As told to Sreeparna Mazumder by Mahima Bhatnagar, psychotherapist, practitioner of arts-based therapy and integrative somatic trauma therapy. Bhatnagar is also a tarot card reader.
As a psychotherapist, I involve the Indian setting in my practice. For example, Buddhism and Indian psychology offer a lot of information on mental health, which is also talked about in the West. Recent discussions of mindfulness, somatic practices, and yoga for mental health and emotional regulation have come from Eastern schools. Previously, the West viewed humans in terms of their minds and that is why we dealt with the mind. Now holistic or integrated psychology sees you in a bigger perspective. You are a combination of your body, your mind and your consciousness. It is your inner guidance system, which is also recognized by western schools.
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In psychotherapy, we not only work with the mind but also with your consciousness. Tarot borrows from the same school of thought. It is a divination tool that taps directly into higher consciousness. As a professional reader, I am able to break away from my ego mindset, which is just my consciousness, and access a different level of consciousness.
To give you a broad understanding, we know that we have subconscious and unconscious levels. But there is also an understanding that there are levels above the conscious mind. Tarot readers tap into this higher level of consciousness to provide answers.
How Tarot Cards Are Associated With Mental Health
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Reading tarot cards is like interpreting dreams. Even in psychology, dreams continue to be an elusive and mysterious case that we have not yet been able to fully understand. There are several theories about what happens when you dream and where they come from. Tarot reading comes from a similar perspective.
When you are in a state of uncertainty, it automatically generates imbalances, anxiety or mood swings. In such cases, getting a tarot reading can give you a sense of control and agency, knowing that regardless of good or bad results, you have the space to prepare for what is to come. It can be a stimulating thought.
Tarot reading is not an alternative to therapy
That said, I don’t use tarot in my therapy sessions. For me, tarot reading is a profession in its own right. I don’t take my tarot clients for therapy sessions. As a psychotherapist, my only job is to use my tools to allow the person to find their own way. This is my main objective. When I do a tarot reading, I give straight answers because that’s what my clients want. Even if I master both, combining them will not be a good approach. I don’t think that would work.
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Let me explain. Mental health is a deeper issue. For example, if someone has anxiety and control issues, I do a tarot reading and give them answers. After three days they will still want an answer because it is not a solution to their mental health problem. It’s temporary and it might give them relief at the time, but it will trigger again. It cannot replace therapy, a much deeper way to understand emotions, to trace their origin, to be able to manage them and to find answers.
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Tarot reading and therapy have different purposes. If someone is traumatized by sexual abuse, I don’t see how a tarot reading can help them, even if the question is as simple as “How can I overcome my trauma?”. To be able to help them, I have to give them the tools that will help them overcome the trauma. Likewise, if anyone has a marital problem, the emotional and mental repercussions cannot be managed with the tarot. As a psychotherapist, I have to sit down with clients and help them deal with their grief and everything that concerns them.
So, in my opinion, use tarot card readings as a guide. There is no right or wrong way of life. After a reading session, ask yourself: ‘How can I support myself better?’. Whether it’s a good or bad read, take it as a road map of a likely path in which life might flow. And how you make that work is up to you, because you are in charge of your life.
However, if you have mental health issues, it is best to approach a therapist for healing.
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