Tarot and Energy Work
03 / 24 / 02 - Janet

By way of introduction, I am an eclectic solitary pagan witch.  This means that I have chosen a spiritual path which involves worshipping the Spirit of the Universe in it’s many facets, female and male, ancient and modern.  I honor the Gods of many cultures and try hard to show respect for all other cultures and religions.  By eclectic, I mean that I do not follow anyone else’s spiritual path; I use ideas and concepts which seem valid to me from many paths. 

This is not a new concept; ever has one culture adopted the religion of another, adapted it, and re-visioned it for themselves.  I have no “lineage” as a witch—no coven, no degree.   I have no experience in Ceremonial Magick (i.e., Golden Dawn—formalized, ritualized magick).  By the way, the “k” on magick is there to distinguish it from stage magic, a la David Copperfield.

This means that what you’ll see here is not necessarily universally adaptable, and may indeed raise some hackles, even among other witches.  And that’s OK.

I chose the title of this, Tarot & Energy Work, advisedly.  This is not intended to be a “how-to” in magick or witchcraft.  Spellworking, energy manipulation with an intent of a certain outcome, is not something that one should undertake based on a brief introduction.  There are ethical and moral considerations which must be made, and these considerations are individual, and should not arise from following someone else’s decisions.

What we *will* discuss here will be energy.   What is it?  How do we get it? How do we use it?  How can this affect your tarot practice?

The exercises here are all optional, and should be performed *only* if you are comfortable with them.  If this information does not touch any deep chords within you, that’s OK too.  Perhaps you’ll just have a better understanding of terms you may hear.

GROUNDING AND CENTERING

The first step in *any* energy work is grounding & centering.

What is grounding? It is establishing a connection between yourself and the Earth.  It establishes as pathway for the flow of energy. 

What is centering?  It is establishing your calm, inner center…allowing your inner voice to be heard.

Why ground?  Put it this way—why ground your radio?  Your computer?  If you didn’t, what would happen?  Well, it might be OK…or energy might build up and fry the equipment.  Now, I’ve never seen someone “fry” from not being grounded (well, not physically, anyway), but built up energy can affect you.

How do you feel if you’re not grounded? After a reading, do you ever feel  spacey, jittery, troubled sleeping, troubled dreams; difficulty concentrating; anxiety or snappishness; excessively hungry, just generally whacked out?  Then you probably need to ground.

When to ground?  Most people I know advocate grounding before and after any session of energy work, whether that’s a tarot reading, a drum circle, a personal meditation.  When you’re learning to ground, do it *any* time and *every* time you think about it. It becomes second nature, and you’ll be able to tell easily when you’re grounded.

HOW TO GROUND AND CENTER

Centering: Find your energy center by getting yourself in a comfortable position, and then imagine a strong vertical axis in your body...a tree, a root, a pole, or just your body, God/dess-part. Let your consciousness drift up & down your body until you find the place that seems most solid, most comfortable to you (In the words of Ivo Dominquez--like a pillow--supported but not encumbered).  *Listen.*  Allow yourself to become still.

Grounding: Now that you've found your center, CONNECT it to the earth. Visualize your center growing roots deep, deep into the earth, until you are a tree growing from those roots. With practice, this gets easier and quicker, and you can sense when you're well grounded.  Some people notice warmth, or a sensation of flow, or tingling, or just a feeling of balance and well being.

Is this the only way to ground?  No.  People find that swimming or showering, eating carbohydrates, having sex, using the toilet, or exercising, also help them to ground, especially after energy work.

ENERGY: What is this stuff anyway?

I think of energy as the continual bloodstream of the Earth Mother.  We are part of it, and surrounded by it.  We can tap into it for wisdom and strength.  We can, if we choose, sense it.   In tarot, it is whatever *you* see as the source of wisdom which moves your readings: the Collective Unconscious, your own subconscious, God; they are all connected, tapped in, to the same source.

How do you sense it?  There are as many ways to sense energy as there are beings.

