My Take on Tarot
Tarot cards are an ancient means of self-discovery and spiritual development that have been used for centuries. The symbols and allegories depicted in the illustrations are rooted in the Kabbalah and are made to stir our intuition and subconscious to help us in our personal journey of life.
Life is more than working, eating, and sleeping. Life is a series of events that teach us about ourselves and the world. Life is a school. To what end? I do not know and will not insult you by proclaiming that I do, for I truly feel that no one really knows until they die, and by then it’s too late to tell anyone. (I understand and respect that everyone has their own opinion and I trust that the feeling is mutual.)
That being said, life is not for sissies. Life is hard. Life is problematic. Life tricks you into thinking all is well, then delivers a sucker punch to the gut. Time and time again we survive these “beatings” (let’s just call them “lessons”), and we come away with more knowledge and strength that enables us to be better prepared for the next one. Eventually, with our growing knowledge, we learn to roll with the punches and our lessons are more easily handled. A Chinese proverb says it well: “Life is pain. Pain makes you think. Thinking makes you wise. And wisdom makes life endurable.”
In the end, we are all living the same scenarios with just slightly different details, and our “wisdom that makes life endurable” comes by two key means: lessons and epiphanies. Because epiphanies are far more pleasant than lessons, my goal is to assist in the individual learning process, to help one see how personal awareness affects the scenarios we play out. Tarot cards offer clues to the bigger picture, allowing us to see where we can change our behavior or frame of mind to improve ourselves and our lives.
Ultimately, we have much creative power when it comes to our lives. Our thoughts and emotions and the way we handle our challenges are instrumental in creating our individual experiences. Viewing our challenges as academic, we can see that life does not really happen to us, but instead, we take part in the process of our personal education. We discover that life’s challenges are tools to bolster us, not to beat us down. Meant for instruction, Tarot cards give insight into the interconnectedness of our inner and outer worlds and help us learn, adjust, and develop as a whole person.
The seventy-eight cards in a Tarot deck are divided into two categories; the first twenty-two cards are the Major Arcana, and the remaining fifty-six cards are the Minor Arcana (‘arcana’ means “mysteries” or “secrets”). The Major Arcana (also called Trumps) reflect the larger aspects of life, like who we are and why we’re here. The Minor Arcana (also called Pips) depict the everyday issues in our lives that help shape who we are and how we relate to the world.
Every so often I will choose one Major and one Minor Arcana card to discuss in detail and explain how they relate to our life experiences. Although our scenarios are the same, we are all on different time tables; therefore, one or two cards cannot apply to everyone on any given day. Sometimes the cards will be exactly what you need to hear and other times they won’t. Some days you might think, “Whew! I’m glad I’m not living that right now!” and other days you might be thinking, “Yes, I’ve been there too,” or maybe “I look forward to that!”
Whatever your time table, the information in each card is valuable and worth knowing. Knowledge is power, and truly, it’s what you “bring to the game” that enables you to navigate life’s necessary teachings.
Change is inevitable. Our lives are in a constant state of flux. Swiss Astrologer Alexander Ruperti says it well in his book Cycles of Becoming:
“Cycles are measurements of change. In order for any purpose to be realized, change must take place, and change necessarily involves crises. Many have difficulty with the word crisis, confusing it with “catastrophe.” However, it derives from the Greek word krino, “to decide,” and means simply a time for decision. A crisis is a turning point—that which precedes CHANGE.”
Tarot cards are multi-faceted, and, more than a divinatory method, they are like a personal weather forecast—if we know the weather, we can plan accordingly.
Sincerely,
Melanie