My First Tarot Deck
When is the last time that a surprise showed up in your life that brought you big delight? Keep in mind, this was initially written at the end of February, so times were very different. However, the sentiment still rings true.
Whether it was (pre-Rona) running into someone you love and haven’t seen in ages, a kind gesture from a stranger, a tiny plant, seeing the sunshine and a blue sky, or finding forgotten cash in a pocket, little things can make a big difference in our lives. Now more than ever. And that’s exactly what happened when I received my first tarot deck!
We’ve established my witchy woowoo tendencies, so it should not be a surprise that tarot is in my life. My therapist introduced me to the Osho Zen Tarot deck a few years ago, and when I was looking to add a ritual practice to my life, she suggested I pull a card daily. So, being the leading edge millennial that I am, I downloaded the app and set up a reminder. Every morning I open the app to pull a card and then read about what it means. Sometimes I don’t agree with the given meaning, but find my own understanding of the message that the universe is offering me.
Imagine my big delight, when upon signing up for a breathwork/mind mastery program, our fierce-ass leader (better than fearless, why invite the f-word in?) sent tarot decks to each participant. And it was the Osho deck! One that I was already familiar with, and have been playing with digitally, has shown up physically in my life for some real work and understanding.
As I sat shuffling the cards, my excitement grew - it’s one thing to have a familiarity with a deck through an app on your phone, it is something totally different to hold the cards in your hands. To feel the weight of the paper stock, the glare from the lights, to thumb through the booklet that provides additional insight. The first spread I did for myself was one of my favorites, the Flying Bird. You start with a central card that is your ‘here and now’ and then you pull six more cards alternating between the left (feminine) and right (masculine) sides. And let me tell you that was a POWERFUL spread! I explored feeling stuck and saw the cards unfold in a way that made perfect sense for me.
Since that first spread for myself, I read for two friends in person, and then the world changed. I wasn’t comfortable with the idea of doing digital readings at first, but after a couple of kind test subjects, I’m really loving reading for someone else. Tarot is very personal, it is a meditation that I’m grateful to have the chance to cultivate and practice. After all, the whole point is the journey. Cheers to this journey in 2020!*
*In a pre-Rona world, this “cheers to [insert thing here] in 2020!” felt ok. I’m not sure it still does, but I decided to try running with it for the year. We’ll see how it goes…