps the Ace of Pentacles would be a new job or new money. If Cups, or Water, is about emotional matters, then the Ace of Cups might be about a new emotion, or a new relationship.

The second suggestion is to assign key words to each card, and create flash cards with the name of the card on one side, and the key words you’ve assigned to the card on the other. Memorizing key words to associate in your mind with a name of a card as well as a picture can be extremely helpful if you ever switch decks, or are caught without a deck and want to do a reading.

The third suggestion is to look at each image and associate the key words with the image by making specific connections. This is easier in a deck with fully illustrated pips, of course, but no matter how a card is illustrated you can look at shapes, colors and arrangements to draw a correlation to your card meaning.

The forth and most important suggestion is to do exactly what you have been doing, and refer to the book, or many books, or even “Google” the card on your smartphone.

If you are reading professionally, referring to the book is tacky. If you are a student, referring to the book is appropriate. But, how do you do this without, as you said, losing credibility?

The key to interpretive divination is interpretation. Each card has a variety of appropriate meanings. Cards are often placed in specific positions in spreads, or drawn to answer specific questions.

The books will only give you a jumping-off place. It is your job to take the possible card meanings, the position meanings, the context of the question, the trends within the cards as they appear in the spread and your own intuition to create an actual interpretation. Whether you get the card meanings portion of the interpretation from your memory, from a book or from several books doesn’t matter. What matters is how you take the book meanings and create a specific interpretation in the reading.

There are some methods of divination, such as I Ching, that always refer to a book. Still, the value of the divination is not just in reading the passage. The value is in discovering what enlightenment the passage brings when applied to the current question or situation.

By doing many practice readings where you refer to the written meanings and then perform the interpretation, you will learn the cards easily over time. You will remember the way the cards came up in previous readings, and learn how the cards speak to you.

To use the book in a reading without losing credibility, simply own it with confidence. Say, “The Five of Swords is in your past position, let’s see what the book says about the Five of Swords.”

Read the passage, and then allow your intuition and your understanding of the context to expand the written interpretation into an interpretation that really resonates.

Eventually, you will remember the cards and it will just be too much trouble to go to the book!

In answer to your second question, simply, yes! Most of us have other tools and other skills that we find ways to fit in to the structure of a reading. I sometimes like to incorporate some palmistry, pendulum, or maybe some oracle cards or even a second tarot deck!

It is fine to experiment, and allow intuition to lead you as you learn to integrate companion tools and skills into your tarot readings. Over time, the way you use companion tools and skills will help to define you unique tarot reading style.

Thanks for two great questions, enjoy the video, and blessings your tarot journey!

If you have a question about tarot, please send me an email

Christiana Answers Questions about How to Learn Tarot

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Answers to Your Questions about Tarot: Being Objective in Self Reading

This week’s question comes from a new tarot student who is developing a self-reading practice, but is having a hard time being objective in interpreting the answers she receives from tarot.

This is a common question. In fact, it’s one I address in my premium Webinar, Personal Tarot – Reading for Yourself.

I would add that objectivity is not just a difficulty for self-reading, it is also hard to be objective when reading for anyone you care about – friends, family, even long-term clients in the professional setting.

Some readers say that, since it is hard to be objective, we just shouldn’t read for ourselves or our close friends and family.

I don’t like the school of thought that says we should avoid things because they are difficult. Learning to do difficult things well takes time, but the results are always worthwhile.

Learning objectivity allows us to access the wisdom of tarot in self-reading, and makes us better readers for our clients.

Today, let’s focus on some basic things we need to do to stay objective in tarot.

Overall, you will have an easier time if you make these three practices part of your life.

1. Recognize your own bias, and your own fears.
2. In order to negate fear, we must first acknowledge the role fear can play in interpreting the cards.An anxious or pessimistic person is likely to interpret a card in a more negative way than an optimistic person will.  A person who doesn’t want to face hard truths might sugar-coat an interpretation.
3. Be aware of your particular tendencies. Be aware of your fears.
4. Adopt an attitude of surrender when confronting that which is out of your control.
5. Trust that the Universe is unfolding as it should, even if it doesn’t feel that way at the moment.
6. Be as proactive as you can be to create what you want in life.
7. If you have done everything possible to help yourself, you can relax and be open to what comes next!

