My experience with the Tarot

I love Tarot cards. There was always a strong connection between myself and the Tarot, even before I actually  understood what it was.
I was first introduced to Tarot at the age of 11 or 12. I walked past a very small display of decks in a toy store that I frequently went to with my family. It was the artwork on the box that first caught my eye, and after a closer examination of their box I wanted them immediately. The first deck I ever saw was the Rider-Waite, and to this day I still have it and use it on a regular basis.  I am always very delicate with my cards, keep them wrapped up and in a safe place, so they still look brand new, despite being over 14 years old.

Of course, when I first had my Tarot deck, I had no idea what to do with it. I mostly spent my time looking at the artwork on each card. It was really more of an artifact than a tool at that point in my life. I did read, and re-read numerous times, the little booklet that came with the deck, but I never really used my deck for divination. Every so often, I would take out a random card and the little booklet to see what it meant, but that was the extent of my Tarot deck use. Inwardly, I felt that I was not mature enough to use the Tarot on a regular basis. Like I said, it was more of a sacred item to me, and just having it was special enough. That was in 1995 or '96.
Fast forward to 2002, when I began my first journey into Wicca. It was the first time I seriously took out my Tarot deck with the intent to learn the cards and divine with them. That was the beginning of what has become a regular part of my life and interests.

Aside from the Rider-Waite, I also own the Aquarian Tarot and the Botticelli Tarot decks. I only bought the Botticelli deck out of my admiration of Botticelli's art, so I do not think it will ever be used for more than a few times a year, when I am in the mood for it.

All three decks that I have are very beautiful and resonate well with me, though I sometimes feel that having three decks is a bit of an extravagance. I am very picky about the decks I use, you see, especially when I will be reading for others. I will use only the Rider-Waite if reading for someone other than myself. For myself, I go back and forth between the Aquarian and Rider-Waite. However, if I'm doing a particularly large spread I will use the Rider-Waite, just because I know the cards so well. That way I can gauge a large reading in a few glances, as opposed to spending more time looking that cards whose artwork I am less familiar with.

That's all I have the stamina to write about at the moment. This is probably going to be a two or three-part post, so stayed tuned. Blessed be.