Attracted to Tarot during a certain time of the year? + Tips on studying efficiently?

Hey guys! I really am curious if it is only happening to me or if it happens with you all. Apparently, I am attracted to divination a certain time of the year. That is, my interest relights in October or so and in February it reaches some sort of peak.

If I remember correctly, I created this account a year and some months ago and I was really interested in Tarot for a little while. After that, nearing my birthday (3rd of February) the interest sort of faded away. Now, about two days ago the interest was relighted, along with my interest in Lenormand.

Is this something usual for you too?

Oh, and one more thing: the main reason the "flame burnt out" is probably that I don't have lots of time to study the cards. I have Tarot 101 by Kim Huggens and 21 Ways to Read a Tarot Card by Mary K. Greer, as well as the Easy Tarot Kit and Tarot Illuminati Kit. I would love to have the time to study them, but each card takes me more than an hour to study just to get some basic meanings so I could start practising reading, time I don't usually have because there's no more space between school and studying for an actual career. Not only that, but my mother holds strong on some beliefs and doesn't like seeing me studying the Tarot. While she doesn't say it, I know she doesn't agree with it, she believes they bring bad luck, I guess.

What are your tips to get quick and dirty with Tarot? How could I jot down some basic meanings for each card so I don't spend 200+ hours before I actually get to do some readings?

AkiraOkihu said:

I would love to have the time to study them, but each card takes me more than an hour to study just to get some basic meanings so I could start practising reading, time I don't usually have because there's no more space between school and studying for an actual career.

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I think that one hour per card is a lot! I would say, spend 10-15 minutes on each of them to do not lose your interest. Also, don't force yourself to study the cards, it has to stay fun to keep your interest alive. You do it as a hobby and not to get a good grade

AkiraOkihu said:

Not only that, but my mother holds strong on some beliefs and doesn't like seeing me studying the Tarot. While she doesn't say it, I know she doesn't agree with it, she believes they bring bad luck, I guess.

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At this point, this is your life. Could you go in your bedroom to study the cards, without your mom being around? You have to respect that she does not agree with you using Tarot, but she also has to respect that you have an interest to study Tarot.

Sometimes, we have to deceive other people a bit to stay true and authentic to ourselves.

I guess not everyone would agree, but I personally didn’t do the whole ”study one card”-thing when I started out. I tried for a short while, but I got bored, so I quickly tried doing readings instead! And it worked. I think it’s more important (if you want to learn to read with the cards and actually use them) to look at how they flow together, how they form a story, how to interpret according to question (context is everything!), what is going on between the cards (What does it mean when it seems like the Page of Wands is looking at the Devil card, and not the Temperance card in the same spread?) etc…

Knowing each cards’ basic meaning is just about memorizing, but using the cards in readings has a lot more to do with storytelling and seeing flow and function of the cards. If you feel bored doing all that memorizing, start praciticing readings for yourself instead. If you don’t feel ready, just draw random cards, three cards, in a row and see what you can make of that. What do you see? What is happening in the scene that is formed by the cards?

For quick practice you could try the above and form one sentence from the scene the cards form.

I didn't do the "study one card" thing either. I did do the 78 card study (twice ) but that came MUCH later. But you could try studying a card - WITHOUT THE BOOK ! Read the books straight up - they have pictures anyway - but look at the CARD. Write down what YOU see (notebooks are GOOD !) What does the image say to YOU. You can see if the books agree with you later - but it's what YOU see that will give you the reading - because card meanings are not set in stone..

As to your mother - as long as she doesn't actually try to STOP you... the bedroom suggestion sounds good.

But time of year - I can relate to that, but I KNOW why it is, for me. Long summer days mean doing more - going outside, walking, going to the lake and the like. Winter is wet or snowy, chilly, dark - what better time to inspire indoor study. I am MUCH more into it now than I am in summer !

one hour is a lot, try a more playful approach instead of the scholary one, just have a but of fun with it and just for a set time, like 10 minutes a day for a card is plenty

A normal day I would say I spend perhaps less than that on tarot. (but a whole lote more here and on FB talking about tarot)

Thanks a lot for all your replies! I'll see about giving my own interpretations to the cards. When I started Tarot 101 the book told me to discuss 3 elements in 2 cards. I chose the Tarot Illuminati Hanged Man and Strength and interpreted them without the book. While I got some things right, according to books I got many things wrong or I just missed.

I guess I am afraid that if I ever want to actually give readings to others and I am using my meanings instead of the "standard" ones found in books and the querent decides to ask other readers I will get a bad reputation for not using the "right" meanings.

What are your thoughts on this? How do you read: do you use the "standard" meanings or do you change the meanings of the cards with each deck?

AkiraOkihu said:

What are your thoughts on this? How do you read: do you use the "standard" meanings or do you change the meanings of the cards with each deck?

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A bit of both. I try to remember to read the actual cards infront of me and just keep the tried and tested traditional meanings in the back of my head. Tarot spreads are a visual tableau. The images on a stage that will respond to the question you throw at it.

I am wondering if it has to do with your weather ?


Traditionally, Samhain was the best time to do divination (and talk to or honour ancestors ) . But that was for real life and death divination ..... related to how to survive the coming winter.

AkiraOkihu said:

Hey guys! I really am curious if it is only happening to me or if it happens with you all. Apparently, I am attracted to divination a certain time of the year. That is, my interest relights in October or so and in February it reaches some sort of peak.

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Like a tarot climax. Sounds hot. This hasn't happened to me…yet.