Energy can be felt in many ways. We can see it, feel it, hear it, smell it and taste it. And just as people favor their left or right side, people also favor senses. Some people learn best by what they see, others by what they hear, and some by working with their hands. I sense energy in many ways. It is the tingle in my palms when I am well grounded, or the rush I feel in an excited crowd. It is the chill on my neck I feel when I look at my sleeping children, or sing the National Anthem. And I feel it during a thunderstorm, standing outside on a breezy day or listening to the ocean and watching the waves crash on the beach. I feel it when I see someone I love. The list could go on forever. :)

Energy can be used in many ways.  It can be healing; it can be a source of wisdom; it can be shaped and formed. 

EXERCISE 1
Practice practice practice centering & grounding. Any time. Any where.  Once you’ve mastered it sitting still, try it when you're driving (OK, don't close your eyes!), at rest, standing. It'll become second nature.

EXERCISE 2
Sensing Energy

1)    Here’s one you can do alone, or with someone else.  Sit comfortably (if you’re with someone, stand at comfortable conversation distance from them).   Close your eyes, center, and ground.  Bring your palms together in front of you, slowly (if you’re with someone, each hold up your palms and move them towards one another).  At some point, you will begin to feel *something.*  A common sensation is feeling resistance—like there’s a pad between your hands.  Stop there.  FEEL it.  Is it warm? Tingly? Cool?  Try your other senses.  Does it seem like you can see it?  As color? Light?  Can you “hear” a crackle?  What you’re sensing is a personal energy field—an aura. 

2)   Now try this one.  Sit, center, ground.  Stretch your arms out in front of you straight, your hands in fists, with your thumbs touching.  Slowly, deliberately, with control of your muscles, move your arms to the sides until they are straight to each side.  Breathe deeply.  Slowly, deliberately, with control, move your arms back towards one another.  As your hands approach, you may feel that same “bumper” from before (probably less marked as it’s your fist not palm), but then you begin to feel *attraction*, as though the hands were magnets.  Resist the energy.  Resist the temptation to complete the circuit.  How does this feel different?  (This is a variation on a Mudhra, an Indian hand position used to achieve a purpose).

EXERCISE 3
Sensing Tarot Energy

1)   Try sensing the energy of your cards. Close your eyes, and hold your hand over a face-up card (note: after awhile, you’ll probably develop a preference for which hand.  This is generally your “receptive” hand—the hand you sense with, as opposed to your projective hand, the hand you use to direct energy).  Note what it feels like.  Now try a different suit…same?  Different?  How about a trump?  Court card?  How about a different deck?  Does it feel different?  Now try it with the card upside down…can you tell what suit it is?  Be patient with yourself!  Like any new sense, energy sense takes some time to develop, and some people are better at it than others.

2)   How do you choose which tarot cards to draw for a reading?  Try this: Ground and center, shuffle the deck, concentrating on the question and any issues of focus (i.e., reversals will mean thus:   ).  Then fan the deck out on the table, and one at a time, concentrate on the position (i.e., “this card reflects the querent’s mind”), and run your hand slowly just over the deck.  Stop when you feel *something*--it may be a tingle, a jab, some heat…just something different.  Pull that card.  Repeat for the remaining cards.  How did this feel?  Is this something you think would be useful for you?

ENERGY: Now that I’ve got it, what am I going to do with it??

As a tarot reader, grounding, centering and sensing energy are probably the only energy tools you’ll use daily.  When using them, you’ll feel focused during and balanced after a reading; you’ll be in touch with such subtle things as which cards to draw, when to stop shuffling; you’ll be able to tap into your intuition.

But there are some more steps you can go on to.   Energy can be shaped; used to form a Circle, used in ritual or magick.

WHAT IS A CIRCLE?

This term can be confusing.  It can refer to a gathering of witches or pagans, or even Unitarians J.  It can also refer to the energy field established by an individual or group.

An energy circle has a couple of purposes.  First, it is used to contain the energy of the group.  (Think of insulation…it keeps heat in).  Second, it is used to protect (insulation also keeps cold out, right?).  Witches believe that when they are in the Circle, they are “between the worlds,” a bit outside “real” time and concerns. 

