The Art of Tarot: How Looking at the Cards Can Help Us
We trace the old and traditional art of card reading - also known as tarot - and ask card reader Linda Hauptmann about her work as an intuitive card reader.
Restricting tarot cards to their forward-looking effect is definitely not enough. Because the archetypal symbols also speak to the subconscious in a way that therapists can use. Reading maps can provide information about unconscious tendencies of the past, the current situation and (possible) future events - and maps can also serve as guides for partnership issues.
What exactly is card reading and how does it differ from other foretelling techniques?
Linda Hauptmann: "Dear Sara, first of all: I prefer to use the tarot. There are other card systems that belong to card reading in general, such as the Lenormand [named after the fortune teller Marie Anne Lenormand , note], Kipper cards and oracle cards. The tarot in the form as we know it has been in use for over a hundred years. The card that graces this article comes from the Rider-Waite-Smith deck released in 1910, which is also my all-time favorite for its clean and beautiful imagery."
What does tarot reading mean to you?
Linda Hauptmann: "For me, the cards represent a projection surface. When shuffling and selecting the cards to be drawn, I connect with my question. After turning the cards over, I have my answers in front of me. After many years of laying, these usually coincide what I've already felt. But the cards often show further nuances or help to better structure chronological processes."
What sets the tarot apart from other fortune-telling techniques?
Linda Hauptmann: "Obviously its depth. With 78 cards, every human topic and condition is covered. Nothing cannot be told through the cards. That is of course completely different with a purely binary system such as the pendulum or the 24 runes. She likes I do too with their strong energies, but for finer and more psychologically oriented questions the tarot cards with their range are definitely my tool of choice."
"Even as a child I noticed that I had very fine antennae for my surroundings."
What were your first spiritual experiences? How did you discover your gift?
Linda Hauptmann: "Unfortunately, I can't tell you a 'spooky awakening story' at this point. But spirituality shouldn't be lurid either. I noticed as a child that I have very fine antennae for my surroundings and can also feel from a distance, how my friends and family are doing. Later, I consciously became interested in magic, divination and the like. More and more I dared to rely on my gifts - clairvoyance, intuition, high empathy."
And what role did the tarot play in this?
Linda Hauptmann: "The tarot opened up the possibility for me at the age of 16 to connect with people outside of my immediate environment. Of course, that was more of a playful character at the time. A good twenty years later, life experience also supports me in my tarot consultations : a lot of understanding of the human psyche, experience with relationship dynamics, insights into being a parent, dealing with losses, everyday issues of adult life in general. Of course, that wasn't the case when I was 16. But it's very important in order to be able to give really comprehensive advice."
"Most people still come to me with the most classic of all topics: love."
Many are currently being influenced by various crises, such as a pandemic, war or the energy crisis. Do you notice an increase in inquiries?
Linda Hauptmann: "Most people still come to me with the most classic of all topics: love. Uncertainty about whether the relationship will last, whether there is a perspective with the ex-partner or a new date, why in the partnership the worm in it is whether someone for the heart can be found in the near future - that is still what moves most. However, the demand for support in relation to professional decisions has increased a little. I have the impression that the development of the past two years has caused an influx into the 'spiritual scene'. Topics such as mindfulness , meditation, energy work, but also small rituals such as currently on the occasion of rough nights or the full moon are becoming more and more popular. Apparently many people have the desire , to look more inwards in this challenging outside, which I think is nice, because at the end of the day, our inner life is the area we focus on the most have any influence."
How do you combine the "laying technique" with your intuition at work?
Linda Hauptmann: "I don't use the laying technique in the sense of fixed laying patterns and predefined interpretations. After more than 20 years I only work intuitively. As a beginner you 'learn' the meaning of the cards. Example the 'Five of Wands': we see on the card five men fighting with each other with sticks. Sticks stand for the element of fire, i.e. passion, creativity, drive, power. The number 5 is assigned to the Kabbalistic level of Geburah - which is subordinate to the Mars energy, i.e. it is characterized by conflict, struggle, Sexuality, competition. The textbook then says something like: a fierce competition . I've internalized all these energies, but my intuition tells me without thinking whether it's about that or sometimes something completely different. A bruised ego. The potential for athletic or top professional performances, the desire to be noticed and therefore to show oneself with aggressive calls for help, or much further away from the kla ssian interpretations. After the many experiences that I was able to have with my cards, we have our very own language. For me, meaningful 'technique' in connection with the Tarot is more the linking of different areas. So combining the learned energy fields of the cards with a strong intuition, paired with practical life experience, psychology and empathy for the other person."
