Getting Started with Those Spooky Cards
Okay, so listen, I’ve been messing around with Tarot for a good while now, but those Dark Cards? You know, the ones with the scary-sounding names like The Tower, Death, or The Devil? Yeah, those. They used to really freak me out as a beginner. Felt like pulling one meant your life was about to explode. I decided I needed to actually sit down with them, like really spend time just looking and feeling, instead of just flipping out whenever they showed up.
First thing I did? Grabbed my favourite deck – the one with the really moody, atmospheric artwork. I figured darker art might actually help with understanding the dark cards, make their energy feel clearer, you know? Just held it for a bit, shuffled slow. Didn’t ask a question yet. Just wanted to feel the cards.
Then, I pulled out only the dark cards. Just laid them all out face up on my little desk table. Stared at them. The Tower showing a crumbling building? The Devil with those chains? The scary-looking skeleton on the Death card? Felt kinda heavy, man. But I kept looking. Saw fire in The Tower – sudden change, chaos. Saw the chains on The Devil weren’t just trapping people; they looked kinda loose, like you could maybe slip out if you tried. Saw the sunrise behind Death’s figure. Weird, right?
My First Real Practice Session
Alright, feeling a bit braver now. Time to actually do a little reading with them in mind. Didn’t do a fancy spread, just did a simple past-present-future thing. Shuffled the whole deck while thinking, “Alright deck, show me what I need to see, even the tough stuff.”
- Past: Pulled The Tower. Ugh. My stomach flipped. “Here we go,” I thought. Instead of panicking about disaster, I remembered looking at the fire earlier. Made me think of that huge argument I had with my business partner last year. Total blow-up, project crashed hard. Messy, chaotic, felt like losing everything. Yeah, that was my Tower moment. Brutal? Yes. World-ending? Nope. We survived, actually rebuilt better communication later.
- Present: Out pops The Devil. Yikes again! But this time, less panic. Looked at it: what chains are really binding me right now? Instantly thought of this really bad habit I’ve got, scrolling mindlessly on my phone for hours. It genuinely steals my time and focus, makes me feel sluggish and guilty. That’s my current, personal Devil – a bad habit I feel addicted to.
- Future: And then… Death. Took a deep breath. Remembered the sunrise image. Instead of doom, I started thinking: What needs to die in my life? What big change is coming? Honestly? I’ve been feeling stuck in my day job for ages. Drains my soul. Death here felt less like literal death, more like a huge, necessary ending to make space for something new career-wise. Scary? Heck yeah. But maybe needed?
What Actually Happened & What I Learned
So, the Tower card nailed that past event spot on – scary chaos. The Devil perfectly highlighted that dumb phone habit that is ruling my present time. The Death card? Still waiting to see the exact shape of that “ending,” but I’ve started seriously updating my resume and looking at retraining options. Feels like movement started happening after I pulled it.
Here’s the big takeaways I forced myself to learn by actually doing this:
- Stop the instant panic! Seeing a “dark” card doesn’t mean catastrophe. It means “Hey, look deeper here, this topic is intense.”
- Context is KING. The Tower didn’t mean disaster in general, it specifically reminded me of that past business blowout. The Devil wasn’t about evil spirits, it pointed directly to my dumb scrolling habit. It’s all about where the card lands and what cards are nearby.
- They’re catalysts, not curses. Seriously. The Devil showing up made me finally acknowledge that phone addiction and start setting screen limits. Death pushed me to think about ending a stagnant job. They force you to face uncomfortable truths or changes that are often necessary for growth. They’re messengers telling you where the hard work needs to happen.
- Feel the card, don’t just read the name. Spending time just looking at the art before reading helped so much. Seeing the details I usually skipped changed my whole feeling about them.
Look, I won’t lie, these cards still make me a little nervous sometimes. That gut reaction is strong! But actually forcing myself to sit with them, interpret them in specific situations, and see how the meanings played out? That completely changed my game. They aren’t enemies, they’re just… tough teachers pointing at the messy bits. Makes reading feel more real, honest, and honestly, way more useful now.
