How to Use Tarot for Meditation & Spiritual Growth

Most people think of tarot purely as a tool for divination — shuffle, pull cards, predict the future. But there’s a far older, richer way to work with the tarot: using it as a mirror for meditation and soul growth.

In the Western esoteric tradition, especially within systems like the Hermetic Qabalah and Thelema, the tarot isn’t just a fortune-teller’s deck. It’s a symbolic map of the universe and of your own psyche. Each card is a gateway to deeper understanding — a living emblem of energies you can explore, integrate, and elevate.

Why Use Tarot for Meditation?

Think of it this way: every card holds layers of archetypal meaning, connected to planets, elements, Hebrew letters, and the paths on the Tree of Life. Meditating with the tarot lets you bypass surface-level readings and step directly into these energies.

You can use tarot to:

• Calm the mind and train focus.
• Uncover subconscious patterns.
• Connect to specific spiritual forces.
• Travel the inner Tree of Life — activating and balancing sephiroth through their linking paths.

This is how many occultists, witches, and Qabalists truly work with the tarot — not just to read, but to become.

A Simple Tarot Meditation Practice

You don’t need anything fancy to begin. Here’s a foundational method:

1. Set your space. Sit comfortably, perhaps with a candle or a quiet spot that feels sacred.
2. Shuffle and draw. Let the deck guide you — pull a single card.
3. Gaze softly. Spend 5-10 minutes simply looking at the card. Let your breathing slow.
4. Enter the imagery. Imagine stepping into the scene. What’s the landscape like? What does it smell, sound, feel like? Are there guides or symbols that stand out?
5. Ask inwardly. “What is this card teaching me right now?” Be open — you may receive images, emotions, or subtle insights.
6. Close with grounding. Thank the card, jot down thoughts in a journal, and return fully to your body.

Over time, this strengthens your intuition, brings unconscious material to light, and forges a direct relationship with the archetypes.

Pathworking: Journey Through the Major Arcana

Want to take it deeper? Traditional Qabalistic students would meditate systematically on the Major Arcana, using them as doorways to travel the 22 paths on the Tree of Life.

For example:

• Meditating on The High Priestess (Path of Gimel) connects Kether (divine unity) to Tiphareth (the heart-sun), drawing intuitive wisdom into conscious life.
• Focusing on The Hermit (Path of Yod) shines inner light on how mercy (Chesed) integrates into your soul center (Tiphareth).

Aleister Crowley’s A∴A∴ and many Golden Dawn streams taught scrying the paths: visualizing yourself walking the symbolic road between sephiroth, guided by the card’s imagery, unlocking spiritual lessons as you go.

Even if you’re newer, you can gently explore by picking one Major Arcana card a week to meditate on. Notice how its energy subtly transforms your thoughts, moods, and dreams.

Did You Know?

The tarot was never meant to be just predictive. In the Hermetic Qabalah and Thelemic work, it’s seen as a key to unlocking your own divine nature.

You’re not only reading the cards — you’re allowing them to read you. Each session deepens your self-knowledge, clears blockages, and aligns you more closely with your True Will.