With a new understanding of the divination process after Synchronicity Tarot Club’s April 7 event, I felt it only appropriate to initiate this discussion by reading a one-card spread to offer perspective on how I should proceed with this article. As I shuffle my tarot deck, I feel a sense of connection with the cards. I remove a card from the deck and refer back to my book, as I am still a novice in the world of tarot. I reveal the six of cups. Symbolic of childhood innocence, simple pleasures, and a reminder to be open-minded after the harsh realities of life weigh upon your spirit, the art of tarot can offer new perspective by removing you from your traditional cognitive processes.
On April 7, senior Erika Hurth invited tarot specialist and former psychologist Theresa Carmody to campus to give a lecture on tarot. Carmody discussed the symbolism of the typical Rider-Waite tarot deck, which contains 22 Major Arcana, 40 Minor Arcana, and 16 Court Cards. The discussion was held in Eliot 126, and ended with a mesmerizing spectacle in which Carmody displayed a tarot spread she created, a reading of one of the student participants, and offering a model for a traditional reading. Hurth offered advice about reading and gave insight into modern theories about the initial creation of the tarot deck. The discussion was extremely encouraging and insightful for me, someone new to the world of divination, and Hurth claimed that the cards are meant to be used in any manner that the agent feels is correct. Joking that she even used them as bookmarks from time to time, made me feel that I need not worry about the notion of failing when connecting with the tarot. I left the lecture with a sense of peace and motivation, knowing that the world of tarot is much more accessible than previously thought.
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The Art of Tarot
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