In this three part series, we explore the world of Tarot readings: the good, the bad & the expensive. To keep with the theme of Valentine's Day, we ensured that our readings corresponded with aspects such as self-love and relationships.
What is Tarot?
Tarot card readings are a hugely popular form of divination used by many witches in their practice but are also used by a whole variety of people who don’t identify or associate with witchcraft. They found their origins in around the 1430s in Italy, though it’s likely they’ve been around for longer than that. For a more comprehensive history of tarot, click here.
Tarot cards can also be used to play non-magickal games, and decks with almost every theme imaginable are available online (though we recommend the classic Rider-Waite-Smith deck). They’ll consist of 78 cards, divided into two arcanas: the major arcana, with 22 cards including Death, The Tower, and The Star, and the minor arcana, which is divided into the suits of Cups, Wands, Pentacles, and Swords with 14 cards each.
The reader: Hannah Ottaway
Hannah Ottaway is an amateur tarot reader and is a second-year Primary Education university student based in London and Sussex. She agreed to read my tarot for free as a close personal friend.
While some are influenced strongly by spiritualism, this isn’t necessarily the case with Ottaway. “I like to do [tarot] as mindfulness, first and foremost,” she says. But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t an aspect of the spiritual involved, or that she simply casts the cards out of her mind when she’s not doing a reading.
There’s also some rules when Ottaway reads tarot. “I will not do a reading for someone that doesn’t believe in it,” she says. “I don’t want to jump through hoops.” As tarot has existed in some form for hundreds of years, many practitioners are uncomfortable if people ask for a reading simply to try and disprove it. “I just ask for five to ten minutes of your time,” she says.
The Reading
First was Death reversed, from the major arcana. Far from its morbid suggestion, this actually suggests a resistance to change and a struggle to adapt to it. It can also imply a personal transformation on some scale. Ottaway suggested I take some time to take stock of any major changes I’ve been through, or perhaps prepare for an upcoming change to help ease the struggle.
My second card was the knave (or page) of cups reversed. This suggests a sense of emotional immaturity, and creative blocks or doubts. There may be things I want or need to do but I could be standing in my own way. For this, Ottaway suggested I listen to my intuition and recalibrate what I’m all about.
The combination of my cards suggested that I may be unhappy with how much is changing in my life, which certainly resonates amidst a pandemic. “Be mindful of acting like a teenager again and backtracking to how it used to be,” Ottaway says. “It’s a reminder to stay in tune with yourself and not lose yourself” in the ensuing emotions.
Key Cards for Love & Mindfulness
Ottaway also took me through some cards that fit our theme:
- The Hermit, which represents going on a major, very personal journey of understanding yourself. On most tarot decks, the hermit holds a lantern which contains a six-pointed star, a symbol of wisdom. (This card reversed may mean your path of self-love is causing you to isolate from loved ones, and need to take a step back.)
- The Queen of Cups, which represents a highly intuitive and confident position, and shows an idealised version of what people aspire to be. (Reversed, the queen of cups means you’re overworking yourself and need to take a break.)
- The Queen of Wands, which represents a determined spirit and shows you’re willing to face anything – in short, you’re a bad bitch. (The queen of wands reversed means you’re lacking in some type of spirit and not willing to stand up for yourself – but you need to.)
- The Two of Swords, which shows a feeling of not wanting to move forward or progress. You may need to make a difficult decision – which Ottaway describes as “a big fucking leap” – but remember you can’t go back, only forwards. (Reversed, this card means you may have reached a stalemate; you know it mentally but you’ve self-sabotaged.)
- The Ace of Cups, which shows fresh, positive passion and someone overflowing with good fortune. (In reverse, it’s the “ultimate self-love card”: you might be stepping back a bit from something you don’t feel ready for. Emotional release of some kind might help.)
Ottaway’s reading was truly insightful and caring, and she emulated her exact intentions of mindfulness and self-love, both in the traditional sense of a bubble bath and a hot chocolate and the more tough sense of making difficult decisions for your wellbeing. I came out of it feeling more in touch with my inner emotions and ready to take better care of myself.
Click here to continue with the Saga...