More Than A Reading

More Than A Reading

The Tarot is a source of information. Whether we read for ourselves or someone else, we are uncovering information. This is not a minor thing. When we use the Tarot, we are stimulated by archetypal images and are able to make connections that we may not attain from other systems.

However, the Tarot is much more than that. Every major philosophical and spiritual system has as its external manifestation, a source of information. Whether it is a holy book, recorded statements from a thinker or prophet, or poetic collections of abstract impressions, all major paradigms and systems have a source of information. From there, people take the information and form theories about the underlying metaphysics that are informing the external manifestations. Then begins a process of experimentation; we have the information, what does it say about what is going on behind the scenes?

Strangely, with the Tarot, we stay on the surface and rarely try to describe the underlying metaphysics that make an effective reading possible. We are enthralled with the Tarots ability to be astoundingly accurate in its accuracy and depth. We develop an interesting array of skills that go into being an effective reader. We tap into parts of ourselves and learn to articulate them, demonstrating powerful, earth-shattering human ability and implying an underlying connection between all of us, and then rarely work on a cohesive schema of the metaphysics that make it possible.

It’s Understandable

Tarot readers work hard to be good at what they do. The experience of doing a reading is intoxicating. Maybe we are not looking behind the scenes at the process because what we do focus on is so amazing. This is understandable. If you ever have received a powerful reading, you know that it is an encounter that is not soon forgotten. If you are a skilled reader, you know that creating that encounter is its own reward and there may not be the desire or impulse to look for more.

The Vastness Behind The Tarot

Or maybe underneath the Tarot. In a way, there are two Tarots. There is the reading and the cards themselves. This is the part we are familiar with. In fact, when we think of the Tarot, it is generally all we are familiar with. The underlying current, the metaphysics that create the possibility of doing an dynamic reading, is largely unexplored. What do I mean? Here are some things that the Tarot implies, at least to me. The archetypes, represented by the cards, respond deeply to everyone. No matter how many decks and different representations of these archetypes, they resonate with a continuity and accuracy that demonstrates a foundational sameness with all of us, no matter how unique and colorful the different manifestation of those energies are. In other words, the fact that there are so many varieties of archetypal representations yet an orthodoxy in their meaning, hints at some pretty powerful statements of connection between all of us as humans.

Process Skills

It is exciting when you observe how many interpersonal, reflective, and intuitive skills we have developed in order to produce a good Tarot reading. There is nothing wrong with this, in fact, there is a lot that is right about it, and as I have already mentioned, doing a dynamic reading is a worthy and satisfying application of those skills. But we do ourselves a disservice if we don’t also look at the larger picture; the view of what is going on from outside of the arena of the reading itself, and work on applying them to our various life situations. The Tarot points to an underlying perspective and power, a way of interfacing with the world, that is unique in its perspective, as deep as any other philosophical view or system of personal development, and accessible to anyone who wants to pick up a deck.