SynTAROTis

Sceptic readings and divination: what is the difference?

What is the difference between reading tarot cards for divination, and reading the sceptic’s way?

Let’s look at the similarities first.

Similarities

The same techniques are used to read a divinatory spread and a reflective (sceptic's) spread.

Both divinatory readings and sceptic readings are reflections about:

• solving problems,
• gaining insight and understanding into a situation, and
• exploring and understanding yourself.

Both follow the same process: asking a question, choosing a spread, shuffling the cards, and drawing cards to lay them out in a spread.

Both ways of reading use intuition to link the cards to each other and to the situation.

In both, the interpretation of a card can be based on traditional or book meanings, or on the intuitive understanding of how a card can be interpreted in a particular set of circumstances.

In both cases, the reading can involve a querent who—ideally—is guided to interpret the cards. It is also common for the reader to do the reading for her/himself as introspection.

And finally, both types of reading seek meaning in seemingly arbitrary, meaningless events.

The differences

A divinatory reading seeks to uncover 'the truth' of what happened, what is, and what could be. Reading the cards the sceptic's way is to reflect on a problem, with the aims to thoroughly understand the situation and to come up with a solution.

The main difference lies in the assumption of where the answers come from. In a divinatory reading, the belief is that there is more involved than that just the reader and the cards. At least one other influence is assumed: a mystical or magical influence that can be some form of higher power, a guide, synchronicity, the deep unconscious, or extrasensory perception. Together with the reader’s own knowledge and intuition, these influences provide the interpretation of the cards. These interpretations—depending on the reader’s skill in accessing them—form the basis of a divinatory reading. In the sceptic’s way, the answers are expected to come from the mind. We project our concerns on the cards, which  act as stimulants for us to reflect on the problem. It is also the mind and imagination that produce solutions.

We have more wisdom and answers than we realize. The mind contains an unimaginable pool of knowledge and potential, which enables it to discern patterns, combine pieces of information to form new ideas, and make insightful connections (the “A-ha!” experience).

In a sceptic's reading the cards prompt us to think about our problem in an active, structured way. We make connections between the cards and our memories, thoughts, ideas, emotions, knowledge, and observations. To these we add logic and reasoning and, most importantly, imagination, to explore the problem.

Our thoughts easily get stuck in a rut. If we have a problem, our mind tends to go over and over the details of the problem, seeking solutions. Since we tend to mull over what is already known, it can be difficult to step back and see the problem from a distance. A divinatory reading is a search for the truth from and beyond circumstances. In a sceptic's reading, the cards prompt the reader to approach the problem from different, fresh, angles. That is: through the lens of the cards.

A reflective reading serves a different purpose from a divinatory one. Whereas the divinatory reading attempts to access knowledge not immediately visible (hidden knowledge, in other words), and in such a way come up with a solution, a reflective reading ‘puts all cards on the table’ (pun intended! All the known facts should be put on the table.) and then try to find solutions by 1) looking at the problem differently (through the lens of the cards), 2) thinking up solutions, stimulated by the stirring images on the cards, and 3) distracting ourselves as our thinking is jolted to go in a different direction from before.

Another difference is that in a divinatory reading, a card generally has one particular meaning or cluster of meanings. In a sceptic’s reading, a card can have many, even contradictory, meanings in the same spread. All possible interpretations of a card contain information that we can use.

In a divinatory reading,the discussion or reflection stays with whatever meaning can be derived from the card in a particular position in the spread. In a reflective reading, any thoughts that come up may be used for reflection, whether they are related to the cards or not. In general, the sceptic reader takes all the thoughts that come up in relation to a card, and ask him/herself:

• Is this true?
• What if it were true?
• If it is not true, what is the truth?
• Do I want this to be true? If not, what do I want?

However, the cards are there to serve as stimuli, not as 'the truth,' which means that any thoughts are useful.

