We all have our coping mechanisms during difficult times, the things we turn to for comfort and distraction. For most of my life, my coping methods have been different. Sometimes I've managed to throw a dance party, paint, write, cook, and bake—or, one of my favorites, practice tarot cards.
Tarot is so important to me that I even have a tattoo on the right hand of three tarot cards: The Sun (for hope, positivity, warmth, and success), the Moon (for intuition and relief from fear), and The Queen of Wands ( To have courage, confidence, independence, determination and strong self-esteem).
This practice has a really rich history as it has been used for hundreds of years to help people find out what is happening internally and what they want externally.
However, at some point between then and now, tarot cards were wrong to tell you your future, like a crystal ball or read from your hand. But in reality, it actually serves as a reflective source of information.
In other words, it is an opportunity to get in touch with your highest self.
How Tarot has guided me to become stronger and more joyful
While popular mystical activities such as the tarot and astrology are mainstream and widely accepted today, they were not always so common.
When I was practicing regularly in the early 2000s, people around me saw it as esoteric activities, things that people at the border or "woo-woo" people practiced.
And thanks to religious disapproval, especially Christianity, tarot cards get a bad rap for being opaque, confusing, or negative. Images such as The Hanged Man, The Devil, Death, or The Three of Swords are often used in films such as the 1973 James Bond film Live and Let Die to portray a character's death, a doomed relationship or relationship, or to predict another tragic accident. is done to do.
So I can understand why tarot cards are taken with anxiety or fear, but as mentioned earlier, tarot is not all about predicting the future. (Also, virtually nothing can predict the future, because the future is constantly changing based on our actions.)
If you take a closer look at the card's symbolism and backstories, the Tarot has a way of empowering us. It reminds us that our lives are complex, and that solutions to our dilemmas and desires are within reach.
I've made the Ten of Swords card several times. From the outside, the depiction may look quite alarming - it features a man holding ten swords. While the symbolism may initially inspire fear, I'm reminded that drawing this card doesn't literally mean someone is going to point swords at me—it symbolizes a painful ending, deep wound, loss, or distress.
And finally, readings like this prepare me for the loss and pain to come by reminding me that life is more complicated than just being hurt. Being hurt also means I can grow as a person. So in the end, the Ten Swords remind me to use these circumstances to my advantage and grow into my higher self.
Use Tarot to Get Out of Dark Times Like No One Else
As a professional tarot reader who has been practicing daily for months, the tarot reading has also helped her overcome the stress of the current pandemic.
"I found Tarot during a very dark time in my life when I struggled with depression and a general feeling of loneliness and insecurity about my place in the world," says Jones Wall. She bought her first deck in the summer of 2016, at a time when she was battling a chronic illness and struggling with her strange identity.
“Amidst all the tension, fear, and anger, I learned to read the tarot. Use cards as a tool for reflection and awareness. It has become a very important, daily ritual for me that I have fallen in love with so much. ,
This spiritual expression can be positive for us. Research on spirituality shows that our mental health benefits when the spiritual path we follow affirms and encourages hope, forgiveness, and purpose.
Jones Wall evolved deeply into "an intense evangelical fire-and-brimstone-type church". Her religion helped her learn how to accept her lack of strength and control how scary things can be. To some extent, this can be helpful, but while spirituality continues to emphasize powerlessness, research shows it can be harmful as well.
This is why positive intentions are so important in the Tarot approach.
As for Jones Wall, she finds the tarot helpful in reversing a negative moment. "I find great comfort in cards, even when they tell me the harsh truth. [The] emotions reflected in the cards make me feel like I'm being seen and heard in a way that I completely understand Wherever I am, they respect me every day and it helps me feel less lonely."
Like Jones Wall, I turn to the Tarot to find peace and clarity about the things that bother me. It allows me to accept trauma and challenges while finding practical, real solutions to get to know myself better.
