No Crystal Ball!
Tarot is often seen as a way to predict what’s coming next. But what if it’s something else entirely? This piece explores a more grounded approach — one that begins not with the future, but with where you are now.
A beautifully painted traditional wooden horse-drawn caravan (minus the horse!) on a seaside pier. It’s a breezy bank-holiday, and the place is crowded.
Outside a blackboard advertising ‘Tarot Readings – Your fortune told today.’
You’re tempted in, through the intricately designed curtain partly obscuring the colourful scene inside; a table, candles, a lady in a velvet dress expertly shuffling an ancient pack of cards.
Ring a bell? I imagine it might, as this is what Tarot tradition looks like, and still is.
Tarot is one thing, but it’s that second part: ‘fortune told’ that to me dilutes the potency of the cards, and reduces the power of Tarot to a one-dimensional purpose: will I meet a ‘tall dark handsome stranger?’ This cliché, and many others, treat Tarot as a game not to be taken seriously.
At The Seeker’s Pathway, we created the ‘Seven Pillars’ to provide clarity about our offering: traditional Tarot over ‘fortune telling.’ Our first pillar: ‘Presence over Prediction’ underscores this point: you as the seeker need to explore your life now, so you know yourself and your motivations. This then can equip you to deal with your future as the master of your fate, not as a victim.
Whether you want to use your reading for psychological reasons or traditionally, is entirely your choice. But what you will discover is this: that the Tarot ‘mirror,’ showing your life through the cards, will naturally guide you to your own future predictions – if you trust yourself!
— Nicky Osborne
(If something here lingers, you may wish to explore this work a little more deeply.)
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.)