Hello, all and welcome to my blog at Tarot By Mokko!
I’m Mokko of course and am pleased to meet you.
First, I am a fragrance chemist who has been using tarot and oracle cards to help friends and family make tough, every-day decisions. I was happy to do this in my spare time, but as fate would have it, now I’ve decided to step out into the world and try my hand at being a professional reader full time.
So let’s get some definitions out of the way so that you understand exactly what I do.
What Are Tarot Cards?
Sometime in the 15th century, the tarot were introduced as playing cards, typically used by the noble classes of Europe as a fun way to pass the time. The Visconti-Sforza deck rose to popularity due to its highly detailed and ornate images.
Unfortunately, there are no full decks that have survived, but partial decks can be viewed at various museums around the world.
In lieu of a museum visit, check out this video on the history of the Visconti-Sforza deck released by Christian Dior.
Don’t forget to look at their beautiful tarot-inspired collection!
Eventually, an illustrator and mystic by the name of Pamela Colman Smith teamed up with an academic occultist named A. E. Waite to create the Tarot deck known as the Rider-Waite, published by the Rider Company in 1909.
This is not the first time the Tarot was used as a divination tool. What made this tarot deck different is that Smith and Waite benefited from the American Spiritualism movement that was at its peak in 1909. Also, because the instructional pamphlet was so easy to understand, the Rider-Waite deck caught on. Despite the different kinds of decks, like the Thoth and Marseille Tarot, the Rider-Waite is still the most popular deck in the world.
Nowadays, the Tarot is used as a divination tool by people from all walks of life to predict the future, to receive insight on the emotions and motivations of others and aid in spell crafting. I have also seen tarot cards used in therapy sessions, typically by therapists who prefer Carl Jung’s work.
Discrimination against tarot cards and readers still exist, but the world has come a long way in terms of acceptance.
Why Should You Learn To Read The Tarot?
- Develop intuition and trust your gut first
- Save money on tarot readers and psychics
- Take first step to building a lasting spiritual practice
As your reader, of course I would love for you to purchase my readings on my Etsy shop. However, I tell everyone who seeks my services that my aim is not to have long-term clients. I endeavor to use the cards to build your self-esteem so that you are confident enough with your intuition to make decisions without me.
As much as I love the income, I think it’s beautiful when my clients grow into their own power by learning to trust themselves first.
Read this testimonial to see how my style empowers clients to take control of their lives. (link to Deja’s review)
This is why I believe that everyone should learn how to read for themselves.
Do I Have To Be Psychic?
No! You do not have to be psychic to be an effective tarot card reader. Some professional readers are adamant that you should be, but I believe that if you build a relationship with your cards and a strong foundation of image associations, then you can become a skilled tarot reader.
Tapping into your intuition always helps and with practice, you will find it easier to access. However, psychic powers are not necessary to give an accurate reading.
Do I Need To Charge My Tarot Cards Under the Moon?
During my time as a tarot reader, I’ve seen novice readers become frantic at the thought of their decks being spiritually dirty. They flood tarot forums with questions about whether they should use salt or sage to cleanse and which moon phase should they charge their cards under.
I have even seen posts from newbie readers that refuse to purchase used decks because they feel that the deck will never belong to them, as it has loyalty towards its previous owner.
I’m here to tell you that no, there is no need to cleanse, charge or discard your decks. They are pieces of card stock with beautiful imagery printed on, not a temperamental wand from Ollivander’s shop! (And as much as I love Harry Potter, most of the magic of that series is unrealistic, but that’s another topic.)
So yes, it is true that when we use tarot cards or any other divination tool, we delve into the occult, but that does not mean that we have to be needlessly superstitious.
Keep your sanity by staying grounded about what you’re doing and why.
That being said, if your spiritual practice requires the cleansing and charging of all tools before use, then please do so.
Why Choose Tarot Cards?
Many new readers tend to feel more comfortable with oracle cards because they are more straightforward and therefore, easier to understand. However, I believe that all readers should begin with tarot cards because they will learn how to tell a story with the cards. Then eventually, how to create image associations and learn to lead with intuition.
My very first deck was the Enchanted Tarot by Amy Zerner and Monte Farber.
A friend and I would loiter around our local Barnes & Noble after school just to pass the time. One day, I saw an ornate purple box with gorgeous cards printed on them. I was drawn to the woman on the box, so I scooped it up and snuck it into my bedroom.
For context, this was back in 2005 when I was a new Wiccan hiding my interest by sneaking tarot cards into my room and clearing the cache on the family computer. The only resources available were Angelfire websites at that time.
The Enchanted Tarot was not the easiest to deck to learn the tarot with, but I had my grandmother, a former rootworker, to guide me as well as a lot of time to understand the symbology. Read more about my grandmother in my About Me section.
This is why I suggest that new readers begin with the tarot. Oracle cards can be a handicap in that the messages are very simple. In a way, they do not allow you to grow like the tarot does.
So, what next?
There are many tarot decks out there, but I think you should go for the very basics when you’re just learning.
You can follow my blog or check out these websites and forums geared towards tarot talk:
Below are easy to understand tarot card decks and guides:
Now that I’ve given a brief history of the tarot, why you should learn and provided resources, it’s time to get started!
Follow this blog for tips and tricks and feel free to discuss your progress in the comments below.
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