Using Tarot for Spiritual Guidance

Tarot used to be a thing that we only saw at renaissance faires or your witchy cousin did at teenage sleep-overs. As so called "woo-woo" practices become more accepted witches and pagans are stepping out of the so called "broom closet" and sharing their secrets. 

So I guess here's mine...
Yes, I practice the tarot. Yes, I burn sage and place candles all over my house. I also meditate, practice yoga and read a lot about nature based religions and the elements. This is a path I have followed for over 15 years and I can only assume I'm going to dive deeper and deeper because it resonates so much with me. 

What does this mean for you?!
​More DIY's. More rituals ("woo-woo" or not, that is up to you). More wheel of year and moon cycle inspired content. More daily magic and... Of course a quick tarot guide for spiritual guidance. 

What is tarot? (a no B.S. explanation)
Tarot decks are cards that are similar to traditional playing cards (you can also intuitively read those like tarot, without the major arcana). The tarot deck consists of both major and minor arcana. The minor arcana include 4 suits (usually wands, swords, pentacles, and cups) which relate to each of the 4 elements (fire,  air, earth, and water respectively). The minor arcana are similar to a traditional deck of cards including a king, queen, page (jack), and numerals. However, the major arcana tell a story based on the Fool's journey toward enlightenment. Pulling a major arcana is like getting a power up in a video game. These cards seem to pack a little extra punch about your current situation/question

How do they "speak"?
Each card has a specific meaning that can provide guidance on a situation or specific question just by choosing one card intuitively. Or you can pull a sequence of cards to gain a little more insight. My current favorite is a three card spread (see below). While many tarot practitioners start by learning the basic meanings of cards, it's often helpful to review the images on the cards themselves. While artistic expression varies from deck to deck the specific card meanings are comparable. 

Personally, I like to think of the cards as journal prompts. They provide an idea but you have to fill in the details. Much like free writing we don't always know what is going to happen in the future, but if we take time to notice our emotions, energy and intuition we understand how we are entering a situation. Tarot cards help us notice these things by acting as a tool to spark personal/spiritual guidance. 

Connect with your deck.
The more you use a specific tarot deck the more in-tune with the images and meanings are. I suggest pulling one card a day and spending some time looking at the artwork. For example the card on the left shows several people fighting or having some sort of dispute. Obviously we aren't going to associate this card with a perfect date night. Using the artwork's simple cues will start to help you intuitively read. Then, in true Jenn fashion, I suggest you journal your thoughts about the card's images. Once you've put your explanation down, compare it to a tarot resource to see how close you were. Often times we are closer than we think.

A Simple 3 Card Spread
As mentioned my current favorite reading is a simple 3 card spread, shown below. After shuffling the cards and thinking about my day or week ahead, I tap the top of the deck three times and then cut the deck. I like to think of this as infusing my current energy into the deck, but feel free to do whatever is natural for you. After cutting the deck I place the top 3 cards down left to right...

The first card is my current situation or how I am showing up in the situation. (Something I control.)
The second card are any outside factors that are in play (think other people, things you can't control).
The last card is the outcome or results.

My style of reading tarot is less about predicting the future, but more about connecting to our deep beliefs that could hold us back in a situation. It can teach us to notice the things we can control, instead of fixating on those things we can't control. The things we can control, our beliefs/etc, are what can altar or change our future. It's just up to us to notice and make a change. 

Enjoy your readings.
Love & Light,
Jenn Rose

P.S. - If you're local, I'm doing $10 readings Saturday night at 16 Stone Brewpub for the Evening of 9 Lives charity. ALL proceeds from these readings are going directly to the Clinton Pet Vet Rescue & Sanctuary.