Taking charge of your life

[SunChariot]

I'd be really interested to hear about how you all think Tarot helps you take charge of your life in ways that you couldn't do as easily without the cards.

Eg like knowing the future, being able to understand yourself and your inner thuoghts better or whatever else comes to mind for you.

Babs

[Amanda_04]

Well... I know I've helped other people. Not really sure how much I've helped myself with it. I think more than anything, it's gotten me a little outside of my own very narrow viewpoint a bit by sharing some of my readings here in the YR forum. But other than that, I'm still pretty much complicating my own life.

[hopena]

There are times when I've wished that I had started to learn the tarot much earlier (I got my first deck when I was 30). Then I remember myself in May, looking back at readings I'd done a couple of years ago, and wondering what I'd been thinking, to carry on in a certain situation as I did.

I've also ended up ignoring cards on few days that could have ended better, had I paid attention to them (taking my own behaviour into account).

I've gone through a couple of phases of doing readings over and over, on the same subject, hoping for a different outcome, when the reality was that that outcome was a good thing for me. With the situation I mention above, from two years ago, I wasn't completely clueless - I would back off to get my head on straight, only for one good thing to slip the rose-coloured glasses back onto my face.

Now, I do my best to only read once or twice on something, within a certain period of time, waiting until I feel that little tingle inside that alerts you to the fact that something may be changing, then I try another one. I also use them to question my own views - as to whether I'm seeing things clearly.

*edit. When I've thought to use spreads on communicating with others, they've helped me.

[SunChariot]

Originally Posted by hopena

There are times when I've wished that I had started to learn the tarot much earlier (I got my first deck when I was 30). .

ME TOO! I was 48 when I first started to learn Tarot and got my first deck. So you were YOUNG. LOL How I wish I could have found it earlier, all the things I could have avoided that I had no idea where coming.....And all the joy that I get now from my cards that I missed out on for so long. But I have to believe things happen just as they were meant to, so there was a reason...

Babs

[Nytebugg]

for me it has helped me realize that the questions i was/am asking are things I would like to see in my life. after all I wouldn't be asking about such things if I didn't feel a need to know about it or I need to see if one day it will happen. Before I reconnected with tarot I was really independently career and money oriented. Once I started reading I was asking question about relationships, emotional connections and so on. I realize now that is what is missing in my life. I'm happy being the 9 of pentacles but I'd rather be the 10 of cups.
would I have realized this on my own? maybe. I think asking questions has kind of focused me on what matters to me in my heart.

[chrissydogz]

tarot cards have helped me to have more confidence in myself. i remember about almost a year ago when i put myself on youtube singing then got all kinds of mean comments that really pushed me over the edge i mean i know i cant sing that good(i can think of a billion people who sing alot worse than me lol) but why did they have to be so mean to me?. then i had a night when i just felt so angry,dissapointed and alone when for some reason i kept invisioning an angel handing me a cup which immediately reminded me of the 4 of cups. i really do believe god was trying to let me know i wasnt alone during that time period. since then i have learnt to open my mind up more to spirituality and tarot. i often use the tarot as inspiration for whatever kind of situation.

[Rosanne]

Before the internet (was there ever a time before the web?) Tarot created a community for me, within a small community and allowed me to be somewhat self reliant when my children were small. It opened up the conversation about a myriad of things other than just a small world of Babies and housework.

~Rosanne

[pandan49]

When a card pops up that directly addresses a matter on my mind, it is as if a perfect prod has just been given to me to do what I need to do. Yes, I would have done that anyway, but it is great to have the universe either affirm or give a warning. The synchronicity is incredible.

[JSNYC]

Actually, I think I am just the opposite. I had control of my life when I picked up the Tarot, complete control. I needed the Tarot to lose (or at least loosen) control...

However, that coincides with the rest of your question regardless. I use the Tarot to see the possibilities ("this is the really, real world!" ), understand myself and my inner thoughts (what I really want or need)... Or at least that is the vague idea.

[dma88]

I've been reading for a little over 6 months now, and for me, so far it's been about cleansing- getting out of my head. you can't do a reading for someone else if you're stuck in your own situation. or even for yourself, for that matter. having the cards around, and wanting to use them, gives me good incentive to clear my mind and stop thinking about crap that doesn't serve me anyway.

so I've been experimenting with reading on cloth vs reading on a table, reading in a bad mood vs a good mood, reading at parties vs during the day, questions where I have an opinion vs ones where I don't, etc..

Im also getting into crystals and gemstones, which, like the cards, you have to slowly get used to them. for me, at least. when I hold up clear quartz I don't feel a rush of energy like in some sci-fi movie. but then again, expectations like that can get you in yoru head and cloud your reasoning