In a divinatory reading, the belief is commonly that each card drawn is chosen with the guidance of a higher power, synchronicity, or deep unconscious forces. For a sceptic, the cards are assumed to be random stimuli for the imagination.

The Versatile Blogger Award

A BIG thank you to Raelyn Barclay for the Versatile Blogger Award! Raelyn’s own blog has become one of my favourite blogs about writing. If her posts are anything to go by, her book-in-progress will be a must-read. She has also been blogging about using Tarot cards for brainstorming, plotting and characterization. Right up my SynTAROTis alley!

According to the rules of the Versatile Blogger Award, I have to 1) share seven random facts about myself and 2) nominate five bloggers for the Award. Let’s start with my five nominees, shall we? The rules of the award are:

1. Thank and link to the person who nominated you.
2. Share seven random facts about yourself.
3. Pass the award along to 5 newfound blogging buddies.
4. Contact the winners to congratulate them.

I now pass these responsibilities to:

• KeriLynn Engel from The Spiritual Skeptic. Keri writes about spiritual topics (including the Tarot) from a sceptical perspective. You might want to check out 5 Tarot Card Myths and 12 Creative Uses for Tarot Cards, as well as her guest post on SynTAROTis, A Skeptic's Tarot Journey: Full Circle. Keri’s posts are well-written and perceptive, and if you think spirituality is a strange topic for a sceptic, Keri will change your mind!
• little red is a gorgeous blog that I have only recently discovered. Take a look at the lovely homepage, then dip into any or all of the posts. They are beautiful, thoughtful and thought-provoking.
• Lisa Kilian’s What Not to Do as a Writer has won this award before, but such a funny and inspiring blog deserves to win the award a second time.
• The Skeptic in the Room is a new blog by Eddie Scott. Eddie not only writes about scepticism, he sings about it! Listen to “The Skeptic in the Room” (From the chorus: It’s always such a drag to be the skeptic in the room / I state my case and watch the room grow silent as a tomb / ‘Cause I’m the one who always says “How’s that supposed to work?” / Which makes me end up sounding like an overbearing jerk).
• If “versatile” refers to various fields of endeavour, I must include my husband in this list. His latest blog discusses his (recent) interest in low-fat cooking, but he also gives tips to single ladies or women with DIY-challenged husbands/boyfriends at All the single ladies, blogs about his professional expertise in experiential or work-integrated learning at Learning in vivo and his research expertise at Qualitative inquiry growth, expresses his pro-feminist views at Pro-Egalitarian, gives advice to people living in sectional title housing in South Africa at Sectional Title Living, and counsels the domestically challenged (like his wife!) at Suddenly domestically challenged.

Seven facts about myself … hmm.

1. I live in Johannesburg, South Africa, possibly the most exciting place to be in terms of racial integration. We have our ups and downs, but on the whole, I am very proud of what we have achieved since 1994.
2. I’m writing a book about integrating creative thinking—new ideas, problem solving—with Tarot. I approach Tarot with a sceptic mind—in other words, I don’t believe the cards can tell the future, but I do believe they can be a tool in uncovering the answers within us, and stimulate the imagination.
3. Talking about imagination—I am fascinated by how people use their imagination to come up with gadgets, gimmicks, business ideas, systems, and plots for novels. My current favourite authors with HUGE imaginations are Terry Pratchett, Bernice Rubens, Philip K Dick, Ruth Rendell / Barbara Vine, Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett … oh, have I mentioned him already? :-)
4. About my own imagination: I have a soap opera in my head. Since I can remember, I have had stories in my head about a core group of people, set in a kind-of alternate history. Ye-e-e-ears ago they were all kings and queens and princesses; now they’ve morphed into rock stars and kick-ass lawyers. There’s still a king around, though.
5. I’ve been married for almost fifteen years (come November) to a supportive, interesting, versatile (see above) man who can (thank goodness!) cook. Which leads me to point …
6. Suddenly domestically challenged was inspired by yours truly. I am exceptionally ungifted in domestic matters. I can’t bake, cook, sew, or knit, and any kind of housework bores me to death. I have a chronic blindness to dust and disorder. Fortunately we have a lovely lady who takes care of most of the above!
7. I have not always been a sceptic. Like Fox Mulder, I wanted to believe. Then doubt struck. Questions arose. Woolly thinking became irritating. Know-it-alls with no facts to back up their pronouncements drove me up the wall. I began to notice hypocrisy, contradictions, and certainty now seemed closer to dogmatism. I have survived the anger, hurt and fear that comes with doubt, and have now come to acceptance and tolerance and … um … a tendency to be a know-it-all (but at least I try to gather all the facts, ma’am!)

