I began reading tarot as a freshman in college. I took a class from a fellow student, a senior, who had a half a dozen decks and what seemed like a lifetime's more experience than me. I enjoyed the class immensely. She was kind, thoughtful, and never claimed to understand exactly what happened when a reading went really well.
She emphasized something I find useful to this day: the best card readings are about the present, not about the future.
A good tarot reading helps us take a deeper look at what we are doing, how we feel, the choices we are making, and ultimately, who we are. In that way, it's not designed to help us know when to expect a tall, dark, handsome stranger, predict a friend's pregnancy, or tell us about the return of our childhood nemesis. Although, truthfully, I have seen cards do all of these. When this happens, I feel like it's kind of a bonus. It's almost the cards "showing off." Cards have also told me a lot about people's past and present that I had no way to know. Again, I am not going to try to give a solid answer as to why or how.
But when they have proved valuable to me is when they have given me the information to tell a virtual stranger that it's time for her to start dating again after this divorce, because she is starting to stop believing that she can. Despite my not knowing she had just been divorced. Or telling me that someone needs to forgive their father when he gets out of prison because it will be good for their soul, and it will help him finish making the amends and change of life that he really wants to make this time. Despite my not having any way to know they had family in prison.
And for me personally? When the cards have told me to pay attention, I have found it helpful. The messages they give are often like hearing advice from good friends, from my inner self, from a therapist. They give me things to chew on. They give me ideas to consider, new perspectives.
That's why tarot for me for the past twenty-four years.
Because it works.
(this card shown is The Hermit from The Shadow of Oz Tarot)
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