In Gnostic and Hermetic traditions, the nous is the divine intellect—the inner light of spiritual perception that transcends rational analysis. It’s the soul’s capacity to perceive divine realities directly. When we read Tarot through the nous, we access clarity, truth, and transformation. But when our perception is clouded by phantasia—false imagination—we fall prey to illusion, projection, and ego-driven narratives.
Many Tarot readers today are unknowingly navigating a psychic minefield: their readings shaped more by phantasia than true gnosis. This post is both a warning and an invitation—a call to clear the distortion and reclaim the Tarot as a spiritual technology aligned with the Good.
Go to:
- Tarot Consecration & Deck Clearing Ritual
- Prayer to Holy Sophia Before Reading the Tarot Cards
- Seeing with the Eye of the Heart Tarot Spread
What Is Phantasia vs the Nous?
In Gnostic terms, phantasia refers to the deceptive imagination. It’s the stream of inner imagery shaped by ego, trauma, cultural conditioning, and false light. It loops endlessly, feeding confusion and distraction. Phantasia is the imagination hijacked—used to reinforce illusion rather than to receive divine truth.
In contrast, the nous is the soul’s noetic faculty—a sacred bridge between the human and the divine. The nous allows the Tarot reader to access archetypal insight, inner gnosis, and true vision. It’s not fantasy. Nor is it prediction. It’s revelation.
“There where is the nous, lies the treasure.”
—Gospel of Mary Magdalene
“Mind…is best to keep in Greek…Nous in Greek means the eye of the heart. It’s the vision, or perception of the soul.”
—Meggan Watterson, author of Mary Magdalene Revealed
If we are to reclaim the Tarot from the grip of the Archons, we must first recognise what distorts the nous and learn how to purify the inner lens.
Clearing the Mental Debris Before a Tarot Reading
Before any Tarot reading, we carry a lifetime of programming into the space—unexamined beliefs, psychic residue, and inherited filters. The following five distortions frequently interfere with the nous and open the door to phantasia during readings.
1. The Authority Complex
This is the belief that truth resides outside of us—in a book, a teacher, an institution, or even the deck itself. It causes readers to second-guess their inner knowing and defer to “established” meanings rather than listening to the soul’s interpretation.
Reframe: Truth is not handed down; it is revealed inwardly. The Christos-Sophia current within you is your ultimate authority.
2. The Split Between the Real and the Imagined
We’ve been taught that imagination isn’t real, that it’s mere fantasy. This Cartesian dualism blinds us to the fact that the imaginal realm is the bridge between spirit and matter—the very space in which Tarot works.
Reframe: The imaginal is where the soul remembers its divine origin. It’s the natural terrain of the nous.
3. The Consumer Manifestation Trap
When Tarot becomes a tool to “get what I want,” it becomes distorted by ego desire. This pulls the reader into phantasia, using imagination for projection rather than communion.
Reframe: The Tarot is not a tool for manifesting from the ego. It is for listening to the divine call of the soul through the nous.
4. Trauma-Based Filters
Unhealed trauma can fragment the inner vision, making it difficult to trust what arises. This creates dependency on external validations or frantic overuse of Tarot in moments of emotional distress.
Reframe: Healing restores the nous. It brings the soul back into alignment with inner truth.
5. Archontic Imagery Saturation
Modern life is filled with low-quality imagery—scrolling, branding, fear-porn news cycles, and superficial aesthetics. These degrade the imaginative faculty and cloud the nous.
Reframe: Cleanse the psychic field. Feed the imagination with meaningful symbolism, beauty, nature, silence, poetry, and prayer.
How the Archons Hijack the Tarot
In Gnostic cosmology, the Archons are false rulers—cosmic parasites who generate illusion and confusion to keep souls trapped in ignorance. These forces don’t only operate “out there”—they work through our thoughts, emotions, and especially, our imagination.
When the Tarot is misused or misunderstood, it can become a tool in the arsenal of the Archons. Here’s how:
- Fortune Fixation: Using the cards for rigid predictions breeds fear and disempowerment by taking free will and choise out of the equation. When it works, it’s via the “self-fulfilling prophecy” mechanism.
- Spiritual Authority Props: Readers elevated to g*ru-status, creating dependency and hierarchy.
- Projection Loops: Obsessively reading about a person or situation to confirm ego-based hopes. Not separate from Fortune Fixation.
