TAROT: WHAT GOOD IS IT?

By Judy Jennings

© Copyright 2015

Ever had one of those days when you thought back on your most recent reading and thought oh, that’s what that meant?  Isn’t hindsight grand?  That’s a time-honored way to learn about individual cards, but wouldn’t it have been nice if I’d realized that was a caution before I stepped off that cliff?

“If The Fool were surrounded by troubled cards, I’d take it as a warning,” I told a friend the other day after The Fool showed up that morning as my action card.  That’s a card that’s often most understandable for me in retrospect, and that day was to be no exception.

My Fool that morning was surrounded by the Ace and Page of Cups, along with the Empress, so I proceeded with a confident assumption of an easy day.  Maybe it means I should act out a little, I thought, cut a rug, dance a bit.  So when my knee gave out for no apparent reason and I fell, I actually felt somewhat betrayed by the cards.

Recently, as I was going through a difficult period health-wise, someone asked me what the cards had to say about that.  “They’re glowing,” I told her.  “Radiant.  Filled with Cups and wonderful possibilities.  I feel like throwing them away.”  I was kidding about that last part, but not entirely.

I didn’t get hurt the day I fell, though, and I was well taken care of afterwards.  So there’s my Empress. 

Still, I had to wonder what was the point, if my reading didn’t actually help me to avoid falling the first place?  And here’s where that led:

The point of Tarot isn’t so much about predicting the future and controlling our destiny as it is about understanding our destiny as it unfolds. The Fool put the events of that day in context for me; yes, in retrospect, but it’s retrospect that has provided me with the inspiration to set intentions for going forward.

When times are hard and the cards tell you to keep the faith, it can be difficult to see a way to do that.  Those are the moments to let the strength and faith of others, and of the cards themselves, hold you up until you can find your own again.  The cards believe in you.  Surround yourself with people who do the same.

CALMING YOUR MIND WITH TAROT

By Judy Jennings

© Copyright 2015

Recently I wrote that Tarot helps calm my mind.  That sounds great, but how does it really work?  As luck would have it, today has provided me with a great example.

That nasty clunking I heard coming from underneath my car last evening sent me to bed feeling anxious, which is the same way I woke up in this morning.  After forcing myself to chant 10 Aums, anyway, I laid down five cards.  The first three were minor arcana fussing about money, but the last two were pivotal.

The King of Cups reminded me that the most important thing, no matter what happens, is for me to stay in control of my emotions today.  And to be kind, always. 

The Lovers sitting next to the King of Cups says that something good can still happen here, despite a chilling auto diagnosis.  At the very least, I’ll feel good about myself if I can be that King of Cups today, especially when facing anxiety.

Or maybe it’ll turn out to be the cheap, rather than the major, fix.  However it works out, I feel calmer now because the cards showed me the possibility that lies within myself. 

That’s how it works.  Tarot gives you a glimpse of the most positive direction in which to go forward, whatever your situation happens to be.  What you do with that insight is up to you.

CHANGE THE WORLD WITH TAROT: PART 3

By Judy Jennings

© Copyright 2015

A MEANINGFUL LIFE

Be the change you want to see. 

Whoever coined that phrase probably wasn’t thinking about Tarot, but it’s a great description of Tarot philosophy.  There is no good and evil in Tarot, no judgmental afterlife, and no proselytizing doctrine.

Instead, Tarot focuses on the development of a meaningful life in this world.  In fact, you could call it a sort of map, with meaning as the destination. 

A person in pursuit of a meaningful life is someone who is willing to change, because there is no predetermined script for authenticity.  Meaning comes from genuine connection, which can’t be bought, wished into existence, or captured with all the words in the world.

We don’t really decide what’s meaningful in this life.  But if we’re open to it, meaning chooses us. 

Using the cards to do readings is only one way to approach them.  You can also study them for personal growth.  The major arcana tracks the evolution of consciousness from formation to transcendence, with particular emphasis on personality development and stages of spiritual enlightenment. 

