Ritual Use of Tarot Cards in the Modern Day

It took almost 200 years for Tarot cards and divine readings to be popularized globally and it created a divide in society that we can still see to this day. The devil, the occult, phony fortune tellers, gambling, and major life decisions were all weighing heavily on these small and tangible sets of cards. Although there is so much negativity surrounding Tarot cards, the intent is to use the cards as a way to interpret what is going on in your life and how the cards relate to you. They should be best imagined as a tool, not as a magic 8 ball or a way to look into the future. You have to be willing to pick up the cards, center yourself, clear your mind, and try to figure out what the cards are showing you. In an interesting way, you are being shown your life from a different view if you’re willing to see it. For example, let’s say you go to a tarot card reading and you get 5 cards presented to you, traditionally it leans more towards a “take what applies to you” reading instead of “every card means something to you” reading. To start a reading, there is a deck, a card reader, and the recipient. That is a reading in its simplest form, but some practitioners light a candle, open a window, or light an incense. The cards are then shuffled and the card reader can either continue shuffling the deck until a desired amount of cards fall out naturally or the cards can be pulled directly from the top of the deck. Each card that is pulled then has a specific background, history, and meaning. The card reader interprets each meaning to the best of their ability and applies it to the recipient. Again, the recipient is told to take what applies to them and is warned not to force anything, not because there is danger, but because modern day tarot card readers don’t want the recipient to feel like they were duped if they don’t get the reading they are looking for. Unfortunately there are card readers looking to make a quick buck, and in turn there are recipients looking for a fortune teller and will bet their money or their lives on what a tarot reading gives them. This is why it’s important to take the time to learn and respect the practices that have been handed down for hundreds of years.