Tarot Beyond Divination

When I was young, tarot was connected to witches, gypsies, and divination. Going around with a tarot deck automatically made you a witch, even if you were working a 9-to-5 job and listening to Daddy Yankee.

There was a store in Barcelona called The Museum of Tarot, and I remember going with my mom when I was 29 as if I was trying to enter a disco when I was under 18.

It was not until the last five years that tarot became trendy, with restaurants and bars offering tarot readings, and oracle decks being available for all kinds of people.

The Museum of Tarot was, in fact, not a museum but a store where you could find all the tarot decks in the world and you could get tarot readings. And the number one question is always about divination: Am I going to have a boyfriend (guilty)? Am I going to find a job? Am I going to find an apartment soon (guilty too)?

 

And while we all like to know about the future, with time I realized tarot had a much better use.

Tarot came to my life quite late: at 31, in the middle of a burnout and about to leave Amsterdam forever. My mentor at the time told me she was pulling one card a day, and I decided it was something nice to try and see what would happen. And things did happen.

With the time I started to see that using tarot only to ask if a guy was going to ask me out was an insult to the huge potential of the deck: Tarot explains the journey of The Fool, with the ups and downs of life and the archetypes we come to master. It’s a fascinating story. And a story sometimes told in riddles.

 

In my opinion, Tarot really shines in explaining the past and the present. In the end, the future is smoke. Now, understanding why you ended up in a bad spot with a friend or partner can help you to not repeat it. Or it can help you see a current situation from different angles.

Funny enough, when I have clients who are very interested in knowing the future of something (I.e. marriage), the cards always bring them back to the present, explaining what the influences of the situation are.

And we have to remember: the present is the only moment where we have the power to change things.

Sometimes, when we focus too much on the outcome—say, a promotion, a solid relationship, or buying a house—we stop seeing what is going on around us. Like putting on horse blinders. And tarot is amazing at showing you what you are not seeing. Most times, when you ask if something will happen, tarot will explain the forces moving the needle towards that outcome. And you have to remember that you have the power to move the needle, unless there is an overriding external influence.

And if you are not very into tarot, some oracles also support you in having moments of clarity and reflection. The most versatile one I have is this one from Rebecca campbell. You can use it for any kind of situation.