This is a concept that seems common place for me, yet when I talk to others about it I realize it is not. There are many ways to use tarot, but I use it mostly for conversation with Spirits, Ancestors, Divine, and even my own soul. I find it to be an incredible powerful and useful tool to have a full back and forth conversation with.
When I tell people this, even those who have been reading for years and decades, it seems like a new concept to them. They say they have never heard of someone talk about it the terms that I do, or use them in the way I do.
How We Learn
I think a lot of the difference may come in how we learn tarot. I also think it shows the concept of “Too much of other people’s dogma and not exploring for ourselves.”
I love research and listening to how others perform their work, but I do that from the perspective of gaining ideas and inspiration, not instructions to follow. Before I even picked up tarot I had heard some different approaches to tarot, but the “learning” seemed to follow the same structure: Memorize the card meanings. – The art may be different between decks, but the meanings is the same. – With a heavy emphasis on diving the future or hidden aspects of a situation.
My Way
When I started with tarot I did not follow any of this. Even getting my first deck, my intention was for back and forth communication with my Deity. A tool that I could use for that purpose.
I did not follow any of the “rules” that others touted, but instead I just followed what felt right. I did not memorize my cards – I just started using them. I kept detailed journals of every reading, using the guide book for the deck for every card I would draw and writing down the parts that felt right/ caught my attention. Over time, each card too shape for me and held specific energies for me depending how they kept showing up.
In the beginning I used spreads I would find and then altered them to be specific for the questions I wanted to ask. After awhile I just started creating my own, specific for conversation and my work. I think spreads have a place and can be quite useful because each card holds a position and tells more about a specific aspect of the question being asked.
Learning Directly From Our Guides
Tarot gave me a tool outside of myself to have more in-depth conversations with my Guides/ Deities/ Spirits.
I could use it to check what I was receiving in trance/ visions/ spirit walking. Asking the cards to show me the story or messages I got in trance to see if it aligned. It was more to satisfy my skeptic side but what it turned into was an amazing tool, not just for checks, but to go deeper and pull more information from.
When I did not have the time or space to do trance/ spirit walking, tarot was a great way to start conversations. The more I used it as a back and forth conversation tool, the deeper the conversations became. Not just pulling once, but allowing the back and forth flow to roll out.
For example: I ask a question about something, and then draw a few cards. As I read the cards, I am listening to Their response. Then I would go deeper into what we were talking about, draw some more cards, and listen to Their side. It is the same as if you were sitting with a friend having a back and forth conversation – same flow – same experience – except the friend is telling you the story through cards instead of voice.
Tell me a Story
Once you have the conversation part down, confident in the flow, you can start really learning directly from your Guide. Letting Them tell you Their own stories, Their perspectives, what is important to Them, and who They are in the truest sense and not the dogmatic boxes lore and people have boxed them into. All of that started as one person’s personal experience, and repeated over and over until it becomes what others believe. In my experience, that is only the surface – a fraction – of who these Deities truly are and the lessons They can teach us.
By allowing Them to tell us Their own stories, to ask Them directly the things we go scouring the internet for – we are allowing Them to give us depth and true answers from Them. In my experience, Their core energy remains the same, but the specific lessons They give us, are for us, our path, and what we need. The domains They are actually connected to is much larger then the sliver we allow in dogma. Who They are is much more then the stories being passed.
Instead of scouring the internet hoping it will give us a cohesive answer – Let Them tell you Their own stories. Ask about what you want to know, and draw 4-6 cards. If there is a part or card that stands out, go deeper – ask about it and draw some more cards. Back and forth conversation.
This doesn’t mean you can’t do your research, but getting information directly from the source is a whole other level of learning.
Sacred Space
I have consistently run into an issue when I have tried to follow what other people say about altars and specific Deities – such as having specific things or representations on there for certain Deities. My path, my journey is not a cookie cutter, easily packaged set of instructions – and neither is yours. For example: What may be a true sacrifice for me may not be for you (as I hate alcohol and don’t drink, putting it on my altar means nothing – as opposed to someone who does).
Lessons
Our lessons are not the same because we have different needs, different backgrounds, and different work to do. We have different challenges to overcome and talents we naturally have. If we only follow the instructions from other people, their path, their lessons – we will only be on the surface of our own.
Tarot is a way we can see the lessons before us. We can ask question about it, get directions and actions specific for us. It is a personal mentor, directed at just you – a one on one session. All you have to do is ask – draw the cards – and have a conversation.
Shadow Work
Talk to your inner self, your shadow. Talk to the different parts of your soul. Again, conversation. As you start digging through your own shadow, your pain, your trauma, your mistakes – tarot can be a great tool. Let it be the bridge, or interpreter, for you to get clear information, direction, and help cleaning house.
It is the same process as talking with a Deity through them, or other spirits. Allow for the back and forth conversation – go deeper into any aspects or cards that show up. If something doesn’t make sense, tell them and ask them to clarify better.
Shuffling
I am adding this last part just because I have seen the difference in readers, and how they feel about the reading, when they shuffle this way: Shuffle the deck between each card drawn. Shuffle until a card pops out at you (literally or feeling wise). Don’t flip the cards over until you have drawn all of them.
If you haven’t tried this kind of shuffling, I highly recommend at least experimenting with it.
Ending Thoughts
At the end of the day, Tarot is a tool. We need to experiment, get outside everyone’s boxes, try new things, and see all the different ways we can use it for us.
I realize that tarot seems to be used mainly for foretelling – but for me it is an incredible conversational tool. I think I get way more useful and direct information this way. It is one reason I feel my growth exploded when I finally connected to Deity work, because my learning, my lessons, my growth came from all these conversations. The tools, magic, and lessons directed specifically at me and my personal path.
To me this concept of conversation is just natural and normal to me because of how I approached it and the reason I picked it up in the first place. So I forget that for others it can be a whole new concept.
If your Deity/ Ancestor/ Spirit work feels stale – try this!
If you are struggling in your shadow work or feel like you just keep circling – try this!
If you want to connect deeper, and get stories directly from Them – Their perspectives, Their memories – try this!
It may not be something for you – but it could also open up a whole new world. You won’t know until you try.
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