Much of my work and teachings with regard to the Tarot is based on styles similar to Jungian dream analysis. I found a wonderful bit of information (quoted below) in a blog by Maria Taveras, a psychotherapist and Jungian Analyst in NYC. Substitute “Tarot card” for “dream”. It perfectly describes our attitudes and potential regarding the shadow cards Hanged Man, Death, Devil, Tower… and some of the difficult Minor Arcana cards.
Here is a bit from her blog:
“A dream offers potentially valuable alternatives to the attitude of our ego. These alternatives appear in the dream as images, which emerge spontaneously and autonomously from the unconscious. Because our ego has a maladaptive attitude, it has difficulty appreciating the potential value of these images. All too often, our ego experiences these images as a threat, and it reacts defensively. If, however, our ego can respond receptively to these images and engage them appropriately, the dream can transform our consciousness.”
I call “responding receptively to these images” coming to neutral with them. I would add that you could come to neutral with the “fun cards” too – The World, The Sun, The Star. When we see difficult cards, we freeze! When we see happy cards, we see only the joy – our own relief at a good card can impede the full spectrum of meaning it has for us.
When we can look at the cards — good or bad — with neutrality, we become more open to their messages.
Find a card you feel absolutely neutral about – it’s not good or bad. Sometimes we even see these as ‘difficult to read!’ When you can also see the shadow cards and happy cards with this level of neutrality, you will begin to have true inquiry! This inquiry can indeed, “transform our consciousness.”Side note: I love that Dr. Taveras states that dreams emerge “spontaneously and autonomously from the unconscious.” Drawing a Tarot card is spontaneous and autonomous too!
Work with “coming to neutral” with your cards. How do you feel about the idea that anything other than neutral impedes our ability to fully understand them? Post your thoughts below!
