Tea-break Tarot School

Good day to you, student of the cards.

How did you get on with your tarot wishes?

Today we’re going to talk about some preliminaries.  But before we start take a moment.  Put your feet flat on the floor and take three, slow, deep breaths.  Allow yourself to be.

Let’s begin. Remember these lessons and the linked activities are designed to take just ten minutes a day . Tarot works well in the midst of life,  the cards speak to what’s going on in our lives, and our lives reflect back to us the messages of the cards.  It’s a kind of magic 🙂

Today I want to talk about simple rituals and sacred space. Rituals are a form of routine. You probably have a ritual for getting up and ready in the morning, or for organising your grocery shopping. These rituals are ways you’re going to connect with your tarot practice.

Firstly let’s consider setting up your workspace.  Where are you going to read cards?  Obviously you can read them any place, on the train on the way to work, in a coffee shop, during your lunch break, at the soft-play while the kids are burning off some energy, on the floor in your room.  Anywhere.  But it’s also good to have a place that is generally where you do your tarot work, it helps you “get into the zone”.  We live in a shared house so for me the best place to read is in my bedroom, often sitting on the bed or floor and accompanied by moggies.  To set the tone when I’m reading I might light a candle, set my cards out on a cloth or scarf and arrange some crystals around them.  I also sometimes choose a little goddess to work with me and remind me that the divine is with me.  These are my rituals and the tools I like to work with.  I also use things I find, for instance shells from the beach or snail shells, feathers, flowers, pieces of drift wood or sea glass, acorns or conkers.  All of these things set out thoughtfully help me to enter sacred space.

You might choose a corner of your living room or your kitchen table, you might read in your study or have a cabin or shed outside you can commandeer for your space.  Like me you might choose to be in your bedroom if that’s your most peaceful place.

The simplest way I find to create sacred space is to light a candle.  It can be whatever kind of candle you like.  Obviously the usual safety precautions apply (you can take the teacher out of the classroom…be careful with fire kids).

Please remember this is your tarot journey.  Whatever works for you, works for you.  It’s your way of creating sacred space, in your place.  Whatever you have heard about working with tarot, it is a tool and it is for using.  There are no rules.  I mean there are rules, because people make up  rules all the time, but you don’t have to follow those rules.  There is no tarot police out there coming to knock your door down because you shuffled casino style or because you keep your cards in a margarine tub.  It’s all good. Like any tool you learn how to use it and then, you use it.  Tarot is an art, you are a tarot artisan, a weaver, a tarot-smith.  This is the start of learning that craft.

If you’d like to share your thoughts or pictures or have a chat I’m around on my Facebook page or you can find me on Instagram.  Looking forward to seeing what you’re exploring 🙂

Exercise 2

Today’s practical work…choose your sacred space and decide on your own tarot ritual.  There is a brief example below.  It is just that. An example.  Use it. Mash it up.  Chop it into pieces and make a collage with it.  Throw it out and start fresh. You’ve got this.

Tarot work ritual framework

• Light a candle.
• Take three deep breaths.
• If you work with the divine pray to your guides/ God(s)/ angels for support and guidance in your work
• [Insert tarot work here]
• Thank guides/ God(s)/ angels
• Extinguish candle
• Ground – use a grounding exercise (a brief one offered here for guidance) and  have a drink and a snack.