Reading the darker side of Tarot
I’ve been reading Oracle and Tarot cards at metaphysical fairs and one of the fascinating trends I’ve observed has come in the form of people who get readings from me and ask me not to pull any punches with the reading. One recent customer shared with me that they didn’t want me to filter my reading for them in any way. I never filter my readings anyway and explained that to my customer but it got me to ask them a question in turn.
“Why do you think people filter their readings?”
“They probably don’t want to deliver bad news or share something that will make someone uncomfortable.”
I nodded and took that in and gave them their reading. I can’t really speak to the experiences that anyone else has around giving or receiving readings but in my own experience of giving readings I’ve always opted for trusting my intuition and telling the person what I’m actually getting about the situation. I trust that if anyone else have given me a reading they have done the same.
The exchange got me thinking about reading the darker side of Tarot and Oracle cards. In some cases you find that reading through reversals, but I actually think you can look at a given card in of itself and regardless of what the position is you can read it and look at all the angles.
For instance, if I look at the Hanged Man, the positive perspective I can take is that the Hanged Man represents presence, being still in the moment, and cultivating awareness. The shadow side of the Hanged Man could represent blockages and obstacles both internal and external. Both the shadow and the gold are present within any given kind of reading and yet it’s up to the reader and readee to determine what applies for a given situation. The way we read a situation matters because it tells what we can learn from that situation and the same applies to a Tarot/oracle reading.
Another example is the Tower card. Usually when this card comes up I see people shudder because they get worried that everything is going to come tumbling down. What I’ve come to realize about the Tower card is that it’s not telling you everything is falling apart. It’s telling you that everything which isn’t serving you is coming down so you are left with the foundations. While that can be a bit terrifying, I also think it can be a call for reinventing your life, and letting go of what and who isn’t actually showing up in a way that’s healthy for you in your life.
What we bring to a reading or a magical working is in part what informs the outcome. I never assume the meaning of any card. I look at the overall situation and consider the energy and presence of the person. Sometimes what the person needs is a reading that shakes everything and shows them a different angle on their lives. The most important skill you can cultivate in divination is learning to look beyond the surface meanings of a card, so you can read into the card and how it relates to the overall experience.
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