Intrigued by tarot? “Tarot is an extremely helpful introspective tool for those who are open to exploring themselves and the energies that they’re working with,” says Canadian clarity coach Chris Corsini. We spoke to Corsini to understand how can tarot cards can help us take on 2021 with purpose and intention. (For an astrologer’s take on the year ahead, read this.)
What are the benefits of tarot?
Tarot assists with “shadow work,” essentially, examining the parts of ourselves we don’t like or were taught not to like because of societal, religious or cultural norms. “Once you start exploring tarot,” says Corsini, “you can begin to question those things. You start asking yourself: do I believe this? Is this something I still stand by?”
Note: Tarot is not fortune telling, nor is it astrology. Rather, it’s more of a confirmation of what you are already feeling, which can help people feel empowered in their decision making.
Can anyone use tarot cards?
Short answer: Yes. “Sit down and start pulling cards, and familiarize yourself with what’s coming up,” says Corsini. “The booklets that come with the deck are always very helpful, but remember that’s just a jumping off point.” For example, if you pull a card and it indicates something to you personally– go with that. Just because the card doesn’t precisely represent that doesn’t mean your interpretation is wrong. “Your intuition is going to guide you better than a booklet,” he says. (For a primer on tarot and a detailed breakdown of what each card symbolizes, go here).
Corsini recommends any new tarot user attend a workshop; he offers them in both English and ASL on a pay-what-you-can basis). Podcasts are another great resource; Corsini likes Tarot for the Wild Soul with Lindsay Mack. Biddy Tarot courses and booklets are also a popular educational option.
How often should I pull tarot cards?
“When people begin on their tarot journey, I always tell them to set a limit,” says Corsini. “You will drive yourself crazy if you ask every question and are pulling 35 cards a day – don’t do that.” Create a ceremony for yourself once a week, max. Another good way to structure your readings could be every new and full moon (so twice a month). “Pull cards for friends or relatives if you want to add more than one reading a week for practice,” he suggests. This is just a guideline for beginners, notes Corsini, who pulls three cards every morning – one each for his body, mind and soul – and asks, what energies am I working with today?
What other questions should I ask the tarot deck?
The answer to this will be very personal, however Corsini suggests the following to get started: where’s my energy best served right now? Where is my attention best spent? What do I need to let go of? What do I want to bring in? Is this good for me? Is this something that is in alignment with my path? Should I take action? What is the potential outcome if I continue to behave this way?
This year is a good time to ask questions in general, says Corsini. “There’s so much information flying around right now. This will lead people to question their beliefs, which is good, but then they can also be misled,” he explains. “Do your research, ask more questions, talk to your friends, talk to your communities and build new ones. Be open to conversations.”
What does tarot tell us is coming in 2021?
Again, the answer to this will be personal, but looking at collective energy, Corsini shared this: it’s not going to be a breeze. Expect slowdowns until May. “Don’t make any major moves, don’t rush anything,” he says. “It’s a time for planning, slowing down and taking time for yourself.” Of course, life goes on and you should always listen to your own intuition if you’re offered something big, like a promotion, during that period says Corsini.
Come summer, you will begin to get answers, clarity and/or results. Letting go of old structures will be a theme that begins during this time, and will carry on during the fall and winter. September through the end of the year will require patience once again – but expect some wins as well. “In order to get to the next cycle, we need to go through a release again,” says Corisini. “Let go of the people and things that aren’t in line with the results that just showed up for you earlier in the year.”
