Introductions: The Intimate, Personal World of Tarot Cards

 

Tarot as Self-Reflection

Understanding Yourself

    The caterpillar takes a puff, cocooning his face in bands of smoke, "Who are you?"

...

    When you are reflecting upon yourself, what comes to mind? There are so many facets to us as people: our hobbies, our culture, our ancestry, our environment, our relationships, our gender, our goals. You may view yourself as an independent being, or you may be heavily affected by your environment. You may define yourself by your achievements or actions, or maybe you identify more with your thoughts, values, and aspirations. You may even consider yourself a person who doesn't believe in neo-spiritual mumbo jumbo scammy stereotypical fortune tellers. And, if you are, don't worry. You will not find scams nor fortune tellers here. 

    What you will find in this blog is an attempt to explore how certain motifs in our culture connect directly to personal parts of ourselves.

    There is a lot of misunderstanding about the practice from outsiders looking in, especially with how media depicts tarot reading. A lot of people look at this practice and scoff, "How could cards tell my future?" 

    

    I'm here to tell you: they cannot. Tarot, rather, uses symbolic meaning through numbers, suits, color schemes, or other visual aspects to help with reflection and decision-making. Tarot cards are split into two parts: major and minor arcana, each of which depict their own series of developmental experiences or attributes. We will break down these two parts further in later posts.

    Tarot asserts that there are certain human experiences that everyone will experience, and that there are spectrums of being within those experiences. To translate: everybody lives, everybody loves (in some capacity), everybody grieves (again, in some capacity), everybody dies, and we tend to follow general patterns while doing so. Some people resonate more with slow and steady pacing, growth and gradual development (in tarot, we would call this earth/pentacles energy). Others prefer a rush of energy, the burst of excitement you feel encountering something new, the passion of a time sensitive project (fire/wands energy). The energetic patterns we follow affect how we adapt to the inevitable that impacts all of us, but it doesn't change the fact that most of us will experience birth, death, travel, betrayal, attraction, curiosity, discovery, isolation, stagnation, doubt, hope at some point. 

Psychology and Culture Play Key Roles

    Another aspect of tarot involves something called the collective unconscious (though it does go by other names like anima mundi ("world soul")). Think of this as cloud storage for the human consciousness. It describes the collective understanding of reality as a culture narrates it over time through stories, art, media, and education. Think of how when you see a ladybug you think of good luck. Ladybugs benefit humans by reducing pests on food crops, and over time, they became associated with good harvests and abundance. You may not know as a child that ladybugs eat aphids, but you do know that they're lucky.

    Similarly, as an adult, you may not know why you feel uncomfortable with a change or decision, but you do know your body is having a negative reaction. Tarot acts as an equivalent to the science book that taught us ladybugs eat aphids. The practice can help us to sift through distractions and identify what is really making us feel or think a certain way. It utilizes symbolic methods employed by Jungian psychologists to gauge a person's stance on a situation when they have complex or conflicting feelings. Card reading can also help to navigate priorities, especially if you are a person that deals with high-pressure external influences like an oppressive culture, religion, or family. 

        

Tarot works a bit like dream analysis but with an active and awake mind.  When there is something you cannot face or admit to yourself, it will always find its way to you in a dream. The same tends to happen with tarot. The alluring woman and her partner embrace, but where one person sees joy, another may see wandering eyes. The hermit wanders with his lantern, and some regard him with fear, some with pity, and others with respect and curiosity. It is not the cards themselves speaking to your reader but the responses you give to them, the little flickers in your eyes and pauses in your breath. 

    I chose the title "Page of Dreams" for 2 reasons: a) to reference how we interpret symbols and hypothetical situations and b) "Page" in this case could refer to a dream journal log, but it is also a reference to the tarot archetype of the same name. Pages are skilled newcomers, filled with passion and curiosity about a subject. I describe myself as a "Page" in the world of tarot because it usually takes many years to master the craft, and it is a practice that, like writing, you will learn more about as long as you continue the art. In addition, each person is unique, and learning to read people is a practice that evolves with shifts in culture, technology, and time. 

    So, no, the lady in the incense-filled room down the street probably can't see your future. But she's probably damn good at reading people and hearing them out, and it might still be worth your time to check out what her deck has to say if you're struggling.

A Fun Little Activity - Arts & Crafts

    I think you should try creating your own set of oracle cards before learning too much about tarot, and then create another set when you've learned more traditions. Why? It's easy to become influenced by the rules and foundations of a practice, but don't let tradition overshadow your personal experience. Figure out how you navigate the world unfiltered first--or don't. It's up to you, after all! For some of us, it is easier to start with a more solid foundation.

Steps:

    Pick your favorite number over 20, then pick a theme. 

    

       Now, pick some broad concepts, categories, items, or individuals that fall into the theme, and use the first things that come to mind. For example, I could do the theme of kitchenware. For my items, I would go with spoon, fork, pan, plate, cup, bowl, oven, stove, and so on (maybe you have tools specific to a certain culture!). 

    For each item, I then want to consider: how does this item affect my life? How do I interact with this item? How do the people around me use this item? How did this item get into my hands in the first place? Who created this item, and why? Who else uses and has used this item, now and historically? 

Huh...Kitchenware...Really? 

    A spoon may be a spoon, but it could also be the comfort of warm soup, or the delight of cold ice cream. It contains liquids in a way that a fork cannot. What does a fork make you think of? For me, I think of the way it lances through the crisp leaves of a salad, the solid crunch it makes, the feeling of precision. Suddenly, spoons could mean a feeling of being cradled, while forks could represent the instinct of a hunting warrior. And, before you argue, it does not have to make sense! Have fun with it, and don't be afraid to let your mind wander and make narratives. This is about understanding how your mind works, makes connections, and engages with the environment or culture you're in. Instead of kitchenware, you may choose sea creatures, cars, movies, makeup. 

    Oracle cards don't have to follow the traditional structure of tarot, which is why they're great for newcomers to understand the concepts of how reading functions. Let me know what themes you decide on, and what discoveries you make about your mind! You would be surprised about what you care about when you just let you mind wander.

 

And, to Conclude: 

    Tarot reading may be magical for some people, but to most of the people who practice tarot, it functions as a psychological tool using symbolism to aid in metacognition and self-discovery. This blog is going to explore some of the ways in which tarot has been used historically and contemporarily to help people in both spiritual and practical ways, and we may dip into some of the more esoteric aspects of the practice as needed. While tarot is regarded by some as pagan or demonic, it is important to note that tarot has been historically practiced in Christian countries and it does not have to challenge your religious faith or values. I hope to be able to introduce you to my personal practice in a curious and entertaining way! 

    

All images from me :)