What Is the Connection Between Tarot & Magick
The word Magick can sometimes create very strong reactions because of the way it has been portrayed in popular culture.
But the word has a much broader history.
At its simplest, Magick can be understood as the conscious use of intention, symbolism, ritual and natural correspondences to create a shift within ourselves or in the way we approach a particular situation.
It is not necessarily about something dark or frightening.
At its heart, it is about intention.
A candle can represent light, clarity or transformation. Water can represent emotion, cleansing and flow.
Fire can represent courage, passion and change. Earth can represent stability, grounding and abundance.
Herbs have long been associated with different traditional qualities, while oils, flowers, stones and other natural materials can become part of ritual and personal practice.
The physical object is not necessarily the source of the transformation.
Rather, the ritual gives our intention a physical form.
And this is one of the reasons I find the connection with Tarot so fascinating.
Tarot as a Language of Symbolism
Every Tarot card contains layers of symbolism.
The images are not random.
The elements, colors, numbers, landscapes, animals, plants, celestial bodies and human figures all contribute to the story within a card.
The four Tarot suits themselves provide a beautiful connection with the natural elements:
- Wands – Fire:passion, creativity, action and transformation
- Cups – Water:emotion, intuition, relationships and the inner world
- Swords – Air:thought, communication, truth and mental clarity
- Pentacles – Earth:the physical world, resources, work, stability and the body
When we begin to look at Tarot this way, the cards become much more than pictures.
They become a symbolic language.
The High Priestess speaks to intuition, mystery and knowledge that exists beneath the surface.
The Magician represents conscious creation, potential and the ability to work with the resources available to us.
The Empress connects us with nature, fertility, creativity, abundance and nurturing energy.
The Moon takes us into intuition, dreams, uncertainty and the hidden parts of ourselves.
The Sun brings illumination, vitality, clarity and joy.
These themes are not exclusive to Tarot. They are part of the human experience and appear throughout many spiritual and symbolic traditions.
Where Does Paganism Come In?
Paganism is not one single religion.
The term is now used to describe a wide variety of spiritual and religious traditions, many of which draw inspiration from pre-Christian beliefs, nature-based spirituality and ancient cultural traditions.
Long before modern life separated us from the rhythms of nature, people lived much more closely with the world around them. The changing seasons mattered. The cycles of the moon mattered. The sun, rain, harvests, animals and plants were deeply connected to everyday life.
Different cultures developed their own beliefs, ceremonies, deities, seasonal celebrations and relationships with nature. Modern Pagan practices are equally diverse. Some people follow reconstructed historical traditions, while others follow contemporary nature-based spiritual paths.
The practices we might recognize today as modern Ancient Art of Magick have also evolved over time, drawing from different cultural, folkloric, spiritual and magical traditions.
It is therefore important not to place all of these traditions into one box.
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