A Skeptic's Tarot Journey: Full Circle

Thank you to guest blogger KeriLynn Engel from The Spiritual Skeptic!

I don’t remember when I first learned about tarot cards--it feels like I’ve always been fascinated by them. My escapism growing up was magic and fantasy. I devoured sword & sorcery novels from the library and imagined a world full of stoic elves, powerful wizards, and magic spells at my fingertips. Tarot cards were real magic on earth, every card full of the secrets of my soul and my future, if I only learned to read them.

As a teenager, I found an easy answer to my life’s questions in the fundamental Christianity I was reintroduced to by a friend. There were no mysteries any longer; any question I had was easily answered by consulting God’s book or seeking an expert to interpret it for me. And the Bible was very clear on tarot cards: “Let no one be found among you who...practices divination or sorcery, [or] interprets omens” (Deuteronomy 18:10). 

When I finally began learning to not see the world in black & white, and became disillusioned with Christianity, I went through a period of experimenting with different faiths. It took me a few years, but I finally realized that I could believe in nothing without evidence. I finally feel at peace as a skeptic and an atheist.

It’s difficult to recover from a lifetime of indoctrination, and I’m still learning to let go of the guilt I was trained to feel at so many innocent activities. Slowly, I’ve been reclaiming the pieces of myself that I was taught were evil and wrong, including my love of tarot cards. I can’t bring myself to believe without strong evidence that the cards have any power to reveal truths or give me guidance, but I still find value in them.

I am an atheist, but I consider myself to be a spiritual atheist:

“Practically, we might see a spiritual atheist as highly empathic, aware of his or her connection to others, concerned with equality and social justice, regularly awed by the beauty of nature, etc. [...] They are about the journey and find great pleasure in learning, debate, and self-exploration.”

I’ve always been very curious and self-analytical, and I’ve found tarot cards to be a great tool in exploring my subconscious and sparking my creativity.

I use tarot cards in many different ways, including meditation aids and as brainstorming tools for writing. Even though I don’t believe that tarot cards hold any supernatural power to tell the future or give magical insight, I still do traditional tarot readings as well. Some might find that strange or even contradictory, but I believe tarot card readings can have several benefits even for skeptics and nonbelievers.

Stress Relief

The simple act of taking my tarot cards out of their bag and getting ready for a reading is a stress-reliever. A reading requires a quiet atmosphere free of distraction and conducive to contemplation. Schedule a time for yourself when you can be alone. Light a few candles. Enjoy the silence, or play some light classical music (I like Bach’s cello sonatas, or Hindustani classical music.

Introspection

Taking time aside for peace and self-introspection is important for anyone who wants to develop and grow as a person. As a spiritual atheist, this is an important part of my life, and tarot card readings are a perfect tool for self-exploration.

When you draw a card, think about how it applies to your life your patterns of thinking. Explore how you feel about the person the card might represent. Does the card suggest an issue or a fault that you can work on in yourself? Or a way that you can help another person in your life?

Problem-Solving

While tarot cards don’t hold a magical answer to my problems, they can jump-start my mind into thinking in new directions.

The next time you’re stuck in a dead end in your life, try doing a tarot card reading and see what the cards suggest to you.