Practicing these three steps will help you to release anxiety and unhealthy attachments.

Before you begin even the most casual or short tarot reading, make sure you create sacred space. Release your worries, focus your mind, and invoke your spiritual guardians. The more serious you are about divination as a spiritual practice, the more you will be able to tap in to the wisdom of the Universe.

When you are ready to read, make sure your question is as open-ended as possible. “What do I need to know about…?” Is better than “Will this happen?”

Likewise, make sure your question is of a spiritual nature. “What is my lesson from this relationship?” is a better question than “What is my ex doing right now?”

Here is an exercise to help you maintain objectivity in your readings.

Look at each of the twenty-two Major Arcana cards.

What lesson does each Major Arcana card have for you about maintaining objectivity?

For instance, perhaps the Fool maintains objectivity by living in the moment and not worrying about what comes next. Perhaps the Magician keeps a good inventory of resources in order to be prepared for whatever comes.

If you like, share your exercise in the comments, or make a video about it!

And, if you have a question about tarot, send me an email!

Christiana Answers a Question about Objectivity

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Answers to your Questions about Tarot: Third Party Readings

Today’s question is something I’ve been thinking about for a while.  It’s a nice bit of synchronicity that I just received this question from Linda, a new professional reader who is building a successful practice.

She writes:

Hi Christiana!

 I could use your advice on the topic of 3rd party readings. I recently had a client ask in an email reading:

 “How excited "X" is about me and the possibility of a full-on relationship?”

 To me this is a "third party" reading. How can I tell her how "X" feels when I know nothing about "X"? Of course I don't know much about my client either except that a new relationship is on the horizon.

There are basically two schools of thought on this (yes/no) and I know that you talk about it in Fortune Stellar. My current ethics policy states: "I will not do a third party reading (a reading about someone else). Instead, I will offer to rephrase the question to focus the reading on what is directly related to you."

I guess I am not opposed entirely to doing them, but I am not sure of the ways to approach it for me as I learn my own tarot voice. How do I prepare mySelf and protect mySelf (my energy) when doing a reading of this sort. I want to guide my clients on a path toward self-reflection, inner wisdom and peace with their life "now".

In this case, why wouldn't the client just ask their partner how he/she feels? Right? I realize people come to tarot when they are stuck and seeking help and answers to get them to the next step. If I would open mySelf to do a 3rd party reading what 3-5 things would you say to me to help me prepare in a way that will guide my querent?   

First I want to answer the question about the possibility of using tarot to know how another person is feeling.

I would maintain that it is certainly possible do this. It is usually as simple as asking “How is X feeling about this?” And pulling a couple of cards.

The larger question, though, is one of ethics.

 I understand that we all have a different understanding of what works and doesn’t work for us as tarot readers.  I feel we all need to be concerned about ethics as tarot readers, but we may differ on what feels right for each of us.

I believe it is important to have a code of ethics. Our clients should be able to know upfront what our ethical boundaries are.

Within my own ethics, I think that there are times that third party readings make sense to do, for two reasons. First, if I am having a reading and I want to know about my life, I need to know about the people in my life, because they are what’s most important to me.

Second, tarot is a tool we use to strategize. Having information that is not knowable by other means is a strategic advantage we get from tarot. I don’t have a problem helping a person figure out how to please their boss, for instance, or find the perfect birthday present for their sixteen-year-old.

Now, let’s look at our example.

“How excited is X about me and the possibility of a full-on relationship?”

Linda’s comment that the client should just ask X made me giggle a little, because so often people ask questions of tarot that are better answered by other methods. (My favorite: Am I pregnant? A pregnancy test is twenty dollars. A reading with me is more than that).

But, here’s the truth. How often have we asked our friends “Do you think he likes me?” or “do you think he’s ready for a relationship?”

Clearly, the client wants to know what her chances are before she considers making a move.

I agree with Linda that rephrasing the question is in order here, but it will still be a third-party reading.

