Below are three examples of how some of my Tarot Students have used the Tarot Worksheets to help them gain a deeper and more connected, or personal understanding of the individual Cards.  The Worksheet Headings are only given as guidelines to work from.  It is not necessary to stick rigidly to their format.  Some of the Headings may be relevant for some Cards, especially ones that trigger a personal memory, but others may have no use or meaning for you.  You are also free to move the Headings around and please add your own as you go.

The Examples below have been posted with the individual student’s permission. No personal details have been given.

Place Tarot Card Here

Four of Cups – I see a figure sitting cross-legged at the base of a tree. He looks unhappy and as if his mind is somewhere else, or that he has withdrawn.  A hand in a cloud reaches out and hands him a Cup but he doesn’t see it.  In front of him are three other Cups all lined up. I am not sure if he can see them either.  The sky is blue and clear, so it looks like a nice day even if the figure is very miserable looking.

Memories : This card reminds me of the day my family attended a relative’s wedding reception.  It was a lovely summer’s day and the wedding was being held in a large Marquee Tent on the grounds of an old castle.  It was a big family wedding, so all my aunts, uncles and cousins were there, along with friends of the bride and groom.

When?  20 years ago

With Who?  My 16 Yr Old Brother. My Mother, Father and two young cousins. A teenage boy from the bride’s side.

Feelings: It was a really happy day and I had great fun, that is until there was an incident with my brother that I still feel guilty about. I had been involved in making him unhappy that day, something I would never normally do, but then again, I was only young and with a couple of other cousins.  I felt totally indifferent towards my brother’s feelings and it was clear he was very upset and annoyed at the time.  It was all about me having some fun at his expense.  I am sure he was not feeling very happy.

Joys/Smiles? Fears/Tears?  Me and my cousins were smiling and laughing all day. However, the joy and smiles later turned to tears and fears.

What Happened Here?

I was 10 years of age and was happy to hang around with my cousins who were of a similar age.  We felt wild and free running around the grounds and in and out of the Marquee Tent, eating and drinking fizzy pop out of bottles with straws.

My older brother was also with us and he was 16yrs old.  We normally got on very well and he was very good to me and looked after me when Mam and Dad had to go out anywhere. We even shared secrets.

However, my brother was 16 and to him this meant he was very grown up.  There were also some teenage girls there from the bride’s family and I knew he was looking at them all the time.

When we were first shown to our tables in the Marquee, my brother was very annoyed when he discovered that he was placed at my table, which was considered the kid’s table.  He felt insulted, and I remember him having words with my mother, and she telling him to sit back down and not cause a fuss. She wanted him to keep an eye on us.  He sat but he was fuming. All the teenage girls were at a much older table and he felt like a baby and embarrassed. Then they started giggling about him at the kid’s table

My young cousins and I got very giddy at the table and we started annoying my brother with stupid comments out loud, and saying that he was in love with the girls at the other table.  He got really mad with us and as soon as dinner was over he stormed off and disappeared out to the grounds.  We decided we would follow him to see where he was going, because for some reason that day we were hell-bent on making his life a misery.  We thought he might go looking for the teenage girls and we might see him kiss one.

When we found my brother, he wasn’t with any girls at all.  We were hiding so he couldn’t see us, but he was with a couple of the older teenage boys and they were drinking bottles of beer and laughing. They didn’t see us. After a while we got bored and ran off to find some other fun.

Many hours later, my mother came to me looking to know where my brother was as there seemed to be some sort of problem. My mother looked concerned and told us to just run around until we found him.  Something stopped me from telling her about seeing him drinking earlier on.  I and my cousins disappeared off in the direction where we had last seen him. The plan was to give him a warning that he was going to get into trouble.   When we got there he was gone, but there loads of empty bottles lying on the ground.  Something made me very concerned and I ran and got my mother and father and confessed that I had seen him drinking earlier, but now he was missing.  My father exploded in anger and my mother ran off looking terribly worried.  I and my cousins followed her without her noticing and after a while I heard my father’s voice shouting ‘over here’.

My father had found my brother and another guy under a tree swigging out of a bottle of beer. They were very, very drunk and couldn’t stand up or talk properly.  My father tried to lift my brother to his feet, but my brother got angry and tried to hit my father.  I got a terrible fright because I had never seen my brother like that before.  We were hiding behind a tree watching what was going on but suddenly my brother saw us and he started shouting at us.  ‘You told them, you told them, how could you? He then spat on the ground and I started crying and ran back to the Marquee.

Why? As an adult now and looking back, it happened because my brother was trying to look cool after being embarrassed to be sitting at the kid’s table.

How?  He never had a drink of alcohol before and the teenage guys he met up with, had sneaked bottles from the bar.  They had handed him one after another with the intention of getting him drunk just for fun. They were not his friends and were just using him for a bit of fun. The teenage girls knew nothing about it and were disgusted when they found out.

