Introduction

The Tarot cards are one of the most amazing tools for turning and looking within because everyone “needs” a mirror, and the images on the cards can offer reflections of our inner construct and beyond.

Three Factors Merge

My “initiation” into Tarot started unexpectedly with the aligning of three factors, a gift of a science fiction trilogy in paperback, the birth of my second child, and a picture of a round MotherPeace Tarot Card.

The first came while I was pregnant. I was not a sci-fi fan but was gracious when Diana, a friend, gifted me a sci-fi trilogy to read “ for when I was home with the baby, nothing to do, and plenty of time on my hands to read.” From this one statement, you can tell Diana did not have children of her own. Boy, would she be surprised if and when she did! I put the books under my bedside table and promptly forgot about them.

Kelly was born on August 10. Delivered within a manageable four hours of labor, she could not wait long to get here. Our days filled with mother-daughter bonding and the usual adjustments. A couple of months later, Kelly was pronounced terminally ill with a liver issue, and I headed into therapy to learn how to cope with this new and devastating aspect of motherhood.

The third thing that happened was that the therapist showed me a copy of a round MotherPeace Tarot card, and I instantly connected to it. I owned the Rider Waite version from a few years ago, but for some reason, I never really resonated with those cards. That deck sat on a bookshelf, an attraction for dust mites.

One day soon after seeing the card, I remember Kelly was napping. I decided to check out at least what the Sci-Fi trilogy was about. After all, Diana knew me well and felt I would “love the reads.” It was the respectful thing to do to see at least what she had taken mindful time and joy to gift me. I peeked under my bedside table, and there they were as I left them, neatly stacked and tied with a big fat pink ribbon for me, the new “baby mama.”

Trilogy of Tarot by Pier’s Anthony

I untied the ribbon and saw the three books written by Piers Anthony, and all three had the word Tarot in their titles. That certainly piqued my interest, especially in lieu of my recent connection with the MotherPeace Tarot card. What a perfect synchronicity. Now, I understood why the friend gave me books I didn’t think I would like.

The trilogy wasn’t your average science fiction, but a journey of someone who journeyed home from a distant place by way of the path of the Major Arcana in the Tarot. As laid out and reflected in the trilogy, the protagonist is, in the beginning, offered three possible ways Home, each reflecting the “energetic imprint” of three different and specific Tarot decks.

Each Chapter was thusly named after one of the twenty-two Major Arcana in the deck. They started from the beginning and flowed through to the end. The card images can be seen as an allegory of our journey as we are born into a dual world and our evolution along the way, where we finally merge back into the Oneness from whence we began.

In this way, the character sets out on his journey, as does the Fool of the Tarot, the first card, image, and leg of the adventure. He stops and experiences the perspective and experience of each Major Arcana along the way until he finally reaches Home with the World card.

What if . . .?

I felt strangely compelled to model after the character of the books and take a journey via the Major Arcana of the MotherPeace Tarot deck. It seemed like a worthwhile and much-needed diversion from the stress of daily life.

Diana was right. Hers was the perfect gift for me when my daughter was born and diagnosed, and it taught me how to turn within in earnest and begin to learn how to become a Peaceful Mother and so much more of who I really am. I called it Initiation into Tarot, and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to give it a shot.

Here’s how I proceeded:

Beginning at the beginning of the Tarot with the Fool card, I spent as much time learning about it and applying its value to my life and perspective. I stayed with the Fool, reading about it, looking at the images, trying to dream about it, and watching Fool’s Way of Being and how it was also apparent, if I looked for it, in my and others’ lives. The Fool mirrors our Divine Consciousness: childlike, innocent, trusting, intuitive, impulsive, adventuresome, pure spirit.

When I finally felt I understood the heart of the card through and through, I would go to the next step and card in my journey, in this case, the Magician, and repeat the same thing. Journey, reflect, repeat.

It took me six months to journey through the twenty-two Major Arcana, and I had many parallel adventures along the way. When I finished, I could seriously read any card from any deck, anytime, anywhere, right side up, upside down and all around, and also be pretty accurate. Shocking, really, but true. Most important, though, was that in embodying and integrating MotherPeace, Kelly benefited in countless ways.

I integrated into my body, mind, and soul the archetypes presented in the Major Arcana, similar in context to Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey. Due to having done this through the direct experience of seeking to master and understand the Heart and Soul of the Tarot/Life, I ended up doing just that.

What About You?

If you are interested, take your time in purchasing a Tarot deck you feel attracted to explore in the way described above (there are over 4,000 decks), and begin your odyssey to get to know yourself. Doing so will bring greater understanding to your life. Remember that the Fool, who mirrors our Divine Nature, must accompany all the other cards and images. We can never again forget who we are.

I’ve facilitated many others through the Initiation into Tarot, and all who attended came out of those courses being able to read Tarot expertly, comfortably, and accurately. You can absorb this into your daily routine without much effort.

Conclusion

An Initiation into Tarot can help you find more outstanding balance within. And it’s plain to see that the colors, actions, and images on the cards act as little mirrors of our souls and life to teach us to look deeper into who we really are in a balanced approach. They help us, when studied this way, accept all parts of ourselves and detach from what doesn’t serve us and never has.

If you’re interested in an Initiation into Tarot course, please email or say so in the comments. I’m not planning it, but I would consider it if there’s a demand. Thank you.

In Gratitude and Increasing Love,
Kaye