UPGRADE YOUR READING WITH DECKS THAT CHALLENGE – PART I
by Crystal Wind, CTM

As we approach the end of 2010—an 11 year for enlightenment and illumination—it brings a time for celebration of Yule and Christmas and is both a relief and a source of insanity as we rush about trying to be everything to everyone, without allowing time to relax, reflect on our past year’s growth and accomplishment and for setting aside time to care just for the self. All this brings me back upon my own past business year and the life guidance I have given via the tarot. It only seems like yesterday when I purchased my first deck and in spite of the old adage that your first tarot deck should be gifted to you or . . . Well, I never did understand what was supposed to befall a new reader unwilling to wait for some mystery person to make the effort or offer the right deck. It was that Rider-Waite deck with which I learned to read and it soon became like a child’s “blankie” for I clung stubbornly to its familiar images for a long time. Eventually, curiosity pushed me to look at other decks with interesting themes--Ancient Egyptian culture, witchcraft, animals and dragons. As a result, I now own more decks than I can count and regularly replace well-worn favorites.

In the next couple months, I hope to present various Tarot decks as they upgrade your skills from using the Rider-Waite in a way that will be useful for your personal readings and for those of your clients. Although, much is directed toward a reader who is still in that Rider-Waite comfort zone; but, I hope that it will also challenge the experienced reader to look deeper into the imagery for new inspiration. Nevertheless, this journey will serve to offer some new ideas for any reader ready to expand both their outer and inner vision beyond the obvious. I encourage you to explore more and more complicated tarot decks along on this perpetual journey of growth. Nevertheless, it is the Rider-Waite that will always speak many languages to anyone willing to listen. I do not discount the value of having a set of standard meanings for each card; but, the artwork adds a level rich with unique visuals and nuances that can attune the cards to the querant’s need and that will be our purpose here.

For our purposes as readers, it is important to observe the way in which recent energy shifts affect everything and everyone. Some of the resultant changes are not obvious except to the most sensitive and we should try to be cognizant of what is happening to the individual and the cosmic implications. We are constantly bombarded with worldwide news of increasing seismic activity, changing weather patterns and documentaries, movies and books prefer to focus on the fear-market with disaster scenarios rather than a hopeful outcome or truth. I hope that tarot readers will continue to apply a positive slant in appropriate reading opportunities this year. It is our choice whether December 21, 2012 is a date of destruction or one of evolution. These chaotic shifts come along in waves, followed by short intervals that allow for personal adjustment, however, on the Global scale, they are energetic chaos from which redistribution and balance may come to this overly-structured world—especially in politics and global government’s upheaval, religious organizational challenges and in the financial (I.e., stock market) institutions.

It does not matter where your querant fits into those above areas, lives are being challenged to change. This creates fear and worry and brings people to seek answers—many of them within the Tarot. By upgrading our reading skills to match this growth, readers will find that they can help people cope so much better. They will notice that people with a greater degree of spiritual advancement and who have been on a metaphysical path for many years, will likely see these shifts as long-awaited spiritual shoves forward and the interval between as a well-deserved rest when they may strengthen spiritual connections in preparation for the next onslaught. However, those with little or no metaphysical experience and who are dealing with addictions, illness, depression, abusive situations, fear and negative emotions are more likely to face one chaotic situation after another and may be interpreted as being under psychic attack or demonic possession (although determination will require psychiatric evaluation before labeling it). The Tarot was developed in antiquity as a guidebook for a man’s evolvement and I expect that it will continue to do so far into the future.

The archetypes of the tarot address the simplest desires and our deepest fears, equally. The Major Arcana (Spiritual Archetype Cards) contain a great deal of information and basic archetypical truths. A reader must understand these cards and then be able to let their hair down when they consult them as they interact with other cultural standards, various gods/goddess, or the messages enhanced within the theme card artwork—the examples will become more obvious by looking closely at several decks and making comparisons and noting the differences. These cards exemplify that this is a tool for spiritual guidance and was never intended simply as a “Fortune Teller”. It will not just hand out solutions in lieu of personal liability or responsibility. The tarot is best consulted when: 1. one faces some form of fear or insecurity; 2. they feel that they have lost control of their life and need guidance; 3. some unknown force seems to be driving them to ponder their greater life/soul purpose; 4. their lives become chaotic with unexpected chaotic situations that appear to be impossible to solve or survive; 5. the unknown invades the normal world and a reasonable response is needed; or 6. any conflict of soul and outer world appears. It is the nuances of the artwork that I find can lead you deeper into the heart where answers often lie.

