Why Tarot?
We question ourselves daily. We ask friends, partners, anyone who'll listen. And still the important questions remain unanswered. So why Tarot? Because some questions go deeper than reason — and the cards reach them.
Us humans are strange, aren’t we? We question ourselves daily, our motivations behind what we are doing and why we’re doing it. Family and friends are asked for their opinions, and we receive answers (not always looked for!)
During just one day, we are bombarded with a thousand thoughts and emotions, some of them rational, the vast majority irrational and fleeting, like the remnants of a dream. It’s no wonder that when overlaid by important considerations about life, careers and love, these shifting sands of instability create nervousness and doubt.
Many people will return repeatedly to important life questions, but as is the case at times, the answers alter depending upon our moods and the intricacies of the day. This can leave us with a sense of bewilderment. When our best friend is then asked and doesn’t give us the response we crave, or our partner’s advice is deemed unsatisfactory, we may turn, sometimes reluctantly, to outside help.
Tarot Cards. Why?
Because sometimes, to quote one of my favourite album titles from ‘Blur’ – ‘Modern life is rubbish.’ That we now live lives ruled by reason, where everything is explainable, that there are clear scientific answers for everything. Progress in every field has equipped us with knowledge that although it may comfort us, has reduced the magic and mystery of the unknown, of what is unseen and not easily explainable. It’s a bit like the natural world, there is far less ‘wild’ than there’s ever been, we’ve conquered so much of the globe and made it orderly to serve us humans, but in doing so we’ve not only wrecked our planet and its all important bio-diversity, but we’ve lost those untouched Eden-like wildernesses, and by doing so, our sense of wonder.
No surprise then that there is an explosive surge in adrenaline seeking thrills and spills, the thirst for adventure, for something simply different than the daily grind, and I think there’s a direct link between this and how we approach our life questions.
On the face of it, if you are seeking answers, and you’ve exhausted your own self, and the support and guidance of loved ones, the next logical place to go is some form of counselling.
Counselling is hugely successful and beneficial, so why doesn’t everybody choose it? What place is there in this rational world for Tarot? Surely it was only of use in the past when science hadn’t yet given us all the answers.
Well, some of us know that our world is not 100% per cent rational. We know that thought processes, explained by Freud and Jung, amongst many others over our human history, do not give us all the answers. We believe in fate, we feel that the world and what is in it is mysterious.
Spirituality, Religion, Magic – belief systems. Psychoanalysts will tell you that it’s a human need to ‘make up’ Gods and systems of divination, that we crave these things, but they are not real.
It seems to me, that it’s unhelpful to have two attitudes acting as if only one is 100% per cent correct. A medical student recently asked, ‘can you please tell me if I’ve passed my exams?’ Now, she knows very well, as a scientist, that she can predict this based clearly upon her current grades, her spreadsheet analysis of performance so far, but she was fascinated to find out from the Tarot!
Clients I have seen are grounded practical individuals, intelligent and very rational. They come to me to find empowerment and to uncover their own hidden motives, guided by a thirst for the spiritual, magical, religious.
Tarot has an impressive ancient lineage, the symbolism contains elements of the Kabbalah, of Paganism and Christian symbolism. Working one-on-one with another human unfolding the life journey of the Major and Minor Arcana has proved immensely beneficial and powerful to the seeker. Done properly, there is a sense of the living spirit in each one of us, which we can embrace fully, or partly, and still use the Tarot as a tool for psychological growth.
But it’s key to ensure that you seek out a proper service, not some generic Tik-Tok offering that is sensationalist, and reduces Tarot to entertainment. And there’s lots of it out there: social media has in some instances, diluted the power and efficacy of Tarot by offering quick shot paid for instant results. Nothing worth doing or having, is transactional and impersonal, and this does a huge disservice to us practitioners such as here at ‘The Seeker’s Pathway’ who want to provide people with a committed and in-depth service.
At The Seekers Pathway, that commitment is everything. If something in these words has stirred a question you haven't quite been able to answer alone — perhaps it's time to sit with the cards.
