Hi, I’m Carrie. Welcome! This might be the first time you’ve stumbled into my digital lair. That’s because this post is part of Tarot Jam (a blog hop!). You’ll find the previous post in the loop here (by Vix), the master list here, and the next post in the loop here (by Kelly). The theme of our blog hop is “get to know me as a tarot blogger.” Let’s do this!

Once upon a time, there was a young woman who lived a life tragically void of magic. Her world was made of mashed potatoes and monotony. Every day, she woke up; drove to a humdrum, unfulfilling job; and came home to stare into the television’s empty void. She was isolated. She was directionless.

She was told by society that this mashed potato reality was all she could ask for. Was this true? Was being an adult all about dredging through days of disconnect and starch?

Something within her told her another life could maybe conceivably be a small possibility. A tiny pull deep in the recesses of her mind knew that magic was lingering in hidden corners of reality. In a buried place, she believed life could be meaningful, enchanting, wondrous.

One day, an urge appeared within her. She suddenly felt drawn to purchase a tarot deck. She was unnerved by this desire, and tried to reason with it. But eventually, despite her doubts and cynicism, she walked into a metaphysical shop, picked up a deck, and gave it a go.

She connected with tarot in ways that felt entirely comfortable yet wholly unfamiliar. The cards evoked experiences that were embodied in the very depths of her soul. As she held the deck, studied the images, and pulled cards, something curious happened…

The world that once felt like an endless plate of mashed potatoes began to shift. Different tastes and textures emerged. Life began to bloom and sprout. She felt more connected to her own power, she began to plug into the creative flow of the Universe.

Tarot helped her know herself, and find magic within and without. And one day, a ways further down the time-space continuum, she felt an urge to begin a tarot blog. By now, she had learned to explore these intuitive hunches. Thusly, Happy Fish Tarot materialized.

I have now been blogging for a year and a half, posting nearly every week (in fact, I came out of a rare blog vacation for this post). I use tarot to explore creativity, self-development, and spirituality. Composing this blog has been one of the most satisfying experiences of my life.

Blogging helps me examine my own relationship with tarot. Blogging helps me study my relationship with myself. And blogging gives me a tool to connect with other magical creatures all over the world. Ain’t the internet a truly awesome creation?!

I have many complexly layered, intertwining thoughts about how tarot actually “works.” I have heard people say that it doesn’t much matter HOW tarot works, only that it DOES work. That answer partially satisfies me, but I do enjoy pondering my thoughts on the nuances of tarot reading.

A good tarot reading tells a meaningful story. Synchronicities – meaningful coincidences – happen when the cards pulled and the story they weave aligns with something within us. The archetypal images in the cards tap into things that all human beings inherently understand.

Carl Jung had theories about the collective unconscious – the realm of human experience that is deeper than our individual consciousness. Tarot draws upon concepts that dwell in this realm. We can relate to them because they are the building blocks of the human experience.

Tarot can form a bridge of communication between our deeper self and our ego. When these two aspects are not in synch, we can feel scattered, stuck, confused and devoid of magic. Tarot readings create a space where these two aspects of us can meet and realign.

Here’s one way you can use tarot to form a dialogue with your own ego and deeper self. The next time you feel a little wonky and aren’t sure why, get your cards and give this spread a whirl.

Self/ego dialogue spread

Card one: what energy as at work with my ego?
Card two: what energy is at work with my deeper self?
Card three: what can I do to align these energies?

Does this spread sound like something you’d like to try? Does anything in my story resonate with you? Leave a comment and let me know.

Thank you oodles and bundles for stopping by Happy Fish Tarot in your blog hop journeys. Make sure to visit the next stop, Kelly’s blog. And for the full adventure, here’s a master list of all the posts in the hop.

Peace, love and happy fish!

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