Magician's Tools
Beginning Tarot Class: Letting the Cards Speak for Themselves
Course Description
In the Magician’s Tools Beginning Tarot Class, you will learn to read tarot the way I did, by finding the answer in the image on the card. I teach a systematized point-by-point approach that guides you through the steps to discover clear, accurate information in the cards without consulting the book. I’ve been teaching this class for 28 years!
Beginning Tarot: Letting The Cards Speak For Themselves
- Joy Vernon, Instructor
- When: Sundays, June 19 to July 31, 2022, 12:30-2:30 p.m. PDT
- Where: Online via Zoom
- How Much: $180.
- How Long: 6-week class
The Magician’s Tools offers fun and creative interactive exercises to introduce you to the cards, while your tarot skills flourish in an environment of on-going support and community. Trust yourself and find your answers in the pictures themselves. Best of all, no memorization is needed and you can leave your tarot books at home!
This course is excellent for beginning students as it teaches a step-by-step approach to look at any image and uncover its meaning. As a result, you will be able to easily read from any illustrated deck! Most importantly, you’ll build your confidence and learn to trust your intuition.
This course provides new and original ways of finding your answers in the cards themselves. You will become better attuned with the specific symbolism of your deck. In addition, you’ll learn to develop the storyline of the spread.
Guidelines For Choosing A Tarot Deck For Class
Check out some some great decks to use for class in my post, Interesting Beginner Tarot Decks: 22 Favorites.
I bet you will be shocked to hear that I don’t allow the Rider-Waite-Smith deck in the Magician’s Tools Beginning Tarot Class! I don’t teach the specific symbolism of that deck, but instead teach you ground rules for interpreting the artwork and symbolism of any deck. So I prefer that students use a variety of decks so we can all learn from each other. However, there are guidelines for how to pick a deck for class. You can find these requirements at this post or this post.
Also, you might be interested in these other articles. Here’s one on how to pick a deck: Choose Your Perfect Tarot Deck. And here are my six favorite decks: Joy’s Favorite Decks Part 1, and Joy’s Favorite Decks Part 2.
What Joy’s Students Are Saying About The Magician’s Tools Beginning Tarot Class:
- “Interactive”
- “Creative”
- “Valuable”
- “Brilliant”
- “Rigorous”
- “Intuitive”
The exercises were very engaging and helpful!
The exercises were very engaging and helpful!
It made me use both sides of my brain
It made me use both sides of my brain at the same time….am looking forward to the next class.
Exactly what I wanted!
This helped me focus on the images and symbolism—not the book meanings—which is exactly what I wanted!
It challenged me
That was a great part of the course – the interesting lessons. It challenged me and I appreciate that.
I feel thankful for this course
I feel thankful for this course. I truly got out of it what I had hoped to and now am excited to keep learning and improve my skills by reading for myself in my own spiritual practice as well as others. Joy is a fantastic teacher with amazing, original exercises that are both profound and fun! Her wealth of knowledge is seemingly endless, as she draws on many esoteric traditions, mythologies and spiritual practices. I highly recommend this course!
I enjoyed every class
Joy Vernon is a generous, creative, inspiring teacher who genuinely cares about her students. I enjoyed every class and looked forward to the next. I miss them.
I learned a lot
Just wanted to let you know what a pleasure it was taking the classes with you. I learned a lot.
Depth of material, great hand-out, loved it all
Very interesting!! I liked best the depth of material, great hand-out, loved it all.
Helpful techniques that are easy and make sense
I learned many helpful techniques that are easy and make sense. Part 3 of the Major Arcana exercise was difficult, but I really enjoyed the mythology part.
I have learned so much from this class!
In the beginning, I didn’t know anything at all, but I had a deck. Now, everyone that I have met in the tarot group is so impressed with where I’m at. I loved the course so much I signed up for the year! I have learned so much from this class! I loved everything! The Major Arcana assignment was a little stressful, but it was an excellent learning tool.
I feel much more confident
I feel much more confident reading the cards. I love the class and all of the people.
I liked being with fellow enthusiasts
I enjoyed the course very much. I wish I would have had more time to put into it. I liked best learning about all the signs and symbols and being with fellow enthusiasts.
The class stretched my imagination
The class stretched my imagination and thinking, which I didn’t really expect.
Innovative + fun + interesting
Innovative + fun + interesting. All the topics were interesting and insightful. I really enjoyed the unique style.
By far the best tarot class I’ve taken
I feel as though I can read any deck intuitively now. I have taken several tarot classes and this is the first one that I feel that I have gotten anything positive out of. Awesome! The exercises were fantastic and your help and willingness to help me get past my blocks were just wonderful!! By far the best tarot class I’ve taken.
I’ve learned about the tarot as well as about myself
When I started I thought my understanding was pretty good. After going through the class I realized so much more and my level of understanding went up tremendously! I liked best that you taught us that the perception is our own. You teach the way each of us can perceive the cards and how for each of us that is true and correct. A very enlightening class. I’ve learned about the tarot as well as about myself.
I’d recommend the class to everyone!
My favorite was the last exercise, because it showed me how much I’ve learned. I always felt lost but was actually learning more than I realized. I’d recommend the class to everyone!