- Overuse and Obsession: Multiple daily pulls that confuse rather than clarify, turning Tarot into a spiritual pacifier rather than a tool for transformation. Rarely are readings followed up by taking action because there is an expectation that we are passive recipients of fate.
In all of these cases, the Tarot no longer functions as a mirror of gnosis—it becomes a hall of mirrors, reflecting back only the ego’s distortions and archontic programming.
Reclaiming the Tarot for the Good
If the Archons can use the Tarot, so can the Divine—but only if we re-align our approach. Here’s how to reclaim Tarot as a tool of the nous, truth, and liberation.
1. Tarot as a Mirror for Gnosis
The cards reflect not the future, but the soul’s current state and path. Rather than asking “What will happen?” ask “What wants to be seen, healed, or remembered?”
2. Tarot as Imaginal Iconography
Approach each card as a living icon—not just a symbol to interpret but a being to engage. The cards are doorways into the imaginal realm, where divine truth is accessible to the nous.
3. Tarot as Consecrated Art
Before reading, clear the space of any false influence. Invite only that which serves the Highest Good by saying a simple but heartfelt prayer. You can say the one below or use your own words.
“Let only that which serves the Good, the Beautiful, and the True enter this sacred space.”
This sets the container for noetic insight to rise.
4. Tarot as Soulcraft
Use the Tarot not to control life but to navigate it consciously. Let each reading be a form of spiritual alchemy—an invitation to participate in the unfolding of your soul’s myth, not your ego’s agenda
From Phantasia to the Nous: A Gnostic Compass
Use this table to discern what kind of imaginative energy is at work during your readings.
| Phantasia | The Nous | |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | Ego, trauma, cultural noise | Divine spark, Sophia, Higher Self |
| Sensation | Cluttered, anxious, compulsive | Calm, expansive, heart-centred |
| Imagery | Fragmented, recycled, shallow | Archetypal, visionary, illuminating |
| Outcome | Confusion, obsession, stagnation | Clarity, transformation, regeneration |
| Function in Tarot Readings | Escape, control, validation-seeking | Enlightenment, alignment, liberation |
Tarot Consecration & Deck Clearing Ritual
Purpose: To clear and cancel archontic influences, attune your deck to divine wisdom, and open the channel of the noetic guidance.
You will need:
- Your Tarot deck
- A white candle
- A small bowl of Holy Water
- Incense
- A quiet, sacred space
Step-by-step:
- Create the space
Light your candle. Breathe deeply, centring your awareness in the heart. State clearly: “This is sacred space. I banish all illusion and distraction by the power of the Holy Spirit.” - Cleanse the deck
Pass the deck through incense smoke and sprinkle lightly with Holy Water. As you do, say: “I cleanse this deck of all projections, fear, and interference. May it be a tool in service of the Highest Good.” - Consecrate to Sophia
Hold the deck in both hands and say: “By the divine spark of Holy Sophia, I consecrate these cards to be used for healing and enlightenment. May they be living symbols, guides of true gnosis, and companions on the path of soul remembrance.” - Open the inner gate
Place your hands over your heart and breathe into the heart, sitting in silence for a few moments, listening inward. Say a simple “Amen” when you feel complete.
Prayer to Holy Sophia Before a Tarot Reading
You may speak this aloud or silently before reading for yourself or others:
“Holy Sophia, wellspring of wisdom and truth,
Illuminate the eye of my heart, my nous.
May all false images be cleared, all fear dissolved.
Let these symbols break the chains of mental bondage.
May I be a clear vessel for your wisdom,
Amen and So It Is.”
Seeing with the Eye of the Heart Tarot Spread
This five-card “Nous-Alignment Spread” is built around cultivating noetic clarity and discerning phantasia from true vision. Feel free to use the prayer above as an invocation before you begin your reading, or simply light a candle and take a few grounding and centring breaths. Your heart knows/nous the way.
1. The Eye of the Heart (Nous):
What does my soul want me to see now?
2. The Distortion:
What is the phantasia—false imagination or inner debris—that clouds my vision?
3. Origin of the Distortion:
Did this distortion originate with the ego, past wounding, or cultural programming?
4. Attune and Realign:
How can I enter the imaginal realm with pure vision?
5. Integration:
What is the nous calling into form for the Highest Good?
