So you’ve bought some tarot cards and you’re bursting with excitement! You just can’t wait to spread the cards out and check to see what they say about you. Stop! Ask yourself first how the story can help you and if it can be used for your spiritual growth and personal development. Will you only see the superficial aspect of the story or go deeper into what is unfolding in front of you?

When you link the images of the cards together, a story will begin to unfold. This is what is then called a ‘reading’. You might call this divination, scrying, or even fortune telling. Not only will the cards show an overview of current life events or future possibilities, it will also give you insight into your modus operandi.

Your cards can also be a brilliant spiritual and personal development tool, if you choose to use them for that purpose. A tool you can use to check if there’s something you could do differently to achieve an outcome. You then have the choice to apply the message of the cards or not. Remember, if nothing changes, then nothing changes.

Your pack of cards will come with instructions and meanings of what each card represents. With practice you’ll soon become familiar with your cards and therefore no mention is made below of their symbolism. Instead, the following is a basic overarching guideline to help with your spiritual growth and personal development:

Courage, commitment and willingness to learn and grow.

Voluntary (as opposed to ‘through adversity’) spiritual and personal growth is a never-ending process requiring courage and commitment. However first you must have a want. A want to learn and grow and be prepared for challenges along the way because the tarot will reveal both negative and positive influences.

It takes courage to face aspects of ourselves that could do with a little shake-up. Who wants to hear we could be kinder or have more compassion when dealing with others. Or that we may not be as loving as we could be to our fellow man or to ourselves for that matter.

If growth and learning is to be achieved then it will take commitment, sometimes barrels of it, through thick and thin, the good, the bad and the ugly. It’s easy to give up and it really does take commitment to stay on that path of growth.

Willingness to open up to new perspectives and possibilities.

In a nutshell spiritual and personal growth expands us through mind, body and spirit. We find out who we are and what makes us tick, what we’re not, and the limitations we place on ourselves. As we continue to grow we become more self-aware or self-actualised.

A reading can provide you with an overview of how you’re living your life now, the future possibilities, and what has come to pass. Keep your mind open as you turn up each card in your spread and check its meaning. Look at the cards as if you have a new pair of eyes and be receptive to new perspectives and possibilities.

Ask the right questions.

The more focused you are on a particular issue the easier it will be for you to tap into the message of the cards which will allow you to then ask the right questions or statements.

An example of these could be:

? “What do I need to do for me to move forward?”

? “Where do I find the right guidance for me?”

? “I’m stuck in all areas of my life – what is the best path open to me now?”

? “Show me the direction I easily take right now towards greater happiness”

Spend time in quiet contemplation afterwards.

After you’ve completed your reading, spend time reflecting on what was revealed and become aware of the role you played or possibly will play in the foreseeable future. If you decided your reading was bad, use it to your advantage. You could ask yourself how this negative situation could be turned around to work in your favour.

Work towards developing positive strategies to create the changes that would better serve you.

We’re the creators of our own reality so when we create positive changes it has a far-reaching ripple effect. If your reading sucked, instead of dwelling on this news (4 of Cups comes to mind), ask yourself, “How can this help me?” Use all your senses and become aware of what you’re beginning to notice. It could be an image, a sound, symbol, or feeling.

If you actively want to develop some positive strategies for yourself cast your net far and wide. There are many ‘how to’ books on the market and workshops for spiritual and/or personal development. You could also develop these strategies with the help of a mentor. You’re only limited by your imagination.

Know everyone has free will and the choice to do, or do not (pardon the ‘Yodarism’…)

Asking the question whether your reading is accurate makes the assumption that the future is set. Your free will and choice plays an active part in all you think and do so the future is what you make it through your choices. Whatever the meaning of your cards, you have the choice of either ignoring their message or choosing to act on the information in order to learn and grow.

Be patient and allow for change to happen.

After a reading it sometimes takes awhile before you notice changes in your current environment. Other times it will be like a ‘WHAM!’ incoming change here I am!

It requires patience when working on spiritual and personal growth. Allow this change to happen and go with the flow. During this time the possibility is that even better strategies will reveal themselves; when this happens by all means go for it! It’s not merely a coincidence, rather guidance in your highest good assisting you.

Michaela is the author of several e-books and publisher of a monthly newsletter called From My Desk.

You can find out what her website offers at www.michaelascherr.com