My mind just opened up!
Joy’s Art Gallery exercise illuminated new ways to see and read my tarot spreads – my mind just opened up!
Creativity in teaching
I liked the creativity in teaching the best and the fact that the course has come to an end the least!
The instructor helped me to stretch my ability
The best thing about this class was the instructor helped me to stretch my ability by using my intuition. I love the idea of telling a story.
I am addicted
I am addicted. Using the visual images as the information forces you to think and draw on experiences and intuit meanings. I LOVE THIS CLASS
“No right answer” approach
What I liked best? The “no right answer” approach. I think this course should be called the “Joy of Tarot” 🙂
Connecting with the cards on many levels
Connecting with the cards on many levels (imagery, form, color, elements, etc.) was the best.
Information discovered rather than given
I liked the facilitated discussion best, that learning is led, information discovered rather than given.
I find something new in every class
Even having read tarot for pushing 22 years, I find something new in every class that enhances my experience with tarot, and I am very grateful for that and the great energy of the group!
Joy has a gift for awakening the reader
Joy has a gift for awakening the reader in even the most beginning student. She has had to wean me off of the books which, I think, is her biggest challenge and top goal.
I learned more self-sufficiency
I’m getting a lot out of this course so far. Like any good introductory course, it first makes you feel like you know less about the Tarot than you thought, and then proceeds to give you tools to rebuild your knowledge – teaching how to fish instead of simply giving the fish. Sure, there are lots of cookbooks with definitions galore, and they do provide plenty of fortifying information, but here you provide a format in which one can learn to operate with more self-sufficiency. Already I feel much more confident in my readings than before and am very eager… Read more “I learned more self-sufficiency”
Great for process and insight.
The structure of the session this time unfolded some powerful layers I’ve been experiencing, put a finer grain to them. Great for process and insight.
A very excellent lesson that worked in a surprising way
A very excellent lesson that worked in a surprising way. I feel that I am truly learning something valuable that I can use for the rest of my life…
Very much a learn-by-doing experience!
The exercises offer great perspective – very much a learn-by-doing experience!
The symbol association exercise was brilliant
The symbol association exercise was brilliant…a bit like my first real lightsabre training session, where I was surprised I actually could ‘feel the Force.’ Perhaps I will become a Tarot Jedi before the six weeks are out.
I’ve really learned how the cards speak for themselves
I have learned tons, and while I’m a long way from ever being a professional reader I’ve really learned how the symbols and elements in the cards speak for themselves.
I can feel my little tarot brain expanding.
…my “spiritual academia” is really thriving, thanks to your truly rigorous class!! I honestly appreciate the hard work and high expectations you hold over our heads. I have never worked so hard re: ‘esoterica’ before, and the pay off so far has been amazing. I can feel my little tarot brain expanding.
(Joy has) an artistic flair for teaching tarot
(Joy has) an artistic flair for teaching tarot the likes of which is rarely seen.
I would recommend this class to anyone!
I would recommend this class to anyone!
I have come much farther in my own understanding
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed every bit (of the course) … and have come much, much farther in my own personal understanding of the cards, their symbolism, meanings, different interpretations, and how to really get the most out of a reading.
I feel more confident
All of it was interesting. I enjoyed everyone’s different perspectives too. I feel more confident. I liked your biosphere exercise–a good way of understanding the cards. I wish there were more classes!
Really good groundwork to start building from
I feel like I got some really good groundwork to start building from. I enjoyed the course very much. It was interesting and I had fun and learned some new stuff. I like how you (taught us to) come up with our own interpretations and trust our instincts.
Listening and learning
What I liked best about this course was listening and learning. I’ve had my cards read by many people. Now I can do it for myself and friends.
Interactive aspect was great
Interactive aspect was great. The way you showed us how to interpret by what the card holds is very helpful. Thanks Joy!
I would recommend this class to a friend
If this class is offered again I would recommend a friend take it. Also, if the class is offered with more information I would be interested in taking it.
Information not available in books
Instructor had some information not available in books I have read.
New insights
I’ve read before (the last year or so semi-professionally), and the class continued to provide new insights into the tarot. Books are fine, but real learning requires interaction and conversation that this course provides.
What most impressed me was the creativity
Joy is an excellent instructor. What most impressed me was the creativity of the exercises she used to convey the concepts that we used in class. She incorporated mythology, practical everyday knowledge, and intuition into her teaching methods, and was effective in communicating those insights into her class. Her classes are also energizing and challenging.
Key concepts covered include:
- Understand elements and numbers
- Learn basic symbolism
- Easiest way to read the court cards
- Learn different approaches to the storyline in the Major Arcana
- Activate your intuition by learning its underlying structure
- No memorizing card meanings!
Course Content
- Class 1
- Intuition versus Instinct: Would You Could You
- Basic Symbolism: Three Symbols
- Class 2: Elements: Biosphere
- Class 3: Numbers: Story Countdown
- Class 4: Court Cards: Verbing the Court
- Class 5: Major Arcana: Day, Night, Eclipse
- Class 6: The Deck of Creation
Register Now
- $180
- $50 Deposit due now to reserve your spot. Balance due the first day of class.
- Pay with PayPal or use your credit card