When you’re stressed, confused, and flailing to make sense of the world in the darkest of nights, the occult may be the lifeline you can grab on. Tarot, astrology, and mediumship can suggest guidance on how to grapple with ongoing crises.
It is not just fortune-telling; the best use of them is to pore over the past through a different lens and gain meaning from what happened and its subsequent impact on the person we are. This knowing perspective puts us on a higher standpoint that raises our awareness of how the world works, not on the surface, but with emotional depth and spiritual consciousness.
This enlightenment allows us to emerge from the confusion and pain of a bad day and learn how to accept the present. Equipped with a wiser understanding of ourselves and our relationships, we can feel ready to move forward. The future becomes more precise with the aid of the occult.
So, what do tarot readers, astrologers, and psychic mediums do? How can each of them help? Let’s open our minds and learn about these popular branches of esoteric studies.
Tarot
Tarot refers to the practice of using tarot cards to answer questions. A traditional tarot deck has 78 cards, divided into the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana, each with its imagery and commonly accepted meaning. On receiving a question, a tarot reader holds it in mind while shuffling the cards face down, then choosing the ones they feel have the answer. Laying these cards face up, they read their meanings concerning the question posed. They may also pick more cards to clarify the answer.
The practice of tarot reading dates back to 15th century Italy. Since then, tarot reading has evolved into an esoteric practice with a respectable following worldwide.
The most classic tarot deck in the English-speaking world is the Rider-Waite Tarot, first published in the early 19th century in the UK, whose symbolic conventions have been followed by many subsequent decks.
Despite the European origin of the tarot imageries, people from different cultures have found ways to resonate with the cards. New tarot decks with multicultural imagery are released annually, featuring designs from various artists, themes, and styles. It shows that spiritual pursuits, such as contemplative meditation and yoga, are borderless wherever they originate.
An offshoot of tarot is the Lenormand cards. With 36 cards, Lenormand is easier to master and focuses on pragmatic everyday life. Tarot and Lenormand are often used together for complementary effects.
A related cartomancy is oracle cards, with imageries departing from the accepted tarot symbols. Oracle card artists can freely illustrate any imagery in any way they want. Without any set rules, oracle cards offer the practitioners more imagination in interpretation.
The relationship between the reader and the tarot deck
Every tarot reader has their way of relating to the tarot cards. Many believe a tarot deck has a spirit of its own, and the reader must maintain a good relationship with the deck to get satisfactory answers. The relationship might involve an important friendship or mentorship (with the tarot deck as the mentor).
The tarot deck may also reject a new reader due to a lack of energetic compatibility. The reader, then, has to find a way to release the deck by giving the cards away to a more suitable reader or using them only sparingly. Such mutuality is crucial in the bond between the reader and the deck.
A tarot deck only answers some of the questions equally well. With regular use, the reader gradually recognizes their particular strengths, and they will have a deck for the occasion.
For example, the reader will choose the deck that best answers relationship questions such as marriage advice or how to best heal from a divorce. Or if you need work advice, such as whether certain behavior at work might put you at risk of losing your job. Also, depending on the kind of trouble you are in, the reader may switch to a different deck that focuses on giving career guidance such as steering you to consider searching for and finding a new job.
Energy is the most essential element in a tarot deck. Because the cards are believed to hold a spirit and have their own personality, they may get tired after specific questions. To avoid random answers that do not make sense, the tarot reader takes care to tune into the vibe of the deck at the moment. They may even decide whether to do a reading at all or just let the cards talk to them.
Interested in getting into tarot? Here are the best resources for beginners:
Crystals, tarot, and energy
Crystals are often used in tarot reading. Believed to have their own energy, crystals can enhance the reader’s intuition, allowing them to establish a flowing connection with the tarot cards. If the tarot cards are particularly demanding, crystals are believed to help preserve the reader’s energy.
Can tarot readers read themselves?
Tarot readers start practicing by reading for themselves, but with time, they will realize some queries are best not answered by their decks. They still need a second opinion from another reader.
Why do people believe in tarot?
Tarot is a simple way to get answers to specific questions. A good, compatible tarot reader can give straightforward answers in a 15-minute reading.
The card imageries are highly evocative, especially to someone well-versed in Western European cultural traditions. Each tarot card paints a story, so the readers are invited to contemplate the image and their possible meanings. Moreover, their rich symbolic language, such as Cups signify emotions, is easy to understand, enabling enthusiasts to resonate with their significance.
What makes a good tarot reader?
A good tarot reader has strong psychic intuition to tune in the energetic vibrations of the cards and the querent. They should nurture a good relationship with their tarot decks to render legible messages from the cards’ symbolic representations. They should also be willing to help you get thorough answers to your question, such as drawing more cards to clarify the query.
Tarot versus astrology
Tarot reading requires knowledge of tarot cards and their dynamics. Forming and maintaining an energetic connection with the cards is essential for a reader to receive the most faithful answers. Meanwhile, astrology requires knowledge of planetary charts and their elements.
