Andrew Arcana https://blog.andrewarcana.com/ Fri, 24 Apr 2026 13:40:50 +0000 A Case Against Tarot Deck Interviews https://blog.andrewarcana.com/a-case-against-tarot-deck-interviews <![CDATA[Introduction Hello. This is Andrew Arcana again. These are things I want to say with good intentions, but which may stir up bad feelings or fights in the spaces I visit. So, I'm going to tread carefully. Even though I will argue against deck interviews in some situations, I also believe fully that everyone's practice belongs to them. It is not my place to say what your practice is. My case against them surrounds possible harm, especially to new tarot readers. I think that deck interviews can cause problems for newcomers. They should be spoken about with a little more care and caution. Primarily, this comes from my time on forums. This comes from observing new readers who may even feel discouraged by tarot in general because of their very first reading. A bad deck interview could cause them to give up.!--more-- This is the companion article to a YouTube video at: https://youtu.be/avGpRupe-Z4 What is a Deck Interview? Upon receiving a new deck, some tarot readers will ask their deck specific questions about itself. Each question is answered by a single card. This is similar to any other tarot spread, such as a celtic cross or a past-present-future tarot spread. The oldest deck interveiw I could find was a forum post from 2005. That forum post, which I will link to, had these six questions to ask: Tell me about yourself. What is your most important characteristic? What are your strengths as a deck? What are your limits as a deck? What do you bring to the table -- what are you here to teach me? How can I best learn from and collaborate with you? What is the potential outcome of our working relationship? These would be the first six questions that someone would ask from their new tarot deck. One card would be drawn to answer each question. This is the basis of a Deck Interview. Deck Interviews are Still Fairly New New practices are not inherently bad practices, but its age needs to be brought up. This is a new practice. It has almost certainly come of age on social media. The earliest reference I have been able to locate was the previous reference to a message on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum. That message was dated July 9, 2005. Part of the text reads "My thanks to [three other forum members] whose own "new deck" spreads in this topic forum inspired me." It's very much worth considering that the deck interview may have been effectively born and raised on the Internet. I have never seen a deck interview mentioned in any of the books in my personal collection. I have never seen deck interviews in any Little White Books. These books range from new to old, from inexpensive beginners books to heavily researched books containing countless charts and graphs. If anyone sees this and intends to be critical then you will have my genuine appreciation for finding an older source. I would especially love to see a deck interivew in print which was published before the turn of the millenium. This is genuine. I am excited by the history of tarot. My gratitude would be sincere. You would be proving me wrong and making me happy about it. Deck Interviews as a Social Experience Deck interviews, especially online, strike me as social experiences. They can be a way to share excitement for a new tarot deck, especially among peers and online friends. Every deck interview I have seen up until the mid 2010s was also a practice for more experienced tarot readers. Once again, my worry comes from telling brand new readers to interview their decks. I'm guilty, too. Friends have asked me to create unboxing videos. I have done that to socialize with online friends. Deck Interviews Confuse and Scare New Readers New readers are, again, my biggest concerns. I spend time in online forums around tarot cards. New readers are told to begin their entire practice with a deck interview. Then, those newcomers end up confused, afraid, or both. Confusion Confusion comes from a very logical place if you think about it. Someone just bought their first deck of cards. They have had no time to learn what the cards mean. They have had no time to build their intuition and understanding with the cards. They have laid out an interview spread with no prior knowledge of tarot. This new reader has no idea what the interview spread is trying to tell them. Fear Despite having no experience with tarot, it doesn't take an experienced reader to sense dread in the Tower, half the suit of Swords, or the Death card. In fact, inexperienced readers may have even worse reactions than anyone else. Picture this: A new reader draws cards for the first time, using a deck from the Rider-Waite-Smith tradition. This very first reading is a deck interview. The brand new reader draws two court cards, Temperance, the nine of cups, the five of pentacles, and the nine of swords. Now imagine that nine of swords was the answer to the question: "What is the potential outcome of our working relationship?" This is a new reader asking the very first question of their first tarot deck. Plainly, that reader is confused if not a little frightened. Did their deck just say it hates the reader? Is the deck trying to taunt them? Is it offering a faustian bargain? I have seen this happen to new readers. I do not want this to happen to new readers. My advice to newcomers in this position has been to treat the interview spread entirely as a practice reading. Absolutely come back and interview the deck after having spent some time learning to read tarot. Interview any future decks you buy, after you're commfortable with the cards. Please do not invite your very first tarot reading to scare you away. Animism Animism, in this context, is the belief that inanimate objects contain souls. A deck interview implies to me that the tarot deck has a singular soul split into seventy eight pieces. This presents more considerations that a new tarot reader should ask themselves. Does this new tarot reader believe the tarot deck has a soul? Should they believe it does? If so, then where did this soul come from? If not, do they believe in another spiritual or metaphysical source for this communication? The answers are up to every individual reader. It feels responsible for any new tarot reader to know where they stand before indulging in this practice. (Note to self: Do not say 78 pasteboard horcruxes.) Positive Next Steps for Deck Interviews My perspective on all new practices is that it would be great to see someone fully develop the new practice. Create a web presence or a book or any fixed point of reference on deck interviews. This reference should be expansive and well researched. Discuss the positive sides of deck interviews. Discuss the potential pitfalls of a deck interview. Discuss whether to treat the interview as a serious tarot reading, a practice reading, or as any other relevant exercise. Discuss deck interviews at different stages of someone's practice, from brand new to intermediate to seasoned readers. Discuss animism, and whether the cards have their own identity. Discuss how much of a tarot reading comes from the cards or from the reader. Provide multiple interview spreads that run the range from secular to the reader being a psychic source to the deck having its own spirit. Do all of the above from a place of growth, safety, kindness, and encouragement. There is a part of me that wants to spearhead this project from a very curmudgeonly but hopefully empathetic perspective. My ultimate goal would be safety. Conclusion My ultimate case against deck interviews is safety. If someone has been reading long enough that they are secure in their practice, can read the cards with competence, and won't be afraid of pulling a few challenging cards then, yes, make these interviews a part of your practice. If someone hasn't even pulled the cellophone off their first deck yet then please ease them into their practice with a little more discernment. Ultimately, I want to make a case toward safety, encouraging new readers, and helping those new readers grow. To do that, I have to make one situational case against deck interviews. Links https://www.tarotforum.net/threads/new-deck-interview-spread.44573/ - View the source and search for "2005." That will show the date of the very first post. ----- About Andrew Andrew is a home recording enthusiast, former comedian and occasional amateur stage magician. |Socials|Socials| |---|---| |Mastodon|Instagram| |YouTube|Spotify| Follow this blog on Mastodon or the Activitypub/Fediverse client of your choice: &commat;andrewarcana&commat;blog.andrewarcana.com]]> Introduction

Hello. This is Andrew Arcana again.

These are things I want to say with good intentions, but which may stir up bad feelings or fights in the spaces I visit.

So, I'm going to tread carefully. Even though I will argue against deck interviews in some situations, I also believe fully that everyone's practice belongs to them. It is not my place to say what your practice is.

My case against them surrounds possible harm, especially to new tarot readers. I think that deck interviews can cause problems for newcomers. They should be spoken about with a little more care and caution.

Primarily, this comes from my time on forums. This comes from observing new readers who may even feel discouraged by tarot in general because of their very first reading. A bad deck interview could cause them to give up.

This is the companion article to a YouTube video at: https://youtu.be/avGpRupe-Z4

What is a Deck Interview?

Upon receiving a new deck, some tarot readers will ask their deck specific questions about itself. Each question is answered by a single card. This is similar to any other tarot spread, such as a celtic cross or a past-present-future tarot spread.

The oldest deck interveiw I could find was a forum post from 2005. That forum post, which I will link to, had these six questions to ask:

  1. Tell me about yourself. What is your most important characteristic?
  2. What are your strengths as a deck?
  3. What are your limits as a deck?
  4. What do you bring to the table — what are you here to teach me?
  5. How can I best learn from and collaborate with you?
  6. What is the potential outcome of our working relationship?

These would be the first six questions that someone would ask from their new tarot deck. One card would be drawn to answer each question. This is the basis of a Deck Interview.

Deck Interviews are Still Fairly New

New practices are not inherently bad practices, but its age needs to be brought up. This is a new practice. It has almost certainly come of age on social media.

The earliest reference I have been able to locate was the previous reference to a message on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum. That message was dated July 9, 2005. Part of the text reads “My thanks to [three other forum members] whose own “new deck” spreads in this topic forum inspired me.”

It's very much worth considering that the deck interview may have been effectively born and raised on the Internet.

I have never seen a deck interview mentioned in any of the books in my personal collection. I have never seen deck interviews in any Little White Books. These books range from new to old, from inexpensive beginners books to heavily researched books containing countless charts and graphs.

