I just read Thumper Forge’s amazing entry about tarot and the validity of a witch’s identity as such. I have seen tarot become more and more popular as time goes by, lots of people getting interested in it for a myriad of reasons, and it’s all wonderful. It’s great. But then, when people impose the belief that you must read tarot cards to be a real witch… that’s when things become shady and unhealthy. This is an entry for whoever needs to read it and/or has been told they need to read tarot cards (or practice this or that) to be a “real witch.”
Tarot cards are practical, they are artistic, they are creative, and let’s admit it, they are absolutely popular. You can probably find a deck for whatever aesthetic you want, any fandom you are into, and some with wild concepts. You can study the cards non-stop and learn more about symbolism, meaning, metaphors, folklore, mythology, and more topics than you can imagine.
For my autistic brain, tarot cards are a witchcraft paradise. I cannot imagine my practice without them. They have also been the subject of many family readings in my hometown years ago. Friends and relatives ask me for readings all the time, and it’s nice to give them some guidance when they need it.
One of the most beautiful aspects of witchcraft is that everyone’s practice is unique. Our diversity as individuals becomes our diversity as witches, which permeates our practice, making it truly personal and our own. We (Most of us) practice what we preach, learn from each other, ot the point that everyone can become an expert in this method, or that approach, or these myths. Witchcraft is immeasurable, chaotic, messy, dirty, and straight-up glorious.
Can tarot decks reflect this? You’d better be sure they can.
But it doesn’t mean that tarot is the crown and glory of witchcraft. It is not Aradia’s magnum opus or the philosopher’s stone turned paper. It’s just another tool in a witch’s bottomless trunk of possibilities. Just look at any media with witches. They all specialize or focus on something.
I started using tarot cards in my senior year at 16-17 years old. I was already interested in witchcraft and loved spellwork. Folklore was a passion of mine. The whole world was new under this discovery that was witchcraft. And then came the cards.
What do you mean I can see what’s going to happen with just some paper? Sign me up.
Years later, I have used tarot cards for divination, guidance, spellwork, reiki sessions, family, friends, classmates, other witches, and even my husband. Tarot came to stay. It’s a fundamental part of my practice, but it is not the only element of my practice.
I learned how to use pendulums, crystals, and playing cards. I also became an avid reader of all things folklore, focused on Arab folklore, discovered coffee readings, and developed a sixth sense. Then I learned and worked extensively with the Fae from an Irish perspective after learning about the Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, until I fell in love with the folklore of my hometown. Sigil crafting, reiki, meditation, visualization, and psychic development are all aspects of my craft.
I dare you to tell me I would not be a witch if I didn’t have tarot in my arsenal. Not after all the potions I brewed, incantations I wrote, meditations I guided, rituals I did, crystals I cleansed, spirits I helped cross over, and guidance I gave to others.
There have been times when I left the cards aside for A LOT of reasons, and I was still a witch with all the words. A practice is meant to change, flow, evolve with time, grow as you learn, instead of staying stagnant or following a set of rules. Or, let me swallow my words: you make your rules. If you want to follow a tradition, that’s your rule to follow. If you want to learn about herbs instead of planets, that’s your rule to follow. But the rule is yours, not someone else’s.
I have met amazing witches with a gift for tarot cards, and others who mastered other aspects of the craft. All of them are witches in their own right, regardless of what the “witch police” would like us to believe. We are better than that, trying to put witchcraft into a nice, square box.
Read more on Patheos – Seek. Understand.
