Jungian Psychology and Working With the Tarot

Dear Community,

Images are powerful. Through art and image we connect to our native language of symbolism. Images transform us because they externalize our internal world and so facilitate new insight, awareness and relationship with Self.

I work with images a lot. When new clients comes to see me I often have them look through some images and choose a few that speak to them about where they are now and where they are going. I always find this to be profound. The images invariably express volumes and are often the most efficient path to deep clarity and understanding. We see the images, feel the feelings they evoke and hear the truth bell ring inside.

I draw these images from the hundreds I have collected and been given over the years. These images initiated me into the language of symbol. I developed this language as a way of seeing and connecting with my client's experience. The images give my clients a tool for connecting with themselves and facilitate an interpersonal connection between us. They bring the archetypes into the room. They ferry us to the inner world. I see my job as therapist as simply supporting my client in accessing their inner world. This access is the healing agent. 

Gradually I realized these images were my own personal Tarot deck that my psyche had gathered, attracted and collaged over the years. My therapist loves Tarot and has gradually introduced the cards into our work over the years. My dear husband is Tarot gifted and gave me an old deck of his a few years ago. These key influences and my love of art, images, archetypes, mythology and Jungian Psychology naturally evolved into a love affair with Tarot. The last few years I have been studying and practicing the Tarot and I feel I have reconnected with a vital resource. The cards are in essence a map of the soul, a map of the human experience and much, much more. 

As a therapist I feel empowered and inspired by the cards to: 

• Connect with feelings. Simply being with feelings is the real work in therapy. Tarot images anchor us in feelings. They invite us to feel with the figure depicted, with their visual material, their colors and their depictions of the four elements: fire, water, air and earth. We are made up of these elements and awareness of them can help us to stay present with what we feel in our bodies. Despite my training and education I still find simply being with feelings instead of fixing or intellectualizing incredibly challenging. Learning to be with feelings is perhaps my biggest growth opportunity as a therapist. The Tarot imagery helps us connect to the feelings.

• Talk about the process of individuation. Sometimes its hard to see the big picture. When we are "in it" its hard to see that we are on a path of growth and awakening - a path Jung called Individuation. My job as therapist is to share that birds eye view and to help my client reflect on her journey as a whole. This helps my client see how far she has come and to connect with where she is going. The cards speak to the soul's journey and outline the spiritual challenges and opportunities we face along the way. The cards help my client and I sit back and look at the bigger picture and acknowledge her journey of individuation.

• Identify, hear and integrate different parts of Self. As a Gestalt trained therapist I think in terms of 'parts of Self' I have learned that people have many dimensions and personalities and that this is not pathological. What can cause difficulty is when parts of Self are denied, unconscious, unsupported or unintegrated. When we insist on being a one dimensional character with one set of unified opinions and desires, we deny our richness and wholeness. It takes energy to tolerate and sort out these internal and external conflicts but it is necessary if we are to grow. The cards acknowledge all of us and give our parts permission to be. The characters in the cards depict parts of our humanity. The Tarot imagery can help us identify, acknowledge, listen to, accept and integrate different parts of Self.

• Externalize the internal experience - as with all art therapy, working with Tarot imagery we move whats happening inside to the outside. This can help us move when we feel stuck. It can calm our nervous system and help us take a step back. Externalizing the internal allows for dialogue which opens us up to new perspectives and self awareness. It creates the potential to be heard and understood by another and by ourselves and so enables empathy and compassion. The process of externalizing ultimately helps connect us withe observer, wise mind or soul part of us, the benefits of which are too many to list.

There are many ways to access the inner world, connect with feelings and look at the big picture. The Tarot is one way. Find and enjoy the ways that work for you. 

Here are some of my favorite books about Tarot to spark your interest: 

Jung and Tarot: An Archetypal Journey
By Sallie Nichols

The Way of the Tarot: The Spiritual Teacher in the Cards
By Alejandro Jodorowsky and Marianne Costa

Wanderer's Tarot Guidebook
by Casey Zabala

The images above are from the Rider Waite deck however there is a vast treasure trove of interpretations of the Tarot. You can find a deck that speaks to you. 

Jessica Dore also has an introductory class and I highly recommend her. Following her in social media will also expose you to the cards and her interpretations of them which are grounded in her mental health background. 

I hope you are having a lovely Summer. I am facilitating a workshop in September called Embracing the Shadow. I would love to see you there at The Scarlet Sage as we head into Autumn and the Earth's Shadow time. See the link below for details.

Enjoy!