If someone offered you the chance to see into your future, and you knew they could do so, would you take it? Many would pause, yet many of us would accept guidance and suggestions for how to approach life.
Tarot cards are controversial, with some claiming they’re “evil” and yet others regularly turning to them for advice. They’re believed to date to the 14th century, although the decks we know today – with the Minor and Major Arcana cards included – took a while to develop from those early efforts.
Divining the future from the Tarot is something that happened over time. Today, you have dozens, perhaps hundreds, of decks to choose from. There are also many spreads to use, from the simple three-card spread answering a single question to the 10-card spread known as the Celtic Cross.
Related: “An Ancient Tool for Growth (and How to Use It)”
Are Tarot cards safe to use?
Some believe they’re magic, cursed, a window into your future you really shouldn’t look through. That’s not true, but someone has probably had that thought at some point.
For most, Tarot cards are used for guidance, to provide insight into an aspect of their lives at that moment. The scope for interpreting cards such as The Fool, The Magician, and of course, Death, is wide. For example, the Death card doesn’t mean the person drawing the cards is about to shuffle off the mortal coil. Instead, it is known to suggest major changes in life. This could mean the end of a job or even a phase in that person’s life, ready for new things to follow.
Personal experience
I went through a phase of enormous change in my life a few years back. I’d dabbled in Tarot before and had my own deck (still do, in fact).
So, I began using the three-card spread each day, asking a question and seeing what came up. I also occasionally did a larger spread and a longer reading to gain more insight into my life. I did find it enormously helpful. If nothing else, I can certainly say the cards guided me to think more deeply about my life and the direction it was going in.
Some might say the cards carried a real message. Others might say they acted as a conduit, a channel for my thoughts and struggles at the time. I would ask whether it matters that the Tarot card readings held real power or not. They were a practical tool for me – a tool to help me think about my life as it was back then. I certainly found some input and guidance from them, so it really doesn’t matter whether they held any powers or not.
Of course, whatever you think of Tarot cards, they did offer some power, as they helped me think more deeply. If all they did was focus my thoughts, well… that’s enough for me. Using Tarot as a practical tool for support through life’s ups and downs is a wonderful path to try out.
-Allison Whitehead
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
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