Tarot - A Tool for Self-Development - Personal
Guidance
By Alison DayArticle courtesy of Lotus Tarot library
Men and women have consulted tarot readers for hundreds of years and
most seek out this form of divination for one reason – guidance
and reassurance on major life issues.
On our website, we find that about 90% of our visitors are women, but
there would seem to be an increasing number of men who are also finding
comfort and reassurance from the Tarot. This has certainly been my experience
over the last few years of face to face readings.
Consisting of 78 cards the Tarot deck has two parts:
the Major Arcana consisting of 22 ‘trump’
cards
the Minor Arcana consisting of 4 suits of 14 cards (Wands, Cups, Swords,
Pentacles)
Simply put, the Major Arcana represent major issues or events in our
lives and the Minor Arcana represent the more day-to-day issues.
As with most forms of divination, the Tarot can be a very powerful and
useful tool to help someone reflect upon their emotions and thoughts,
as well as providing illumination and understanding.
What is important to understand, is that Tarot does not provide ‘absolute’
statements or predictions. Many people visit a Tarot reader naively expecting
a precise and comprehensive disclosure of their future – “What
job will I get, what date will I get it and what are the names of the
people I’ll be working with” !! Once a person has accepted
that this cannot be done, they can begin to appreciate the true gift of
Tarot.
My personal opinion is that the Tarot cards reflect the querent’s
current ‘energetic state’, their thoughts, feelings, emotions,
projections etc that are busy creating their experience of life - like
a snapshot of the current moment in time, with past influences and projections
of ‘possibilities’ for the future.
I have found that the Tarot cards are best used to address current issues,
or issues that one might face in the short term i.e. within 6 months or
so. For longer term forecasting, I would tend to favor astrological charts.
So how can Tarot help you with your self-development, self-empowerment
and developing a greater sense of self-love?
Nowadays, Tarot readings can be accessed in many different ways; face
to face, by phone, email, cassette tape, online chat and even automated
software for your home PC or via websites.
Alternatively, you can buy your own Tarot deck and learn to read the
cards for yourself and others. There is a plethora of books, tapes, and
internet sites that offer advice and help to learn tarot, much of it free!
A good tarot reading should help you to gain a little more clarity and
understanding of your thoughts and emotions about certain issues in your
life.
Most of us never make the time to stop and reflect or meditate, to quiet
the noise and babble of our conscious minds. In the stillness of silence
and with a focused mind, we can begin to form a clearer mental picture
and feel deeper emotions which help us perceive our life from different
perspectives.
I have found that Tarot often helps people to begin this process of looking
inwards, and illuminates the thoughts and emotions that tend to rule their
behavior.
By exploring this established and respected form of divination you will
begin to discover many wonderful things about yourself and how you interact
with other people and the world around you. Maybe, like me, you will find
that the Tarot becomes a portal to your journey of self discovery.
Lotus Tarot - Alison Day's site offers free online tarot card readings, card meanings, a learn tarot course, tarot articles and a discussion forum.
  
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