Cards in the Wild - Convening with Tarot in Everyday Life
Did you know you can read and receive messages from tarot without any cards?
As you engage with, learn more about and integrate the system of tarot, more happens than simply becoming a competent reader. You also become at one with its keys and the universal language of symbolism. And the more you notice, the more this system speaks, and the deeper your connection with it grows.
This morning, for example, I was on a walk and in my pocket, I had with me the Ace of Cups. It was something I’d been contemplating and I wanted to keep that stream flowing. Well, as synchronicity would have it, I encountered 2 adult doves and their babies pecking around a lawn for food. Of course, there is a dove featured on the Ace of Cups so, meaningful or not, I take this as a nod; the universe working in tandem with a body of symbolism that is now stored within me.
But you don’t need a card in your pocket to observe these signs. For example, maybe you’re at the grocery store and in the floral department you notice a beautiful display of sunflowers - might the Queen of Wands be making a subtle appearance at that moment? Or perhaps you’re exploring a new city and happen to notice a church with prominent stained glass windows - could the 4 of Swords have a message for you?
And we don’t need to limit this to visual signs and symbols. You can find the cards in a passage of a book, a discarded note, a billboard poster, graffiti, or a license plate. Or perhaps you will find the cards speaking to you through a song on the radio or a conversation overheard in passing.
And maybe these conversations will take place in more intimate settings, in dreams for example. If you’re someone who remembers theirs, write one down as soon as you wake up and ask yourself - did the overall theme of the dream resemble any tarot card in particular? Or, was there a symbol in the dream that can also be found within the cards?
Of course, there are both intentional and unintentional ways of interacting with the language of tarot in everyday life. Unintentionally, you may find yourself running into the symbology of the deck out in the wild, randomly during the day, through any form of media or exchange.
On the other hand, you could also very intentionally invite this conversation, as a sort of divinatory or integrative approach. Let’s explore a few examples of intentionally conversing with tarot without a deck in hand.
Go on a tarot walk (a term Tim coined the other day). Bring your camera or a notepad and record any instance where a tarot card spoke to you through the landscape or environment. Maybe it will be through a bird, a flower, a sign or poster as just a few examples of where to look! For example, a red rose may remind you of The Magician or a rabbit may make you think of the Queen of Pentacles.
Visit your camera roll from the last week. Is there a picture you can spot that captures the essence of a card? A symbol? A subtle or obvious nod?
Do some bibliomancy. Grab your favourite book or work of poetry and flip to a random passage. Read it, reflect on it, and ask yourself - what card does the essence of this piece capture?
Spin your playlist. Pull up one of your music playlists and hit random. What song did it land on and does that song contain a lyric or mood that emulates a specific card? What card is it and what may its message be?
Now let me show you a few examples of this practice in motion. Before reading the caption beneath each, see if you can identify what tarot card I may have related the find to!
Iris’ from the garden, like those found in Temperance.
A little gummy fish, a childhood treat, reminiscent of the Page of Cups.
A slug we found in the vegetable garden that hitched a ride on Tim’s head, landing then on our back patio table - perhaps a nod to the 9 of Pentacles.
A goat we met at a local farm, like the sign of Capricorn, which rules the Devil card.
This one’s a giveaway since the card is right there, but here is a passage from the Tao Te Ching that reminded me of the High Priestess.
So you see, there are no shortage of examples and opportunities for the cards to speak. And in most of these unintentional cases where we captured these images, the circumstances were simple and mundane and came so easily. And not only do these nods potentially contain messages, they also come with the assurance that if you’re receiving them, you’re most definitely growing in your practice. The symbols and attributes are becoming a part of your being and your intuition is expanding as a result. Remain open, curious, and just listen - what is tarot speaking to your today?
Julia