Tarot Cards, Medicine Men and Mad Libs

Contributor: Kyle Smeby

Mention tarot cards and most people envision the grim reaper on the Death Card being revealed by the gnarled fingers of a gypsy crone wearing brightly colored veils. The card lies next to a crystal ball in a dark room lit by candles and fogged with incense behind a beaded curtain with astrological charts and zodiac signs on the walls.

My introduction to tarot cards, however, was a little less mysterious. In college a friend of mine used to give tarot card readings in his dorm room. He was a Native-American Studies major and had a large collection of unusual hobbies, but this one intrigued me the most (possibly because of the number of cute girls that came to visit him to get their fortunes told). When I asked him about it he offered to teach me how to read tarot cards myself.

I was apprehensive at first because I had heard a few creepy stories about Ouija boards and this seemed like pretty much the same thing. My friend didn't see any connection. The way he saw it, people who use Ouija boards were attempting to invite an unidentified supernatural force into their life to answer questions however it saw fit (whether this actually happens or not I'll leave to the reader). With tarot cards the person that wants a reading (called "The Querent" in tarot circles) is actually asking the tarot card reader to tell them a story that they can apply to their own life to help them make decisions. He believed tarot cards are really a story telling system packed full of enough imagery and variables that allow a skilled tarot card reader to create a nearly infinite number of simple stories, or parables, that can help give people clarity in their own thought process. In other words, no magic and no psychic powers are necessary.

What's surprising is how many tarot card readers wouldn't dispute this description. It's unfortunate that the Hollywood stereotype has made the reality so unappealing by comparison. This stereotype has caused many to believe that if the cards are just a story telling device, and not chock-full of all-knowing supernatural magic, than the whole thing must be a rip-off. These people have grossly underestimated the power of stories.

When looking at most native cultures the names we give their spiritual leaders are often synonymous with the title of storyteller. Yet few people are struck with awe and reverence when they think of the word "story." Most people think of children's fairy tales. Yet when people put their faith and energy into a story there are few things in this world more powerful. All priests, rabbis, clerics and lamas are storytellers. Their stories are just backed by the faith of millions of people. Furthermore the entirety of human history is carved from stories. Stories that lead to ideals that are disbelieved and discarded by some, while cherished and violently defended by others.

If simple stories have the power to shape the world, they certainly have the power to guide you through life's challenges. I believe looking at tarot readings as stories that you interpret to help guide your choices is a far more powerful way to view them than as messages from some unseen power that knows better than you. Without interpretation by the person seeking the reading tarot becomes a means for individuals to avoid thinking for themselves, and shirk personal responsibility.

So how does a tarot reading work?

Each tarot card is placed in a specific position within a larger pattern called a spread. The most common spread is the Celtic Cross (pictured below). Each position of the pattern is a gap in the story, the card fills that gap with its meaning which you try to find a parallel to in the querent's life to continue the story.

The Celtic Cross spread represents a story that goes roughly like this^†:

You find yourself preoccupied with [Position 1]
as it relates to [Position 2].
You arrived here from [Position 3]
when you learned [Position 4].
Your destination is [Position 5].
[Position 6] will lead you there.
The [Position 7] aspect of yourself
is being affected by [Position 8].
Your hopes and your fears are tied to [Position 9].
And [Position 10] will temper all of these things.

After placing your cards the story gains meaning but there are still enough variables that no two tarot readers will tell the same story. You also need a subject to create a story that reads better than a disjointed limerick. For example we'll use this example from a recent reading I did. The generic story goes like this.

You find yourself [in a good place right now, Position 1]
[surrounded by people you care about, Position 2].
You arrived here [after some troubled thoughts, Position 3]

when you learned [to accept your reality, Position 4].
Your destination is [becoming a decision maker (although in a diminished capacity), Position 5].
[Patience and intuition, Position 6] will lead you there.
The [go-getter, Position 7] aspect of yourself
is being affected by [doubt, Position 8].
Your hopes and your fears are tied to [your responsibility, Position 9].
And [your work ethic, Position 10] will temper all of these things.

In addition to this the high number of upside-down cards (referred to as reversed) tells me this reading is about something being blocked or something standing in the subject's way.

While that could be considered a tarot card reading it certainly isn't the most compelling story. While I could pad it out a lot more with stories from the cards and a lot of conjecture this is where the bulk of the work in tarot card reading comes from--helping the querent match this simple story to their life to construct a story that is meaningful to them.

I generally do this by asking the querent if they have any specific questions they are looking for answers to. If so, then look for the cards in the position that would best fit that question. If not, or if they don't want to tell you, look for the part of the story that is the most difficult to interpret. In the example given, I thought Position 3 looked strange. To get to a good place, in the present, from a bad place, in the past, sounds like a story and that's just what I'm looking for.

So I point to the 9 of swords and I say, "It looks like you had some troubling thoughts in your past. Any idea what that might be talking about?"

Looking at the cards some more I might mix in something from Position 10.

"Some problem at work?" I ask.

It turns out there was a problem at work. A difficult project that she wanted cancelled but it went ahead anyway and it upset her a great deal.

A couple more leading questions about the meaning and positions of the cards and the story fell into place.

A difficult project at work moved forward after you had recommended against it upsetting you a great deal [Position 3]. After accepting the reality of the situation you put your feelings about it aside and began moving ahead [Position 4]. Right now you're enjoying the early stages of the project, pulling together and preparing your team [Position 1]. You are enjoying the support of those people in your personal and professional life [Position 2]. But the actual start of the project is coming and you may not be able to make some of the decisions that will need to be made [Position 5]. You're not sure your patience and intuition will be enough to see you through this time [Position 6]. You're having a difficult time taking appropriate action [Position 7] due to lingering doubts about the project [Position 8]. You fear the authority you wanted has been undermined while you still need to bear responsibility for the project [Position 9]. In the end it will come down to your ability to trust and work with your team [Position 10].

Once the story meets with the approval of the querent you can start recapping and fine-tuning. What should be done about these fears and doubts? Ask them to think of ways they can reverse the upside down cards that they would like to be right side up. Position 10 is a no-brainer telling the querent to work with their team and along with position 9 is telling her not to try to shoulder the entire burden herself. That should also alleviate the upside down King of Swords and Ace of Wands, positions 5 and 7 respectively, along with trusting her instincts and being patient like the High Priestess. As for any lingering doubts about the project, position 8, they need to be left in the past with the 9 of swords at position 3.

So why would I want a tarot card reading?

If all I've told the person is to play nice with others and trust their instincts then what point is there in doing this? It didn't really give them any revolutionary answers.

What it did do was allow them to externalize their inner conflicts and help them to look at them with less interference from their internal prejudices. The merit of a tarot card reading usually comes from forcing us to think through things we may try to avoid if left to our own devices or accept answers that we know are right but want to avoid for any number of reasons.

Tarot cards aren't supposed to give you the answers; they are a guide to help you find them for yourself.

† There is some dispute over the proper order of the 3, 4, 5 and 6 cards