Using Tarot as a guide for self-help purposes
Healing and Recovery
Life often presents difficult paths, where obstacles can hinder our healing process. This segment offers guidance through these challenges, focusing on the journey of recovery and highlighting the restorative power of tarot cards.
Healing involves recognising our inner resolve and capacity to mend the fractures within us. It's a journey inward, where we confront our wounds with courage and compassion, seeking pathways to recovery and restoration. Tarot cards offer not only perspective but also a practical tool for healing, providing clarity and guidance as we address life's complexities.
Recovery is about reclaiming our sense of self, rewriting our narrative with determination and hope. It's a journey to wholeness, marked by perseverance and steady resolve. Tarot cards become companions in this journey, offering solace and inspiration as we go through the process of healing.
Major Arcana
The Hanged Man.
The Hanged Man is a view of surrender and acceptance as essential aspects of personal transitioning. This card teaches us the importance of relinquishing control and letting go of the need to manipulate outcomes. Instead, it prompts us to surrender to the present moment and have faith in the process of alteration. Symbolising a conscious pause, the Hanged Man offers a moment for introspection and realignment with our inner essence. This pause allows us to open our hearts and minds to new perspectives and possibilities, guiding us out of any mental rut we may be experiencing.
Additionally, the Hanged Man brings our attention to the value of sacrifice and detachment from attachments. By shedding old beliefs and emotions that hinder us, we create space for inner progress and rejuvenation. By omitting outdated patterns and paradigms, we can make room for new epiphanies. This process allows our higher wisdom to emerge, fostering a deeper understanding and acceptance of the uncertainties of life. By embracing life’s unpredictability and challenges, we can build resilience and inner strength, shifting our focus from controlling external circumstances to attaining our equanimity.
Affirmation ~ I surrender to the flow of life, trusting releasing control will bring growth and new insights.
Minor Arcana
King of Wands, Queen of Cups, Knight of Cups, Nine of Wands, Six of Cups, Six of Swords, Three of Wands, Three of Swords.
The King of Wands brings the dynamic energy needed to actively engage in purposeful healing. This card inspires us to take charge of our journey, emphasising that healing is not just about recovery but also about aligning with our deeper intentions. This may involve setting clear, purpose-driven goals, establishing boundaries that protect our wellbeing, or seeking support from those who uplift our vision for growth.
In practical terms, the King of Wands urges us to channel our passions into activities that support our healing journey. Whether engaging in hobbies, starting meaningful projects, volunteering, or pursuing creative endeavours, these are not mere distractions but purposeful acts that infuse our lives with direction and fulfilment. Such activities offer a tangible way to express ourselves authentically.
By integrating our passions with our personal growth, we not only facilitate healing but also foster authenticity. The King of Wands reminds us that living in accordance with our beliefs and hopes is essential. By doing so, we create a path that is about more than just recovery - it's about living in harmony with our most genuine self and higher purpose.
Affirmation ~ I align my passions with my healing journey fostering renewal and purpose.
Queen of Cups: Self-Acceptance
The Queen of Cups, symbolising intuition, compassion, and emotional depth, holds significant meaning for those on a journey of healing and recovery. With self-compassion and acceptance, the Queen of Cups reminds us to acknowledge our vulnerabilities and treat ourselves with care. Healing involves accepting our flaws and recognising both our strengths and where we fall short. This acceptance releases unrealistic expectations and self-judgement. Embracing these aspects of ourselves allows us to see our inherent value as humans, not as something dependent on perfection, and opens the door to deeper healing and transformation.
This card invites us to recognise and address self-limiting behaviours and patterns that may hinder our emotional wellbeing, such as negative self-talk or actions that undermine self-care. It is essential to identify when fear, doubt, or past wounds influence our behaviour and to choose self-kindness and healing practices instead.
This inspires us to extend compassion and support to others on their healing journeys. Offering a listening ear, a comforting presence, or words of encouragement not only helps others but also enhances our own capacity for healing. It’s important of course to approach others with sensitivity and respect, acknowledging that some may prefer to keep their struggles private and allowing their experiences to unfold in their own time and manner.
Affirmation ~ I fully accept myself, embracing all strengths and imperfections with love and compassion.
The Knight of Cups asks us to listen to our inner calling. To discern this calling, focus on what resonates at a deep emotional level, such as activities or causes that ignite passion and provide a sense of meaning. This card guides us towards healing by fostering a balance between embracing our inner calling and staying grounded in reality.
Representing a journey of emotional maturity and spirituality, the Knight of Cups highlights the importance of balancing our dreams with practical steps and realistic expectations, avoiding the trap of idealism. The message is to pursue our inner calling with sincerity and passion while remaining aware of the practical aspects of the journey. Fundamental healing unfolds when our deeper longings align with the realities of life.
The Knight of Cups teaches that acknowledging our inner calling with tempered optimism helps avoid disillusionment. Healing is an ongoing process of growth and self-discovery, not a final destination. By opening up to unconditional love - both internally and outwardly - we foster inner peace and healing, making the journey of following our inner calling both fulfilling and realistic.
