PsychDigest

Tarot spreads: Why some spreads may seem too focused on predicting the future

This quote is from Theresa Michelsen's Designing your own Tarot spreads:

Discomfort with doing predictive readings relates to the question of whether we have at least some control over our future. Some people believe that we can affect almost anything about our future, that we create our own reality. This is a relatively modern idea, and is one reason that older spreads often tend to look overly definite to readers today. In earlier times, the idea that one's destiny or fate was preordained was much more prevalent, and still prevails in some religions and cultures. Many people felt truly powerless against the church, nobility, powerful landowners, disease, nature, and other forces that seemed to determine the course of their lives, apparently at a whim.

Today the concepts of empowerment and using the tarot as a tool for spiritual enlightenment and direction have gained credence. In addition, Jungian psychological concepts have made their way into tarot work and moved many readers to use the tarot as a tool for self-awareness and personal development. These approaches have given rise to a different reading style---one in which the client is not given all the answers and the reader is not an all-knowing authority. Instead, the reader uses the tarot to help provide a deeper understanding of the situation; the client's motivations, goals, and feelings; the alternatives open to the client; and possible plans of action to obtain a desired result.

More on Tarot

SynTarotis and Skeptical Journey have more on using Tarot cards for purposes other than fortunetelling.

 

Does the Tarot work? A skeptic's view

Does the Tarot work? Rachel Pollack (one of the most revered Tarot authors) famously answered this question with a simple Yes*. My answer would be the same, with one addition: "depending on what you are using it for". ...

Let me give you an example: ... Read the rest of the post

 

Procrastination: An exercise with Tarot cards

Tarot for Self Discovery (Special Topics in Tarot) by Nina Lee Braden contains around 50 exercises you can do with Tarot cards in order to explore various aspects of yourself. Some of the exercises are light-hearted and fun, and some more in-depth and serious.

My choice was an exercise on procrastination .... Read the rest of the post

 

A few recommended books on Tarot

As a follow-up to a previous post, What else can you do with a deck of Tarot cards?, here are a few of the books that deal with various uses for Tarot cards. None of these require prior knowledge of Tarot. You also do not have to believe that the cards have some supernatural power; the symbols will speak for themselves (and if they don't -- the authors include card meanings that you can use as a starting point). ... Read the rest of the post.

As a follow-up to a previous post, What else can you do with a deck of Tarot cards?, here are a few of the books that deal with various uses for Tarot cards. None of these require prior knowledge of Tarot. You also do not have to believe that the cards have some supernatural power; the symbols will speak for themselves (and if they don't -- the authors include card meanings that you can use as a starting point). ... Read the rest of the post.

Are you using Tarot in counselling, therapy, or life coaching?

If you find this question strange, or even irrelevant, you may be surprised to discover that Tarot cards can be used for dreamwork, shadow work, journalling, resolving relationship issues, identifying and modifying thought patterns, and self-exploration. You can use the cards for problem-solving, brainstorming, goal-setting, exploring various options and possible outcomes, as inspiration for creative projects, for meditation, visualization, and relaxation.

For all of these applications, you do not have to be psychically inclined, or believe that 78 pieces of cardboard with pictures on them can predict the future or have some supernatural power. If you do, of course, you can also use the cards for fortune-telling, exploring past and future lives, meditating on karmic lessons, and in magick spells and rituals, but for most applications you need only a deck of cards, pen and paper, and the willingness to learn something new. A sense of humour is an asset, as always, as is a good imagination, but these are not essential :-)

Intrigued? Over the next few weeks we'll explore some possibilities. If you want to be informed when new articles are added to this site, you can either subscribe to our RSS feed, or drop me an email to keep you updated.