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3 Tarot Meditations to Support Your Life, by Chanda Parkinson

(Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.)

The tarot invites us to free our minds to the imprint of their meaning upon our lives at any point in time. There are a plethora of traditional, time-honored interpretations we can bring to our tarot practices. However, making tarot personal and intimate goes beyond standard interpretations. In order to take flight into the poetry of the tarot, we must entertain the myriad ways in which each card can be interpreted in collaboration with the other cards. It is essential to include our intuitive impulses, plus our own mental connecting prowess, not just book meanings.

Surrendering ourselves into the vastness of the tarot requires building a relationship with it that is separate from memorized meanings. This attitude and strategy is what brings tarot to life before our eyes. It elevates the tarot from simply an object of deliberate study to also becoming a living, breathing embodiment of our daily lives; past, present, and future. It is the magnificent storyteller of our soul's path.

I know that for some, learning tarot can feel like an arduous task: 78 images stare up at us, all with deeply nuanced meanings combined with intricate levels of symbolism. It can be daunting to pick up a deck as a beginner, and even more intimidating to sort out how to begin learning. The more classic or traditional tarot decks are steeped in mythological and biblical tales, embedded with Egyptian hieroglyphs, letters of the Hebrew alphabet, and other esoteric symbolism. While it may seem a bit rebellious, even foolish, to connect with tarot cards first through your own intuition, it is a way to gain access to innate realms of wisdom that live within you. One of the methods for engaging your intuition to reveal personal truths held within the tarot is meditation.

Meditation is a flexible, universal modality that can be applied in many areas of spiritual practice. It not only stills our mind, but also opens our sixth sense to potential feedback and input intuitively gathered from our psychic tools. One psychic tool that pairs well with meditation is tarot. No matter how long you have been reading tarot cards, you can use meditation techniques to open a deeper awareness of the meanings and stories in the cards.

The combination of meditation and tarot isn't just for those who want to deepen their relationship and understanding of the tarot, but also for those with a dedicated meditation practice who are bored and looking for a new, fresh way to meditate! You can pull one card a day, and spend time connecting to its imagery as a way to clear your mind or move through a challenging moment with more clarity.

HOW TO BEGIN
Set and setting matters. I prefer a quiet, undisturbed spot in my bedroom for meditation and tarot. When I go in there and close the door, it's me time. I can spread out on the bed and know I am always in a comforting cocoon. Locating a space in your home that feels conducive to about 15- 20 minuntes of connecting with the cards is best. If you enjoy working with any sacred tools or objects, gather those around you.

If you have housemates and don't have much capability for seclusion, never fear! You don't need to be sequestered in dark room to meditate. As a matter of fact, parks or hiking trails are excellent options. If you have a lunch break at work, grab your tarot deck and take a walk to some place in nature. As long as you won't be interrupted, you can be somewhere near others. You can sit in the parking ramp on a work break or seek out a private room at a nearby library. Get a good set of noise-cancelling headphones. You can create the space to make this practice work for you.

A few thoughts on deck choice. If you don't already have a deck of tarot cards, you may wish to begin with the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot. It's a great basic deck with which to learn. Eventually you can expand from there, and incorporate other decks that speak to you. The Rider-Waite-Smith is the most universally used and written about deck, so you'll see examples of it all over the internet and in most traditional tarot teaching texts.

Here are three simple meditation and tarot techniques you can begin using now to support your personal path and life choices.

Choose Your Card Meditation
In this meditation exercise, you first look through your tarot deck face up and choose a card that speaks to you in the moment. You may not initially know why, and that's ok. Pull the card from the deck and place in front of you.

Now take a few nice deep breaths, and focus on emptying your mind. Try visualizing all of your thoughts being put in a safe or a large wooden box with a lock on it. Or, you can imagine your thoughts dissipating into the atmosphere, transformed into butterflies. Whatever visual can help you slow your thinking processes is helpful.

Now look at your card, and answer these questions quietly to yourself:

1. How does the card make you feel?
2. What is the story in the card?
3. How might this card relate to what is happening right now in your life?

Make note of it in a journal or notebook for later pondering.

One-Minute Tarot Meditation
This meditation exercise is best done sitting at a table, where you can spread your cards out in front of you. Hold your tarot cards in your hands. Take a few nice deep breaths, slowing down your body's biorhythms and your thoughts so you can focus and concentrate. While you shuffle your deck, send your intention into the cards for what it is you would like to know.