Affirmation ~ I honour my feelings with honesty.
Nine of Wands: Self-Sabotage and Liberation
This card suggests that, at times, we may unintentionally hold ourselves back from healing by undermining our own happiness. As positive feelings begin to surface, there can be a tendency to fall back into familiar, less constructive patterns. This may stem from a variety of influences - whether it's a discomfort with vulnerability, cognitive biases, or the fear of losing what we have. In these moments, the mind may focus more on problems, leading to self-sabotage, even when circumstances are improving.
Take a pause and ask yourself - Am I fully allowing myself to embrace the positive emotions that accompany healing? Instinctively reaching for distractions or falling into old habits, not out of a conscious decision, but perhaps due to the comfort of familiarity or the underlying belief that we don’t deserve happiness may offer temporary relief, but ultimately this keeps us from our healing.
Activities like music, movement, creative expression, or being active in nature can bring about joyful moments, offering healthy alternatives to more harmful distractions.
The message here is to allow yourself to feel good when those moments arise. Feeling good is not only natural but an essential part of the healing process. By embracing these moments, however fleeting, we create space for healthier habits and more effective self-care. The Nine of Wands reminds us that healing doesn't mean constant happiness, but it also doesn't mean avoiding the positive feelings that come along the way. There's no need to place pressure on yourself to always feel good, but when those moments come, give yourself permission to fully savour them.
Affirmation ~ I allow myself to cherish and experience fleeting moments of joy that life offers.
The Six of Cups evokes nostalgia, innocence, and emotional connection. It invites us to find acceptance in our past experiences, memories, and emotions. This card emphasises the importance of inner child work in the healing process, encouraging us to honour our inner child with love and compassion. By doing so, we can heal past wounds and reclaim our sense of innocence and wonder.
While it's essential to engage in this healing process, the Six of Cups also reminds us not to dwell on the past indefinitely. Instead, we must integrate these insights into our present lives and continue moving forward. This can be through practising forgiveness, applying the lessons learned from past experiences, and participating in activities that bring joy and laughter.
Affirmation: I acknowledge the past with gratitude for lessons and release it.
Six of Swords: Moving Beyond Suffering
The Six of Swords symbolises our transition from past pain to a place of renewal. This journey involves embracing new experiences, environments, or relationships that support our current goals. We can do this by identifying areas where we’re still holding on to past suffering which is hindering our progress and taking practical steps to address these issues.
By setting healthy boundaries, being part of a supportive environment, and engaging in activities that promote healing and recovery, we can distance ourselves from negativity and create a more positive path forward. By exemplifying the qualities of the Six of Swords - transition and forward movement - we can feel hopeful about the possibilities that lie ahead.
Affirmation ~ I shed the cloak of my past identity embracing the dawn of a new chapter with an open heart.
The Three of Wands encourages a forward-looking perspective, recognising that our journey towards healing holds much potential. To tap into this, this card reminds us of the value in having clear intentions and visions for personal healing.
Aligning our actions with our fundamental intentions directs our energy towards creating a more balanced and fulfilling life. While keeping our gaze on our aspirations, it's also important to stay connected to our centre and foundation, which helps us to overcome obstacles with quiet determination and authenticity.
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Intention is a guiding force acknowledged across many traditions. It's more than simply goals or desires, it's a sense of direction that subtly shapes our thoughts, actions, and experience. By allowing ourselves to establish intentions, we become more attuned to the natural flow of life, drawing in opportunities and synchronicities that support our journey.
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Mindfulness encourages us to observe our actions without expectation or rigidity, gently considering if they align with our guiding principles. By gradually tuning in to our core values and essence, we can experience presence and authenticity in our everyday actions, connecting to our higher self with each step.
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The Three of Wands embodies this journey of intention, symbolising foresight, growth, and the unfolding of our healing and recovery in a way that feels natural and true.
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Affirmation ~ I gently observe my thoughts, words, and actions, without judgement, allowing myself to stay aligned with my true intentions.
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Three of Swords: Facing Emotional Pain
The Three of Swords confronts the reality of emotional pain, encouraging us to face heartache and loss with honesty and openness. It highlights the importance of allowing oneself to grieve and express emotions without judgement or suppression. This card advocates a mindful approach, suggesting that we observe our emotions with compassion and patience rather than reacting impulsively or trying to avoid pain.
Processing pain involves sitting with it, recognising its presence, and understanding that it is a natural part of healing. By embracing processes like mindfulness and conscious breathing, we can engage with our feelings without being overwhelmed. This gentle approach helps create space, allowing pain to be a pathway for inner transformation.
The Three of Swords reminds us that while emotional pain is challenging, it is also a temporary state. By meeting our suffering with acceptance and care, we pave the way for deeper healing. Embracing the lessons of the Three of Swords acknowledges that our healing is a journey through pain towards a more resilient and authentic self.
Affirmation ~ I hold space for my emotional pain with mindful awareness, allowing it to transform me with clarity and compassion on my healing journey.