The Tarot works best when the right and left half of the brain are working in harmony. Unfortunately, anything we put on repeat (that’s any practice, not just Tarot) gets hijacked by the left brain. The left brain is very quick to shout, ‘I’ve got this!’. That’s because this part of the brain usually operates in the Beta brainwave pattern which is our everyday modus operandi. So how can we bring a stale Tarot practice back to life and enter into the flow of Alpha more often?
In today’s post, I’m sharing my top 5 tips on how to bring a stale Tarot practice back to life. And, as you may have guessed, it’s all about engaging the right half of the brain. This means slowing down and taking a break from our routine. It means going within and letting go of anything that blocks our imagination. A right-brained Tarot practice can be truly liberating, something we looked at last month in this post. But before I share my tips, I think it’s a good idea for us to look more closely at Alpha. Understanding how and why something works motivates us to make room for change.
Alpha
Very young children spend most of their time in the alpha and theta (trance) brainwave states. Between the ages of 5-8, theta lessens and alpha (relaxed awareness) takes over. This means we are easily suggestible, programmable and ‘hypnotised’ by the adults in our lives during our childhood years.
And that is why hypnosis later in life can be an effective tool for reprogramming ourselves. It is also why symbolism has more power than mere words. Symbols and archetypes reach the deeper, pre-programmed layers of our beings when words can’t.
The flow state is the Alpha brainwave state both children and adults in when they are being creative. Today, we are looking at specific ways to use that alpha brainwave pattern that allows us to play, dream and imagine with the cards.
The alpha brainwave pattern bridges the conscious to the subconscious. Putting ourselves in an alpha brainwave pattern reduces anxiety and can, with regular practice, help heal depressive states of mind.
1. Meditate
Begin every Tarot reading session with a brief meditation. You may argue that you don’t have time. I’m going to argue that your reading may be a waste of time unless you do. It doesn’t have to be anything elaborate. Ideally, you can learn a method that quickly puts you into the alpha brainwave state so that you don’t have to sit for 20 minutes first.
I find that the method below works really well and have made it part of my own daily practice. The great thing about this practice is that it does help me to more quickly shift into Alpha throughout the day. However, some days, I do it twice.
2. Look
My first tip is to look at the cards, whether you are working with your card of the day or a bigger spread. This may sound silly. Of course you look at the cards you pull. But do you really, or do you allow memorised card meanings from your left brain to take over?
One way to truly look at the card is to ask, ‘What have I not seen or noticed in this card before?’ This detail that you discover only by asking very often unveils exactly what you need to know at that moment.
3. Make the mind-body connection
Find what part of the body, the symbol or archetype you just noticed relates to. Go deeper. Ask why you can feel it there and know that you already have the answer.
If you uncover any energetic block relating to the symbol you are working with, you can either tap on it (EFT) or you can try some improvised dance movement to release the block.
You can’t be truly in love with something that lives only in your head.
4. Teach
If you know anything about the Tarot, you already have a treasure in your possession. And you already know more than someone who has not yet had the opportunity to get to know the Tarot. Teaching someone else how to bridge their conscious mind with their subconscious mind through Tarot symbology will completely make you fall in love with your practice all over again.
When you teach Tarot and talk positively about its potential, it’s like talking about your partner with your friends. It reminds you how much you love and appreciate them. And it makes you feel proud that they are a part of your life.
Please understand that most adults have weak “intuition muscles” due to cultural programming. You can make a big difference in the world when you begin teaching what you learn. Can you imagine how different the world will be in only a generation or two if people start trusting their connection to the All more? And there really is no better tool for learning/teaching this than the Tarot.
Check out my big FREE Tarot Resources page for tips on topics to cover if you start a Tarot study group.
Teaching Tarot can be as formal or informal as you like. You can teach your children or grandchildren. Or you can create an online course. My favourite way of teaching is in a real-life small-ish study group with no more than six to eight participants.
5. Create (Go Big or Go Home)
This is the part where we really get to play with the Tarot and dream BIG! Make Tarot-inspired art. Use the Tarot cards for plot development inspiration when writing a novel. Write haikus for each of the Court Cards. Or why not make your own Tarot deck?
Think you’re not enough of an artist? Think again! All it takes is a deep connection to the symbols in the cards + your unique way of expressing them + your favourite medium. Not all of us have the hand-eye coordination needed for detailed drawings (though my artist daughter assures me we can all learn). But we can all do collages, digital or with magazine cutouts.
I have created two Tarot decks. The first was in 2015, the Frideborg Tarot and the second (Majors only) is the Wylde Godde Tarot which is my RTS recovery art therapy deck.
If you don’t feel you want to create a full deck, I recommend creating art related to your three Birth Cards as this will help create a deeper connection to your Life Purpose.
Bonus Tips
Bonus tip 1 – Return to your first love
Do you remember your first Tarot deck or the deck that you first fell head over heels in love with? Spend a month getting to know that deck again, using the principles above. It will help you remember why you fell in love with the Tarot in the first place and deepen your commitment to your practice.
Bonus tip 2 – Play with others
Joining a #tarotchallenge online is a wonderful way to start feeling inspired again.
