Talking About Tarot: Using Tarot Cards as a Mirror for Self Reflection.

Tarot cards have been around for centuries, and people have used them for all sorts of reasons. Sure, they’re often linked to fortune telling, and for many people the mention of tarot cards conjures an image of a windswept old crone in a carnival tent predicting love affairs and disasters.

But today, I’m exploring tarot as a tool for self reflection, a kind of esoteric Rorschach test. This could get weird.

The Falling Card Tarot. By Jenni Mclaughlin. https://www.jennimclaughlinart.com/product-page/tarot-card-deck-original-illustrated-tarot-cards-the-falling-card-tarot

Earlier this week, I sat down for my usual three card reading. I find that any more than three cards only leads me to overanalyse, and I prefer a reading that's concise and to the point.

The three cards are made up of the 'centre' card, which is the general theme of the reading, paired with two more cards which I like to refer to as the 'what's hot and what's not' cards.

I shuffled the deck, trying to clear my mind (easier said than done). Then I split the deck into three piles and reassembled them. I laid out three cards in front of me and turned them over one by one.

First up, the centre card, representing the general theme of the reading, was The Queen of Swords. Alright, so this reading is about intellect and clear thinking (themes associated with the swords). The question is, does the Queen represent me or qualities I need to embrace? See? Already overthinking. Good thing I stuck with just three cards!

Next, card two. This card represents what's 'not hot right now': The Ace of Cups. Really? Such a lovely card being the 'not hot' one? I can't count how many times I've seen a very positive card in a negative position in a reading, and I'm still puzzled by it. Anyone have thoughts on this phenomenon?

Finally, card three, representing what's 'hot right now': The Ace of Swords. Two Aces and two Swords cards. I'm starting to see a theme, and I love a clear theme!

Now for the fun part, let's analyse the hell out of these cards.

The general theme of the reading was The Queen of Swords: Often seen as the least warm of the four queens, she's a straight talker and clear thinker, traits I admire. But she lacks emotional warmth; she resides in the realm of the mind.

The Ace of Cups showed up as the 'not' card: This card symbolizes love, intuition, and inspiration. It's soft and emotional. So why is it the 'not hot' card? To be fair, sometimes tarot can be a bit of a buzzkill.

Finally, I got The Ace of Swords as the 'what's hot' card: Not as dreamy as the Cups, but it aligns well with the Queen of Swords. Aces represent new beginnings; Swords deal with thinking and communication. This suggests new ideas and mental breakthroughs.

The reading seems to advise a logical approach over an emotional one. On a deeper level, it suggests being aware of how thoughts (Swords) affect emotions (Cups).

The Queen, with her clear thinking, advises choosing thoughts wisely to prevent the mind from negatively influencing emotions. Solid advice, let's see if I actually follow it!

This reflective approach to tarot may not be as glamorous as predicting a lottery win or a whirlwind romance, but it empowers the reader to take ownership of their own choices. And personally, I don't love the idea of a bunch of cards mapping out my future in front of me without having any say in what that future will look like. Or maybe I'm just a bit of a Control Freak.

Anyway, That's enough introspection for today. Time to return to the good old days of using cards to foretell plagues and famines.

-Jenni Mclaughlin Art.