Welcome to the start of your Tarot journey! This is the first blog post in a long series of posts that will cover the tarot. This post and the next three will go over what you need to know upfront. In September we will dive into each card. My aim with these first few posts is to start you off on the right foot in learning how to use the tarot as a tool for growth. These posts will be every Monday so mark your calendars!
In this first post I will give you a brief glimpse into the tarot’s past and then go over a few misconceptions about the tarot that I have encountered over the past 10 years studying the tarot. I hope what you read here (and in further posts) will help you understand this marvelous tool you have at your disposal if you choose to use it in your journey.
“Tarot Reading is an art based on intuition, interpretation, and perception.” ― Nikita Dudani
A Brief History of the Tarot:
Tarot cards were invented in Italy in the 15th century. The cards were used as playing cards in games such as Italian Tarocchini. The Tarot didn’t gain occult use till the 18th century in France. Jean-Baptiste Alliette “ Etteilla” was the French occultist who was the first to popularize tarot deviation to a wide audience. Etteilla published his ideas of the correspondences between the tarot, astrology, and the four elements. In 1791 he became the first to issue a revised tarot deck specifically designed for occult purposes. The modern word tarot actually has a French origin, pronounced as “taro”. In the late 1800’s a the occult group out of England, The Golden Dawn, started studying the Tarot. In 1910 the Rider company in London published a deck designed by Arthur Edward Waite, a Golden Dawn Member. The deck was also illustrated by Golden Dawn member Pamela Colman Smith. This deck, unlike those before it, showed a story on every card. This deck is now called the Rider-Waite tarot deck and is the most widely used.
Common Misconceptions about the Tarot:
There are many misconceptions surrounding the Tarot, and all things occult related. Mentioned below are four of the ones I see the most and I believe will be the most helpful in clearing up.
1# You need to be psychic: The tarot does nothing more than ask the person using it to reach into themselves for meaning in the cards (and in the world around them). The tool we all have to reach inside ourselves for answers and meaning is called intuition. It is what we use to read the tarot and the good news is that everyone has it! Some might be more in tune with theirs than others, but it is in all of us nonetheless. In fact, the Tarot is a great tool to use for developing your intuition.
2# The tarot opens doors to evil and demons: If this is your goal, any tool will work. From a bar of soap to a toothbrush. Why, you ask? Because it is all about intent. If your intent to is to open your space to evil and have a Tarot deck in your hand...yes there will be evil. But you could also be doing nothing more than brushing your teeth or taking a shower...even eating cookies. What we manifest in this life comes from our intent. We can bring love, compassion, evil, joy, togetherness, or hatred into this world just on will alone. And guess what? You don’t even need tools to do this. Our intentions are that powerful. So, no. The tarot doesn’t have the power to open the doors to evil and or demons….we do.
3# The tarot predicts the future: The future, and time in general, is a mind blowing concept if you REALLY take the time to think about it. I heard once (disclaimer: I am not a theredical scientist so i am sorry if I not explaining this perfectly) that every choice we make, whether it is a major life decision like ending a relationship and changing a career or minor decision like if you are going to have cereal or icecream for breakfast splits time and space when we make it. For example: I am writing this blog and constantly editing it as I go. Let's say I am contemplating a sentence I just wrote. I have the choice to leave it or not. The moment I make that choice the current time dimension I’m in splits. In one dimension I I keep the sentence and in the other I don’t. In this theory this happens with every choice we make. All of them forming mind staggering amounts of dimensions in time and space. I do not know if this theory is true, but apparently physics and science can back some of it up. But either way, it forces us to realize that the future isn’t linear or set in stone. Anything can and will happen and WE are in control of it. No one and nothing can predict the future. This isn't to say that visions of a possible future, foresight, and things that just can’t be explained don’t happen. I believe when people have visions of the “future” all the time. Our intuition will show us what could happen if we or the world continue down its current path. But it is still in our control. If you ask the tarot if you are going to get married this year, the cards don’t know. If you want to get married bad enough you will find a way regardless of what you draw for cards. And if you don’t want to you...then don’t. Your future is up to you and you alone.
4# You are worshiping the Devil by using the tarot: This is right up there with opening evil demons doors. I grew up in a Christian home and was told that if you didn't worship the Christian God then you were effectively worshiping the Devil. I am not saying all Christians believe this, but it is what I personally grew up being told by the people who were trying to guide me. I, like with opening evil demon doors, don’t know the proper way to worship the Devil, but what I do know is that I used the Tarot every single day and I don’t believe in the Devil. That alone debunks this myth that you are worshiping the Devil by using the tarot. You can only worship a God or figure that you believe in. Even The Devil Card in the Tarot doesn’t refer to the Devil himself (or herself if you want to look at it that way). It references the dark and dangerous parts of ourselves that are harmful to us and others.
One Last Note on Misconceptions: Remember, always remember, that all the good and evil that you are capable of manifesting in this world is already in you. You ,as I mentioned before, don’t need a tool. You don’t NEED the Tarot. Having a bond with the Tarot for growth is a choice not a need. They are nothing more than a deck of cards. That sounds really cold for someone who collects decks and has a deep relationship with the Tarot, but at the end of it all….that's all that they are. In fact I would go as far to say I don’t have a relationship with the tarot as much as I have a profound relationship with my intuition and love choosing the tarot to express it and play with it. It is a choice that I make and I make it realizing that if my house burnt down and I lost all my decks, and never bought another deck again (unlikely...but less assume) that I still have that unbreakable relationship with my intuition and inner guidance. A relationship we all seek.
As always, if you have anything to add or share please comment down below! Make sure to check your energy before commenting as well. This helps support a loving and supportive environment for learning and development!
Love and Light
Shannon