— Nicky Osborne
Tarot: Your Life’s Guide
So often the hurt in our lives isn't the situation itself — it's the confusion. The threads we can't pull straight. This is the story of a seeker who arrived with a messy ball of wool and left with clarity.
What draws the seeker to Tarot? Why choose this approach to life’s questions when there are so many other pathways such as Hypnotherapy and Acupuncture?
This led me to consider how different Tarot is, compared to say, traditional counselling. With counselling, the client gives you an understanding of their lives and motivations, clear information so that you can assist as ably as possible – with Tarot we tend to do the opposite!
It’s always a privilege to meet a seeker as you discover what mental tools people bring to the table! Recently I had the pleasure of meeting a man who chose the ‘listen and watch’ method for the reading. I always employ the attitude, communicated to seekers, that what you say is entirely up to you. If you wish to talk throughout, fine, if you prefer silence, that is fine. It’s your reading, entirely about you, I am the conduit and facilitator (depending upon whether you see me as interpreting spiritual messages or providing psychological insight.)
Later, the seeker in question explained that he knew exactly what he was looking for and what he wanted to find in the cards. He identified the characters and scenarios that I saw and had already lived through choices in his heart and mind many times. His attitude was fascinating and obviously helped him enormously – he wanted his options rubber-stamped, like a second signature on an important document. It gave him a confidence and seemed to unravel his thoughts from a messy ball of wool into identifiable strands which gave him clarity.
The mind-sort is what so many seekers look for, because so often the ‘hurt’ in our lives is due to complete confusion. We sense disquiet, we feel a disconnect or impatience, and this is often helplessness because we can’t find the mental ‘hook’ to pull the threads into a straight line. A careless word from a friend last week that has made us ponder, a partner brushing us off with a cheek offered for a kiss instead of the lips. What was that all about? Has he/she got an issue with me? Most often, it is nothing, but added up, over even just one day, can crowd the mind and lead us up blind alleys. At its worst, it can make us feel like victims and not in charge of ourselves.
Under the last of our Seven Pillars philosophy we have ‘Sovereignty and Empowerment’ that Tarot can give you power to equip yourself with in life. This was something clearly in evidence with this seeker. He left me with a spring in his step and with new confidence. On our website, a key aspect of Mindful Tarot is ‘seeing yourself clearly, right now’ and here was a truly clear example of this, right at that moment. The body language had altered – he wasn’t hunched over, eyes looking across only fleetingly, but sitting upright, even smiling, an inner confidence. To be clear, it wasn’t that everything was suddenly fabulous, far from it, but it was a feeling that he felt enabled to sort things out for the better.
As we know, Tarot is made up of the Major Arcana and Minor Arcana big and small mysteries or secrets. Significant way markers on our life’s journey, and the more mundane or day-to-day experiences. This is life. The cards, from the Fool onwards, highlight every theme of the human existence, and the job of the reader is to attempt to make some sense from these ancient beautiful and yet bewildering cards.
This client taught me so much about us human beings. He wanted some affirmation of his plans, and he got it. For him, the esoteric wasn’t required, for him it was the cards acting as signposts on a road he was already committed to travelling on.
In his case, Tarot didn’t predict the future, it facilitated it.
I wish him well.
— Nicky Osborne
(If something here lingers, you can explore this work further here.)
Spring into Reflection
If you’ve been feeling the need to pause and reflect, you’re not alone. This piece explores how Tarot can support self reflection and help you reconnect with yourself, offering clarity and insight during times of change.
How many of us take the time to truly reflect, and what do we mean by reflection? Why is spring such a great season to start over?
It’s no accident, that the message of Mindful Tarot: ‘mirror, not oracle’ means reflection. We see ourselves when the cards are laid before us, our lives usefully spread out prompting us to question our innermost selves.
Mindful Tarot offers the space to explore ourselves deeply and calmly, in a supportive atmosphere entirely free of judgement. At its heart, reflection is the key benefit, but these days reflection is not as easy as it once was, and The Seekers Pathway can guide us back to this most valuable human need.
As we’ve advanced technologically, we’ve sometimes suffered psychologically. What I mean is this: with our mobile devices, communication is instant; notifications, alerts, trackers. We’re in contact from the moment we get up to when we retire, and for some, we stay connected until late into the night.
