additional help for your tarot journey Keeping a Tarot Journal
One of the most effective ways I've found for people to get more in touch with their tarot cards is to keep a tarot journal. The first step is to shuffle the deck at night, pull three cards, and place them face down, from right to left. The cards are left in that position until the next evening, when they are then turned face up and studied. The reason you don't look at the cards beforehand is that you don't want to influence your expectations for the day. Also, if they are difficult cards, you might be upset without cause.
The first card represents the events of the morning, the second card represents the afternoon's events, and the third card represents the evening's events. By studying what cards come up and reviewing the day's events, you can see a connection to each card and perhaps gain some meanings that you alone will associate with a particular card.
For example, one evening, on looking at the day's cards, I had the 4 of Swords for the morning card, the Sun card in the afternoon, and the Knight of Pentacles in the evening. That day I awoke very sick and had to spend the morning in bed (the 4 of Swords can be meditating and resting). In the afternoon I received a phone call from a friend I had not talked to in at least a year! (The Sun represents happy feelings, and is, in my opinion, the card in the deck that offsets negative cards.) I was also starting to feel much better in the afternoon. That evening a dark-haired man with brown eyes dropped over to see me-the Knight of Pentacles (no, he wasn't my knight in shining armor, only a friend).
By this example you can see that the practice of associating the seventy-eight cards with actual events in your life can go a long way toward getting the cards to communicate to you, and will make you a more effective and accurate reader. Numbers and the Cards Numerology is probably one of the oldest forms of divination. Ever since people began to count and order things, they gave numbers special powers. Some were considered lucky, while others (such as the number thirteen) are still looked upon unfavorably.
Odd numbers (1, 3, 5, 7, 9) are considered masculine or active. Even numbers (2, 4, 6, 8) are feminine or passive. When an inordinate amount of one number comes up in a reading, it will especially emphasize the meaning of the number. For example, three or four aces show many new beginnings; three or four tens show that matters are being completed in several areas of life.
To find the basic numerical value of a number, add up the digits (for example, in the number 13, 1 + 3 = 4) to reduce it to a single digit. For example, the Lovers and the Devil, numbers 6 and 15 (1 + 5 = 6), both become the number 6 in this system. The High Priestess (2), Justice (11, 1 + 1 = 2), and the World (20, 2 + 0 = 2) all resonate to the same 2 vibration. Here are the definitions of the numbers: Zero The number 0 symbolizes the limitless light of creation, unbounded space, and the primordial source. The circular shape of the number has the properties of no beginning or end. Zero is called the number of God. It signifies the Fool in the tarot.
One The number 1 represents unity, the number of purpose and new beginnings. It is characterized by action, ambition, and aggression. It also represents the ego of a person, and when multiplied by itself into infinity, it still remains the number 1. Geometrically, the dot or point is associated with the number 1. This number signifies the Magician, the Wheel of Fortune, and the Sun in the Major Arcana, and the aces in the Minor Arcana.
Two The number 2 is the number of duality. It shows the two natures of things-good and bad, light and dark, yin and yang, joy and sorrow, etc. It stands for balance as well as contrast and maintains its equilibrium through a mixture of positive and negative qualities. It represents the unconscious mind of man. Geometrically, the straight line connecting two points is associated with the number 2. This number signifies the High Priestess, Justice, and the World in the Major Arcana, and the twos in the Minor Arcana.
Three The number 3 shows versatility, as symbolized by the triangle. It combines talent with creativity, making it the most adaptable of all numbers. The number 3 is the result of the combination of the first two numbers and therefore also represents completion of a cycle and the first geometric shape. Many people believe that "things happen in threes." This number is associated with the Empress, the Hanged Man, and the World in the Major Arcana, and with the threes in the Minor Arcana.
Four The number 4 is the number of steadiness and endurance, as represented by the square geometrically. Its solidity is shown by the four points of a compass, the four seasons of the year, and the four basic elements of earth, air, fire, and water. It stabilizes and builds a foundation. The number 4 is associated with the Emperor and Death in the Major Arcana, and with the fours in the Minor Arcana.
Five The number 5 is the first of the spiritual odd numbers. It symbolizes adventure, experience, and uncertainty, and sometimes conflict. The pentagram (five-pointed star) represents man with his five extremities (his head, two arms, and two legs) and...(Continues)
