Originally posted 22nd September 2022
Today I’m talking about how I sometimes incorporate tarot cards in my healing work (though I also do straight tarot readings and I have a blog post about that).
What can a tarot reading do for you?
For me as a reader, tarot is a visual method of describing personalities or dynamics in a situation. It’s a useful way of getting guidance and insight about something in the present time, the past or even future possibilities. I use it for matters related to personal growth or mundane, everyday matters. (There are other ways to read cards, of course.)
In short, tarot can:
- reveal or highlight information
- help you clarify your thoughts and feelings – the cards' insight can help you to prioritise and calm down overthinking
Here are some examples where tarot used in a healing session can be especially helpful:
- Difficulties in any type of relationship (romantic, family, work, friendship). Tarot can help you understand where things are going wrong, and how best to interact with the other person/people going forward.
- Needing some direction with your spiritual and personal growth.
- Increasing your self-awareness by understanding your past/current behaviour and experiences
When should you NOT get a reading?
Balance is everything, so it's good to be informed about the pros and cons of readings. There are definitely some situations and topics where readings aren’t a good idea for ethical or practical reasons. There are too many to mention, but here are a couple of points to keep in mind.
- First and foremost, never feel pressured into getting a reading. Don't feel like you MUST do what a reader suggests. You ALWAYS have a choice - and there really is no such thing as a 100% accurate reader.
- If you’re the type of person who is prone to anxiety or overthinking, predictive (future-focused) readings are not a good idea - but you might be fine with readings around a current or past situation. The same goes for if you are highly suggestible or if you worry about creating a self-fulfilling prophecy.
How I combine tarot with energy healing kinesiology
Each card has multiple potential meanings and I often use the kinesiology muscle testing technique to confirm which card meaning is the most relevant in the client’s situation.
In healing work, the cards mainly help me to:
- get more detail around an incident or pattern
- get guidance for my client (such as: what is the client’s best next step in this situation? what can they do to heal? what is their biggest priority now?)
I usually need a bit of background from my client to interpret cards more accurately, but that’s par for the course in any reading or healing session. Then, while I am connected to your energy, I ask questions of the deck (just like I "ask your body", in the case of energy kinesiology).
Ultimately, I am to get my client useful information for healing and for moving forward. I sometimes add oracle cards as a prompt for homework or for inspiration. Adding cards to my healing sessions is a simple and powerful tool to bring it all together.
Image of the Radiant Rider Waite Smith tarot deck by US Games. Photograph by Alicia Maetzener.