CAN TAROT PREDICT THE FUTURE?

‘Can tarot predict death?’ - one of the most googled phrases about tarot says a lot about all the misconceptions swirling around out there. I think I must be one of those lucky ones that managed to escape tarot horror stories growing up? I grew up in the Highlands of Scotland and went to some pretty tiny schools (10 pupils total anyone?!), in the days before the internet, so I guess those tall tales passed me by?!

I gravitated towards my first deck as a teen, and don’t remember having a jot of trepidation in using them, but I have heard so many talk of their fears around tarot. It makes me sad that some are missing out on the magic of tarot - so I’m here to lay down some truths about it and put your mind at ease! Bur first, a brief history of where they came from….

WHERE DOES TAROT COME FROM?

The short answer is, the cards originated in Italy in the late 14th century, and were used to play a specific card game akin to bridge, which was called tarocchi. Eventually, the game spread across Europe and was renamed Tarot. It actually wasn’t until the Occult became more popular in the late 18th century that the tarot was associated with the spiritual and mystical in the way it is today. You will have no doubt seen the most popular deck - the Rider-Waite (pictured above), which has remained the same since it’s first print in 1909. This is the deck to get if you’re starting out, as it’s the one nearly all tarot decks are based on - plus the illustrations with such incredible symbolism by Pamela Coleman Smith are just magic.

WILL TAROT PREDICT MY FUTURE?

Tarot cards are not here to tell your fortune, much as the media and society will try to tell you otherwise (cloaked woman in a dark room with a crystal ball spring to mind?). They will help to guide you and clarify any specific questions you have about, well, anything really. While it’s possible to interpret the cards in a ‘Yes/No’ manner, that’s not really what they are about (crack out a pendulum if that’s what you’re after). Tarot reading really is an artform, and different readers can have different interpretations of the same cards. You’ll find confirmation, guidance, support and clarity; but you won’t find your specific future foretold in a tarot spread. If you’re picturing a fortune teller revealing the day you’ll die and how, please don’t. Even if there are some challenging themes that come up, no decent tarot reader will be telling you that your life is about to fall apart - if they do, they’re more likely to be a con-man. Speaking of….

DOES THE DEATH CARD MEAN I AM GOING TO DIE?

Ummm, we are all going to die, but the Death card does not mean you or anyone you know will be dying any time soon. I don’t blame you for thinking that’s what the card is about though - I mean, how many films and tv shows have you seen that say otherwise? The woman (always a woman by the way - have you noticed that?) who reads the cards pulling Death, or the Devil, or the Tower, and telling the poor, unfortunate soul that they will soon be a goner…total rubbish. The cards are all about symbolism, and are not to b taken literally. Death, for example, is usually the marker of new beginnings - the end of one chapter and beginning of another. The Devil? That would be the ‘devil’ of your limiting beliefs holding you back. Oh, and the good old Tower - often called the ‘worst’ card of the deck - is all about external change. Things may happen that are out of your control - just go with it.

See now, not so bad, is it?

AM I GOING TO CONJURE AN EVIL SPIRIT IF I USE TAROT?

I think we have 70’s and 80s horror films to blame for this one? Tarot cards are just that - cards. They are a form of Divination, connecting to your higher self. So, unless you are an evil spirit, you’re good.

When you read cards for yourself, all you’re doing is tuning into your own inner guidance. The deck is merely a tool to help you navigate your thoughts more clearly. And while tarot readers aren’t all psychic, they will use their intuition to guide them in a reading. No connecting with Spirit required, and no chance of you conjuring one up when you pull a card either.

I’m sure I’ll have missed other myths, so let me know your fears or thoughts around tarot below, and I’ll answer any questions you have 👇🏻