Well, that’s what I thought after several years of trying to learn all those pesky cards and then how to put them together and get meaning from a spread. I had read books, taken online courses and tried all sorts of ideas. Slowly it started to click and eventually I started to get to know my deck and what it is capable of.
And then it dawned on me (I can be a bit slow at times). I have been a secondary teacher my whole working career. I have spent my working life creating teaching material that could be readily understood and well-paced. I figured that I should apply my skills to writing and developing a beginners’ Tarot course that allowed people the ability to learn Tarot without the pain and time that I went through.
The course is based around meeting each card individually and within their groups. Revisiting and reviewing them as the weeks roll by, daily study, group work to offer a chance to share ideas and lots of discussion. Divination is the primary focus, but we look at other uses of Tarot. Reader ethics and personal boundaries, the history of the cards, and heaps of tips for doing great readings are offered. By the end of the six weeks several popular and/or useful spreads are introduced. So, by the end of the course most people are feeling pretty confident in using the cards.
At the time I was doing that, synchronicitously, a good friend had just opened an esoteric bookstore and was looking for people to offer courses to build a community. I took up residence in the rear of the shop on Saturdays and started teaching my brand-new course. It actually proved to be quite successful.
I ran the course there for about ten years. Over time the notes have been rewritten several times and expanded as gaps or oversights became obvious. Thousands of people have taken the course which is so unbelievably gratifying.
Then came Covid. Sadly, my friend’s store was forced to close and social distancing became a thing. I lost my lovely venue and it’s a bit hard teaching in small groups when people are two arm lengths apart from each other. So, like so many other activities, we went online.
Zoom is amazing. Small group work is possible, we can work through notes together and discuss them as a group. If a class is missed, you can watch the recording and of course I’m still available via Gmail. And the school has a much, much wider reach. It’s still the BRISBANE Tarot School but it reaches the world!
I think it’s absolutely worthwhile checking us out.
Many blessings
Chris from the Brisbane Tarot School
Comments