Do you want to know a secret? Before I fell deeply, madly, head-over-heels in love with Tarot, I was TERRIFIED of it!
I can laugh now, but I kid you not, I was so scared that I was determined to only ever deal with the love and light that came safely guaranteed with Oracle cards.
Like many, many others, I had heavily bought into the most common, widely believed derogatory myths surrounding Tarot.
Had I known the real truth about Tarot, I would have embarked on my journey into its deep, beautiful mysteries and symbolism long before I did.
As time went by, I eventually gave in to the deep, overpowering curiosity that started to rise within me. I soon came to find that Tarot was an incredibly valuable tool to support mental health, personal growth, development and overall lifestyle enhancement.
Now it is my very favourite spiritual subject of them all - and trust me, I have a LOT of those!
That's why I am determined to debunk the most common myths surrounding Tarot and hope to ease people's minds that there is absolutely nothing to be afraid of.
So let's start off by addressing one of the most frequent rumours out there, shall we?
"Tarot is evil"
Thanks to Hollywood, it is a common (mis)belief that Tarot cards call in all kinds of evil.
Not only is this a BIG FAT LIE, it is laughably so! Come on, let's be realistic here people - when all is said and done, they are merely bits of cards with images printed on them!
Perhaps having 'The Devil' card in there could lend to this idea; however, this has nothing to do with bad-boy Satan himself, but our very own inner demons (trust me, we alllll got them!) These can come in the form of addictions, vices, toxic relationships, and a whole other host of negativity that can manifest in our lives through our own poor decisions and behaviours. 'The Devil' is just a representation of those, and a reminder to break the chains so we can get back on the right path.
"'Death' is the worst card to get!"
Have you even heard of 'The Tower'?!
I'm joking, I'm joking!
Honestly, Death happens to be one of my favourite cards - not just because is it related to my sun sign (Scorpio) but because it is deeply misunderstood and widely misinterpreted.
Like ALL of the cards, it is steeped in fascinating symbolism and raw beauty.
Much like the caterpillar transforming into a butterfly, 'Death' represents a period of powerful metamorphosis and signifies the shedding of stagnant deadweight which needs to be released from your life.
So please don't let the movies fool you on this one!
"Tarot is fortune-telling"
Whilst the cards certainly can show you where you are likely to head if you stay on the same path you are currently on, by no means do they have your future set in stone!
They are a representation of your current situation and where that is likely to lead you should you continue in the same manner as you are now.
But even just a change of mind or making an alternative decision can have a life-changing impact on how your destiny unfolds.
The future really is in your own hands!
"There's good cards and bad cards!"
The cards aren't 'good' or 'bad' - each one has a multitude of meanings that are not only influenced by the presenting situation but the other cards in the spread.
Their utmost purpose is to identify where you are and where you are heading - and whatever card shows up for you is to help you determine where and how you can obliterate the blockages and get back onto your rightful path.
That means that every one of the cards is working in YOUR FAVOUR - even (and especially) the ones deemed as 'bad'.
Never, ever doubt that.
"You can't use other people's cards"
Thanks to the latest horror movie 'Tarot', even more people are being led to believe that they can't use another person's deck.
Don't get me wrong, you absolutely should not be doing so without the owner's consent (that's a crime worth getting your hands chopped off for!!)
But if/when you are handed down a deck of cards that belonged to someone else, treat this as the honour it is!
I know some people who have a deck that has been passed down through many generations - and the mysticism and energy of said decks are out of this world! So much so that it encouraged me to pass my very first 'training deck' down to my eldest daughter for her to learn with.
"You have to be psychic!"
Whilst tapping into your psychic abilities (which everyone possesses by the way) can certainly contribute to your readings beautifully, it isn't the only way to read cards.
Even a child can take a look at a spread and formulate what kind of story the cards are telling.
Yes, really!
It is, of course, important to have good basic knowledge of the cards, which anyone can build upon. This way you can form a deeper relationship and understanding of the meanings of the cards - which is naturally going to lend itself to the quality of your readings too!
"A Tarot deck has to be gifted to you"
Seriously, who's making these rules?!
Receiving a deck that is of other people's tastes, or a rough presumption of what they think you’ll want runs the risk of a poor connection and thus not the best of readings.
Let's be clear about this - choosing Tarot cards is an incredibly fun and exciting activity that I believe everyone should have the pleasure of taking part in! And when it comes to choosing your deck, it should be one that you really LOVE.
Because if you gift yourself with something that instantly pulls you in and captivates your senses, well, there really isn't a better way to form a connection and bond with your cards than that!
Naturally, this will help you to go deeper into the cards and carry your most accurate readings thereafter too!
"You can’t read your own cards"
This may actually irk me more than all of the other myths put together!
Of course you can read for yourself - in fact, I IMPLORE you to! It's one of the very best ways you can learn and develop a connection with each of the cards by having that personal experience of their meanings and the messages that they bring.
Yes, it may be more challenging to avoid reading them from a fixed or biased point of view, but the cards don't hold back - they are candidly straightforward and are gonna say it how it is no matter which way you cut it!
But perhaps the main reason you should read for yourself is because the cards are as much a therapeutic tool as they are divinatory. So please use them for yourself in any and every way you feel called to; whether that be for your journalling, to give you a hit of daily guidance, spell work...you name it! Because by working so intimately with your deck, you are bestowing upon yourself a vast amount of knowledge, self-discovery and wisdom. And with that, you really can't go wrong.
I hope that these debunked myths will help to ease the minds of those who may feel apprehensive about Tarot. And if you only take one thing away with you here, let it be this...
M A K E Y O U R O W N R U L E S !
All that you read here are just my humble opinions that I have formed through personal experiences over the years.
But what makes sense for one person may be utter rubbish for another!
So I encourage you to go and form as many of your own opinions as you possibly can - whilst also being open to learning from many different sources along the way.
Keep listening to your intuition on what feels right and what doesn't, and have fun with it!
Because at the end of the day, it is all about experimenting and creating your own belief system.
What does your gut tell you when it comes to Tarot?
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