I had a reading with a psychic Tarot card reader. She was informative and predicted my future. I was intrigued and interested in what she had to say. I could quickly apply her readings to my life. The information felt prescriptive and comforting. I didn't like everything I heard, but I was able to come to terms with it.
Several weeks later, I saw a Stuff You Should Know podcast titled "How Tarot Cards Work."
It made me question something I never thought to ask myself – "Is this about the cards or the person reading?" and "What must function for a helpful reading?" The question itself took the mystique out of something I thought was unexplainable. In fact, the podcast suggested it could be explained in a 30 min podcast – so I listened.
Here is what I learned that I did not know before, and here is why I plan to explore more about Tarot cards on my own.
1. Tarot insights is a 2.5-billion-dollar industry! Perhaps it was the pandemic, uncertain times, and our millennial and Gen Z mindset to self-discover; however, there is some serious energy (pun intended) behind Tarot cards, which have become a daily tool for many.
2. Tarot cards don't mean fortune telling. According to history lessons, Tarot began as a card game in the 14th century in Italy. Then later in history, it was claimed that Tarot cards possessed powers that Egyptian gods could only interpret and tap into to be used for divinity (or something to that effect – you can read up on the history yourself). The truth is that Tarot cards are not a tool of divination but a tool for projection that anyone can use and benefit from without any religious affiliation or fortunetelling involved. In fact, the future-telling aspect doesn't allow you to get as much out of it as possible.
3. You need special powers to read Tarot.
When we think of a gypsy who does readings about your future, it's not the tarot cards that predict your future. Instead, the readers' psychic capabilities tell the future (if you believe in that). The cards alone are mere playing cards that offer stimulus. So in my case, when I was told my future, I must assume that it was the lady's psychic ability, not the cards, if I wanted to believe in her predictions. The cards themselves were a tool.
4. The cards are a mirror of you. The cards are based on 78 archetypes, with universal symbols and meanings associated with them. They are designed to open individuals to personal thoughts. Each archetype will create an inevitable reaction within us, and it's in this reaction and in your application of the insight around that reaction that you will find the most spiritual meaning. So not only does each card hold significance and guide self-exploration by offering a path to reflect, but the tarot cards together can be connected creatively and combined to offer new ideas and thoughts. Again, in my case, the responses felt so generic but applicable because I was doing the prescriptive work around cards, attributing deeper meaning, not the psychic. In hindsight, her answers were somewhat generic to my specific questions. The reader interprets, but the one receiving the reading does the heavy lifting.
5. Tarot has mental health benefits. Social psychologists have used tarot cards to facilitate self-exploration in others by guiding answers to problems one may experience.
Tarot cards may help you spark a conversation with a therapist, find meaning in your life circumstances, or identify real-world solutions. These problems can be conjured up by asking open-ended self-reflective questions. Thus, the wellness and mental health community embraces Tarot daily, like yoga or meditation.
6. Tarot is what you put into it. There are helpful questions we can ask and not-so-useful questions when it comes to Tarot card readings. We assume Tarot is predictive, so we tend to ask readers specific questions like, "Will I find love?" or "What will the personality be of the person I marry?" In my exploration, I learned more valuable questions might be "What do I need to open myself to love?" "Why is it important to me that I find someone successful?" This is because Tarot cards can't predict the future without a psychic. And even so, the future can be manipulated - you can use the information to drive a different path. For example, I can tell you your future spouse's personality, but you may or may not decide to marry them. It's entirely up to you. The future is mutable.
7. There is no right or wrong way to do Tarot. For centuries since Tarot was projected as a divinity tool, the concept of Tarot was exclusive. You were made to feel that you either had the skill or you didn't. Or, you had to be psychic. You were either "chosen" to read or not. For example, a common fallacy is that Tarot cards must be gifted to you, and you cannot buy them alone. There were many divisive ways those who knew would hold this knowledge as power to seek control. However, that is counterintuitive to what Tarot is about. Tarot was never exclusive but was designed to be self-reflective and a valuable tool to apply meaning and ritual in your world. Today if you see more about Tarot and it feels more accessible, it's because there has been a concerted effort to break the barriers and make it so.
8. Learning Tarot requires curiosity and reflection. You get started with Tarot by looking at one card at a time. Perhaps it's a card each morning that you pick out and look at and examine closely. You take time to learn about the symbols, the imagery, and what the archetype was designed to articulate. Then, you look at each card in the context of your life and your day and hold it with you. You may even take some notes and journal your own assessment of what the card means for you as future reference. Your own understanding is where you gain the most. Tarot requires time, practice, and patience; we all intrinsically have the skills to produce honest and accurate readings.
9. Tarot is storytelling and communication. If you are reading Tarot cards for yourself, it's an exercise of connecting dots between cards and facilitating a conversation with yourself. It's a mindfulness exercise where you see each reaction to the cards and seek spiritual meaning from those reactions, whether positive, negative, or neutral emotions or thoughts. It's a way to label, express feelings, and adopt a more mindful practice.
The storytelling comes into play when you reflect on connections between the archetypes you selected. Each day can be different. There are no rules. When you read for others, you can explain the cards and symbols, but it facilitates self-exploration, offering them a safe place to see their reactions and tune into their understanding. This doesn't come naturally to everyone, nor do people take the time to do so. Therefore, a Tarot card reader's ability to facilitate this is a gift. It reminds me of the professional work I do in marketing when facilitating creative workshops. I merely offer a framework and probe against it. Rarely do I really know the answer or the outcome. In fact, it works best when I don't and go on the journey with them.
10. Tarot readings can start with just three cards. There are various formations of cards you can work up to. For example, you can place ten cards in a cross formation where the natural order and placement impact the significance and meaning of each archetype unveiled. However, to get started, you can start with one, work your way up to three or four, and practice connecting the dots. For example, the three represent the past, present, and future. Or four can signify the elements: air, water, earth, and fire. You can decide on your organizing principle before you begin.
In the podcast, they mentioned a Vogue spread on Tarot card reading. I also looked at that article, and it confirmed the"why" behind my new fascination with Tarot cards. I care deeply about self-care and mental health. I love rituals that support both. Moreover, I value self-reflection and tools that support and help us ease into reflection with ourselves and others. I'm barely scratching the surface with Tarot, and I have no ambition to be a Tarot card reader, but I plan to add it to my arsenal of tools to help myself and others connect with ideas that spark joy. I hope you learned something you didn't know before, and I look forward to hearing more from you if you decide to pick up a pair of cards yourself.
Love, Sahana