Tarot cards seem to be surrounded by the atmosphere of mysticism and often in relation to the “dark” occult practices.

Some claim that trying to find out the future is bad luck or sinful and will certainly bring only misfortunes.  

The myth that Tarot (or Runes) are the elements of Witchcraft or “dark” Magic is being shaped by the movie industry, video games and books of a particular genre.

My partner recently was playing this video game called Cyberpunk and mentioned that Tarot cards were part of his quest series. A woman that was “reading cards” in the game looked all mysterious and had those dark “witchy” vibes.

As a result of the game popularity, there is even Cyberpunk Tarot deck now available for sale which has only 22 cards and naturally, has nothing to do with Tarot.

The reason I bring this up is because when we look at the scenes where Tarot cards are used, we see evil witches that gather to perform some kind of a Satanic Ritual or curse someone and, of course, they have a Tarot cards deck, a crystal ball and Runes handy.

In this Blog post I will try to look at Tarot cards from all the different angles.

We will look at Tarot from the view of occultism, psychology and religion. Let’s break it all down.

What the Tarot Cards Really Are?

A simple explanation is that Tarot is a tool for divination. But, of course, Tarot is much more than that.

Tarot is a tool for analysis of a situation, person or action.

Tarot is a work with the subconscious layers and shadow sides, uncovering deepest desires, fears and intentions.

It doesn’t matter what you believe in, the essence of Tarot is taking the energy from a person you are reading cards for to create the best future for them.

Tarot reader is merely a guide. You can call Tarot a weak energy vampire that takes a bit of your energy to transform it into information and give you an answer.

The correct work with Tarot is based on the reader’s ability to help you choose the path that is right and best for you given all current circumstances.

Is Tarot A Form of Black Magic or Witchcraft?

What Is the Difference Between A Ritual Work Divination?

Tarot reading works by the means of receiving information from the Source through the cards and uncoding this information to a client.

It has absolutely nothing to do with ceremonial Magic or any kind of Ritual work.

A ritual is done to shape the reality the way you want to see it. You are influencing an event or a person. And in this post, we only cover the nature of the Ritual working briefly, just so that you understand what is behind the words “Ritual” and “Witchcraft.”

Tarot does not intervene or influence a person, forcing them to do something they may not want to do. It completely allows for the Free Will to be the only natural way of human experiences.

Tarot gives you the information you otherwise may miss or not see, sometimes quite willingly, to make the right choice. This is why sometimes clients say things like: “Well, this is what I expected” or “I have known this all along.” This is because the answers are within us and a Tarot Reader is only guiding you to see them.

Can Tarot Be Used for Ritual or Magical Work?

I hope you can see that this is a completely different question.

Tarot can and is sometimes used as the Ritual tool. It can be a part of spell casing, for good and for bad. When Tarot is used for evil intentions, it is not because Tarot itself is evil but because people misuse it for their nasty intentions.

And the problem is in people, not the cards.

If Tarot Is Not Magic, Where Do Tarot Readers Get the Information From?

There is different information circulating around with regards to “Where Tarot Readers get their answers from?”

Some believe that the source is Akashic Records which is considered to be a universal information “storage”, so to speak, that has a record of all the thoughts, emotions, words and also events.

But those who claim the existence of such records seem to deny the existence of divination. For example, Vadim Zeland, the creator of Transurfing of Reality, states that divination does not exist because there is way too many “paths” and “variations” of future events to be able to predict them.

However, here comes my long-standing point about the different between divination and fortune telling and I briefly touched on this in my Blog Post “What Questions Tarot Can and Cannot Answer”. And this is where people like Vadim Zeland, who by the way created his own “Tarot” despite claiming its limited use, are wrong.

RELATED POSTS: What TAROT CARDS CAN and CANNOT TELL. Questions to ask during a Tarot reading

Tarot does not tell you what you are going to have for lunch tomorrow or give you a straight yes/no answer.

Tarot reviews those possible paths and variations of events and helps you make the RIGHT CHOICE.

Tarot helps you to go to your subconscious mind and from there pull the information about yourself to help you understand what internal challenges are preventing you from growing and becoming, from letting go of the past and from working on your future.

“The Good” In Tarot Cards. Tarot as A Tool for Psychoanalysis.

If you think about it, people do many different things on a daily basis to learn more about themselves. They go to see a psychologist to resolve their personal matters and figure out the roots of their anxiety, fears and phobias.

People try to understand the meaning of their dreams and see the signs of communication from Spirit Guides and Angels.

Modern psychologists use cards, not only Tarot, during their sessions as the tool for a deep analysis and consulting.