But why use Tarot as a spiritual teacher, when there are so many other possibilities?  There are, no doubt, as many reasons for that as there are people with decks, but here are mine: 

There is faith, but no dogma in Tarot.  Hidden wisdom, yes, but narrow mindedness, never, because Tarot is a celebration of the idea that there are many paths to Truth. 

Contemplative study of the major arcana helps to calm my mind.  Understanding the lessons that are contained in the cards calls for a balance between rational thought and intuition, thereby encouraging the development of both.  Domination by the conscious mind simply does not work in the Tarot system, nor is it based entirely on the sixth sense.

And finally, I follow Tarot as a spiritual path because when I look at the cards, they speak to me.  They communicate through symbols that create ideas and reactions, they call up metaphors that have meaning to me, and they unfailingly correlate with my daily life.  Most of all, meditating on the cards helps me keep my attitude pointed in the right direction.

In a reading, Tarot offers not only a reflection of who we are, but the potential of what we might become.  Ultimately, though, it’s up to us.  Tarot reminds us that taking one action at a time, committing one act of kindness, or standing firm one time in a resolve not to escalate hostility can make all the difference in a moment.  And a moment can make all the difference in the world.

CHANGE THE WORLD WITH TAROT: PART 2

By Judy Jennings
© Copyright 2015

HOW DOES IT WORK?

How does Tarot work?  If you do readings for other people, that’s a question that will come up with some regularity.  The answer is both simple and infinitely complex.

Tarot is an energy being, and when you do a reading you’re entering into a conversation with this energy. That conversation works the same whether your sacred object is the cards, a tree, or an image of the Virgin Mother; you put a question out to the universe and then pay close attention to the next thing that comes into your mind and body.  In this way, you have a dialogue.

Tarot speaks in the language of symbolism, and one of the marks of an experienced reader is a commanding understanding of the symbols used throughout the deck.  Even so, the most powerful thing that can occur in a reading is for the seeker to become emotionally engaged with the cards herself, because that’s when the symbols take on meaning for her.

In Tarot, every card expresses the idea of polarity, which means that all cards carry a range of possible interpretations.  The Sun, for example, could represent anything from radiant joy to burnout, depending on the situation and the surrounding cards. 

Are there any clichés or metaphors that come to the seekers mind when she looks at the image on a card?  Are there any details in particular that stand out to her?  If more than one character is pictured on a card, which one does the seeker identify with?  It’s impossible to overstate the importance of these types of reactions when you are doing a reading.  Learning to draw your seeker into this conversation will amplify your readings tremendously.   

Tarot is a system that teaches personal responsibility.  When a person turns to the cards for guidance and then becomes involved in the interpretation of their own narrative, that’s empowering.  And that leads to change.    

CHANGE THE WORLD WITH TAROT: PART 1

THE DESIRE FOR CONNECTION

By Judy Jennings

© Copyright 2015

What’s the first thought that comes into your mind at the word “Tarot”?  Is it divination?   Contemplation?  The future?  Tarot is certainly all of these things, but it’s a lot more than just that.

Tarot, in the hands of a reader who sets this as an intention, is also a powerful tool for social change.  We’ll be exploring this idea in a series of articles beginning with this basic premise:  People turn to Tarot out of a desire for connection, either with higher power, or with another person.

You, the reader, are that person in that moment.  The cards provide an opportunity for you to establish a connection, even with a total stranger.

It’s your own attitude about why you’re a Tarot card reader that will set the tone for your ability to effect positive change in the world around you.  Do you like to show off how much you know?  Do you enjoy being brutally frank with people “for their own good”?  If so, while your style of Tarot interpretation is likely to make an impression, it’s not likely to bring about a positive change. 

Remember that a reading is about the other person, it’s not about you or your ego.

Reading someone’s Tarot cards is an opportunity to offer encouragement, and we’re not talking about vapid platitudes and a pat on the back.  If you begin with the philosophy that Tarot acts like a compass, continually pointing in the best direction for going forward in your current situation, then every reading has the potential for a positive interpretation. 

Tarot offers an opportunity to encourage someone with every reading.  That alone is a powerful agent for change.