There are certain tarot card decks that everyone has. Ryder Waite deck I’m talking about you. But chances are you don’t have Black tarot cards. And if that’s the case, you could be missing out on having more accurate readings.
Learning to trust your own tarot card readings can be a challenge on a good day. You may wonder, am I making this up? Am I seeing in the cards only what I want to see? (I’ll keep it real; sometimes that’s exactly what we’re doing.)
And if you’re reading cards for someone else, it’s easy to second-guess yourself particularly when that person doesn’t immediately get what you’re saying.
But here’s something that makes it even more difficult. When you don’t see yourself in the tarot cards, it’s often harder for you to accept that you are truly getting messages from the Universe. It’s more difficult for you to believe you know what you’re doing. It’s more difficult for you to see yourself as a tarot card reader, or mystic or psychic or intuitive. So it’s clear why Black tarot readers can benefit from having a deck that resonates with them. But I think white readers (and every other group) can benefit too.
Seeing Black mystics and visionaries
As a Black woman who has used tarot cards for much of my life, I first learned to read them using a multitude of decks, particularly the Rider Waite and the Tarot of the Witches. I didn’t think twice about the fact that there were no Black people on those decks. I grew up thinking most Black people didn’t do tarot card readings anyway — something I’ve learned couldn’t be further from the truth. Some of that, I think, has to do with the fear of upsetting the conservative Black Christian community, but that’s another blog post. What I do know is that it was easy to tell myself there were no Black tarot card readers when all of the mystical figures I would see were white.
I imagine it’s similar to what researchers have proven about the impact of culture on dolls. A landmark study in the 1940s found that Black children who were mostly exposed to white dolls preferred white dolls to Black dolls and also had negative feelings toward the Black dolls that looked more like them.
The first time I saw Black people on a tarot deck I was mesmorized. A Black High Priestess. A Black Empress. Black Lovers. Not only did I feel more empowered as a Black user of tarot cards, but I could better relate to the messages that the cards would convey. I could see myself as the beautiful Fool beginning a new journey with optimism. I could appreciate my inner journey as the Hierophant in a way that hadn’t resonated with me before. My messages and the meanings I took from the cards were different with the Black tarot card deck than with the white tarot card deck. I’m not saying either one gave me the right or wrong message. I don’t believe that. Instead, I believe I can get an expanded view of a situation because I can look at it from a perspective that is close to mine as well as one that is represented by someone who is different from me.
Psychic excercise: Putting a multicultural deck in practice
Invest in a tarot deck that is illustrated using people that don’t look like you. You don’t have to get Black tarot cards. You can get one that features Asian people or Native American people or Latino people. I didn’t say get a deck featuring white people because I’m making the assumption that you probably already have one, but if you don’t, then by all means pick one up. Also, invest in a tarot deck that is illustrated using people that do look like you.
Place the two decks in front of you.
Decide upon a situation that you want to know more about. Perhaps you want to know what the tarot cards can tell you about love. Meditate and ask the question that you want an answer to. Then take either deck and shuffle them until you feel moved to stop. Then select the top three cards and lay them out.
Interpret the cards as you normally would. Look at the imagery. Ask yourself how it makes you feel? Note any visions, thoughts, sounds, or tastes.
Next, pick up the other deck. Go through the deck and find those same three cards and remove them from the deck. Interpret the cards as you normally would. Look at the imagery. Ask yourself how it makes you feel? Note any visions, thoughts, sounds, or tastes.
Specifically pay attention to what’s different in the two decks. Each deck is giving you a different perspective. That allows you to blend those perspectives to come up with a more complete read on the situation.
Product recommendation: Afro Goddess Tarot Arcanas: This Black tarot card deck and book has beautiful artwork and it’s just so empowering. Even the challenging cards such as the Tower and the three of swords leave you feeling like you can bounce back from anything. There are also two bonus cards: The Supreme and Nova, The Universe. The Supreme has to do with your connection to all that is. Nova, The Universe has to do with you ability to create.
