Tarot: Your Mystic-Free Resource for Self-Reflection

Tarot has long been associated with mystical beliefs and supernatural powers. I certainly don't hold that against anyone--we all have our own way of interfacing with the world. But generally speaking, Western society isn't super open to amorphous and slippery concepts like the subconscious or vibrational energies (like Qi or Prana.) For a lot of people, it's hard to have faith in something being real if you can't see or measure it, and lots of the concepts related to traditional Tarot aren't exactly what most people would call scientific. And I'm all for science. Science and I are good friends. But the thing is, capital S Science wasn't really helping me process all the things swirling around in my brain that were making big and small life things hard, confusing, and sometimes even completely overwhelming. And let me tell you: I had a lot of things swirling around up there.

I've been in therapy for a long time. I think therapy is an amazing resource to help parse through lots of big feelings, memories, and thoughts. (And yes, many aspects of therapy are supported by capital S Science.) Having an impartial person to bounce things off of and who is an expert in navigating all things thoughts and emotions can be an invaluable resource. External insight can be incredibly helpful. I'm all for therapy. Therapy has changed my life.

But, here's the thing. Therapy isn't exactly accessible for a lot of people for a lot of reasons. And on top of that, for the day to day little things, therapy just doesn't make sense as a first line of defense. Even for someone privileged enough to regularly access therapy (and let's be real, that is a *huge* privilege in and of itself), therapy isn't a realistic outlet as far as reaching for it every time I'm feeling stuck, insecure, unsure, overwhelmed, anxious, or like absolute garbage because it's the end of January and everything is cold and dark and depressing and dark and drab and there's no fun stuff to look forward to and also did I mention it's really dark all the time?

When I need a tool to help me work through the everyday stuff, Tarot is truly my go to. Yes, I turn to friends, or family, or my partner (or yes, every two weeks or so, my therapist). We have community for a reason. Community is awesome. The people we surround ourselves with can be great shoulders to cry on, patient listening ears, partners in crime, or advisors.

But sometimes...other people aren't what I need. Or even what I want. Or even if they are, it might be 1 AM, they may not be available, or our schedules just won't line up. Or maybe I don't even know what I need or want, but I do know I need...something. Sometimes it's just me, myself, and I. And that, dear LoLos, is where Tarot comes in.

Tarot is the perfect self-reflection tool because while you do need a deck, the root of the information is coming from just you. The cards might provide some structure and some prompts to think through, or help get some creative juices flowing when it comes to new ideas and perspectives, but at the end of the day it's just your body and that big beautiful brain of yours. You don't need anything fancy to "do Tarot." It's an almost anytime-anywhere thing no matter the time, place, or situation. All you need is a deck. It helps if it's a deck you really enjoy, but ultimately you just need *a* deck. If you want some suggestions for interpreting the cards, a cheat sheet can come in handy. And if you want to learn more about lore and symbolism, you can totally go down the rabbit hole with books, courses, retreats, and all kinds of bits and bobs. But to use Tarot as a reflection tool the Logic&Lore way, you can truly get away with just your mind and a travel Tarot deck that fits in an Altoids tin. (You know...for keeping it secret because your friends and family are going to think it's weird. I get it.)

How can a simple deck of cards achieve so much? Why would people pay upwards of $80 for a 10-minute reading on Bourbon Street when all the reader has to do is...look at some pictures...(???) It all comes down to the way you interact with your deck. When we ask questions and then use imagery, symbolism, and associative words (like those affiliated with certain cards in a Tarot deck) to explore answers to these questions, we're really just using the deck to access thoughts and feelings that are already there. You can think of the cards like little flashlights, casting a glow on something tucked away. The idea or memory was already there. It's just way easier for it to catch your attention when you shine the light on it rather than eventually finding it because you happened to remember it was there and you groped around for it in the dark, or potentially just flat out stumbled on it by accident (shower thoughts, anyone?).

That's what Tarot is to me. It's my introspection flashlight. A structured way to slow down, center myself, and shine a light on something that's already up there, just out of sight. Anyone can do it.

Even you. I promise. :)