Happy Monday, everybody!
So, this post is going up before the official site launch, so you’re probably reading this after the fact, but regardless, welcome to our first ever Magickal Monday! The third Monday of every month, we’ll have a post dedicated to Tarot Magick.
When most people think of the Tarot, they think of fortune telling and divination; methods of using the cards to answer questions or offer guidance. But Tarot cards can also be a fantastic magickal tool.
As this “Magickal Monday” posts continue, we’ll delve into the myriad ways Tarot and magick can be combined, but let’s look at a few now, in a high-level overview sort of way.
Magick in the Tarot Deck
Tools: The Tarot includes all of the magician’s traditional tools: the cups, wands, swords, and pentacles directly correspond to the chalice, wand, athame, and pentacle/altar tile of modern Wicca. Note that on The Magician card, the Magician wields all four of these tools with expertise. In the Rider-Waite, the deck used for almost all illustration purposes on this site (due to copyright concerns,) The Magician holds his wand up high while the remaining three tools rest on the altar. In other decks, the Magician is sometimes using that wand to make the other three tools float in the air.
Elements: If you already have any knowledge of magick in general, you know that the four classical elements of earth, air, fire, and water are very important. Those same elements are present in the Tarot, as the elements represented by the suits of pentacles, swords, wands, and cups respectively.
Symbolism: Beyond the tools and elements, the Tarot is rich with all sorts of symbolism. We can use this symbolism as a fabulous addition to spells and rituals.
Some Tarot Magick Examples
The ways you can use Tarot as part of a magickal practice are limited only by your imagination. Below are just a few examples. As I said above, we’ll go into a lot more detail as these regular posts continue.
Spell Component: You can use one or more cards directly in a spell, as a symbolic element. The same way you might use a printed image or a symbol drawn on a slip of paper, you can use a tarot card (or a copy of one—I don’t recommend using your actual cards if there’s a risk of getting oils or candle wax on them!) instead. Place the card image under a candle, or surround it with herbs. If it’s just a photocopy, you could even burn it, add it to a spell bottle, or bury it in the yard. Consider the ways you’d use any other symbol, and then think how much more powerful a Tarot card, filled with symbolism, might be to your spell.
Crystal Grid: Similar to the above, you can use Tarot cards as the base of a crystal grid. Place one or more cards, selected for their specific symbolism and relevance to your purpose, on the surface where you’re going to make your grid. If the grid is going to be long-term or permanent, you’ll want to make a copy of the card for this, but if it’s a short-term grid and there aren’t any candles, oils, or other things that could potentially damage the card involved, you can certainly use the real card here. Arrange the crystals on or around the card(s), incorporating the image on the card in the layout.
For example, say you wanted to use the Ace of Pentacles in a money spell. You might place a piece of pyrite or citrine, both good abundance-attracting stones, directly on the card, on the image of the pentacle. You could then place clear quartz points all around the card, pointing inward, directing energies into that focal stone. Add some green candles and a money-drawing incense, and you have a complete spell right there!
Backwards Reading: Here’s what I mean by this. When you do a card reading for divination, you draw the cards blind, after asking the deck your question. Here, instead, you’re going to imagine the reading you’d like to see—the one that says “yes, you’re going to get exactly what you want!” Go through the deck and pick out the cards you need to create your “dream” answer, then lay them out as though you were doing a reading. Use your favorite spread, or just do a quick 3-card spread if you don’t want to have to pick out a ton of cards. Look at the cards before you and let yourself believe you drew them from the deck like any other reading; this will help develop the feeling of your desire being real. That, in turn, will act to draw that desire closer to manifestation. To add another layer to this, take a picture of the cards laid out, or use copies instead of real cards and glue them down to a poster board, and keep it to look at regularly.
Carry a Card: Pick the card that best represents your magickal goal, and carry it with you. Each card resonates with the energy of that which it symbolizes—carrying a specific card around is similar to the benefit of carrying around a particular crystal. Again, you might want to make a copy of the card for this, so that you don’t risk losing it and so your deck isn’t missing that card. Alternatively, you could just take a picture of the card with your phone and set it as your home screen image, so you’re reminded every time you look at your phone.
These are just a few, very general, examples of how the Tarot can be used for magic. Check back the third Monday of every month for a new post on tarot Magick!