A Circle when cast by an individual can be very simple and not at all flashy.  It can be as simple as the individual centering and grounding, imagining energy in whatever form is appealing to them at the time (for instance, a bubble, or “Star Trek” force field),  forming that into a core, and then pressing it outwards from themselves to whatever distance is necessary for the work contemplated.  My personal circle usually encompasses my desk, computer, and whatever felines are around at the time <g>.   A personal circle can be very helpful for tasks which require concentration (i.e., tarot readings), or for meditation.  A personal circle is usually sealed by acknowledgement of the elements, and an invitation of Deity.  When the purpose of the circle is completed, the individual draws the energy back into himself (or uses whatever other disbursement technique is appealing…clapping is nice!) and then grounds, to allow the excess to drain back into the Earth.

A Circle cast by a group, or for formal ritual or magick, will be more complicated.  Generally, it will involve formal invocation of the Elements (“calling the Quarters”) to lend their attributes and protections.

A word on the Elements in paganism: If you think Tarotists are confused about the elements, try pagans!  

Every “basic” text that I have lists the elements as: North, Earth; East, Air; South, Fire; West, Water.

This has never made sense to me.  I call the elements as North, Air; East, Fire; South, Earth; West, Water.  I know several other pagans who rearrange the elements into orders which make sense for them depending on geographic location and feel.  The elements have never seemed to mind, although this might make some traditional witches apoplectic!  But now I find that there is precedent in this.  An essay on this TERRIFIC webpage, http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/7280/, “Rethinking the Watchtowers”, alleges that “original” correspondences were far different.  To me, this reinforces that there is no one “correct” path, no one “right” way of thinking, and that the Universe is big enough to accommodate us all! And isn’t that a reassuring thought.

EXERCISE 4: CASTING A TAROT CIRCLE
You can use your tarot cards to help you cast a circle.  Choose cards to represent each direction—which cards would depend on your intent for your ritual.  Some ideas:  The Aces of each suit for new beginnings. The Tens to help wind something up. The Fives to deal with conflict.  Courts for personality issues.  As Thrysse pointed out to me, there are four archangels depicted on four of the Trumps - The Lovers, Temperance, Judgment, and the Devil, representing Air, Fire, Water, and Earth, respectively.  Place the cards at the four directions (yes, a little compass is a wonderful thing!) and let them serve as your guardians and guides.

OK…the next step in a formal Wiccan/Pagan Circle would be the ritual or magick intended.

RITUAL?  OR SPELL?  WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

First of all, let’s talk about what a spell is and isn’t.  It is NOT turning your ex into a toad; it is NOT magically attracting that cute guy.  Spellworking is the purposeful shaping of energy to achieve a goal, generally with the aid of Deity.  The working is designed with ethical thinking in mind (and most witches I know would never consider casting a spell which would interfere with the free will of another; we realize that any action has a reaction, and try as much as possible to allow for it), and with clear INTENT (if you don’t know exactly what you want, you may get something you don’t expect in the least!).  Most religions have some form of this, though they may call it different names.  But sending energy into the Universe, asking your Deity’s assistance in obtaining a specific goal, whether you call it prayer, ecstasy or spellworking, is the idea.

So what is ritual?  Generally, ritual is for the purpose of worship; of bringing oneself closer to deity.

An example:  In the Catholic church, one attends mass weekly (or more often).  This is ritual; it is worship of the deity to bring oneself into closer relationship.  Some masses, however, can have a specific purpose: a blessing, a wedding, a prayer for healing or for the soul of a departed loved one.  This, to me, would be an example of energy work, of magick.  The difference is in the INTENT.

After the working or ritual, the Circle will be closed.  In a group, it’s often done by singing a much loved phrase:

                The Circle is open, but unbroken

                May the Peace of the Old Ones be ever in your heart

                Merry Meet, and Merry Part, and Merry Meet Again!

And then the feasting begins!

TAROT RITUALS AND SPELLS

There are books and books on this!  I’m going to give you some general ideas of how energy work can be incorporated into your study of tarot.

EXERCISE 5
Meditation

Meditation can be a goal of its own.  It can aid you in learning, in *knowing,* the cards.

An example: choose one card—perhaps one which has appeared a lot for you lately.

