Tarot

It is such a joy when you can openly admit to being wrong and not have any hesitation about doing so. This is one of those occasions.

Ethony Dawn’s book, Your Tarot Court cards is my subject today and I guess in it’s own way a book review. Book reviews are not something I am known for but, what the heck!

I was referred to this book sometime ago and didn’t bother to pick it up. You see I don’t care for some of Ethony’s work and quite like so many do, I painted her with a broad brush stroke and wrote it off. I am working on dealing with my short comings of being judgmental so this was done in that vein but along the way I found I did like this book.

Quite recently I picked up a new Tarot deck, the Rose Tarot by Nigel Jackson ( a subject for another post I am sure) and was getting acquainted with it. Now like so many of you I also have had my issues with Court Cards and this seemed like the perfect deck to work with and Ethony’s book – sort of a test drive of two items at once.

The deck as I said I will cover at another time but the book – hmmm.

Now first off let us get my few negative comments out of the way. I admit I am an old stick in the mud and can’t stand any type of language of a “colorful” nature in what I read. Yep I am 60 and grew up in that rarefied world of Westchester County, NY. Nothing is over the top might I say but any type of 4 letter word just turns me off. Okay off my soapbox now.

That said the book was a pleasant surprise for sure. Now I don’t agree with everything written, never found a book I have and I think that is normal for all of us. The bulk of what I read was shows a talent and ability to be able to communicate it and the subject material. She sticks to her guns, that’s for sure, but she also gives it to you straight and allows you to choose how to use the information you are given – that in itself is a breath of fresh air from many authors these days.

Now I am not known as a Tarot reader even though over 50 years ago that is where I started my love affair with cards – yes I started quite young! Playing cards were far more a available but quite literally under the table a family member slid a deck of Rider Waite Smith to me and off I went.

I wish this book had been there when I started. Court Cards are tricky little critters even for those of us with a lot of experience. Are they a trait we need to show or not? Are they a person in our life? Are they a facet we need to work with to achieve a goal we have? And there are other ways to view them, for sure there are. You see where this can be confusing – Ethony helps clear this up. The book is well thought out in how information is presented and exercises are there for you to work through, something I do enjoy. It is not a book to read and put down you need to work with the information and she starts you off well.

So for both the experienced and the amateur Tarot reader I say, pick up this book, a Tarot deck and a notebook and have a good time. It is not a one night read so be ready. And if you are afraid of doing the work then…. well then you shouldn’t be reading Tarot now should you?

And last off – Apologies to Enthony Dawn. I painted you with that broad brush stroke and should not have. We will never see eye to eye on certain topics but then when do we all agree all the time with anyone I dare say !

Many blessing to you all and I would love to hear your comments on this book if you have read it or do so in the future!

You would think after this many years of reading cards and running a business of doing such I would be used to certain questions – nope, some you never get used to and in this case I think that is a good thing. A gentleman asked the simple question “How do these cards work” and that always, no matter how many times I am asked gives me a moment of respectful and reflective pause.

Now if you have read any of my blog posts or know me, you know I may profess a level of experience with various card systems but I never profess to being a “Master” or such of any of them. In my book they, the cards that is, are always teaching you, so how can you have Mastered something if in fact you are always learning more and more? This question brings that to light as well.

There are different thoughts as to how the cards work –

Your Guides, Spirits, Totems (you get where I am going here) determine which cards show up and where in the spread they appear.
The Cards show up by chance or randomness, the same with their placement
The Reader’s mind effects the deck and choose the cards and their placements – some might say it was their Higher Self if you will

And these ideas or theories are just some of those that I have heard. You have to, as the person reading or being read for, decide this for yourself – that much I can say I know. One very popular Reader of Lenormand feels their is no Spiritual connection to the Cards and the readings yet – the readings that are performed by this person are amazing I will say. Others feel they are totally Spiritual, I can weigh in here and say honestly it is never my place to tell another how they should or should not feel about a belief for or against the Spiritual that is purely for the person making the decision to decide.

So you wonder, how do I answer that question? It’s very easy and it goes back in part to what I was taught when I first started reading cards – The Cards are always right, it is how we interpret them that can be wrong. That might sound like a cop out, it is not, ask any experienced reader and I am sure they will agree. So the Cards are always right but what places them on the table, versus others and why do they end up where they do?

After decades of reading, more then modesty permits me to admit to, I can honestly and wholeheartedly declare – I don’t know. What I do know is they work and at the end of the day that is good enough for me. If you need a “reason” why they work, have a good sit down or meditate and decide for yourself, in the end I don’t fix what is not broken as the old saying goes.

But please, ask me again someday, because it always causes me to sit back a moment and ponder the question and in honesty when you work in the World of Cards, giving thought to how things work is a good and humbling thing – to say the least!

The Fortune Tellers Society

Walking the Path of Life, One Card at a Time

Category

A Pleasant Surprise

How Do They Work?

Subscribe to Blog via Email