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Secrets of a Green-Thumbed Witch: Tarot and Gardening
by Melanie Harris
Growing a sacred garden can be a delight, but when leaves wither and plants begin to die, feelings of hopelessness and disappointment emerge. Such desperation can make chemical fertilizers tempting, but often, all that's needed in the garden is a little magic. With each growing season, we have a fresh opportunity to improve our skills as both gardener and Witch. We want to do all we can to grow our best gardens yet, and this includes trying out new magical methods to improve our crops.
One such technique that is easy to learn and very beneficial is to use Tarot cards to help maintain the health of plants in the garden. Tarot cards can reveal a failing plant's specific ailment and needs, and can also be used to increase vitality and enhance growth, calling on essential elements in the environment that will sustain and protect your plants.
If you have a plant that is showing signs of distress or that is growing more slowly than expected, sit next to it with one of your Tarot decks and mix the cards, focusing on the plant's energies. Absorb the vibrations of the plant and send this power through your fingertips and into the cards. Ask the plant what is wrong, and draw a card for the answer.
As your ability to creatively apply your knowledge of the Tarot will determine the quality of your garden diagnosis, it's a good idea to study up on various aspects of Tarot symbolism and interpretation. Intuition is your primary tool, but it needs a firm foundation of knowledge on which to operate. Seek out both new and classic guides to the Tarot, and strive to never rely solely upon one reference. By learning a multitude of possible associations for each card, you will give yourself a broad base of information to help you develop your own interpretations.
Here are some general interpretive guidelines to get you started in the right direction. With a traditional Tarot deck, drawing an upright cup card can show that the plant needs more water, as cups are the suit of this element. A reversed cup card may signify that the plant is being over watered. Likewise, an upright wand card can reveal that the soil needs to be better aerated, while a reversed wand card shows that the plant might need to be buffered from the wind. A sword card likely points to disease or overcrowding, and if the card is reversed, it can signify that the damage may already be beyond rectification. An upright pentacle card communicates that the plant may need stronger protection against pests, while a reversed pentacle card can show an imbalance in soil composition or a need for more nutrients. An upright Major Arcana card can be interpreted as a sign that the plant needs more light, and a reversed Major Arcana card may mean that the plant needs to be shaded.
For those with a more advanced understanding of the Tarot, interpretations of chosen cards can be more detailed and the diagnosis of the plant's ailment more specific and complete. For instance, the Five of Pentacles in the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, with its imagery of starving figures left out in the cold, could be taken to signify that the plant is plagued by a pest that is cutting off its access to nourishment. A worm or insect could be feasting on the roots of your little green friend. As another example, the Eight of Swords, with its symbolism of confinement, could be interpreted to mean that the plant is being restrained. Another plant could be wrapping around it or crowding it, or if it's a container plant, it might need to be moved to a larger pot. The more familiar you are with the Tarot, the easier will it be to make the most of your intuition when interpreting the cards to diagnose the health of your magical garden.
With contemporary decks that stray from traditional imagery, you will need to rely solely on your psychism to supplement the information in the interpretive guide to your particular card set. Unlike the traditional Tarot, fairy cards and similar sets do not have the benefit of having been written about for centuries, and there is simply a lack of available cross-references for studying the newer decks. Don't let this discourage you from investigating these cards, however. Many contemporary decks retain accuracy while offering a fresh perspective that can expand your magical skills and sharpen your intuitive faculties.
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Tarot and Dreams:
Interpreting the Symbols of the Soul
by Julie Gillentine
Symbols are a silent and potent part of language which reaches our conscious awareness through the agency of subconsciousness, rising on wings of spirit from the deepest parts of our being as messengers from our soul. The common…
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Tarot: It's Not Just for Fortune Telling Anymore
by Barbara Moore
Although most people don't know it, the Tarot is kind of like the Swiss Army knife of self-help tools. The seventy-eight cards of the Tarot deck are well known as predictors of the future, the favored instrument of fortunetellers. But did you know…
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The Tower Card: Building a Path to Enlightenment
by Mary K. Wilson
In the Qabalah system, the Tree of Life contains spheres and paths, all leading to the crown, Kether. This crown corresponds to the crown chakra and the source of all divine energy. For those on a spiritual path, a myriad of tools exist to help…
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How to Invoke a Tarot Angel
by Sandra Tabatha Cicero
Tarot cards can be used in virtually any magical setting to uncover hidden meanings, discover new information, and to reach divine powers, energies, and beings. Sandra Tabatha Cicero, author of Tarot Talismans, explains how to use Tarot cards to craft rituals around individual angels to reach a specific goal.
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