Cartomancy and Tarot
Divining the future or receiving guidance using cards
Cartomancy – telling the future using cards – has existed about as long as playing cards have been around. Card decks have varied across time and countries, but since the late 18th century there has been a link between the tarot deck and divination. Modern cards vary widely, with a huge selection of artwork and symbols. Find a deck that suits you and meditate upon the cards, studying each in turn so that their meanings are clear to you for interpretation. If you aren’t familiar with your tarot deck, the messages you get will be confusing and often contradictory.
Reading a Spread
The most well-known way to read the tarot is using a spread – an intentional and deliberate layout of cards, where each position holds a meaning or represents an aspect of the reading as a whole.
The purpose is to help create a framework to respond to the querant, and like knowing the cards well, knowing the spread well is key to performing a useful reading.
Answer a Question
It is also a not uncommon practice to pull a selection of cards from the deck to answer a simple question.
This doesn’t require a spread, or even a surface, but the answers are often less specific and clear.
"Divination is a means of telling ourselves what we already know"
Cards of almost every sort have four suits; some, like tarot cards, have a selection of trump cards as well.
The Cards
Meaning:
This is the card of talent and power. You’ve got the skills and tools to accomplish your goals at this time. It’s time to make the most of your abilities.
Reversed:
Better to pull back and wait; if you jump in without the right knowledge, you risk blowing it. Take your time to develop yourself more. This card can also signal an abuse of power.
Meaning:
This is a card of mystery, stillness and passivity. This card suggests that it is time to retreat and reflect upon the situation and trust your inner instincts to guide you through it. Things around you are not what they appear to be right now.
Reversed:
Turn off the outer noise so that you can hear the inner voice. This is not the time to reveal your secrets.
Meaning:
A period of great creativity is ahead. The energy of the Empress is abundant – the wheat field at her feet suggests a good harvest in the future.
Reversed:
This card can indicate problems ahead. Creative blocks. Issues with mom, whether your own mother, a mother figure, or your own mothering. Embrace your feminine qualities.
Meaning:
The Emperor represents an older man who is good in business and usually wealthy. The Emperor is a solid, stable man. He is a powerful, grounded protector but he also can be rigid and stubborn. The Emperor is a hard task master and has little time for fun and frivolity.
Reversed:
Signifies an older man or person in authority in your life who may be abusing his power or being too authoritarian leaving you feeling powerless or rebellious. This person may actually be trying to give you solid guidance but the message is lost due to their domineering behaviour.
