This post is dedicated to my mother, whose curiosity, love, and support have been with me all my life…

I felt radiant. I was telling my mom how I had just read tarot for a client and that the energy we shared was amazing! My positive mood was absolutely vibrant and she asked what I meant. My mom was not familiar with tarot, she didn’t even know I read cards but I felt so good that I decided this was the time to come out of the broom closet. I explained that I use card decks - such as oracle or tarot cards - as a divination tool to help people find clarity and self-reflect. And she asked:

“Is it like Tarot OR God?

Not at all. Tarot is a form of divination used to gain insight and understanding. Gods and Goddesses are deities that you believe in. Tarot and Oracle cards are used to understand people, situations, and outcomes. Many things have been used for divination purposes, rune stones, tea leaves, and twigs. One is a matter of faith, the other is a tool.

Surely we’ve all asked for a sign at one point or another. I know I have.

We all have a tendency to talk out into the abyss, maybe to a deity, or an ancestor, or the Universe. It’s completely natural for us to seek guidance and wisdom. We are never alone and have all the answers we seek inside of ourselves. However, the nature of the reality we live in clogs our intuition, and our sense of self, and much of the current paradigm tries to convince us that we are not intimately connected with every other being and aspect of life.

But let’s consider: Have you ever asked for a sign and not received an answer?

If you were raised in a Christian household you may be familiar with this saying:

I don’t know about you, but I believe the world works in mysterious ways, but before I go way off on a tangent, let's get back to tarot.

First - What is Divination?

As I said above, many of us question the Universe but how do we understand something that doesn’t speak?

Divination is a way to communicate with the Divine, Universe, Source, Great Intelligence, Great Spirit, or whatever you would like to call it. Some may see it as fortune-telling, a way to predict the future and relate it to occult practices, others may understand it as a way to connect to prophecy, to “see” the signs or omens, and connect with the supernatural.

Since many people are cut off from their intuition in today’s society their ability to “pick up” their spiritual telephone is dampened. As a society we don’t acknowledge the signs that are coming to us, ignoring the very answers that we are asking for or oblivious we’re even receiving an answer.

A problem echoed in the world as a society that doesn’t understand how to listen.

Misconceptions and what tarot is NOT

Some people think tarot is the work of the devil. Some people believe that only priests can communicate with God. Unlike hierarchical religions would have us believe, not only are we Divine ourselves but it is our Divine birthright to communicate with our Creator. You came from the Universe and you can never be separated from it. So let me be clear and state my belief, you may believe differently.

I believe that as divine creations we are all innately gifted with the ability to converse with our Creator(s) and that we may do so in whichever way feels most natural to us.

For me, tarot feels pretty natural and when it doesn’t I know it’s a sign to recenter. In my practice, I follow a druidic style of reading. In Druidry divination was practiced by Seers, and rather than telling the future, they asked questions to “see the hidden present”. Making connections between the here and now to understand the full situation beyond what the eye can see. Things bring me to what (I believe) tarot is not.

Tarot is NOT:

• Fortune telling
• Predicting the future
• An Instruction on what to do

This last one is super important. Yes, use divination to ask questions, gain clarity, and understand your situation BUT

You must make your own choices. You are responsible for you.

If you want someone else to make a decision for you I’ll do it right now, here’s your answer:

I bet you felt something instinctually. When someone tells us what to do our body responds. When we feel excitement and relief, that’s a yes, and if we feel unsure, anxious, or cringy, that’s a no. There’s your answer. Trust yourself. If you want to double-check, pull a card 😉

Check out my tarot reading offers here.