Tarot readers use their intuition to tune into the energy and listen for the messages from the cards, while astrologers analyze charts to uncover cosmic influences and patterns.
Astrology demands more rigorous study than tarot, making it more technical for practitioners.
If you are looking for a complete picture of an issue, you may want to try both:
- An astrological analysis to unearth patterns that are influencing the issue.
- A tarot reading to hone into the vibration of a particular aspect of the issue.
Astrology
Astrology is the ancient study of planetary movements and how they influence human affairs. The central tenet in astrology is “as above, so below,” meaning what is happening in the sky is reflected in the earthly lives below.
The idea of astrology – observing celestial bodies to divine meanings about human life – is not unique. It can be found in many divination practices, such as the Zi Wei Dou Shu in China or Aztec Rituals.
Because of such ancient history, astrology has many branches, such as Vedic Astrology (most popular in India). These branches share some basic concepts, such as birth charts and transits, but they differ considerably in their interpretations.
Western Astrology is commonly practiced in the US and originated from Vedic astrology. This article focuses on this branch of astrology for the sake of simplicity.
Your birth chart
In Western Astrology, each of us has a birth chart (or a natal chart) that records the positions of the planets at the exact time of our birth. To calculate your birth chart, you need:
- Your birthday
- Precise birth time, such as 7:35 PM
- Birthplace, such as Los Angeles.
Then, input these data into one of these birth chart calculators to obtain your chart:
This is the easy step. The next one is much harder: reading your chart. Your birth chart is believed to contain vast information about you, such as:
- Personality, insecurities, and fears
- Abilities, strengths, and limitations
- Approach to relationships and the important people in your life
- Most suited career or life calling
- Illusions and secrets
- And more!
How to read a birth chart
Reading a birth chart is like studying a complex structure unique to each individual. There are layers of meanings:
- The planets
- The signs
- The houses
- The aspects between the planets (the dynamics between them)
- Important axes: the nodes, the AC – DC axis, and the MC – IC axis.
How all of the above work together to influence the individual.
The planets
In astrology, the ten planets are Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto.
Of course, for the realism-minded person, the Sun, the Moon, and even Pluto are not actual planets. Since astrology originated when humans could only gaze at the sky with bare eyes or a telescope, they are considered planets.
Each planet stands for a particular aspect of our psyche, such as Mars stands for our survival instinct, way of taking action, and how we lead, compete, assert, and fight for ourselves.
The signs
You may have heard of the 12 signs: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces.
In reality, these signs are constellations. In the naked eyes of ancient astrologers, they were slices of the sky, believed to represent the entire heaven. These astrologers observed that all ten planets traveled through each sign in a predictable cycle. The Sun, for example, takes a year to complete a cycle around the 12 signs.
Astrologically speaking, when a planet is in a sign, it takes on the characteristic of that sign. For example, Mars in Aries is different from Mars in Libra. Aries is combative, while Libra is diplomatic. Marses care about winning, but Mars in Aries thrives in a single-person physical confrontation, and Mars in Libra prefers to lead a partnership.
The aspects
The aspects refer to the relationships between the planets, whether they work well together or conflict.
For example, Venus in Aquarius, an Air sign, is harmonious with Venus in Libra, another air sign.
The houses
The 12 houses number from the 1st house to the 12th house, each governing an aspect of life. For instance, the 4th house represents your home and familial origin, while the 6th house rules your daily work, routine, and health.
The synthesis
Now let’s put it all together. The combination of the planets, signs, houses, and aspects make up the whole picture of a birth chart.
For instance, a thorough astrologer considers not just your Moon in Leo. They would go deeper: the Moon in Leo, the 10th house, and opposite Mars. Each layer of meaning has to be integrated to form the full picture of your Moon, which signifies your instinctive emotional needs, sense of safety, or how the motherly figures in your life influence your upbringing. Equipped with such understanding, it is believed, you can better satisfy your emotional needs, be aware of childhood conditioning, and create a safe space for yourself.
A comprehensive birth chart reading comprehensively analyzes all the combined elements.
Here are some quality resources to learn to read your birth chart:
- Astro.com: essential explanations of key concepts and a powerful chart calculator.
- Astro-Seek (entire site): valuable tools such as moon phases, planetary returns, retrograde tables, etc.
Popular horoscope: a simplistic view
You may have realized that a birth chart reading is complex, much more technical than a tarot reading.
Due to such complexity, Western astrology is often simplified into the popular horoscope in newspapers. Essentially, the weekly horoscope presents superficial, and thus often inaccurate, astrological predictions for the short term, based solely on the Sun sign. However, the sun sign is one of the dozens of elements that make a birth chart. Nonetheless, it is an essential element but far from being the only factor.
Planetary transits
Your birth chart captures the sky when you were born, but the planets do not stop there – they keep moving. It is the transit.
A transit chart gives us the planetary positions at a chosen point in time. It is often layered on your birth chart to signify how the planets currently affect you.
