Below is an exercise i have developed to assist in getting to know your Tarot deck. I call it 'Looking Deeper.' and it is an indepth way of 'breaking down' the message in the card.
The exercise can be used with either the Major or Minor Arcana, and any deck of cards at all.
Keep a note of your findings in a Tarot journal- it is amazing to look back and see how your interpretations of each card change as you become more familiar with the cards.
LOOKING DEEPER
1. Is card minor/major arcana? If Major, what card & number?
If Minor, what suit, number & element does it relate to?
2. What is the main colour in the picture that you see?
3. What does that colour say to you? eg : action, healing etc
4. Is the mood of the card light or dark, positive or negative?
5. How do you react to this card? Does it make you feel happy, sad, anxious, scared etc? Explain.
6. Are there people in the card? How many? How do they seem to you, what is their stance & expression?
7. Is the picture depicted in your card, moving or still; is there action or events occurring? Explain.
8. Are there animals present in the picture? What are they and what are they doing?
9. Are the animal’s wild, free, tamed, subdued, restless, etc?
10. Can you see any evidence in the picture that this card could relate to a particular astrological sign? What is it?
11. If your card is a major card, can you find any evidence that would relate this card to a particular element? Make note of any elements that appear in the picture.
12. Are there opposites in your card? Eg black & white/ night & day/ male & female etc. Explain what you think this means in the context of this card?
13. What does this card say to you, what is its message?
14. What is the most prominent detail of this card & why?
15. Do you like/dislike this card? Why?
16. Look again at the elemental features of the card & what mood they convey………..is the water calm? Is the wind blowing? Sun shining? Storms? Is the ground fertile & abundant? Fires blazing? Make notes of what you see & what it could mean
