Debunking three common myths about Tarot

Something I often hear from people who are new to Tarot is “I’m a bit scared of my cards”.

There’s a lot of common misconceptions about the practice of Tarot. Associations driven by pop culture and age-old social power structures. Tarot gets lumped in with the realms of the occult and witchcraft.

Most of this is complete BS. I’m not saying that there aren’t people who use the Tarot in this way, but the vast majority of Tarot practitioners I know use the cards to help people access their inner resources, expand their consciousness and improve their experience of life. In fact, I am currently conducting my Masters dissertation in how Tarot is used for psychospiritual growth, and my understanding of what might be happening when we practice with Tarot, is growing every day.

Here are three of the most common myths about Tarot, and the perspective that we take in my six week group programme, Coaching with Tarot:

1/ “Tarot is about channeling spirits”  ❌ ❌

Tarot cards are just ink on paper. Whilst I do believe that there is something incredibly meaningful about the cards that show up in response to a particular question, I don’t believe they are supernatural and I don’t believe they act as a hotline to spirits.

In Coaching with Tarot, we explore Carl Jung’s depth psychology, including the theories of archetypes, the collective unconscious and synchronicity, and how Tarot is a beautiful way of accessing our inner world. And btw, I’m currently in my final year of an MSc in Spirituality and Transpersonal Psychology, so I do have some idea what I’m talking about 🙂

2/ “Tarot is about divination” ❌ ❌

Divination is the practice of predicting the future. It suggests (to a certain extent) that our future is already written and there is nothing we can do to change it. This is NOT how I use Tarot.

Divination takes away our agency to react to the circumstances in our life in a way that reflects our personal values and dreams. I believe our future is determined by the choices we make each and every day, and Tarot can help us better understand what choices are right for us. This is why you’ll never hear me ask the question “what will happen in situation x?

3/ “The Devil / Death / The Tower / is BAD” ❌ ❌

There’s no such thing as a good or bad Tarot card. I mean this.

There are certain cards in the deck that have a ‘scary’ reputation because of the intensity of the experience that they symbolize. And some cards are definitely more challenging and sticky than others, just like some life experiences are more challenging than others.

But every single card has a light side and a shadow side, depending on the context and our unique relationship with the theme. For example, the Death card symbolizes inevitable change - the moments in life when one identity has to die in order for another to emerge. It often shows up around weddings and career changes. But whether this card is ‘scary’ or not, depends on how you, personally, FEEL about change.

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Re-starting 24th March 2025, Coaching with Tarot is a practical and grounded introduction to Tarot as a tool for psychospiritual development.

You’ll learn about how the deck is structured and the depth psychology principles that underpin it, BEFORE you start getting familiar with each and every card. You’ll strengthen your intuition as a tool to interpret the cards, rather than slavishly memorising themes.

You can learn more about the six week programme here, explore how previous participants have found the experience here, and join the waitlist to win a FREE SPOT here!