 Keep in mind when you do a reading that you don’t have to follow anyone’s rules. You can study the cards in a traditional manner and learn their meanings if you’d like—or you can consult a booklet as you read them, or make up your own meanings. A single card can represent a feeling, a place, a person, an action, or any number of things. Do whatever is the most comfortable and most useful for you.

Try starting with a simple three-card spread, or a very traditional Celtic Cross spread.

It might feel strange at first, but the more you use the cards, the more intuitive and natural it will feel.

Tarot cards may not hold the secrets of my future as I imagined when I was younger. I may not be able to cast spells with them or learn the secrets of another.

Even though I’ve grown beyond those dreams, tarot cards can still have a place in my life as tools to learn more about myself and spark my creativity.

About the Author: KeriLynn Engel is a freelance writer & web designer who blogs at The Spiritual Skeptic about metaphysical and paranormal phenomena from a positive atheist viewpoint.

The sceptic’s way: Part 3

There have been many attempts to discredit or "explain away" divination and the use of Tarot cards. In the literature, non-paranormal or sceptic beliefs around Tarot cards and Tarot reading mostly involve the Barnum effect or cold reading.

This blog is not about "exposing" Tarot readings as fraudulent and Tarot readers as fakes. It takes a sceptic stance toward divination, but does not dismiss it as an attempt to deceive a client.

The Barnum effect, also known as the Forer effect, was identified in the 1940s when a psychologist, Bertram R Forer, gave his students a personality test to complete. He asked them to rate the results of the test, indicating how poorly or how well the resulting description fit them. On a scale of 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent), the average score was 4.26. Only afterward did Forer reveal that all the students had received exactly the same personality description. Forer had assembled a vague, generic description by borrowing from horoscopes.

The Forer or Barnum effect demonstrates that people can take vague, general statements and apply them to their unique circumstances. The effect is also known as the Barnum effect after an American entertainer who used it in his shows. This phenomenon is widely believed to explain the perceived accuracy of horoscopes and some personality tests.*

Closely related to the Barnum effect is a cognitive bias known as subjective validation. Subjective validation happens when someone believes in a statement, such as a personality description based on a horoscope, because they have a personal stake in the validity of the statement. Someone who believes strongly in the accuracy of astrology might focus on what is correct and disregard any inaccurate information simply because he or she wants to believe.

Cold reading is used to explain how a Tarot reader can accurately describe so much about the querent and the client's life, without recourse to psychic or supernatural help. Cold reading is the ability to infer information from subtle clues in a person's appearance, tone of voice and body language. Cold reading also involves querying the client ("fishing for information") to use later in the reading, when the client has likely forgotten that the information had already been volunteered.

A good 'cold reader' will be familiar with statistics and demographic information that can lead to educated guesses about the client. If the client is a woman in her forties, for example, statistics on marriage and divorce may make it likely that she has been divorced at least once. Vague statements on failed relationships and marriage may lead to more clues to the client's life. If a 'cold reader' knows the most common causes of death in the area, a guess that someone close to the client had died in such a way may make a fraud seem genuinely psychic.

When the Barnum effect and cold reading are mentioned in relation to Tarot cards, the assumption is usually that a reader uses these phenomena to fraudulently claim psychic abilities. Many sceptics assume that a Tarot reading is "nothing more than" cold reading—sharp observation skills and a good memory—and the application of the Barnum effect. At the same time, the client is assumed to be gullible and prone to self-delusion.

This blog is not about "exposing" Tarot readers as fraudulent or deriding their clients. My use of the cards for creative thinking does not rely on divination, but neither do I believe that all Tarot readings are fraudulent, or that, even if a reading can be "explained," it does not have enormous potential for healing. I also contend that cold reading is a technique routinely applied—consciously or unconsciously—by therapists and counsellors in a variety of settings, with no intent to claim supernatural powers. An empathetic and observant Tarot reader might be good at cold reading and a querent eager to accept the information given, but this does not mean that these factors can explain away the "magic" that does happen during a skilful reading.

