When it feels like the world is falling apart around you and nothing has an answer, it is natural to reach for something, anything, that you can hold onto and believe in. As conscious beings, we search to assign meaning out of everything we see, touch, taste, feel, smell, and experience so that we can understand what is and isn’t important to us. Whether that be therapy, tarot cards, astrology, or tea leaves, we crave something tangible that can describe why we feel the way we do. These tools are popular for a reason – they are accessible, structured, and sometimes feel like they’re reading your mind (is that creepy or enlightening?). Let’s explore how we can use spiritual tools like astrology and tarot as a starting point in that journey of self-exploration!
Is Co-Star your frenemy or is it just me? As a Sagittarius sun with a Pisces moon and a Leo rising, I am a curious soul and love learning more about myself and others! That’s partly what drew me into wanting to be a mental healthcare professional – my balance of optimism and desire for honesty powers my interest in helping others find their personal truths. Even though I lean heavily on my understanding of psychology and evidence-based practices, I also see the value and importance that popular tools, like tarot and astrology, can have in helping folks learn to understand themselves, others, and the world we live in. Tarot and astrology both have rich histories, with tarot dating back to the 1430s and astrology back to the 3rd millennium BC, serving as a form of art, play, and fortune-telling prior to modern scientific advancements. Historically, people have looked to tarot and astrology to answer life’s pressing questions to respond to war, famine, and daily conflicts when science, technology, and access to other civilizations was limited. Even in a digitally-connected world now, people still turn to astrology and tarot because they believe in a deeper connection between themselves and the cosmics that may reveal some universal truths and maybe even a sense of security.
I really appreciate certain aspects of astrology and tarot and often use them as one tool in my mental healthcare toolbox. I particularly love leaning into the forms of power that Co-Star highlights for me. Today, it says I have power in thinking and creativity, spirituality, social life, sex and love, and self. That laundry list feels like such a grounding affirmation to read about my strengths and almost give myself permission to trust those qualities about myself, especially today. And the symbolism behind new moon and full moon rituals as a period of reset and reflection connected to tarot also resonate with me, especially because it can be so easy to get caught up in the flurry of emails to send, meetings to schedule, and meals to make without taking a breath to pause. These tools can and have served me in positive ways to encourage self-reflection by highlighting some aspects of my life that I am grateful for and want to focus my energy on.
On the other hand, there are some pieces of tarot and astrology that don’t fully add up to me, leaving me confused and in the beginning of an anxiety spiral (picture the confused math lady AND the dog in a room on fire memes – yeah, that’s me). For example, my update of the day on Co-Star says that I will have “trouble with routine,” but I have been working through my scheduled meetings just fine. I find myself wondering “how could it possibly know? Will I actually struggle with routines today? Does it know something I don’t? Is it actually written in the stars??” Or what about the Three Card Past-Present-Future Spread I just pulled that says that my future is bound for unfulfillment? Should I give up hope about the future because my fate is in the cards and nothing is in my control? I opened Co-Star and did a reading with a hope to gain clarity and insight, but actually came away with more questions, confusion, and disillusionment.
Just as tarot and astrology suggest, there is a need for mental, physical, and spiritual balance. Pulling a tarot card every morning can frame your intention for the day, but it is ultimately up to your interpretation of the symbols that shines through. Reading your daily horoscope may resonate with you, but should it be used as an excuse to snap with someone because it said you were “assertive today?” These tools have existed for millennia because they are one form of connection, meaning-making, and empowerment, but they are useless without our unique human power to discern what is helpful and true and what is not. The cards and stars are full of wisdom and affirmation that are fully unlocked when you add the secret ingredient: you and your intuition.
As much as I adore leaning into my power and setting a new intention with the new moon, (and maybe this is the directness of my fire sign speaking), I also recognize that tarot and astrology are just one piece of the puzzle to understanding myself. I also have to trust my personal intuition, strengths, support systems, and therapist (shoutout to her!) to continue to guide me in my journey of self-exploration and discovery. While these tools can be helpful, I have also realized that the “one-size fits all” approach doesn’t always fit me and that’s okay! I can take what pieces resonate with me and leave the ones that don’t serve me. At the end of the day, I need to trust myself (even when my tarot reading tells me that I should be skeptical of the future).