Befriending the spirit of the tarot

When I was teaching classes with the College of Wicca and Old Lore, I was often surprised and somewhat dismayed with the reaction that many people seemed to have to the thought of working with the tarot.  Students seemed afraid to work with the tarot and the main reason for that fear was the concern that they would do it wrong.  After 22 years of working with the tarot, I have come to the conclusion that there is no doing it wrong and that building a relationship with the cards is one of the most profound, instructive, joyful and worthwhile endeavors that a witch can undertake.

As with many journeys, getting started is often the most difficult part.  I understand that tarot can seem overwhelming to a novice.  The first and most important step is to recognize that the cards are alive with what I call the spirit of the tarot.  While many people may disagree with this idea, I have found that recognizing the spirit of the cards and communicating with it has greatly enhanced all of my tarot experiences.  This spirit has been my trusted friend for more than 20 years and this spirit always welcomes new friends.  As with all relationships, getting to know the spirit of the tarot is an ongoing process.  Here are some simple suggestions to get you on your way:

Throw out the idea that there is a wrong way to work with the cards.  In your studies, you may come across books or teachers that give you rigid instructions, such as always storing your cards in black silk, never letting other people handle your cards or only shuffling in a certain way.  While those techniques may work for the people who are proposing them, the key to your tarot journey is to learn what works for you.  Experiment and have fun.  Tarot exploration should be a joyful and informative process that leads to spiritual growth, not a rigid set of rules that sucks the life out of the experience.

Find a way to work with the cards several times a week, if not every day.  If you are intimidated at the thought of divination with the cards, then do not use them for readings.  There are so many other ways to work with the cards, especially for those of us on the path of the witch.  Pick a card and use it as the source of a meditation.  Enter the card in a meditation or shamanic journey and ask for guidance from the figures in the card.  Do a spell with the intent of connecting to the spirit of the tarot.  Use the cards in spellwork.  Use the cards to build an altar, cast circle and construct ritual.  Select several cards and use them to tell a fictional story.  The storytelling activity is particularly fun if you have children and you play it with them as a game.  My nieces and I have sometimes spent hours telling each other stories with the cards.  Pick a figure one on of the cards that appeals to you and spend the day acting as if you are that person.  This can be as empowering or as silly as you like.  If you have trouble setting boundaries and exerting your own authority, act as if you are the Emperor.  If you need to have more joyful innocence and wonder in your life, act as if you are the Fool.  Sleep with your cards under your pillow or next to your bed and before going to sleep, set the intent that you want to build a relationship with the tarot in your dreams.  Keep in mind that the more ways you find to work with the cards, the more your relationship with them will expand.  Before you know it, you will find that the prospect of using the cards for divination is not nearly as intimidating as it once was and that working with the cards in as many other ways as possible enhances and enriches your readings.

For more information on ways to incorporate the spirit of the tarot into your witchcraft practices, I suggest the books Tarot Spells by Janina Renee and Tarot for All Seasons: Celebrating the Days & Nights of Power by Christine Jette.  You might also be interested in Mary K. Greer's fabulous book Tarot for Yourself, which is full of information on how to get to know the cards.