The Tarot is like a secretive map you can consult along your journey to identify the opportunities and pitfalls that you might run into during your life.
My experience with the Tarot is that I had never found it to be "wrong" when I believed it was wrong in the past; I have always learned later that I misinterpreted it.
With that being said, please understand that the Tarot will give you excellent guidance once you have mastered it. But you should never let it be your master. Everyone has free will and the ability to change their destiny.
Baby Witch Tip:
Use the Tarot as a guide. The Tarot can warn you of dangers in your future but remember it's a warning. The danger does not have to pass if you make the correct adjustments.
How does Tarot Work
The Tarot is a pack of seventy-eight playing cards (and each card contains a message within its image.) The cards have secrets that they share with you that are intended to provide the necessary guidance required during a particular time or situation in your life.
The Tarot communicates to you by the way the cards are prepared and chosen. Depending on the spread (the way you positioned the cards) will determine how you interpret the cards' message. You will also use the relationship and association of the cards with other cards based on their proximity to each other.
The Tarot contains images that will help you access information. You will use them as stepping stones between your conscious, subconscious, and super-conscious.
Be warned I use a 72 pack deck but the Tarot has many varieties of decks, and there is no set standard for the number of cards across the different decks. The types of cards, the suits, and their meanings are the same, the illustrations can vary greatly.
What are Tarot Cards used for
You can use the Tarot as a tool for personal guidance, divining the future, personal development, spiritual growth, and meditation.
I will do a spread if I’ve had a crappy day. I’ll ask the cards, what the hell was the point of all this? Yes, sometimes I get salty. And I usually get a nugget of wisdom out of the cards.
You can incorporate them into vision boards, focus on people’s feelings, finding the heart of a problem, etc. They are incredibly versatile.
You can ask the cards process questions, too. For example, how will this relationship play out? If I start this business, what are the factors I need to consider?
Tarot cards can be used for personal development rather than divination. Think of the difference between prediction and potential. People go to tarot readers to predict what decision they should make or predict what will happen to them.
With personal development, you are seeking to develop your own intuition. And you are also seeking to build a relationship between your self-conscious and subconscious mind. Because the subconscious mind works with images, tarot cards are a valuable tool to strengthen your intuition and get insights from your dreams.
Who Uses Tarot Cards
People from all different cultures, age groups, beliefs, and walks of life consult the Tarot. Teenagers to the elderly will use the Tarot. Businesspeople, doctors, teachers, artists, counselors, and factory workers consult the Tarot.
You do not need to have a special gift to read the Tarot. That is one of the amazing benefits of the Tarot. Anyone can learn to read and consult with it. The more you work with the Tarot, the more your intuition will heighten, and your psychic abilities will increase.
Everyone naturally has some degree of intuition. The majority of people do not recognize it or listen to it. Psychic development is like a muscle. The more you exercise it, the more toned it becomes.
Best Tarot Deck For Beginners
Any Tarot deck with a lot of detail in the pictures is good to start with, but for total beginners, I would recommend a deck that is based on Rider Waite Smith as most Tarot books and online resources are based on Rider Waite Smith.
Does a Tarot Deck Have to be Gifted to You
When there were more covens, a gifted one was the standard practice, but you would be hard-pressed now to have one gifted to you as there are so many solitary witches nowadays.
You do not need to be a witch to use the Tarot. The question is just something new witches ask sometimes. Witches used to gift other witches their first Tarot deck but that does not happen as often anymore.
I have purchased all of my Tarot decks myself, and I believe as long as you thoroughly cleanse the Tarot deck and only have your intentions in them, you will be just fine.
Can Tarot Cards Attract Spirits
Tarot cards do not innately attract spirits.
Tarot cards and other meditation tools, introspection, intuition, and divination (e.g. Tarot cards, runes, talking boards (Ouija boards), tea leaves, scrying, etc.) do not attract spirits in and of themselves. You can handle them, own them, learn about them as you would any other tool, book, or reference material without fear of unusual or paranormal activity.
Tools associated with divination and ritual can be used in magickal workings by those that follow a spiritual path to attract spirits.
The simple answer is yes, but that would have to be your intent. If you are using the Tarot for mediation or personal development, you do not need to worry about attracting spirits.
Of course, if you are worried about attracting spirits while using the Tarot, you can always set up protections. If you would like to learn how to do this, I wrote a blog post on it (Protection spells for spirits)