Divination, creative problem solving, and critical reflection are different ways to approach a problem, all with their advantages and drawbacks. The techniques described in this blog do not involve divination for two reasons: I am not convinced that divination "works," and there are already excellent books and blogs that focus on using the cards for divination.

___________________________

* The original study is described in Forer, B.R. (1949). The fallacy of personal validation: A classroom demonstration of gullibility. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology. Vol. 44. pp. 118-123.

Related articles

• The sceptic's way: Part 1
• The sceptic's way: Part 2

The sceptic’s way: Part 2

In divination, the cards are believed to reflect a moment in the querent's life. If this moment can be seen in all its aspects—what is conscious and what is unconscious, what is apparent and what is hidden—the querent gains the insight necessary to move forward. This moment, according to Itai Ivtzan*, also contains the potential and opportunities in the situation, as well as influences from the past.

The sceptic's way to capture this moment draws on inner resources, rather than a higher wisdom. As much as a divinatory spread can reflect patterns and influences, the contemplation of the cards for creative thinking can reveal much information by reflecting our thoughts, impressions, and motivations, and making us aware of what lurks in the "unaware."

When reading the cards for creative thinking, the interpretation of a Tarot spread is the culmination of what we project onto the cards. Projection does not include only the hidden, repressed parts of our psyche, but also our conscious processes, both what we know and acknowledge, and motivations, desires and attitudes that we might not want to acknowledge. In other words, the cards can reflect both hidden and conscious information, information that we need when approaching a complex problem. In this way, the cards can reveal a snapshot in time that comprises our own perspectives, attitudes, beliefs and emotions, both conscious and unconscious.

The "moment" will also encapsulate alternatives, potentials and opportunities in the situation, as well as its possible consequences. Unwarranted assumptions and faulty beliefs about the situation and people involved may also be part of the moment; when they are exposed and corrected, they may throw a different light on the problem.

Of course, such a reading demands the most honest and unbiased interpretation possible, the willingness to consider all thoughts that arise in the contemplation of a spread.

Existing information—whether conscious, preconscious or unconscious—must be complemented by new information if we are to learn from and grow through our experiences. New information will comprise the understanding and insight gained from reflection, the lessons learned, and the meaning derived from the experience.

A different category of new information is the ideas generated by solving the problem. Many creativity teachers believe that new ideas are formed by combining two or more existing concepts, objects, or ideas. The combination can consist of concepts from more than one field—the way Gutenberg combined a grape press and a coin punch to invent the printing press. Another possibility is that pieces of knowledge held in memory may come together to give rise to an innovative idea. Several creativity techniques use a randomly generated word or object which, when combined with the problem at hand, can lead to ideas.

Whatever the form of combination, the principle is that two or more pieces of existing information combine to create something new. Whereas in divination new information is believed to come from a higher power, in creative thinking the new information arises from reflection, imagination, and the combination of concepts.

___________________

*Itai Ivtzan, Tarot cards: A literature review and evaluation of psychic versus psychological explanations, The Journal of Parapsychology, vol. 71. 2007. 139-149.

Related articles

• The sceptic's way: Part 1 (www.psychsoma.co.za)

The sceptic’s way: Part 1

I love Tarot cards. I love their rich symbolism, their colours, their mysterious images, and the way they stimulate and challenge the imagination. The only problem is, as a sceptic, I do not believe in divination.

A sceptic is someone who questions beliefs that cannot be proved; divination is one of these. Few studies have been done on divination, and most of these concentrated on cultural and anthropological research, not on whether or how divination "works" or not. For many, divination is a valid way to gain knowledge. I have no quarrel with this. My experience is that the cards sometimes reveal a remarkably accurate picture of what is going on; at other times, there seems to be no connection between the cards and my situation. Since neither scientific studies nor my own experience presents sufficient evidence, I use the cards for something that I know works—solving problems through creative thinking.

There are two ways to use Tarot cards for creative problem solving.