Center & ground; cast a circle if you choose.  (You’ve already, of course, cleared any distractions…turned off the TV and phone, etc).  Close your eyes.

ENTER the card.  Step right in.  Turn slowly about.  Look about you…what is in front of the figures that you, as a card reader, can’t see?  Listen…what do you hear?  Are there scents here?  Taste the fruit…feel the velvet.  SENSE the card.

SPEAK to the figure.  Listen.  What does s/he have to tell you? 

Sit for a bit…or walk around.  Does anyone else come up to you? What comes next in this character’s story?

Thank the beings you encounter in your wander.  Step out of the card…open your eyes…and look at the card.  What do you see differently now?  How has this changed your interpretation?

TAROT RITUAL

Tarot can be used in ritual, to honor, worship and bring oneself closer to deity.

Some examples of this:

• Looking at a suit, or representations of a suit, as “ambassadors” of their element, and see what you can learn about that element

• Finding a deck which uses God/dess correspondences, and use the card as a focus of ritual for that deity

• Celebrating the Earth Holidays.  Many cards are good correspondents for the various earth holidays.  Depending on the deck, the 3 of cups is lovely for Beltane; the Empress for Ostara; the 7 of Pentacles for the Harvest holidays; Death for Samhein.

• One idea to use tarot to celebrate the Earth holidays is to meditate upon the season, and decide upon a goal for ritual, something to focus on or a lesson to learn at this holiday.  Select cards from a deck which reflect this goal or lesson, and use them in your meditation and celebration.  Decks with a strong natural or pagan focus are great for this…Wheel of Change, Robin Wood, etc.  For example, last Mabon, I chose (actually, my daughter helped a lot!) the 7 of disks, princess of disks, 2 of wands and queen of disks from Wheel of Change to help me focus on harvest, abundance and thankfulness…and they lived on my Mabon altar. 

Superb books on the Earth Holidays are:

Trancing the Witch’s Wheel (Yasmine Galenorn)

Celebrate the Earth (Laurie Cabot)

TAROT SPELLS

Tarot cards can be spell elements.  A card can be used to represent an individual (much like a significator),an element, a deity, or a desired outcome (prosperity, luck, health, etc).

Probably the simplest “spell” of all is an Affirmation.  An affirmation is a simple, easy to remember, one-line sentence, used for the purpose of establishing or reinforcing a particular characteristic.  Examples of affirmations are “I am a healthy person, balanced in mind and body.”  Or “I will think positively about my coworkers and work will go smoothly today.” 

Note that affirmations are always phrased positively.  An affirmation won’t say “I’ll try not to let negative thinking get in my way” or “I’ll try to stay in balance.”  What you SAY is what you GET.

EXERCISE 6
Select a tarot card, either at random, or because it evokes some trait you’d like to strengthen.  Develop an affirmation based on the card and your desire.  It should be something obtainable (NOT “I will win the lottery this week!”).  Spend some time in meditation with the card.  SEE yourself BEING the affirmation—as though it was completely true.  Now, set times each day that you will recite this ritual.  It could be: every meal, every time you see a mirror, every time you’re at a stop light.  REPEAT your affirmation over and over—and watch it take shape in your life!

ONE last exercise: www.tarotcelebrations.com/Rituals%20from%20ATA.htm

Offers a stunning example of the use of tarot for grounding and ritual.  I highly recommend it.

Other sources of information regarding paganism, witchcraft and energy work, with or without tarot:

www.witchvox.com : The Witches’ Voice—the oldest and still the best!

http://www.geocities.com/~ninalee//tarot/ : Tarot for Spiritual Discovery

http://www.spiralgoddess.com/ : The Spiral Goddess Grove

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/7280/ : The Witches’ Sabbats:  Has *so* much more than just that!

Please feel free to contact me for any questions, dissentions or discussion!

Blessings,

Janet

Warm wishes, then, go out to all you "Knight of Wands"-types who were willing to take our  intentions and turn them into actions, including: Alexandra, Batel, Ccili, Cyn S., Gail, Gary, HiC, Janet, Lisa, Nina Lee, Ruth T., Stephen S., Valerie, Wren ... and the rest!

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