Pack Mentality – How Tarot cards help me navigate unprecedented times

Sophy Hollington & David Keenan - Autonomic Tarot

I used to be terrified of Tarot. As a small child engulfed by anxiety, the idea of drawing a card depicting death or the devil was unthinkable. Although I have always had an affinity with spiritual practices, and can often be found surrounded by crystals and incense, Tarot was something to steer clear of. Afterall, I didn’t want to draw the wrong card and realise I was going to die the very next day, halfway through my Weetabix.

Many years later, after doses of life experiences and anti-depressants, I found myself once again drawn to the cards. My anxiety significantly improved, I found myself able to revisit the practice with renewed curiosity. After perusing a plethora of beautiful Tarot decks, I decided to purchase the original ‘Rider Waite’ deck from my local bookshop. I persuaded myself that if I bought a cheap, common-or-garden deck, I wasn’t really committing to anything serious.

Scholar of occultism Arthur Edward Waite (1856-1942), commissioned a young artist, Pamela Colman Smith, to design a Tarot deck. At the front of my pack is a small, white card bearing a photograph and description of Pamela. She wears silks, a turban, beads and a wry smile as she looks directly at the camera. I should warn you that I believe Pamela Colman Smith to be a feminist icon, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Greta Gerwig directs her life story, with Saoirse Ronan in the starring role. Let me briefly introduce you to her:

Pamela was born in 1878, in Middlesex, England, of American parents. She spent her childhood between New York, London and Kingston, Jamaica. As a teenager, she travelled with a theatre company in England, before training in art at the Pratt Institute of Brooklyn. Although women did not officially get the vote until 1928, Pamela graduated from art college as a single woman in 1897. I mean, why is she not the face of feminism?! I want a t-shirt that reads ‘I Stan Pam’, or something to the same affect.

As if graduating wasn’t ambitious enough, in 1903 Pamela joined the Order of the Golden Dawn, a secret society devoted to the study and practice of the occult, metaphysics, and paranormal activities. Between these clandestine ghostly meetings, she started painting visions which came to her while listening to music (whether drug-induced or not, we will never know). In 1909, she painted seventy-eight allegorical depictions of mystical, fantastical scenes, which became the popular rectified Tarot pack.

What I find really fascinating about Pamela is that she never married. For a woman in the 18-1900s, this was no mean feat. To be an unmarried artist and part-time occultist would no doubt have completely ostracised Pamela from society. According to her card, she died in 1951, ‘penniless and obscure’. Interestingly, Pamela had no known family except for an elderly female companion who shared her flat.

So there she is: Pamela Colman Smith. Self-starter and secret occultist, living out her days as a tortured artist with a ‘female companion’. If not for her Tarot cards, she probably would have been lost to the silks of time. Instantly, I felt a strange affinity with Pamela, a young English girl dabbling with arts and spirituality. How could I be scared of Tarot cards, knowing that these intricate artworks were her lifeline? The Rider Waite deck was her labour of love, each card an expression of a young girl’s imagination, as she fought to overcome the snide remarks, oppressions and cruelties of her time.

Alongside witchcraft, Tarot seems intrinsically linked to the oppression and self-expression of powerful women. Novelist Caroline O’Donoghue notes that “Women and minorities, people with a lower locus of control, are far more likely to visit a psychic or a Tarot-card reader because they’re more open to the idea of things they can’t control.” (2018) She adds, “Throughout the ages, the idea of magic has given hope to people who have none, or the sense of power to those who feel that they have no power, and the Tarot definitely taps into that,”.

With the spirit of Pamela Colman Smith by my side, I decided to learn how to read the cards. I bought myself Xanna Eve Chown’s The Little Book of Tarot, a guide claiming to have “everything you’ll need to gain your first glimpse into the misty realms of the future…” (2019).

Personally, I don’t see Tarot as a mystical, all-seeing fortune-telling experience, but rather as a practice which helps me gain perspective. In truth, Tarot reading is about the present. David Keenan, creator of the Autonomic Tarot, describes the practice as “an intimate conversation”. (2018), and I couldn’t agree more. Tarot gives me the space to reflect on my past and present situation, before making informed decisions. It’s certainly not a mystical crystal ball containing the name of my future partner and lottery numbers. As someone chronically indecisive, I find the precise nature of a Tarot reading invaluable. Besides, “A good Tarot reader doesn’t tell you what’s going to happen, they simply allow you to think your question through in a different way.” (Ware, 2018)

Each reading is led by an intention; you might ask a specific question which you seek guidance for. Depending on the complexity of the query, you might also choose a particular spread; Tarot cards are usually read in relation to one another, so a card spread can make a significant difference. I usually use a Celtic Cross, a popular spread designed to open thorough discussion. Through comparison of different cards, and what each one signifies, I can better analyse and consider my chosen predicament. For example, one card might represent what challenges me, whilst another considers my immediate past. This multi-faceted approach to problem-solving, combined with the rich symbolism of Smith’s artwork, guides me out of my head and helps me to view a situation externally.

