Make a Keyword List
Making your own keyword list is fun, easy, and a great way to get more practice with the cards! You will learn new things about the cards each time you do this.
Supplies:
- 1 piece of paper, or page in your notebook
- pen or pencil
- your deck (the pips)
- Keyword List (to start)
Follow these steps:
- Write down the numbers 1-15
- Next to each number, write down the keyword from the keyword list
- Now go through your deck (pips) card by card (do a minimum of 10 cards for best results) and see if the keyword you have resonates. Is there a better word to try or does the original keyword work?
- If a new word has come to mind, then write that new word next to the old word.
- If a new word has not come to mind, then move on to the next card.
- Once you are finished do a quick glance over your new meanings.
You do not have to go through all of the cards. Go as long as you want to. Because of this you might not draw all of the numbers each time you do this exercise. That is just fine, this is a short exercise to get some practice. You will draw them another time.
Example The current keyword for aces is “new”. Well maybe in another context I think “beginning” is better, or “seed”, etc etc. All of these definitions work, alone or together. And as you learn keywords and expand on their meanings you will gain a real understanding of the cards.
Idea (optional) When you are finished drawing cards, especially if you drew fewer than 10-12 cards, you should separate the cards you drew into piles by number. Are there a lot of one number? Or anything else you notice? You could also put them in piles by suit, all cups together, all batons, etc. You might notice something interesting!
Everytime you work with the cards your knowledge and intuition grows. The cards gain more nuanced meanings with time and practice.
Next Step
Use your new keyword list, or your old one if there were no changes, and do a few readings.