A quick note about Tarot Explained and reversals. Recently, I have thought to add reversed meaning to each card page. These have taken the form of a short paragraph towards the end of the card meaning. See an example here. After a bit of thought,I have decided to do a complete rewrite of each card with it’s reversed meaning. So, you’ll see a page for The Fool, and then one for The Fool (reversed). I think this will be a lot clearer, as well as being more concise.
This process will take a few months, but I expect to enter into 2019, (and the fourth year of Tarot-Explained!) with a full set of card meanings with reversals.
Each of the Cups card meanings now have a reversed meaning, and have generally been reworked and fixed up. Over the coming weeks, the same will be done for the remaining Minor Arcana. Each of the Major Arcana already has a reverse meaning, so be sure to check those out too!
My interest in Tarot has only been growing over the years, but one thing really bothers me; can you really trust a Tarot reading? What sort of questions should you consult the tarot for? Have you ever made a life changing decision as a result of the cards?
Tarot is a form of divination that works on intuition and interpretation, that is to mean that it is completely subjective. Many will disagree, but the same cards drawn in the same spread, read by two readers, will often result in entirely different readings. The whole reason for Tarot-Explained existing is to have some sort of concise, largely agreed upon meaning for each card. As a logical person with an interest in Tarot, I found it hard to look up card meanings on different websites and different books, and find sometimes completely different meanings. With many cards, there is an almost unanimous decision regarding the meaning; ‘Death‘ means rebirth, ‘The Fool‘ means new starts, for example. For other, less well known cards, there seems to be a vague notion of their meaning. Tarot-Explained began as a way to have the most agreed upon meanings for each card, all in one place.
Over the last few years I have performed many readings, and received a few myself. Some of the readings I performed dealt with life changing things; new jobs or prospective partners. I’ve also heard stories of people quitting their jobs as a result of a Tarot card reading, and in one instance that stands out, it didn’t bode well for the querent at all. There are a few things I would be very wary of when looking for somebody to perform a tarot reading for you:
Other people
When you consult the tarot, depending on your belief system, you are likely consulting some form of higher intelligence. You should really only be asking about your path in life. Many tarot readers, myself included, will not perform a reading based on somebody else’s actions, person or feelings.
Medical or financial issues
If you believe you have a medical issue, then your first point of call should likely be a doctor. Tarot is a good source of advice, but honestly I would leave it there. No card drawn is going to magically bring you out of bad health, or a bad situation regarding money.If you do decide to consult the tarot based on medical or financial woes, then try to give the cards the same wight as you would a friend giving you advice.
The general future
Tarot can become a self fulfilling prophecy when the future is considered. I have specifically heard a reader draw a spread and then say to the querent ;”You will go to Australia this year”. She didn’t go to Australia, but a reading like this can really change your life. Someone may draw cards that give you an idea of your future, and you may go out of your way to make that proposed future happen.
So what should you ask the Tarot for? My belief is that so long as you treat the Tarot as advice, and not an order, than you can ask for anything. We all know or have known people who give bad advice, and as discussed, people can run with bad advice from a tarot spread. The best part of tarot is that it can open your mind up to new possibilities in your life, but it is my belief that you have free will in this matter, in no way is the dealing of cards describing your future in a fatalistic sense.
All the cards are now available as a sticker, phone case or greeting card, over at Redbubble. If you have a specific card you’d like to go to, you’ll find they are all easily organised into collections. You can follow the links below to go to a particular suit.
Now that all of the rider Waite deck are uploaded, I’ll look to focus on other expired decks and custom illustrations. Thank you all for the support so far, and i’m glad you are enjoying your time at Tarot-Explained.com
Free readings are coming back at Tarot-Explained.com. Previously only open to newsletter subscribers, they will soon be open to all. Head over the the Reading page to learn more. Be aware that last time, this got so busy that they had to be limited, so get a request in as soon as possible. These readings are real, performed by an actual person, and we can have a little discussion after if you wish.