If anyone sees this and intends to be critical then you will have my genuine appreciation for finding an older source. I would especially love to see a deck interivew in print which was published before the turn of the millenium. This is genuine. I am excited by the history of tarot.

My gratitude would be sincere. You would be proving me wrong and making me happy about it.

Deck Interviews as a Social Experience

Deck interviews, especially online, strike me as social experiences. They can be a way to share excitement for a new tarot deck, especially among peers and online friends.

Every deck interview I have seen up until the mid 2010s was also a practice for more experienced tarot readers.

Once again, my worry comes from telling brand new readers to interview their decks.

I'm guilty, too. Friends have asked me to create unboxing videos. I have done that to socialize with online friends.

Deck Interviews Confuse and Scare New Readers

New readers are, again, my biggest concerns.

I spend time in online forums around tarot cards.

New readers are told to begin their entire practice with a deck interview. Then, those newcomers end up confused, afraid, or both.

Confusion

Confusion comes from a very logical place if you think about it. Someone just bought their first deck of cards. They have had no time to learn what the cards mean. They have had no time to build their intuition and understanding with the cards. They have laid out an interview spread with no prior knowledge of tarot.

This new reader has no idea what the interview spread is trying to tell them.

Fear

Despite having no experience with tarot, it doesn't take an experienced reader to sense dread in the Tower, half the suit of Swords, or the Death card. In fact, inexperienced readers may have even worse reactions than anyone else.

Picture this: A new reader draws cards for the first time, using a deck from the Rider-Waite-Smith tradition. This very first reading is a deck interview. The brand new reader draws two court cards, Temperance, the nine of cups, the five of pentacles, and the nine of swords.

Now imagine that nine of swords was the answer to the question: “What is the potential outcome of our working relationship?”

This is a new reader asking the very first question of their first tarot deck.

Plainly, that reader is confused if not a little frightened. Did their deck just say it hates the reader? Is the deck trying to taunt them? Is it offering a faustian bargain?

I have seen this happen to new readers.

I do not want this to happen to new readers.

My advice to newcomers in this position has been to treat the interview spread entirely as a practice reading.

Absolutely come back and interview the deck after having spent some time learning to read tarot. Interview any future decks you buy, after you're commfortable with the cards.

Please do not invite your very first tarot reading to scare you away.

Animism

Animism, in this context, is the belief that inanimate objects contain souls. A deck interview implies to me that the tarot deck has a singular soul split into seventy eight pieces.

This presents more considerations that a new tarot reader should ask themselves.

Does this new tarot reader believe the tarot deck has a soul? Should they believe it does? If so, then where did this soul come from?

If not, do they believe in another spiritual or metaphysical source for this communication?

The answers are up to every individual reader. It feels responsible for any new tarot reader to know where they stand before indulging in this practice.

(Note to self: Do not say 78 pasteboard horcruxes.)

Positive Next Steps for Deck Interviews

My perspective on all new practices is that it would be great to see someone fully develop the new practice.

  • Create a web presence or a book or any fixed point of reference on deck interviews. This reference should be expansive and well researched.
  • Discuss the positive sides of deck interviews.
  • Discuss the potential pitfalls of a deck interview.
  • Discuss whether to treat the interview as a serious tarot reading, a practice reading, or as any other relevant exercise.
  • Discuss deck interviews at different stages of someone's practice, from brand new to intermediate to seasoned readers.
  • Discuss animism, and whether the cards have their own identity.
  • Discuss how much of a tarot reading comes from the cards or from the reader.
  • Provide multiple interview spreads that run the range from secular to the reader being a psychic source to the deck having its own spirit.
  • Do all of the above from a place of growth, safety, kindness, and encouragement.

There is a part of me that wants to spearhead this project from a very curmudgeonly but hopefully empathetic perspective. My ultimate goal would be safety.

Conclusion

My ultimate case against deck interviews is safety.

If someone has been reading long enough that they are secure in their practice, can read the cards with competence, and won't be afraid of pulling a few challenging cards then, yes, make these interviews a part of your practice.

If someone hasn't even pulled the cellophone off their first deck yet then please ease them into their practice with a little more discernment.

Ultimately, I want to make a case toward safety, encouraging new readers, and helping those new readers grow. To do that, I have to make one situational case against deck interviews.

https://www.tarotforum.net/threads/new-deck-interview-spread.44573/ – View the source and search for “2005.” That will show the date of the very first post.

About Andrew

Andrew is a home recording enthusiast, former comedian and occasional amateur stage magician.

Socials Socials
Mastodon Instagram
YouTube Spotify

Follow this blog on Mastodon or the Activitypub/Fediverse client of your choice: @andrewarcana@blog.andrewarcana.com

]]> https://blog.andrewarcana.com/a-case-against-tarot-deck-interviews Fri, 19 Jul 2024 03:06:07 +0000 Memorizing the Tarot Deck https://blog.andrewarcana.com/memorizing-the-tarot-deck <![CDATA[A lot of people on the forums I haunt have been asking how to memorize the seventy-eight tarot cards. This can be both very simple and complex. A lot of readers get more from putting their intuitive processes over the designations assigned to each card. Personally, I benefitted a lot more out of studying and memorizing the tarot deck.!--more-- This blog post is a companion to my video Memorizing the Tarot Deck at https://youtu.be/vJ7Kyner0o0 This is an overview of what has worked for me and what has worked for other readers that I know. Spend Time with Your Tarot Cards This is my first piece of advice. Everything else will expand on this one piece of advice. Spend time with your tarot cards. As always, be kind and patient with yourself. Take the stress off of learning the tarot within a fixed amount of time, and you might just find yourself learning more quickly. One trick that I learned from intuitive readers is to regularly look through your deck. Look at every card. Look at anything that stands out to you. Make sure that all seventy eight cards cross your line of sight from time to time. Reading for yourself every day is an extremely helpful practice. This can be one card. There seems to be a sweet spot around a three card reading. I'm fond of a five-card horseshoe spread. I agree with the common advice to keep your daily reading near that three card sweet spot. Find out what works for you. I also put a 24 hour time limit on my day ahead reading. "What should I think about during the next 24 hours?" Online Courses You do not need to pay a lot of money for online tarot courses. I am going to give a lot of praise to a course that helped me below. My general advice is to keep an eye on sites like Udemy for inexpensive courses. If they include any sort of quizzes, that is even better. I gained an incredible boost after taking Sal Jade's Tarot Card Success - The Complete Tarot Reading Course. This is not sponsored in any way. If you keep an eye out then you can often get that course for under $20 USD, and sometimes even under $15 USD. This course focuses on the Rider-Waite-Smith tradition and even the Rider-Waite-Smith deck itself. It also only contains upright designations for each card. That was more than enough to get me an excellent start. As of the time of this writing, it is a nine and a half hour long series. Although I recommend this one, you can also find other courses at nearly any budget. Sal's course quizzes you regularly, so I began taking notes. Writing those notes helped me pass the quizzes easily. I also began to notice how much I was memorizing the deck by simply writing the meanings down. The parts of those notes relevant to my practice also became a first step in creating my own, personal study guide. Make Your Own Study Guide Creating your own study guide is a great way to spend time with your tarot cards while not actively reading them. I suggest creating a first draft that you create either digitally or on an inexpensive notebook. Once you know what your own guide should look like, create a hand-written physical book. This can be similar to a book of shadows, if you like. This book becomes your own journey through tarot. It becomes the way that you teach yourself. On a tangent, I advise having a comfortable pen for your finished study guide. I am a fan of felt-tip Sharpie brand ink pens. Find a pen that feels good to you and gets ink on the page without needing to press hard. Read Books Choose your books by reading reviews, blurbs, or even the free snippets at Amazon. I'm a nerd who prefers very nerdy and technical books. Tarot Deciphered by T. Susan Chang and M. M. Meleen is my most valued book on the subject. Many other people may prefer more personal and intuitive books such as Mary K. Greer's Tarot for Yourself. Llewellyn and Red Wheel/Weiser are consistently publishing new books with modern perspectives. Audible has some great books mixed in with many low-quality tarot selections, including Rachel Pollack's 78 Degrees of Wisdom. Podcasts have been made to look deeply into each card as well. Other Interests Don't forget that you're still the person you always have been. Take time for any other hobbies, interests, and people that were already in your life. Continue being the same person you have always been. Read for yourself once a night. Enjoy some quiet time with your studies. Spending time with tarot is ultimately the best way to commit the cards to memory. A little time every day will do a lot more to help you than a fast burnout. Be kind to yourself. Be patient with yourself. Celebrate every small victory as it comes. ----- About Andrew Andrew is a home recording enthusiast, former comedian and occasional amateur stage magician. |Socials|Socials| |---|---| |Mastodon|Instagram| |YouTube|Spotify| Follow this blog on Mastodon or the Activitypub/Fediverse client of your choice: &commat;andrewarcana&commat;blog.andrewarcana.com]]> A lot of people on the forums I haunt have been asking how to memorize the seventy-eight tarot cards.

