If your like me, you’ve done plenty of Tarot readings like this:
Shuffle the cards and think of your questions. Draw one or more cards. Look at the cards and think um hmmm, now I get it! OR you think what on earth does this mean? and you look up the meaning in your book.
Sometimes you get great insights and sometimes you don’t. But is this experience magical? Is it thrilling? Do you feel like you have left this reality and ventured into another mysterious world to gain wisdom, clarity and understanding? Probably not!
So how do I make the magic happen? I hear you ask. Let me give you all the dirty details…
Lets talk meditation.
Wait! Don’t go!
If your eyes are glassing over and you are beginning to feel like a ADHD kid amped up on sugar at my mere mention of “meditation”, hold tight. I used to feel this way too – in fact, I still feel this way when I first sit down to meditate.
But once I calm my chitter-chatter mind and experience true meditation, I realize how freeing it is and how its like having a mini vacation no matter where I am.
I can be in a Wal-Mart listening to my in-laws talk about Cancer, but feel like I’m on a beach in Hawaii being rubbed down by a hot surfer with six pack abs.
And I know what I am about to say is a bit taboo, but meditation is a delightful form of escapism. Almost as good as reading paranormal erotica while you tuck into a pan of brownies! Yum!
So lately I have been combining my love of meditation with my love of Tarot by exploring Biddy Tarot’s new e-course Soul Meditations (more on this in a sec!).
Where the magic is
But why does meditating with your Tarot cards make for a ‘magical’ experience? I hear you ask. Well, here’s my take on it…
When you meditate, you relax and let go, giving fear and “logical thought” a chance to evaporate. This makes way for your intuitive, creative and spiritual side to come in and get the party started.
It’s like your inner Richard Dawkins/boring math teacher self takes a shit break while your inner Yoko Ono swans into the room and breaks open the pop and chips. Hallelujah!
Of course, we all study our Tarot cards diligently and read books and stuff, which helps establish an intellectual relationship with the cards. This is very necessary. But it is meditating with the cards that lets you experience them in a personal and spiritual way.
Try This!
Step 1: Choose a card that fascinates you and spend a few moments gazing at it. Now get comfy and close your eyes. Spend a few minutes just breathing and relaxing until you feel sufficiently calm.
Step 2: Visualize the card getting huge and then stepping into it. Look around. What do you notice? Where is your attention drawn? See if you can chat it up with whoever is hanging around. Ask nosy questions. Discover the secrets this card has to offer!
Step 3: Open your eyes and bust out your journal. Jot down what you experienced and spend some time just contemplating. You are guaranteed to get some pretty magical messages from your cards this way.
Tarot Meditation made easy!
Okay, so getting back to Biddy Tarot’s Soul Meditations. Full disclosure: I am an affiliate for this program, which means that if you purchase this program through my links I will get a commission. However, I only promote stuff I know is totally awesome and top notch.
Okay, now that I got that out of the way – this e-course is a trip and a half! The program focuses completely on the Major Arcana and has a 20 minute guided meditation for each Major Arcana card, as well as a detailed guidebook. The guidebook is fabulous and has the meanings and description of each card and questions for reflection, which are like journaling/playsheets that you can do after the meditation.
There is also a “heart-centered practice” for each card, which is an exercise to help you live the energy of each card. For example, the heart-centered practice for The Fool is to choose one thing on your “bucket list” and make it happen. Fun stuff!
The meditations are powerful. As you listen, you are coaxed into a state of deep relaxation (in my case, sleep) and then you are guided to imagine entering the Tarot card and exploring it.
Last night I did the meditation for The Hermit. I was pretty tired so I just fell asleep instantly. I am not sure how long I slept for – probably only a few minutes – but when I started waking up, it was at the part in the meditation where I was being guided to step into the card. The experience was a bit bizarre – I could feel my body lying on the couch, yet I was also on this dark mountaintop with The Hermit. It was kind of like waking up in the middle of a dream and realizing your in a dream but choosing to just stay in it and look around. It was wild!
So to sum it up, I am having some good times with the Soul Meditations program 🙂 And if this sounds like your cup of tea, you can sample one of the meditations for free (just click the above link and scroll down about halfway). Then you will know what I mean!
