HELLO magazine: I had my tarot cards read
Every week I write a column for Hello Magazine, and am on a mission to cut through the noise and find out what really works, in order to help you become the happiest, healthy version of yourself. I set out to explore everything and anything I can to increase happiness, and promise not to hold back.
Living in a world that’s constantly pushing and pulling us to achieve more, do more or earn more – can be overwhelming to say the least. One thing we can all agree we want more of, and let’s be honest, need, is happiness. Th quest to be happy can feel both all-consuming and never-ending, and often we don’t know where to start to reach those desired dopamine levels or feel energised by joy.
There’s a lot of noise out there in the wellness industry, with an abundance of treatments, therapies and professionals on offer – all promising to boost our general wellbeing and in turn make us happier. But what really works? How do you know where to start? This week I wrote about my experience having my tarot cards read.
Six months ago I experienced a very painful break-up, and to say I wasn’t expecting it would be an understatement. I found myself feeling lost and confused as to what direction I wanted my life to go in, and started questioning all of my decisions. I was torn with regards to my career, relationships and living situation. Feeling overwhelmed with uncertainty and unable to find a sense of clarity in my mind, I turned to a tarot card reader for guidance.
I’m not in any way a spiritual person, and would typically eye-roll at the mention of star signs. However I had reached a point where I was willing to try anything to find some guidance, or solutions to my perceived problems. I booked a session with renowned tarot card reader Annabelle Mitzman, who a close friend had been seeing for years and came highly recommended. I had no idea what to expect or how the session worked, and was intrigued to find out more…
What are Tarot cards?
A pack of Tarot cards come as a deck of 78, with each card holding its own individual meaning. There are four ‘suits’ within the deck – symbolising creativity, intellect, money and emotion. Each suit is aligned with a group of astrological signs, including fire, air, earth and water. The Major Arcana have more standalone, unique meanings, such as The Fool, Magician, Sun and Moon. To an untrained eye, they look beautiful but confusing!
During a session, the tarot card reader will ask you what you want to know from the cards, which is asked in the form of questions. For example, you might ask ‘am I in the right relationship’, ‘should I move abroad this summer’ or you might decide to do a ‘problem solving’ session on a particular area of your life, and pull a set of cards accordingly. In essence, you ask the cards questions, and they will guide you towards solutions, blocks, new perspectives or challenges.
Based on which cards you are drawn to, the reader will decipher the meaning of their relevance and how they relate to you as an individual as well as in accordance with the rest of the cards chosen.
What happened during my session?
I booked myself in for a 45minute session with tarot card reader Annabelle Mitzman, and arrived open-minded but dubious. I was sceptical of the modality, and had (wrongly!) assumed that I would receive sweeping open-ended advice that could apply to anyone. Annabelle had my mobile number and first name, and I had provided her with no further information about myself (so no insta stalking!). I sat down and she spread the deck of cards out in a U-shape, face down, on the table in front of me. I pulled 10 cards, each of which represented a different element of my life – for example I pulled a card for my past, a card for my future, a card for my hopes and fears etc. This initial selection of cards was used by Annabelle to create an overall impression of the me, before digging into more specific questions/readings. If I arrived with any doubts about the accuracy of the reading – they were quickly diminished. Within minutes, Annabelle had identified that I was at a crossroad in my life, overwhelmed with decisions and bogged down by the practical matters of life – all of which were holding me back and preventing change. I won’t tell you all my secrets, but I can confirm that the cards were read with such precision and detail, it was hard not to be taken aback by the accuracy. The initial reading enabled me to start to trust the process, and lean-in to whichever direction the reading took. We moved on to the break-up, and I pulled cards for myself, my ex-partner, our relationship, past and future. Through the cards I picked, Annabelle described the relationship with such precision it was as if she had been a fly-on-the-wall for every moment we had spent together. It truly was extraordinary. Our situation was by no means ‘normal’, so no generic readings would have worked. It was as if someone had held a mirror up, and I was forced to look inside.
How did I feel after the session?
I came away from the session feeling incredibly reflective. I had gained clarity on what was stopping me from moving forward, but also a sense of trust in the process. My cards had shown that I needed to be still for a while, and I had faith that things would turn out exactly how they needed to. I think this is the beauty of tarot cards – you can take what you need at that moment in time. Annabelle had also mentioned that at the very end of March, something or someone would come into my life, and that that opportunity/person would lead me to make a huge change in my life and move abroad. She didn’t say where she thought that might be, but I had dismissed that part as it didn’t feel like an option for me, nor was it something I was particularly interested in. As luck (or the cards!) would have it, I met someone on March 24th who ended up playing a pivotal role in an unexpected move to South Africa. Fast-forward six months from my initial reading, and I packed up my entire life, overcame the practical hurdles of a move and made the change I had craved for so long. That’s not to say it happened because of Annabelle’s predictions, but isn’t it amazing that she had forecast a change that I couldn’t even imagine to be a possibility?
Would I recommend tarot card reading?
My interpretation of tarot cards is that they can serve as a tool for self-exploration, identify repeating patterns, help you find new perspectives and solutions to problems, as well as a means to support personal growth. It’s like holding up a mirror to who you were, who you are and who you are becoming. Sessions will encourage you to self-reflect, as you are guided towards the discomfort and able to ask yourself questions you might have previously avoided. There is certainly a spiritual component to tarot cards, but I believe you can take what you need from a session, and if you just come away with a shift in your perspective then that is a wonderful thing.
Annabelle does sessions in-person in St John’s Wood or via zoom. Annabelle can be reached via email: mail@annabelletarot.com or on +447974787217