The Spiritual Principles behind Tarot Readings

When I first introduce people to the art of tarot reading, there is often some confusion as to what it actually is and what it can help us with. Many of us have imprinted in our mind this image from movies, of psychic, intuitive or tarot readers which are shrouded in mystery. We often have the expectation that tarot is mostly predictive in nature or that it is dark in some twisted way. Yet, it doesn’t have to be how intuitive readings go.

My experience working with tarot and reading for clients has shown me that tarot is a beautiful tool for self-reflection. Today, I’d like to share with you the spiritual principles behind the art of reading tarot. I will discuss timelines, freewill, destiny, projection on the tarot cards and what makes it all work so beautifully.

By diving into the art of reading the cards, whether that is tarot, lenormand or oracle cards – we might wonder how it all works. Why do we always seem to pull certain cards, at a certain time in our life? For example, you might keep pulling the Death card, even when you shuffle the cards really well, over the course of one month. What universal mechanism is behind tarot reading, and why does it work? We might also wonder in reading the cards, if there is projection of ourselves onto the cards and their meaning in our life. We might think that if the cards end up being right about what is happening in our life, then it must all be a self-fulfilling prophecy, where we act out the ‘‘predictions’’.

These questions are all valid and reveal some wisdom when pondered upon. Why do the cards resonate so deeply? Is it all just projection on the cards? Is there some trick that makes it work? Is it a divination tool or is it a tool for self-reflection? If the cards can predict the future, then does it mean that the future is pre-destined and fixed in the sand? Or do we have freewill?

In my personal experience reading tarot – for myself and for my clients – I have found that the future is mutable. The future is able to shift and change according to your own current frequency in this moment. The cards you pull in a tarot reading reflect to you your current life experiences, your feelings, desires, lights and shadows. They are rooted in the present moment – the current choices you’ve made and beliefs you hold. Any prediction about the future is then not fixed in the sand, it is simply rooted in the present moment and your specific energy in that moment in time. Any guidance received in a tarot reading is also following that same energetic timeline. When you do healing work, change internal belief systems or make different choices – it all impacts your future and therefore the timeline you align with (and the tarot cards you’ll pull).

Intuitive readings are a time to reflect on the past, present and future – and to check-in with how things are going for you. Are you feeling fulfilled? Are you repeating negative patterns in certain areas of your life that are holding you back? Are you aligned with your soul or are you being led by your conditioning? The cards reflect all of this and more. They are a time to re direct your intention and actions on what is truly important for you.

In truth, there are many different timelines available to us all. It is all about our choice and freewill to choose something different, in the present moment. Change is not somewhere in the future – it is here and now. And if we are currently going through rough times – how can we build trust and acceptance that this experience is actually expanding us on a spiritual level, rather than bypassing it? To understand timelines, is to understand that we truly have an impact with our energy field on our life circumstances, whether that is through change or acceptance.

On a deeper level, we are only responsible for our own energy field – and we are part of a wider collective web of fields. We are a microorganism in the organism that is humanity, in the macro organism that is the earth. A lot of our suffering we are currently experiencing is because there is distortion and a big rupture in our collective field. So suffering can’t be averted all together by ‘’being spiritual’’ or reading tarot. There is a lot more at play – like soul contracts we have made before entering into this world, difficult experiences we might have chosen to go through so that we could expand in consciousness and grow on a spiritual level. Our goal in working with tarot is to gain spiritual perspective and clarity – so that we can re-enter our everyday life with more intention, care and focus.

Reading tarot enable us to be in contact with our soul, our spiritual self, and have deeper understanding of our current life experiences. It is part destiny and part freewill. Understanding that parts of it we have agreed to before birth will help us release resistance to it and actually connect to the soul lessons we are meant to integrate. Understanding that we still have complete autonomy, freewill and choice is also part of being an empowered being while navigating our soul journey. We have the choice to ask to change soul contracts if they are too painful. We can choose to say no when what we have chosen in the past no longer works for us.

In my experience, I have found that the tarot cards act as a mirror. They are a reflection of what is going on in our inner world – reflected in the images, archetypes and art of the cards. The cards then read like a story, from one card to the next, a tarot reader acts as a messenger, sharing with you guidance, advice and reflections to help you on your soul journey.

From a spiritual perspective, your whole life experience, your feelings, thoughts, the people around you and the situations you live through are all a reflection of your inner being. As a soul, you choose to incarnate yourself in a specific body, in a certain culture with certain challenges and gifts through which you would grow. In fact, we could say your body is only a projection, a fraction of your soul. From that perspective, your whole life is a ‘’projection’’. Every part of your experiences is a mirror for you to look into and grow. If you can understand that your whole life is a holographic mirror - then you can see how divination tools like tarot are following that same principle, by simply amplifying this phenomenon. It is true to say that we project our own meaning on the cards. By projecting your own meaning on the card, questions and wonders, you are only accelerating the process of reflection, deeper understanding and acceptance of your current life situation.

Whatever life situations you are currently seeing unfold in the mirror that is life, the tarot cards help you clarify your vision, seeing what is important, bringing clarity and validation of your experience. It supports you on your unique soul journey through challenges, life changes and taking important decisions. It asks you if you will do things the same way you have done it before, and what you are being called to expand into.

Of course, the best tarot readings enable us to detach from ego and gain deeper soul perspective. To understand that we have freewill, and that destiny is only the plan our soul made before incarnation, and that it is changeable and shifting according to our current choices. You have autonomy, you have choice and you are capable of taking responsibility for your dreams. Tarot and Oracle cards are a beautiful way to reflect and can redirect us in the right direction when we feel stuck or when we need more understanding of our situation. It is not a fixer, it is not the answer to your life problems. It is a sacred tool of self-reflection.

This is only my personal interpretation and take on these questions, I invite you to find your own answers within you always.

Have other questions regarding intuitive readings, intuition & tarot? Then feel free to send them my way, and it will be a pleasure to answer them.

With Love,

Marie-Jeanne B