The Mystery that is Tarot by Krsn. Radhika- Tarot-Indiatimes

All answers to all questions are held in the Mind of God or the Universal Consciousness. We all are a part of this Universal Consciousness, so to say, we are ‘in the Mind of God’ and so can access all these answers and all the knowledge we need. We have only to quieten our minds to be able to listen when the Universe speaks, to pay attention to cues in our daily lives. For comfort in our tears, for strength in our failures, for warnings of danger and opportunities to be had, from melodies that herald the dawn into our lives to pathways that lead us away from our troubles- The Universe speaks it all. These cues could be in the form of our intuition and uncanny hunches, repeated and strong feelings about something, unusual opportunities, books that drop off shelves, eaves-dropping on a stranger’s conversation (and hearing just what we needed to at that moment), a newspaper clip or advertisement, a windfall out of nowhere-it could be anything. If we look out for these cues, we will find and recognize them. The Tarot is a means to access more easily these cues, hidden in the symbology of the Tarot and when revealed by a talented reader, can provide immense insight into our life situations and ourselves.

Not a Divinatory tool, but a means to Self-Actualization

The tarot, in a strict sense, is not a divinatory tool. Its purpose is not to predict the future as being etched in stone, but to warn and guide so that the most good can be achieved from every situation. The Tarot, in essence, is really a means to greater self-understanding and self-actualization, unveiling blind spots in our personalities and environment; underlying past conditioning and limiting beliefs and attitudes; unconscious desires and motivations; and missed opportunities. All of which lend a new and enlightened view to our problems and choices.

When a Querent asks the cards for guidance, the reading will reveal: the basic energy surrounding the question; the past and present situation; obstacles to growth; people, attitudes, feelings, events, hopes, fears and opportunities that are influencing the situation at hand. This will enable the Tarot Reader to give them an indication of the likely outcome if the actions and attitudes of the past are adhered to; the likely outcome if these are changed for a more favorable outcome; possible opportunities in terms of events and people who could be used to favorably influence the outcome; and even alternate paths or options other than those being followed.

One very important guiding principle in the Tarot is that ‘there are no mistakes, only stepping stones’. No situation is perceived as negative in the Tarot. Everything is there for a reason, every situation offers a lesson in our spiritual growth and we have the power to change our life circumstance by changing our attitude and karma.

Karma revealed in Tarot

Karma, put simply is ‘any act of doing’ and creates a chain of cause and effect events in our lives. Even the basis and broad pattern for this life is based on Karmic doings of past lives and this present life. Karma is continuously created and therefore continuously dictates the future. Every moment we act, every moment we create our future.

The Tarot taps into the energy of a situation based on its past karma. All events, actions, thoughts and feelings put into the situation thus far create their very own cause and effect energy pattern, and therefore present the possible future direction and energy, based on this past action or karma. In this sense, the Tarot can give an indication of the likely direction that the future may take, based on karmic energy so far. It also presents us with the opportunity to influence this likely outcome through a change in the karmic pattern or put simply, by acting differently than we have thus far. Which means it can provide guidance on how to improve a situation by improving our actions and attitudes.

Even for those who think of Karma as an elusive concept, they must surely understand that a person’s thoughts and beliefs dictate to a large extent their general life circumstance. The medical community today widely lends its support to the mind-body concept in healing, whereby a person’s thoughts and mental state determine the state of their health and well-being. An individual’s outer world is a reflection of their inner world. A Tarot reading is no more than a ‘picture of the moment’ in terms of the Querent’s present beliefs and thought patterns about the situation at hand and so can determine in a reasonably accurate way the likely direction of the outcome in their external world. The reading can point their way to healing the situation by changing the limiting patterns in their consciousness.

For the Querent to benefit the most from a reading, they should be open to receiving guidance from the Universe and have faith that all can be set right and be made to work for their Highest Good. No situation is irreparable, just as no situation is invincible. Your Karma will determine your circumstance, ‘as you sow, so will you reap’. The Tarot will have plenty of advice on the right karmic patterns and attitudes you could adopt to gain the most out of any situation. The Tarot is thus a means to gain a new and higher perspective on the issue at hand.

The Tarot cards

Tarot readings are normally conducted using cards of special symbology - 78 cards divided into the 22 cards of the Major Arcana and the remaining 56 cards of the Minor Arcana (40 Pip cards and 16 Court cards). The word Arcana means ‘secrets’-so we refer here to the Major and Minor secrets- ‘secrets’ to a more fulfilled and enlightened life. Major Arcana usually deals with matters of greater significance in the Querent’s life and indicates the greater play of karma in the situation at hand. The Minor Arcana concerns itself with issues of lesser important and impact, with a great deal of the outcome still in the hands of the Querent.

Tarot, when it was originally developed, comprised only of The Major Arcana. It was only later, when traditional playing cards came to be used as a tool for divination, that the original Tarot symbology was expanded to include the Minor Arcana. The Major Arcana is complete of and in itself for the purpose of Tarot and not just that, it is a complete Philosophy for upliftment and transcendence in this life. Each character and symbol of the Major Arcana has a lesson relevant to our journey of spiritual evolution. In a sense, each card is symbolic of a certain rite of passage or archetypal transformation that occurs naturally in the course of life and living. The journey starts with card 0 (The Fool) of the Major Arcana, and comes full circle with the final card 21 (The World). If this journey is understood and experienced, then we can better understand the process of life and enlightened living.

Faith in Synchronicity& Synchronicity in the Cards

During a Tarot reading, the messages from the Universe make themselves known through the synchronistic patterns in which the cards fall and the symbols on these cards. A sensitive and attuned Tarot reader will then be able to interpret these symbols as they apply to the Querent’s situation at hand.

While each of the cards has a few standard meanings assigned to them, it is the placement of the card in context of a spread that will determine which meaning is relevant. A good reader will not mechanically deliver the meaning of each card in a spread, but will weave together the story the cards are attempting to reveal. The tarot reader will use equally their intuition as well as their knowledge of the cards. Often what a card is meant to say in the context of a reading might even be different from its set of traditional meanings. There are no right or wrong meanings for a card. The right meaning is based on the position of the card in a spread and the nature of its surrounding cards, but most importantly on the tarot reader’s intuition and feelings at the time of the spread. These are the tender nudges of Universal Wisdom so that the message that serves the Highest Good of the Querent can come through.

Our unconscious mind is the mirror on which messages are reflected from the pool of the Collective consciousness. To access these messages we have to silence our conscious mind. Anxiety about the outcome hinders this state of mind and can thus affect the clarity of the reading. So it is very important for the Querent to consult the Tarot only in a spirit of faith and with a calm and open mind as anything can come forth in a reading. The Querent must pay very close attention to their feelings and hunches during a reading and for a few days after. They have tuned in to ask the Universe for help. This help and guidance can come in any form, and at any time, especially when we least expect it.

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