Welcome to my Blog – which explores some of my courses at EsotericCollege.com .This is how easy it is to learn the Tarot with me! Let’s get you started…

The history of the tarot is shrouded in mystery and some sources say it origins lie in Egypt, others argue that its roots lie in a card game from the medieval period. Regardless of its actual origins, the tarot is timeless.

A traditional deck

In 1903, Arthur Edward Waite joined the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and later he joined other Orders within the mystery school. He became a freemason in 1901 and alongside the illustrator Pamela Colman Smith they published the ‘Rider Waite’ tarot deck in 1909. This deck was one of the first tarot sets to illustrate all 78 cards and not just the 22 cards of the Major Arcana. It has inspired thousands of modern day decks! Arthur Edward Waite probably got the inspiration to design a complete pictorial deck from an ancient medieval card deck tht was 500 years old.

Around 1907 the Busca-Serbelloni family of Milan, sent to the British Museum an ancient medieval tarot deck, the Sola-Busca Tarot which was displayed and, no doubt, seen by Waite. Dating back to Northern Italy in 1491, this deck is very similar to the Rider Waite deck.

Compare the medieval Three of Swords of the Sola-Busca

to the Rider Waite illustration.

A Gypsy method of tarot card reading

Since the turn of the last century, the tarot has, to some degree, become much intellectualised. From psychology to astrology, many new ideas and interpretations have been projected upon the cards, and although this adds further insight into the card’s meaning, it can make the card appear complex.

There is an intuitive and natural approach to tarot card reading that has been handed down from generation to generation. One of those methods is the gypsy method of tarot card reading. Over the past 25 years of teaching the tarot, I have added to this age-old system, which explains the story of each suit – its ‘Song’. I was taught this when I was around 16-17 years old and it is magical.

The Song of the Tarot teaches ten cards at once so you hear the Song and not its whispering meaning. Let’s say that you have bought yourself a deck of tarot cards. You look at the example of a spread given in the booklet and now you lay out the cards and look for their meaning by turning to the booklet. You read each card’s meaning; but in isolation of the Suit it belongs to. Simply put, you will never see its relationship and place within its Suit; the bigger picture- its Song!

Loud and clear, the Song begins with the Suit of Cups; Cups are associated with the element of water and water represents our emotions – how we are feeling. So, certain cards of the Suit of Cups can instantly tell the tarot reader if the querent (the person having the reading) is worried, deeply upset, has emotional problems or is happy, joyous and content.

Offering instant and vital emotional information, the suit of Cups quickly shows us how the querent is feeling, which builds a rapport between the reader and the querent, who usually says ‘How did you know that!’

Let us now explore the Song of the Cups in their Upright Position by looking at the first five cards.

Simple rule to all Suits: All Aces, regardless of their suit, tend to represent New Beginnings, so as we are dealing with the Cups and the element of Water, which rules relationships and emotions, the Ace of Cups heralds a new emotional relationship or friendship.

Simple rule to all Suits: All Fives, regardless of their suit, tend to represent problems and blocked energy, so as we are dealing with the Cups, which rules relationships and emotions, the Five of Cups heralds emotional problems that may cause much upset.

Bearing in mind these simple rules, let us now explore the Suit of Cups. The Keywords are in Bold font.

Ace – New friendships or new love. Beginnings. The journey into the realm of love and the emotions has begun by meeting someone new, perhaps someone special, or someone will soon enter your life and you will have a meaningful relationship be that in love or business. The journey of love or friendship has begun, or will soon begin…

Two– The Ace’s journey of new love or friendship has now deepened to become in the Two a Union, a partnership, a firm relationship. The picture shows two people holding cups showing their relationship.

So from the New Relationship of the Ace, the relationship has become more solid and a Union has formed…

Three – From the Union of the Two, there is now cause for celebration. Traditionally associated with an engagement, marriage or the birth of a child, or some other situation of emotional fulfilment giving reason to celebrate.

More importantly, this card shows the querent is happy and their emotional relationships should be running smoothly.

From the Union of the Two, the relationship has deepened and all is happy and merry…

Thus far, the Song sings of positive relationships, of being in love and in a union, and of happiness. Yet, as we all know, relationships cannot stay in a ‘heady and in-love’ phase forever, all relationships at some point undergo stress, strain and problems can surface, and so the Song now sings of relationship problems…

Four –the querent is probably experiencing some kind of an emotional problem, perhaps dissatisfaction with their relationship or, the feeling of being let down, the querent may feel alone – even in a relationship.

More importantly, this card shows the querent is unhappy and feeling emotionally low and possibly vulnerable.

The Song shows us how to heal the challenging energy of the Four-the energy within. The Four teaches us that we should be honest with our emotions, not to hide behind them, to be open and to discuss any emotional issue, so as to heal the niggling emotional problems. If we put our head in the sand, and pretend all is well by wearing a mask to hide the hurt within, then the Five manifests to teach us that we must not ignore our feelings…

Five – On going problems of the Four have not been faced or dealt with, and now the querent is feeling disappointment, loss or regret.

More importantly, the querent is emotionally low or at an emotional crossroads, feeling sad, and is hurting….

The Five teaches us that not all is lost as two Cups still stand and something remains that can be worked with.

The Song shows us how to heal the energy of the Five, the emotional energy within. The energy of the Four was not dealt with and it has now become ingrained and worsened. Five teaches us to be truthful about our emotions and discuss how we feel and when we do, the energy can be transformed for this is a card of Emotional Alchemy.

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