Tantric tarot readings, explained.
Tarot decks and witchcraft have long gone hand in hand — but that’s not to say all tarot readers are card-carrying members of the occult. In fact, whatever cinematic snapshot you have of, say, a robe-laden woman with half-moon glasses and a stack of spell books atop her desk is likely more gimmick than anything else. These days, tarot readers are storming TikTok, you can google-search common card interpretations for your own deck, or you can visit a professional — who will likely be wearing…jeans.
Most historians believe that the O.G. Tarot deck came from a 14th century Turkish card game called Tarocchi, which became popular throughout Eastern Europe by the 15th century. At the time, it was, indeed, a game — and in no way a divination method or a vessel for spirituality. That said, in the late 1700s, famed French occultist Jean-Baptiste Alliette repurposed the deck for the sake of fortune-telling — which re-established tarot as a “divination method.”
The tradition didn’t arrive in the U.S. until the early 1900s. And the most popular U.S. deck, usually called the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, wasn’t released until 1909. But since then, we’ve seen a proliferation of new decks — both artistic re-interpretations of the original, and full-bleed reinventions.
For the sake of learning, it’s safe to assume that most tarot decks contain 78 cards — and those cards will be divided into two categories: Minor Arcana and Major Arcana. Major Arcana cards, which are numbered from 0 to 21, are meant to represent areas of life that are, well, major (think: death, birth, coupling, etc). The Minor Arcana cards — of which there tend to be 56 — show more prosaic details of personhood. And much like a traditional deck of playing cards, these are organized into four separate suits: Pentacles, Cups, Swords, and Wands.
Now, you can turn to the deck with any number of intentions. You can ask a question and your tarot reader (who may very well double as your roommate) can draw cards to answer that question. Or, you can go with a more traditional “reading” designed to forecast the year ahead, your relationship, or your financial future. They can also be used for meditation, self-improvement, therapy, and best of all, sexuality.
How, you ask? Well, the ancient symbolism of the tarot deck is purposefully vague — so you’re meant to ascribe meaning based on the person or the question at hand. And if you’re looking to do an intimacy-based reading, there’s plenty of risqué symbolism to look out for. Seeking out the sensual energy in each card, for many tarot readers, serves as a form of sexual guidance, or a way to facilitate greater intimacy between two partners.
While the four tarot suits already contain some broad strokes meaning, they can certainly be interpreted with a special, unique nod towards sexuality. Wands can be seen as a symbol of fire or passion. Cups may indicate emotional intensity or intimacy. Swords can be seen as representations of sexual roadblocks, traumas, or hang-ups. And lastly, pentacles, which typically indicate the earthly body — convey a desire to touch and be touched.
As for the cards themselves, beyond the suits, there’s plenty of salacious meaning to be imbued as well. For instance: the devil card famously represents a sexual attachment that’s hard to give up — but may or may not be serving you in the end. Ultimately, the list goes on and on, and while a professional reader will certainly feel more than equipped to read your cards under the genre of sexuality, if you’re trying for an at-home reading with a friend or a partner, just be sure to google “sexuality” (or something similar) when searching for meanings online.
Last but not least, if you’re stuck on the sorts of sexuality-forward questions you might ask a tarot reader, consider insecurities or hangups that take up space in your head (“what does my partner want, sexually? Or “how do I heal from my sexual trauma?”). Then, well, let the cards work their magic.
Originally published at https://getmaude.com.
