Storytelling the Tarot
© Kathleen Meadows, M.A. Certified Psychic and Tarot Grand Master
The cards speak to you
Tarot readings bring the art of the story into a personal context. Oracle reading is an opportunity for a unique type of dialogue. A sharing rich in objectification, hope and drama and revelation. Tarot reading cultivates our natural narrative abilities and endows them with deeper resonances and broader meanings. Tarot is a means of evoking stories latent in the readers and clients’ that may lack a conventional form thereby revealing the processes of the unconscious. Archetypal words pervade the Tarot – King, Queen, Knight, Princess – Mother, Empress – elevating the client’s mundane story into the realms of the archetypal world. They see themselves and their stories in a grander light becoming heroines and heroes fighting fierce foes, winning epic battles, and having wondrous loves.
Keys to Storytelling an Epic-Rich Tarot reading
- How does the big story of the card depict the person sitting across from you?
- How is the character depicted in the card a snapshot of your client?
- See the client inside the card in a 3 dimensional way. See them performing the action, feeling the emotions of the character. Note where the character is heading and what might be around the corner.
- Observe the setting. How does the client fit into the surroundings? What might the setting tell you about the client’s state of mind?
- Think about the cards in your layout being like frames that make up a movie. How are the characters, and action unfolding from one card to the next?
- Consider the elements expressed in the cards. Is the client drowning in water? (cups) are they on fire? (wands) are they floating around in the air? (swords) or are they stuck to the ground? (disks)
- Consider the Tarot reading layout like a photo album you are going through that belongs to your client. What are you learning as the reader about your client’s life in this album?
- Be mindful of your language. – “this is you…” I always begin – this is where you have been in your past and this is your future. Keep your language immediate to the client – “I see you have” or “this card tells us you..” or “The oracle has revealed you in this situation, doing this, feeling this..”
- A good story is always emotional. Make it funny and sad, joyous and fearful.
- Build your story to a climax. Know which card in your layout will be identified as the climax. Take your time to build suspense.
- Build suspense and anticipation up to your climax then in your summary you are lowering the emotional intensity so your client goes away calm, and satisfied.
- Consider; “What is the moral or lesson of the story?” This is the point of the reading!
- Practice making a story of your own life using the cards until you become so good at doing it, when you read for others, it will become more natural and flow more smoothly.
Avoid
- Leaving your client hanging up in the air. How does this story end? This will be your summation of the reading.
- Verbalizing everything you are thinking. Be cautious that you aren’t telling a story with a hopeless ending or one that is bereft of justice.
- “Thinking out loud” and falling into the pitfalls of “umms” “uhs”.
- Fidgeting. Be aware of your body movements. Are you waving your hands around to express yourself? This can be very distracting. Are you moving your body to the movements of your story? Keep this consistent.
- Staring at your cards so long you forget to make eye contact with your clients especially at times in your story when emotion will be elicited.
- Being boring. Indeed this may be the 20th story you’ve told to someone that day, but remember this is their story and they expect you to be as excited about it as they are. Don’t speak in a “monotone”.
- Not breathing!
Storytelling is a vital skill to develop as a Tarot reader. Those who become great readers are above all else great and imaginative storytellers. Like all complex skills it takes many hours of practice to perfect, but the reward is possessing a rare gift to heal, inspire, and yes, change the world one person at a time.
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