So what? It’s the modern way of living, right? Everybody is doing it. So many of us have been swept away in the social media revolution, that we can’t see how, or why, to put the brakes on!
We’ve gained in so many areas, this is not to suggest that we should refuse to embrace modernity, but what needs to be faced is the fundamental truth that we’ve significantly reduced our periods of silent lone uninterrupted reflection, and that’s a negative outcome.
Negative, because the ceaseless bombardment we encounter causes stress and distraction, preventing us being in contact with our innermost selves peacefully.
Mindful Tarot offers you the opportunity to get your reflective space back, and the community provides a springboard into developing your own future self-care for reflective health – walks, swimming, retreats. It can retrain the brain to remember what it used to be like to contemplate your truths and secrets before the intrusion of modern technology.
But we don’t have to do anything radical, there is no requirement to abruptly discard – we may just need to adapt. Our old armchair in the house might be threadbare or distinctly unfashionable, but we might cling to it forever – it needs a new cover, or it needs moving to another part of the house, but it doesn’t need to be wrenched out of lives. That could cause loss, it might be un-called for.
So, it’s the same with those we care for, our souls, our emotions, – it all just needs quiet immersion inside ourselves to make us realise where change might need to happen. Where is the quality? What is this relationship doing for me, how can I improve it? Why does my interest in my work or home seem to have stagnated? Is it just an aspect that needs tweaking? Do I need to re-wire myself?
Why now?
Well, in Pagan and Christian belief, spring is a powerful time of the year, darkness and decay transforming into all things new and vibrant. We spring-clean our homes, we tidy our gardens, we might start an exercise
programme again after the inertia of winter gloom, and this neatly dovetails with a spring clean of our thoughts and emotions. The circle of the year encourages reflection and change in diverse ways depending upon the seasons, and spring is that fresh new vitality as Nature dusts herself off and begins her journey once again.
The Sun is coming back – promise – so let Mindful Tarot shine a light into your life and enable you to reflect as deeply as you dare!
— Nicky Osborne
The Fool’s Journey
Everything can seem perfectly fine — and yet, something doesn’t feel quite right. This piece explores the quiet, often unspoken experience of sensing that something beneath the surface is asking for attention.
“Everything can seem perfectly fine — and yet, something doesn’t feel quite right.”
Life is complex as we all know, and for many of us we feel that everything is going swimmingly – most of the time. Everything is great we say, some parts could be better, but that’s ‘just life.’
And often we can’t formulate in our minds exactly what is concerning us, because on the surface it all seems fine. As we navigate through our day, we are exposed to so many situations; appointments, meetings, mealtimes, phone calls, visits – a bewildering amount of information, thoughts and complex feelings between breakfast and bed.
How often do we stop, withdraw, and analyse all of this? When do we sit in a room, alone, or go walking (without a phone) and try to pick apart these intricate threads? No doubt we used to, in a previous, less cluttered age, but I’d argue that it’s a lot less common nowadays. The advent of electronic devices such as TV’s, smart speakers and phones, has added another layer of distraction, most of which diverts us from life’s rich tapestry rather than analysing it.
At its heart, Tarot is a life story experienced through the twenty-two cards of the Major Arcana – representing the eternal themes of life’s experiences seen through the eyes of that great optimist: The Fool. Tarot has the Fool embarking on his path and encountering the mentors of Magician and the High Priestess. He then experiences, through the cards, mother, father, religion and belief, romantic union, ego, detachment, transition, temptation, self -destruction and slavish obsession to material possessions and sex – and these are only half the story!
So, as can be seen, Tarot covers ALL of life’s experiences, and it’s very efficient at exposing our hidden issues, and therefore allowing us to work out how we deal with them. Because Tarot encompasses life, it really helps us know why something might not ‘feel quite right’ because everything is covered!
Tarot is pivotal to understanding ourselves and maximising self-knowledge. When we don’t spend time to explore our inner selves, we often feel over-burdened or vaguely confused, even though we mostly feel ok!
