Why Tarot?

Anni's latest prompt for the group had me twiddling my thumbs for a bit at first.

My first instinct was to respond with all of the benefits that knowing what is to come can provide, but that wouldn't be an accurate response. I don't believe tarot cards can predict the future but I do believe they give us insight into a variety of outcomes based on our choices if we put them in the right context. Some of you may be rolling your eyes at me since there is a very thin line between telling the future and providing insight in outcomes. I can't blame you one bit.

Part of what draws me to the tarot is the mystery, specifically how they work. I don't have all the answers but I enjoy reading all of the theories. What I can affirm to is the fact that whenever I use either of my tarot decks, the cards just seem to get me and what I'm going through. Whether that is because of my mindset and my view being present in how I interpret the cards or because they are actually connected to a higher source, well, I can't quite say. As of right now I am okay with that fact.

The only other method of divination I've been drawn to are runes, and those have an impersonal feel that I can't get over when I use them. But the tarot is somehow different. When I shuffle the cards and place them upright before me, it's like I'm writing a story and connecting the dots. Exploring the cards and their meaning, I think, is the fun of the entire process. Using the tarot feels right to me at this time, and that is a reason that I can acknowledge even without understanding why that is.

I could provide you with the simple answers, such as the artwork makes me feel a certain way, or I feel magical when I use them, but those answers would be inaccurate. For me, in this moment, the answer to "why tarot?" is simply that I connect with them more than any other system.

Perhaps I will understand more as we continue on this journey.

Discovering Tarot

My first solid memory of tarot is seeing the cards in the James Bond movie, "Live and Let Die." I thought they were interesting but I was probably only 12 or so when I saw the movie on television, so my mind was likely filled with video games and school vacations. I probably thought of them as nothing more than a game because I wouldn't have known any better.

Years later, while thumbing through an Azuregreen catalog, I saw an ad for the Shapeshifter Tarot deck. The main image called to me and from that point on it was added to every wish list I had, but it never seemed to materialize in my hands. I went through a rough patch in 2013 and found my local Unitarian Universalist church and an Earth-based spirituality group. I emailed the group facilitator and was invited to an upcoming meeting where people were encouraged to bring their main tarot deck.

My mind flashed back to the Shapeshifter Tarot deck and I knew it was my time. I ordered the cards and companion book on Amazon and I still remember how excited I was as each day passed because I was one day closer to receiving them. I was in awe of their imagery and connected with them immediately. It wasn't anything more than having the feeling that I was meant to have them and that was enough. 

I took them to the meet up and we learned about creating tarot spreads. The facilitators were kind and fun, but I was lost since I was still so new to them. I eventually packed them away as other aspects of life took precedence. I broke them out on occasion for random 3 card readings for myself, but the companion book was always in one hand as I tried to decipher their meaning.

It is now 2 years later, and though I recently purchased The Gilded Tarot deck, I am especially excited to explore the cards that my journey started with.

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This blog post was prompted by a question asked of the members of the Tarot Together Facebook group. Click the group name to be taken to the page and join us!