My First Tarot Reading
For as long as I can remember I was fascinated by tarot cards and how they could foretell your future, but growing up Catholic I was taught in religion class and at home that they were forbidden. It was considered sinful to know what God had in store for you. I remember my dad took me once to the bookstore where I scoured the shelves not looking for anything in particular until I found a book with tarot cards that promised to teach you how to use it. I showed my dad, hoping my enthusiasm was enough to make him want to purchase it, but he promptly said no. Pouting, I returned it to the shelf, however, the restriction placed upon me only whetted my curiosity more. Years later I’d discover that what I was taught to fear helped me more than church did.
Even though I had always been interested in getting a tarot reading, these past couple of years I’d really been expressing that more because I wanted help dealing with some things I’ve been struggling with. This past November my mom learned through Facebook that my sister’s old friend was seeking clients to practice her tarot reading skills, so my mom gave me her number. I was so excited when I made an appointment with her two weeks later. My mom and sister came with me for moral support, because while I knew I wasn’t doing anything bad, I was still a little nervous. Pulling up for my appointment at Soul Centered Wellness immediately eased my nerves. The center was a large farmhouse style residence with spa-like rooms and a boutique immediately upon your entrance selling candles, crystals, and herbs.
A peaceful and tranquil atmosphere permeated the room I was led into for the reading where two soft blue armchairs faced each other separated by a round table between them. Two piles of cards, one light colored the other dark, rested on this table as I claimed a chair. I was seeking some comfort and healing from worrying so much about my son’s speech and socialization delays as well as fretting over wanting a new job, preferably in a writing related field, so I came to ask if my son would talk and if I would find a new stable job. Before we started, my tarot reader recited a kind of prayer, calling on my ancestors. I was surprised when she said my grandfather was there since it could only mean my mom’s dad who had long passed away. I found it strange because he didn’t raise her or have a relationship with her, so why would he care about me? I brushed it off but when I got in the car I remembered years ago I woke up in the middle of the night to find a man standing over me. It had frightened me and I was going to turn over to wake my then boyfriend, however, the man told me not to because I would only scare him. I couldn’t see the man’s face but I’d had the immediate thought then that he was a grandfather. I never thought he could be my grandfather since I’m not used to having one. Convinced that it couldn’t be a coincidence, I started asking my mom and her siblings more questions about their father, which led to some interesting stories. I wouldn’t have learned a little more about my grandfather’s history if my curiosity hadn’t been piqued after that tarot reading.
During the thirty-minute reading, I felt comfort as I received guidance in understanding what the cards represented. I found truth in what I learned about myself as we went through multiple cards each peeling back layers of my own potential and power. It left me feeling more confident in my own abilities and actions. When we got to my question concerning my work woes, she picked up the pale lilac deck of cards and shuffled them until a card fell out. The large card displayed a woman holding two coins. “The two coins means that you have choices.” She held up the card. “Finding a new job isn’t happening right away. It will take time.” It was reassuring to at least know I wasn’t stuck in my career path and to hear I did have options as I’d been mostly stressed about feeling stuck. We talked a lot about my state of mind, which was reflected in the cards, and it helped to talk about why I felt the way I did regarding needing a change. It validated my feelings and it was just nice to talk about it out loud.
She pulled another card of a woman holding a couple of cups. One empty cup floated in the air symbolizing that I was thinking too much about what I didn’t have instead of being grateful for all that I do have. Hearing that reminded me of the good life I have and what my job can afford me. She then picked up the black cards letting one fall for the question about my son. The card that appeared was a woman and a boy sitting next to each other on a rainbow with their backs facing me while shadows of people stood off in the distance at the tail end of the rainbow. “You’re both surrounded by a lot of love, and he’s very happy,” she explained to me. “He’s very smart and he will flourish.” This was true. My son is a very active, healthy, and happy child who’s always progressing in developing his skills. Her reassurance was an epiphany that I could worry less because he had such a great support system. He would be okay no matter what.
I felt a lot of peace leaving that tarot reading, which I found ironic seeing how religion had taught me to fear meddling with oracles. But I got more out of my reading than I expected. I learned that I needed to make more time for the things I like—basic self-care—which I’ve been more conscious of going into 2022. I feel much happier taking my time doing things that positively benefit me like not skipping my skincare routine at night when I’d rather go to bed, decluttering and organizing my closet, creating a vision board. I’m making a more conscious effort to foster the environment I occupy. In an accidental Amazon delivery, I received an extra Aloe Vera plant in January, the same plant I had ordered and given my sister this past Christmas from my own wish list; however, I kept it because it was apropos to my goal of bringing some nature into my home. I also started off the year reading more books, which I turned into a personal challenge for myself to see how many books I can read by the end of year. I planned ahead and wrote my blog posts for the beginning of the year in advance. I plan to continue juggling posting blogs and editing my second fictional story, which I started working on last March and finished at the end of the year. I even went back to the Soul Centered Wellness for one of their many healing and wellness treatments, an ionic foot detox therapy.
Since my experience with getting a tarot reading, I’ve felt lighter and more purposeful with my intentions. I’m more serious about being disciplined with doing the things that fulfill me as much as I’m disciplined with providing for my family, which is why I made a vision board to hang up and see the vision I have for myself every day. I’m glad I didn’t let fear stop me from what I’d been taught tarot cards were, trusting that I was going to a good person for my reading. We should always give ourselves permission to explore anything we think might benefit our soul and mind. It’s important to figure out for yourself what’s good for you without the negative opinion of others.