This can be both very simple and complex. A lot of readers get more from putting their intuitive processes over the designations assigned to each card. Personally, I benefitted a lot more out of studying and memorizing the tarot deck.

This blog post is a companion to my video Memorizing the Tarot Deck at https://youtu.be/vJ7Kyner0o0

This is an overview of what has worked for me and what has worked for other readers that I know.

Spend Time with Your Tarot Cards

This is my first piece of advice. Everything else will expand on this one piece of advice. Spend time with your tarot cards.

As always, be kind and patient with yourself. Take the stress off of learning the tarot within a fixed amount of time, and you might just find yourself learning more quickly.

One trick that I learned from intuitive readers is to regularly look through your deck. Look at every card. Look at anything that stands out to you. Make sure that all seventy eight cards cross your line of sight from time to time.

Reading for yourself every day is an extremely helpful practice. This can be one card. There seems to be a sweet spot around a three card reading. I'm fond of a five-card horseshoe spread.

I agree with the common advice to keep your daily reading near that three card sweet spot. Find out what works for you.

I also put a 24 hour time limit on my day ahead reading. “What should I think about during the next 24 hours?”

Online Courses

You do not need to pay a lot of money for online tarot courses. I am going to give a lot of praise to a course that helped me below.

My general advice is to keep an eye on sites like Udemy for inexpensive courses. If they include any sort of quizzes, that is even better.

I gained an incredible boost after taking Sal Jade's Tarot Card Success – The Complete Tarot Reading Course. This is not sponsored in any way. If you keep an eye out then you can often get that course for under $20 USD, and sometimes even under $15 USD.

This course focuses on the Rider-Waite-Smith tradition and even the Rider-Waite-Smith deck itself. It also only contains upright designations for each card. That was more than enough to get me an excellent start. As of the time of this writing, it is a nine and a half hour long series.

Although I recommend this one, you can also find other courses at nearly any budget.

Sal's course quizzes you regularly, so I began taking notes. Writing those notes helped me pass the quizzes easily. I also began to notice how much I was memorizing the deck by simply writing the meanings down.

The parts of those notes relevant to my practice also became a first step in creating my own, personal study guide.

Make Your Own Study Guide

Creating your own study guide is a great way to spend time with your tarot cards while not actively reading them.

I suggest creating a first draft that you create either digitally or on an inexpensive notebook. Once you know what your own guide should look like, create a hand-written physical book. This can be similar to a book of shadows, if you like. This book becomes your own journey through tarot. It becomes the way that you teach yourself.

On a tangent, I advise having a comfortable pen for your finished study guide. I am a fan of felt-tip Sharpie brand ink pens. Find a pen that feels good to you and gets ink on the page without needing to press hard.

Read Books

Choose your books by reading reviews, blurbs, or even the free snippets at Amazon. I'm a nerd who prefers very nerdy and technical books. Tarot Deciphered by T. Susan Chang and M. M. Meleen is my most valued book on the subject.

Many other people may prefer more personal and intuitive books such as Mary K. Greer's Tarot for Yourself. Llewellyn and Red Wheel/Weiser are consistently publishing new books with modern perspectives.

Audible has some great books mixed in with many low-quality tarot selections, including Rachel Pollack's 78 Degrees of Wisdom.

Podcasts have been made to look deeply into each card as well.

Other Interests

Don't forget that you're still the person you always have been. Take time for any other hobbies, interests, and people that were already in your life.

Continue being the same person you have always been. Read for yourself once a night. Enjoy some quiet time with your studies.

Spending time with tarot is ultimately the best way to commit the cards to memory. A little time every day will do a lot more to help you than a fast burnout.

Be kind to yourself. Be patient with yourself. Celebrate every small victory as it comes.

About Andrew

Andrew is a home recording enthusiast, former comedian and occasional amateur stage magician.

Socials Socials
Mastodon Instagram
YouTube Spotify

Follow this blog on Mastodon or the Activitypub/Fediverse client of your choice: @andrewarcana@blog.andrewarcana.com

]]> https://blog.andrewarcana.com/memorizing-the-tarot-deck Tue, 28 May 2024 03:14:46 +0000 My Advice for Learning Tarot On Your Own https://blog.andrewarcana.com/my-advice-for-learning-tarot-on-your-own <![CDATA[Introduction I bought my first deck in 2010. Shortly afterward, I wound up paying for a membership at one of the more prominent message boards for tarot readers. I also had friends learning tarot out in the real world. Some of them gave me the advice that worked for them, but not very well for me. I appreciate the time they took and the help they offered. What follows is the advice that I had to give myself in order to genuinely start learning.!--more-- This is an incredibly vague list of things that a new reader should consider when learning to read on their own. If you have a mentor then you should do what that mentor tells you instead. This blog post is the companion article to a YouTube video posted at: https://youtu.be/8IbxQtijplE Tarot is Not a Singular Practice Know that there is no singular way to read tarot cards. Everything I am going to say is intended to help new readers explore until they find their own best practice. There are several traditions. The most common tradition is the Rider-Waite-Smith tradition, which started with the deck by Pamela Colman Smith and A.E. Waite. The absolute majority of modern decks take inspiration from the classic Rider-Waite tarot. We call the tradition and the deck Rider-Waite-Smith to honor the artist. The Thoth deck was designed by Aleister Crowley and illustrated by Lady Frieda Harris. There are some decks which reinterpret this work through the experience and understanding of newer artists. The Marseille tradition is the name given to the classic playing card style of tarot. This can include the Tarot de Marseille, the Visconti-Sforza reproductions, and the 1JJ Swiss family of decks. Modern decks are still created using the Marseille tradition with new artwork. Other traditions exist as well. However, these are the most prominent styles of decks you might find. Within each tradition, there can be numerous practices. These can range from studying the minutiae of esoteric influences to discarding all books and reading based on a purely intuitive process. All of this is to prove that there are numerous ways to read tarot cards. Be Patient With Yourself Learning tarot can take time, whether you are find yourself on an intuitive path or indulging in heavy studies. Even the most intuitive readers I know spend time with their decks daily, just to have familiarity with the nuances and symbols illustrated onto each card. Be kind, gentle, and patient with yourself. You will be surprised how quickly your small lessons add up. Explore Anyone you ask for advice can only tell you what worked for them. The trick is to find your specific relationship with tart. Try a little of everything. Read cards based on pure intuition without any guidebooks around. Read the based only on the designations in the book. Use spreads. Lay down cards without spreads. Explore how much you need to rely on the written designations of each card, how much intuition you need, and where you can bring both together to be most effective. Explore different kinds of questions. Ask for predictions. Ask for advice. "What would help me to know?" Ask anything else that comes to mind. This will help you find out what kind of questions you are better at answering. Be okay with getting things wrong from time to time. If you get curious about some part of tarot and learning about that subject is fun then spend some time learning. That will help you become a better tarot reader. All of this is to help you find your own strengths as a tarot reader. Be Selfish Enjoy some quiet time away from devices to either read your cards or study your practice. Set aside even ten minutes a day without screens and without other people around. It's okay to be selfish about this quiet time. Journal This is optional. It also helps a lot of new readers and is one of a few topics most people agree on. I like to keep two journals. One is a (rarely used) journal where important or standout readings go. The other is my hand-written study guide. This has a space for each card and a space for each additional topic that I am curious about. You do not need to keep either kind of journal. You may find that keeping one style of journal or the other will help you learn to read tarot much more quickly. Conclusion If you are learning to read tarot on your own then you need to find out what your practice genuinely is. I can not tell if you need to be a purely intuitive reader or if you need to study profoundly. I can not tell you what kind of questions you are capable of answering. All of that will need to come through your own exploration. I can give you permission to go your own way. Don't take the word of anyone on the Internet, not even me. My advice ultimately comes down to three suggestions: Explore your practice Find happiness in the process Be kind to yourself. Best of luck to you. ----- About Andrew Andrew is a home recording enthusiast, former comedian and occasional amateur stage magician. |Socials|Socials| |---|---| |Mastodon|Instagram| |YouTube|Spotify| Follow this blog on Mastodon or the Activitypub/Fediverse client of your choice: &commat;andrewarcana&commat;blog.andrewarcana.com]]> Introduction

I bought my first deck in 2010. Shortly afterward, I wound up paying for a membership at one of the more prominent message boards for tarot readers. I also had friends learning tarot out in the real world.

Some of them gave me the advice that worked for them, but not very well for me. I appreciate the time they took and the help they offered.

What follows is the advice that I had to give myself in order to genuinely start learning.

This is an incredibly vague list of things that a new reader should consider when learning to read on their own. If you have a mentor then you should do what that mentor tells you instead.

