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I was wondering if there were others here who do tarot magic?

i.e.
Creating your own ritual in which cards are laid out in a specific pattern to achieve a desired result.

I have a bit of talent for the cards and have found that they can add a bit of oomph to my ritual work. To those who have had positive results with this method: What other focuses do you use. Are the rituals elaborate or simple? Mine tend to be fairly simple adding in only a few crystals and maybe a candle to the invocation. Still they do seem to get results more spectacularly than just the invocation without the cards.

How about you?

Very interesting! I'm still a novice with the cards, and find this idea fascinating... hope to learn more.

DarkestDesires:

Most of this is based purely on my own experience so it is not written in stone by any means.

I would respectfully suggest you wait until you're rather familiar with the cards. Not just the basic meanings but what the symbolism and nuances of each card mean for you. A good way to start is to find a blank notebook to use as a tarot journal. Each day choose one card from your chosen deck, carry it with you all day and when you have time take it out and look at it. Don’t look at the hokey little booklet that comes with the cards for the meaning. Instead stare at the image until it tells you it’s story. Write down your impressions of what the card might mean both to the characters in the picture as well as the more abstract feelings the card gives you. Even your gut reaction to the cards number and colors can be very significant. It’ll take a while to do them all but once you have that notebook will be a valuable tool for improving the depth of your readings.

Once you get to the point that you rarely need the notebook anymore, you can begin to try some basic tarot magic. Just as a beginning reader can influence the meaning of a reading by unintentionally projecting their own thoughts/hopes/fears into it, the same can happen with tarot spells. While a bad reading may leave someone misinformed, a wild spell can potentially do a lot more harm.

As far as creating the ritual itself… Tarot spell creation is a good bit like tarot reading. Once you know the cards, it is vital that you trust your gut as to which cards to call on and how you lay them out. Start small, just little things at first. As your confidence increases so will your skill.

I have never done Tarot cards, but I have seen it done. It is very interesting stuff.

Hmm, this is definitely a branch of magic that I will be looking in to.

I do readings and have done only a few tarot spells with them, it seems I am better just doing readings. :) Good thread though

That's where I'm at. I do readings, but I've never used them with spells before.

seem interesting

yes it does...

Just found a site on this subject made by a woman very much on the same page as me. At least as far as how it works and why. She list some beginners basics that interested people might find very helpful.

Sarena's Tarot Spells

great! thanks for the link!

i dont do tarot spells

nice read and thank you for the link sounds very interesting:)

spells realted to the tarot are very useful, as each tarot card represents a phase of life actually...the journey of the fool through life...i prefer to wrtie my own spells now after 5 years studying..nearing 6...i have found some tarot spells around too, or spells which involve the tarot as well...

i have never done tarot readings,but i have been shown how it's done. Taorot spells sound very interesting. I'll have to check out that site. Interesting thread.

I haven`t had a reading done in a long time..
Sleen

I need to get into practice with my deck instead of waiting until I need to consult it for help. Still, that would be a very useful skill for anyone willing to learn.

Recently bought a toth-tarot deck, and found much more useful than the raider waite I've been shuffling for years. I think that tarot spells are mor effective the more comfortable you are with the deck...

cool, thanks for the link.

I've heard about doing spells with tarots but to achieve a desired result never.

Thanks for sharing.

Mercy I have to really applaud you. There have been a few occult aspects of which really shine up here in the top box and this one is probably the best so far for me.

I started looking into manipulating Archetypes of the Dragon Tarot about a year or so ago. I haven't done anything substantial or really gotten that far into it because as you said and understanding of the cards is really needed to get the full effect.

For me it is about finding the right archetypes in the cards to blend together to hit my opponent with the best bang for the buck. I don't want them to slide out through some loophole that the cards didn't cover, as you see however it I am more about offensive attack energy than anything in my pursuit in this.

