Teaching the Tarot to Children

As many of you may know by now I have 6 kids. The oldest being 11. One of the questions that I am often asked is am I teaching the tarot to my children. The answer I have to give to this is not exactly. My oldest daughter likes to read, she likes the tarot, so she reads my books on the tarot. At least the ones I think she's old enough to understand. My five year old is fascinated by the images and often sits down and watches while I do a reading or plays with on of my other decks like she's doing a reading. But, I do not consider this to be teaching.

Teaching brings about the formal idea of sitting down and discussing or at least showing someone how to read the cards. I do teach the tarot here at Suite University. But, I do not teach it to my children. I have certain beliefs about kids that have formed in part from my time as a home schooling mom and from talking to other people who home school. Children don't need to be taught the basics. They are after all basic. If you provide them with the materials and opportunities to learn say to read by reading to them or learn how to add and subtract by using everyday things that come up to show them its needed they will eventually teach themselves. The Tarot to me is basic.

Does that mean its not complicated? No of course not. Ask an Illiterate adult how hard it is to learn to read and they will tell you nearly impossible. The truth is that for those who have been exposed to the tarot or its ideas through the developmental stages of their education, don't need guidance on what this or that means. Hand a 7 year old the Fool card and they can tell you that some idiot is about to walk off a cliff because he isn't looking. So you say well what do you think that would mean if you were to draw that card to show you what your day would be like. Inevitably the kid will say I better start watching where I'm going. That's not too hard to figure out is it?

Through exposure, open conversation when a question is asked, and trust that your child can learn the tarot without your input. You will find that by the time they are teenagers they very well may have out grown your ability and knowledge of the Tarot. Never underestimate youth. It may seem as though youth blocks certain levels of learning but in truth give them a quiet tool that doesn't force learning on them but slowly gradually slips in and before either of you know it they know more than you could have ever expected.

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