Teaching Tarot: A Learning Experience for the Teacher

After many people asked me, I decided to start to teach Tarot Cards. I spent many weeks researching and developing a 10 week course covering The Major Arcana, The Minor Arcana and The Court Cards that touched on reversals, dignitaries and reading intuitively using definitions as guideposts when needed.

I spent time promoting the classes on many websites and social media standards. I promoted the classes at live events and all my readings gigs. I received a modest number of people who said they were interested in attending and I started to get excited.

Yesterday was the day. As I rode the train uptown to meet my students I felt giddy. This was what I was supposed to be doing. Teaching. I was listening to my Higher Self. It was wonderful.

And then no one showed up.

I was mad and frustrated the whole subway ride back. I felt like a failure. All the time and work I put into developing classes. All the time and money I spent on promotion. I wanted to crawl up and disappear. So that's what I did. I locked myself in my room and cried. I gave into the emotional stew I had been marinating in.

Today the sun came up and it's time to try again. Time to figure out a different course of action. I am sure that teaching and reading tarot cards aligns itself with my Higher Self. With that in mind I grabbed my tarot deck and asked, "How can I better position my tarot business to encourage students and to succeed financially?"

I pulled the following:

The Six of Pentacles - Rx, The Sun -Rx, and The Eight of Cups.

The first thing that struck me was the reversed Pentacle Six. Immediately I thought stop giving it away. That confused me since I was charging for lessons. I decided to also look at the images on the Rider deck:

Both the Rider and the Gilded were very similar except in the Sun card. The Gilded shows the Sun as center of the solar system instead of the traditional child riding joyously on a horse. There was also a slight difference in The Eight of Cups. The Gilded shows some of the cups turned over and our man looking to the distance wanting new adventures. He has not yet left, as the man in the traditional Rider shows.

I delved a little deeper into the Pentacle Six and discovered that besides the obvious meaning of charity and giving there are many textured layers that may not be so obvious on first glance. It carries a bit of religious or esoteric meaning of not giving more than can be handled. The scales also show that our merchant carefully measures his coins before giving out any. He puts himself first and only gives what he does not need. Scales also are reminiscent of the Justice card. Reminding us to live our truth.

All this tells me I need to make the classes less intimidating. I packed a lot of information into each of the classes that are design for a beginner and might scare off prospective students who are just dipping the feet in the Tarot waters. It also reminds me to take some time for me. Measure my days and leave time to relax, enjoy friends and family and to explore other projects. Lastly the reversed six shows me to not to give away the classes. It reminds me that my experience, knowledge and time are valuable.

The Sun reversed is a little less head scratching. The Sun represents joy and joyous behavior. After moving through the mysteries and uncertainty of the Moon, the Sun welcomes us to a brand new day with warmth and enlightenment. And spurs us to laugh joyously at living now that we now who we are.

Reversed, no one is laughing. The good feelings and childlike wonder is still there but they are subdued, like clouds covering the Sun prevent it's rays from reaching the ground.

The Sun reversed reminds me not to lose the joy, passion and wonder I first had when discovering the Tarot. It lets me know that this joy and passion is what drew people to me to learn and that I might have become too "button down" now that I was teaching. It lets me know that people will come and learn if I am less formal.

The Rider image of the Eight of Cups shows a man leaving. He is walking by the side of a river and is heading towards the mountains. Behind him stand eight golden chalices. This man has decided to leave his current situation even though his current situation is still good. By following the river we see he is following his intuition and emotions. By walking towards the mountains we see him moving towards his Higher Self.

The Eight of Cups is reminding me I needed to walk away from my current business partner. While things are still okay and I am getting gigs, both reading and teaching, the energy of the Eight is movement and it is scary walking to the unknown this will be better for me and my emotions and spirituality in the long run.

Overall, this spread shows to simplify and enjoy the teaching process. It lets me know to not forget about my joy and happiness. It tells me through the reversed six and the reversed Sun that money is not the only reason I am being drawn this way and I can not let it become strictly about money. I must continue to honor my Higher Self and work in this field from a standpoint of sharing and teaching and not being miserly.

The rest will come naturally.