I discovered tarot during a particularly dark time in my life, earmarked by addiction and abuse. In the process of leaving a six-year-old tumultuous relationship, I found myself searching for answers. Why was I the way I was? Why did certain patterns keep repeating? And was I doomed to my fate forever?
I was looking for my own connection to the divine and some form of spiritual guidance. This came to me in the form of tarot and astrology. I went from being a sceptic to someone who sees, feels, and experiences her life through the mythical lens of symbols.
As I got acquainted with tarot cards and their meanings, I found my readings to be therapeutic. Tarot and astrology gave me the answers that nothing else ever had. They helped me feel seen, heard and validated.
I was not crazy, just a human having human experiences such as heartbreak, loss, and finally — a spiritual awakening.
Tarot pulled back the veil to show me what was hidden. In some of the cases, it was deep trauma and in others — it was my own gifts. Tarot gave me the courage and strength to experience a true metamorphosis. It helped me transform my life from one of hopelessness to one of potential and growth.
Fast forward eight years and I found myself as a new mum and a struggling entrepreneur in the midst of a global pandemic. My role at my previous start-up was feeling like a heavy burden and I wanted a way out. Once more, I turned to my trusty tool for guidance. Then, in a sudden eureka moment, it hit me.
This was what I was meant to do — to demystify tarot and astrology as tools for psychological awareness and transformation. My natal chart showed obvious strengths and abilities in the occult and the esoteric. I gave myself a tarot reading asking the universe to show me the way and it came in the form of four aces.
I took this as a green light from the universe and embraced the new beginnings that were awaiting me. This gave me the courage to quit my start-up and embark on a new spiritual quest.
So, what is tarot exactly?
Tarot is a deck of 78 cards that depicts the entirety of the human experience. From the complex overarching archetypes at play to the mundane acts of life — tarot illustrates it all through the use of imagery, colours, symbols, and even numbers. This acts as a mirror to the psyche, which then shows us the stories of our lives.
A tarot reading enables us to get an objective and unbiased view and through interpreting these stories, we can consider our own motivations, impulses, and even our subconscious blocks.
Major Arcana cards
The larger archetypal themes of the tarot are described within the Major Arcana. Feminine figures such as the High Priestess and the Empress help connect us to our intuition and sense of nurturance. The masculine figures such as the Magician and the Emperor remind us of our manifestation abilities or help us set strong structures for ourselves.
Other cards such as Strength, the Moon and Justice resemble those same energies within us —of our inner resilience, our lunar consciousness and our sense of truth and integrity. As we live our lives on autopilot, juggling corporate jobs with family responsibilities, we have little room for reflection on such awe-inspiring topics. The practice of reading tarot helps us leave room for magic even in the mundane.
Minor Arcana cards
The Minor Arcana cards come in four suits, representing the four elements of life. The suit of Pentacles corresponds to earth and earthly matters such as finances, work and the physical body. The suit of Swords corresponds to the element of air and resembles conscious thought, knowledge, and conflict.
The suit of Cups, on the other hand, relates to the water element and symbolises love, emotions, and relationships. Finally, the suit of Wands conjures up the intangible element of fire — our passions, motivations, beliefs, and desires.
Put all of these together in a reading and the right tarot spread can help you pinpoint exactly where you are in life. Your own Fool's Journey, so to speak can help you give language to your story of individuation and aid you in unravelling unconscious blocks in the process.
Those who are inexperienced may view tarot as a divinatory tool used for predicting the future or fortune telling. However, modern practitioners such as myself look at tarot as a powerful tool for gaining psychological understanding, spiritual guidance, and even a tool for self-care.
In today's fast-paced modern lifestyle, we view self-care as bubble baths or home facials. However, the practice of true self-care includes the mind, body, and spirit. Thus, tarot can be thought of as a form of spiritual self-care, similar to yoga and meditation.
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