Tarot-based Therapy
When you think about tarot, what comes to mind? For many who are unfamiliar with the 78-card system, the tarot cards might summon images of fortune-telling, paganism and other alternative “occult” practices. Tarot, along with other esoteric practices such as astrology, have grown in increasing popularity in mainstream culture today. According to a 2017 study by the Pew Research Center, as many as 65% of individuals subscribe to at least one New Age belief. The increasing interest in spiritualism and practices such as tarot can be seen in the popularity of creators such as Bri Luna from the Hoodwitch on social media, and the endless mercury retrograde memes that seem to permeate social media. It seems that tarot, along with other esoteric practices, is having more than just a moment and continues to increase in popularity as many continue to turn to alternative faith practices and inner intuition as a source of strength and fortitude during times of worldwide unrest.
It seems to be that during times of uncertainty, there is a natural drive for many to draw their attention inward and seek out an inner wisdom in order to regain a sense of control and understanding over their lives. Many spiritual and New Age tools inherently focus on the process of interpretation of certain symbols and images in order to assist the individual with making sense of the world.
What does this mean for the usage of tarot in therapy? Does tarot have a place in therapy? The answer is a resounding yes.
The usefulness of tarot in therapy lies in its use of rich, symbolic imagery. The 78-card system is comprised of 22 “Major Arcana”, which are the main archetypal cards such as The Fool, The Hierophant, The Tower, and The Empress, among others. The remaining 56 cards are what are referred to as the “Minor Arcana” and are divided into four categories of “suits,”such as the “Wands,” “Pentacles,” “Swords” and “Cups,” and each suit is associated with a corresponding natural element of Air, Fire, Water and Earth. The tarot suits combined with their imagery and elements provide a rich tapestry of information for the observer and the order of their progression in the deck represents the process of transformation that occurs throughout a life as well as the myriad of challenges that may arise.
And what’s more is that you do not need to know the meaning of each specific tarot card in order to reap the benefits that its rich imagery provides. Tarot is not used for divination in therapy, but rather for what the symbols may represent to each unique individual. By projecting our own values, unfulfilled desires and beliefs onto the imagery of the cards, we open up a dialogue and borrow the language of the imagery to guide and ground a discussion of what is coming up for us in that moment.
In her book titled “Tarotpy: It’s All in the Cards,” dream therapist and hypnotherapist Lauren Z. Schneider discusses that using tarot cards in therapy sessions allows the client the opportunity to project their beliefs onto the cards, thereby opening up conversations and new ways of thinking and looking at the world. In this way, the cards become a mirror which holds up for us what may have otherwise remained hidden in the subsconcious. “We see the images the way we see the world — as a mirror about what we believe about ourselves. Whatever card is selected, we will project onto it our unconscious beliefs; and in reflecting upon the image, we can discover unconscious motivations and creative solutions.” Without addressing these unconscious beliefs, we continue to engage in patterned behaviors that may stem from much earlier life experiences in our lives in an attempt to subconsciously relive the original trauma in search for a sense of closure and resolution. By focusing on the symbols and imagery used in tarot, it provides an alternative language and a new perspective on a problem.
Our search for meaning through symbolic imagery has a place in the therapy room, and some could argue it often takes a front row seat. Questions such as “What do I value?” “Why don’t I feel fulfilled?” and general indecision regarding an area of our lives is often what brings many into therapy to begin with. Many times, if we suffer from anxiety or perfectionism we tend to look outward for external validation. And this may work for a time…until it doesn’t. For many who struggle with a feeling of disconnection from themselves, the purpose of therapy is ideally to come to realizations about our own self-worth, validation, and self-love in order to live more in alignment with our values. The symbolic imagery of tarot offers us an alternative vocabulary to dialogue with; a new and different way of relating to ourselves and the world. If beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder, then tarot in therapy offers us a new lens with which to see ourselves.
"Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.” -Carl Jung