The Tarot deck is probably one of the most ancient and most modern tools for working with subconscious mind. Its imagery conceals numerous layers of meaning, appealing to both our subconscious and imagination.
The applications of Tarot are numerous. Beside the usual card reading, Tarot are used for meditation, self-analysis, creativity, personal growth, decision making and even for dream interpretation.
Tarot and dreams have much in common. They both use images and symbols to convey their messages employing our subconscious mind and intuition. As we read the cards, we try to understand how the images fit into our current situation (similarly to interpretation of dream symbols), which often leads to unexpected revelations.
If Tarot and dreams employ similar mechanisms interacting with our mind, can we use Tarot as a tool in our lucid dreaming practices?
I’ve tried to incorporate Tarot into my lucid dreaming experience and found it to be a helpful and fun lucid dreaming technique.
“Dream Recall” Spread
I like to use different decks and the one I’ve used for the spread is the Medicine Woman Tarot deck. I believe it works best for meditations and dream interpretation. Its images and suites are different from those in classic decks.
The dream I tried to recall was about some futuristic war. That and some vague out of place images was all I remembered. I used a simple four-card spread, cards lining horizontally:
1.The Theme – what the dream was about, its central topic. I’ve got The Warrior in this position. Well, the dream was about a war, so the cards seem to be in tune with me.
2. Scenery – where the events of the dream took place, the surroundings. This time, it was the Ten of Arrows. Arrows correspond to swords in traditional decks and, as the element of fire, may stand for war-related themes.
The picture, however, features a group of people peacefully gathered around a table. I remembered a gathering of war veterans and realized that the main event actually occurred after the war, as the veterans, including me, gathered at the old airport.
If I used the classic Rider-Waite deck, I would see a picture of a person pierced by ten swords. Although the image is much gloomier than in my deck, it also could suggest an “after the battle” event, a defeated person representing the old veterans, nursing their wounds.
3. The Dreamer – her role and position in the dream. The Ace of Arrows features a woman armed with a bow. I already remember that I was among the veterans. There were a lot of female soldiers at the war.
4. The Event – the key event, what was happening in the dream. The Seven of Pipes with masked people, obviously performing a hunting dance, and a figure of a winged deer in the air, amidst the clouds. I recall the veterans watching the clouds.
One of them, in the shape of a spaceship, turned out to be a real spacecraft, mistaken by the veterans for an enemy. We all hurried in alarm to the hangar, ready for fight, when the ship revealed itself to be a training craft for our own trainees.
The Rider-Waite deck features a man fighting off numerous opponents, unseen at the picture. That leaves us wondering if those enemies are really there or are imaginary.
A simple Tarot layout helped me to put together the vague fragments of a dream that otherwise would probably be forgotten. Of course, I doubt it would’ve helped me if I hadn’t any recall whatsoever. The associations can also vary depending on the images you are using.
However, since the underlying ideas are more or less universal, I’m sure you can use any deck you like and feel comfortable with.
Learn, experiment and good luck! Don’t forget to let us know how it went!
