The Tarot Practice
Encountering a relic doesn't grant you exact knowledge of its meaning or purpose - but it does mean that you're in the presence of something. And that's an interesting place to be in, full of lots of possibilities. Sometimes encountering a relic means making note of it on our map, but moving on for the moment. But if you have the time and curiosity for it, it can be interesting to spend some time in conversation with a relic you've come across on your path.
The following tarot spread helps us to decode our own relics by understanding where they are showing up in our life and body and by honoring them not as immovable monoliths but as a part of ourselves that is trying to get home.
Conversations with Relics
Card 1. What did I think about this relic when I first encountered it?
While Card 1 and Card 2 are asking two separate questions, it makes sense to read them as closely intertwined. If you need some help interpreting the card that shows up here, I encourage you to say out loud, "I think this relic is about or means or represents…" It's ok to get analytical here, giving space for your thinking self to puzzle things out, but to not get stuck on this card holding the answer.
Card 2. How did I feel about this relic when we first met?
Again, it can help to speak out loud when interpreting this card, "This relic makes me feel…" You can get as deep into your feelings as you like with this card, though keep sight of the shore with the reminder that feelings aren't necessarily facts, but something to feel through.
Card 3. Where has this relic found a home in my body?
These relics are us and so they live somewhere within our bodies. If you need some extra guidance, you can look to the astrology of the card to point you in the direction of the place in your body where this relic resides (i.e. a card corresponding to Gemini or Gemini's planet of Mercury pointing you towards the lungs or arms). This card can also point you towards your energetic body, your social body (the part of you in relationship with others), your mental body, etc.
Card 4. How does this relic shape my current life?
This card highlights the way that your relic has created a certain reaction or belief about the world within and around you. A relic from a time in your life you felt really lost, for example, might represent the ways you overplan your future even if it stresses you out to not have achieved the impossible task of planning for all variables.
Card 5. Where can I walk this relic home to?
Oftentimes, relics are just parts of ourselves trying to get home and need to be reassured, affirmed, accepted, listened to, or something similar to finally feel settled and secure. Less a solution to resolve all issues with your relic, this card is more about highlighting a new, more compassionate way you might perceive this part of yourself.
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Remediation: If you are seeking to strengthen your discernment by connecting with intuitive allies, consider casting the Familiar's Tarot Spread.
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