Tarot and Health part one

During the course of my work as a tarot reader and astrologer I do three regular talks each week at a local health farm. Many people who attend these mini tarot workshops have never studied tarot or even had a tarot reading, so consequently one of the most frequently asked questions is, “Which card signifies health?” The simple answer is that no one card alone symbolises “bad” health and that each individual health or well being situation is unique and therefore portrayed in the cards by complex combinations.

What I would like to share with you here is some of the basics of how to interpret tarot cards when they are specifically directed towards the question of “how is my health?” or “Do I have any up coming health issues to be aware of?” Firstly please take into consideration that you are, most likely, not a qualified medic (although I’m sure that some of my readers are) and that your first priority is always towards the well being of your client. If you see matters of concern when addressing the question of health then always direct your client first to their general practitioner, then to a consultant; to ensure they have been down an adequate diagnostic route. Often allopathic medicine is excellent at finding out what is wrong yet inadequate at uncovering or exploring the root cause of the un-wellness. The area of root cause is where complimentary and alternative therapies have great healing ability and can be advised on. Always recommend a GP first for your own protection as much as much as your client’s.

Tarot and Health part one

Firstly I would like to break down the types of un-wellness that an individual might suffer from as represented by the tarot minor cards.

Swords
Tarot swords are rule the element of air. Air keeps us alive and is the breath of life. Swords may therefore symbolise breathing problems, the most common breathing dis-ease amongst clients being panic attacks caused by anxiety and stress.
Swords also symbolise thoughts and thinking. The suit of swords therefore symbolises what we have come to term mental illness. This loose phrase covers everything from stress, anxiety, panic, dementia, schizophrenia, depression, anger disorders, agoraphobia, grief, thoughts of suicide and many more symptoms.
As you can see this brief list ranges from what we might call the every day to more serious conditions.
Here are a few examples:
3 of Swords reversed - symbolises repressed anger and unspent negative emotion. Repressed anger causes depression which is often symbolised by the 10 of Swords. These two cards often come up together in a reading showing that one is the cause of the other. However the 10 of Swords on its own with no reference to the 3 of Swords indicates what I call “Karmic Depression”. This type of depression descends like a black cloud for no know reason and lifts just as easily. It is caused by triggers from previous lives, in uterus or from early childhood. Far memory or past life work often helps alleviate symptoms.
4 of swords - a need for isolation and rest which if taken to extremes causes the individual to have fears of reconnecting with the world resulting in agoraphobia. More commonly it symbolises a genuine need for sleep. I often see this card associated with parents of young babies where their sleep pattern is disturbed resulting in stress.
4 of swords next to The Moon may symbolise night fears and nightmares.
4 of swords next to Ace of Cups reversed may symbolise a need to escape the world due to heartache and grief.
6 of Swords - Over thinking which causes stress
Page of Swords - One day I shall write an entire book on this character he is so vast and complex! With regards to health he indicates any mind that is in turmoil and says one thing while doing another. This covers both schizophrenia and senile dementia. Neither of these types can help being awkward, argumentative, difficult to live with and likely to send their friends, carers and partners into equal states of anxiety and depression.
The other health side of the Page of Swords is when someone is deliberately malicious and scheming and has no conscience, especially when the card is next to The Devil reversed. This is true psychosis and makes the individual a danger to others.
Queen of Swords - All gynaecological complaints

The suit of swords not only refers to mental anguish and mental pain but also to physical pain, especially the 9 of Swords. It is the kind of pain which is so severe that the client genuinely wishes to put an end to it all.