What is the point of a Tarot reading?

Well, isn't that a probing, fundamental question! But one worth asking, I think, as it's not always clear.

Within the spiritual community, many mystical, sometimes esoteric, practices abound: things like astrology, numerology, psychics, spirit guides, angels, crystals, chakras, yoga, reiki, palmistry, and many, many more it seems -- Tarot being one of them. Amongst all the jargon, sometimes beguiling turns of phrase, mysticism, overlap of practices, and many more things besides, it's very easy to get overwhelmed and wholly confused by the lot if you're not familiar with it -- and even if you are sometimes! And when there is confusion, you probably wouldn't decide to go ahead and take the plunge, and if you do, you might have misplaced expectations, which inevitably lead to disappointment.

I think a lot of this gets in the way of what is actually a very simple objective.

The Tarot is a tool -- a mystical one which draws upon and can be supported by any one or all of these other practices -- for the purpose of clarity, guidance, and advice. When you consult it with a topic or question in mind, it should help clear the fog, not contribute towards it!

An enormous part of this, we want to stress, is that the practice of Tarot should bestow you, as a client, with a sense of self-empowerment. Through the course of a Tarot reading, you should feel motivated to make the best outcome for yourself as you continue your personal journey -- with a sense of awareness and clarity about what is going on around you, where you can draw your strengths from, and, where possible, have in mind pragmatic strategies in order to do this. And the core message of any Tarot reading, I find, is often a very simple one.

In short: You should come away knowing you have power over yourself and your own destiny.

There is a temptation to think that because the practice is "mystical", it should be able to tap into the answers to all things unknowable. And, honestly, this is not always the case. Of course we might love to know our fortune, see into our future, know whether something will work out the way we want it or whether someone will be the one for me. And that desire comes from a very legitimate and vulnerable place: we want to be comforted, we want to know, we want to have a sense of control.

But if we base our decisions on these expectations of "what destiny has decreed for me" and see them as set in stone, we in fact surrender our personal power. We relinquish our ability to shape our own destinies. Somewhere along the line, we falter into a state of inaction. If something looks to turn out good, we probably decide we have done enough and then we slack off. If something looks to turn out bad, then we feel stymied and upset at the perceived inevitability of it. I have done this myself when I was a fledgling on the journey of learning Tarot. I would often attempt to consult the cards to see if something will turn out well. When it was good, I would be temporarily comforted and wait impatiently. Most of the time, it never came about the way I expected; I would be biased towards seeing a certain outcome. In short, I ended up disappointed. If, conversely, it was bad, I would find any reason to excuse it away: I probably didn't focus well enough on my question, or didn't shuffle the cards well enough. I didn't want to know and I therefore I wouldn't effect change to transform that possible outcome. Again, a sense of disappointment and malaise.

There is no fun in perceived powerlessness.

I am reminded of one of Edmund's rants against his father in Shakespeare's King Lear. In part, he says:

"This is the excellent foppery of the world, that when we are sick in fortune, often the surfeits of our own behaviour, we make guilty of our disasters the sun, the moon and stars..."

It is quite incisive, I think. When things thwart our expectations or turn out poorly, it is easy to blame our luck and fortune on the workings and powers of the "big unknowable things" rather than turning our attention to the one thing we can control: our own behaviour and our own responses and thought processes. This is not to say that there are influences out in this big world of ours and, indeed, within the smaller sphere of our own lives that have no impact in what we are able to do, but to grant these things overarching power is a mistake. We can choose how to act within any set of circumstances. We have a responsibility to ourselves to do this. I, therefore, believe that the Tarot can offer a glance through the window of what could be -- but only if we follow a certain course of action. It's a goal; something to strive for; something to become aware and mindful of; something, ultimately, to craft with our own actions and power.

And that is exactly what a Tarot reading should encourage. And what better representative for this than the Magician in the Major Arcana:

Here is the powerful and uplifting Magician. Card is from the Rider Waite Tarot; artwork by Pamela Colman Smith.

The Magician possesses the power to make magic happen in the world. How does he do this? He draws upon the energy available within himself, the world around him, and the myriad tools he possesses, in order to make his intentions manifest. That is the principle of magic, I think, in its simplest manner: the focused direction of thoughtful energy. Intention, action, manifestation.

We are all energetic beings in an energetic world. Therefore, we can direct our energies however we choose whatever your circumstances are. In a long process towards a vision of success? You can direct your energy to make this happen, making careful adjustments and managing your focus along the way. In a situation where your time, energy, and resources are limited? You have the choice to direct your energy towards acceptance, biding your time, doing things bit by bit, and cultivating the awareness to recognise opportunity when it appears. Experiencing a time where things no longer serve you or cause you distress? You have the choice to tap into the courage to let go, release, and start anew, and free up your energy to direct it towards bigger and better things. All of these things in a big way or a small way are actionable, which is vastly preferable to idling and surrendering to the whims of Fate! And all it takes, if you so choose, is a little Tarot insight to make you aware of this!

So, a Tarot reading may draw upon all sorts of disciplines and practices to make any client's individual message understandable, actionable, and exciting. With us at the Druid and the Dragon Tarot, we tell your stories through psychology, myth-telling, witchcraft, nature, magic, imagery, spiritual visitations, and whatever else feels blooms intuitively in the moment. Our aim is to bestow you with self-empowerment, practical guidance, and insightful advice. It should be approachable, fun, empathetic; perhaps soothing, perhaps motivational -- in whatever you are asking or directing your energy towards at the time of the consultation. All of these aspects turned towards serving the most important thing for yourself:

Become the master of your own destiny!

That, I think, is the point of a Tarot reading. :-)

Brightest blessings -- as always!