78 Magickal Tools: Bringing the Magick of Tarot to your Pagan Path

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Reveal, Deal, Heal: Three Cards for Beltaine

It’s been a busy winter. As I prepare to be a headliner at FPG Beltaine in a few weeks I find myself contemplating Beltaine as a holiday of healing.

 

Typically, we associate Beltaine with fertility, merriment, and lusty celebration, rather than deep self-reflection. Yet, sometimes these are two sides of the same coin.

 

Consider Major Arcana 6, The Lovers. In the Waite Smith illustration, we clearly see the airy Gemini nature of this card as the man looks longingly at the woman while she gazes at the angel.

 

In many more modern illustrations and descriptions we see the man and the woman intimately embracing. In these depictions of Major Arcana 6 we see the sacred union of opposites, the Divine Marriage, and the lusty rites of spring.

 

Often, though, in divination, Major Arcana 6, the Lovers, will appear to remind you to be a good partner to yourself, to make choices that serve your highest good, and to act in your own best interest. Very often, the ultimate message of the Lovers in this context is the admonition to heal oneself.

 

Perhaps self-healing is the most genuine act of self-love possible.

Just as tarot is a tool of divination, so it is also a tool of magick, and of healing.

Here is a three-card tarot spread that I’ve developed to quickly identify a behavior or area of life that needs healing and to offer information about the path toward healing.

 

The trick in performing this spread is to consider the cards you receive on a number of levels. First, of course, simply perform the divination. As you do, consider both practical and psychological advices the cards may be offering.

 

Then, look to the three cards for magickal advice. How can you work with energy and ritual to help affect your healing and transformation?

 

When performing this spread, you have the option of using the first card to identify the issue from which you need to heal at the current moment. Or, you can focus on a specific area of life where you have already identified a need for healing and start with the intention of facilitating healing for that specific issue.

 

I call this spread “Reveal, Deal and Heal”.

 

Shuffle, focus either on your need for healing in general, or your desire to heal from a specific issue.

 

Card 1 is “Reveal”. This card will discuss your problem and give insight into your current issue.

Card 2 is “Deal”. This card will discuss the ways (either healthy, unhealthy or both) that you are using to manage this issue currently. This card may also offer advice for temporary and immediate ways to deal with the problem that may provide some quick relief.

 

Card 3 is “Heal”. This card gives advice, insight and ideas for practical ways you can embrace healing. It can offer new perspectives that can bring new energy and tell you what you need to do to make things better.

After performing and interpreting your three-card divination, consider the cards you received from a magickal perspective specifically.

Look to these cards for spiritual support, ritual inspiration and magickal opportunity. What do I mean by that? Let me share a sample reading.

 

I did this reading for myself. I decided not to focus on a particular area of need; truly, I have been feeling relatively happy and balanced these days, so I was ready to see where the Universe felt my attention was needed.

Card 1, then, would reveal the problem.  I couldn’t help but laugh when the Eight of Swords presented itself squarely in this first position. To be honest, had I chosen an area of concern it would have been my tendency toward that Eight of Swords trap of anxious overthinking.

 

Sometimes the cards speak so clearly, and so poignantly. Other times, we have to dig a little to figure out their messages. As diviners we must learn to value both the times we are amazed by simple clarity and the times we are challenged to contemplation.

While my card 1 spoke with such a clear voice, my card 2 required some digging. My “Deal” card was the King of Cups. What could this mean?

On a practical level, I must admit that my dear husband is often a rudder for me, helping me to stay on course when the winds of uncertainly start to whip my head around. He certainly helps me deal with my raging thoughts and chattering monkey mind.

On a deeper level, I see the King of Cups as the epitome of compassion; specifically, as one who shares compassion with others. Every day I have the opportunity to be compassionate with others who come to my tarot table for insight. Do sometimes use my work to escape from my own worries? Of course, I do!

 

When we look to this second card for advice in how I could better deal with my issues in the future, I remember something else about the King of Cups. He is the highest level of his element. As such, he can represent a mastery of his element.

Perhaps this is telling me that I must learn to master my emotions. That without the fuel of my emotions my brain would have nothing to obsessively chew on.

 

My third card, “Heal”, is Strength reversed. For me, this is a stark contrast – an opposite, really – to the King of Cups. When I see Strength reversed I often see anger. The inner beast is out of control. To me, this feels more like what needs to be healed rather than the way toward healing.

And yet, the way to healing is always acknowledgement. Perhaps I need to be better at acknowledging the things that upset me. Perhaps the more I meet issues head-on, the less anxiety those issues will give me.

That was a very interesting and insightful reading, offering a great deal of insight and practical advice. Now, it’s time to look at the cards from a magickal perspective.

 

What do we see in these cards, their images and their correspondences that might give us inspiration for healing energy work?

 

I am draw to the third card for three reasons. First, because the position is the “Heal” position, it’s where I would look first for clues. Second, it’s the only Major Arcana card. Third, it’s the only reversed card.

As I’ve written here before, Rachel Pollack tells us that every reversed card is an opportunity for magick. The first thing I want to do here is consciously and ceremoniously right the reversal. As I do, I speak the following.

 

“As I turn this card right, I welcome into my heart, and into my life, it’s energy of strength. May my internal life force be as strong as this lion. May my internal wisdom be as strong as this lady. May these two aspects of myself work in concert and in balance, that I may trust in my abilities, and respond to all situations appropriately.”

As I turn the card, I consider that its elemental nature is Fire. I focus on breathing into my solar plexus to stoke my internal fire. There is an aspect of this card that speaks to me of confidence. I recognize that, if I were truly confident, I wouldn’t be tied up and in a cage of my own thoughts. As I breathe, I let the internal flames of my confidence grow, and picture them burning away fear and doubt, and replacing it with warmth and confidence.

After this, I felt complete, and at peace.

 

As I look to these three cards, I see much more possible inspiration for magick. Wherever your mind, your heart, your imagination and your vision take you is where you can go. Perhaps the circle of swords might make you think of casting a formal circle. Perhaps the bound and blindfolded woman might cause you to consider a ritual of initiation. Perhaps the King of Cups might inspire you to meditate on the beach, or to cast you worries into the ocean.

As with all tarot work, each session will be unique, and there are no right or wrong answers.

Please try this magickal healing spread. If you like you can post your results in the comments!

Beltaine blessings to all!

-Christiana

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Christiana Gaudet, an eclectic Pagan, has worked as a full-time tarot reader and teacher since the early 1990s.  From her home in South Florida she offers readings and private instruction by Skype and telephone, as well as tarot and spiritual webinars.  Christiana's first book, "Fortune Stellar: What Every Professional Tarot Reader Needs to Know" is designed to help each tarot professional build a unique and successful tarot business.  Her new book, "Tarot Tour Guide: Tarot, the Four Elements and Your Spiritual Journey" explores ways of using and understanding tarot by understanding the Four Elements. Christiana is a popular speaker at festivals and conferences, and has done a great deal of psychic work on broadcast radio and television.

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