So I finally got my hands on the Sacred Rose Tarot deck last week. Woke up early Saturday, made some strong coffee, and just dove right in. Had zero clue what I was doing at first, honestly. Cards felt fancy, thick paper stock, really pretty art with all those roses and gold edges.
My First Messy Attempt
Cracked open the little white booklet – you know the one they throw in the box? Flipped to the Major Arcana section. Decided just to pull one card for the day. Shuffled awkwardly for like five minutes because I kept dropping them. Finally pulled one out: The Empress. Checked the booklet. Big words, vague meanings – “fertility,” “abundance,” “nature.” Okay… felt kinda broad.
Thought, “This ain’t stickin’.” Needed something simpler. Grabbed a notebook and a blunt pencil. Figured I’d make my own cheat sheet. Drew three columns: Card Name, Picture, My Quick Take.
Building My Ugly Cheat Sheet
Started slow. Went card by card. Like for The High Priestess (Booklet said “intuition, secrets, subconscious”). Looked real hard at the card image: woman sitting between pillars, moon at her feet, scroll in her lap. Scribbled in my notebook: “Listen to gut feeling. Hidden stuff. Trust the quiet voice inside.” Much clearer for my thick head.
Did the same for simple ones:
- Ace of Cups (Booklet: “New love, joy, emotions”) -> “Good feelings overflowing. New emotional start. Happy heart vibes.”
- Five of Pentacles (Booklet: “Hardship, poverty, isolation”) -> “Feeling left out in the cold. Tough times, money worries. Need help, ask!”
Took forever. My handwriting is chicken scratch. But man, focusing on the picture and boiling the booklet stuff down to one or two real-world ideas? That clicked.
The “Aha!” Moment
Next morning, tried again. Shuffled better this time, still a bit clunky. Pulled three cards asking, “What’s today’s energy?” Got Three of Wands, Knight of Cups, and Nine of Pentacles. Instead of panicking, grabbed my ugly cheat sheet.
Scanned my notes:
- Three of Wands: “Looking ahead. Waiting for results. Planning pays off soon.”
- Knight of Cups: “Romantic dude arrives. Creative energy. Following your heart.”
- Nine of Pentacles: “Chilling solo. Enjoying your own stuff. Money comfy.”
Laughed out loud. My sister had just texted about visiting unexpectedly (Knight of Cups energy!), and I planned to just relax in the garden later (Nine of Pentacles vibe) after waiting a week for some plant seeds to sprout (Three of Wands!). Suddenly the cards weren’t mystical gibberish – they felt like pictures pointing at stuff happening right under my nose.
How I Use It Now & Why It Sticks
So yeah, that’s what I do. Pull one or three cards max in the morning. No big spreads, no memorizing every detail. Just look hard at the picture, check my little notebook for the quick meaning I wrote, and see what pops into my head. Is it kinda rough? Totally. Is it simple and works for me without needing a PhD in tarot? Hell yes.
Been practicing this way for a week straight. Keeps the deck in my shed where it’s quiet. Why trust me? Because a week ago I thought the Hierophant was just some fancy pope dude. Now? I see him more like “sticking to what works, old rules, finding your group.” Not perfect, maybe totally wrong by some tarot masters, but it works for my brain. So if you got the Sacred Rose deck gathering dust like mine was, try butchering the meanings down to something that makes your life make sense for five minutes.