This blog post is the companion article to a YouTube video posted at: https://youtu.be/8IbxQtijplE

Tarot is Not a Singular Practice

Know that there is no singular way to read tarot cards.

Everything I am going to say is intended to help new readers explore until they find their own best practice.

There are several traditions. The most common tradition is the Rider-Waite-Smith tradition, which started with the deck by Pamela Colman Smith and A.E. Waite. The absolute majority of modern decks take inspiration from the classic Rider-Waite tarot. We call the tradition and the deck Rider-Waite-Smith to honor the artist.

The Thoth deck was designed by Aleister Crowley and illustrated by Lady Frieda Harris. There are some decks which reinterpret this work through the experience and understanding of newer artists.

The Marseille tradition is the name given to the classic playing card style of tarot. This can include the Tarot de Marseille, the Visconti-Sforza reproductions, and the 1JJ Swiss family of decks. Modern decks are still created using the Marseille tradition with new artwork.

Other traditions exist as well. However, these are the most prominent styles of decks you might find.

Within each tradition, there can be numerous practices. These can range from studying the minutiae of esoteric influences to discarding all books and reading based on a purely intuitive process.

All of this is to prove that there are numerous ways to read tarot cards.

Be Patient With Yourself

Learning tarot can take time, whether you are find yourself on an intuitive path or indulging in heavy studies. Even the most intuitive readers I know spend time with their decks daily, just to have familiarity with the nuances and symbols illustrated onto each card.

Be kind, gentle, and patient with yourself. You will be surprised how quickly your small lessons add up.

Explore

Anyone you ask for advice can only tell you what worked for them. The trick is to find your specific relationship with tart. Try a little of everything. Read cards based on pure intuition without any guidebooks around. Read the based only on the designations in the book. Use spreads. Lay down cards without spreads.

Explore how much you need to rely on the written designations of each card, how much intuition you need, and where you can bring both together to be most effective.

Explore different kinds of questions. Ask for predictions. Ask for advice. “What would help me to know?” Ask anything else that comes to mind. This will help you find out what kind of questions you are better at answering.

Be okay with getting things wrong from time to time.

If you get curious about some part of tarot and learning about that subject is fun then spend some time learning. That will help you become a better tarot reader.

All of this is to help you find your own strengths as a tarot reader.

Be Selfish

Enjoy some quiet time away from devices to either read your cards or study your practice. Set aside even ten minutes a day without screens and without other people around.

It's okay to be selfish about this quiet time.

Journal

This is optional. It also helps a lot of new readers and is one of a few topics most people agree on.

I like to keep two journals. One is a (rarely used) journal where important or standout readings go.

The other is my hand-written study guide. This has a space for each card and a space for each additional topic that I am curious about.

You do not need to keep either kind of journal. You may find that keeping one style of journal or the other will help you learn to read tarot much more quickly.

Conclusion

If you are learning to read tarot on your own then you need to find out what your practice genuinely is. I can not tell if you need to be a purely intuitive reader or if you need to study profoundly. I can not tell you what kind of questions you are capable of answering.

All of that will need to come through your own exploration.

I can give you permission to go your own way. Don't take the word of anyone on the Internet, not even me.

My advice ultimately comes down to three suggestions:

  • Explore your practice
  • Find happiness in the process
  • Be kind to yourself.

Best of luck to you.

About Andrew

Andrew is a home recording enthusiast, former comedian and occasional amateur stage magician.

Socials Socials
Mastodon Instagram
YouTube Spotify

Follow this blog on Mastodon or the Activitypub/Fediverse client of your choice: @andrewarcana@blog.andrewarcana.com

