Working with the Tarot: Daily Card

Working with the Tarot is not something that I do on a regular basis. However, when I do work with the Tarot, I much prefer the Thoth deck for its rich imagery. As a rule, the Rider-Waite deck does not speak to me at all.

However, for a week, I drew a daily card using the Rider-Waite deck. Because of my brain injury, I have no memory of the meanings. What I do now is to glean meaning from the pictures. To my surprise, I was “spot on” with the official interpretations.

The cards I drew in order were: 8 of Cups, The Hierophant, 7 of Cups, Knight of Pentacles, Ace of Cups, 6 of Swords, and The Lovers. Since the Major Arcana and Cups were the majority of the cards, I was dealing with deep emotional issues. But I am puzzled as to why the Wands were missing. Perhaps, physical issues were for me not as important during this time.

The daily reading did reflect what I experienced each day. Because I have no perception of time, I make daily notes to help my understanding of each day’s passage. Matching the cards to each day helped me to remember both the cards and the day. With this method, I could envision the passage of time.

The Eight of Cups came when I was feeling lonely. Because of my injury, I am often isolated. As this card indicated, I am on a journey to wellness. The next day, the Hierophant showed up when an old friend came to visit. I felt blessed by her visit. Next, the Seven of Cups demonstrated my brain’s problems. On that day, my brain had “short circuited” and could not focus. As reflected by the card, I had a day of cloudy thinking.

The following day, the Knight of Pentacles reassured me that things would be fine. I had a very boring, slow day which is precisely what I needed. The Knight in his stodginess depicted what I wanted for my brain.

The Ace of Cups arrived to let me know that I was loved. I do believe that my life “overflows with blessings” with my family and friends. Then, the Six of Swords reflected my need to move on. As the card indicated, I would eventually get there. Finally, the Lovers told me that I would be whole again.

Since I could relate each card to my day, I felt more familiar with them. I could glean meanings from the pictures more readily. A daily practice would probably increase my knowledge of the Tarot in general.