Step one - HOW to learn the meanings of Tarot cards

Decks - Check
Enthusiasm - Check!
Dedication - Check

Now the only question is HOW I can memorize the meanings of 78 cards and the meaning of the said cards in reverse. Not to forget the kinds of spreads and which card means what in relation to other cards..Phew! I have always hated memorizing ANYTHING. It seems to be such an insult to actually studying something, because in my opinion learning anything by rote is not really learning. I want to really understand what each card means in a way that I wont be spouting bookish meanings when I try to interpret the meaning of a spread.

I looked for online lessons and found quite a few. Most of them entail memorizing the meanings of each of the cards. Some tarot card readers suggested meditating on one card each day. Some said sleeping with the deck under my pillow would help me 'connect' to the cards.

I have never really meditated in my life. Not until the time of writing this anyway. I am an insomniac and hardly need a deck of cards stuffed under my pillow to ruin whatever little sleep I do get. I thought I'd try with a few cards at a time, so last night I tried keeping The Strength card and The Tower card under my pillow. For some reason - now it may be purely my imagination working overtime here - I just couldn't fall asleep until I kept the cards away.

This time around I have decided though. I'm not about to give up. I remember something I read somewhere  - the greatest teacher lies within. WITHIN. I decided to look within. I thought of a way to understand each card and I'm going to stick to it.

The plan is to shuffle the cards and randomly pick one. I will then take a really good look at the card and write down what it depicts. I will write down my interpretation of the card and what I feel as I study it. I would then compare my interpretation with the meaning of the card given in the book I have - The Art of Tarot by Liz Dean. If I am completely off the mark I will memorize the meaning given in the book and I hope that eventually I will be able to relate to the meaning.

I am not sure if this method will work for other beginners as learning by rote is just going to be easier for some people. For me, this method proved to be the right choice for me as I tried it. I think the fact that I chose my Rider Waite deck to begin with makes it easier for me because the artwork on this deck is very simple to interpret.

In my next post I will note down my interpretations of the cards that I pick each day. I am hoping to be able to complete this little exercise with each card in the deck by the end of next month. Fingers crossed!