an old tarot pack

[Polaris]

MM
i found out the other day that my mum used to do tarot and she has a pack of cards. they havent been touched for about 20 years. i looked through them and they are in pretty bad nick(condition). she showed me the book that taught her the basics, and wot a lot of gibberish that was!!i couldnt read it at all!it has good pictures in though.
i was wondering, if you know how to read tarot how did you learn? i am going to learn off my mum. these weekly classes are helping me with the meanings.
alsodoes it matter where the cards come from?or who they hav been used by?or if they are falling apart or taped together in the middle?
MP
Polaris

[Semele]

Polaris,
How wonderful!! Now you and your mom have something in common. I think it is great for parents and children to share common interests. I suspect it will bring you closer together. Also you will both learn a lot more than tarot by studying together! Good for you!

As far as using someone elses cards, I don't think it is a problem so long as you have the permission of the owner. Some people don't like too many people, if any, to handle their cards because they are so connected with them and the extra energies may interfere with it. I don't personally see it as a problem. I actually enjoy the enery I get when others handle my cards. I love for my son to "play" with my cards. He likes to look at the pictures. He always turns the hanged man upside down because he thinks he needs to be upright. Very soon we may get him his own deck to get familiar with. He wants a Scooby Doo deck he said. We will have to keep our eyes open for that!
Semele

[mol]

I think that cards passed down a generation would be a blessing upon the receiver...and being from the same family...your energy should mix well together.

[Ari]

Polaris: I found Mary K. Greer's "Tarot for Yourself" to be really useful as a workbook. You could also look into taking classes at a local evening college/adult education centre; I know our local one offers tarot and astrology courses.

[Shatav]

I don't think it would be a problem within a family. I even gave one of my old decks to a dear friend of mine for safe-keeping...my first deck actually. If I wasn't specifically giving it to someone I knew, however, I'd destroy them and disperse the energy first. I'm paranoid that way and wouldn't want my energy getting in the wrong hands. ;)