]]> https://blog.andrewarcana.com/my-advice-for-learning-tarot-on-your-own Fri, 19 Apr 2024 19:42:34 +0000 OcculTea: A Tarot Nerd's Late Response https://blog.andrewarcana.com/occultea-a-tarot-nerds-late-response <![CDATA[This is the text outline that I used to create my video reply to the #OccultTea tag. The video can be found at: !--more-- https://youtu.be/wxY1RwpaXM0 Text Notes: I am Andrew. I go by "Andrew Arcana" because I was moderating a tarot stream and did not want my full real name present in that space. I am primarily a tarot enthusiast and curious about its history. I have been reading on and off since 2010, with a renewed focus in 2019. My participation in the online space has been primarily in forums for tarot readers. Here on YouTube, I am more of an audience member, starting with my 2019 reintroduction to tarot. Between 2010 and 2012, I also ran a podcast that blended fiction and tarot. Section 1: Impact on Community What is my personal reasoning / inspiration behind sharing my practice online? I want friends to talk to. I can have serious talks with very few people, and their perspectives or practices are different from my own. What am I looking to achieve by participating? Do I seek to educate, learn, or connect? My style is generally to share my admittedly nerdy view of tarot with anyone who might benefit from it, while also looking for friends. How do I believe social media, as a whole, has impacted the community? In regards to tarot, I'd say it's a twofold situation. More people feel welcome in spaces and you can find occasional gems of really deep information. There is a lot of deconstructionism, too. The deconstructionism in tarot comes with some very negative side effects. I have taken some real negativity for suggesting books that cover a topic. "This goes too deep for a forum post, but here are some books to get you started." Anything that resembles the old ways can get a person drawn and quartered. Someone on TikTok just said to drop however many cards, and you know, don't bother with the book. You know. Just, you know, use your intuition and only your intuition. Those old ways are evilbad or something. You know? It means that I see new readers bashing their cards together until they get enough jumper cards that fly out onto the table, the floor, or anywhere else. That's how social media taught them to draw cards. They have never seen someone spread a deck and draw cards in a peaceful manner. And the questions people ask. "What does my crush think about me today?" Today is added because some people will ask that every day. Please, ask your crush to lunch. Not dinner. Not a movie. Don't confess any undying love to them. Go get lunch and have a fun, stress-free conversation. You'll get a better answer directly from your crush than from any tarot deck. I am a very shy person of the male persuasion. I'm speaking from experience. How do I think social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube have each impacted education / sharing information? Most of it teaches habits that you wouldn't learn from a mentor or any of the traditional books. I don't think these are always good habits. There's a saying: Learn the rules so that you know which ones to break. Social media often teaches that it's okay to despise the very foundations of a practice, dress the part, and still be accepted into that same practice. But again, there are people providing some real gems of knowledge. Is consuming Witchcraft content becoming a substitute for practice? Pick a pile. Topic 2: Influencer Authenticity Out of what I share on social media, how much of it is staged vs. reality? My YouTube reply is audio-only. I light and focus my videos to obscure the fact that half of my life is stored in a tiny bedroom. I don't go out of my way to be inauthentic, but I certainly filter things out. Have I ever encountered or heard of grifters in our community? Do I recognize them? What are the significant signs of grifters in the community? In tarot? I've seen scammy private messages on Instagram. I have seen the low-effort decks made from public domain art or generative artificial intelligence. The signs are usually a guarantee of accuracy, and any reading that does not include helpful guidance. For example: The question of "Does my crush like me?" might be rephrased into "How can I be emotionally and visibly open to attract this relationship?" The other sign, for me, is social media trolling. There is a very popular person in these spaces who spent years writing social media posts that came across as hurtful. This person is extremely knowledgeable and extremely hard working. There is a lot to respect about them. It also looks like they spent years fishing for the correct thing to say that would get them the most favorable attention. There was one thing I read that was deeply, profoundly hurtful to me. It touched on the worst parts of my own past pain. It seemed like interacting at all would only provoke more pain. It even seemed to go against the apparent nature of the physical products they sell. I have come across other people in forums who can point to prior social media posts that went too far. I am far from the only person who has been hurt by this person's social media posts. Whether they know it or not, this creator has a history of saying hurtful things. People I think of as heroes admire this person's books. They probably even should admire this more rigorous work. I am not going to name the person out loud. This is less about them. This is about the behavior: Saying hurtful things for attention hurts people. Saying hurtful things for attention is the definition of "trolling" that goes back to the days of UseNet. This trolling not as serious as Instagram scams or threats of curses. It can still benefit the author while author while making other people feel unwelcome. I'll have some things to say about speaking with kindness and intention below. Do I think there is an element of censorship in online spaces? How do I decipher what is "appropriate" to share online vs. what to keep privately? Is this based on "social media etiquette" or a personal preference? I think the same censorship and self-censorship applies here that applies on most online spaces. Sometimes you know there is content that you never interact with unless you're ready to take some bruises. Sometimes there are parts of a personal practice that you're uncomfortable revealing. Sometimes you feel like it's better if anyone watching explores and finds their path on their own. What tools are helpful to decipher misinformation, and how can we as a community prevent widespread disinformation? I'm a fan of books. Old books or new books that openly pay tribute to the old material are my favorites. That seems to keep the misinformation to a minimum. Preventing misinformation can be as easy as speaking kindly. The best results I've had in forums has come from presenting good information as an alternative. "Most readers I've seen use this other method." Be gentle. Be kind. Express your ideas with clarity and conciseness. Always show the benefits of your point of view, and present them as an alternative. That's my alternative to disinformation as well as other pitfalls. How does a large following impact the perception of the creator? Does this immediately make them an "expert"? Or are there other assumptions as to why they may have a large following? In the tarot spaces I see, perceptions seem to be more parasocial than authoritative. As a nerd, there are related channels that simultaneously earn their authority and gain it. I'm going to talk about the YouTube channels "Esoterica" and "Angela's Symposium" later on. Both are formally educated, and have earned their authority. How does one maintain the balance of authenticity and content creation? Keep the filters on, but be open that there are filters on. Imposter Syndrome and FOMO When I follow other creators in the community space, does it make me feel genuinely inspired and empowered or does it create feelings of FOMO and being less than? I rarely feel FOMO lately. I have the tools I need to engage with my practice. I am very comfortable and happy with these tools. There are two decks on my shelf that I once only hoped to maybe see in person in passing, and now I own them. There is a shelf full of books. There is a whiteboard of daily tasks and practices hanging in my room. Being a nerd and a bookworm, my wishlist is made mostly of books that aren't going anywhere. The only FOMO I sometimes feel is from crowdfunded tarot decks, especially if I admire the creator's greater body of work. If I experience FOMO, has it ever left me feeling vulnerable to be taken advantage of financially, or otherwise? An example would be: the "need" to purchase the latest popular product or book to "fit in"? If I'm feeling taken advantage of then I look at my shelves and remember that I have what I need. The discipline to practice daily is at least ninety percent of my process at this time. When practicing my craft, do I find myself comparing what I do to what I've been seeing people do online? Sometimes, but not in a bad way. Sometimes I'll do something extremely frugal and think, "The author of this would probably approve." Sometimes I'll feel like other people are doing it right and I'm doing it wrong. Yet numerous authors I admire have set an example that maybe I'm doing things a good way too. I compare myself to those authors more than I do to content creators, even when the same person fills both spaces. In what ways do I combat imposter syndrome? Practice daily. Stop buying things. Read more books. What would my practice look like without the social media influence of other creators? Other community members have pointed me toward some books that are foundational to how I practice. I would have had to find those resources another way. I tend to gravitate toward educated, well-read creators as well. A scary thought: If I had let pick-a-pile and collective tarot readers set the example for my practice then I probably would not be involved in tarot any more. Topic 4: Capitalizing off Community Do I consider online communities as equally valid to in-person communities? Often, yes. Sometimes no. I attended a pagan community gathering locally that was, really, just shopping for things. The vendors were kind, warmhearted people but the people didn't even talk to each other. I'm part of online communities where I feel valued and seen. I would also say that covens or any group that provides membership and initiation IRL is probably going to provide an incredible community, too. How have online occult/witchcraft communities impacted me as a person & practitioner? At their best, they keep me excited to practice. I have made some great friends. Trying to help others sometimes teaches me or reminds me of any part of my own practice. What are some dangers of the current phenomenon of capitalizing off of the witchcraft community? Bogus love readings on Etsy. Scam artists who scare querents into thinking they are cursed, just to sell expensive remedies. Video creators give people blatantly false collective readings in order to play the algorithm. All this ends up doing is playing off the emotions of vulnerable people. It's easier to sell "intuition" as a quick fix over study. Tarot always requires an intuitive process. There seems to be a lot of money in telling people that the quick fixes will help them along. Then there is the quiet danger of teaching new readers bad habits simply by producing flashy videos. Have I been personally affected by this, or have I witnessed someone else be affected? I've been on forums where people were affected by every level of scam artists. Should there be paywalled communities and online courses? Yes! Courses are especially valuable, at least in tarot. Paywalled communities present a difficulty. I have found that the people who pay the most money to join a paywall community quickly take over the space in order to create a miasma of grudges and contempt. You can not ask these people for boundaries, because they pay out the nose and matter more than you. You get the feeling that the content creator would rather keep things on topic, but that top tier monthly payment is way too sweet. The rest of the community walks on eggshells and pay for the privilege. Replying to these new de-facto leaders would only lead to pain. And all you wanted to do was talk about practice. These usurpers are a threat to paywalled communities. Anyone who wants to start a paywalled community needs to have a clear definition of what they do and do not deem as acceptable before accepting anyone's money. How does one ensure the authenticity of courses / workshops / memberships / etc. as a financial investment? Read the reviews. See if anyone on a forum or YouTube has taken part of it, what their experiences were, and even if some of their dislikes would make the investment a good fit for you. Conclusions What are some topics of conversation I'd like to see more of in our community? I do think that people should be warmly presented with the "traditional" material for any practice. And, I'd like to see it expressed in kind and encouraging ways. Even modern deconstructed practices came out of those older traditions. Let's not be strict about this. Always act for the benefit of new readers and practitioners. What are my community needs? People who practice similarly to how do. Kindness. Boundaries. Where would I like to feel more held and supported? I know there are local resources that I could tap into if some of my other circumstances were better. And, I do find myself supported by a handful of small channels. Where do I feel like I'm not truly being seen by my community? I feel like "the old ways" are often despised, especially by newcomers who join through online video platforms. I'd like to not feel like I'm being beat up for saying the word "book." How can we help each other in removing the external peer pressure and grow in the community? Remind each other that our practices are what matter. The tools are nice, but it's the practice that counts. How can we, as a community, come together with more constructive criticism without it seeming shady/passive aggressive? Again, I've learned to present alternatives in a gentle way. I won't even present my alternatives as the only ones. "I think this alternative is appropriate because of these benefits..." There's a little bit of Buddhist "right speech" and a little bit of Dale Carnegie in every successful venture I've made. How can we, as a community, do better when we receive criticism/feedback? Start with the same cure to FOMO. Remember your practice first and foremost. Would listening to this person help or hinder your personal practice? Be willing to learn. Who are some community members that I look up to that are reliable resources and aspirations? Esoterica Angela's Symposium Seekers of Unity Thorn Mooney has a lot of insightful and typically kind things to say about how practices have changed in the last three decades. DeepMind Squared Add any further thoughts/comments/prompt questions of your own/express further points/offer solutions. Really, I said everything I needed to above. Remember your practice, first, foremost, and always. This should guide you when everything else starts to look challenging. Remember your reasons for taking this practice on. Speak kindly whenever possible. Provide positive solutions when kindness alone is not enough. ----- About Andrew Andrew is a home recording enthusiast, former comedian and occasional amateur stage magician. |Socials|Socials| |---|---| |Mastodon|Instagram| |YouTube|Spotify| Follow this blog on Mastodon or the Activitypub/Fediverse client of your choice: &commat;andrewarcana&commat;blog.andrewarcana.com]]> This is the text outline that I used to create my video reply to the #OccultTea tag. The video can be found at:

https://youtu.be/wxY1RwpaXM0

Text Notes:

I am Andrew. I go by “Andrew Arcana” because I was moderating a tarot stream and did not want my full real name present in that space.

I am primarily a tarot enthusiast and curious about its history. I have been reading on and off since 2010, with a renewed focus in 2019.

My participation in the online space has been primarily in forums for tarot readers. Here on YouTube, I am more of an audience member, starting with my 2019 reintroduction to tarot. Between 2010 and 2012, I also ran a podcast that blended fiction and tarot.

Section 1: Impact on Community

What is my personal reasoning / inspiration behind sharing my practice online?

I want friends to talk to. I can have serious talks with very few people, and their perspectives or practices are different from my own.

What am I looking to achieve by participating? Do I seek to educate, learn, or connect?

My style is generally to share my admittedly nerdy view of tarot with anyone who might benefit from it, while also looking for friends.

How do I believe social media, as a whole, has impacted the community?

In regards to tarot, I'd say it's a twofold situation. More people feel welcome in spaces and you can find occasional gems of really deep information. There is a lot of deconstructionism, too.

The deconstructionism in tarot comes with some very negative side effects.

I have taken some real negativity for suggesting books that cover a topic. “This goes too deep for a forum post, but here are some books to get you started.” Anything that resembles the old ways can get a person drawn and quartered.

Someone on TikTok just said to drop however many cards, and you know, don't bother with the book. You know. Just, you know, use your intuition and only your intuition. Those old ways are evilbad or something. You know?

It means that I see new readers bashing their cards together until they get enough jumper cards that fly out onto the table, the floor, or anywhere else. That's how social media taught them to draw cards. They have never seen someone spread a deck and draw cards in a peaceful manner.

And the questions people ask. “What does my crush think about me today?” Today is added because some people will ask that every day.

