Okay, so I’ve been meaning to get into tarot for a while now, and I finally decided to dive in with the Connolly Tarot deck. I’d heard good things about it, that it’s good for beginners but still has some depth. So here’s how my first experience with it went.
Getting Started
First, I unboxed the deck. The cards felt pretty good in my hands, not too flimsy, not too stiff. The artwork is… well, it’s definitely a product of its time. A little dated, maybe, but I found it kind of charming in a retro way. Lots of bold colors, that’s for sure!
I spent some time just looking at the cards, one by one. I didn’t try to memorize anything, just getting a feel for the imagery. Some of it was pretty straightforward (like, the Swords cards looked pretty intense, you know?), but others were a little more mysterious. The Star card, in particular, stuck me. The colors are so vibrant.
My First Reading
After shuffling the deck a few times (I’m still working on my shuffling technique, to be honest – cards went flying!), I decided to do a simple three-card spread: Past, Present, and Future. I laid them out in a row, and then… I kind of froze.
I had the little booklet that came with the deck, and I started looking up the meanings of each card. The Past card was the Two of Cups, which the booklet said was about partnerships and harmony. Okay, that seemed to resonate with a recent project I’d been working on.
The Present card was The Chariot. The booklet talked about willpower and overcoming obstacles. That felt very relevant to my current situation, where I’m juggling a bunch of different things and trying to stay focused.
And the Future card? The Five of Pentacles. Oof. This one showed two figures out in the cold, looking pretty miserable. The booklet talked about hardship and insecurity. Not exactly what I was hoping to see! But I guess that’s part of the deal with tarot, right? It’s not always sunshine and roses. I may need to consider being more aware of pitfalls in the future.
Reflections
Honestly, the whole experience was a bit overwhelming at first. There’s so much symbolism to unpack, and I felt like I was barely scratching the surface. But it was also really intriguing. It made me think about my situation in a new way, even if I’m not sure I fully “believe” in the cards’ power.
I think the key is to not take it too seriously, especially when you’re starting out. Just treat it as a tool for self-reflection, a way to spark your intuition. I’m definitely going to keep practicing and see where this journey takes me. I’ll likely look at purchasing an additional book to see other interpretations of the cards. I feel like I did well with the booklet for today’s experience, however.
