Do you feel stressed out, worn out or worried about life in general? Do you have a spiritual goal you wish to achieve? Or a goal you are working towards magically? For all of these, meditation is often the answer, or at least the first step to coming up with a solution. 

Tarot in meditation

The tarot has the unique ability to unlock energies within us through the power of symbolism. Not just "a symbol" but a collection of many symbols, that combine to make a very powerful tapestry for our minds. 

Meditation to a goal

Let's say you are feeling down or depressed. Simply staring at an uplifting tarot card can help you mind cope with the feeling. Staring at the four of wands in an altered, meditative state can bring a feeling of happiness, contentment, at least on decks with a variation on the traditional symbolism of a couple, or various people, dancing a celebration.

The universal archetypes of Tarot symbolism—seventy-eight cards with literally thousands of symbols—are one of the reasons Tarot cards are so effective in divination. By tuning with the higher consciousness, and speaking through "collective consciousness" symbols, the higher self or the divine (depending on your beliefs) can communicate with you.

Divination  may be the more glamorous application of Tarot cards, but meditation is probably one of the most effective uses of these powerful portals to higher consciousness. Tarot—particularly traditional tarot such as Rider Waite which overtly use universal archetypes—can literally open the mind. Using standard altered-consciousness style meditation, or empty mind meditation, while staring fixedly at a Tarot card can bring remarkable visions, insight, even astral journeys. At the least, it helps us learn the Tarot symbolism more intimately. 

Tarot cards as intimate connections to the spiritual or divine

Whatever your views on spiritualism or religion, universal symbols connect us with the spirit. Using whatever deck theme appeals to us, provided it contains archetypal symbols that resonate with your beliefs, meditation can work in a number of illuminating ways:

• help you achieve an altered state sufficient for astral journeying, magic or spiritual enlightenment quests

• open doorways to the inner, higher self

• be used to enhance and visualize during shamanic journeying

• be used in spellwork, and also high magic

• bring you to a level of relaxation that is healthful 

A Tarot meditation exercise

This exercise can be used in a number of ways to achieve specific goals:

1. As a learning meditation as you study cards, in which case pick either a card you wish to develop intimacy with, a card that is difficult for you (often Death fits this bill), or a random pull.

2. As a trigger for journeying, in which case pick a card with symbols that resonate with your journey goal

3. As an active solution: in which case shuffle the deck as you normally would, asking for a card that represents the energy you need now in your life to solve your key problems.

3. As a focus for magic: in which case choose a card that contains symbols that represent either your goal, or your steps to the goal. You might choose three cards, for example, one representing current situation, one representing action to the goal, one representing the goal accomplished.

Choose your favorite deck, find a safe and quiet place to meditate, then center yourself by any means that works for you. A Zen Buddhist might empty the mind. A Wiccan might call up a circle. A Christian might pray. A nature lover might sit outside in the sunshine. What matters is what you believe in. 

As you work through this exercise, or the simpler one below, remember not to stress out if it seems that nothing has happened, or that you don't feel you relaxed or entered a higher state of consciousness. For some of us, it happens quietly in the background. Regardless of what you see or feel, the meditation has an effect on your subconscious mind.

Longer meditation method

• Sit in any pose that doesn't strain for you: sitting, yoga posture, lying down. Ideally, if your health allows, sit upright with a straight spine to facilitate the flow of energies in the chakras.

• Candles for illumination and subtle incense can help put you in the mood.

• Pick a card for the meditation: either randomly or by choose, depending on your goals. 

• First empty the mind and relax by whatever methods work for you. Some people empty the mind by staring fixedly at a blank wall, some meditate on a deity, some close their eyes or half close their eyes and let their mind dance, some engage in mantra chanting or drum work. Try to relax further into the altered state.

• Now stare fixedly at the card, either holding it, or placing it where you can easily see it. Take in every detail. Look at each symbol: the bird flying across the sky, the water lapping one side of the boat, but not the other, the moon, the dog barking, the crab. Take it all in. 

• Try closing your eyes and visualizing what you just took in. Try to see al the details. If you are not good at visualizing (many of us are not!) keep your eyes open and just stare fixedly until you move into an altered state.

• The above exercise may be enough for one session, but in follow up sessions, or if you feel ambitious, the next step is to visualize yourself in the scene on the card. If you are a visualizer, close your eyes with the card held in mind, three dimensionalize the scene, and visualize yourself in it. If you are in an altered state this should be achievable with a few tries.

• If you are in an altered state, it will feel real, buzzy or thrilling to you. Let yourself interact spontaneously with the characters in the card.

• If you are using tis method to journey shamanically, or to travel the great tree of life in the Kaballa tradition, then set your purpose in mind, and visualize accordingly.

• Let your mind wander and find its own way, in the same way a Buddhist would empty her mind, then let the thoughts just travel through their minds without control, watching them, rather than trying to "stop them." In Tarot meditation it is valuable to just let the journey happen. Your fears or desires might take you exactly where you need to be.

• If you are using this for spellwork, layout the cards in a formation that's meaningful, then meditate on the goal or create a spell or mantra with that in mind and chant in an altered state while staring at the cards.

Decks you should use

All decks can be used for meditation, especially if you're simply mediating quietly on the images, without a specific goal. Although a pagan or Wiccan may prefer a pagan or Wiccan-themed deck for meditation, the truth is that symbols are symbols. The most universal beginner deck is still Rider Waite, regardless of tradition. Although there are some apparently Christian-specific themes on a very few cards, such as angels, these are not actually "preachy" cards and contain the most complete set of archetypal symbols available. For example, Angels are not Christian, they are a universal symbol of various key themes, depending on attributes and pose. And angels are universal to nearly all spiritual traditions, from Wicccans (where practitioners regularly call to the archangels of the quarters) to Judaism, to Islam to Buddhism (where they are more commonly thought of as Daikini, of sky walkers). 

Alternative meditation method

A simpler meditation is just to sit somewhere quietly, randomly draw a card, and stare at the card until you feel relaxed. Let your relaxed mind control the journey.