Only Charlatans Read The Tarot, Look Into Crystal Balls & Stuff Like That

When some people think of the Tarot, they picture a reader dressed up in gypsy-like clothes, spreading the cards and telling the client what they want to hear. It’s all about the show and the money. But are Tarot readers, Psychics and Mediums really like this? No. They are not.

Although there are doubtlessly some charlatans out there, I’ve been lucky enough to encounter honest readers who are passionate about helping others. The key thing is to understand that a true Tarot reader, Psychic or Medium, won’t promise to tell you everything you ever wanted to know, or thrill you with stories of your wildest dreams coming true.

In reality, a Psychic or Mediumship reading is actually more like a therapeutic healing session. The cards drawn reveal things about the client’s character or life as it is now, and we can then share this information about them and help them think about choices they need to make, or problems that may come from these patterns. A genuine Tarot reading will give you insight and wisdom, and hopefully relief from things that have been bothering you. There are some truly excellent people who offer readings like this out there. One way to find them is to go through accredited groups like the Tarot Guild of Australia and the Tarot Association of the British Isles.

But Tarot isn’t just about members of the public consulting the oracle! The cards have also influenced and inspired people working in very different areas. In recent decades, for example, a number of psychotherapists have started offering sessions that use Tarot cards. The advantage here is that patients who might have trouble talking directly about their issues can do it through another medium, questioning and interpreting the drawn cards. Dr. Arthur Rosengarten is probably the most well known therapist who uses Tarot cards in the clinical space.

People in creative professions also sometimes use or are inspired by Tarot, and here’s a great article from The Guardian which speaks to the work of choreographer and dancer Jennifer Lacey and demonstrates that very thing.

If you’re interested in Tarot yourself, you’ve likely noticed that there is a huge range of decks to choose from. Tarot illustrators seem to take inspiration from everything, including traditional decks, animals, and even pop culture. It’s amazing to see the range of creativity and inspiration out there; I’d say there are easily thousands of different decks on the market today, including my own Tarot deck which was inspired by the healing offering of plants. You can take a quick peek at it in the Shop if you like.

Tarot-inspired artists also go beyond the standard Tarot deck, in fact, a number of esteemed art galleries have featured, and are featuring, shows of artworks or individual cards based on the Tarot, for example Poppy Williams work at China Heights Gallery and the work of Moncho 1929, a street artist whose work is being showcased by the LA gallery UNREPD.

The fun, time-consuming website TV Tropes also shows how other people in creative areas, from writers, to filmmakers, to comic book artists, have taken inspiration from the Tarot and included it in all sorts of popular culture works.

So no, the Tarot isn’t just something relegated to a dark, velvet-draped room. It’s probably at least a small part of most of our lives every day.. When is the last time you saw, read, or experienced something that was inspired or influenced by the Tarot?