The tarot deck consists of 22 major and 56 minor arcana cards. The major arcana represent “the karmic influences and themes in your life” (Chowin, 2019). In other words, major arcana call you to reflect on significant moments and life lessons. Minor arcana are grouped into four suits – Tarot originated from playing cards in the fourteenth century – with each suit containing 14 cards. These cards describe situations, reflect your state of mind, help you make choices and give you advice. Generally, if a reading consists of mainly minor arcana it is more concerned with the day-to-day, while major arcana deals with big changes.

It is worth noting that major arcana cards have evolved significantly over time. In a time prior to penicillin, and fuelled with the incantations of the Church, cards such as ‘Death’ and ‘The Devil’ had quite literal meanings. Today, the cards are more relevant to 21st Century life. For instance, ‘The Hanged Man’ signifies upside-down truths. ‘The Devil’ now symbolises addictive behaviour and obsessions. Even the ‘Death’ card, which terrified me for so long, in fact represents life changes. If you draw Death, it likely means something in your life is coming to a close, to make space for something new. So, we can all breathe a sigh of relief and continue eating our Weetabix in peace.

In the minor arcana, you’ve got Cups, Wands, Swords and Pentacles. Don’t worry – we’re not about to summon the devil. I know you read the word Pentacle and instantly thought of sprinkling salt, and Sabrina the Teenage Witch/Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It’s all good; the minor arcana are actually linked to the mundane daily lives of fourteenth-century guys. Pentacles represent money, possessions, or decisions relating to your career path. Swords represent conflict, but also conflicting thoughts and ideas. Cups represent overflowing emotions, relationships and desires. Wands, often depicted as branches, symbolise energy, spirituality and growth. If you want to get into the details, each card is numbered, with the numbers having further meanings.

It might sound complicated, but it’s really not; just remember to take it one card at a time. Whenever I practice, I always have a notepad to hand. As I read, I jot down ideas about what the card represents and signifies, and then I summarise at the end. Personally, I find Tarot incredibly refreshing and rewarding, almost a form of self-care. I find myself a quiet space in which I can concentrate my attention to whatever problem is bothering me. Instead of carrying my concerns around, desperate for family and friends to come up with answers, I can take myself away and reflect on every angle of a problem. The best part is, I almost always find a solution. It may not be clean cut, but my readings usually help me to focus on what to do next. For example, I’ve reached out to specific people to find more information, instead of grappling around cluelessly. I’ve made informed career decisions based on logic and careful consideration. I’ve even decided on less significant issues, like whether to attend stressful engagements, or how to approach friendships and disagreements.

With my Tarot deck in my pocket, I feel like I have a hidden strength. No more am I floundering hopelessly, waiting for someone to give me a solution. Instead, I can find an outcome entirely by myself. Not only is it incredibly freeing, but it makes me feel empowered. Perhaps that is what Pamela Colman Smith was reaching for when she painted the Rider-Waite deck: a focus for an immense, thrashing storm of imagination, creativity and panic. By assessing each situation in a mindful, quiet space, previously impossible quandaries seem just that bit more manageable. In the apocalypse that is 2020, a little guidance from the spirit world can’t go amiss. If anything, Tarot makes the world a bit less scary.

For an introduction to Tarot in a contemporary setting, I'd recommend watching this:

References:

Chown, X.E. (2019) The Little Book of Tarot, 1st edn., UK: Summersdale.

Grossman, P (2019) Waking the Witch: Reflections on Women, Magic and Power, USA: Gallery Books. Hughes, S. (2018) A new generation follows the pack as tarot makes a comeback , Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/aug/19/new-generation-follows-pack-tarot-makes-comeback (Accessed: 19th May 2020). Keenan, D. (2018) Autonomic Tarot, Available at: https://www.roughtrade.com/gb/david-keenan-and-sophy-hollington/autonomic-tarot (Accessed: 19th May 2020). The Pool (2018) Women in Bars Reading Tarot - Lolly Adefope & Caroline O'Donoghue, Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BHzzHdQKrI (Accessed: 19th May 2020). Waite, A.E. (2018) The Original Rider Waite Tarot Deck, Available at: https://www.tarot.com/tarot/decks/rider (Accessed: 19th May 2020).