The Magic of Hollywood in therapy

I am sure you know the scene in a Hollywood movie. The camera slowly pans around the close-up of the head and shoulders of the actor. At the point of resolution of the scene, or a realisation of something in the mind of the character, we see a second, blurred profile of the actor, which is then pulled into focus, and we become aware that until that moment, we had been seeing only a reflection in the mirror. The plot has clearly developed, come into focus, and the movie rolls on.

Transformations within the Tarot Reading

We see this cinematic technique at play in a tarot reading. The client arrives clear in her intent. This is her reality; she knows who she is, but she wants some answers. As the reading progresses, the view of the situation changes, and there is the dim realisation of a new angle, or new idea that can transform the dynamics of the reading. Guided by the tarot reader, the client starts to understand that her situation is not fixed, that there is less reality than she thought. At the same time, she sees the past as an illusion; the new reality is dawning. This strange duality, the juxtaposition of the resolute past projected into the prototype future which morphs into a new future, can happen at any time during the reading. It is fascinating to watch the face, as the confusion of circumstances is replaced with that metaphorical light bulb switching on. The anxieties etched into the wrinkles, the pallor of the skin is smoothed out, and a glow is discernable. The eyes focus on the possibilities of the new future.

Things fall into place: information that did not arise during the first part of the reading suddenly comes to light either from the client or the reader. We are at a delicate state. The nascent awareness is often unstable at this point. The client moves in and out of the new awareness as the internal battles rage; will the certainties of the past, however miserable, triumph over the hope of an untested and unproved new era? Very often a mixture of reassurance that the new life will happen coupled with confirmation of just how bad the circumstances were previously is earnestly required from the tarot reader. Sometimes all that is necessary is some tact and gentle persuasion, while in other circumstances the direness of the situation and the consequences of not changing have to be laid on with a trowel.

Exploring the origins of problems with the Tarot

With clients who are of a stronger disposition, and who are able to articulate their experiences in the greater picture, it is possible to explore the mechanics of how they got into their situation; how they can consolidate their progress, and how they can move on and develop their new life. The new reality that they have experienced is rarely that new. After all, they have invariably thought about it many times before the reading, but either their courage failed them, or they could not see how or why this new reality would work. While the Tarot Reader may have said something to trigger the new realisations, those realisations were already there, waiting to surface. In the Hollywood scenario, the head shot, tells us that we are dealing with the mind of the character. Even if there is an external trigger, it is because the character was expecting something already. A successful tarot reading works in the same way.

While there are many successes at this point, there are also failures. After all, Tarot Readings are not like therapy sessions, where the intent is clearly known from the start. In formal therapy, the client wants to stop smoking, or cure depression, or other malady. There is an agreement between client and therapist about the course of treatment. In the USA, the patient expects the doctor to consult them about the course of treatment, an extreme which seems bizarre to European eyes.

People have an idea of what a tarot reading might be about – the usual suspects, love, work, health, etc. But it is the strangeness of the situation that enables new possibilities to arise. Clients do not expect to tell the reader their situation; it is up to us to articulate what is going on in their life.

The old style of Tarot readings is passive and doomed to failure

Fortunately the old style, where the client sits mute, arms folded, grimly determined to give nothing away, while the fortune teller tells them “what is going to happen”, is becoming a distant memory. My heart sinks when I get the “You’re supposed to tell me…” line. When this happens I have a clear choice. In the past I gamely struggled on, and after 20 minutes the client would say “I haven’t understood a word you have said…” This passivity in the client is precisely the problem of old style readings. They are not questioning their life; they are fatalistic, they believe nothing can be done to change things. There is no wiring in place for a switch, let alone a light bulb. I am so used to speaking in a way that allows the client to be empowered, motivated, able to change her life, that my dismal attempts (and they are dismal – my heart is so not into it) of “the tarot says this…, this will happen…” result in dissatisfaction for all concerned. If I cannot convince them of the futility of this approach, the reading ends right there and then. Why should I waste my time and breath, even if I am paid?

