Why I Love Tarot
A love story.
(Sort of.)
For my 23rd birthday, my best friend gave me a Tarot deck. It’s a traditional Rider-Waite deck (which doesn’t mention the illustrator Pamela Colman Smith, so now is referred to as Rider-Waite-Smith, or even Pamela Colman Smith decks). When you think of a deck of tarot cards, the images that come to mind first are probably this deck.
It came with a book that gives an overview of the cards as well as different ways to make “spreads” (which are arrangements of cards, often with a meaning designated to each position).
I thought it was interesting and would pull out my deck every once in a while, usually when having some kind of romantic difficulty or wanting some help to make a decision. They have always been here, but it’s only been the past few years where they’ve taken on a whole new meaning and use.
Tarot is a Feminist Practise
If you’ve been spending time online over the past few years, you’ll likely have seen more and more people talking about spirituality outside the realm of traditional religion. Witchcraft, crystals, tarot, black magick, Paganism. None of this stuff is new, but I don’t recall a time when it’s ever been as unabashedly present.
And here’s my take on it all, for what it’s worth. I’ll be quick here, but happy to jam on this with you any time if you send me an email. As what we now view as modern patriarchy/capitalism is crumbling under the weight of its own unethical and greedy mechanics (The Tower), people who ascribe to a different viewpoint, who have often felt like outliers, or who have never benefitted from this stupid and corrupt system with paper thin walls, are feeling empowered to come forward, be present, and be themselves.
Because we obviously (seriously) need new models. We need new practises. We need leaders who care about people, who value the earth, who place humanity over money. Who believe that all people are equal. i.e. Feminists.
And we’re seeing a lot of people who are deeply fringe - who live in the woods and practise spirituality based on the journey of the moon and the planets. Who can tell you what every plant is and what medicinal quality it possesses. Who embrace their own self expression. Who use tarot cards and crystals and runes and astrology to stay grounded.
Who want to fuck up the patriarchy and start over. With strong foundations, based on ethics, equality, and ultimately, love.
But I Digress
What I’ve always loved about the practise of Tarot is that there’s no right or wrong. I mean, some people feel there is, but I don’t. I might stick to certain rituals and habits, but they’re of my own design, based on things that I’ve read and learned, and things that feel right to me.
And the cards make me feel things. I have emotional responses to the characters, to the journeys, to the symbolism and to my connection to all of it. And that makes me think about myself and the relationship to the responses. And I learn things about myself this way.
The standard 78 card tarot deck is divided into 2 categories: Major Arcana, and Minor Arcana. Arcana means mystery, or secret, so already we’re starting with some fun. Major Arcana cards depict important points on life’s journey, and Minor Arcana cards, divided into 4 further categories, depict where you’re at day to day. Each of the Arcana have their own journeys and sub journeys. And there are basic interpretations of the cards, for sure. But here’s the best part: you can use the basic interpretations, you can find tarot masters that you love and use their interpretations, or, you can use your own. The rules are there are no rules, and that is why you develop your own unique relationship to cards, and why it helps you to find your intuition.
Shadow Work
So, for example, in Digging Up Your Roots: Using Tarot for Shadow Work, we’ll be using questions to tap into our shadow (subconscious), and using our first “hit” or “thought” that we have from the card we pull as our point of departure.
And that’s not always easy, because often our first thought is one we quickly bury. It’s too scary, we can’t face it, please don’t let it be true, etc. But why did the thought come up, and what does it tell us about how we feel about the question?
That’s our intuition.
Sound a bit out there? It is. Because it’s not easily accessible stuff to us - if it were, we wouldn’t have to be doing any work. We’d just be serenely flowing with a deep sense of self understanding, probably wouldn’t ask questions or have nagging suspicions that we’re ignoring important aspects of ourselves that need to be addressed. We’d be confident, comfortable, speak up when it’s important, and definitely not take any shit ever.
Superheroes
And that’s sort of the end goal - to be really in touch with our inner workings, to trust ourselves, to love all of our angles - to know and admit to our bad behaviour, and work to change it. To feel the shame from past experiences, and own it, and move forward from it. Because - you know when you’ve met somebody who is incredibly comfortable in their own skin? Who knows their worth? Who you know values the hell out of themselves?
They know their strengths, and they know their weaknesses. And they love themselves no matter what.
And that’s how I want to be. And I’m getting there.
What about you? (Let me know in the comments!)
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