Also of note; reversal meanings are being added to Tarot-Explained.com, starting with the Major Arcana. Take a look at them here. Reversal meanings will be added to the Minor Arcana over the coming days. I’ve also been correcting silly mistakes along the way, as well as updating the pages and making them more user friendly.
That’s all for now, I look forward to receiving your reading requests when the service is available soon!
Once again, Happy Summer solstice. The Sun will peak tomorrow morning, and the summer solstice marks the middle of the solar year. The summer solstice is a great way to understand what you have achieved so far and to plan the next half of the year. If you’re interested in performing a tarot card spread for the remaining year, try cutting the 12 Month spread in half, one card per month for the next six months.
In other news, I’m just finishing up the remaining stickers for the Redbubble account. The tarot stickers especially have proven to be popular, and proceeds go towards maintaining Tarot-explained.com. Though I do not promote it actively, the Fiverr tarot gig is still available.
Once again, thank you for visiting Tarot-Explained, and I hope to speak to you all soon!
Let’s be honest. Tarot decks are subjective, how can you have a ‘best?’ one? Popularity, quality of illustration and style are all things to take into account when choosing a new deck. This article exists to inform the reader of other decks which might take their fancy, from a selection of high quality decks.
Rider Waite Deck
Probably the most well known, though not the original, tarot deck in use. The Rider Waite deck is a brilliant starter set, as well as being perfect for advanced use. Every tarot reader should own a set of the Rider Waite tarot cards.
The Hermetic Tarot
The Hermetic tarot draws from hermetic and alchemical symbology. A beautiful deck, the Hermetic tarot deck can give you a different, more esoteric perspective on the questions you’re seeking answers for.
The Cosmic Tarot
The Cosmic Tarot is intended to make tarot more approachable, and helps by making the symbology of the cards easier to interpret. A fresh design and highly reviewed, one to check out if you haven’t had a look yet.
The Wildwood Tarot
The Wild Wood tarot is as well known alternate deck, using neo-pagan symbology to tell the story of the cards. Beautifully detailed, it’s one to check out, especially if you are this way inclined.
The Druid craft Tarot
Created by practising druids, notably those of OBOD fame (Carr-Gomm), the Druid craft tarot is similar in some respects to the Wild Wood deck, but focuses on Druidism over other neo-pagan practices. Featuring fresh illustrations, it’s one to take a look at if the designs appeal.
I’ve recently started offering tarot readings on fiverr. The experience has been uplifting, and I’ve been able to help a number of people so far. It’s very different from offering readings in person, and there are certain pros and cons of distance reading. You’re unable to discuss the reading as it’s taking place, and can only offer the final product. I quite enjoy this aspect, you can stay focused on the initial query and there is no distraction from further questions. You also perform a purer reading, untainted by unconscious hints and body language the querent offers. You can have a look at the fiverr page here.
How I perform an online tarot reading
Getting an order
As soon as somebody orders though the gig page on fiverr, I get an email. I reply as soon as possible to say that I have received the request, and to give a rough timeframe. Fiverr allows extras, so if the querent has selected 1-day Delivery, I will make that reading my priority. Once this reply is set, I try to find a good period of time in the day I can dedicate to the reading.
Performing the reading
Finding time to fit readings in can be tough, but so far I have managed every reading on time. It is so much more than shuffling, dealing cards, laying them out, then typing up the reading. I like to get into a good receptive mental state before performing the reading, and I always perform readings when I am alone. Usually, the readings are simple, one or two cards, as described on the gig page. I perform my readings while sitting on the floor, though this is mainly because I do not have a table! Once the cards are dealt, I simply look at them. Intuition and knowledge of tarot cards plays it’s part here. Once the cards are dealt, an image will start to form. At this stage, I’ll start typing up the report.
Clearing and editing and presenting
Once the report is typed up, I’ll leave it for an hour or so, and then come back to it. The reading is still in my mind, even after it has been performed, and sometimes taking a step back to observe the situation can help you see things from a new angle. At this stage, I’ll edit the report and review it, as an editor would review a book. The reports I type follow a set pattern, shown below in a censored, but actual report.
