Tarot and Psychic Development

If you’ve been longing to learn the tarot but have felt too daunted by the sheer weight of information out there, don’t worry.

What the experts don’t tell you is that learning the Tarot can be very easy. My mother was psychic and I grew up in a house where Tarot was used almost every day.

I certainly didn’t start out through any formal study programme. Having taught Tarot for years, I’ve seen first hand that some of the best readers have been those who just leapt in and started.

Teaching the incredible screen writer (X-men, Kick Ass, The Kingsman) Jane Goldman, was easy as she just got it. You can get it just as easily and start using the power of the Tarot instantly.

In this series, we’re going to work through the major arcana step by step.  In each article, we’ll look at two of the major arcana cards from the Ryder Waite deck.

Unlike the four suits of the minor arcana that tend to refer to the details of daily life, the 22 cards of the major arcana combine to reveal every step of your soul’s journey – the grand themes that every soul encounters on the road to enlightenment.

Let’s start by looking at the Fool and the Magician.  The Fool shows a young figure who, chin high,  appears to be about to step off a cliff.  He wears rags and carries a sack and a small dog snaps at his heels. This is my personal favourite of the entire deck.

The Fool’s number is 0, signifying that he stands apart from the other cards.  He’s more like a joker who can show up anywhere at any time, and when he does it’s time to roll the dice and do what he’s doing – step forward into the unknown, confident that the ground will rise up to meet you.

The Fool promises us another chance, a fresh start, and that it’s safe to trust.  Some people say that the Fool can indicate a warning of rash behaviour, but the truth is that the Fool is already enlightened and knows that if the ground rises to meet him or he does indeed take a tumble, he remains intact and can only learn from each experience.

The affirmation I associate with this card is the simple phrase ‘I am!’.  Make this your daily affirmation for two weeks and notice how you feel.

The Fool reminds you that none of us is perfect and yet every one of us has a right to be here, to make mistakes, to learn and grow, and that, consequently, we are all perfect just as we are at every stage in our journey.

The Magician is also a card that promises us great magic, but of a different kind.  This card shows a figure pointing to the heavens and the earth standing by a table on which we see a chalice, a sword, a wand and a pentacle.

It’s said that the Fool’s knapsack contains all of these, but he has no idea.  In truth, he doesn’t seem to care.

In contrast, the Magician, representing number 1, has unpacked these magical objects and knows that they can be used to manifest anything.

The Fool trusts that the ground will rise up to meet him.  The Magician knows he can bring the very ground beneath his feet into being at his will.  When the Magician appears, it is a clear message that you have the power to transform your life and that everything you need lies within you.

The Magician’s affirmation is, “I will be!”.  Notice how this carries both the promise of change but also the effect of our personal power and choice on the experience of that change.

As it’s Valentine month, what does each card tell us about romance?  The Fool says dive in, but keep it light.  Whatever relationship you are contemplating is divine, but not necessarily permanent.

You have places to go and things to do.  Treat all relationships of every kind as opportunities to learn, step lightly, and go with the flow.  Don’t get too caught up in any drama.

When the Magician appears, it is an indication that you can use your charm and particularly your powers of communication to sweet talk anyone, that you have the power to transform your relationships into magical experiences.

Most text books on tarot tend to overlook the importance of your own feelings and intuition when it comes to using the cards but these are the most powerful resource you can use.

To develop your connection with each card, start by placing the Fool in a prominent position for one week, one where you can study the card each day.

Then place it beneath your pillow for a week and keep a diary of your dreams.  At the end of each day, see the events that have unfolded through the eyes of each card.  In what way did the Fool’s energy touch your day?

Where could you have stepped lightly through any challenge or difficulty?  Follow the same procedure with the Magician.

In this way, you will not only develop a deep intuitive understanding of each card, but you will also learn how to connect with the energies that they represent.

In the next article, we’ll look at two important female energies in our soul’s journey – the High Priestess and the Empress.

Article written by Michele Knight – first published in Spirit and Destiny Magazine