Connections – The Four of Cups triggered the connection to this 20-year-old memory in its imagery.  I saw the figure under the tree and thought immediately of my brother all those years ago, and the body-less hand, that awful other teenage boy at the wedding, as he shoved bottles of beer in his face.  Because there was no body with the hand, it symbolically represented to me the fact that this boy was pretending to be his friend, but really there was no substance to it.  When I look at the three Cups standing in front of the figure under the tree I connect them to me and my cousins watching what was going on that day.  The figure under the tree looks very depressed or low and that is how my brother looked when he was found by my father.

For me this Card is connected with feeling unhappy, angry and feeling let down by those you expected more of.  I feel there is a connection with too much drinking but that may just be because of my memory.  The figure also looks bored and disinterested in what is being offered to him.  This for me suggests that my brother may not have been the one who was interested in the drink, maybe it had been forced on him that day.

What did You Learn from this Experience?  The Alcohol had a very negative effect on my brother that night and he was taken to hospital.  The alcohol had fuelled his earlier anger and upset at being put at the kid’s table. I learned that alcohol does not make you feel better if you are down, it just brings you further down. I also learned that even if my brother had got angry with me for telling on him, I should have gone and told someone when I first saw him drinking. I was only young but I did know that alcohol was potentially dangerous.  He would have got over the whole thing by the next day. Because I didn’t warn anyone, my brother could have died and I cannot bear to think of that.  I also learned that teenage years can be a very difficult time and that we should be more observant of those who appear to be low or expressing negative emotions as they may be suffering terribly inside.

What Has this Card got to Teach You? My brother felt very depressed for some time after the wedding incident and retreated into himself.  Our relationship changed and the level of confidence we used to share was never the same again.  We should never have annoyed and teased him so much, especially when he was already feeling so bad about having to sit beside us.  I was too young to see how deeply affected he was by the whole situation.  I didn’t know it was such a big deal for a 16-year-old. Over the years, I have attended many social occasions and have observed the younger groups who often attend them.  Sometimes their parents or those in charge get carried away with having a good time and just presume their children are safe and behaving themselves, especially if they are semi-grown up.  I have seen many of these young teenagers sneak drink out of rooms and disappear into the toilets or outside to drink.  They have no knowledge of alcohol and how it affects the system, so they just keep knocking it back and then wham, it suddenly hits them and they pass out.  Ever since that incident with my brother all those years ago, I always go and discreetly tell the parents or whoever is in charge. I ask them not to make a fuss, but to get in quickly and put a stop to it before it is too late. Some of course do manage to slip through the net but, hopefully, not on my watch.     

This Card also taught me to be more respectful of people’s feelings and sensitivities.  My parents never stopped to consider the embarrassing situation they were putting their young and impressionable son into when they placed him at the kids table instead of the teenagers one.  They had forgotten what it was like to be that age and how embarrassing the whole thing was for him. They just wanted him to keep an eye on all the younger kids so that they could relax and unwind.  Since I have had children of my own and watched them grow up, I was always painfully aware of their need to be one of the group, part of the gang, in with the crowd.  I never put them in a situation or asked anything of them that I knew would mortify them in front of their friends.

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Place Tarot Card Here

Six of Wands – A man sits on a horse carrying a Wand high in his hand.  He has a laurel wreath on his head and another one on the wand which is tied on with a red ribbon.  He rides a white horse that has a lovely green rug on its body, and pretty decorative reins.  Walking beside him are five men who all hold wands.  They seem to be waving them in the air. The men are smiling, so everyone seems to be happy.  The man on horseback has a very proud and haughty look on his face. The sky is blue and it looks like a nice summer’s day.

Memories –     I find this Card easy to interpret before learning the traditional meanings because it holds certain memories for me.  The horse I saw immediately and the crowds moving around it. It brought back memories to me of the time I used to work with horses.

Feelings – I feel this is a happy card and everyone is excited.  I feel there is a large crowd here but we can only see some of them in this picture.

Joys/Smiles? Fears/Tears? – Definitely Joys and Smiles for the people in this card. Again, I feel this is a happy, cheerful and exciting Card.

Connections – I am connecting this card to a particular day, a long time ago when I was working as a stable lad in a small horse-racing yard.  It is a day that stands out in my memory and I can still remember all the feelings associated with it.  I feel this Card is associated with winning something and excitement.  I know laurel wreaths symbolise success and there are two in the picture so I think it is a big success that everyone is very happy with.

What Happened Here?

Where? – Race Course – Kildare – Ireland

When? – 10 years ago

Why? –  I was there to work as the official groom for the day.  The usual girl was ill and I was asked to step in.  It was quite an important job and I was worried I might mess up but I knew exactly what had to be done.

With Who?  – I travelled with the horse in the box because he was a nervous traveller.  The trainer and jockey sat in the jeep in front.  There was also a few other yard staff with us.  The owner was going to meet us at the race track.

