Today I went old school and decided to use the Rider-Waite deck. I’m not sure why I didn’t write my first tarot post using this deck, it’s sort of the obvious choice. Here I am, finally getting around to using the most widely used deck, the deck that most other modern day tarot decks are based off of. Better late than never, I guess.
When you buy a tarot deck, it will come with an explanation for what each card represents. A nicer deck might include a book, a simple deck might include a tiny pamphlet. It really doesn’t matter, since there are a ton of websites, phone apps, and books that contain anything you would ever want to know about decks based off of Rider-Waite. Usually the book or pamphlet that comes with the deck will list one or two layouts you can use with the cards. A typical one that is listed is a three card spread. A three card spread is just like it sounds, three cards placed in a line. The left card represents the past, the middle card the present, and the right card the future.
“Wait, wait, wait…. I thought you said you don’t use them to predict stuff. I thought you said that you use them to meditate? This doesn’t sound like meditation to me!”
A person can use the cards however they like. It’s my deck, I can do what I wanna, do what I wanna! And yes, some tarot readers use them to predict a scenario that could possibly play out in the future. I’ve had professional readers read for me before and I’ve had some of the predictions come true. However, it doesn’t mean that’s the only way you can use your deck. I’ve found that if I have an issue that I’m meditating on, almost any combination of cards can offer something useful. And that’s why using a spread is handy, because you’ll have more than just one card meaning to work with. I would recommend using at the very least two cards in a spread, so that you have a little more depth to your reading.
I don’t always have a particular issue that I’m meditating on. Sometimes I just let the cards be prompts that lend themself to a topic to think about. And that’s how I used the cards today. And yes…. I took my own advice and pulled two. The two cards I pulled were The World and the Four of Wands.
The first card of the Major Arcana is the Fool. It is said that the Fool travels the Hero’s Journey and each card contained in the Major Arcana is part of the path he needs to take in order to reach the final card, the World, where his journey ends. However, as one journey ends, another one begins.
Think about big events or transitions in your life, like getting a new job. Unless someone came and knocked at your front door and plopped a job at your feet, there was likely some sort of journey to landing the position. The decision to find a new job, job searching, interviews, writing the perfect resume, pep talks in the mirror, and maybe even taking a leap of faith. One you get the job though, that’s not the end of the story. It’ more like an end to a chapter. Then a new chapter begins and with it, new adventures.
The second card I pulled goes so well with The World, it’s almost like I planned it, but I didn’t! I pinky-swear! It was just synchronicity and I love it!
So what is the 2nd card? It’s the Four of Wands. Just looking at it you can see that it’s a joyful card and it looks like a celebration. And that’s what it represents, taking a moment to celebrate a big event or transition. It’s about celebrating your accomplishments. See how that goes so well with The World card? You’ve completed something, time to break out the balloons, do a happy dance, go out to dinner, and TREAT YO SELF! You’ve come a long way baby, take a moment to enjoy your success, achievement, wedding, birthday, or whatever transition threshold you’ve found yourself at.
If I were to translate these two cards into something to meditate on, maybe I would try and think of an accomplishment that I’ve had, something worthy of celebration, and start there. It’s always nice to take a moment to remember how far we’ve come in life or how much we’ve grown. We all have had some sort of evolution, a slow morph (or it could have been a speedy morph) into who we are today. We’ve all had our own hero’s journeys that may have been painful to go through, but here we are on the other side. I know there are moments that I’m so grateful to have made it to the otherside, especially when it was hell to make it out. Which is actually a really great way to end a meditation, with gratitude.
“We hold the key to lasting happiness in our own hands. For it is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful.”
– Brene Brown
Sandy's Short Story Long- This is where I write. 
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