Next, fan the cards out on the table in front of you. Slowly run your dominant hand across the tarot cards, paying attention to any tingles of energy surging through your fingertips telling you which card to draw. Pull the first card you feel connected to. Trust your instincts.

After that, gaze at the card and simply allow thought forms, feelings, intuitive impressions, or messages to pop into your mind. How does this card mirror what may be going on currently in your life? Does a sudden mental imprint or AHA! moment pop into your mind? Go with your first impression. Take notes.

Prioritize Your Thoughts Meditation
Fun fact: on an average day, our minds think on average 60,000 thoughts. This is absolutely mind-blowing to me, and explains why it can be of tremendous use to have tools to bust up those thought streams, and give your mind a much-needed break.

You can use your tarot deck as a mental anchor, taking pause in the hectic moments of life, and slowing down the thought forms consuming you. Not only this, but it will also assist you in hearing your inner voice. Tarot is a wonderful tool for helping you prioritize your thought processes, so you can more systematically approach what needs to be done. This is an excellent exercise for those with ADD or who tend to scatter focus throughout the day.

Shuffle your deck while asking the deck to show you the one area of life to spend a little time reflecting on first. While shuffling simply project your intention into the cards. Divide the deck into three piles. Draw the top card from each pile and lay them out in front of you. Scan the three cards while keeping any disruptive thoughts from invading your mind. There is nothing but this moment, and this opportunity to learn something new about an area of your life. Just gaze lightly from card to card, not really committing to any one thought or insight. Begin to notice how the cards in front of you mirror something you are dealing with right now. With a paper and pen jot down notes about what area of life the cards are helping you prioritize.

Now gaze upon the cards again. What nudges are you feeling around this particular area of your life? Are the cards imparting any needed wisdom or guidance? If you would like, you can draw three more cards for additional insight. Trusting your own inner voice, write down 3 possible solutions the cards are revealing to you about that particular area of life. Allow your imagination and creativity to show you the way!

Combining your meditation and tarot practices brings an extra level of calm presence and capacity for deeper understanding during life's ups and downs. The key is to experiment with different settings, maybe even different card decks, and each meditation to see which ones work best for you. I hope you find these exercises helpful!

You can get even more detailed tarot and intuition building exercises just like this, including an in-depth meditation for each Major Arcana card in my new book Meditation and Tarot: Connect with the Cards to Develop Your Inner Vision.

Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal. Copyright Llewellyn Worldwide, 2024. All rights reserved.

I'm in a psychic development class with a number of remarkable women. One woman in particular is very into working with the shadow, and this has led to some deep conversations about whether or not we need to face and accept the shadow or stay away from it. Some say that working with the shadow is dangerous, while others say that it's powerful and even more dangerous to ignore or deny it. I don't know what to think, but I told them I would ask you two for your views and get back to them. What do you advise about the idea of working with the shadow? Love and Light!

- Karen

Astrea:

The shadow appears in every religion, from the Roman Catholic Church to beyond the blue snow in some North American and Nordic cultures.

The Dark Side is often what it's called now. Personally, I like the blue snow image. It makes sense that the shadow would be in a cold and desolate place because it's the place of Fear and Wrong Choices, especially for Light workers.

It's not something you should fear, however. Shadow is always with us and always part of us. To get to know where and how it works in your life is very necessary and good for you.

You should know your whole person, not just the person you want to be or show to others. Each and every one of us has a Dark Side, and we can't deny it forever. I think it's wise to know about it so you can get clear about what you do NOT want to be most of the time.

The concept of getting to know yourself as a whole person, both Shadow and Light, is so important if you're planning on doing some kind of spiritual work. Shadow is a part of all of us. How can we know the Self if we don't know all its aspects?

Facing our own negativity doesn't have to mean that we become negative influences, or that the negative side of us will control what we do in life. All we see is all we are and all we can be, and meeting one's shadow can be that last necessary step to psychic awareness that many people fear for no reason at all.

Shadow is part of you and part of that woman in your circle who is seeking hers. It's part of everyone, so it's good to face it and get that behind you so you can live the remainder of your life in the Light.

Carl Jung said, To introduce a person to his shadow is to confront him with his own light. I just love that. It's so simple and to the point.

Late in my teens, I encountered many people who were working with their shadows, and when Love met Fear in my own life, I discovered mine. I have to admit, it was an unpleasant but very enlightening encounter.

