Tarot for Thought: Start of the Journey

I first became curious about Tarot reading when I saw a small box set (nowhere near the size of the standard Tarot cards) at a Border's bookstore. My mother encouraged me to try it out and I bought myself my first deck at age 13. Back then, I wasn't aware of the warning that you should never buy a deck for yourself but the deck should be given to you as a gift. Nothing bad happened but my readings back then were such a blur that I don't remember how accurate they actually were. The deck itself was pretty cute though. The illustrations were cartoonish. I remember that the Death card was a skull on top of an hourglass with a few butterflies floating around it. Anyways, I'm not exactly sure where that deck is but I think I may have left it with a friend and I moved away for college shortly afterwards and never got it back (another Tarot violation is to never let anyone use your cards...oops!)

So I was deck-less for a few months until Christmas (I think?) where one of my best friends bought me a "Simply Tarot: Book & Gift Set" from Barnes & Nobles. For the first time, I had a deck that was the standard size and it just felt more legit, for some reason. I'm heavily reliant on the book but that's the purpose of this blog. I want to study the cards so I am no longer flipping through pages of what it means. 

I've done many readings for friends and I don't know whether I'm imagining it or not but, after awhile, I feel drained of a significant amount of energy. My rules are the client I'm reading for must shuffle the cards anyway they like and for as long as they feel they need to. Their thoughts may be focused on one question or thought or completely clear to let the cards tell them what they need to be told. If what they were thinking did not show up in the reading, I believe that the cards are directing their attention toward something more urgent or important.

I have done daily readings, yearly readings, and readings specifically about relationship matters (I tried out specific spreads I found online). I feel like about 80% of my readings are accurate and I have done a yearly reading on a friend where just about everything came true except that he didn't win the lottery. I hope that, through this journey of studying the cards I have had for so long, I will acquire the skills to conduct even more accurate readings.

Now, let me tackle the religion issue before I get blasted, yes, I believe in God. No, I'm not a Wiccan. No, I don't believe that what I'm doing is evil. I believe the messages the cards display are messages from God. Yes, Christian Tarot card readers exist and I am one of them. Actually, a number of the cards suggest the client become closer to God and to strengthen their spiritual life by praying/meditating though there is no specific religion stated in the cards it does suggest a Higher Being. I will not be entertaining any comments about religion because I know my faith and this is not a place to be judgmental. Let's all be respectful to other beliefs whether it be Christian, Wiccan, Agnostics, what have you. If you don't like my blog, then kindly leave. I do welcome any questions, suggestions, or additional information about the cards or spreads. With that said, welcome to my Tarot blog!