The most common question I get when I tell others I read tarot cards?
“SO, YOU CAN, LIKE, PREDICT THE FUTURE?!?”
Well, not quite.
I choose to view tarot as a spiritual ritual, and most importantly, a conversation starter. Sometimes that means a quiet conversation with myself after meditation, or a group reading with a few women in a yoga class after I teach, OR a 1:1 reading with someone who’s seeking some guidance at a retreat.
I’ve learned the conversations that come up tend to be some of the most reassuring, alarming, or hopeful I’ve ever had - the most vulnerable and truthful. The cards don’t have the answers; we do. The cards are simply a tool that can bring some clarity, provide a kick in the ass (because we totally need that sometimes) or a message that brings peace of mind.
No matter what, every time I shuffle those cards to see what unfolds, I learn more about myself, as well, which is why I keep coming back to them!
3 LESSONS I’VE LEARNED SINCE INCORPORATING TAROT CARDS INTO MY PRACTICE
1. THE MESSAGE YOU MOST NEED WILL KEEP FINDING YOU, UNTIL YOU LISTEN.
When I FIRST started working with my tarot deck, I began by simply choosing one card per day. I highly recommend doing this, if you’re just starting to dabble in tarot. Each day, I’d study the imagery of the card I pulled, then read more about the meaning after, using my own intuition for interpretation.
Some weeks, I’d pull the same card… over, and over… and over again.
Usually it was one I didn’t particularly like. Sometimes it wasn’t at all light and bright and cheerful, but instead, messy and murky and dark. I’d avoid it, and would tell myself it wasn’t MY card. No way was THAT meant for me.
Oh, silly me.
If you continuously pull the same card, it’s most definitely YOUR card. Pay attention. Face it head on, and know that resistance will not help you reach the desired outcome.
For example, I’ve had the Temperance card FLY out of the deck to the floor while I was shuffling. Then I had the very same thing happen again the next day. It was a card and concept I needed at the time. I had been living and working from a place of ego and competition, (the fire element) while neglecting my emotional body, relationships and self care (the water element). I was lacking balance and harmony between the four elements, and reacting only from a fiery intensity, which was causing me to slowly, but surely, burn out. The Temperance card depicts a heron literally blending the fire and water elements, and represents harmony. Coincidence? I think not.
And since working through this, and making necessary changes, I have not pulled Temperance for myself since!
2. LIFE IS NOT LINEAR, EVERYTHING IS A CYCLE.
In our day to day lives, we can get so caught up in the minutia that we forget this. We forget that everything isn’t black and white, point A to point B, win or lose.
The tarot consists of the Major and Minor Arcanas. The Major arcana is numbered 0 to 21, and begins with the naive and spontaneous The Fool card, all the way to the completeness of The World. It journeys through beautiful and difficult life lessons.
Then the minor arcana is similar to the suits of a deck of playing cards. It holds four suits - swords, wands, pentacles (or coins) and cups. These suits follow a cycle, as well. Beginning with the ace and ending with 10, these cards, too, represent a cycle.
When I pull an Ace card, I know newness and a fresh perspective could be on the way. I pay close attention to the people I'm meeting and ideas I'm having. When I pull something later in the suit like a 9 or 10, I reflect on what could be coming to an end, be it a conflict, project, or feeling that has been lingering. Since working with tarot, I’ve been challenged and inspired to look at other cycles differently, trying to notice the feelings and reactions our bodies and minds have with the changing of seasons, or the moon cycles.
3. I'M NOT WEIRD FOR ENJOYING TAROT. I'M PRACTICING TRUST, STRENGTHENING MY INTUITION, AND SUPPORTING MYSELF.
Working with my tarot deck reaffirms what I already know. It empowers me as I move forward with life's challenges and joys. It's been through the practice of choosing the cards that I began to trust the strength of my own intuition. Sometimes I'll think about a scenario or problem I need clarity on, start to guess what card I think will show up, then sure enough, it does!
Yes, these cards can feel a little "witchy". But to have faith in something, and a routine that supports you spiritually and emotionally, is far from "weird". While some can look at tarot cards and other affirmative practices as pointless, silly, or superstitious, I look at them as an opportunity to tap in and check in with myself.
I highly recommend journaling after you pull tarot cards, or have a reading with someone. Not only with this help you process the information and meaning behind the card and imagery. It will also let you assess your emotional reaction to it, and know that your inner guide and light won't steer you wrong!
Join Kate to learn more about strengthening your intuition on the Conscious Creators Retreat, where the jungle meets the ocean in Costa Rica, from November 16th to 21st.