Today I have a deep (and for some, triggering) message about tarot magick, inspired by the #MeToo conversation.

This hashtag points out the number of people, both female and male, who have been sexually assaulted, abused and harassed.

I was not in the least surprised by the number of people coming out as survivors, although many of my social media friends did express shock and dismay that the vast majority of women in their feed, and some men, were saying #MeToo.

I have a bit of frustration with those of both genders who claimed shock and surprise. Were you living under a rock, deeply in denial, or just too engrossed in your own needs to worry about what might be happening to people around you? Perhaps this is a remind that we are all connected, and that we need to be more aware of what is happened with the people around us.

Like many of my friends, this important international conversation afforded us by our digital network has got me thinking and feeling in all kinds of directions.

One thing is clear. Many of us need to speak about what happened to us. All of us need to find a way to heal and release. Immediately, then, my thoughts turn to tarot.

How can tarot help an individual heal from sexual violation, and the silent shame that follows?

I decided to ask my cards that very question, but to make it personal. How can tarot help ME heal? The card I pulled was The Chariot.

To me, the black and white steeds indicate the emotional intricacy of the problem, and of the male-female dynamic that has been the source of the abuse I’ve sustained.

The Chariot, of course, is about moving forward in accordance with ones’ own will.

The lightbulb came on –  Aha! The shame and fear that I have carried with me since childhood has impeded my ability to act according to my will. It’s caused me to question myself instead of trust myself. It’s caused me to hesitate rather than to ride forward.

This exercise of single-card divination gave me much more than a simple answer. It helped me understand how those instances of assault, abuse and harassment have shaped my behavior over the years.

The Chariot also shows me what can be – the power I can have – as I release those self-sabotaging behaviors.

In the information given by a single card I found a great deal more than a reading; I found healing. And healing is magick, isn’t it?

This deceptively simple technique might work for anyone struggling to move on after any sort of trauma. Sometimes, just seeing how something has impacted us, and seeing the truth of how we could be if we were free of that, offers immediate release and relief.

The power of tarot to heal doesn’t stop there, though.

One could certainly ask other questions about one’s trauma, one’s perpetrator and one’s healing, using the same technique. Each card will offer opportunity for understanding, healing, perspective and release.

There are also particular cards in tarot that can express sexual issues and problems, and that symbolize things like abuse of power, control, disrespect, and feelings of safety and unsafety.

 Of course, in your own tarot magick any card can take on the task you assign it. However, working with established archetypes offers the strength and power of history and magickal symbolism.

Here are a few cards I’ve use to work with clients in this context, along with ideas for ways to use them.

High Priestess: The High Priestess is perfection in womanhood, respect for women, and virginity. Reversed, it can indicate a disrespect for, and abuse of, women, and inappropriate sexual behavior.

For a woman who needs to release a sense of shame and disrespect, taking the inverted High Priestess and reversing it to its upright position can help her claim her power, and her right to be treated with respect.

Devil: The Devil can indicate sexual abuse, and the helplessness we feel in this situation. When we reverse this card, we can easily slip away from his grip. Inverting this card, with intention, can help us release past trauma, and can give us the courage to escape a current situation.

Star: The Star offers healing, sexual freedom, and satisfaction. Meditate with this card and visualize yourself bathing in the healing light of heaven.

Ace of Wands: The Ace of Wands can be seen as sexual interest or excitement. We can use this card to reclaim a positive, healthy sex life by meditating with it, or carrying the image with us, or placing it in the bedroom.

Four of Pentacles: Often, survivors of childhood sexual abuse have difficulty establishing appropriate boundaries in adult life. This image can serve to empower us to set those boundaries without fear. Keeping this image close to us when we are feeling unsafe can help us understand our right to safety, and the appropriateness of our boundaries.

Six of Cups: This card is about the past. By reversing it, we can release past trauma, and affirm that our future shall not be determined by our past.

Eight of Cups: Try a meditation in which you become the character in this image, leaving your emotions after carefully acknowledging them, and walking away toward something new.

Of course, each of the seventy-eight cards might have a use in this sort of healing work, depending on the situation and your relationship with the card.

This process of healing relies both on the magickal nature of the symbols, and the focal point the card gives us for contemplation and visualization. When we add divination, as with the first exercise I shared, we enlist the Universe to share advice and comment.

What we’ve learned from #MeToo is that, chances are, if it’s not you, it’s your friend. It’s probably both of you. Apparently, many of us have experiences in our past from which we need the release of magickal healing.

Tarot can help. 

Tarot images are from the forthcoming Tarot Grand Luxe by Ciro Marchetti, available in November 2017.

I’ll be headlining at FPG Samhain 2017! Stop by my booth for a reading, and come to my workshops!