To fomulate an attack I would need to know a little something about who I am hitting. A person that dwells well in chaos wouldn't be effected so much in a Five of wands put against them. Aspects such as that make it necassary to know your target.

Good thread keep it up.

I am also just a reader, I have found that the Tarot can be useful in spells/rituals. It is just the knowledge of it that I lack. Thank you for the link and I agree this is one of the most interesting threads I have read in a while.

Thank you

me personally,i use certain cards that pertain to my need. for instance,in gaining insight and magical power,i use the moon,the priestess,the ace of wands etc. the pictures on the cards seem to invoke meaning and purpose into my ritual. i use the ace of wands,because in my dragon tarot deck it is seen as the alchemy card. other than that,i usually cast a full circle,use a candle and some incence,and as a focus,i use a crystal ball.cliche,i know.but there ya go.

I've used the Royal Scapini deck for years now, with just a standard blocking out of cards when I read them. Always works well for me, and those I choose to read for...

thanks for the link.

Mercy-- The exercise you recommend, by which you periodically look at the cards, etc., is actually a reasonably common one (Tarot Contemplation Ritual) that goes back at least to the Golden Dawn. It IS extremely useful if you want to utilize the tarot in any real way. As you get into the practice of this, you'll be surprised to see that eventually the ideas you form about the cards may be remarkably similar to the meanings normally ascribed to them. This is particularly true if you're also taking other steps to elevate yourself spiritually.

So far as your comment: "Most of this is based purely on my own experience so it is not written in stone by any means." The occult is both ART and science. So, in my opinion, the best occultist is the one who dares to do something that isn't known. If it works, you assimilate it, if it doesn't work, then you trash it. Simple as that.

Wiicked-- Nice choice on the Thoth deck. That's my deck of choice. You should get the Book of Thoth, too.

Crowley had his good points but I never felt he figured in so much to use his Thoth Deck.

I am not saying any of you that use it are this but I figure that too many simply pick the deck out of some wannabe trendiness in regards to putting crowely on too much of a pedastle.

I'm not a big fan of the thoth deck. I've used it, used to own one, but that deck liked to bite me.

I wound up giving it as a gift to a Crowley worshipping friend a looooong time ago. I'm not knocking the deck though. Just saying it didn't gel with me.

My primary deck that I use now is "The Mystic Tarot." It can take a while and some experimenting to find the deck that is right for you. I've used a great many over the years. Different decks have suited me at different stages of my life. You should choose your deck every bit as carefully as you'd choose a roommate. A deck that doesn't work for you can make a really excellent gift. Besides, decks given as gifts tent to acquire stronger juju. I don't know why, they just do. ;)

I personally use the Thoth deck because Crowley studied the tarot extensively for years, and seemed to have a full understanding of its deeper symbolism. If you want to see what I mean when I say this, simply read the Book of Thoth. I assure you that it's NOT a beginner's text. You need a fair background in at least astrology and kabbalah to be able to grasp it. With this deep understanding of tarot, Crowley went to great lengths to create a deck that was as "symbolically accurate" as he possibly could. And visually, I find it attractive, as well. THAT is why I use the Thoth deck. As an occultist, you should use what works and throw away the rest. I don't care if LaVey, Mathers, or the Pope made the deck. Crowley, while knowledgeable, is irrelevant. The deck works for me, and therefore I use it. Anyone using the deck purely out of loyalty to Crowley would be using something potentially very useful, but on a false pretense.

That's not to say I don't know what you mean. There are as many blind sheep in occultism as anything else. I can show you a Christian sheep, a Satanist sheep, a Wiccan sheep, etc., etc. And while they all think they're different, they're all a part of the same blind and ignorant herd. Following the words, works, and paths of others simply because everyone else says it's right is idiocy personified, and is an affront to the thinking person.

I find Crowley to be overcomplicated and probably he was explicittly so on purpose. There are easier ways to manipulate energy than how he suggested doing so.

