By Allan Ritchie
The practice and craft of the Tarot is personal and individual. Tarot reading is an art and skill that is learned often in private and quietly over time. The tranquil sense of the activity can lead to an intensely solitary experience. The majority of Tarot practitioners begin their study in isolation, drawn by a personal enticement felt for the beauty of the cards, the mystery of divination, or the allure of answers to questions. This was the experience I had when I began to study the cards. It was in the peaceful exploration of images and archetypes, in the privacy of my quiet space that I trained myself to read Tarot. The variety of avenues of exploration that are now available to the novice reader are numerous and diverse. A lifetime of study and use of the Tarot can be accomplished without ever encountering another soul.
There is a great wonder to allow what is intensely personal to become shared communally. The love I had for the Tarot sees me through rainy days and lonely nights. It is a trusted confidant that will meet me when and where I need it. Yet when I started to reach out to the community something extraordinary happened. The first time I enrolled in a Tarot class, I was filled with excitement and curiosity. The thought of a Tarot class in my conservative hometown was something I didn't know was possible. While likely not everyone's experience, finding the Tarot Tribe was a bit like coming home for me. Finding those that shared my love and interest in the Tarot was validating and empowering.
Tarot has no gatekeepers or wardens of the practice. Tarot, as with all divination practices, is a door that is available to all who would open it. It is freeing to know that each of us can access the tool of Tarot as individuals. We do not need anyone's permission to can work with it. We are not dependent on the approval of others. Tarot is a wide-open world of possibilities.
The reader must come to the craft and learn how they will do it for themselves. Each of us must also learn to know our limits and boundaries.
While we can operate independently, Tarot has a community where support can be found. There are some established masters of the craft. These elders have been walking this road a long time and they have insight and wisdom that we can use to develop and grow. Still, there are many more who have lessons and ideas to share with the community. These are the authors of books we read, those who create the YouTube videos we watch, and that produce the social media posts we follow.
As members of a community, we share a mutual stake in each other's success. The Tarot community is not a Zero-Sum Game. The success of one of us does not come at the detriment of another. We can all benefit and there is plenty of growth and prosperity for us all.
The Tarot world continually shapes itself into a new iteration and each of us has a part in the evolution. The importance of the authentic voices being raised in support, encouragement, instruction, and warning at times is essential to the health and reputation of the community. It is up to you and up to me to make sure that we are all doing our part to enhance the wider community.
One goal I set at the beginning of the years was that I decided it was time to extend my voice in the community. It is my goal to fulfill my obligation as part of this community. I share a responsibility to help others learn and grow. Though not a master of the craft, I need to honor what I know and have done in my tarot practice. I need to share it for the benefit of others. There is a vulnerability that comes from entering the public discourse, and I am very aware of this. I owe it to the community that has given me so much to share what I can.
No matter where we are in our Tarot practice, there is a place for us to contribute. The elders and the masters of the community give through their teaching and wisdom. The artists give us their art in the form of Tarot decks. The novice and the students give us their hope, their questions, and their fresh perspective on the Tarot. With respect and concern for others, we can enhance and enrich this community of individuals. Joining the conversation and supporting the work of others, we strengthen each other and ourselves. No one can do it all, but there is something amazing that each of us can give that is unique and individual as that giver. I am learning to give more of what I can do. I know that others feel the same and are drawn to share what they do.