I would break the question into a few questions, as follows.

Is X interested in having a relationship in general at this time?

What is X’s capacity to be emotionally available for a relationship at this time?

What are X’s impressions of me at this time?

Now, let’s talk about the ethics of this sort of reading. As I see it, this is exactly the kind of reading that many of us are asked to do, and have been doing, since the dawn of time. Speculating about relationship possibilities is something we do as humans, with our friends and with our tarot readers.

I would argue there is real value to the process of answering these questions. I think this reading could help the client sort out her own feelings and come to a decision in terms of whether and how she wants to pursue this relationship.

So now the question is, when might third-party readings cross an ethical boundary? Linda asked for a few things to keep in mind, and so here there are.

First, the client needs to be reminded that they must make their own decisions when it comes to their relationships. You may look at a potential suitor and warn the client against them. That’s fine (and often helpful) but make sure the client understands that the choice to pursue or not pursue is theirs alone.

If you don’t see a good outcome but the client wants to pursue it anyway, you can ask questions of the cards such as “What is the best way for my client to approach this relationship?” or “What pitfalls should my client be prepared for?” or “What can my client do to make this relationship work to its best potential?”

Second, the spirit, or the energy, of the reading, should be for the highest good, and for the healing of all.

In Judaism there is a strict prohibition against gossip and evil speech, known as Lashon Hara.  For me, this serves as the basis for my code of ethics on the topic of third party readings.

My personal code of ethics directs me to make a distinction between a third-party reading that helpful or at least harmless, and a third party reading that is gossip.

This is where rephrasing a question can help quite a bit. If the question seems more gossipy than healing, try to figure out what is bothering the person, and find a way to ask the question that is more oriented toward healing than gossip.

Finally, sometimes people want third-party readings about ex-partners, ex-bosses and ex-friends.

While tarot can be a tool to help us heal from painful breakups, there are some clients who will use tarot readings as a way of staying stuck in the past, rather than healing and moving on.

When a client wants to know about their ex, and it is clear that their ex is not sitting at another tarot table asking about them, it is time to give the client some helpful information about how to get closure and move on, rather than feeding their unhealthy  attachments to the past.

I really appreciate Linda's important question, as well as her grounded and spiritual attitude about her tarot practice.

Enjoy the video!

If you have a question about tarot, please email me!

Christiana Answers a Question about Third Party Readings

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Answers to your Questions about Tarot: Using Oracles with Tarot

Today’s question is from Matteo. He writes:

It's Matteo again. I hope you are doing well! I'm writing to you again because I have another question that I hope you will help me with. The question is: do you have any useful tips or techniques to share for blending tarot and oracle decks in the same reading? And is it possible to do so without necessarily "tarotizing" oracles or... "oraclizing" tarot? (Third possible question: is it really bad to tarotize oracle decks?)

I've never been a huge fan of oracle decks (or Lenormand/ Italian Sibille cards, for that matter) and I always thought tarot to be an all-encompassing tool which needs no support other than a good question and a quiet corner to spread the cards. However, some time ago I had the chance to play around a bit with a friend's Oracle of visions, and after watching your review I finally fell in love and decided to buy it. I really feel connected to the cards, to the point that I don't even need tarot knowledge to understand them, and think that somehow they could fit in my readings well.

Thanks for a great question, Matteo.

You and I very much on the same page.  I agree, tarot is limitless in its function; no other tools are needed. However, there is also no problem with using another oracle, media or tool as part of a tarot reading, and the ways that you can do that are as limitless as tarot itself.

As you know, I also agree with you about Ciro Marchetti’s Oracle of Visions. It is a fabulous oracle deck.

First, let’s talk about the word “oracle.” An oracle can be a person who communes with spirits, a tool used to commune with spirits, or the message that is received.

So every tarot deck is an oracle, every tarot reader is an oracle, and every tarot reading is an oracle.

We use the term “oracle cards” or “oracle deck” to delineate between tarot decks and non-tarot oracles.

Incorporating non-tarot oracles into your tarot reading is a great idea for a few reasons.

First, the non-tarot oracles are often simple and pretty, and therefore very accessible for the nervous client.

