The tarot he also knows about travel. Believe it or not, you are already here. Keep reading and find out if you are going to travel in the coming months, or better: find out everything that this new adventure can bring you.
They say that the first deck of cards linked to the tarot came through the Mediterranean trade routes at the beginning of the 13th century.
Its origin was Islamic - they called it Maluk -, and it was divided into four suits, although medieval society soon incorporated a fifth suit into the deck: trumps, cards with drawings of various scenes today known as the 22 major arcana of the tarot.
Over the centuries, the tarot has traveled the world causing both fascination and rejection. A divinatory practice that has experienced cycles of constant growth and rebirth, as happened during the Hippie movement in the 60s or, yes, today.
Las Dahlias, Ibiza, 1986.
The searches in Google for terms like "Astral chart" or "tarot" have skyrocketed since the beginning of the pandemic . have also flourished new restaurants where you can have a cocktail enlivened with a reading of cards (La Margherita, on Madrid's Gran Vía, among others) and even stars like Rigoberta Bandini they have turned the tarot into part of their iconography.
But beyond a simple tendency or oracle to turn to in times of uncertainty, the tarot it is an intuitive tool able to give us answers , including those related to travel.
NOMAD SOUL
For the tarot and travel tandem we just need to ask the right questions, pay attention and weigh all the possible interpretations. The art historian and tarot teacher Diana Sanchez-Regas enlightens us about new trips. Some distant, others more interior.
Tarot deck.
Because the relationship between a deck and travel is not accidental, since the tarot has a deep nomadic component.
"The arcana of the tarot traveled throughout Europe from the early fifteenth century, from the overwhelming wealth of the Visconti-Sforza family of Milan, to the humble hands of peasant women in Russia," Diana Sánchez-Regas tells Traveler.
“The history of the tarot itself is a history of movement and expansion , more and more exposed to the whole world, ”she adds. Although to understand the meaning of the cards, it is essential to know how to interpret them through appropriate training, or by going to professionals who know how to read the tarot.
Wheel of fortune card.
THE LETTERS THAT INDICATE A JOURNEY
Of the 22 arcana of the Marseille tarot that may appear during the spread, we include the three specific arcana that represent a journey.
Wheel of fortune
The wheel that appears on this card is law of karma symbol . It represents the constant rebirth of the soul, going through different experiences of success (the upper sphinx); and low instincts (figure with human body and animal head).
"Wheel of fortune tells us about unexpected trips , those that are born quickly and through which we let ourselves be carried away by lucky winds Diana explains.
“Those trips they will be interesting , full of liveliness, fun and connections, as long as we are willing to seize the opportunity and decide quickly . Many times it is related to trips that are the result of good luck and whose experience changes (for the better) the course of a life . And I know because I was drawn in a draw for a trip to the Greek islands after drawing this letter.”
Tarot card of 'The World'.
The world
The letter from El Mundo always crosses our path when travel knocks on the door. Except that unlike a weekend getaway to a town in Cabo de Gata, the kind of trip this card reveals is much more defining.
"The world is related to long and transformative journeys , connected with some kind of powerful personal revelation Diana continues.
“It is a deeply spiritual arcane, which tells us about a different way of seeing what surrounds us and moving through the world. Represents belonging to all places and not being tied to any”.
The Chariot tarot card.
The car
If La Rueda symbolizes surprise trips and El Mundo the most transcendental, The Chariot speaks of joie de vivre.
“The arcane that carries the journey in each symbol is the Chariot card. Under its influence, any dream trip can come true . It is associated with dynamism, energy and freedom to be able to move according to one's own instinct. connects with intense and joyful trips , in which to meet people and live experiences that will be remembered for a lifetime”, adds Diana.
“The Car symbolizes living all that we see in summer beer ads”.
THE ART OF ASKING GOOD QUESTIONS
Knowing the cards that reveal new journeys is essential, but we also need to ask specific questions that allow us to obtain a much more concrete interpretation.
“To banal questions, answers without substance. To wise questions, transforming answers ” is part of Diana's philosophy, who prepares us a selection of questions according to the intention.
Tarot cards.
1) What learning is there in this trip for me?
“This question is fundamental, because it reveals to me the most important thing about the trip: what will you teach me and what am I going to bring back stuck to my soul in an indelible way. With the arcane of the Sun, for example, I will reconnect with joy and enjoyment. With the Star, the trip will teach me to connect with beauty and be able to speak from what I am, without masks, and bring my creativity to light.”
2) What is my excess baggage? What kind of thoughts, actions and energy is good for me to leave at home?
“This is one of those questions whose answer may sting a little, but it is healing. He tells us about the ballasts , of that part of ourselves that does not contribute anything beneficial to the trip. Reversed Temperance would advise us not to be so perfectionist and allow ourselves to flow, adapt to new things. A very common card in this position is the Reversed Chariot: leave behind the stress, the spinning of thoughts and do not take anything related to work to the trip . Loosen up a bit.”
Maps and compasses for a trip.
3) What should my compass be?
“For every adventure there is a kind of energy that guides us , and with this question we discover which arcana becomes your personal guide for the journey. With the Moon, for example, we know that it will be your intuition that will guide you, and everything related to the mystery will be a fantastic discovery."
genius loci
Finally, Diana usually plays a tarot game based on the idea they had in Ancient Rome of the genius loci . This belief defended that each place had its own spirit, a protective energy that can be linked to experience.
“Sometimes I ask the cards my next travel destination, like someone who spins a ball of the world and close your eyes so that chance directs”, says Diana.
“That's how I met Dubrovnik , because the Strength card represents a walled place, a fortress. The Tower, the card that tells us about the collapse of what we built, took me to the ruins of Pompeii . And every time the Star card comes up with this question, I know the time has come to return to the sea and let its depth cleanse me".
Tarot players in a fresco in the Palazzo Borromeo, Milan.