Posted in Beginner's Guides, DG BlogTarot & Divination
For centuries, people have been finding answers in tarot readings, but is there more to this occult ritual?
Tarot decks contain 78 cards divided into the Minor Arcana and the Major Arcana. Different decks have diverse designs and sizes, some of which can be breathtakingly beautiful. Four suits (swords, wands, pentacles, and cups) make up the Minor Arcana. The Major Arcana might be more recognizable from movies and shows with iconic cards like Death, The Lovers, The Sun, and The Tower.
While many study tarot cards and become intimately acquainted with each one, you don’t need to go too deep to enjoy the benefits of tarot.
Tarot itself is known as the Fool’s Journey through the Major Arcana. We are, naturally, The Fool that makes our way through life, learning, gaining wisdom, finding self-acceptance, and more.
Since tarot is a story about our life’s journey and cycles, one can pick a tarot card at random to see a moment in The Fool’s journey. As many of our life paths also involve conflict, pain, loss, struggle, love, strength, and much more—it’s not unlikely that the chance card resonates with us.
When most people think of tarot, they imagine a mysterious gypsy reader, crystal balls, and the opportunity to either be scammed or be told your fortune.
However, tarot, when used correctly, can let you explore your inner self. Instead of being told what your fortune is, you can instead use the cards as a tool to look at things in a different light.
Since tarot cards are symbolic and often open to interpretation, you can focus on the aspects that are relevant to things happening in your life. When people look at a tarot card, they may resonate with an element—from the picture itself to the underlying symbolism and what the card is meant to represent. Most cards have a broad spectrum of interpretations, and readers can focus on those that shed light.
Tarot can help your mental health by offering you different ways of viewing your struggles and conflict—especially if you feel stuck and helpless.
Tarot may see an uptick throughout the pandemic as more and more users benefit from using the cards as a means for self-reflection rather than a mystical message.
For those of us who do not seek therapy regularly (and even those who do), tarot cards provide a new way to view yourself that you may not have thought of otherwise.
When the pandemic uprooted many lives and made permanent changes, many people were left wondering how to accept change. Some people even took this period of shifting tides to change their behaviors and habits while adapting to a newly emerging world.
Tarot allows us to look inward and self-reflect, something we may have avoided by being social and occupying our time with social events. It can also allow us to understand our storylines and narratives, making shifting towards things we want easier.
In the end, pulling a card from the deck allows you to question things within yourself and bring awareness to them—which is always an excellent way to maintain a dialogue with ourselves.