I think people like him like to be part of an elite club which is kept small simply because of a need to keep people uneducated in order to exploit them or hold advantages over them. I can't blame him for that but the dude is dead, people ought to start waking up and figuring out that there just might be better ways than years old philosophies from now defunct groups such as the Golden Dawn.

Was Crowley an elitist? Probably. He did seem to have ego issues as well. I won’t debate that. The energies represented and utilized by the tarot, however, are complex. For that reason, I don’t believe that his analysis of the cards was excessive.

So far as the Golden Dawn, I have to firmly disagree. The GD was almost single-handedly responsible for the modern revival of the occult. And while I do believe that magick is something personal, which can and SHOULD be adapted for a person’s needs, the ritual work of the GD has proven to work time and time again. Much of their basis of knowledge draws upon older sources, and therefore is not really theirs, despite the fact that they changed or “flavored” various aspects of the practice. (particularly adding Eastern references and practice to Western) Once again, following the practice of the GD simply because they are deemed “important” is bullshit. However, their influence on the occult is undeniable if you really research the history of the matter, and many many occultists will swear by the efficacy of GD methods. Myself included.

The golden Dawn was an elitist club that formulated overcomplicated principles in order to keep their secrets in house.

I see no reason to subject myself or any one that I might be convinced to train to that kind of sadistic punishment that can be found written poorly in their manuals. Just because something is old doesn't make it more effective or more efficient.

I agree with you that the principals behind the GD rituals are NORMALLY simpler than the rituals themselves. As such, there are definitely other means to reach similar goals. That’s why magick is a personal practice. At the same time, the GD did understand the psychological aspect of the occult, by which the setting of ritual could aid the psyche in achieving a state of mind conducive to the channeling of genuine power. Some people can do the same things without the ritual, or with different rituals. And that’s fine. It’s all a matter of preference, really.

You’re also right that something isn’t effective JUST BECAUSE it’s old. I couldn’t agree with you more on that point. However, antibiotics also aren’t effective JUST BECAUSE they’re old. The fact is that through the years, antibiotics have PROVEN to work. And since they were discovered, new antibiotics have been discovered, created, or modified. And that is how it is with the occult. Some new methods may serve better than the old. Some may not. And in some cases, it’s highly preferential. I would say that to discard the GD just because it’s old is as wrong as accepting the GD just because it’s old. If you find their methods sadistic, that’s a perfectly valid reason, and they are simply not for you. But others may find value there. No one path is for everyone. But just because a path isn’t right for you does not mean it’s the wrong path for everyone else as well.

I agree with FromNothingI Come on this one. It's a matter of choice.

I'd really rather not see this thread digress into Golden Dawn bashing. Let's keep it on topic please.

I am sure the GD has basic foundations which I would readily accept. The principles they use I would probably also suggest are foundations for a great number of other systems that are equally effective.

My contention is that in gaining these foundations it becomes necassary to jump through hoops, GD expects a certain amount of programmed cerremonial behavior. I find that aspect about it sadistic.

There is no reason that simple techniques must be done in a ceremonial aspect in order for them to be just as if not more effective.

I don't mean to break topic here but I think something needs to be said. I am not attacking people personally for what they believe. Just because I don't agree with some principles of GD doesn't mean I am making it a personal issue with any individual in my writing.

You folks want better discussions learn how to speak to arguments or debates within the threads. It isn't so much about who agress with who here that wins. It is about getting across to different paradigms and speaking it out.

i hope to learn more about tarot cards very very interesting i think

i do readings with tarot cards but ive never used spells while doing so.

never in my life have i needed to practice a spell while doing my tarot cards. the energy i put into them is enough to make the reading accurate. but it sounds interesting to make my own ritual, so maybe ill try it out .

I am working on Tarot Cards myself. I only use them every now and then, for answers that need answering right then. However, when the situation arises, I do use them quite often! ^.^
Shadowgirl

I know very little about tarot cards, my son however has a great passion for them and stones. He will take himself off to a quiet place and shuffle them with his eyes closed and hold them.. I asked him once what he was up to and he said he was talking to his cards.

