Dialogue - What do you think of the Tarot?

A questioner wrote:
What do you think of the Tarot?

Alexander wrote:
I like the Tarot very much. It certainly doesn’t have the long history we like to mythologize it does – it more likely dates back to the 1800s as divination cards – but the set devised by A. E. Waite is excellent and provides a lot of possibilities for obtaining self-knowledge.

That also is how I see the use of the cards: for the purpose of “gnothi seauton,” to know thyself, as the Oracle of Delphi put it. The cards are not supposed to tell the future, but the symbols on them can be read by a reflective mind and used to gain wisdom and insight into what is currently going on in your life.

You should only do a reading very rarely; have a purposeful and clear intent; and accept whatever drawing you receive. I had one recently which I wanted to share, as I thought it was very meaningful to me.

What do see yourself as: The Magician
Absolutely. For anyone who knows my true self and interests, this card alone is a fascinating one to draw first. That is a one in 22 chance of happening.

What you most desire: The Hierophant
I interpreted this as a symbol for guidance and structure; that I was looking for direction. This past year has certainly been a crossroads in my life, a time of great disruption, and I am certainly looking for direction on what path to follow next.

The Hierophant can represent a guide; a figure who has great spiritual attainment; or also, potentially, a fraud (like many so-called religious people often are).

Another way of looking at it is that I desire to progress further on the spiritual path. Or, the card could represent Jeff Brooks, who is a great colleague, teacher, and friend for me in this spiritual work.

What you fear: Death
This year was horrible to many due to the Corona flu. And it was additionally horrible for me as I both lost my job and was exposed to a neurotoxin this year, the latter incapacitating me and my health for about five months.

I read “Death” here to mean a fear over the “death of the old life” before the transition to a new life. I also read it as fears over the future of work, and certainly the fear I would not recover from the neurological problems I developed from the poisoning. It is a fear of the death of one’s future and one’s possibilities – a horrible prospect.

What is going for you: The Moon
I have been developing a new female friendship in a slightly clandestine way, so this was one of the ways I would interpret this card. I would say it is a good omen for the relationship developing.

Another meaning I could find is it could refer to my own spiritual work, which in a sense is done in secret. Despite the setbacks this year, it could be a good omen that the work is in fact continuing and progress is being made.

What is going against you: The Wheel of Fortune
Absolutely. It has been a year of terrible fortune. Aside from the obvious Corona flu, my unemployment and my poisoning by the toxic fumes were certainly calamitous this year.

As Machiavelli said, ill fortune comes to all so we must always be prepared for when times go bad. At the same time, the wheel of fortune is swift to turn and events may change from ill to good again in time.

The likely outcome: The Empress
I take the Empress here as a symbol of fertility and fruitfulness; a good omen. I have been at work in creating a fund to help people with brain injuries: if this omen has its way, it will turn out well. I have also been trying to develop my painting skills: this bodes well for that too. It is a good omen for my discreet relationship with my female friend: that the relationship could bear fruit. And it is a good omen for health: that my health may recover yet, despite the terrible effects I suffered from for most of this year from the poisoning.

I wanted to set this Tarot reading - and how I interpreted the symbols - down in writing. As I think this is an example of how to do one and get a lot of value out of it: To look at the symbols, to try to unpack the many possible meanings, to see who one card might be or what situation it may apply to. Then, to extrapolate the possible outcomes the cards are suggesting, and to then use that to advise you on what to do in the future.