And the Tarot Speaks

For the longest time, I've been wanting to concentrate on the education of myself once more. At one point, several years ago, I would rise just after dawn and read The Classics and then stay up late learning Latin declensions. That time has eluded me and I miss it dearly, but there's always an excuse... an early-rising toddler; a pregnancy sapping all energy from me; a baby seemingly sucking every brain cell from my head with each suckle of breastmilk, a five-year-old with a million questions who won't even let me finish a thought, much less a sentence, much less an education.

Today, as I was preparing to pull a couple of casual tarot cards, I was thinking about this, in general, and specifically about learning the tarot. I've always felt that I really needed to study the tarot more in depth for the simple reason of not having to check a book each time I drew a card, if nothing else. I thought, I really should start that in-depth, one-by-one study of the cards that I've been meaning to start. But no, this isn't the right time. Not with a newborn. When it's the right time, the tarot will tell me with That Special Card in the deck or with a One of Something... gee, what's the first suit? That's the kind of stuff I should know. And so on with thoughts along that line. Here is what I pulled:

The Situation
Ten of Wind: Major changes taking place. Death of the old ways to make way for the new, better ways.

The Action
I - The Magus: A great force flowing through you that you have not yet connected yourself to. A focus on education and learning.

The Result
Three of Fire: You are standing on a border about to embark on a great journey. Get busy with the plans you have been nurturing for so long.

OK, I can take a hint.

I am blogging my journey for several reasons. First of all, I am the kind of person who needs to write things down to remember them. Facts go in one eye and out the other if I don't physically write them down. I'm not sure if just typing them will work the same way, but if nothing else, I know that blogging helps me organize my thoughts. And that's basically reason two: blogging will help me to move beyond the textbook definitions and other people's visions of what the cards mean. It will make the journey and the knowledge mine. Finally, accountability. If I am "supposed to" write down what I've studied and learned than I will be more likely to follow through instead of quickly losing steam.

So there's the what and the why. Here's the how. I am going to study one tarot card each week. I am going to read about it, meditate upon it, gaze lovingly at it, and maybe ever sleep with it under my pillow (a friend recommended that technique). I am going to look at different versions of it. I am going to dissect the artwork. I am going to know that card and its innuendos inside and out. At least, that's the plan. And then I will share it here.

I hope you enjoy the journey as much as I am looking forward to it. Wish me luck.