Second, the way you incorporate companion skills and tools is part of what defines your unique reading style.

Third, the introduction of companion skills and tools can offer validation of the messages you are receiving, and can enhance the reading in terms of energy and information.

Ways to incorporate oracles into tarot readings are as limitless as your own imagination.

One possibility is to start the reading with an oracle card to set the tone of the reading. You could also pull an oracle card at the end for a final “wrap-up message.”

There are also oracle decks with specific themes that might be helpful for addressing specific questions.

Don’t be afraid to explore the many ways you can use oracles to enhance your tarot readings.

Enjoy the video!

Thanks for a great question. If you have a question about tarot, please email me.

Christiana Answers a Question about Using Oracles with Tarot

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Answers to your Questions about Tarot: Choosing a Beginner Deck

What deck is best for beginners?

That’s a question I hear a lot.

Some people will say that you have to choose a deck you feel “connected” with.  They might tell you to go to the New Age Shop or the Amazon website and chose the deck that “calls” to you.

I think that’s not very helpful advice.

Yes, it is true that, once you become a reader, some decks will sing in your hands and others will feel a little flat. It’s also true that you may not know which will be which until you have spent some time working with a deck to get a real feel for it.

It’s perfectly ok to buy a deck because you think it’s pretty, or because you feel “drawn to it.” But if your goal is to really learn how to read tarot, and work with tarot, and understand tarot, you might want to look beyond the pretty pictures and learn about the features that separate one tarot deck from other. Otherwise it’s a lot like buying a new stove because you liked the color, and not worrying about whether it is gas or electric, or has the number of burners you need, or will actually fit in your kitchen.

Tarot decks are collectible, and, except at the most rare levels, tarot decks are affordable. You can have as many lovely decks as you like.

When you are just starting out learning tarot, though, I suggest that you ignore the conventional wisdom that says “Just buy the one you feel drawn to,” and instead, actually learn enough about tarot to make an educated decision and purchase a deck with which you can learn.

Many people divide tarot decks into “beginner decks” and “not-for-beginner decks.” Typically “not-for-beginner-decks” stray from standard symbols, images and interpretations. Some tarot decks really are “their own thing.” Some examples of decks I would put in this category include “Animals Divine Tarot,” “Tarot of Transformation,” Doreen Virtue’s “Angel Tarot,” “Voyager Tarot,” and, to some extent, “Motherpeace Tarot.”

I think if you really want to start with a non-standard deck like this, you can. To do this, you need to study the book that is written for the deck, and learn the deck as its own system.

You may find value in a standard beginner tarot class even if your deck is very different from the other students’ as long as the instructor is willing to work with you and as long as you are willing to do the extra work to learn your deck’s special system.

The downside of this method is that you will miss some basic understanding of tarot archetypes and traditions, and won’t easily be able to transition to another deck without learning that system.

There are arguably three standard tarot traditions. Most tarot decks are either a clone one of these, or are inspired by one, or a combination of these.

The three traditions are Waite, Crowley and Marseilles. Each has their own value. Some tarotists will say that one traditions is more “true,” or more powerful than another. To me, each tradition is valid.

Here is where, if you feel drawn to one tradition over the others, you might let yourself be intuitively guided.   Just make sure that you also intellectually understand the challenges and advantages of each possible system.

There are many who would argue that the Waite images are the clearest, easiest to learn, and easiest to understand. Another advantage of the Waite system is there are so many decks to choose from, including different editions of the Waite deck itself (Universal, Radiant, Smith Commemorative, etc.) as well as the Waite “clones,” including Hanson Roberts, Robin Wood, Morgan Greer and many others. Within the confines of the Waite tradition, the new reader does have the opportunity to choose the deck that feels most appealing.

The Crowley Harris Thoth deck is lovely. Many people find its images more evocative and powerful than Waite’s, and many people resonate with the Crowley keywords.

Some decks, such as “Sun and Moon Tarot,” honor aspects of both Crowley and Waite traditions.

A Marseilles style tarot will not have illustrated pip cards. People who prefer Marseilles decks enjoy the intuitive freedom that comes when we work with patterns, symbols and numbers rather than pictures of people doing things.