Seeing with the Eye of the Heart Sample Tarot Reading
1. The Eye of the Heart (Nous):
What does my soul want me to see now?
The Queen of Pentacles arises as a vision of inner sovereignty, sacred embodiment, and grounded wisdom. Through the eye of the heart, your soul is asking you to see the divine in the domestic, the spiritual power of care, nourishment, and tangible beauty. This Queen is the anchor of the sacred feminine in the material realm.
What the nous reveals here is a call to honour your earthly temple and tend your inner sanctuary with reverence. You are being asked to see yourself not as someone searching for value but as a living vessel of it. This is your soul reminding you that spiritual depth is not abstract—it is embodied, cultivated, and cared for in the quiet, nourishing spaces of everyday life.
2. The Distortion:
What is the phantasia—false imagination or inner debris—that clouds my vision?
The distortion here is subtle dissatisfaction—an inner narrative that whispers, “There must be more.” The 4 of Cups points to emotional disengagement, a sense of flatness or disconnection that dulls the heart’s perception. This is phantasia as indifference, as the inability to receive what is already present because the ego imagines it should look or feel differently.
This false imagination distorts the soul’s clear vision by turning your focus inward in a form of dissociation or withdrawal. It may manifest as creative inertia, spiritual numbness, or habitual rejection of joy due to past disappointment.
3. Origin of the Distortion:
Did this distortion originate with the ego, past wounding, or cultural programming?
The 9 of Wands reveals this distortion arises from past wounding—specifically, a history of emotional or spiritual exhaustion. You’ve walked through fire, and though you’ve survived, part of you remains on high alert, bracing for the next blow. This guardedness can cause the heart to contract, and the nous to become clouded with self-protection.
This wound may also carry echoes of cultural programming that glorifies “pushing through” or equates resilience with isolation. There’s a fatigue here that makes joy feel dangerous or indulgent. Yet the heart cannot see clearly when it’s behind a barricade.
The distortion is a survival strategy that has outlived its usefulness. The nous sees clearly, but not through scar tissue. Healing this origin point begins by acknowledging that vigilance is no longer your protector—presence is.
4. Attune and Realign:
How can I enter the imaginal realm with pure vision?
The 8 of Wands brings a rush of clarity. The way through is movement, momentum, and direct transmission. To attune the nous, you must shift your frequency quickly and decisively—possibly through a creative act, a pilgrimage, or a spoken prayer.
This card suggests the imaginal realm opens when you stop overthinking and allow energy to move. It may also point to working with light, sound, or breath—modalities that bypass mental interference and open the channels of perception. Prophecy, downloads, visions—all may come swiftly once the inner energy field is cleared and activated.
In essence: stop bracing. Start receiving. Trust what comes through when the gate is open.
5. Integration:
What is the nous calling into form for the Highest Good?
This is a stunning conclusion. The nous calls you to embody the archetype of divine creativity, not merely to receive insight but to become a living vessel of it. The Empress is the fertile field of sacred imagination made manifest. She is Venus aligned with Sophia—beauty as the language of the soul.
What the nous seeks to birth through you is not a single project, but a state of being: one who creates effortlessly because she is aligned with Source. The Empress doesn’t force. She magnetises. Her abundance flows because she knows her value is inherent and her creation is sacred.
This card asks you to trust that what you are here to bring forth is not just for you—it is for the world. Your art, your care, your writing, your rituals—these are the fruits of nous made visible.
Final Reflection
This reading beautifully charts the movement from wounded vigilance (9 of Wands + 4 of Cups) into sacred feminine embodiment (Queen of Pentacles + The Empress), with the 8 of Wands acting as the lightning rod that clears the debris and restores the signal.
The message is clear: when you stop rejecting the good that is already here and allow movement into the imaginal, the nous will show you not only what is true—but what is ready to be born.
The Imaginal, the Tarot and the Nous
The Tarot was never meant to serve the ego’s need for certainty or validation. It is a sacred art form—a way of engaging the Divine through the language of symbols. When practised through the nous, it becomes a mirror of the soul, a vessel of Sophia’s wisdom, and a technology of awakening.
The Archons will always try to twist the tools gifted to us by Spirit. But the light of the nous is not so easily extinguished.
If you are a Tarot reader feeling the pull to go deeper—to read not for prediction but for the liberation of the soul—know this: the imaginal temple is open. The symbols are alive. And the divine spark in you already knows the way.
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