Posted on October 15, 2022.

Benebell Wen, author of Holistic Tarot: An Integrative Approach to Using Tarot for Personal Growth, is a certified tarot master and a long-time practitioner of the art. She is also a California and New York attorney and general counsel at a venture capital film in the Bay Area. In addition to her work with the tarot, Wen is a feng-shui consultant, I Ching practitioner, numerologist, and astrology enthusiast. She sat down with me to talk specifically about what tarot can offer the traveler who is looking for a new journey to embark on.

How might the tarot be useful to someone planning a trip?

You can consult the tarot deck like you would a travel guidebook, though perhaps through a more spiritual lens. The tarot can give you a sense of what experiences to be sensitive to and how to get the most of your travel plans. You can consult the tarot to understand what purpose or greater meaning this trip might serve in the context of your life experiences or life path. Certain building structures, landscapes, colors, or the likeness of certain figures in the card imagery could even serve as signs, symbols, or omens to be on the lookout for.

Shuffle the cards and then fan them out across the table. Think about the first question below and draw a card. Place it in the “Card 1” position and reflect on its implications. Then move on to the second question below and draw a second card. Place it in the “Card 2” position and take a moment to think on the result. Continue for all five cards, one by one.

Card 1: What will I get out of this trip?
Card 2: What will I give because of this trip?
Card 3: What can I be mindful of during this trip?
Card 4: What is a significant outcome of this trip?
Card 5: What is the primary purpose served by this trip?

What kinds of questions might a traveler ask prior to a trip?

Think about what the objective is for the trip, what you can get out of the experience, what you’ll be able to share or give to others because of your experience, and what you can be mindful of so that you can make the most out of your trip. I hope that the simple cross spread can provide a thoughtful road map for your trip. Be sure to bring notes on the reading with you on your trip, or even a photograph of the tarot spread, and let the cards be a beacon for you as you experience all the new sights.

Which tarot cards are most significant in a travel reading?

The Chariot can denote a travel experience that will shed light on how you might triumph over certain obstacles you’ve been experiencing, and show you how to take control of your emotions. Its correspondence with water might also indicate a trip abroad, overseas, yet by straying from home, give you a stronger definition of home. The Wheel of Fortune bodes incredible adventures ahead, ones that may bear karmic significance to your life path. The Star might compel you to write about your travel experiences from a spiritual perspective. The Moon might give insights into what parts of your inner self, including your shadow self, you will discover on your journey. The Two of Wands will indicate to you what it is you are searching for.

The Ace of Cups speaks about the quest for your personal Holy Grail, what will most fulfill you or bring self-actualization. The Eight of Cups expresses the emotional investments you have left behind in order to continue your journey of personal growth, and what role this trip might have to help that growth. The Six of Swords indicates what kind of mental baggage you are taking with you on this trip and how that could affect your experiences on the road. What sorts of adventures await you can be prognosticated by the Knight of Swords. Finally, the Six of Pentacles points the way to any components of compassion or giving that you may want to be mindful of on this trip.

If I'm in the middle of a trip and I need to better understand what's going on in the present moment, how can the tarot be helpful?

Bringing a tarot deck with you on a trip is a great idea. When you’re in a new environment and have a moment for reflection, pull a card from the deck and see what comes up. Use the imagery and symbolism of the card to give you a framework for thinking about the new environment or experience. That card will express your relationship to that setting and what lessons to learn while you’re in that environment. If you will be documenting your trip through note-taking or a personal journal, then a tarot deck is a great way to direct your writings and ruminations.

John Holland’s Psychic Tarot for the Heart deck would be a great take-along on a trip, as would James Wanless’s Voyager Tarot. Both decks come with comprehensive guidebooks that will help you read the cards even if you’re a beginner. I also love Kim Krans’s The Wild Unknown, if you’re willing to invest in the companion guidebook. Otherwise, any standard Rider-Waite-Smith tarot deck will do just fine. In fact, it’s what I’d use.

Also, you don’t need to use a tarot deck. There are many great contemporary oracle deck options to choose from. If you enjoy working with angels or saints, there are oracle decks for that, such as the Doreen Virtue decks. The Colette Baron-Reid oracle decks are also fantastic.

Source: www.forbes.com

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