Mystic wisdom and guidance have always fascinated me a little bit. I have never been very willing to indulge this pull, only going as far as having a few crystals in my room and checking my horoscope weekly. Maybe it was out of fear a little bit. If you are like me, well you’ve only seen the foreboding or goofy portrayals of this kind of guidance; where a woman (reminiscent of Phoebe from “Friends”) gives someone a vague premonition and they die that night or there’s some made for TV spin on it. But I also believe that everything happens for and with a reason, and sometimes we can’t find the answers on our own. So when a friend offered to give me a tarot card reading I said yes and decided to take my shot with this mystic guidance thing. I promise my experience was nowhere near the stereotypes. Instead, my reading confirmed what direction I should take for myself and my situation, and was a reassurance that I would be doing what’s best for me in the end.
Let’s start with the basics of a tarot card reading — the cards. In a deck, there are 78 cards, with 22 being the Major Arcana and the remaining 56 being the Minor Arcana. The Major Arcana look at the long-term and feature pictures of figures, each associated with an idea or concept (How Tarot Cards Work). Some cards in the Major Arcana are The High Priestess who represents the inner voice and The Sun which symbolizes celebration and fulfillment. The Minor Arcana has four suits: wands, swords, cups, and pentacles. Each suit has different associations and within each suit there are court and numbered (1-10) cards, going off of the core principles of the suit. Some cards in the Minor Arcana are the Five of Cups which stands for moving on and the Ace of Swords symbolizing breakthrough and clarity.
I did a three card pull, meaning my reader drew three cards from the entire stack, after a few shuffles. With a three card pull, there is usually a path, direction, or action suggested to be taken. I chose to have the drawing be for myself, relationship, and potential partner. My card reader also asked my astrological sign and the sign of the other person I was drawing for. To start the reading off, my friend burned some incense and set out a few crystals. They had me trace a circle around myself with the incense and honestly, it was cleansing. The witchy vibe they set up was calming and if it hadn’t been that way, I don’t think the reading would have been as impactful.
I won’t share what the cards I pulled were or how they applied to me, readings should be a private experience that you do for yourself. But they did tell me what I’ve been too hesitant to act on and it struck me differently than input from friends that I’ve gotten over the issue. Tara Greene wrote in an article on tarot cards for Fashion magazine, “The choice of a card is exactly what your higher self already knows. This is what tarot occultists call the conversation with your higher self. The cards always work. It’s not magic—tarot cards are a sacred mirror” (Introduction to Tarot Cards: Breaking Down the Meaning of Each Symbol). It might seem silly or lofty, but my reading felt like something my future or other self was telling me. When you ask the cards, you are really asking yourself.
The conclusions I drew came from a place within that was given a moment to speak through those three cards. And it only made my conclusion stronger when it was coming from me, and only me. Of course, having the reading done by a friend in an environment where I was comfortable also positively influenced my experience and I probably will never have a reading done in a more professional setting. For me, having a one-on-one, casual reading with a friend gave me enough insight while remaining a fun experience. If you are ever stuck on a decision and looking for a bit of guidance, I say give it a try.
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