Think you can guess which one’s the lie?
- Reading tarot is a great way to reflect on your life and your feelings.
- Tarot is inherently evil, and you’ll open up a Stranger Things-esque portal if you even look at a tarot card.
- Tarot can be a fun new part of your self-care routine and help you become more in touch with yourself and others.
I personally started reading tarot when I was younger because it was something I grew up seeing my family members do, and it’s something I see myself continuing to do forever. The act of sitting down and reflecting on my day while shuffling through beautiful cards is therapeutic to me. I’d take a glass of wine and a tarot reading over going to a club any day.
To some people, that decision would be more frowned upon than going to the grimiest club imaginable because of this taboo sense of stigma that still surrounds tarot, and all things witchy.
I sat down with my favorite tarot reader who’s local to the Tampa Bay area to discuss this very stigma. Arlene, (A.K.A Dark Angel Tarot), explains, “Tarot is an ancient art form of divination, a 78-chapter book of wisdom with interchangeable pages that tell the story of many. Tarot is a tool that calms my mind in a meditative way and working with tarot provides both myself and my clients insight on improving certain aspects of ourselves.”
She also has personal experience dealing with the stigma surrounding the cards, and when asked about the misconceptions surrounding tarot she laughed and responded, “I love this question because during my journey as a reader, I have come across many misconceptions of what tarot truly is. Many accuse it of being evil witchcraft or black magic, but these accusations all stem from fear and a lack of understanding as to what tarot truly is. It’s a premature judgment that is wrongfully passed. Light and dark exist in all life but it all comes down to choice. I choose to be a light for all and help guide those in need.”
I know I love to pull out one of my decks anytime I’m confused about a situation because it helps me take a step back and look at the issue from a new point of view. Journaling about my readings to further reflect on myself and how the cards could apply to me is something I look forward to and appreciate doing. As Arlene so beautifully put it, “Tarot is a fluid book of life that flows and shapes its understanding and explanation to the lives of all individuals open to exploring.”