This tarot spread is especially useful when I’m attempting to decide between conflicting ideas and voices in my head, which is often the case. Clarifying the points of view that these portions of myself are attempting to make can be helpful at times. For instance, my Persona archetype might be concerned about my reputation if I’m attempting to decide whether to launch a new business. My self archetype might be ecstatic since they understand it’s the proper thing to do. My Animus archetype might be more focused on the situation’s more pragmatic elements. And the list goes on. It involves exploring all potential viewpoints before settling on a conclusion that makes the greatest sense to us.
- How am I portrayed in society? What impact does what people believe of me have on the situation?
- What am I ashamed of, Shadow? What do I wish to deny and conceal?
- What is my divine feminine saying, Anima? What would I do if my happiness were my sole concern?
- A Animus What is the message of my divine masculine? What should I think about? What are my motivations or obligations?
- What do I really want in my heart? What do I really want?
In This Article...
How should one conduct a Tarot reading?
Tarot readings typically proceed in the following manner after that:
- You must first pose a query to the card deck. It ought to be unambiguous and open-ended.
- It’s time to shuffle once you have the question in your head.
- Draw a card (s).
- Lay your chosen card or cards in your spread face down after making your selection.
Tarot cards: Did Carl Jung utilize them?
With his concept of archetypes, it is stated that Swiss psychologist Carl Jung uncovered “the internal Tarot of the human mind. Additionally, it may be argued that Tarot was a part of the collective mind from the beginning, which is where archetypesthe basic images that make up a person’s psychic constellationare imprinted.
An complete mutant mental cosmos is ciphered in a deck of 78 Tarot cards, similar to the 64 hexagrams of the I Ching, which can be used to make predictions. When we understand how the present moment changed from the past, according to Jung, we can foresee the future. The Tarot card or the hexagram is a visible manifestation of this connection, a type of synchronicity that forces itself to rise to the surface but necessitates, just like an oracle, an accurate interpretation. This evolution of the present is connected to the past, just as the conscious mind is subjected to the unconscious.
According to Visions: Notes of the Seminar given in 19301934, Jung discussed Tarot during a seminar in 1933. He claimed that these cards are the ancestors of the gambling decks we use today, where red and black represent two opposites and the division of four spades, hearts, diamonds, and clubs also relates to the symbolism of individualization. They are psychological representations, symbols that we manipulate in a similar way to how the unconscious seems to manipulate the things it contains. They are joined in a specific way, and the various ways they are mixed reflect the playful evolution of humankind’s history.
The Tarot’s historical background and whether it genuinely predates the playing cards that are most frequently employed for entertainment reasons are still up for debate. However, the most frequently recognized theory is that Tarot cards appeared later. Some occultists refer to the Tarot as the “Book of Thoth,” and they assert that the cards are derived from ancient Egyptian mysteries. Regardless of its origins, the card sets utilized by contemporary sorcerers like Aleister Crowley or Alejandro Jodorowsky contain elements of its arcana that have been lost to time yet have a sinister past.
Tracing the similarities between mental processes and alchemical procedures that aim to turn (symbolically) matter into gold was one of Jung’s greatest contributions to psychology. In a similar way, the Swiss thought of the Tarot as an alchemical game:
The diable, a hermaphrodite figure, appears in the Tarot. That would be the gold in alchemy. In other words, the Christian worldview sees such an endeavor as the union of opposites as demonic, something bad that is forbidden, or anything associated with black magic.
The collection of images discovered in alchemy are useful as examples if one wants to create a mental image of the symbolic procedure. Additionally, it appears that the Tarot card images are descended in some way from the archetypes of change; this impression was verified for me in a very insightful presentation by professor Bernoulli. The symbolic process is an encounter with and via images. It typically develops in an enantiodromian* manner, much like the I Ching text, and as a result, exhibits a rhythm of negative and positive, loss and gain, dark and light.
In Heraclitean philosophy, the term enantiodromia, which means “that which becomes its opposite,” is used by Jung. This may be thought of as the constant mobility required for optimum psychic health. The Sun must change into the Moon; alchemy is found in the coincidence of life’s cycle.
How can Tarot treatment work for you?
In a typical tarot reading, the reader will shuffle the cards and draw cards for the client before analyzing and delving into the card meanings. It usually appears somewhat differently in a psychotherapy session.
Patients can be encouraged to use the cards in a variety of ways, such as picking cards at random or arranging all of the cards face up and choosing the images that resonate with them the most before explaining what those images mean to them. When clients utilize the cards independently, as opposed to traditional approaches that emphasize therapist facilitation, they frequently feel empowered and may even become more invested in the process.
4. Tarot cards offer a special way to access experiences that are otherwise hard to describe.
What should you do initially while using a Tarot deck?
What to Do First:
- Get out your tarot deck.
- The cards are in your hand.
- “Knock or tap the pile of cards numerous times while holding them in your palm to disseminate your energy throughout the deck.
- Shuffle the cards completely.
- The cards are divided into three heaps, which are subsequently reassembled into one pile.
How psychologically do Tarot cards work?
Therefore, the least unusual location to shuffle a deck of cards is probably your therapist’s office. There have always been significant psychological uses to tarot cards. The cards are the perfect tools for therapeutic and mental health, according to psychoanalyst Carl Jung, who described them as a simple way to symbolize the “archetypes of mankind” or universal attributes like power, ambition, and passion.
Tarot cards are globally applicable and can help you visualize your circumstance, according to Columbia University’s Inna Semetsky, PhD. ” What you really desire becomes apparent once things are laid out. They assist you in externalizing your issues.
