"Do you believe in it?"
"How does it work?"
"Is it supernatural?"
I've heard these questions repeated through my journey with the Tarot. I would like to take this chance to explain a little about how I think tarot works. My theories are based on my own personal experiences (albeit combined with knowledge gathered from other authors and intuitive readers who use Tarot) and should not be taken for Absolute Truth - this information is subjective. You can only weigh it with your own inner scales to find if it resonates with you. I believe Tarot works the same way for anyone who reads, but I have noticed that our methods of describing that process are differentiated by the filters through which we process our experiences and are as diverse as our varied world views.
I welcome the skeptic who has an open and curious mind. I welcome the true believer whose past readings have been full of insight. I welcome the seeker who holds unasked questions.
I welcome the skeptic who has an open and curious mind. I welcome the true believer whose past readings have been full of insight. I welcome the seeker who holds unasked questions.
When I started reading cards, just over ten years ago, I was serving a very short stint (ten months) in the Army National Guard. When I was given my first deck, I memorized the placement of the cards in the Celtic Cross Spread, and read out of my Sacred Circle Tarot companion book more or less verbatim (the book has a narrative style that lends itself easily to this method), reading for as many different people as possible as well as myself as close to daily as I could. I sat in the lounge of the barracks with my deck, reading the cards for myself until someone requested a reading. I would explain that I was just starting out, and that I would heavily refer to the companion book. I had no problems reading for people this way. I encountered open minds paired with skepticism from people who sought readings from me. It turned out to be an excellent starting place for getting a feel for how 'accurate' my readings were. People I had read cards for would return with their friends, and I would spend hours practicing my newly found talent.
For me, the mechanics of divination are focused in the powers of the mind of both the seeker and the reader. Over time, I learned short rituals to perform before a reading, both on my own and with the seeker, to ensure that hearts and minds are open and to release any attachment to a particular outcome. I tailor the rituals to the seeker participates according to information I have and feelings I get about the seeker.
Releasing attachment to a particular outcome is a key element to an accurate reading. The attitude with which the seeker and reader approach the reading can effect the whole dynamic of the reading, including the outcome. It's important to select a reader who works to remain unattached to the reading's outcome. A reader's bias can cast a very different light on a reading (everyone is biased to a certain extent, thus the phrase 'works to remain').
The future changes all the time. We all create our futures through the choices we make every day. Predicting the future is like looking into the distance of a road someone else is traveling. The reader might see something that causes the traveler to turn another way and avoid the situation, or to run toward their destination, embracing it, and reaching it sooner than predicted because of their eagerness.
I don't have a short or easy answer to how Tarot works. The academic answer is that the Tarot is a system of archetypes depicted in imagery that contains layers of symbolism, allowing different aspects of an archetype to be communicated through the cards. The mystical answer is that we are all beings made of Light, and we are not the only beings in this realm that can manipulate that light and energy. That prospect scares some people, and this is where people get the idea of possession, or talking to demons, but the Tarot is a tool that can pick up the whole spectrum, not just one side or the other. Maybe this is my background as a visual artist, but I believe there is much to learn from both Light and Shadow.
For me, the mechanics of divination are focused in the powers of the mind of both the seeker and the reader. Over time, I learned short rituals to perform before a reading, both on my own and with the seeker, to ensure that hearts and minds are open and to release any attachment to a particular outcome. I tailor the rituals to the seeker participates according to information I have and feelings I get about the seeker.
Releasing attachment to a particular outcome is a key element to an accurate reading. The attitude with which the seeker and reader approach the reading can effect the whole dynamic of the reading, including the outcome. It's important to select a reader who works to remain unattached to the reading's outcome. A reader's bias can cast a very different light on a reading (everyone is biased to a certain extent, thus the phrase 'works to remain').
The future changes all the time. We all create our futures through the choices we make every day. Predicting the future is like looking into the distance of a road someone else is traveling. The reader might see something that causes the traveler to turn another way and avoid the situation, or to run toward their destination, embracing it, and reaching it sooner than predicted because of their eagerness.
I don't have a short or easy answer to how Tarot works. The academic answer is that the Tarot is a system of archetypes depicted in imagery that contains layers of symbolism, allowing different aspects of an archetype to be communicated through the cards. The mystical answer is that we are all beings made of Light, and we are not the only beings in this realm that can manipulate that light and energy. That prospect scares some people, and this is where people get the idea of possession, or talking to demons, but the Tarot is a tool that can pick up the whole spectrum, not just one side or the other. Maybe this is my background as a visual artist, but I believe there is much to learn from both Light and Shadow.
No comments:
Post a Comment