For years, I believed tarot was about prediction — glimpses into what might happen next. Over time, I realized the cards were doing something far more powerful: reflecting the conversation already happening beneath the surface. Tarot does not simply point forward; it reflects inward.
Our subconscious mind runs the show. It shapes what we notice, what we dismiss, what we believe is possible, and what feels out of reach. Long before a situation becomes visible in the outer world, it exists as a belief, expectation, or emotional pattern within the subconscious. When used intentionally, tarot becomes a way of listening to that quiet conversation, and a mirror that brings these unseen influences into awareness. Each reading captures a moment in time, like a photograph of the energetic and psychological landscape present at the moment it is drawn.
The Subconscious Script
Most of us carry internal narratives we rarely pause to examine:
“I’m always overlooked.”
“Money comes, then disappears.”
“People leave.”
“Success is for others.”
These aren’t usually conscious thoughts. They’re assumptions quietly playing on loop in the background, influencing decisions, reactions and expectation. Tarot has a unique ability to swiftly cut through this noise. A single tarot image can illuminate a long-standing pattern in seconds that words alone struggle to reach.
For instance, The Tower may reflect a fear of sudden loss or instability. The Nine of Swords often mirrors habitual worry, self-blame or the mental replaying of imagined outcomes. The Devil can point to a belief that we’re trapped or powerless, or defined by circumstance. The Five of Pentacles often highlights scarcity thinking — a belief in exclusion or lack — sometimes described as a “poverty of the soul,” where perception rather than reality creates the sense of deprivation.
Transformation begins when the card is read not as fate, but as feedback. Rather than asking, “What will happen to me?” the question becomes, “What belief is shaping this experience right now?” When read this way, the cards become an ally — offering insight, clarity, and the opportunity to intervene at the level where change is actually possible: the subconscious mind.
What Subconscious Belief Is Influencing Me Today?
Tarot cards don’t impose an outcome. They reflect the internal conditions present in that moment — emotional state, belief structure, energetic orientation. When those conditions change, the future — and the cards themselves — change with them. Tarot shows where you are, not where you are condemned to stay.
Draw one card with the question: “What subconscious belief is influencing me today?” Notice the first thought, emotion or association that arises. Observe it without judgement. Don’t analyze or try to fix it; simply observe.
For example, you pick the Eight of Swords. Your immediate thought is “I’m trapped in this job. I’ll never leave.” Observe this thought without judgement. Acknowledge it. Now gently introduce a new statement, such as: “I am free to choose my path. Opportunities find me easily.” This is not about convincing yourself of something you do not feel. It is about loosening identification with the belief of being trapped at work that was revealed.
Swords in tarot represent the mind, and the card highlights where your thinking has become constrictive, giving you the awareness to resolve it. Affirm your new belief about job opportunities whenever you notice the old thought resurfaces, or the card is drawn again.
The Devil, often misunderstood as ominous, points to attachment to control, material pressure, unhealthy patterns, or a limited self-image. When this card appears, reflective questions that can be helpful include: What do I feel bound to right now? Do I feel in control, or controlled? What belief feels difficult to release? This card invites awareness of anything we are in bondage to. Even recognising the bond is the beginning of freedom. From there, freedom becomes an option, then a choice.
Celebrating With The Tarot
The tarot also serves as a mirror for celebration and deepening. Some of the more positive cards are not confirmations that everything is perfect, but reveal supportive beliefs that can be embodied more consciously. Positive cards reveal what becomes available when the nervous system feels safe enough to receive.
If The Star appears and your first thought is “Things are aligning” or “Divine blessings and renewal are flowing to me,” this is a beautiful invitation to amplify and integrate the positive energy already present. The Star is often associated with spiritual abundance, inspiration, and renewal — particularly after difficulty. It serves as a reminder that growth has already occurred and that gentler phases are possible.
Observe and savor the feeling of hope, guidance, and possibility the card evokes. Gently explore: Where am I already experiencing alignment and ease in my life? How can I open even more fully to receive this renewal? What small action today would honor this sense of faith and healing? Then use an anchoring statement to strengthen the flow, such as “I am open to receive the blessings and guidance that are already here. Everything is aligning beautifully in my favor.”
The Nine of Cups is a card linked with satisfaction and fulfilment. If drawn, notice whether your contentment feels embodied now or deferred for some future milestone. This card invites permission to experience fulfilment without waiting for external proof.
Tarot work doesn’t require elaborate spreads or dramatic predictions. One card, one question, and one moment of honesty is enough. Over weeks and months, internal dialogue softens, patterns become visible and shift naturally. Tarot is a sacred mirror. It does not tell us what is destined — it shows us what is ready to change.
Hannah Dawe is a holistic practitioner specializing in chromotherapy (color therapy), a recognized member of the Complementary Medical Association, and an experienced tarot practitioner and energy worker, whose work focuses on subconscious belief systems, shadow integration, and energetic alignment. She can be reached at www.ivorymoonholistics.com
Find holistic Tarot Practitioners in the Spirit of Change online Alternative Health Directory.
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