Tarot can be an incredibly useful tool for self-reflection as well as understanding what’s happening both in and around us, energetically speaking. As a dancer, I use the tarot to determine what movement I need to embody in the present moment. This process supports my well-being and spiritual growth and serves my clients in 1-1 intuitive readings.
In my practice, I will typically approach the cards in one of two ways:
- Ask my higher self about the energy currently impacting my thoughts, feelings, or physical body. This can point me to ways I can express and release whatever might be “stuck” inside of me.
- Ask spirit about the external energy that is currently influencing me. Then I can determine if I need to move in a manner to resist or repel that energy or if I want to partner with that energy to manifest or heal something.
With any divinatory practice, it’s important to first set your intention by forming a spiritual inquiry. I recommend being as specific as possible because I find that brings clarity to the reading. You will also want to declare who you’re inquiring of. Choose the spiritual connection that feels most aligned for you (ex./ God, Goddess, mystery, elements, archangels, ancestors, or your spirit guides). Setting these intentions will make it easier to interpret the messages coming through and also help protect you from any unwanted spiritual energies. 
I often pull out my tarot deck for guidance, decision-making, or if I need to address a situation that's creating a lot of anxiety for me. But as a dancer, I pose my question in a way that asks for direction in how I can move my body to address those issues. My favorite 3-card spread for working with the tarot in this way includes the following questions:
- What is the movement I need to embody for (SITUATION)?
- What is my body longing to express about (SITUATION)?
- How can I partner with spirit on the dance floor concerning (SITUATION)?
Sometimes I will approach the tarot in a reverse manner in order to divine the movement coming through me when I'm engaging in a channeled movement practice. Channeled movement is the practice of receiving supernatural insight kinetically in our physical body. Say, for example, I’m feeling a significant amount of sorrow, or moving in a way that looks and feels sad, but I’m not sure why. I could ask spirit to help me clarify the source of the sorrow by pulling a few cards and then deciding if I want to continue to express that feeling or shift my energy. This is the idea behind a practice I teach called Cosmic Choreography.
With any form of divination, the interpretation can vary greatly depending on your unique perspective and life experiences. When I’m trying to derive meaning from the cards, for whatever purpose, the conclusions I make are very much rooted in my understanding of the elemental and astrological energy present in the cards. I look at them specifically to find any kinetic energy that is being depicted so that I can work with that energy in my own body. I also weave in my own intuitive insights as well as the information I receive through psychic sensing.
Learn more about working with the tarot in conjunction with your dance and movement practices in episode 10 of my Spiritual Dance Podcast titled “Tarot for Dancers.” CLICK HERE to listen.
To learn more about my approach to divination as a dancer, check out my BOOK article and PODCAST on the subject of Dance Divination. I also have a blog article on Psychic Development for Dancers.