I watch him most times when he is with them because I want to make sure he does not hurt himself. He likes to try and tell me what is going to happen and he tells me stories about people he says he sees when he looks at them.

I asked him, after starting to read this thread, if he felt he was doing any magic with them and he informed me that he is ALWAYS doing magic.

But then again.. keep in mind my son is 9.. He grew up around the cards for the most part though.. and I dont want to discourage anything with him or my daughter.

I know that he always keeps his cards near by when we do rituals as a family.

and as always.. these are just my ramblings and probably have gone way off topic now.

Silverbow:
Sounds perfectly on topic to me. If your son has bonded that closely with the cards and runes at such a tender age, by the time he is a teen he may well be a force to be reckoned with. Assuming he doesn't lose interest of course.

I think children are a lot more open to true understanding than most adults who have had our inner vision clouded by hurts and predjudices.

The down side is that one so young, however gifted and well guided, has not learned to master thier emotions and impulses as well as an adult either. Keep a close eye on him. I've heard too many stories of people who turned away from the arts after doing something they really didn't mean to do in a moment of passion.

He sounds like a delightfully fey boy. ;)

Very good post's all of ya... I am pretty good with tarot, never has my deck lied.

I can even tell things years in advanced... not just tiny things but you know like a midlife crisis... or even an actual crises... f/e.. Death, Illness... etc...

I read Tarots everyday. I have like 10 different decks but i never used them for spells. Ineteresting. I do white and dark magic as well. Good topic.

I haven't tried using my cards in any rituals yet...maybe I should. I don't use my tarot cards all that often, really, though. I use my rune stones much more often.

I don't really know anything about Tarot Cards, Readings, or Spells. But through my journeys on this site, I am sure to find somewhere I can read up on them to understand them better.

I'm a begginer with the tarot cards and didn't know you could do spells.....thats very interesting!!!

I started with small spells. Healing, warding, protection and increased luck, being the sorts of things I used them for. The more I did it the more I noticed a difference in the strength of my readings. Not in accuracy, they were pretty accurate to start with, but in the details and specifics. I'd say that my readings got less vague. Instead of the broader generalizations the cards will give the most novice reader.

I would HIGHLY advise agaist using the cards for offensive, or attack magic. Especially if you plan to keep doing readings with them. I don't do that sort of magic myself, but my gut tells me it would change the deck in ways that aren't productive or happy.

Hmm good point there - I haven't used my deck for anything other than spreads for other people (I can never understand what they are saying when I ask a question pertaining to myself)....

I wonder if it would be a dumb idea to eventually acquire another deck specifically to be used for spells...?

Who knows when another might fall into my hands?

When I was initially interested in having my own deck about 10 years ago, well in the space of about 2 weeks I had 3 decks presented to me... Soooo, if it's meant to be, perhaps...

I have done many Tarot spells. One of the quickest was when I needed a new job. I showered, did the spell skyclad, and before I could dress the phone rang and there was a job offer for me to work out at Lockheed-Martin for more money and better hours than I had before.

I have a Witche's Tarot and the Egyptian Tarot. I mostly use the Witche's for day to day.

Having a seperate deck just for spellwork might be a good idea. Just be sure to take the time to bond with the deck first. ;)

i use to use them years ago but not anymore

I can tap into a tarot deck in a minimal aspect but I have not been able to find one that fits me. As for spell work with tarot I have never tried it. Maybe when i find the right deck i should.

yea i dothe tarot thing too & i enjoy doing them

tarot cards are just a waste of money they have never worked for me so whats the use

almost anything can be a waste of time or effort if it just doesn't work for you. The trick is to stay open to new things, keep an open mind, and give things a good try.

I've known a few people the cards just didn't talk to. Some of those dis really well with the rune stones, or other forms of divination. I'm sorry that your experience has been a frusttrating one thus far.

