Why I Started Reading Tarot Cards For Stress Management And How To Use Them For Yourself
I first came to tarot cards as a part of my journey into astrology, from an originally skeptic’s point of view. The reason I was initially hesitant about their benefit was because I didn’t fully understand what their purpose was - I thought they were intended to read the future, not to tap into your innate instincts.
As soon as I discovered this, I began experimenting with them for myself. What I uncovered was not only an extremely effective self care tool but one that helped me strengthen my own intuition too. Now, I’m a total convert and will share below a brief guide for how to use them for yourself along with my personal rituals for stress management.
WHAT ARE TAROT CARDS AND HOW DO THEY WORK?
People believe that tarot cards were invented in Italy around 1440. They were originally used as a party game and weren’t popularised in the occult and cartomancy until the late 1700s. Thomas Rider-Waite created the traditional deck we see the most on a commission in 1860. Nowadays, people use them for everything from fun to serious life decisions to mysticism to even dealing with panic attacks!
Tarot cards predominantly work by calling to the foreground the deep internal fountain of knowledge that is present in all of us as our subconscious, often clouded over by our muddled conscious mind. This can be taken one step further into the more spiritual realm if you think that your ancestors/spirit guides/Universe etc. are speaking to you directly through them. Often, we need a loud and clear message from the other side, through a means such as a tarot cards, to really hear it, which is why it’s commonly believed that this is a powerful portal used by such energies.
HOW TO DO A TAROT READING
There are many different ways of doing tarot readings, and ultimately you should do what feels best for you. To begin with, here is a basic guide for getting started:
Find a quiet space where you won’t be disturbed and cleanse it, yourself and the cards with sage, palo santo, incense, essential oil sprays or simply by envisioning a bright, clearing light. You can also add crystals to your space for a super-charged experience (amethyst, celestite, lapis lazuli and selenite are popular ones for this purpose).
Sit and meditate with your cards, getting clear with the question you want answered and then knock on the deck to disperse your energy through it.
Shuffle the tarot deck however you please. Some prefer to shuffle them like a standard pack of cards (as I do) and others like to spread them all out (face down) and then re-collect them. Next, if you like, you can also cut the deck however many times feels right (I usually go for three).
Pull one card at a time, staying clear with your question. The spread you choose can be a simple three card tarot spread (such as past, present, future or situation, obstacle, opportunity) or something more complex. When learning to read tarot, it’s recommended to start with some kind of 3-card spread so as not to become overwhelmed, but as you progress you can try experimenting more and more. Online you will find many great tarot spreads. These can also be tied into the moon cycles - another great opportunity for exploring your mystical repertoire!
Once you have finished pulling them, sit with your cards and notice how they make you feel, while you are learning what each one represents, you can look up what their meanings are online or in a book (usually they will come with their own insert).
Muse on what the final outcome of your card reading entails, then carefully put away the cards for the next time you need them. Some like to keep them with bay leaves, and other herbs or crystals such as clear quartz, to help them stay “cleansed”.
Repeat as often as you feel necessary. I personally like to do a reading at the start of each month, sometimes in sync with specific moon/planetary positions as well, and, most importantly, whenever I need a bit of extra mental health TLC! You can even pull just one card daily if you want to use it more as a personal horoscope.
A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE CARD MEANINGS
A Tarot deck consists of 78 cards in total: 22 “major arcana” representing bigger life themes/changes and 56 “minor arcana” representing the smaller day-to-day themes of life.
The major arcana start at 0 with The Fool (sometimes numbered at 22), and complete their journey at number 21 with The World. Another reason I was a bit apprehensive of tarot cards before starting was the misconception of some cards such as the often dreaded Death card. Note that this card DOES NOT signify actual death but instead points to a more metaphorical death, i.e. an old habit or situation “dying” so that a new one can come into its place. A death is necessary to usher in the winds of change, thus, depending on how you use it, the Death card can actually be quite a good one to pull.
The minor arcana are broken down into 4 suits: wands (a fire element which refers to our actions), swords (an air element which relates to our thoughts), cups (a water element which represents our emotions), and pentacles (an earth element which represents our finances). They begin at 1, going all the way up 10 and then have a page, queen and king (much like a normal deck). While these are their main themes, all 56 represent a specific aspect, which you can again read about in more detail online, in a book, or in the insert that comes with your deck.
So that’s a brief intro on how to use tarot cards, I hope you found this article helpful - I’d love to hear in the comments section below how your journey goes! Or, if you’re an experienced tarot reader already, what else would you add?
If you’re interested in reading more about my (skeptic’s) journey into astrology too, you can check out how I use it in conjunction to mitigate anxiety and bring a sense of inner peace here.
from contributor Two Wander
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Two Wander is a travel and holistic lifestyle website created with the goal of stoking a curiosity for conscious wandering and wellbeing. Curated by husband and wife duo, Talisa and Sam, currently based in South East Asia, they love to connect with like-minded people and brands from all over the world to inspire more mindful living and offer their custom services.