Tarot deck shown is the Rider Waite Smith published by US Games. Photo by Magenta
We often use Tarot cards and reflective journaling in a therapeutic sense for personal development and spiritual growth. When these tools are combined, we can increase the impact of these tools on our ability to tap into our inner wisdom.
Tarot as a Journaling Prompt
The American Psychological Association has recognised the therapeutic value of journaling, noting its efficacy in promoting psychological healing. From a psychological perspective, journaling serves as a tool for emotional regulation, helping us confront our negative emotions and amplify our positive ones.
We can use Tarot as a tool alongside journaling to guide us when confronting those negative emotions. So, you will need a Tarot card deck and at least 20 minutes to give yourself enough time to explore the cards and write about what you discover.
The layout of the cards
For the spread you will need to shuffle the deck, selecting 3 cards in a way that resonates with you. You will then place the cards down in a small triangular shape as follows: One card at the apex of the triangle, one card placed to the bottom right hand side of the first card, and another card placed bottom left:
How to read this Tarot Journaling Prompt
The spread is then read in a loop, each card acting as its own prompt for your journaling.
The apex: This card is card number 1, and represents the issue right now or the important aspects that your journal should focus on.
The bottom right hand card: The card numbered 2 represents the positive aspects of this issue, and the things you can focus on that will be helpful as you understand the issue.
The bottom left hand card: The card numbered 3 represents the challenging aspects of this issue, and the things you have perhaps avoided, or things that are blocking you from seeing the issue for what it is.
Tarot as a Journaling Prompt
When using Tarot in this way, you should start to see the difficult aspects begin to clear as you gain more insight, and likewise your journaling can become more revealing as a tool in its own right. You can of course choose to add additional cards as you begin to peel away the layers of various challenges, and you choose to add additional cards for actions you might take and incorporate these into your journaling. So give this Tarot – Journaling combination a try, and see what you can discover about yourself.
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References
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