Tarot Cards: Tarot and the Conscious and Subconscious Mind

By AnnaLynde

When we examine the quality of any particular Tarot card, we are looking at an invisible force or vibration, and this force is veiled behind the symbolic representations or pictures on that card. It is similar to the unseen energy of electricity; we cannot see the force itself, but we can observe its power when it is channeled through an electrical appliance. In other words, we can see its effect when activated by an object. In the Tarot, the symbols or illustrations on the cards can be considered akin to these objects; as the student and reader, you operate as that channeling force bringing knowledge and wisdom through your mind and spirit.

The symbolic images on the cards activate and speak to a deep intuitive part of ourselves which the logical, conscious mind cannot understand or control. This part of ourselves is known as the subconscious. This subconscious aspect of being represents our inner self, those deep, highly personal feelings and qualities which provide the foundation for our entire being and give us the motivation behind our behavior, thoughts, emotions, etc. This is the realm of instinct, gut reactions, innate knowing, and personal potential. It is the home of our psyche. The subconscious mind is the basis of our being which supports and partially determines how we live our life through the underlying psychological and motivational factors that influence our personal character. The subconscious provides us with our energy for life and often gives us inspiration and a sense of purpose.

The subconscious is that part of us that just 'knows' to do something. It is the source of flashes of inspiration and creative expression. It houses our fears and our hopes, and exists as pure feeling, before we put descriptive words to those things which arise from this realm. The Subconscious holds that part of our being which dreams and imagines. It also contains much of our deeper, spiritual character and is the link between our ego-personality and our soul. Because of this, you will find that there is much knowledge in the Subconscious mind, but it does not have an intellectual quality. It is "emotional intelligence," and arises from the realm of feelings, knowing, seeing without the use of the eyes, sensing, and intuiting. The subconscious is that part of us which is in tune with the real energy of the world that lies behind its outward forms.

The conscious side of ourselves is often described as the ego, and provides our being with the important abilities of logic, reason and judgement. This is the part of ourselves that interacts with life from an aware, analytical perspective, and which learns and adapts to new circumstances through the building of knowledge (including language, etiquette, numbers, intellectual growth, adaptation, etc). In a way, you can liken this side of our mind to a computer, for the function of our conscious aspect is to classify, analyze and form opinions based on the information that is fed into it. This information is derived through our experiences, conversations, childhood lessons, stories, exposure to the media, etc., as well as our personal growth through each and every day of our life.

When we learn something new, it creates another level of information based upon the different factors surrounding that occurrence. The conscious mind can then refer to it in the future for comparison, relate this information to past events, and have some frame of reference for possible future happenings. This creates a mental knowledge which gradually builds up throughout the life of each individual and becomes inextricably linked with the identification of self. (I am this, I have done that, I know this, etc). It becomes the ego.

Therefore, the conscious mind is the filter through which we express our subconscious self in the world. It uses language to communicate ideas and feelings and mathematics to define and assist in creating form and knowledge. It builds up its intelligence through reading, analyzing, interacting, and learning. The conscious mind is an important part of our being; it helps us to be 'present' in the everyday physical world and to interact with the experiences and people in it. It also helps us give a form and a mental interpretation of the intuitive impressions, feelings and creative urges which arise from the subconscious.

The Subconscious and the Conscious minds more or less act as two halves of our being. In fact, they are often described as our Right and Left brains; one part the feeling center and the other focusing on the areas of logic. But how do they work together? In order to explain this, it is best to use a visualization. Picture an iceberg that floats upon the oceans of life. The surface of the water represents our level of awareness, that crossover space where the subconscious and conscious sides blend and communicate with each other. This is the area where most people 'live' and operate.

Above that surface is the portion of the iceberg we can see. Our conscious mind can be related to this visible section. This is the part of us that sees life through a logical, systematic and practical lens. It has a left brain, intellectual quality that analyzes, interprets and classifies. Tarot Cards relate to the conscious in that they give value and order to our systematic minds; they provide a necessary infrastructure. The conscious mind views the pictures on any given card and then accesses all previous left brain information that we have absorbed regarding the card such as the meanings, its place within the spread, etc. However, this part of our being does not recognize or ascribe value to the intuitive, deeper meanings within the cards, which are what we are really searching for. The conscious mind only sees the face of the mirror.

Underneath the surface of the water, below our level of awareness, there lies the massive majority of that iceberg. This is the subconscious mind. Here are those deeper levels of knowledge, the right brain, intuitive side of us which feels and shapes. It exists where it cannot be seen, touched or identified by conventional methods, yet it is a major part of ourselves and holds within it a great untapped source of information. It is here where the veil is lifted and that previously invisible energy of the mirror is discovered and delved into. It is to this unlimited area of our minds that the symbols on the Tarot cards speak.

We generally mentally operate on a 5% conscious to a 95% subconscious ratio, and this means that our lives are really ruled by our intuitive subconscious. Regardless of what we would like to think or how our lives may appear to be, our conscious mind really has little control over the scope of our experiences, or our reactions and emotions. Those inner qualities exist first and are then expressed through the conscious mind via the neurons connecting the two hemispheres.

In Hindu tradition this is called Maya, which means Illusion; the world that we relate to is merely a superficial surface which hides deeper levels of existence underneath (very much like ourselves). This is because people generally identify with the conscious filter (the ego), rather than with that which lies behind, not realizing that there are actually greater depths of expression underneath the surface. The Tarot is a tool that discovers and brings these subconscious patterns and deeper worlds up to a level where we can analyze and understand them. It is a key that allows us to access and delve into their mysteries.

The vibrations are the different qualities that have been assigned to each of these cards throughout the years. It is from this subconscious level that the ancients originally observed and perceived the meanings of the Tarot. Tarot is therefore a fantastic way of developing our instinctive, intuitive abilities through knowledge.

By learning and memorizing the meanings of the cards, you give your conscious mind information to absorb, interpret and recall. Through practice, you will get to a stage where you no longer have to think about the meanings of the cards, for that information will automatically be there when required. This process will free the mind, and by no longer having to think about the meanings, you gain the ability to transcend or go through them. Once this occurs, the subconscious mind can 'kick in' and your intuition in Tarot will flourish. This is because by learning the meanings, you have given your left brain information and a structure which it requires to be useful and satisfied. As you have given it something to concentrate on, it will no longer try to interfere with or block your right brain abilities as it normally does. This is of course an ability that will only gradually develop through practice and patience.

I should point out here that the meanings that you will learn for the individual cards are perfectly valid and accurate in their own right. THEY WORK. These meanings have been developed from hundreds of years of investigation, discovery and mysticism. They are the recorded results of previous excursions into the subconscious and have raised the patterns and worlds found there to a level where they can be of use to, and understood by, our conscious selves.

Anna Lynde is the author of  "The Little Tarot Bible" and an international professional reader,  teacher and writer. She has been studying many mystical systems in addition to the Tarot, including Numerology and Astrology, Past Life therapy, Rebirthing, Reiki & Psychic Development.