Principles of Tarot

"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.

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.

The Everyday Fool

Judgement Reversed: The Card of the Epic Fail

image credit: failblog

Yesterday, Judgement Reversed showed up when I read the energy of a person around my client. Later that day, the same card appeared in a reading I gave myself, and the next day, it appeared for another person.

The first time it appeared in that set of three appearances, I described Judgement Reversed as 'the epic fail,' meaning the person whose energy I was looking at would probably not be able to fulfill an important promise he had made to my client.  Judgment normally indicates the swift conclusion of a matter: sudden, sweeping success, if our karma is aligned properly (if not, we are called to reconsider our own judgments, opening a way for a total shift in perspective). The past suddenly confronts us so we can come to terms with all of it.  In the context of my own reading, it pointed to facing my own fears of failure, and reminded me that a sense of failure is not the same thing as actual failure, and failing at something doesn't have to bum you out.  Real failure is not learning the lesson the Universe is teaching you.

You can see by the photo I included, that failure, though sometimes devastating, can contain elements of humor.  You can laugh with failure and still take it seriously.  It is a great power, to look at failure and see a learning opportunity, a blessing in disguise.  You can still feel sorrow over the loss; any emotions that come through in response to failure are legitimate and should be honored as the Voice of Truth speaking to us as a barometer of stress level.

If you have any questions about this, or any other article, please comment or email me.  As always, brightest blessings to you.