Tarot Myths Busted

Tarot is very easily misunderstood – after all, there are so many different decks, explanatory books and ways of reading. I’ve been reading tarot for the past 12+ years and would like to share my interpretation of the “step-children,” i.e. the most misunderstood and often feared cards in the deck:

XIII – Death

This is actually one of my favorites. Death usually means rebirth, a new beginning, and a brand new start – a death to one’s old way of being. Where the Tower foretells a certain disruptive energy, the Death card generally shows that a certain process has already run its course, and the individual is now experiencing relief and new energy. This card means that the worst is over, and from here one starts anew. It usually tells me that the person has done “the work,” and is now being rewarded with a new start. Therefore, this is actually one of the most positive cards in the deck.

XV – The Devil

Every time I read for anyone and the Devil shows up, they tend to get scared. Yes, one can say that the Devil does heed a warning. But the warning is more about self-indulgence, addiction, unhealthy attachments, false ideals and superficial obsessions. The Devil is all about exercising more self-control and understanding that the bigger house, larger salary, better title or perfect-looking partner does not necessarily bring the happiness we seek, but might, in fact, enslave us, leaving us stuck. The superficial and quite often self-destructive attachments a person might so stubbornly hold on to may actually cause a lot of destruction. The Devil shows a person who either acts superficial, or focuses on superficial means to make themselves look good, or provide a false sense of security. It shows me a person who either stubbornly refuses to grow, or is literally incapable to release what is holding them back at the time of the reading.

XVI – The Tower

The Tower often gets interpreted as a a very destructive and negative card. However, I interpret the Tower as the death of one’s ego, or current situation. The Tower usually signifies a need to embrace change. It focuses mostly on one’s own inauthenticities. Generally, the more dishonest/inauthentic one is with themselves, the bigger the disruption that the Tower card foretells will be. Yet with this disruption usually also tends to come a fresh slate, which actually makes the Tower a positive card to me. Where Death shows a new beginning, the Tower shows that the ball has started rolling, and change is going to come, whether you’re ready for it or not! It is all about being true to yourself, and almost feels as if the Universe is telling you that “You’ve stalled long enough. Now it’s time to face the consequences of your actions, or lack thereof.” The Tower card, for example, might show up for a person who refuses to leave a stalemate job. Even though they are miserable and bored, they refuse to move on, until the company folds and they are forced to leave and find a new position. Such is a perfect scenario for the Tower to appear within a reading.

The most important thing I always stress about any reading is that there is no such thing as foretelling the future!

The reason is simple. We are all human, and therefore blessed with free will. What I can foretell with accuracy is the most likely outcome, based on a person’s current path, ways of being and frame of mind. Changing anything in said path can and usually will influence the predicted outcome. What makes most predictions so accurate is the fact that most human behaviors are rather predictable. Not too many people really change their ways of thinking or being overnight. So, based on what their path has been and currently is, I can generally see, with pretty high accuracy, where their path is going to take them. But no tarot reading is carved in stone, just as no card has only one meaning. Any and every card can change its meaning based on what is surrounding it. It is the full spread that tells me the story. So even the Devil can turn into a positive card, namely if I see it in a past position, showing that someone has overcome that which held them back.

To me, the Tarot is a tool that was designed to help out when one finds oneself at a cross-road and is unsure about how to proceed. The tarot can offer clarity and a certain neutrality that we often cannot achieve on our own, because by design, we are biased towards our own situation and outcome. The Tarot is my favorite oracle, because it paints, literally, a picture of where I came from, where I am at and where I am going. And while I may very well be able to know these things without the Tarot, there is a certain relief in getting confirmation from another, or clarification if I am way off, because I may have clung to wishful thinking.