It’s all about the pictures, literally. Tarot cards allow you to storyboard your life. You can look at the cards and see colorful, palatable images of behaviors you may identify with and that are now assigned to you since the cards have been pulled for you. This is why tarot decks, with their simple symbolism, are so strangely useful in healing and therapeutic sessions. Your goals and concerns become more visible and require less therapy when you see them represented in pictures.
A Jungian archetype is what?
Archetypes are innate, universal representations of individuals, actions, and personalities that have an impact on how people behave. According to Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung’s view, these archetypes represent ancient variations of the innate wisdom that our ancestors passed down to us. 1.
Tarot cards: Alchemy or not?
I prefer Tarot cards with straightforward visuals but intricate symbolic meanings. Such cards are appropriate for both novices and experts; everyone may understand it depending on their level of expertise. Each symbol on these cards is seen by initiates as both a straightforward associative sign and a more intricate allusion. Such a deck is exactly what Robert Place’s Alchemical Tarot is.
It’s one of my favorite decks. It adheres closely to the classical Tarot traditions on the one hand, while also giving familiar cards new interpretations through alchemical pictures and symbols. And there is merit to this connection.
Numerous current scientific and philosophical disciplines as well as many occult movements were greatly influenced by medieval alchemy. Earlier, the link between alchemy and Tarot symbolism was established. But it was renowned American artist and Tarot expert Robert M. Place who made the first unmistakable link between the Tarot Arcana and the alchemical symbols.
Thorsons released the Alchemical Tarot in 1995, and five iterations of the deck have since been released. During this time, the cards’ appearance has improved a little bit because to the removal of the large frames and the modification of the color. Since the original version of the Lovers card was censored in the first edition, subsequent editions also have two versions of this card.
Robert Place performed an excellent job of researching old alchemical and hermetic books when making the deck. Because each symbol in this deck is created in accordance with the alchemical tradition and has a profound meaning, there are no random elements in its drawings.
Alchemical compounds and the Great Work’s process are connected to the Major Arcana (Magnum Opus). This is how the Philosopher’s Stone is made, as well as the journey taken by the average person from the Fool card at position zero to the World card, which represents enlightenment.
Earth (coins), Water (vessels), Air (swords), and Fire (fire) are the four primary elements represented by the Minor Arcana cards of the Alchemical Tarot (staffs). Vessels are used in place of the traditional Tarot cups in this spreadan important alchemical symbol. The four functions of consciousness are connected to four elements (sensation, intuition, thinking and feeling). Here, we can see how Karl Gustav Jung’s thinking and the Tarot card are related.
This deck’s illustrations are created in the manner of alchemical prints from the seventeenth century. This visual aesthetic is fantastic. This, in my opinion, is how a traditional Tarot deck ought to seem.
The deck is very well-made. The cards come in an accessible box wrapped with green fabric. The paper is thick and the deck print is sharp. The edges of the cards are golden, and it looks really impressive. A tiny pamphlet with a description of the cards is included with the set.
I might also suggest Robert Place’s book “Alchemy and the Tarot: An Examination of the Historic Connection between Alchemy and the Tarot” to anyone who is interested in this deck.
In it, the author persuadingly demonstrates that the Tarot cards not only include alchemical symbolism, but that the traditional deck’s structural construction is connected to the alchemists’ approach. Everyone who is interested in occult areas, including Tarot card readers, will find this book interesting.
Questions you don’t really want answered
Even though it might seem apparent, it’s advisable to refrain from asking the tarot cards questions that you aren’t prepared to hear the answers to. That’s because answers to these questions can reveal information you’re just not quite ready to hear.
“Tarot can definitely come off as offensive if you’re not willing to hear the truth or consider an opposing opinion. Tarot reading Nicole Fortunaso
According to tarot reader and life coach Nicole Fortunaso, “tarot may truly come out as offensive if you are not willing to hear the truth of the problem or look at an alternate viewpoint.” She advises analyzing why you’re reacting the way you are in order to reflect on how to effectively address the underlying problem if you ask the question and aren’t satisfied with the response.
After a breakup
Draw one card for each of the following inquiries if you’ve recently broken up with someone and want to know more about the reason or determine whether you’ll get back together:
- How energetic is the partnership right now?
- What caused the divide in the first place?
- What do they really think of me right now?
- What do they intend for me right now?
- What kind of relationship will this be in the future?
- Which action is ideal for me to take right now?
When job searching
You can use this spread to explore what kind of career guidance the tarot can offer if you’re feeling uncertain about your career path or thinking about a new employment. Draw one card once more for each query.
- How active am I in my career right now?
- What challenge must I overcome?
- What is my calling in life?
- How can I follow this calling more closely?
- What should I do to prepare for the upcoming month?
When deciding between two options
This spread can highlight the benefits and drawbacks of each option, guiding you toward the best decision if you’re using tarot to pick between two possibilities (two job offers, two apartments, perhaps a love triangle???). Getting the deal Per card, ask one question.
- What is the fundamental cause of this fork in the road?
- What is the likely result of choosing option A?
- What is the most likely result for option B?
- What more should I take into account that was overlooked?
- What’s the best thing I can do right now?
When something is off with a friend
If you’re concerned about the state of a friendship or feel like something is wrong but are unable to pinpoint the cause, you might be interested in seeing what conclusions and solutions this spread offers. Ask one question per card, once more, I repeat.
- What makes this friendship so crucial?
- What led to this sudden change in tone, and why?
- What has changed, in my friend’s opinion?
- What can I do to make this matter more urgent?
- What is the future of this friendship?
- What should I do at this moment?