Tarot can help a person uncover and understand some moments they were not able to connect with before mentally. These include hidden thoughts, desires and intentions.

Unlike Tarot readers, psychologists use cards for the most part to work on the ISSUES OF THE PAST, deeply analyzing it before making any prognosis or goals for the future.

How do psychologists view Tarot?

In this case, psychologists don’t even think about the “mysterious” aspects of Tarot or their connection to esotericism, paganism or occult, it is simply a tool for them to do their job better.

First and foremost, Tarot is used for symbolisms, associations and imagery.

This system helps a psychologist to connect the dots and figure out what is happening at the subconscious level of their patient. Tarot become a diagnostic method that at some situations becomes quite sufficient for a basic diagnostic.

Finally, Let’s Think TOGETHER. Are Tarot Cards A Sin?

Naturally, the answer to this question depends on your religion and what it says in the scriptures with regards to divination of any kind. But I trust that by the time you are reading this, you can make the right judgement yourself.

For the most part, Sin is a concept of JCI religions. And here we also have two categories of people to address.

If you strictly follow ALL the rules of your religion and live by them, then you shouldn’t seek an answer to this question in the Blog post of a Tarot reader, a witch or anyone who deals with magical and ritual workings.

You should address this question an official representative of your religion who is qualified to answer.

If you follow a religion, using it as a moral compass or it is a cultural part of your life, then the word “Sin” takes on a totally different meaning.

In this case, you need to assess what your religion means for you and what other rules, commandments or dogmas you have broken throughout your life. And if during those times you have at all considered the sinful nature of these acts.

For example, when you saw men cheating on their wives, a person drinking alcohol, lying or being jealous of your new IPhone, did you, even in your head, call them sinners?

Most people don’t think that printing a spiritual development book on their work printer is a sin, and yet it breaks the rules of the 6th Commandment.

Therefore, a factual sin is not a part of a religious-ethical category that is for the most part not used as a guide for our day-to-day actions.

It is rather a culturally created concepts of morals, about right or wrong, that shape the tendencies, and also change and evolve together with humanity.

Another example I want to mention is something you probably would not have even ever considered. And this is my beloved practice of Yoga.

Many of those who practice Yoga, being under the influence of the practices and travels, said they turned to Buddhism or Hinduism (both have Yoga as a part of their religion) for their spiritual and personal growth. And this is not normally being labelled as something sinful, even though looking at it factually, it is a change of Religion.

But quite conveniently, normally such person is described as a healthy and spiritual human being that enjoys travelling, sings Mantra, dresses up exotically, even doesn’t eat meat! What an example to all. A modern, soulful, educated and highly spiritual being. He is not a sinner, well, a hipster at the most.

I believe this will also answer the question “Is Tarot Evil?” because evil and sin go hand in hand with each other.

What is “good” and what is “bad” came from religious and philosophical teachings that are also subject to change based on the shifts, changes and revisions we are going through every day.

Should I not be afraid of Tarot then?

In my opinion, when going for a Tarot reading, you should be afraid not of committing a sin, but of your intentions and actions.

If you are asking a question about your own life, without getting a third party involved, (such as “What is happening in my best friend’s relationship with her boyfriend?) if your questions and life morals don’t contradict each other, then there is no need to be afraid of the consequences of the reading because there are none.

Let it be a reason for you to think what your life position is. What morals and principals do you follow?

If you take time to consider everything said above in this Blog post, you will understand that working on your future using Tarot is neither a sin or an evil. A Tarot reading will not bring you bad luck or misfortunes because it’s not on its own a magical tool.

Tarot is your guide to the better choices, better life and happier future. Use it wisely, use it to help others and don’t forget to always thank the Source.

My basil bush is thriving.

The best time to harvest is on a warm, sunny day, just after the dew has dried and just before the flowers form. But you can harvest basil as you need it.

Harvest by pinching off leaves as needed once the plant is strong enough to handle it. If taking a large harvest, leave at least two shoots intact. It will grow back in a few weeks.

Hang upside in bunches or lay flat on a drying rack to dry. Ensure proper ventilation to reduce the chance of mold. Store in an airtight container away from heat or light for up to one year. The flavor of dried basil is not as good as fresh basil.

Basil helps steady the mind, brings happiness, love, peace, and money and protects against insanity.

Use basil in spells to attract love and in preparation for astral projection or to bring luck in physical journeys.

Carrying a leaf in your pocket or wallet will attract money.

Keep a bit of basil in each room to protect the home and family. To protect you when leaving the house, rub some basil on your forehead.

