How to use the Tarot in Dreamwork…

The Tarot has really enhanced dreamwork for me, especially when interpreting my own dreams. It is as if someone else is there in the cards, providing deeper insight into the dream – especially aspects that are difficult to interpret.

The beauty of the Tarot is that it is a pictorial mythology that represents the human journey through life. The Major Arcana of the Tarot (the first 22 cards of the Tarot deck) represent several of the universal archetypal events, figures and motifs. It not only contains the archetypes, but as a pictorial mythology its artwork is rich with multiple layers of symbolism.

Dreams are like short myths that we have each night, allowing us to be a character on a meaningful journey. Dreams too are packed full of symbols, archetypes and universal wisdom. Both dreams and the Tarot hold potent messages for maturation, individuation, and personal and planetary evolution.

By using the Tarot to interpret dreams, one is able to connect with the source of wisdom in waking life. The Tarot allows for the subconscious to continue communication with the dreamer in an awakened state through imagery, symbolism, synchronicity and the significance of the cards. Thus it can deepen your dream analysis by providing an alternative way of communicating the message.

The best thing is you DO NOT have to know the meaning of the cards in order to do dreamwork! With that said, the more familiar you become with the Tarot, the more that you can see how the universal archetypes are showing up in your dreams. You may even be able to chart where you are in your journey through the cycle of the cards.

The Tarotpy method is my method of choice. It allows the dreamer to create a layout that is personal to their dream, and puts the cards in the hands of the dreamer. Thus it increases the chance for synchronicity between your dreams and your life, putting the answers in your hands.

Try it. Pull out that old deck of Tarot, dream or soul cards that you have had in your closet for years, and try something new! Take a dream, whether you have already been working it or not, and think about a question you have about it. Once you have the question in mind, select the amount of cards it will take to answer it. Be sure to take the first number that pops into your mind.

On a sheet of paper, draw a layout of how you want the cards to be displayed based on the number you selected. Then name or subcategorize, in reference to the overall question, each card placement on the layout. These subcategories could be dream figures, symbols, acts, etc. They could also be open-ended questions directly related to the overall question that you are posing to the cards.

Begin shuffling your deck, reviewing the dream in your mind and the question that you have about your dream. BLINDLY select one card at a time keeping in mind the subcategory when choosing and place it facing down in the same layout design that you have created. You may use more than one deck in your layout. Once all the cards have been laid down, turn them over.

First look to see if there is a common theme to the cards based on figures, colors, feeling, etc. What does that say to you? There are NO WRONG ANSWERS – there is no wrong way to interpret this! Take notes along the way, so that you can keep this analysis with your recorded dream. Next chose which card you want to start with first and analyze its imagery based on the subcategory and overall question. What answer does it suggest? Refrain from using the deck’s guide on the meaning of the cards until after you have worked through the imagery, so that you can experience each card with an open mind. After going through each card like this, ask yourself how all of the cards in the layout answer the overall question.

This method can be even more powerful with at least one other person reading the imagery with you – and helpful when you are stumped by a card itself. When doing any kind of group work, remember to let the dreamer give their interpretation first and then the others can offer suggestions to the card’s meaning. In the end it empowers the dreamer to decide what the dream means and they learn how to use a tool to work their dreams anytime.

A lot of people ask me how to choose a deck. The answer is: choose whatever deck, whether soul, dream or tarot, that resonates with you. Heck, choose several! Having multiple decks can give you the advantage of selecting a deck that resembles the dream or the feeling of your day, as well as allowing you to use multiple decks in one layout. Buying decks that have artwork on every card tends to work smoother with this type of method of reading the imagery. However, if you prefer to use the more traditional Tarot decks for dreamwork, you can set aside the Minor Arcana that tends to only have pictures of staffs, swords, pentacles and cups, and just use the cards of the Major Arcana for the reading.

If you would like to schedule a dream analysis using the Tarot, email me at starcarddreaming@gmail.com.