There are many beliefs, rumours, and myths about what the Tarot is and what you can do with it. From my experience, here are my beliefs about what the Tarot isn’t and what you can use it for.
The Tarot Does Not Come From One Set Culture and Time Period
The Tarot cards’ original roots traces back to India and Northern Africa, before travelling to other countries. However, some argue that the first depicted deck was created in the 15th century and became popular after the Renaissance era.
The Tarot has travelled because of its purpose and its intended use. Over time the Tarot was rejected by monotheistic religions and deemed unsafe for spiritual practices. Modern times have depicted the Tarot as a fortune telling tool created by the Romany (the Gypsies) to try and obscure and/or deter its personal use.
The Tarot is Not Dark Magic/Evil
“The use of Tarot cards for doing readings – ‘divination’, to give the practice is proper name – has been controversial for at least as long as the occult, ’serious’ study of the cars began in the eighteenth century. Paradoxically, while many occultists will need at divination, most people know of no other purpose for the Tarot” (Rachel Pollack, pg. 263).
The Tarot’s long and patched together history leads followers and practicing users to believe that energies that the Tarot depicts were being told and practiced before it was even in deck form.
To understand that the Tarot is not dark magic or evil is to first understand the messages the Tarot has to share. There are 78 cards, which are divided into the Major Arcana and Minor Arcana.
The Major Arcana are 22 cards that explain MACROCOSM energy, which is energy that comes from the Universe. The energy we are made of, but don’t control. As Souls we journey here on Earth and influence and help create this universal energy; however it moves through us and we don’t have control of its inertia. Think of natural storms, mountains, oceans, forests, the pull of gravity (you get the idea). These are all things we experience, but can’t control.
The Minor Arcana are 54 cards divided into 4 suits: Cups, Pentacles, Wands, and Swords that explain MICROCOSM energy. Each suit makes up an element (respectively): water, earth, fire, and air. These are life lessons we experience on a personal level as we live, breathe, and grow. They are our human nature, including our wants, desires, short-comings, goals, happiness, sadness, anger, confusion, etc…
Are you getting the idea?
The Tarot’s ‘divination’ comes from SYNCHRONICITY. Through shuffling and intention of connecting in with your own experience and true-self, the Universal Law of Attraction will present you with cards that present a message to the user that facilitate with the energy they are emitting/moving through personally. Therefore, it is not a fortune telling device, it is a tool to speak with your Higher Self, your Spirit Team, God, or any other patron that helps guide your Soul.
There Are No Rules to Using Tarot
- You can buy you own deck
Along with its media demonization, the Tarot was said to have a long list of rules, like you can’t buy a deck for yourself – meaning that it must be gifted, stolen, found, or handed down.
THIS IS FALSE NEWS.
A Tarot deck can surely come into your possession via the above mentioned list (hopefully you don’t steal it though!). BUT it is all about the deck calling to you. I would suggest that you pick your own deck first because it helps to use your intuition to select it! The first connection should be one that allows you to sense a relationship.
2. You can do readings for yourself
Again, with its shady history, a rumour was spread that you can’t use the Tarot on yourself. If you haven’t already deduced by this blog, THAT IS FALSE TOO.
I encourage you to read for yourself FIRST. You need to develop a relationship with the deck and each card, that way when you do want to read for others you can speak from your understanding of each card’s truth!
3. They can be used as much as you want and with “dirty hands”, as quoted by Lindsay Mack
One of my favourite Teachers of Tarot, Lindsay Mack, advises her students that the best way to have a relationship with the Tarot is frequent use with Journalling and to use “dirty hands”.
Dirty hands means – carry them with you and wherever or whenever you need to check in with yourself you can pull a card. This helps you develop a relationship with the Tarot for one of my favourite uses, TRAUMA.
The Tarot can help you anchor into reality and become aware of what you are experiencing, so when better to use it then when you feel like you are moving through something!
It can also be used through ritual. Meaning, making a safe and clean space, grounding down and having a conversation in a controlled environment.
Just don’t be limited to how and when you use them!
& How did the Tarot find you?