Please, ask your crush to lunch. Not dinner. Not a movie. Don't confess any undying love to them. Go get lunch and have a fun, stress-free conversation. You'll get a better answer directly from your crush than from any tarot deck.

I am a very shy person of the male persuasion. I'm speaking from experience.

How do I think social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube have each impacted education / sharing information?

Most of it teaches habits that you wouldn't learn from a mentor or any of the traditional books. I don't think these are always good habits.

There's a saying: Learn the rules so that you know which ones to break. Social media often teaches that it's okay to despise the very foundations of a practice, dress the part, and still be accepted into that same practice.

But again, there are people providing some real gems of knowledge.

Is consuming Witchcraft content becoming a substitute for practice?

Pick a pile.

Topic 2: Influencer Authenticity

Out of what I share on social media, how much of it is staged vs. reality?

My YouTube reply is audio-only. I light and focus my videos to obscure the fact that half of my life is stored in a tiny bedroom. I don't go out of my way to be inauthentic, but I certainly filter things out.

Have I ever encountered or heard of grifters in our community? Do I recognize them? What are the significant signs of grifters in the community?

In tarot? I've seen scammy private messages on Instagram. I have seen the low-effort decks made from public domain art or generative artificial intelligence.

The signs are usually a guarantee of accuracy, and any reading that does not include helpful guidance. For example: The question of “Does my crush like me?” might be rephrased into “How can I be emotionally and visibly open to attract this relationship?”

The other sign, for me, is social media trolling.

There is a very popular person in these spaces who spent years writing social media posts that came across as hurtful. This person is extremely knowledgeable and extremely hard working. There is a lot to respect about them.

It also looks like they spent years fishing for the correct thing to say that would get them the most favorable attention.

There was one thing I read that was deeply, profoundly hurtful to me. It touched on the worst parts of my own past pain. It seemed like interacting at all would only provoke more pain. It even seemed to go against the apparent nature of the physical products they sell.

I have come across other people in forums who can point to prior social media posts that went too far. I am far from the only person who has been hurt by this person's social media posts. Whether they know it or not, this creator has a history of saying hurtful things.

People I think of as heroes admire this person's books. They probably even should admire this more rigorous work.

I am not going to name the person out loud. This is less about them.

This is about the behavior: Saying hurtful things for attention hurts people. Saying hurtful things for attention is the definition of “trolling” that goes back to the days of UseNet.

This trolling not as serious as Instagram scams or threats of curses. It can still benefit the author while author while making other people feel unwelcome.

I'll have some things to say about speaking with kindness and intention below.

Do I think there is an element of censorship in online spaces? How do I decipher what is “appropriate” to share online vs. what to keep privately? Is this based on “social media etiquette” or a personal preference?

I think the same censorship and self-censorship applies here that applies on most online spaces. Sometimes you know there is content that you never interact with unless you're ready to take some bruises.

Sometimes there are parts of a personal practice that you're uncomfortable revealing.

Sometimes you feel like it's better if anyone watching explores and finds their path on their own.

What tools are helpful to decipher misinformation, and how can we as a community prevent widespread disinformation?

I'm a fan of books. Old books or new books that openly pay tribute to the old material are my favorites. That seems to keep the misinformation to a minimum.

Preventing misinformation can be as easy as speaking kindly. The best results I've had in forums has come from presenting good information as an alternative. “Most readers I've seen use this other method.”

Be gentle. Be kind. Express your ideas with clarity and conciseness. Always show the benefits of your point of view, and present them as an alternative.

That's my alternative to disinformation as well as other pitfalls.

How does a large following impact the perception of the creator? Does this immediately make them an “expert”? Or are there other assumptions as to why they may have a large following?

In the tarot spaces I see, perceptions seem to be more parasocial than authoritative.

As a nerd, there are related channels that simultaneously earn their authority and gain it. I'm going to talk about the YouTube channels “Esoterica” and “Angela's Symposium” later on. Both are formally educated, and have earned their authority.

How does one maintain the balance of authenticity and content creation?

Keep the filters on, but be open that there are filters on.

Imposter Syndrome and FOMO

When I follow other creators in the community space, does it make me feel genuinely inspired and empowered or does it create feelings of FOMO and being less than?

I rarely feel FOMO lately. I have the tools I need to engage with my practice.

I am very comfortable and happy with these tools. There are two decks on my shelf that I once only hoped to maybe see in person in passing, and now I own them. There is a shelf full of books. There is a whiteboard of daily tasks and practices hanging in my room.

Being a nerd and a bookworm, my wishlist is made mostly of books that aren't going anywhere.

The only FOMO I sometimes feel is from crowdfunded tarot decks, especially if I admire the creator's greater body of work.

If I'm feeling taken advantage of then I look at my shelves and remember that I have what I need.

The discipline to practice daily is at least ninety percent of my process at this time.

When practicing my craft, do I find myself comparing what I do to what I've been seeing people do online?

Sometimes, but not in a bad way. Sometimes I'll do something extremely frugal and think, “The author of this would probably approve.” Sometimes I'll feel like other people are doing it right and I'm doing it wrong. Yet numerous authors I admire have set an example that maybe I'm doing things a good way too.

I compare myself to those authors more than I do to content creators, even when the same person fills both spaces.

In what ways do I combat imposter syndrome?

  • Practice daily.
  • Stop buying things.
  • Read more books.

What would my practice look like without the social media influence of other creators?

Other community members have pointed me toward some books that are foundational to how I practice. I would have had to find those resources another way.

I tend to gravitate toward educated, well-read creators as well.

A scary thought: If I had let pick-a-pile and collective tarot readers set the example for my practice then I probably would not be involved in tarot any more.

Topic 4: Capitalizing off Community

Do I consider online communities as equally valid to in-person communities?

Often, yes. Sometimes no.

I attended a pagan community gathering locally that was, really, just shopping for things. The vendors were kind, warmhearted people but the people didn't even talk to each other.

I'm part of online communities where I feel valued and seen.

I would also say that covens or any group that provides membership and initiation IRL is probably going to provide an incredible community, too.

How have online occult/witchcraft communities impacted me as a person & practitioner?

At their best, they keep me excited to practice.

I have made some great friends.

Trying to help others sometimes teaches me or reminds me of any part of my own practice.

What are some dangers of the current phenomenon of capitalizing off of the witchcraft community?

Bogus love readings on Etsy. Scam artists who scare querents into thinking they are cursed, just to sell expensive remedies.

Video creators give people blatantly false collective readings in order to play the algorithm. All this ends up doing is playing off the emotions of vulnerable people.

It's easier to sell “intuition” as a quick fix over study. Tarot always requires an intuitive process. There seems to be a lot of money in telling people that the quick fixes will help them along.

Then there is the quiet danger of teaching new readers bad habits simply by producing flashy videos.

Have I been personally affected by this, or have I witnessed someone else be affected?

I've been on forums where people were affected by every level of scam artists.

Should there be paywalled communities and online courses?

Yes! Courses are especially valuable, at least in tarot.

Paywalled communities present a difficulty. I have found that the people who pay the most money to join a paywall community quickly take over the space in order to create a miasma of grudges and contempt. You can not ask these people for boundaries, because they pay out the nose and matter more than you. You get the feeling that the content creator would rather keep things on topic, but that top tier monthly payment is way too sweet.

The rest of the community walks on eggshells and pay for the privilege. Replying to these new de-facto leaders would only lead to pain. And all you wanted to do was talk about practice.

These usurpers are a threat to paywalled communities.

Anyone who wants to start a paywalled community needs to have a clear definition of what they do and do not deem as acceptable before accepting anyone's money.

How does one ensure the authenticity of courses / workshops / memberships / etc. as a financial investment?

Read the reviews. See if anyone on a forum or YouTube has taken part of it, what their experiences were, and even if some of their dislikes would make the investment a good fit for you.

Conclusions

What are some topics of conversation I'd like to see more of in our community?

I do think that people should be warmly presented with the “traditional” material for any practice. And, I'd like to see it expressed in kind and encouraging ways.

Even modern deconstructed practices came out of those older traditions. Let's not be strict about this. Always act for the benefit of new readers and practitioners.

What are my community needs?

People who practice similarly to how do. Kindness. Boundaries.

Where would I like to feel more held and supported?

I know there are local resources that I could tap into if some of my other circumstances were better.

And, I do find myself supported by a handful of small channels.

Where do I feel like I'm not truly being seen by my community?

I feel like “the old ways” are often despised, especially by newcomers who join through online video platforms. I'd like to not feel like I'm being beat up for saying the word “book.”

How can we help each other in removing the external peer pressure and grow in the community?

Remind each other that our practices are what matter. The tools are nice, but it's the practice that counts.

How can we, as a community, come together with more constructive criticism without it seeming shady/passive aggressive?

