How Does Tarot Work?

A Tool That Gets the Job Done

For centuries, the mysterious Tarot cards and their worth has been hotly debated. Believers swear by them, using them to answer burning questions and gain a glimpse of what the future holds. Skeptics scoff at the notion that mass manufactured playing cards with pretty pictures can tell us anything about our lives. Religious and superstitious folk shrink from the cards in fear that they are possessed by some demonic force that will inject evil into one's life. The truth is that Tarot cards hold no inherent power of their own, yet they are far more than a worthless parlor game.

The Tarot are not supernatural, all-powerful oracles, or guided by sentient, malevolent entities. Quite simply, they are a tool. Like any other tool, in the hands of someone skilled, they can be very useful, and perform the job for which they were created. When we gaze upon the cards, the symbols on them act on our subconscious minds, bringing forth buried thoughts, feelings and intuitions. The Tarot is a way of "plugging in" to that which Carl Jung referred to as the "collective unconscious." Psychologically speaking, the collective unconscious is a reservoir of human experiences embedded deep in the psyche.

The Tarot is a physical object used much in the same way to solve problems and gain insight as meditation or hypnosis. Having an external, physical object with a stimulating symbol on which to concentrate is simply easier for some than internal meditation.

Full House: The Cards of the Tarot

Although there are many variations of the Tarot, the traditional deck consists of 78 cards. 56 of these are divided into four suits that represent different influences: swords (intellect), wands (energy), cups (emotions), and pentacles (physical). The first card in each suit, known as the Ace, is the pure state of that particular influence, with each proceeding card progressing through the influences, up until the King card, which is the culmination of that influence.

The remaining 22 cards, known as trump cards, represent major themes in our lives, or archetypes. These are often more visually provoking than the suits, bringing us from the beginning of our journey (the Fool), through various states of being, challenges, and transitions, to the fulfillment (the World).

What a Spread: Reading the Tarot

With each card of the Tarot having a specific meaning, choosing one card to ponder a situation is a common practice. However, for more in depth information, skilled readers use what is known as a spread. This can be a combination of anywhere from 3 to 12 cards, in which each card's significance is considered within the context of it's placement.

Probably the most well-known and commonly used spread is the 10 card Celtic Cross spread. The cross part of this spread shows what is going on with the questioner's life. There are several different ways that readers may interpret this spread, with different meanings assigned to their placement. For instance, some readers read reversed cards as the opposite of their right-side up meaning, while others interpret it to mean the same thing as if it were right-side up, but to a lesser extent, or with less emphasis.

One example is that the cards in the "inner cross" that overlap each other represent the questioner at the present moment, and the biggest obstacle in his path. The 4 cards in the "outer cross" show surrounding events and influences. The card to the immediate left of the inner cross shows the near past, and to the immediate right shows the near future. The card at the top of the outer cross shows conscious thoughts, while the card at the bottom shows subconscious motives.

Next to the cross, we have the "staff," which moves on to what is happening externally and the anticipated and actual outcomes. The staff is read from the bottom up. The bottom card represents what the questioner is projecting outward. The next card up represents the influences of others on the questioner. The next card up shows the questioner's hopes or fears. The top card of the staff, and final card of the spread, represents the culmination, or the final outcome, of the entire reading.

A card's meaning is then interpreted based on where it falls in the spread. For example, if the Death card, which represents transitions, falls to the left of the cross, it means the questioner has gone through a major transition recently which set all events in motion. If it falls in the center of the inner cross, then the questioner is currently still going through a transition. If it falls at the top of the staff, then a transition will be the final result of all the events if they continue on the same course.

Final Caveat

A tool is only as good as the person wielding it. Tarot card readers are not infallible. Readings should be considered insight to consider, rather than destiny written in stone. If you have a reading done for you, take it under advisement rather than as a final word on your situation. If you are reading for others, read responsibly. Don't tell people that they are going to die or lose all their worldly possessions and that there is nothing they can do about it. The cards, and the readers, are not fool-proof, but they can be a useful and interesting way of examining your life.