%0AWhat%20are%20the%20benefits%20of%20tarot?%0ATarot%20assists%20with%20%22shadow%20work,%22%20essentially,%20examining%20the%20parts%20of%20ourselves%20we%20don't%20like%20or%20were%20taught%20not%20to%20like%20because%20of%20societal,%20religious%20or%20cultural%20norms.%20%22Once%20you%20start%20exploring%20tarot,%22%20says%20Corsini,%20%22you%20can%20begin%20to%20question%20those%20things.%20You%20start%20asking%20yourself:%20do%20I%20believe%20this?%20Is%20this%20something%20I%20still%20stand%20by?%22%0A%0ANote:%20Tarot%20is%20not%20fortune%20telling,%20nor%20is%20it%20astrology.%20Rather,%20it's%20more%20of%20a%20confirmation%20of%20what%20you%20are%20already%20feeling,%20which%20can%20help%20people%20feel%20empowered%20in%20their%20decision%20making.%0ACan%20anyone%20use%20tarot%20cards?%0AShort%20answer:%20Yes.%20%22Sit%20down%20and%20start%20pulling%20cards,%20and%20familiarize%20yourself%20with%20what's%20coming%20up,%22%20says%20Corsini.%20%22The%20booklets%20that%20come%20with%20the%20deck%20are%20always%20very%20helpful,%20but%20remember%20that's%20just%20a%20jumping%20off%20point.%22%20For%20example,%20if%20you%20pull%20a%20card%20and%20it%20indicates%20something%20to%20you%20personally–%20go%20with%20that.%20Just%20because%20the%20card%20doesn't%20precisely%20represent%20that%20doesn't%20mean%20your%20interpretation%20is%20wrong.%20%22Your%20intuition%20is%20going%20to%20guide%20you%20better%20than%20a%20booklet,%22%20he%20says.%20(For%20a%20primer%20on%20tarot%20and%20a%20detailed%20breakdown%20of%20what%20each%20card%20symbolizes,%20go%20here).%0A%0ACorsini%20recommends%20any%20new%20tarot%20user%20attend%20a%20workshop;%20he%20offers%20them%20in%20both%20English%20and%20ASL%20on%20a%20pay-what-you-can%20basis).%20Podcasts%20are%20another%20great%20resource;%20Corsini%20likes%20Tarot%20for%20the%20Wild%20Soul%20with%20Lindsay%20Mack.%20Biddy%20Tarot%20courses%20and%20booklets%20are%20also%20a%20popular%20educational%20option.%0AHow%20often%20should%20I%20pull%20tarot%20cards?%0A%22When%20people%20begin%20on%20their%20tarot%20journey,%20I%20always%20tell%20them%20to%20set%20a%20limit,%22%20says%20Corsini.%20%22You%20will%20drive%20yourself%20crazy%20if%20you%20ask%20every%20question%20and%20are%20pulling%2035%20cards%20a%20day%20–%20don't%20do%20that.%22%20Create%20a%20ceremony%20for%20yourself%20once%20a%20week,%20max.%20Another%20good%20way%20to%20structure%20your%20readings%20could%20be%20every%20new%20and%20full%20moon%20(so%20twice%20a%20month).%20%22Pull%20cards%20for%20friends%20or%20relatives%20if%20you%20want%20to%20add%20more%20than%20one%20reading%20a%20week%20for%20practice,%22%20he%20suggests.%20This%20is%20just%20a%20guideline%20for%20beginners,%20notes%20Corsini,%20who%20pulls%20three%20cards%20every%20morning%20–%20one%20each%20for%20his%20body,%20mind%20and%20soul%20–%20and%20asks,%20what%20energies%20am%20I%20working%20with%20today?%0AWhat%20other%20questions%20should%20I%20ask%20the%20tarot%20deck?%0AThe%20answer%20to%20this%20will%20be%20very%20personal,%20however%20Corsini%20suggests%20the%20following%20to%20get%20started:%20where's%20my%20energy%20best%20served%20right%20now?%20Where%20is%20my%20attention%20best%20spent?%20What%20do%20I%20need%20to%20let%20go%20of?%20What%20do%20I%20want%20to%20bring%20in?%20Is%20this%20good%20for%20me?%20Is%20this%20something%20that%20is%20in%20alignment%20with%20my%20path?%20Should%20I%20take%20action?%20What%20is%20the%20potential%20outcome%20if%20I%20continue%20to%20behave%20this%20way?%0A%0AThis%20year%20is%20a%20good%20time%20to%20ask%20questions%20in%20general,%20says%20Corsini.%20%22There's%20so%20much%20information%20flying%20around%20right%20now.%20This%20will%20lead%20people%20to%20question%20their%20beliefs,%20which%20is%20good,%20but%20then%20they%20can%20also%20be%20misled,%22%20he%20explains.%20%22Do%20your%20research,%20ask%20more%20questions,%20talk%20to%20your%20friends,%20talk%20to%20your%20communities%20and%20build%20new%20ones.%20Be%20open%20to%20conversations.%22%0AWhat%20does%20tarot%20tell%20us%20is%20coming%20in%202021?%0AAgain,%20the%20answer%20to%20this%20will%20be%20personal,%20but%20looking%20at%20collective%20energy,%20Corsini%20shared%20this:%20it's%20not%20going%20to%20be%20a%20breeze.%20Expect%20slowdowns%20until%20May.%20%22Don't%20make%20any%20major%20moves,%20don't%20rush%20anything,%22%20he%20says.%20%22It's%20a%20time%20for%20planning,%20slowing%20down%20and%20taking%20time%20for%20yourself.%22%20Of%20course,%20life%20goes%20on%20and%20you%20should%20always%20listen%20to%20your%20own%20intuition%20if%20you're%20offered%20something%20big,%20like%20a%20promotion,%20during%20that%20period%20says%20Corsini.%0A%0ACome%20summer,%20you%20will%20begin%20to%20get%20answers,%20clarity%20and/or%20results. %20Letting%20go%20of%20old%20structures%20will%20be%20a%20theme%20that%20begins%20during%20this%20time,%20and%20will%20carry%20on%20during%20the%20fall%20and%20winter.%20September%20through%20the%20end%20of%20the%20year%20will%20require%20patience%20once%20again%20–%20but%20expect%20some%20wins%20as%20well.%20%22In%20order%20to%20get%20to%20the%20next%20cycle,%20we%20need%20to%20go%20through%20a%20release%20again,%22%20says%20Corisini.%20%22Let%20go%20of%20the%20people%20and%20things%20that%20aren't%20in%20line%20with%20the%20results%20that%20just%20showed%20up%20for%20you%20earlier%20in%20the%20year.%22){kind=link}