Please tell us which topics in the field of future interpretation are particularly popular? Are there discernible differences between male and female questioners?
Linda Hauptmann: "I never isolate future interpretation from a thorough analysis of the present. Because - what is now, what we may not be so consciously aware of - we can already shape or change that for our own good. Pure future prospects are most of singles who are longing for a relationship, in terms of who is showing up like this in the next few months, and by people who are facing a bigger decision: what to expect if I stay with my employer, what to expect, if I take up the job offer as an alternative, something like that. And last but not least, also from people who are basically well and solidly positioned and would like to do some fine tuning . In the sense of - What energies will affect me? What does it mean for my Mindset to consider? How can I position myself most sensibly? I can't make out big gender-specific differences. At most maybe that d he gentlemen sometimes understand the women of their hearts less intuitively and would like to be given a picture of the mood in this regard. But the issues are basically the same for men as for women."
"In my understanding, our future is by no means set in stone, but very dynamic."
Many always want to know about the "accuracy" of the cards. How about that?
Linda Hauptmann: "I can only speak for my interpretation, because unfortunately you can also be very careless with the cards and, in the worst case, create uncertainty, fear or illusions and disappointment in the other person. My way is to rely completely on my intuition. Rather than doing a textbook interpretation. But I'll explain it this way: We are all invisibly connected through time and space, like mushrooms. We only see the individual fruiting bodies on the surface, but the root system connects us for miles. So, I suppose ", there is also an invisible field between people. It is therefore possible for us to connect with this field. I use the maps to interpret this. Indigenous peoples such as the Aborigines are said to have telepathic communication - I assume this ability lies dormant in us Everyone. Whatever it is: I am always very happy about the confirming feedback on my readings. And sometimes I am amazed where bring me this information."
How do you deal with negative forecasts from clients?
Linda Hauptmann: "That is a very important point. Dealing with negative tendencies. What I make clear at the beginning of each reading: In my understanding, our future is by no means set in stone, but very dynamic. We have countless opportunities at any moment to set the course for to adjust our next time. A reading of the cards therefore always depicts the most likely course, unless something is significantly changed in one's own behavior, in one's own decisions. If I see unpleasant developments, I speak them out - cautiously and empathetically - of course. At the same time It is always important to me to look for options to defuse this tendency. Some developments can be completely turned around if you approach this time with prior knowledge and awareness. Rarely are there situations that come very clearly from the outside and can hardly be defusing In these cases, I focus on creating a perspective for dealing with the Hera to find the challenge and the after."
Then how do you deal with it?
Linda Hauptmann: "It's very important to me not to hang a sword of Damocles over someone's head or give them the feeling of determinism. That doesn't correspond to my thinking. In the worst case, I don't want to contribute to a self-fulfilling prophecy , i.e. to impair my counterpart and fueling bad developments. I would be suspicious of a card reader who, full of conviction, pronounces separation, loss of job or the like as fixed. A card consultation should definitely be solution-oriented and not catastrophic. In this sense, I do not see myself as a fortune teller, but as a spiritual advisor."
"So let's look forward to a year in which we will pursue and achieve our clearly defined goals with calm sovereignty!"
Please draw us a map for 2023. What can we look forward to?
Linda Hauptmann: "I drew the Arkana III, the ruler, for our next year, and I can already feel this energy coming strongly in the collective. On the side - no matter whether the card shows a man or a woman, it always applies to everyone Gender and points to parts in each of us. The Empress embodies pure creation. She sits serenely in her flowing robes on her softly upholstered throne. The sign of Venus - refinement, sensuality, luxury - at her feet, pomegranates symbolizing fertility on her dress , in a nourishing nature with Kornfeld and Bach. The ruler creates her life the way she wants to live it. Previously, as Arkana II, as High Priestess, she thought about what is important to her and what she would like to experience. Now creates She does it - full of confidence in her abilities. What touches her flourishes. She radiates security. Beauty. Love and warmth because she knows her goals and her abilities. And s She knows that she alone is responsible for her life. Let's look forward to a year in which we will pursue and achieve our clearly defined goals with calm sovereignty! And we are welcome to take a moment to be grateful. For the fact that life offers us this abundance of possibilities."
Born in Dortmund and mother of two, Linda Hauptmann lives near Frankurt am Main. As a graduate engineer for viticulture and oenology, she has a weakness for champagne, both professionally and privately. In addition to her hobbies, such as martial arts, traveling and good food, as a spiritual advisor she values regular meditation and deals with the topics of psychology and mindfulness.