Some Marseilles-type decks have some small illustrations on the pips, along with the suit icons figured prominently in the proper number. Examples of this would be “Dali Universal Tarot” and “Royal Thai Tarot.”

Another type of deck to consider, especially if you prefer the Waite tradition, is a beginner deck with full interpretations printed on the cards themselves. Example of this are “Quick and Easy Tarot” and “Tell Me Tarot.”

I am not always a fan of this type of deck, for two reasons.

I think the printed interpretations can limit our understanding of the cards, and our ability to reach past standard interpretations to reading-specific interpretations.

I also worry that having the meanings written on the cards might discourage the memorization process.

That being said, I have seen struggling students suddenly develop a strong understanding of the cards from using these sorts of decks.

If you think you would benefit from such a deck, go for it. Just make sure you get a grown-up deck before you start reading in public, and don't get lazy about developing your own relationship with each card!

Once you understand a little bit about the types of tarot decks available to you, it will be easy to choose the right learning deck for you!

Enjoy the video, and if you have questions about tarot, please email me!

Christiana Answers a Question about Choosing a Beginner Tarot Deck

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Answers to Your Questions about Tarot: What I Wish I Had Known

Our question comes from a tarot student. She writes:

I would appreciate if you could tell briefly if there was one thing you wish you'd known when you started your professional career, what would it be?

At first the question seemed simple. It’s actually taken me a little while to figure out my answer; much longer than I thought it would.

I have very few regrets; my tarot business has been, and continues to be, successful. I continue to enjoy doing what I do.

But, I’ve thought of two things I really do wish I had known. One might be a cautionary tale for you. The other, well, the other is one that may be unavoidable.

I wish I had known just how much writing would be an important part of my business, and I wish I had treated my writings – class plans, handouts, articles – as the precious things they were.

When I had a new computer with just five documents in it, it never occurred to me to use proper naming conventions. I couldn’t imagine that, in a few short years, I would have thousands of documents and no way to sort through them.

I wish I had understood the subtleties of the way tarot speaks, especially when predicting the future.

There are some things you learn with experience, and there is no way around that. The good news is that we tarot readers just get better as we get older. The bad news is that there were times I had to get it wrong in the beginning to be able to get it right, now.

If I could narrow that bit down, it would be this. In tarot, there is something I call the “minority report,” after the Tom Cruise movie. You might be looking to predict an outcome, and get three cards. Two that strongly predict one outcome, and a third with a different message. As a young reader, I may have had a tendency to gloss over the minority card, and focus on what seemed like the stronger prediction. Sometimes that worked in my favor, and sometimes it didn’t.

The cards never lie. Sometimes the truth they tell is that there is more than one possibility for the future, or that the future is still up for grabs.

Tarot is a helpful tool for getting a glimpse at the future. Now, I know to pay attention to all possibilities, even ones I hadn’t considered. I know to ask more questions of the cards, even questions my client hasn’t verbalized. I know to use my intuition to expand the reading to include all possibilities, not just the most likely or the most desirable. I wish I had been able to do that in the beginning of my career, but I think sometimes skills and wisdom are born of experience.

Thanks for a great question. If you have a question about tarot, please email me!

Enjoy the video!

Christiana Answers a Question about Getting Started as a Tarot Reader

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Answers to your Questions about Tarot: Public Readings in Small Towns

Today’s question comes from Laura. She writes, in part:

Hi there! I have a question for you. I've been studying tarot for about 2 years now, and I'm starting to feel confident enough in my readings to do them locally in my town. The only problem is that I live in a small town (about 4000 people) and we do have a fair amount of churches here. My question is have you ever had or heard of experiences with public tarot readings in a small town?

What a great question! The short answer is, yes! I’ve set up to do tarot readings at school events, church events, art shows, craft fairs, music festivals, street fairs, bars, nightclubs, restaurants,  bookstores, agricultural fairs, fundraisers, expos- you name it!

Enjoy the video. If you have a question about tarot, please email me!

Christiana Answers a Question about Tarot Reading in Small Towns

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