So, the other day, I got this wild hair to dive into Jungian Tarot. I’ve always been intrigued by Tarot, but never really “got it,” you know? It seemed more like a party trick than anything else. But I’d heard about this whole Jungian approach, connecting it to psychology and archetypes, and that piqued my interest. I’m no shrink, but the idea of Tarot as a tool for self-discovery rather than fortune-telling sounded pretty cool.
First off, I had to actually find some resources. Turns out, there’s a decent amount of stuff out there once you start looking. I stumbled upon this online course by some Jungian analyst guy, Ken James, which seemed like a good starting point. I also found this YouTube channel, “Tarot by the Tree,” which breaks down each card’s symbolism in a way that even I could understand. I decided I needed some cards. So I bought a tarot card deck from a store. It looks so pretty and amazing.
I started with the YouTube videos, just trying to get a feel for the basics. The “Tarot by the Tree” channel was surprisingly helpful. This woman explains each card, not like memorizing some keywords, but really understanding the underlying meaning, the archetypes, and how they connect to our own lives. It was like learning a new language, but one that felt strangely familiar.
Then I moved on to the course. It was a bit denser, but it really started to connect the dots between Tarot and Jungian psychology. It talked a lot about the “collective unconscious,” which is basically this idea that we all share these universal symbols and stories deep down inside us. And Tarot, according to this course, is a way to tap into that collective unconscious, to bring those hidden parts of ourselves to the surface.
Here’s where it got interesting. I started doing some readings, not for other people, but for myself. I would shuffle the deck, focus on a question or an issue I was dealing with, and then draw some cards. At first, I felt kind of silly, but I stuck with it, and I began to realize that I had been ignoring my emotions, and I needed to make some changes in my life.
- I’d look at the symbols on the cards, and think about what they meant based on what I’d learned.
- Then, I’d try to connect those symbols to my own life, my own experiences, my own feelings.
- And more often than not, I’d have these little “aha” moments, where things would just click.
It wasn’t about predicting the future. It was about looking at my present situation from a different angle, seeing the patterns and the archetypes at play. Started getting some insights into my own behavior, my own motivations. It was like the cards were holding up a mirror, reflecting back parts of myself that I hadn’t been paying attention to.
My reflection
Now, I’m still a beginner. I’m not claiming to be some Tarot master or anything. But I’ve found it to be a really useful tool for self-reflection. It’s like having a conversation with myself, but through the language of symbols. And it’s helped me to understand myself a little better, to see things from a different perspective, and to even make some positive changes in my life. I also shared it with my friends. I have to say, I didn’t expect to learn so much about myself when I first started. I think I will keep learning this. If you’re curious about Tarot, but put off by the whole fortune-telling thing, I’d definitely recommend checking out the Jungian approach. It might surprise you.
