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Tarot Realizations by Bill Vincent
My personal use of Tarot tends to fall mainly within the self-development category. I’m always studying the symbolism from my various decks, looking for new insights. One day I discovered an exercise that inspired me so much that I wanted to share it, and I hope you find as much value in it as I did.
Recently I had a particularly challenging week at work, and by the time Friday came I was pretty beaten down, my energy was low and I needed some inspiration to finish the week on a good note. So while having my morning coffee, I decided to go through my deck face-up, looking for cards that inspired me. After picking a handful of cards, I placed them on the table and just let their positive symbols soak in. Within a few minutes I began to feel better, so much better that I knew I had discovered something really wonderful. By picking cards with symbols that were uplifting to me and meditating on them, I had redirected my thoughts. My focused attention on them caused a real change in how I felt, and as a result I had a boost of energy and good feelings which lasted my entire day.
Like anything that makes you feel good, it’s possible to do it so much that it loses it’s potency, so this may not be something you want to do every day. But, if you’re in a pattern of negative thinking or really need to recharge your batteries, doing this exercise can produce a real change in the way you feel. Good luck, and may the happiest cards be yours
In the comments section of my Confessions post, Roswila brought up yet another controversial topic in tarot: Yes/No Readings. Should we even do them? Some say that tarot just isn’t the right tool for the job, that the cards are not suited to simple, flat answers like Yes or No. They are archetypes and tell stories and dig up subconscious mysteries, so asking them a simple Yes/No question usually ends up with the cards giving you all kinds of information then leaving it up to you to decide yes or no. Still others say that the oracle is fine for asking Yes/No questions of and it can and will yield an answer and even tell you why it’s so.
TJ McKeown’s Yes/No Approach
My system for Yes/No questions (I’m not sure if you would call it a spread) requires knowledge of the Major Arcana and their order. After shuffling the deck you answer the question by dealing the cards in a pile as you count the cards.
If you do not get an Ace or a Ten within 22 cards then the Answer is unavailable or the Question was incorrect. As you deal the cards and count you remember which card it was when an Ace or Ten is laid. You stop dealing and Take into consideration which number it was and the suit.
The yes or no is answered by the number (Ace or 10). The Suit gives more information as does the number 1, 2, 3, … , 22). Match the number to the Major Arcana it represents and this too gives more information. So instead of just a yes or No you get a little background being the answer, perhaps a Why or Why not.
I have been using this system for a while and it has proven to be pretty accurate. I have also used it at psychic fairs.
Welcome to all of our listeners. This Pod Cast is going to be devoted to the symbolism of the Fool. The imagery and symbolism in the Tarot is what connects us to its archetypal qualities and wisdom. It acts as a gateway between our conscious and our unconscious worlds. Each deck carries with it its own unique brand of imagery and symbols. For the purposes of this discussion, I will be referring to the Waite-Smith Tarot (also known as the Rider-Waite Tarot), as it is a traditional reference, and quite often used for teaching purposes. Interpreting the imagery and symbols is done in two ways: through the intent of the author/illustrator (and here we need to remember that the background for the Rider-Waite deck is that of the Golden Dawn), and how the Seeker sees it through the veil of their own personal life experiences.”
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Tarot of Dreams grew from the work that Ciro Marchetti did with his first (gorgeous!) deck, the 