1. Creativity teachers such as Alex Osborn, Edward de Bono, and Michael Michalko have devised many techniques to help you come up with ideas and solve complex problems. Lateral thinking and brainstorming are two of these techniques. Most of these techniques involve idea generation. Some of these techniques, such as attribute listing, can be modified to use with Tarot cards.
2. Although Tarot readings are usually associated with divination, the techniques of reading the cards can be used for creative thinking, in a way that does not involve the supernatural or psychic senses.

There is some overlap between reading the cards for divination, and using the cards for creative problem solving. The types of problems that require creative thinking—relationship problems, career questions, complex decisions—are the ones for which people often consult the cards, or other divinatory tools. The aims are the same: insight and understanding that can lead to solutions. Although the focus, intention, and underlying assumptions will differ, a Tarot reading for creative problem solving and one for divination will seem similar.

The one missing ingredient in most Tarot readings is idea generation. A divinatory reading may include "solution" cards, but these usually provide one answer or one way forward. This makes sense in a divinatory context, where the reader consults a higher or wiser power for an answer. A cornerstone of creative thinking, however, is to come up with as many ideas as possible, then to evaluate them as possible solutions. The assumption is that a complex problem can have more than one solution; the goal of a creative thinking exercise is to choose the answer that will be the most effective.

If not from a higher or supernatural source, where else could the solutions to our problems come from?

We have the answers to our problems much more often than we realise. We have more knowledge, wisdom, insight, and understanding than we give ourselves credit for. So much of what we know, however, is hidden from our day-to-day awareness.

Creative thinking taps into inner resources—the creative abilities of the mind, experience, and knowledge that we are not consciously aware of. Where divination strives to uncover what is not (yet) known, the sceptic's way is to assume that much is already known, but hidden.

Psychologists tell us that we can keep only seven to nine pieces of knowledge in our working memory at a given time. At any particular moment, we are aware only of what we need right now. We cannot remember or pay attention to all we have learned or experienced, which means that much valuable information hides in the so-called "unaware" or in the unconscious. This does not mean, however, that the knowledge is not available.

One form of knowledge that is difficult to access is tacit knowledge. Tacit knowledge is "knowing without knowing that you know." It is bound up in experiences and memories. It includes the ability to speak a language or drive a car—knowledge we have gained through experience but do not consciously draw on.

Tacit knowledge often accounts for a sudden burst of understanding and insight, when what you know combines with a new experience or event. A skilled doctor, for example, does not consciously go through her vast store of medical knowledge to make a diagnosis every time she sees a patient with a cold. She simply "knows" how to treat the patient. The only time she will question her instinctive knowledge is when the treatment does not work. Although her diagnosis may seem instantaneous and automatic, behind the scenes her brain has sifted through her knowledge and experiences, presenting the closest match it finds to her conscious awareness.

A different form of knowledge lies in the "unaware," or what Freud called the preconscious. The preconscious contains information that we can easily recall, i.e. the information has not been repressed into the unconscious mind. A doctor's experience and medical knowledge would, for example, be preconscious knowledge. If her patient does not get better, she will have to discard her first, intuitive, diagnosis, and tap into her medical knowledge and experience to diagnose the patient. These memories—of what she has learned through study and practical experience—lie in the preconscious. She does not consciously hold these in the forefront of her mind until she needs the information.

Preconscious knowledge is not always easy to recall; much of what we know and many of our memories need some digging to unearth, but in the right context and with suitable reminders, we can access them.

Whereas preconscious knowledge can be recalled at will, unconscious knowledge is difficult to access. The unconscious mind is said to contain memories that we find to traumatic to consciously recall. It is also the seat of drives, motivations, wishes, and fears that we find unacceptable or threatening and are repressed "out of mind."

All three forms of knowledge can be tapped, although with varying degrees of difficulty. Unconscious knowledge may require the help of a therapist, as the experience can be daunting. Delving into these forms of knowledge can be done through exploration, introspection, and creative reflection—activities that are greatly enhanced with the use of Tarot cards.

