The Tarot is mystical, and has been used as a source of divination since the Middle Ages. It’s a very interesting deck with a lot of history, but also can be a useful tool in everyday life. Cards such as the Tarot deck are a part of many traditions, both ancient and modern. In the modern era, the Tarot has enjoyed a surge of interest, particularly in the New Age community. But is it just for frivolous entertainment? Or does it have a practical side?
The tarot is a system of divination that dates back thousands of years. It is a form of communication with your subconscious self through a deck of cards and a set of rules, which are used to answer questions about past, present and future. The cards often symbolize various situations or events, which may refer to a specific person, place or thing.
I think magic is all around us. I believe the world is woven with magic. In everyday life we see something bigger, something different, something that winks at us under the façade of banality. That’s why we love stories and fairy tales with a secret hero, an ordinary child who turns out to be a witch or a magician or a king or comes from another world. We know there is MORE and that we are part of something bigger than ourselves, but we don’t always know how to access that source or higher level of ourselves. Tarot is a way to get in touch with this magic. I think the cards are both mystical and practical. They can inspire and enchant us with their symbols, stories, history and mythology, as well as give us practical advice and information that we can use to improve our lives. Tarot divinations should be useful, but I don’t think that means we should strip them of magic either. When I read maps, I look at them from at least three different angles:
Universal or archetypal meaning
I look at how this card relates to the life story and life purpose of the person I am reading for. I am looking for how this card can inspire, awaken or remind someone of what they have come to do in this life.
Practical relevance
I look at how this card relates to the situation the person is experiencing. I am looking for how this card can provide insight, clarity or information. I return to the question of why they came here to read in the first place.
Action
I’m looking for the cheap action the card suggests. I look for something concrete, a concrete step someone can take, something they can do or a ritual they can perform to activate the reading and get the desired result.
A quick example: Empress
Universal or archetypal meaning
You are the goddess. They are the incarnation of the divine feminine, of love, of growth. Feel your power, control it quietly.
Practical relevance
You are in a situation where you have responsibilities, you have people counting on you and wanting to take care of you, but it would also help to set some boundaries and put yourself first sometimes, otherwise you have nothing to give.
Action
Spend time in nature. Decorate your home or workplace. Do things that give you pleasure or a sense of physical ease and well-being. Call your mother.
When reading the cards, it is always good to go into it with an open mind, without expectations or preconceived ideas. The person you are laying the cards for may be using the cards for something very specific, perhaps a conflict at work or the desire to improve a relationship, and so we want to find the information we want. But if, along the way, we can give them a reason to feel inspired to see their current situation in a larger context or help them change the way they see themselves, that’s something really powerful. Better yet, we can offer them something that allows them to take authority and responsibility for what they want to create for themselves.
This also applies to YOU if you are reading for yourself. Notice the mystical and the practical, they are both present in the cards and both have a purpose.Tarot is a form of divination and is a popular method of divining the future. It is used for the purpose of fortune telling, to gain insight into past, present, and future events, and to focus on themes of the present in order to achieve personal goals.
