What is Tarot?

The short answer: A conversation.

If there is one thing that my brief studies have shown me, its that tarot is, above all else, a movement. The versatility of the card meanings, along with the shifts that occur based on placement; it is nothing but constant flow of meaning and emotion. Consider the death card by itself; it can be foreboding and worrisome, but it can also be relief; a chance for a fresh start. Reincarnation and renewal. The death card is easily one of my favorites so far just because it is so much more than its face value.

Deviant Moon Tarot

And the death card illustrates the point I intend to make very well: tarot is a way of channeling your inner focus and energy on something and opening yourself up to other ideas and approaches. Tarot allows you to recenter and evaluate your life with other lenses. Feeling like you are lacking in productivity may lead you to tarot, and the cards you draw allow you to focus on the archetypes which always surround us and find meanings and maybe even solutions which make sense. So does it not make sense to use your knowledge of the tarot and judge that against the situation you seek to gain insight for?

When giving a reading, does it not make sense to journey with the one receiving the reading to discover through the process of give and take what the cards might mean to him or her?

After all, interpretation is subjective and the meaning of a spread can vary so greatly depending upon the circumstances and character of the person seeking guidance. I believe that tarot is more than just laying out a few cards and saying "this is what you need to do". I believe that tarot reflects what we already know, but just allows us to see it through new eyes. And since we can't know everything about the other party when doing readings for others, we must talk to them. Say "This card can represent lots of changes; is something happening in your life that may facilitate that?"

Would it be possible to come to these sorts of revelations on your own, without tarot to guide you? Absolutely. Is it made easier when you have some sort of context to view yourself which is both outside of the situation while being completely informed by it? Definitely.

So to me, ultimately, tarot is a conversation. Between the reader and the one being read to. Between your internal and your external self. Tarot is a form of visually applying your inner knowledge to a problem and applying it physically.

Do I believe that some divine force or mystical being guides my cards and determines the outcome? I'm not so sure. But I do believe that in putting my faith in my tarot deck, I can look past the fog in my head and find clarity.

The method is complex, but the purpose is beautifully simple.