How? – The horse, was a total unknown and had never really won anything before but we were just taking him to the race that day for his own experience.  However, the horse had shown great promise when he was first put into training, and even though we were told that this outing to the race-track was nothing out of the ordinary, there had been an undercurrent of excitement in the yard for the whole week.  No one spoke about it for fear of jinxing the whole thing, but we all knew this horse was good, as long as he didn’t get nervous and lose his head when he saw all the other horses beside him.

At the Race Track, he was saddled-up and when the time came for the race, the jockey mounted him quickly and headed off for the starting line.  The owner had come down to see the horse when we arrived but had gone back to his stand to watch the race.

The horse was very nervous at first but once the race started he just ran like the wind.  However, he was behind for a lot of the race but in the last couple of furlongs, he suddenly changed gear and tore ahead, leaving all the other horses behind.  He crossed the line with a decent win of at least three lengths and the crowd erupted.

We went berserk and the excitement and noise was unbelievable. I ran to take the sweating horse from the jockey who was jumping in the air with joy.  Once I had the horse cooled down and checked over, he was given the winning horse’s special rug and thrilled and excited to bits, I was asked to lead him around the winners enclosure.

I remember the crowd pushing forward to touch him as I led him down into the enclosure. He was dancing and prancing and full of himself.  The owner came over and stood with the horse for some photos and was presented with a cup.  Everyone was shaking his hand.  It was a wonderful time and one of the highlights of my life.

What did You Learn from this Experience? –  I learned that everyone is in with a chance to win once they work hard enough and believe in themselves.  I learned the sweet taste of success that day and enjoyed being part of the whole hysteria that surrounded it.

What Has this Card got to Teach You? – Teamwork.  I see the man on this horse and he looks like he is taking all the glory for the win but behind the scenes of his success is a strong network of support and expertise.  I remember my moment in the spotlight and always feeling disappointed that I never got my full face into the photographs that day.  I had spent hours, days and weeks working with the horse and several others in the yard but the only people who seemed to be important were the owner, trainer and jockey.  I seemed to blend in with the crowd who were milling around.  Of course the horse was handed back to me and I was the one who groomed and fed it while the rest drank champagne.  Still, it was a fantastic day and one I will never forget.

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Place Tarot Card Here

Two of Cups – A man and woman stand facing each other. The woman is dressed in a white dress with a blue overdress (possible wedding outfit). She wears a laurel wreath on her head (success, she got what she wanted, the big wedding etc) The man is dressed in very fancy clothes. Probably wouldn’t dream of wearing them, but the woman has picked his clothes for this special day and he must keep her happy.  There is a winged lion above and I think that this represents an official ceremony, as in a wedding, or at least an engagement. They each hold a cup which they extend towards each other. The man reaches out and touches the woman gently.  Maybe they are taking their vows and he is asking for her hand so that he can put a ring on her finger.  There is a house in the background which is probably where they are going to live and fill with all their wedding presents and children.  It looks like it is in the countryside so maybe they want a quiet life.

Have just noticed that this is a Stage Card, so the reality behind this lovely picture of romance, love and the happy ever after is quite different from what is portrayed.  Everyone may be on their best behaviour for this photo but return to their normal ways the next day. Maybe, it is just someone’s dream of what they want.

Memories – Wedding Receptions, Photos of bride and groom, toasting the bride and groom, couples, Magic bubbles, rose-tinted glasses.

Feelings – Romance for sure and strong attraction.

Joys/Smiles? Fears/Tears? – Joys and Smiles. Tantrums and tears down the line. Possible shyness.

Connections – Couples, The Perfect Couple, with their perfect little house in the background. Dreams and plans for a life together.  Bringing together of two people or two entities. Partners, Husband and Wife. Relationship being blessed.  Official Ceremony. Vows

What Happened Here?

Where? All engagements, weddings etc

When? Early stages of attraction or official engagement/marriage

Why? Love, to be together, everyone else is getting married, tradition, they want children, meant for each other, biological clock is ticking, she wants a big day and big dress, she always wanted to be a bride

With Who?  Just each other

How? He proposed but she was expecting it. Probably her idea.

What did You Learn from this Experience? Was a part of one of these happy couples, got married, the ceremony, the whole thing.  Divorced two years later.  Got very tied up in planning the wedding.  Forgot who I was, forgot who we were and why we wanted to be with each other.

What Has this Card got to Teach You? Looking at this Card, the couple seem to have eyes only for each other.  There are no other people in the imagery so maybe they either don’t need or don’t want anyone else.  They are complete and content.  They probably live in each other’s ear and do everything together. All lovey dovey, I think it looks too good to be true.  The perfect wedding photo for sure. The magic bubble might burst and hope they still have kept in touch with their friends when it does.  They do look like they are starting out with good intentions, but will it last?

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