Again, I've learned to present alternatives in a gentle way. I won't even present my alternatives as the only ones. “I think this alternative is appropriate because of these benefits...” There's a little bit of Buddhist “right speech” and a little bit of Dale Carnegie in every successful venture I've made.

How can we, as a community, do better when we receive criticism/feedback?

Start with the same cure to FOMO. Remember your practice first and foremost. Would listening to this person help or hinder your personal practice?

Be willing to learn.

Who are some community members that I look up to that are reliable resources and aspirations?

Add any further thoughts/comments/prompt questions of your own/express further points/offer solutions.

Really, I said everything I needed to above.

  • Remember your practice, first, foremost, and always. This should guide you when everything else starts to look challenging.
  • Remember your reasons for taking this practice on.
  • Speak kindly whenever possible.
  • Provide positive solutions when kindness alone is not enough.

About Andrew

Andrew is a home recording enthusiast, former comedian and occasional amateur stage magician.

Socials Socials
Mastodon Instagram
YouTube Spotify

Follow this blog on Mastodon or the Activitypub/Fediverse client of your choice: @andrewarcana@blog.andrewarcana.com

]]> https://blog.andrewarcana.com/occultea-a-tarot-nerds-late-response Sun, 10 Mar 2024 16:29:02 +0000 Decan Walk: 9 of Fire https://blog.andrewarcana.com/decan-walk-9-of-fire <![CDATA[This is, as always, just one small part of my personal notes from this decan walk. !--more-- Divination Direct every single action with the intention you already know is inside of you. Be strong. Forge your future. ----- About Andrew Andrew is a home recording enthusiast, former comedian and occasional amateur stage magician. |Socials|Socials| |---|---| |Mastodon|Instagram| |YouTube|Spotify| Follow this blog on Mastodon or the Activitypub/Fediverse client of your choice: &commat;andrewarcana&commat;blog.andrewarcana.com]]> This is, as always, just one small part of my personal notes from this decan walk.

Divination

Direct every single action with the intention you already know is inside of you. Be strong. Forge your future.

About Andrew

Andrew is a home recording enthusiast, former comedian and occasional amateur stage magician.

Socials Socials
Mastodon Instagram
YouTube Spotify

Follow this blog on Mastodon or the Activitypub/Fediverse client of your choice: @andrewarcana@blog.andrewarcana.com

]]> https://blog.andrewarcana.com/decan-walk-9-of-fire Wed, 06 Dec 2023 05:57:39 +0000 Decan Walk: 3 of Water https://blog.andrewarcana.com/decan-walk-3-of-water <![CDATA[This is, as always, just one small part of my personal notes from this decan walk. !--more-- Divination Celebrate! This abundance is here and now. You’ve worked for it. This is the season of harvest. Enjoy. Share the fruits of all labors. Rejoice. Know that tomorrow will be different. Make some good memories today. ----- About Andrew Andrew is a home recording enthusiast, former comedian and occasional amateur stage magician. |Socials|Socials| |---|---| |Mastodon|Instagram| |YouTube|Spotify| Follow this blog on Mastodon or the Activitypub/Fediverse client of your choice: &commat;andrewarcana&commat;blog.andrewarcana.com]]> This is, as always, just one small part of my personal notes from this decan walk.

Divination

Celebrate! This abundance is here and now. You’ve worked for it. This is the season of harvest. Enjoy. Share the fruits of all labors. Rejoice. Know that tomorrow will be different. Make some good memories today.

About Andrew

Andrew is a home recording enthusiast, former comedian and occasional amateur stage magician.

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Follow this blog on Mastodon or the Activitypub/Fediverse client of your choice: @andrewarcana@blog.andrewarcana.com

]]> https://blog.andrewarcana.com/decan-walk-3-of-water Fri, 14 Jul 2023 01:12:03 +0000 Reasons for Fediverse Instances to Block Federation with Threads https://blog.andrewarcana.com/reasons-for-fediverse-instances-to-block-federation-with-threads <![CDATA[As of this writing on July 7, 2023, there is an argument about whether to federate or not with Threads. These are my thoughts. !--more-- The Argument As I See It: I genuinely believe that the core argument taking place is whether a person values community or outreach. Community Perspective: Some people want small communities that interlink consciously with other small communities. This is a reason to block Threads. Outreach Perspective: Some people want massive outreach and visibility. The more attention their content can get, the better. This is a reason to federate with Threads. The above is a drastic oversimplification. It does appear to be the core factor behind most of the debate. I also feel like no one is simply saying it outright: Some people want community. Some people want a wide audience. Reasons Not to Federate As I have both thought about this and spoken to others, these reasons to block federation have all come up. Cultural: Escaping Corporate Social Media. Some people joined the Fediverse to escape large, corporate-run social media. The most effective way to remain liberated is to be on a server that blocks federation with Threads. Cultural: Preserving the Existing Culture. People who have invested time, money, and resources into the current Fediverse did so with certain goals and cultural expectations in mind. People who join an instance have agreed to that instance's rules and cultural expectations. People coming in through Threads will have near-zero investment in the Fediverse. Nor will they have much guidance or reason to assimilate into the existing cultures. Cultural: Safe spaces. Look through any list of Mastodon/Fediverse servers and you will see a lot of LGBTQ+ safe spaces. A lot of other instances are open for everyone, but with additional rules to protect those same people. Now combine Meta's approach to moderation with Twitter's "hot take" culture. You have just imagined "Threads." The simplest way to handle the influx of problems is to block the problems at the source. Safety and Moderation Meta would be moderating the largest instance in the Fediverse by way of Threads. Meta's track record for moderation is poor at best and has cost real human lives at its worst. Disinformation has been spread. Lives have been lost. Instagram has endured notorious bullying problems, which ended with lives lost. Notice that the new app's full name is "Threads, an Instagram app." https://edubirdie.com/examples/cyberbullying-and-instagrams-influence-on-suicide-among-american-teens/ Their failures also (allegedly) helped lead to one racial cleansing atrocity. https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2022/09/myanmar-facebooks-systems-promoted-violence-against-rohingya-meta-owes-reparations-new-report/ Privacy Concerns These may be unfounded. They may have basis in truth. Time is going to tell. The ultimate concern is that Threads will use ActivityPub to more easily scrape information from Fediverse users. ActivyPub's Own Survival Embrace, Extend, and Extinguish is a corporate practice so common that it has its own Wikipedia article. It does what it says on the tin. A large business entity embraces an open technology, mutates the open technology, absorbs the userbase, then cuts ties with the open technology that they mutated. The average users are locked into another walled garden. They are probably unaware that anything of note happened at all. The open technology and people who care about it are effectively abandoned by everyone. This is Incomplete and Non-Comprehensive These are the reasons I have seen to block federation with Threads. This is not an all-inclusive list. Any instance will have their own reasons. This is only my best exploration of common reasons to block Federation. This is also my best understanding of where much of the friction is coming from. I am one person on the Internet. Please get other opinions. The beauty of the Fediverse is that it endorses different communities with different standards. I Want to Focus on Tarot & Related Studies. I do not want this turned into a personal blog. After this post, I will return to my "woo" exploration of tarot and related metaphysical studies. It is time to meditate on the 3 of Water(Cups), for instance. I also wanted this post in a place that felt appropriate to share with other federated spaces. ----- About Andrew Andrew is a home recording enthusiast, former comedian and occasional amateur stage magician. |Socials|Socials| |---|---| |Mastodon|Instagram| |YouTube|Spotify| Follow this blog on Mastodon or the Activitypub/Fediverse client of your choice: &commat;andrewarcana&commat;blog.andrewarcana.com]]> As of this writing on July 7, 2023, there is an argument about whether to federate or not with Threads. These are my thoughts.

The Argument As I See It:

I genuinely believe that the core argument taking place is whether a person values community or outreach.

  • Community Perspective: Some people want small communities that interlink consciously with other small communities. This is a reason to block Threads.
  • Outreach Perspective: Some people want massive outreach and visibility. The more attention their content can get, the better. This is a reason to federate with Threads.

The above is a drastic oversimplification. It does appear to be the core factor behind most of the debate. I also feel like no one is simply saying it outright: Some people want community. Some people want a wide audience.

Reasons Not to Federate

As I have both thought about this and spoken to others, these reasons to block federation have all come up.

Cultural: Escaping Corporate Social Media.

Some people joined the Fediverse to escape large, corporate-run social media. The most effective way to remain liberated is to be on a server that blocks federation with Threads.

Cultural: Preserving the Existing Culture.

  • People who have invested time, money, and resources into the current Fediverse did so with certain goals and cultural expectations in mind.
  • People who join an instance have agreed to that instance's rules and cultural expectations.
  • People coming in through Threads will have near-zero investment in the Fediverse. Nor will they have much guidance or reason to assimilate into the existing cultures.

Cultural: Safe spaces.