I also need to comment on the so-called “fluff” readings that ask things like: “Who will I marry and when? What career will I have? When will I find love, home, car, success? Will I be successful or rich? How should I redecorate the den? Is my boyfriend really my soul mate? Will I have children and how many?” These are a real part of our mundane world and, unless the querant sits down with a smug attitude or shuffles the cards in a lackluster manner, I consider those fluffy subjects just as important for that individual as the spiritual subjects are for others. Readings always reflect the current concern of the individual and do not necessarily match their soul’s needs. Therefore, a reader should tap into their place of compassionate connection and acknowledging the differences in various tarot decks can assist that inward reach.

Perhaps two years ago, I was feeling bored with the deck I had been using for way too long. I decided to give the next client a choice from the several decks on my table and in that subsequent reading, I soon realized that not only had they chosen one visually attractive to their sensibilities; but, also the artwork and its imagery colored the metaphoric language that was the message in an interesting way. What began on a whim spawned many insightful readings and a greater degree of significance which enhanced and put a twist on the messages. I still use that idea today.

Everyone is talking about the approaching 2012 and the advent of shifting, changing cosmic energy. This is perfect timing for growth in all evolutionary areas and especially for the tarot reader. Most experienced readers have already discovered the wonderful world of intricate, theme-oriented tarot and oracle decks on the market today and realize that if you have an interest area, there is probably at least one deck to match it. Newer readers who have learned with a standard deck, such as the Rider-Waite or one of its several variations, may still be in that comfort zone. Personally, I treasure my Rider-Waite variations and use the more colorful Universal Waite for teaching and phone readings. It is no surprise that many clients are also apt to choose it at psychic fairs and its uncomplicated imagery is revealed as exactly the right one for them. It is by far the best deck for the tarot student to learn basic interpretation, tarot layout structure, symbolism, archetypical relationships and, because it is often the foundation from which the majority of other tarot decks are based, when one is ready that transition is easier by what is recognizable in spite of the different artistic variations.

Especially now, we are impelled by The Divine to grow and this is even more appropriate for tarot readers. In Part II, I plan to expand upon this theme with descriptions of some sample cards that demonstrate some extreme differences and thus challenge your interpretive skills further. You may not own the various tarot decks that I use for examples; but, using the decks you do have, reading through the suggested interpretations as they compare to appropriate the Rider-Wait card, you should be able to see how you can apply the same tactic to expand the interpretation of your card. Then, in Part III, I plan to demonstrate simple readings using a complex deck and the complimenting Rider-Waite cards—again, your choice of deck will allow you to synthesize my method and apply it with any deck you may own. Of course, you should always feel free to apply their own intuitive abilities and tweak the meanings as appropriate. I offer my words as a demonstration sample and reading intuitively usually is most successful when you use whatever pops first into your mind. Stopping to analyze intuitive impressions allows doubt and you risk losing the power which comes from that which is inspired by a single artistic image, shape, color, or a perceived action in the illustration.
Interestingly, a particular tarot card might touch a part of the soul only with its simple, learned response/meaning one day and then on a different day, that same card will inevitably inspire a totally different response based on just one single aspect of the image which differs from any conditioned response—that is intuitive reading in a nutshell. When you extend this concept to the variations in artwork and background theme from one deck to another, the heart’s responses reach very different elements over and above basic symbolism.

So, whether you place gifts under a Christmas tree or celebrate the season in another way, do one thing for yourself—choose a new deck that can challenge your interpretive skill for 2010. It will be a three (3) year and one of communication, creativity and gaining new skills with which to manifest your desires. If you prefer (and I do), wrap it and sign the card from Santa, one of your pets, a special spirit guide or god/goddess. Top it with the most brightly-colored bow you can find and know that you deserve this inspirational gifting and its new confidence level for your 2010 readings.

Crystal Wind has been a member of the American Tarot Association and reading for 14 years. She was awarded the rank of Certified Tarot Consultant by the Tarot Certification Board of America. Her work is diverse, as a reader and medium with international clientele, and ordained priestess/spiritual counselor in the Order of Melchizedek. Crystal Wind is a solitary white witch who also provides hands-on healing, Goddess-energy dance/work, reflexology, dream Work, past-life recall, and Wiccan practice/study and ritual.

Crystal Wind can be contacted at crystalwind511@aol.com with regard to personal readings, public and private events, and all ministerial duties (hand-fasting, counseling, etc.).