Compatibility charts
Astrology is widely popular because it is believed to have insights into your relationships: with friends, partners, spouses, and special someone.
The compatibility charts serve the purpose of analyzing how you relate to another person. They include:
- The synastry chart: overlaying your birth chart on top of theirs to find mutual influences – how you affect each other.
- The composite chart: a new chart combining both birth charts to show the nature of the relationship.
Because of the added complexity of two birth charts, analyzing compatibility charts requires a higher level of astrological competency.
What makes a good astrologer?
Because of astrology’s complexity, astrologers need years of study to give readings confidently. Many also have psychological counseling skills, either by formal training or work experience, since they must dive deep into someone’s personality and tendencies. Moreover, the astrologer must also be informed about current affairs to fully comprehend planetary influences on society.
A good astrologer should be able to give counsel on personal issues without overstepping into prying or imposing their opinions onto the querent. Their advice has to be informed by astrological reasons.
Mediumship
Mediumship is the practice of communicating between the spirits and the living. People who passed away do not leave us forever; they remain as spirits. A medium can listen, see, taste, or feel their presence, thus bridging our world and the spirit world.
A medium is someone who has realized and mastered their psychic gifts of tuning into cosmic vibrations from the spirit world. They can help you talk to a deceased loved one. Hearing from them via a medium provides a much-needed contact that can answer questions and help you get closure. Grief is easier to bear when you know your lost loved ones can be reached, if necessary.
Tyler Henry, the highly gifted medium who reads for Hollywood stars, says that the information he gets from a spirit is “somewhat like a puzzle, and I have no idea where the pieces fit.” The client must tell him how these puzzle pieces relate to their deceased loved ones.
What happens in a medium reading?
A medium would start a session by explaining their method. Then they would connect with the spirit, which gives them images, feelings, smells, and other cues to identify themselves. The medium relays these cues to the participants.
Many mediums say that no matter how our loved ones pass away, they have peace as spirits. When being called upon, they tend to show aspects of their personality that are instantly recognizable by people who know them. Their answers to your questions may not be what you expect, but they are full of love and mean the best for you.
Here are some questions to ask a medium if you are ever interested in reading.
Likewise, a medium can talk to your lost pets or spirit guide. When talking to your spirit guide, the caveat is that you should already maintain a connection with your guide before the session. A medium will not uncover whether you have a guide; you should be the first person to establish that contact.
What makes a good medium?
A suitable medium is susceptible to your energy and the spirit trying to reach you. You may not need to pose your questions; they know.
Additionally, they should be able to communicate the spirit’s messages as clearly as possible. The spirit’s intention and emotional state, whether peaceful, earnest, happy, or full of love, often comes through via a medium.
Why do people believe in mediumship?
Navigating grief is a significant reason for enlisting the help of a medium. This is even more so for unexpected or untimely deaths. Since the permanent departures were a shock, their living families have not had time to process their grief. They often have burning questions or look for signs that the deceased is still with them.
All deaths of loved ones leave voids in our lives that we struggle to fill. In making contact, we recall cherished memories, personal quirks, and, sometimes, the reason for their passing.
It is normal to get emotional in a medium reading; tears are necessary for dealing with grief. Since many mediums have had near-death experiences, they are masters in facing grief, and they can hold a safe space for the participants to process their losses.
Tarot, astrology, and mediumship: making sense of life and death
Why do many atheist-educated professionals want to believe in these esoteric studies? Here at Gottrouble, we consider two motivations:
- The search for clarity
- The psychic’s spiritual guidance
The search for clarity
Life only makes sense a little of the time.
Many among us want to believe in esoteric studies because they are looking for answers. These studies offer a vantage point, lifting them out of the nitty-gritty of current affairs to derive higher meanings from our mundane lives, however absurd, senseless, or hopeless they may feel. We all want to make sense of our world or at least entertain the hope that we are not lost.
For these reasons, tarot readers, astrologers, and mediums rose in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic precisely. When no authority figures could give straight answers about the pandemic, many of us turned to the comfort of divine clarity that readily explained the tragedies unfolding in front of our eyes.
As a spiritual practice, these esoteric studies offer us a way out of current suffering, either by acceptance and understanding or by a viable direction instilled with faith.
The psychics’ spiritual guidance
Despite the rising popularity and some public acknowledgment of tarot, astrology, and mediumship, they are still esoteric. There has yet to be an established procedure to judge whether they comply with approved standards. A harmonious vibration or intuitive knowing is all you need to say if the psychic is right for you.
A good psychic should adhere to an ethics code of integrity, honesty, and mastery. They must be transparent about their practice and limitations. They do not claim to have a cure-all; they can only achieve what they have practiced for many years.
Like a psychotherapist, a psychic must be comfortable and confidential in handling deeply personal, sometimes traumatic, issues. They should be able to hold a safe space for you, put you at ease, and make you feel heard, seen, and comforted.
More than just a practitioner of the esoteric arts, good psychics are important spiritual guides in pursuing deeper truths, healing, and transcendence.
