Tarot for Teens

Extract from Chapter 4 of Tarot for Teens by M.J. Abadie

The Tarot is great for getting focused. I've noticed that quite a few young people aren't quite sure what course to follow. They can't make a decision about a career path, or they feel overwhelmed by the diversity our culture offers. While there are always people who take a long time to find their right path, decisions made while young will affect decisions still available in adulthood. So choose carefully--and let the Tarot help you to envision what really sparks your enthusiasm and interest. Use it to turn your imagination toward your own future life, to examine a wide range of life's possibilities, to widen your horizons.

As you continue to work with the cards, be sure to use them for dream work. Choose a card and put it under your pillow at night. Get yourself acquainted with your dreams for the future so that you can readily imagine yourself exploring many opportunities. Get moving in the direction of your dreams now. Start investigating the pathways that lead to your desired future. When cards that show problems turn up, pay attention--these are important messages from you to yourself. Take a good look at the negative or problematic issues so that you can get a handle on them, make improvements, and take control of your destiny.

Upright and Reversed Meanings of the Major Arcana Cards

O THE FOOL
Upright
When The Fool appears, you may be feeling "out of sync" with your life. Underneath you already know something needs to change--but what?   You are being asked to take a risk, to do something on faith in yourself. Past experience may have made you wary of taking chances, but now's the time to put yourself to the test. You're still in a state of innocence. You may be a virgin. You could have just encountered your first love and be feeling unsure whether to take that leap. A new opportunity of some kind is indicated, if you are willing to take a chance. You seek adventure.
Reversed
You may fear making a fool of yourself, or be embarrassed about something you've done or not done. Fear of making a wrong choice is an issue. Lack of opportunity for change. Risky business. Taking unnecessary chances for the sake of the thrill. Something holding you back from going where you want to go. A new romance gone sour. Struggling against circumstances. An  inexperienced person taking senseless risks. Possibility of being duped. You took a chance and it backfired. Review circumstances before acting.

I THE MAGICIAN
Upright
It's time to take charge of your destiny. Learn to use the tools already at your disposal to better your life. New resources are available now. You want to be in control of things. You are studying hard to achieve. If romance is in the air, you are attracted to the right person. You are developing creative abilities, stretching yourself to the limit. You want to shape your own reality your way. Seek out opportunities by contacting the right people. Finding your true destiny. Being on a spiritual path. Someone who is learning new and interesting things. Becoming an adept.
Reversed
Don't do anything rash. It's time to wait and see. Lack of self-confidence. A need to discover inner powers and resources independently. A question of identity. Indecision about educational choices. Need for self-searching to determine right goals. Develop a positive outlook on problems. Unrealistic romantic expectations. A rival for some desired outcome. You are not in a strong position now. Misuse of magical energy.

II THE HIGH PRIESTESS
Upright
You are achieving a higher degree of self-awareness. Hidden inner things are becoming clear now. Your intuition is good. Wisdom is developing. You want to penetrate to the heart of the matter. Keeping one's own counsel. Having secrets, or someone else keeping a secret from you. A romantic situation requires more understanding. There are puzzles. Factors of which you are unaware. Something is going to be revealed. You need insights into others' motivations. A spiritual connection.
Reversed
A neophyte who is just learning the universal "secrets."  Disappointment in love or unrealistic ideas about romance. Dreaminess and spaciness. Wanting to be alone. Questioning relations and other people's motives. Need to avoid people without spiritual ideals. Don't ask for more information than you can handle about the situation. You are not in harmony with your inner Self. Partial knowledge is all that is available at this time. Do a reality check on your relationships.

Acknowledgments

Introduction
Teens and Tarot 

1.    Getting to Know the Tarot 

2.    The Art of Interpretation 

3.    Preliminaries to Reading

4.    The Major Arcana and Their Meanings 

5.    More about the Trumps 

6.    Interpreting the Major Arcana in a Reading 

7.    The Minor Arcana 

8.    Interpreting the Minor Arcana 

9.    The Wands

10.    The Pentacles 

11.    The Swords 

12.    The Cups 

13.    Spreads for Readings 

M. J. Abadie (1933-2006) was a professional astrologer and psychotherapist with a specialty in dream interpretation. She did archetypal research with mythologist Joseph Campbell for over 20 years and wrote numerous books on astrology, psychology, and spirituality. She authored the bestselling Love Planets and Teen Astrology, and her Everything Tarot Book was placed on a Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults list by the Young Adult Library Services Association.

"I highly recommend Tarot for Teens. . . . It would be a great addition to a young person's path of self-discovery."
Tarot Insights, November 2002

"I feel strongly that this book will enhance the learning experience and become a life-long companion for any finding the tarot a satisfactory part of their spiritual lives."
Jodi Wetherup, The Blessed Bee, Spring 2005, Issue No. 24

TEENS / TAROT

INCLUDES:
• How to read the oracle to answer questions such as “Is this relationship likely to succeed?” or “Would that be the right college for me?”

• Card spreads and exercises to help you learn to do Tarot readings for yourself and others

• Detailed interpretations for each of the 78 Tarot cards

• A section linking astrological signs and planets to the Major Arcana

• How to use numerology for a richer reading of the Tarot

• Tips on choosing and caring for your Tarot deck

Tarot for Teens includes everything you’ll need to know to get started with this ancient divination technique--no prior knowledge of the Tarot is necessary.

People use Tarot cards to make sense of their lives because the pictures and symbols that appear on them are familiar to all of us on an unconscious level. Meditating on these images stimulates our intuition--the gateway to the unconscious--which puts us in touch with a deep inner knowing that is difficult to access in everyday life. The Tarot’s main benefit is the spiritual discovery of one’s own true self.

Whether you have questions about a potential love interest, are trying to decide which college to attend, or need to resolve a dispute with a friend, Tarot for Teens will show you how to access the wisdom of the Tarot for trustworthy guidance. The comprehensive explanations in this book can be applied to any Tarot deck and the hands-on activities and sample spreads will make it fun and easy to gain a thorough working knowledge of Tarot symbolism. Most important, the answers you receive when you cast the Tarot will be right for you because they will come from your own inner knowing.

M. J. ABADIE (1933-2006) was a professional astrologer and psychotherapist with a specialty in dream interpretation. She did archetypal research with mythologist Joseph Campbell for over 20 years and wrote numerous books on astrology, psychology, and spirituality. She authored the bestselling Love Planets and Teen Astrology, and her Everything Tarot Book was placed on a Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults list by the Young Adult Library Services Association.