Tarot as a Psychological Mechanism

My interest in tarot is not at all about magically predicting the future. I am not a psychic and don't wish to be. I am also not a mental health counselor or physician. I do not use Tarot to diagnose pathology and offer magical cures. I am very skeptic about such Tarot practices, and remain in an area of Tarot that is more connected to everyday life and psychological constructs that can be used for self-reflection, goal-setting, and simple rituals to improve everyday life. It is about using the symbolic language of Tarot to explore perspectives and ways of seeing and being in the world.

As an Educational Psychology researcher, I am fascinated by the role that symbols, stories, archetypes, images, and systems of meaning play in human experience. Throughout history, people have used myths, rituals, art, religion, literature, and symbolic traditions to explore uncertainty, reflect on life circumstances, and navigate periods of change. Tarot is one example of such a system.

From this perspective, tarot can be understood as a psychological tool: a symbolic language that invites reflection, perspective-taking, interpretation, and self-exploration. The cards do not provide answers as much as they provide prompts. They offer images, narratives, tensions, and possibilities that encourage us to examine our experiences through different lenses.

Whether viewed as a spiritual practice, a creative tool, a symbolic tradition, or a reflective exercise, tarot creates opportunities to engage with questions that often resist simple answers. It invites us to explore uncertainty, consider alternative perspectives, and reflect on the stories we tell about ourselves and the world.

My approach to tarot is informed by curiosity, symbolism, semiotics, psychology, and a deep interest in how human beings construct meaning. I am less interested in certainty than in reflection, and less interested in prediction than in understanding.

If you are interested in Tarot or Astrological conversations with this emphasis in psychology, please contact me. Also, I have a website dedicated to my Tarot work, click here to learn more.

Below is a zine I created about Tarot, featuring the card number zero, The Fool.