The Tarot Torch shines a light inside us revealing what we know already but has been buried. Mindful Tarot has at its heart our ‘Seven Pillars’ of which the first is showing the importance ‘to illuminate what is already within you today’ and this is key. Our offerings are aimed at everybody, but the theme of this article resonates particularly with the ‘Life crossroads-navigator’ – those people who are ‘can’t hear their voice through the noise’ and the clutter of life really is loud and intrusive!
In my experience, first-time seekers will often tell me that something seems ‘buried’ and it’s all a bit wistful, like a half-remembered song, and they want to explore it. This often comes with an apology, or embarrassment, but this is why we created Mindful Tarot!
We are all, like The Fool, on our own journey of self-discovery, and the cards have a wonderful way of not only interpreting our known situation, but also that which is obscured or even locked away deep in our souls.
— Nicky Osborne
(If something in this feels quietly familiar, you may wish to stay with it a little longer — or explore the approach behind this work more deeply.)
‘She’s becoming a hermit’
What does it really mean to step away from the world for a while? This piece explores the difference between being alone and feeling lonely — and the quiet clarity that can be found in moments of retreat.
Familiar? Has this description been levelled at you at any part of your life? Does it have resonance with people you know?
Most of the time this comment has negative connotations; that there is something wrong or even suspicious about time spent alone, and this reflects a very 21st century outlook on the art of retreat.
I say art, because the very act itself can be positively creative, and promote creativity.
The Hermit card is traditionally a male cloaked figure carrying a lamp. It seems almost familiar because we recognise that person/idea of taking off from our comfortable homes or familiar surroundings to connect with our inner being.
There does seem to be a growing trend to go off into the wilderness to ‘find ourselves,’ and modern pilgrimages are also becoming more popular. But, we can also do this in a bite-size way; a long walk or hike, leaving our phones at home, a cycle ride, swimming, in fact, anything that takes us inside ourselves, but ideally outside in the fresh air.
It is not a surprise that many people go to challenge themselves in nature. Being at one with nature brings us back to the basics. Its huge powerful simplicity is food for the soul, and by removing modern trappings and ‘noise,’ a theme which I touch on repeatedly in our website, we confront ourselves.
Alone or Loneliness?
Being alone. Powerful, masterful, taking a step back to re-group.
Loneliness. Bitterness, fear, feelings of rejection, the negative flipside.
In some ways, we respond more favourably to the lonely, we try to help, and we can be successful at doing so. We understand it better, it seems part of our very humanity.
However – deliberately wanting to be alone – this can cause suspicion, it demonstrates eccentricity to some. We mistrust those who do it. But it really has a quiet intrinsic power, and it is so beneficial.
The Seekers Pathway carries our message which demonstrates this:
‘a sacred pause in a chaotic world’ and without that pause, we can get bogged down in the complexities of life. Like a ball of wool, unless we find the end and untangle ourselves, it can all feel like a bit of a mess.
Card IX of the Major Arcana, The Hermit, could be a natural embodiment of The Seekers Pathway, because our whole message is about deep self-reflection. The Hermit promotes retirement from the outside world for a period. It asks us: who are we really? What do we want? Its keyword is silence.
The Hermit’s positive side is one of power and drive. A mission to find our own inner light, to face any fears, and this resonates with many aspects of the seven pillars – in fact, Point Six:’ Integration over Revelation’ – how we deal with the messages post-reading, would be the ideal time to retreat – if we could!
As always with the cards, they carry a double message – on the one side, ‘aloneness’ on the other ‘loneliness.’ The Hermit’s message is that retreat is not running away from life’s difficulties, or ‘giving up’ - absolutely not, it’s about re-grounding us and readying ourselves for the battles ahead.
The message from The Hermit is that you may well be requiring that retreat, in whatever form works for you, or, in fact, that you may be experiencing abandonment – which may be real or imagined and this itself must be faced.
We hold up the cards as a mirror to ourselves, and the message of The Hermit is immensely powerful. Here at ‘The Seekers Pathway’ I will be demonstrating the intrinsic power of each card, the cultural background as well as the ethos, should you wish to dive deeper…
‘In solitude, we find the wisdom to light our path.’
— Nicky Osborne
(If this speaks to you, you may wish to explore the approach behind this work more deeply.)