Killer666 - - -

If you spent your own money on a deck of cards then yes, it was most likely a good waste.

I suggest you save that deck for a gift for someone you cross paths with who expresses interest or that you can tell might benefit from having their own deck - -

IT might be a myth but I 110% agree that in order to have a reliable deck it should be given to you, it should "come" to you rather than you seeking a deck out.

killer666 the idea is that u can use these cards for many purposes.. same thing with a deck of ordinary playing cards. or a handful of rocks instead of using rune stones, its not the objects that have the power it is within u. the energy u put into the cards if u believe in them they will work for u. because u fill them with ur own energies. if you believe a handfull of dirt can work for u, then it will its just the energy and intent u put into the particular object. Just have to have an open mind and learn how to work with ur own energy.

What are tarot spells? Or did I just skip over that when reading over this?

(shrugs)

ARIDAI:
I agree in part. That a lot of magic is simply learning to tap into your own, and outside energies. I disagree that all focus
objects are created equally. some are very refined tools designed for specific tasks, and can be a huge help to both novices and masters alike.

While it's technically true that you can open a door with a crowbar or the doorknob, I'd advise the doorknob every time. ;)

ByteMiAss:
Yep you kinda skipped over that.

I have a spell to make the power of the Tarot all the more powerful. At the moment, I cannot find it.

-Lord P. Shadowloo

BaphormetsServant:
Sounds interesting. :)

It depends on the caster if they determine if just anything will work.... You really do not have to go out and buy something just becouse it or someone else says that it will help your spell work. If that was the case there really wouldnt be spell crafting would there since in the old days ppl had to use what they had on hand. And im sure if you went back in time and said oh why are you using that dirt why not use this store bot stuff it works much better they would look at you as if you were a full. Being druid i prefure to use natural things in my spell work (natural meaningthings i have made or scalvaged for in the outdoors) if you go for a walk and something of nature draws you then more then likley it was ment for you.......

Rayne:
Every culture has used what it had on hand in it's time and place, as do we.

Tarot cards are not new, they date back to 15th century Italy. I'm not in love with the fact that they have become just another product to be sold as a novelty. *shrug* But they have. In truth every aspect of the craft has become staggeringly commercialized. I can't and won't defend that since it disturbs me too. What you seem to be arguing is that anyone who uses more magical tools than what they can find in nature, is somehow weak or gullible. Trying to purchase what they can’t attain through study and meditation.

There are many ways to view the world, and the craft. Not everyone is drawn to a naturalist path like druidism, or shamanism. People tend to use the tools that draw them. You speak to me as if I were peddling something for personal gain. I’m not. Nor am I affiliated with anyone who is.

You’ve found your path, and if you never have any desire to use or learn about the tarot then don’t. Why come into a thread discussing tarot use specifically, just to belittle those that do?

Like i mentioned earler i have a tarot deck and i have taped into it. What I wa remarking on was


(I disagree that all focus
objects are created equally. some are very refined tools designed for specific tasks, and can be a huge help to both novices and masters alike.)


I just posted my fealings about that remark and how i persived it to be taken in my last post..

Everyone has there own thoughts and peseptions on everything. and my perseption upon that remark was what i was trying to get at in the post. If it was taken in the wrong then i will admit my perseption was way off....

i dont mess with tarot cards myself, but i have a friend that does and she gave me a reading one day. I really wouldn't be interested in the spells though unless they were evil lol

Have never combined tarot with spells. I like using candles in spells, but I've never done anything with tarot.

i've used some tarots and candles in the same spell but it didnt work very well :/

My mother has tarot cards and I have been interested in them since I could remember...but I still have trouble understanding a lot of it.

I have some .. just not an expert on them .. ill stick with my spells

I haven't had a chance to experience with tarot cards. I wanted to by a set of vampiric ones from Hastings, but they were 30 bucks and I had to choose between other things.

Oh well, maybe I'll remember next time I go to Hastings.