Tarot Cards: A Tool for Self Discovery
Tarot cards are most commonly seen as a tool of divination i.e. telling future. When we consult the Tarot, we are attempting to better understand ourselves as well as the forces working in and around us. It can not only help us come to terms with ourselves but also to gain a better understanding of the people who are significant in our lives.
The origin of Tarot to this day remains shrouded in mystery. Some sources claim that tarot originated in India. But the last known trace of tarot is found in Italy where it was known as “Tarocchi”. From there it travelled to France where it came to be known as “Tarot” (pronounced as taro)
There are usually 78 cards in a Tarot deck and each card is believed to have 78,000 meanings. A traditional tarot reading involves a seeker - someone who is looking for answers to personal questions - and a reader - someone who knows how to interpret the cards. After the seeker has shuffled and cut the deck, the reader lays out the chosen cards in a pattern called a spread. Each position in the spread has a meaning, and each card has a meaning as well. The reader combines these two meanings to shed light on the seeker's question. The seeker picks the cards as guided by the universe. It never happens that you pick a wrong card. The person automatically picks the cards which are meant for him/her.
Tarot cards contain images, pictures and symbols which can be interpreted in various ways and in many combinations. They are divided into two groups – Major and Minor Arcana. The Major Arcana reflects the principle events in our lives, while the Minor Arcana informs us about our circumstances and experiences. The Tarot is a mirror that reflects back to you the hidden aspects of your own unique self.
Tarot cards access information from the unconscious mind - that deep level of memory and awareness that resides within each of us. It is the place which holds all the information about past, present and future. Tarot reading is all about intuitions. Intuition basically means gathering information from the unconscious and the sub conscious mind. Imageries n symbols evoke this information from the unconscious mind and this is how the future is predicted.
Our goal of life is to keep progressing spiritually and mentally.
Tarot cards can easily show your progress on your spiritual journey as well as your path. They can also tell you about the obstacles you face in your journey, their reasons and ways to keep moving ahead. Often we consult Tarot cards when we are at a turning point in our lives or have a difficult decision to make; the cards will highlight the dilemma and indicate the potential direction in which we will head. A tarot reading can make a meaningful statement about our lives, however difficult or challenging things happen to be for us at the time in question. And it also gives us a chance to become more whole and integrated as human beings.
Article by Meetu Sehgal
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