Related articles

• Attribute listing with Tarot cards (www.psychsoma.co.za)

Why would a sceptic use Tarot cards?

Tarot cards are one of the most valuable tools for gaining insight into your own and another's thoughts, beliefs, values and attitudes. They can help you make up your mind, foresee problems, fix relationships, and explore your own inner world. The cards can spark ideas to help you solve problems; delve into your own values, attitudes, and beliefs; and change aspects of yourself that you do not like. Studying the cards can help you make decisions, discover alternatives, explore possible outcomes, and resolve the next step to take.

From a sceptic's point of view, none of these things need involve any power or force other than the mind of the person who is looking at the cards, but even a sceptic is not surprised that those who believe in psychic powers praise Tarot cards as an extremely effective vehicle to tap into the powers of intuition. The “answers” that a reader or querent (someone who requests a Tarot reading) can discover by using the cards can be extremely startling in their aptness or insight into a situation.

My personal belief is that we all have more answers to our own problems than we know; the problem is how to uncover the wisdom and insight buried in our memories of past experiences and reflections. In this endeavour, Tarot cards can be an invaluable instrument.

How does the Tarot work? A skeptic’s view

Image by Elena Rego via Flickr

Having looked at what most Tarotists believe about the Tarot, I will now inflict my own views on you :-) In the process I will also try to explain why the cards work so well for creative thinking.

Please note that, as a skeptic, I do not deny that any of the possibilities I mentioned in my previous post could be true. I am merely skeptic, not a complete atheist!

This is what I believe happens during a Tarot reading─one that you are doing for yourself, or where you have a great deal of input to give:

“Tarot is a great tool for digging around the cobwebbed parts of your subconscious. It can reveal your own assiness to yourself as well as remind you of dreams you've tucked in long forgotten drawers.”
Quote from 78 Notes to Self: A Tarot Journal

You have an issue, a concern, a problem, a situation or simply a desire to explore. You choose (or design) a spread that seems applicable, and if you have a choice, you select a deck to use. You shuffle the cards, turning some of them upside down while shuffling if you want to use reversals. You carefully lay them out in the pattern or layout that you have chosen.

What you now see in front of you is an arbitrary selection of cards, arranged in the pattern you have chosen. The “hidden” information that you will try to uncover from this spread concerns yourself only: your thoughts, attitudes, beliefs and values. These might be thoughts you have suppressed or denied, or have simply been ignoring because you have not had time to reflect on them. While you are studying the pattern of cards before you, their images will serve the purpose of focusing your thoughts and prodding your memory.

I am a Tarot skeptic

Image via Wikipedia

I am a Tarot skeptic. I am skeptic about the cards' ability to predict the future. I doubt the cards can “know” something about me or my life that I don't know myself. I am not even sure that “synchronicity” can somehow arrange for me to find exactly the right cards to depict a snapshot of my life at that very moment. I am not saying that these things do not happen, but I am a skeptic ....

Since this is a blog on using Tarot cards, what do I believe then?

I believe the cards can be used as a tool─and a very effective tool─to evoke responses, emotions and thoughts within yourself that are much more valuable than knowing what is going to happen in the future. I believe that the cards can spark ideas to help you solve problems; brainstorm ideas; explore your own values, attitudes and beliefs; mend rifts in a relationship; heal yourself; and change aspects of yourself that you do not like. There are various techniques for generating ideas and aiding creative thinking. Like other methods for inspiring thought, Tarot cards can suggest the next step to take, alternatives and options to explore, or ways to solve a problem or cope with it if it is insoluble.

I believe that we all have more answers to our own problems than we know; but we often have to delve a bit before we find them. Using the cards in the way I am going to show you, can help you focus your thoughts on any problem; and find the magic! It is not really magic, of course, but you may well find it so.

That said: this blog is for everyone who would like to expand their Tarot repertoire, believers and skeptics alike.

Happy journeying!