Here I am preparing to give a birth card reading to Jack, at his Bar Mitzvah reception. What a fun party that was!
If there is a young person in your life who expresses an interest in tarot, you can’t go wrong with a one-card birth card reading. (See The Magician’s Table webite for instructions on calculating birth cards.) This limits the possible cards that will come up to The Fool, The Magician, The Empress, The Emperor, The Hierophant, The Lovers, The Chariot, Strength, and The Hermit—all friendly, innocuous cards.
Try this:
Calculate the birth card.
Lay the card in front of the young person.
Ask him or her to describe the card. You can give prompts: What is happening in this card? How would you describe this figure’s personality? Does it remind you of a part of yourself or anyone you know?
Explain the potential the card represents. For example, if the birth card is The High Priestess, you might frame it this way: You have the potential to make good decisions because you have the ability listen to your heart and understand what motivates you. Deep down you know when to stop and think before you act. You also have the ability to keep secrets. You may need to adjust your language depending on the age of the young person.
Because I don’t use the cards to make predictions and would never use them to tell someone what he or she should do, I feel comfortable sharing them with any child who expresses interest. Because of the tarot’s misunderstood and controversial nature, I do, however, feel it is in my best interest to have parental consent for minors.
When reading for a child, I pull out The Death card, The Devil and the Ten of Swords. Last month I had tea with my new friend, Anastasia, of Tarot-To-Go (check out her podcast!). She recommended a couple decks she likes to use with children: Children Tarot and Tarot of Oz. There is also a great site dedicated to using the tarot with children, and it includes images from several recommended decks: Tarots for Children and Children at Heart
For a young teen I will explain that the tarot has some images and cards that some find scary or negative, and that while they don’t predict that anything bad will happen, and may even validate what they are experiencing or feeling, we can take them out of the deck. I leave it up to them. When I had this conversation with my friend’s fourteen-year old daughter, she rolled her eyes and said, “The Death card would freak my mom out, but it doesn’t scare me.”
A fantastic book for a teen who wants to study tarot is Seeker: The Tarot Unveiled by Rachel Pollack. Even though this is written for a teen audience, I actually think it is one of the best introductory books anyone could have.
Write in if you have any thoughts about working with young folks—or techniques.