  • Look through any list of Mastodon/Fediverse servers and you will see a lot of LGBTQ+ safe spaces. A lot of other instances are open for everyone, but with additional rules to protect those same people.
  • Now combine Meta's approach to moderation with Twitter's “hot take” culture. You have just imagined “Threads.” The simplest way to handle the influx of problems is to block the problems at the source.

Safety and Moderation

Meta would be moderating the largest instance in the Fediverse by way of Threads.

Privacy Concerns

These may be unfounded. They may have basis in truth. Time is going to tell. The ultimate concern is that Threads will use ActivityPub to more easily scrape information from Fediverse users.

ActivyPub's Own Survival

Embrace, Extend, and Extinguish is a corporate practice so common that it has its own Wikipedia article. It does what it says on the tin.

  • A large business entity embraces an open technology, mutates the open technology, absorbs the userbase, then cuts ties with the open technology that they mutated.
  • The average users are locked into another walled garden. They are probably unaware that anything of note happened at all.
  • The open technology and people who care about it are effectively abandoned by everyone.

This is Incomplete and Non-Comprehensive

These are the reasons I have seen to block federation with Threads. This is not an all-inclusive list. Any instance will have their own reasons.

This is only my best exploration of common reasons to block Federation. This is also my best understanding of where much of the friction is coming from. I am one person on the Internet. Please get other opinions.

The beauty of the Fediverse is that it endorses different communities with different standards.

I do not want this turned into a personal blog. After this post, I will return to my “woo” exploration of tarot and related metaphysical studies. It is time to meditate on the 3 of Water(Cups), for instance.

I also wanted this post in a place that felt appropriate to share with other federated spaces.

About Andrew

Andrew is a home recording enthusiast, former comedian and occasional amateur stage magician.

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Follow this blog on Mastodon or the Activitypub/Fediverse client of your choice: @andrewarcana@blog.andrewarcana.com

]]> https://blog.andrewarcana.com/reasons-for-fediverse-instances-to-block-federation-with-threads Fri, 07 Jul 2023 19:37:10 +0000 Decan Walk: 2 of Water https://blog.andrewarcana.com/decan-walk-2-of-water <![CDATA[This is an excerpt from Venus in Cancer A short piece from my personal notes. !--more-- Divination Set aside worries about the past or future. Right now is a wonderful time to make a happy memory. Your past brought you here. The future will be more joyful for the memory you have made. You have every reason to extend your heart. ----- About Andrew Andrew is a home recording enthusiast, former comedian and occasional amateur stage magician. |Socials|Socials| |---|---| |Mastodon|Instagram| |YouTube|Spotify| Follow this blog on Mastodon or the Activitypub/Fediverse client of your choice: &commat;andrewarcana&commat;blog.andrewarcana.com]]> This is an excerpt from Venus in Cancer

A short piece from my personal notes.

Divination

Set aside worries about the past or future. Right now is a wonderful time to make a happy memory. Your past brought you here. The future will be more joyful for the memory you have made.

You have every reason to extend your heart.

About Andrew

Andrew is a home recording enthusiast, former comedian and occasional amateur stage magician.

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]]> https://blog.andrewarcana.com/decan-walk-2-of-water Fri, 23 Jun 2023 16:57:13 +0000 Decan Walk: 10 of Air https://blog.andrewarcana.com/decan-walk-10-of-air <![CDATA[This is an excerpt from Sol in Gemini My notes, references, and cross references for each card is always several pages long. Now that I have this blog, I may share some very abridged thoughts about each card in the decan walk. Divination There is danger of thinking about thinking. The ultimate “ruin” in this card is: Thought has reached its ultimate purpose and utility, yet still exists only as thoughts. !--more-- Be careful that your thoughts have not become like the ouroboros eating its own tail. If your thoughts have nowhere to go except back into your head then your thoughts can quickly turn against each other. The 10 of Swords is a sign that these self-defeating loops are taking place. Get ready to turn the thoughts into action. Choose a relevant thought from the feedback loop. Do not ruin yourself with the pressure of choosing the perfect thought. Trust yourself. Empower yourself by bringing a relevant thought into action. It will hurt less after you stop tormenting your thoughts with more thoughts. ----- About Andrew Andrew is a home recording enthusiast, former comedian and occasional amateur stage magician. |Socials|Socials| |---|---| |Mastodon|Instagram| |YouTube|Spotify| Follow this blog on Mastodon or the Activitypub/Fediverse client of your choice: &commat;andrewarcana&commat;blog.andrewarcana.com]]> This is an excerpt from Sol in Gemini

My notes, references, and cross references for each card is always several pages long. Now that I have this blog, I may share some very abridged thoughts about each card in the decan walk.

Divination

There is danger of thinking about thinking. The ultimate “ruin” in this card is: Thought has reached its ultimate purpose and utility, yet still exists only as thoughts. Be careful that your thoughts have not become like the ouroboros eating its own tail. If your thoughts have nowhere to go except back into your head then your thoughts can quickly turn against each other.

The 10 of Swords is a sign that these self-defeating loops are taking place. Get ready to turn the thoughts into action.

Choose a relevant thought from the feedback loop. Do not ruin yourself with the pressure of choosing the perfect thought. Trust yourself. Empower yourself by bringing a relevant thought into action.

It will hurt less after you stop tormenting your thoughts with more thoughts.

About Andrew

Andrew is a home recording enthusiast, former comedian and occasional amateur stage magician.

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Follow this blog on Mastodon or the Activitypub/Fediverse client of your choice: @andrewarcana@blog.andrewarcana.com

]]> https://blog.andrewarcana.com/decan-walk-10-of-air Sun, 18 Jun 2023 19:20:10 +0000 Andrew Arcana's Blog https://blog.andrewarcana.com/andrew-arcanas-blog <![CDATA[Welcome! I had been wanting a blog for my friends from tarot spaces and similar backgrounds. I have been reading for myself since 2010. At first, I used the cards as a creative aid to write short horror fiction at a href="https://darkarcanum.arcanasphere.com/"Dark Arcanum/a. I loved (and still kind of love) horror movies, I had briefly been writing for a video game (it went poorly), and I wanted to keep going. Those aren't stories I usually feel great about these days. !--more-- Over time I got involved in theater. I had a reputation as the local goth, so I went with it. Then in 2019, I stumbled into something that made me want to look more closely at tarot. The timing was nearly perfect: I spent 2020 learning the Rider-Waite-Smith system from the ground up and getting a taste of what was to come. Then my favorite tarot book was released in early 2021: Tarot Deciphered: Decoding Esoteric Symbolism in Modern Tarot by T. Susan Chang and M. M. Meleen. These four years have led to adventures. Notably. A moderation position at the TarotOracle livestream on YouTube. Online courses to feed my brain during the early 2020s. A lot of new online friends who I value very much. A place to heal and grow. I can not claim any ability with divination. I can appreciate tarot as a tool to learn, look inward, reflect, and maybe shake up my own perspective about life. It certainly has been a wonderful adventure so far. ----- About Andrew Andrew is a home recording enthusiast, former comedian and occasional amateur stage magician. |Socials|Socials| |---|---| |Mastodon|Instagram| |YouTube|Spotify| Follow this blog on Mastodon or the Activitypub/Fediverse client of your choice: &commat;andrewarcana&commat;blog.andrewarcana.com]]> Welcome! I had been wanting a blog for my friends from tarot spaces and similar backgrounds.

I have been reading for myself since 2010. At first, I used the cards as a creative aid to write short horror fiction at Dark Arcanum. I loved (and still kind of love) horror movies, I had briefly been writing for a video game (it went poorly), and I wanted to keep going. Those aren't stories I usually feel great about these days. Over time I got involved in theater. I had a reputation as the local goth, so I went with it.

Then in 2019, I stumbled into something that made me want to look more closely at tarot. The timing was nearly perfect: I spent 2020 learning the Rider-Waite-Smith system from the ground up and getting a taste of what was to come. Then my favorite tarot book was released in early 2021: Tarot Deciphered: Decoding Esoteric Symbolism in Modern Tarot by T. Susan Chang and M. M. Meleen.

These four years have led to adventures. Notably. – A moderation position at the TarotOracle livestream on YouTube. – Online courses to feed my brain during the early 2020s. – A lot of new online friends who I value very much. – A place to heal and grow.

I can not claim any ability with divination. I can appreciate tarot as a tool to learn, look inward, reflect, and maybe shake up my own perspective about life.

It certainly has been a wonderful adventure so far.

About Andrew

Andrew is a home recording enthusiast, former comedian and occasional amateur stage magician.

Socials Socials
Mastodon Instagram
YouTube Spotify

Follow this blog on Mastodon or the Activitypub/Fediverse client of your choice: @andrewarcana@blog.andrewarcana.com

]]> https://blog.andrewarcana.com/andrew-arcanas-blog Wed, 14 Jun 2023 22:04:14 +0000