Mirror: Mindful or Magical?
A reflection on Tarot as a mirror for the seeker — exploring whether its power lies in mindful self-inquiry, ancient symbolism, or perhaps both.
In this article I want to explore ideas on what Tarot actually provides seekers with, and also where it 'comes from.'
The title for my piece ' Mirror: Mindful or Magical?' identifies that Tarot really is a reflective mirror in essence - whether it's mindful or magical comes next!
When you sit in the chair and have your cards read, you are bringing your own self, and therefore your life, literally ‘to the table.' There is an enormous freedom with our readings, in as much as you as the seeker are deciding every time what you interpret from the verbal information I'm giving.
Tarot is a mirror that we hold up to ourselves, and just like a physical mirror, we may see positives and negatives in our reflection, and this shows the intense individuality and personalisation of this experience.
Mindful or magical? Is it psychological or spiritual, or both? For some, readings offer mind clearance and a 'sorting' of the tangled intricacies of modern living. It taps into wellness for our physical bodies - for example, we all know and appreciate that healthy habits and exercise keep our bodies in good physical condition, and it's an easy link to make with mental reflection, meditation, and therefore Mindful Tarot! This really shows the power of the cards as 'mirror, not oracle' as described on our site under the 'Seven Pillars' and firmly puts the seeker as the power broker in this manifestation of Tarot. You know the outcome; you are providing next steps for yourself - and it's you who just has to uncover what is required from the message of the cards and act upon it.
But there is another way...ancient divination - Tarot in its traditional form - esoteric - delivered by the cunning wise woman inspired by the phases of the moon. My cards are littered with ancient symbols that have religious and spiritual connotations. Ritual rites, common to all major religions, witchcraft and paganism, astrology, these all are traditional bedfellows of Tarot, and to me there is no conflict or uneasiness with these pairings. A greater force speaking through the cards, influencing the messaging given to the seeker, or the mirror - placing the seeker firmly in the driving seat?
— Nicky Osborne
(If this speaks to you, you may wish to explore the approach behind this work more deeply.)
Tarot: Busy, Versus Calm And The Comfort Of Normality!
A reflection on how Tarot reveals both life’s dramatic turning points and the quiet reassurance found in everyday life.
Often many different themes jump out of a spread, and this is extremely exciting for the client and for me as the reader! Sometimes there is so much going on, it’s important to unravel the messaging carefully so that there is absolute clarity and that each ‘theme’ gets given plenty of focus!
However, I wanted to write about a recent reading, where instead of a multitude of various aspects, there was just one overriding issue that coloured the rest of my time with the seeker. We were able to explore this in depth which proved not only beneficial, but also then prompted a lovely dialogue about how Tarot can also reflect the boredom of parts of our lives…
What do I mean? Isn’t Tarot wildly dramatic, isn’t it full of constant surprises, the unexpected, sublime, or occasionally terrifying?
Well, I’m sorry to disappoint, but at times, it’s just erm, well, life!
Our human existence daily swings between high and low points and often is mundane. Going shopping, washing clothes, cleaning our houses, all essential tasks but I am sure you’ll agree, not always wildly fascinating!
Tarot is our life reflector, the major arcana can throw up some ‘big secrets’ in our lives, and the minor cards might make us question the behaviours and motivations of our family friends or colleagues, but at times, there can be aspects of just the reassuring normal, and this is a life comfort.
Drama can galvanise us into action, our hearts beat a little faster, our minds race, but I’m sure you’ll know what I’m talking about when I say that the daily drudge provides well, comfort.
Everything ticking along nicely, we know the bills are paid, that we have planned our lunches for the week, it’s a cocoon, an oasis of calm.
Not exciting, not wild, but oh my goodness, it feels safe!
And hopefully as readers of this you will find this reassuring. There are not always tall dark handsome strangers coming into your life, or the Devil tempting you into wanton wickedness.
Like our lives, to which we hold up the mirror with the readings, it’s just the equivalent to a nice cup of tea and repeats on the television.
So, remember, your reading might be a combination of all these aspects.
— Nicky Osborne
(If this speaks to you, you may wish to explore the approach behind this work more deeply.)