What Is Tarot and How Does It Work?

One of my first truly astonishing experiences with magic happened when I experimented with a pendulum. I had read that a pendulum could help locate lost objects, so I decided to make one myself – just a simple string with a key attached. My goal was to find a coin I had received for Christmas when I was in middle school, something I had long since misplaced.

I began asking straightforward yes-or-no questions. Is the coin upstairs? No. Is it in one of the bedrooms downstairs? No. Is it in the bathroom? Yes. Is it in one of the counter drawers? Yes. The top drawer? Yes.

I was stunned. I rushed to the bathroom, opened the top drawer, and there it was – tucked away in the back, exactly where the pendulum had led me.

At the time, I wasn’t sure what to believe. Had a spirit guide or some unseen force pointed me in the right direction?

After years of reflection, I’ve come to think that my unconscious mind played the real role. I suspect I had seen the coin out of the corner of my eye at some point and forgotten, but that deeper awareness still held onto the information. As I used the pendulum, my unconscious mind influenced tiny, involuntary movements in my fingers, guiding me toward the answer.

The Power of the Unconscious Mind

I firmly believe that our unconscious minds are far more powerful than we realize. They absorb and store immense amounts of information – far more than our conscious minds can process at any given moment. We often sense and know more than we can logically explain, but accessing that hidden knowledge is difficult. This is where tarot comes in.

Tarot as a Tool for Insight

Tarot is one of the best ways to tap into the wisdom of the unconscious mind. Since we don’t have direct access to that deeper awareness, we need a bridge. The rich symbolism of tarot serves as that bridge, allowing us to connect with what’s beneath the surface. Historically, people have relied on dreams to reveal hidden truths, but dreams are unpredictable. Who has time to wait for an insightful dream to appear? Tarot, on the other hand, provides immediate access to guidance.

I’m not dismissing the possibility of spirit guides or unseen forces lending a hand. However, tarot is so consistently useful and instructive that it has to be more than just an occasional nudge from beyond.

You don’t have to believe in the unconscious mind for it to work. Just try it – pull a few cards each day for a week and see if they help you gain clarity. Tarot is a tool of self-discovery, and with regular practice, it may just reveal more than you ever expected.