Amongst metaphysical practices, Tarot card reading is one of the most common ones. Though believers still take it as being a relatively modern era practice, it has been around for a significant time- with the cards that are used nowadays being adapted from games which were played previously. Believing in something such as Tarot Card reading, or other similar things such as reading Tea Leaves, takes more than the average amount of faith- especially in the face of non-believers. However, the authenticity of Tarot Card reading can be explained with the help of Carl Jung’s theory.
The Collective Unconscious
Carl Jung, a disciple of Sigmund Freud, was a renowned psychologist- still known for several theories which he postulated and proved. Though he worked with Freud initially, he moved away from his ideas and gave birth to his individual theories, with the Collective Unconscious being part of the latter.
To explain it in simple words, our consciousness can be divided into three parts- the conscious mind, subconscious and unconscious. Jung believed that our unconscious mind can be divided into the personal and collective unconscious. The Collective Unconscious, according to Jung, comprises of information which has been inherited, instead of what has been learned- the latter being responsible for the personal conscious.
Owing to this, he believed that the collective unconscious is common to all humans, leading to billions of individuals believing in the same religion. Using this theory, it is believed that there is synchronicity in the events which occur in an individual’s life.
How Does This Affect Tarot Card Reading?
Well, the theory of the Collective Unconscious helps us understand the logic behind Tarot Card reading. When people pick their pack, they are tapping into their collective subconscious to do so- which is directing them to pick those specific cards. Once this has been done, the cards will take on the meaning of whatever the individual wants them to take.
Without having a conscious idea of what has happened, the individual has basically spoken through their unconscious mind, in a process which is known as synchronicity. Synchronicity basically refers to the coincidental occurrence of events, something which normally governs our life. This concept also ensures the effectiveness of Tarot Cards, making it a highly popular form of divination.