Having said that, there are times when such a passive reading is viable, not to say imperative, but we are getting ahead of ourselves. The reader has identified the issues or circumstances that allow the client to move ahead, once that inner realisation has manifested. We are at a delicate juncture, and it is here that the reader can kill the process or continue advancement. Depending on how the client expresses herself, there are two basic approaches, both dependent on the experience of the reader, and the luck of how the cards fall. This critical point where the client is about to embark on a new life came about during the tarot reading, for whatever reason (sometimes it is a word, or gesture, or something else, we are not always sure). This is the point where it is often advisable to do another reading based either on the new awareness (fingers and toes crossed that the cards demonstrate greater clarity and more positive outcomes), or what will happen if the changes manifested in the reading are not maintained (the good old passive reading, grim, uninspiring, flat). Invariably the Tarot displays a subtlety and light touch that belies the slightly manufactured agenda of the Tarot reader at this point, thank goodness.

Standing back for a moment, what are the stages we have discussed? A person comes to a place (the tarot reading) for insight into their circumstances. There are two unknowns – that of the Tarot reader who does know the person, and the client herself, who does not know what to expect. The client may be fearful, although she may not show it. The tarot reading itself identifies what has happened, where the client is at the present, what the future may be, and what can be done about it. During the tarot reading the reader says something that triggers a realisation within the client that brings about new paradigms, new directions for the future. We are in classic initiatory territory.

Inner Awakenings and Intuition

We can see this process of inner awakening as akin to an initiation that could happen in primitive society, a shamanic healing, or any other kind of ritualistic procedure. The principle difference is that because of the two Unknowns, that of the Tarot reader, and that of the client, the initiation can transcend the limitations and expectations that might be reasonably expected to have happened in more formal circumstances. Despite these two Unknowns, the client already knew deep within, but she was unwilling or unable to countenance the consequences, or perhaps she was suffering from analysis paralysis. As a Tarot Reader, I came to the realisation many years ago that clients Knew deep within – it was simply a matter of finding a way to find and validate that knowledge within the client. Either way, the power of the Tarot facilitated the process, while the Tarot reader does not need to know precisely what it was that turned the key in the lock. Done properly, the ego of the Tarot reader is never a block to the progress of the client.

Tarot reader as Initiator

The role of the Tarot reader as Initiator or Initiatrix can happen at levels where neither reader nor client is aware of the initiation. At this point I must make it clear that there is no initiation into some weird occult group. Certainly religion or beliefs are not necessarily discussed, nor do they need to be relevant. My experience is that both the reader and the client become more human, and an element of greater faith in human nature naturally results. At the moment of initiation time stands still; past and future stand in balance. In the words of Aleister Crowley on the Adjustment card,

Balance against each though its exact opposite.
For the Marriage of these is the Annihilation of Illusion.

Justice, or rather justesse, the act of adjustment, suspension of all action pending decision…

The Chariot

Crowley follows the Golden Dawn transposition of the Adjustment or Justice card with the Strength or Lust card, so it is instructive to see the cards preceding and following it. The card before Adjustment is the Chariot. We tend to see travel and triumph as the principle keywords of this card, but there are other aspects pertaining. Crowley says:

The Issue of the Vulture, Two-in-One, conveyed;this is the Chariot of Power.
TRINC: the last oracle.

Triumph, victory, hope, memory, digestion, violence in maintaining traditional ideas, the “die-hard”, ruthlessness, lust of destruction, obedience, faithfulness, authority under authority.

In the Chariot we see the old principles, ‘maintaining traditional ideas’, of “obedience…authority under authority”, before they are swept away with the new consciousness manifested in the balance of Adjustment. The card following is most instructive, and one we have already come across, the Hermit, the person who has inner knowledge. In the light of our new understanding, the Hermit is not someone who shuns society, but he or she is able to help, bring light and understanding to others. The initiation that happened during the reading sets the client on a new phase of inner awareness and inner direction that will help them help others.

The sequence of Chariot, Adjustment and Hermit points to a paradox experienced by many who are on the Path. They experience the pressures (Chariot), but they feel they are standing still (Justice/Adjustment), as they try to move forward on the inner planes, while having to help others (Hermit). Although life appears to have come to a full stop, it is in reality moving extremely fast, but it invisible to those who cannot see the progress, and who try to insist that they make progress in the ‘real world’ of work, mortgages, and social mores. Are you still in the oppression whirlwind of the Chariot or have you found the transitory peace of Adjustment, or are you consciously working to bring social change to mankind? The choice is yours. As a Tarot reader are you working to bring about transformation within yourself and your clients? Brave New Worlds beckons for the fortunate.