Tarot cards: Divination or Self-Exploration?

How do you use your Tarot, Angel, or Oracle cards? For many, they are used for divination, asking questions about the future. For us, here on the Adventures with Spirit podcast, it’s about self-exploration: Understanding ourselves more fully so we can better navigate our own adventures, with a little (or a lot) of help from our Guides. Even if you have never pulled a card before, this conversation will help you better understand why and how we use our cards with intention and reflection.

This episode, we discuss:

[02:51] The difference between traditional use and our approach

Traditionally, cards are used as a tool of divination to discover things that you can't see or things that are hidden from you, by tapping into that greater power for clarity to move forward. However, we use the cards for self reflection, and understanding our adventures and our stories more in depth, really diving into the “why are we here?” kind of work. 

[04:23] Why we use cards for self-exploration

We use our card decks to gain clarity and understanding of where we are in our growth and what is happening in our worlds. Usually when we move into challenging spaces or seasons in our lives, we start to ask ‘why?’. This is where card use for self-exploration comes into play because we’re really focusing on connecting to our Guards. They have so much power and can really help us see what we need to see, reflecting energy back to us like a mirror. Then they take it a step further by allowing us to connect our inner voice to our spirit team to get messages from them.

[06:56] Our personal card practices

When Jessica is drawing cards to look at her story, journey, or belief systems, she always has a journal with her so she can write as she pulls cards. She grabs a card deck that she feels really comfortable with, typically a Tarot card deck that has a wide array of words and language, and always makes sure she grounds, clears, and protects her energy before she draws any card for her daily practice.

Andrea gravitates toward Oracle cards for her practice. She’s not a trained Tarot reader, but she will pull out Tarot decks when she really wants to get into the ‘nitty gritty’ details. Even though she doesn’t use classic spreads, she feels that asks and the cards always show up. Her grounding practice before card pulls includes prayer and meditation time.

[13:42] Why the same cards keep coming 

When we're using Tarot and Oracle cards to look at ourselves, to go deeper and truly understand ourselves, we need to remember: Our ‘selves’ are this present moment, but our ‘selves’ are also our whole story. Sometimes you will pull a card and it will show up as a big, overarching theme that lasts for quite some time. Don't get frustrated if you pull cards to understand your story and you keep pulling the same card over and over again, because it’s coming through for a reason. It could be a very big message. It doesn’t mean that you’re doing anything wrong. What it does mean is there is a bigger energy at play that is showing up in your life and it is influencing all areas of your life. 

[19:43] Questions that get in the way of self-exploration

We are not here to say that it's wrong to use cards for divination. There are some people that are using cards for that specific purpose, and they are excellent at it! We’re talking about specifically using cards to deepen your understanding of self, so there are certain questions that don’t work well. With self-exploration work, you want to avoid using variations of the ‘what should I do” question. Instead, ask questions like, “Is this good?” and “Does this help me or hinder me?” We want to take it back to that overarching theme of really understanding who you are and how you can develop along your life path.

Another question that can get in the way of this work is related to timeline. “When will this happen?” We’re not using the cards to access specific information about events or timing when we’re using them for self-exploration. Our souls aren’t on a timeline, so it’s not a ‘when’ or ‘where’ type of interaction because that’s not how we intrinsically work.

[30:19] The perfect stepping stone into shadow or light work

If you're curious about understanding the bigger picture of life and who you are, or starting to wade into light and shadow work, then Tarot, Oracle, or Angel cards are a perfect stepping stone. It’s a really great way to begin to take those first steps and experience a deck of cards without needing to take a class first. There are guidebooks that you can read on your own that have great insight on where and how to start. 

One of the ways you can start your practice is by clearing your deck. You need to touch every single card to infuse it with your own energy. Meet the deck, read the deck, and make it yours, because it is your partner in your journey of understanding and exploring yourself.

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