As you dive deeper and deeper into Tarot via meditation and journalling, you are also exploring your self at a soul level, like The Hermit wandering into the wild darkness, glowing lantern held high. I hope your travels are as interesting and revealing as mine have been 🙂
Over to you…
Have you ever meditated with your Tarot cards before? Did you try my little exercise? If so, what was it like? Let me know your thoughts in the reply section below…
Kate,
I really get you when you talk about meditation being a form of escapism (legal and legitimate too). As someone who has a full time job, lives with an ill and aging father to care for him, has a blind dog who needs insulin twice a day…oh, and did I mention that I am married…meditation and time with my tarot is one of the few things that feeds my soul. I am going to try to “step into” one of my cards tonight!!
Deborah, I hope doing so will give you the wonderful escape you crave! Let me know how it goes 🙂
I’m so glad you love working with Soul Meditations! Thanks so much for sharing your personal experience with the Hermit – sounds amazing.
Yes, I am really enjoying the program, Brigit 🙂 Each time I do a meditation I have a different experience and it really helps me get a vibe or feeling for each card.
Hey Kate!
Thanks for the great article. I haven’t meditated with my cards yet, but I guess I should be giving it a try. 🙂 I’ve been busy with work and Nanowrimo (trying to write a 50,000 word novel in a month, phew!) I think I’ve been connecting to my cards in a different lately. My characters are represented by the different tarot card of the major arcana and one of them (The Moon) actually reads tarot cards. The images of her deck are based on the different characters and events happening in the story. Coming with with some cool interpretations, and may have inadvertently started designing my own tarot deck, lol. Will get back to meditating very soon. Thanks again!
Chani
Hi Chani,
I’m a writer too and your novel sounds intriguing, where is it going to be published and when? I would love to read it. Using the tarot as part of the writing process is a lot of fun. I like to use the cards for writing prompts, building plots and generating character profiles.
Sarah
Hi Sarah,
Nice to meet a fellow writer and tarot enthusiast! 😉 I actually haven’t gotten that far with the book yet. Right now, I’m just focusing on writing it, lol. I think I might be looking to self-publish through Amazon or other similar platform. I’ll let you know when I reach that step. If you ever have some cool tarot writing prompts or other tarot writing insights, please share them sometime. I bet a lot of us would love to hear it!
Take care,
Chani n_n
Thanks Chani. I’ve been meaning to write a blog post on Tarot Writing Prompts. When I do I will definitely pass it on. 🙂
Chani, your book sounds really fascinating 🙂 You must be writing up a storm! I think that would make for an interesting Tarot excercise – creating characters from major arcana cards – like if The Chariot was a real person, what would they be like? What kind of movies would they watch? what kind of food would they like? In fact, now I feel inspired to write a blog post about that topic – I could really have some fun with this! And designing your own Tarot deck? Holy crap that is exciting!
Kate–
I’m going to need to step it up a bit, but I do always meditate for a few minutes before doing my own draws. It’s not what you’re talking about, I know, but at least it’s a sign post pointing me in the right direction.
I’ll try out your cool technique!
Thank you.
jme
Kate – After reading your advice concerning meditating and immersing oneself into the imagery of the card, I tried it out for myself today. I must say it was a truly incredible experience, and the messages that came during my meditation were amazing. It really does work-out that intuitive muscle. Thank you for yet another inspiring blog post packed to the brim with fantastic ideas. Blessings to you.
Thank you Courtney 🙂 I am really excited that you had some good results when you tried this out. It really does bring a whole different dimension to working with Tarot. Thanks for your comment!
Hugs,
Kate
Kate, been meditating for over 15 years, love to meditate and teach others. recently I have been meditating with my tarot cards to become more connected. I absolutely love the experience. As you stated, meditation allows the intuitive, spiritual side to come alive. What I have forgot to do is to step inside the card and interact with the characters of the card, to live and breath the scene, to become “one” with the card. This surely would supercharge my experience. Thanks for timely post on meditation with the cards.
art
Thanks for sharing this, Art – I am pleased that my article has reminded you to interact with your cards – this is truly when some really interesting things can happen!
Cheers,
Kate
Thanks for reminding me of meditating with the cards. I’ve done it before and really loved the experience. I have to admit meditating has been of my todo list for to long and this will be a great way to get started again:D
That’s great, Ellen – I know, meditating is something I often have on my “to do” list – sometimes I forget how wonderful it feels to meditate and then I start thinking of it as just another chore. I’m glad my article inspired you to start up again!