Also used in peacemaking spells and to make up after a fight.

Basil - The Witchipedia

A home for the herbs…

Clear quartz, Smokey Quartz, rose quartz, amethyst.

Obsidian is truth-enhancing. A strongly protective stone, it forms a shield against negativity. It absorbs negative energies from the environment. Obsidian draws out mental stress and tension.

2 of wands

papoulasdouradasBiddy TarotPrintable tarot color in

Two Of Wands Keywords

UPRIGHT: Future planning, progress, decisions, discovery

REVERSED: Personal goals, inner alignment, fear of unknown, lack of planning

Two Of Wands Description (Rider Wait Smith)

The Two of Wands shows a man, dressed in a red robe and hat, holding a small globe. The world is literally in his hands, marking the enormous potential before him if he can expand his horizons accordingly. He stands within the confines of his castle, suggesting that while he is contemplating significant opportunities, the man has not yet left his comfort zone to pursue them; he is still very much in the planning phase. His hand rests on an upright wand, and a second wand is affixed to the castle’s wall, a further sign that he is still not ready to venture out. In the background, the land is fertile while also rocky, promising that he has a good chance for success, so long as he can overcome the challenges that will arise.

Ace of wands

tati_ferrignoBiddy tarotPrintable tarot color in

Ace Of Wands Keywords

UPRIGHT: Inspiration, new opportunities, growth, potential

REVERSED: An emerging idea, lack of direction, distractions, delays

Ace Of Wands Description (rider wait smith)

In the Ace of Wands, a hand holding a sprouting wand extends out from a cloud, as if to offer a new opportunity or idea with the potential to grow. The rich, verdant landscape is further confirmation of this growth capability. In the distance on the left sits a castle, representing the promise of opportunities to come, and hills and mountains line the horizon. Their rolling peaks remind us that there will always be challenges along the way, but they are surmountable with enough effort.

My witchy bookshelf/mini alter is coming along.

hope you all had a beautiful Samhain under the blue moon in Taurus!

So I was eating muscles and I ran into this shell that looks like the evil eye im currently on my spiritual journey and this was the reassurance that I needed 

kitsune–hime:

FRIDAY THE 13 (odd feeling)

Good afternoon to all my fellow witches … I have a question for you, today is Friday the 13 and as soon as the clock striked 12 (nyc time) I got this really odd feeling I can’t describe it but something feels different. Has anyone else experienced this today or is it just me? If you have any input I would live to hear about to.

servantofthefates:

DEATH

Does Death mean death?

When tarot was born in the 1400s, vaccines, antibiotics and pasteurization had not yet been invented. Diseases we now consider harmless led easily to death.

And so this card appearing back then truly heralded somebody’s demise.

Adapting to our evolving reality, Death has taken on the meaning of transformation, which in essence represents little deaths.

Migrating to a different country is one such death — we are leaving behind our old life. The same goes for changing jobs and moving houses. These were not so easily done in the Renaissance. The majority of the masses lived and died where they were born, doing what their parents taught them to do.

With people today feeling bored or oppressed by their current life, such little deaths are deeply hoped for.

That is why Death should no longer be feared. While it began as a harbinger of losing one’s parent, child or wife, it has adapted to become the herald of a beautiful new life.

THE TOWER

Why do some readers interpret The Tower positively? Are they fooling their clients or themselves? Some of them, certainly.

The Tower, however, is not intrinsically negative. What it is inherently is a shock. An earth-shattering or a life-changing one.

Your mom dying in a car accident two minutes after you spoke to her on the phone is a Tower moment. But so is winning the lottery.

Losing your job out of the blue is another. But so is realizing that your crush is your secret admirer.

The reason The Tower is mostly negative is because it is bad things, not good ones, that shock us to our core.

Good surprises are forgotten in a week or so. Their luster fades easily.

But it takes us a while to move on from death and tragedy.

Yet in and of itself, The Tower does not predict a disaster. It could very well be the windfall you have been praying for.

THE DEVIL

In what world is The Devil a good card?

In this one.

The Devil is about being chained to something that has power over you.

That is often bad, such as drugs, alcohol, an abusive marriage, or a job you need to keep even though it pays below minimum wage.

But it can also be good, like turning your hobby into a business… having a sexually fulfilling lover… or working over time at a job your adore.

Either way, it is the concept of obsession, not oppression, that makes up this card’s intrinsic meaning.

At its best, The Devil is about undying passion — for a person, an activity or a cause.

The inherent negative side of that is being so consumed by one thing, that balance is forgotten.

But then again… who would prefer the balance of the plain over the peak of a mountain?