I went through most of these themes independently in my student days so it has always been easy for me to see the symbolism in tarot cards. On some level, I feel like my intuition brought me back to tarot when I was ready to use the cards a learning and energy healing tool.
Tarot Has So Much To Say!
Along the way I have picked up a few decks as each creator has his or her take on the concepts for the 78 cards. Tarot is a visual tool and we learn a lot by looking at different illustrations; the look that resonates also depends on how we feel that day. My latest find is Shadowscapes Tarot by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law. It is full of fairies and nature spirits, not the least bit scary, but still accurate when it comes to conveying the meaning in the cards. Especially the sad ones, which are necessary for healing.
For example, the Tower shows a tall structure about to crumble on top of a village, destabilizing town life. And the Devil depicts a person caught in the prison of his mind and fears. But this deck doesn't drive people away - not that there is anything wrong with Rider Waite decks (I love those too). For some of us, gentle images are easier to digest until we understand the meaning of the superficially dark cards and can put them into context. Shadowscapes Tarot is fantastic for newbies and seasoned readers alike as it doesn't shy away from the deeper meanings.
Once we have gotten to know the cards and why difficult images are in the tarot, we can use those images to connect with our Shadow - a part of ourselves that needs to be embraced though often, we are reluctant to even look at it. The qualities that we would very much like to sweep under the rug stare back at us, and as we can be afraid of seeing them, the 'unhelpful' reaction is to panic and put the cards away, sometimes forever.
Healing Yourself With Tarot
If instead we view our emotional reactions as a sign that we still need to heal, this is where the magic happens. Not in the Harry Potter sense of the word, but in the transform your life and kick ass way. Shadowscapes Tarot is lovely because it lays the shadow out for us in a way that isn’t confrontational, giving us a chance to feel and heal that discomfort.
I like to heal my reaction to disconcerting cards by holding one in my hands and filling it with Energy Healing: picturing violet light as it flows through my mind, body and Aura, integrating whatever is in the card that I didn't want to look at. We don't have to force anything, just let that energy flow. Violet light is a mix of Peace (Blue) and Compassion (Pink). We can all practice Energy Healing - more on that below 😉
Another approach can be to visualize yourself in the cards that you pulled and ask your intuition to guide you through a healing meditation where you see yourself living those scenes, and coming across victorious. This is energy healing + imagining, so we can repeat the process as often as we'd like. If we get stuck, we can use automatic writing and journaling to explore the reasons why. Tarot was designed to help us tease out our intuition and subconscious.
Taking It Further
Another approach can be to visualize yourself in the cards that you pulled and ask your intuition to guide you through a healing meditation where you see yourself living those scenes, and coming across victorious. This is energy healing + imagining, so we can repeat the process as often as we'd like. If we get stuck, we can use automatic writing and journaling to explore the reasons why. Tarot was designed to help us tease out our intuition and subconscious.
Taking It Further
Chakra Healing & Magick walks us through the steps to awaken our intuition and unlock our healing abilities. The Tarot tools are sprinkled through the Chapters 3, 4 and 7 on creativity, chakras, and how tarot cards relate to crystals, magick and Aura healing.
Find a deck that you love and use it to heal yourself - there are many options. Please have a look at this video by Katy Perry! I love the song, and the video is full of symbolism from the Major Arcana.