To put it another way, the truth hurt! I had lived in my own shadow for much of my teens and early twenties. Once I saw that part of myself, I moved on with my life as a whole person. One good long look was enough for me to know that I would always chase the Light.

I'm excited that your study circle is considering this, for it will dramatically change your own life whether you choose to encounter Shadow for yourself or not.

By bringing up this question, you've opened up Shadow to all our readers. Thanks so much for that!

*****

Susyn:

It's definitely wise to take instruction to develop your psychic gifts instead of exploring these things on your own. When investigating any realm of metaphysical study or practice, I believe it's essential to have a guide or teacher working with you. When venturing into areas that involve unknown entities, such as the shadow and light energies you speak of, it is very wise indeed.

It's important to note that because psychic development starts with deep internal changes in our own psyches, you must face the shadows in your own life and come to terms with them before you can use your gifts to their fullest potential. If the shadows in our lives remain hidden, they have the ability to influence our decisions, awaken unfounded fears, and keep us from reaching our dreams.

Again, this is not a process people should attempt on their own, as it is safer and far more effective to work with someone who has already processed their own shadows and can help show you the way.

Whether we're working with our own shadow self or calling up shadow spirits for some reason, we are wise to move forward with caution and the guidance of a wise teacher or mentor. The same is true when we learn to divine, channel or clear shadow entities, for it's important to remember that these are very powerful spirits we are dealing with.

Before attempting to work with shadow, it's vital to surround yourself with light and protection, which is something I'm sure you were taught early on in your psychic development class.

By envisioning yourself in a white bubble like the opalescent bubble of Glinda, the good witch of the North, or surrounding yourself with swirls of light, you will prevent these shadows and spirits from attacking you and attaching to your aura.

Some people have a natural knack for this sort of thing, and are drawn to work with shadow. Even these people can run into trouble if they lack a strong psychic and spiritual base, however, for they can easily be taken over or influenced by dark entities. If the shadow work you are doing is within yourself, the guidance of a therapist or spiritual counselor can help you remain aware, centered and safe.

As long as you have a higher purpose and your focus is on how to tame, manage and integrate both the shadow and light within and around you, some wonderful blessings can develop via this type of work, including various opportunities to experience more wholeness, acceptance and awareness in all aspects of your life.

Good luck in your ongoing studies, Karen. I pray they bring amazing insights and gifts your way!

Astrea:

Many times in life we hear, "You will always have what you NEED, but not necessarily what you WANT." Your spirit must have needed to experience the feeling of leaving your human body, and the suggestion in the next chapter of Sylvia Brown's book was all it took to get you there.

Even though you hadn't read it yet, your SOUL recognized the title of that chapter as something it had been seeking, and your soul, knowing that you had that reference to read after your experience, got with it and out you went!

While I don't usually recommend her books, Sylvia Brown has a wide reaching and powerful effect on lots of people. A Gemini like you would be able to relate easily to her writing and put it to good use. Synchronicity - you gotta love it!

I like your description of "getting caught." That's exactly what it feels like, isn't it? One minute you're free and hovering above the room, and the next minute, ZAP! back down into your corporeal form you go!

As a little kid, I loved that "feeling of return." With practice, most of the time we can control that event, but sometimes, when our physical ears hear a distracting noise or something else occurs to knock us back into reality, back we go. With practice you will be able to control your return better.

I find it interesting that you were visiting your mother-in-law and not someone in your own genetic family. Evidently, you and your husband got married for reasons that are even deeper than love. His family's interest in "psychic stuff" will nurture your children in such matters and help them to grow into their own abilities.

You'll never have to be concerned that when your daughter visits them, she'll be discouraged from exploring her own psychic life and power. My parents encouraged me to develop my psychic senses in a time when it wasn't nice to even discuss such things in public. Heck, it's STILL not considered a great topic at the dinner table in some families!

Your kids will get to talk about it ALL and ask questions and read and study. This is going to give them such an edge in life! Talk with your husband about how you want to present this to your kiddos, so that you are united in your approach and ready to tell them their experiences are all natural and okay.

A word or two of warning: Geminis often have difficulty staying grounded in REAL LIFE. Don't get so strung out on your ASTRAL life that you neglect what you're doing here on Earth.

You are at the beginning of a long journey to learn where your power really lies. Try to be patient with this process and take your time.