First I greet the querent, and then get started with the reading. I like to jump straight in. I make it clean I know their question, and then type how each card I draw relates to it. One thing I like to add, are missing cards or suits (if many cards are drawn). At the end, I summarise the reading into actionable steps for the querent. I like to give a sense of closure to the question.
Delivering the report and followups
I send the typed up and formatted report as an image or PDF file. It’s as simple as that. For once, the technological part of something is the easiest! I like to be open to communication afetrwards and I’m always happy to discuss the reading afterwards.
Should you perform online tarot readings?
It’s really up to you. If you have a tight schedule like I do, then it’s a very good idea. You can still practice tarotology for real people, on your own time. I’ve found it to be just as good as a face to face reading, and my feedback so far has been very positive!
You may not know already, it hasn’t yet been advertised, but Tarot-Explained now offer Tarot readings, through fiverr. It’s taken a long time for us to get to this stage, and there has been a lot to consider. We started offering free readings through the website, and the response was staggering. Firstly, I’d like to thank everyone who submitted a request through. It helped me grow as a reader and I hope I helped you too. Changing from free to paid was a step, but necessary. The funds raised go towards the website maintenance and hosting, and in future will be used to better expand Tarot-Explained into an even better resource.
The journey from reference website to paid readings was long, almost three years, and some lessons were learned! This article might help you out if you’re an experienced reader just looking to start reading for others, and wondering if you should get paid. The answer is, broadly speaking, yes. Consider the following if you are looking to charge for your tarot readings:
It’s a service
You’re providing a service for others, which they have requested. You know you are offering value to them, and you should be compensated somehow. It’s fun to do tarot as a favour for friends or family, but you can really help others out with your skills and intuition. It may not seem like a big deal to some, but performing a tarot reading is a lot of work. When I perform a reading through fiverr, I spent anywhere from an hour onward getting into the correct mental state, and typing up and presenting the reading to the querent. This is a lot of effort for five dollars!
How good are you?
You should consider your skill level with tarot. How good do you think you are, how accurate have you been in the past? Have you had any big mistakes? A good test, is to see if you would pay for a reading from yourself. Would you? Are you value for money? Are you enhancing others lives through tarot? If so, then you should consider charging for your readings.
How much to charge?
This all depends on your style, analysis and spread that you use. On fiverr, we only offer a single card question, or three questions if the user upgrades. Bear in mind that these can take over an hour each. Are you comfortable earning under minimum wage for a reading? I am, because the money goes to help the website. If you’re looking to live off your readings, you should work out expenses and charge much more. I perform these readings simply to cover cost.
How to present a reading?
Currently, we offer a reading in a written document. A stylised page, typed up after the reading has taken place. You can take this one step further by performing face to face, over Skype, during a phone call, or a recorded video. All of these will affect your pricing. Consider charging for your next tarot reading, even if it is as little as one dollar, or for a favour. They are asking, and you are giving. It makes sense to balance the equation out. If you’re interested in getting a reading from Tarot-Explained, then by all means follow the link below and you will hear from me very soon!
Exclusive offer for readers of this post!
Receive a two-card reading for the price of only one. Simply ask two questions, and I will consult the tarot for your answers. You will receive a formatted PDF document with the results of the reading, potentially including things to be aware of, dangers to look out for and how to face the future with certainty. This offer is only available for the next thirty days, follow the ‘order now’ button to submit a request.
Check out tumblr! There are a lot of brilliant alternative blogs on tumblr, so it’s a great way to find like-minded people. within the first hour, I was liking and following many different blogs. This particular piece really struck me, it’s a commission from http://spring-forth-from-my-mind.tumblr.com. I hope you all like it! Be sure to follow us too. If you send us a message, we’ll be sure to follow you back!
(Permission was gained from the artist to share her work)
The Hermetic Tarot
The Cosmic Tarot
The Druid craft Tarot
