Autistic & Reading Tarot

[Leucrota]

I was wondering if anyone else here either is on the spectrum or has read for someone on the spectrum... I will admit that my first draw to the Tarot was the -system- of it, and right now I'm definitely in the information hoarding phase of my interest for them (which is a familiar thing to any person with autism). Learning about the cards, their meanings, and meditating on the readings I'm doing for myself has been very calming and enjoyable for me. I love the learning of it, the history of it, all of that. The tactile nature of the cards is also very magnetic to me. When I look at the cards and feel them speaking to me, it's such a compelling feeling.

 

But I worry about the 'intuition' side of Tarot, which I know is very important... however I don't feel that I have a lot of that. A connection to other people is always difficult for me; I'm very 'internal' and 'data driven'. Isn't that a negative thing when it comes to Tarot? How can I overcome that?

 

Are any other readers here on the autism spectrum and read for themselves / others? Are there any things I could do to help me get in touch with my intuitive side? And has learning the Tarot as an autistic person helped make connecting with other people easier? Is not being drawn to read for others a negative thing?

[Raggydoll]

My best advice would be to focus on your strengths and on the things that make you unique as a reader. Don’t worry about not feeling as intuitive as other people seem to be- there are already thousands of intuitive readers out there so why not give the world something different? Every single person has something that only they will be able to bring to the table, something that is special and unique to them. What you perceive as your weaknesses could, and should, be turned around and honored as your individual strength - your special ability.

 

As far as autism go, I can tell you that there are several people in my family that is on the spectrum. My uncle was high functioning and I have been told that he had an interest for the occult as well (his dad - my grandfather - practiced what would be described as Norse shamanism and he also used to do predictions and help other people find their lost objects). I also have a sibling and a child on different parts of the scale.

 

So you could say that both autism and an interest of the occult runs in the family. My child is on the high functioning side and he sometimes gives the impression of being gifted in a psychic sense (when he was two years old he would suddenly look up and tell us that someone is coming - and sure enough, ten minutes or so later we would have an unexpected visitor). And he also loves handling my cards! (Crystals is another big favorite, he is quite tactile as you mentioned)

 

So please, don’t hold back or question yourself. This is your journey with the tarot. Don’t look over your shoulder and compare yourself with others, just enjoy the process and have fun with it!

[Rose Lalonde]

 

Hi, Leucrota.  I just wanted to say welcome to the forum(!), and also to say I agree with Raggydoll[/member] completely. Excellent comments, I think.

[Page of Ghosts]

I am! *waves* I don't think I've told anyone on the forum before, but for the sake of being helpful I'm coming forward. I've always found gaining book knowledge on tarot to be easier than the intuitive part, but luckily there are exercises you can do to develop and strengthen your intuition should you wish to. I'm waiting on a workbook for some fun exercises, but one thing I always do is look at the cards and get some ideas before I consult any books. Sometimes it's enough to just look at the cards this way and I feel good that I've grown as a reader, other times it's a tricky card and I'm flailing about so I need my books. Originally I wanted to learn all the 3 major systems in Tarot (RWS, Marseille and Thoth) but I'm most comfortable with RWS derived decks so.. I'm stepping back from this lofty ambition since I'm happy with what I already know for now.

 

I've preferred to read for myself in the 4 years or so I've been doing tarot readings, but it's getting kinda boring so I'm trying to branch out and read to others now and then in the reading circles we have here every month. I'm not very confident in my abilities but the feedback I've gotten has been good! Overall I agree with Raggydoll that you shouldn't worry about what skills you don't have or areas not interesting enough to you. We (autistic people) have a tendency to beat ourselves up enough as it is when we can't do what others can or fail to conform to expectations, especially if we to some degree can blend in and "hide", I think. If you want to develop your intuition and/or read for others you're welcome to join any of the circles of make a post for ideas, but if what you're doing is enough and makes you happy you don't have to fret about it ^-^

[Wanderer]

I'm another one!  :)

 

Aspergers, high-functioning, and have enormous difficulty with normal social situations and with reading a lot of basic social cues. However, it's not a problem with Tarot reading, unless you rely a lot on 'cold reading' in person. What matters is seeing patterns, and that's something that the spectrum tends to encourage. Do whatever works for you, and however it seems to work best. A lot of the pattern-recognition process is subconscious, and is, I think, a little different to pure intuition... but maybe not much. Relax, and it'll happen; but if it doesn't, then the interpretation of the cards themselves is potent enough.

 

One other factor is to choose the right deck. I struggled with the standard RWS for a good while, and wouldn't know where to start with a lot of the more abstract decks. The one that called out to me (Wildwood) is much more literal and grounded, and I can easily work around the concepts involved without any leaps of faith. Spending time studying each card and following its facets logically can be just as beneficial as waiting for inspiration to strike from some unknown source. So, look for a deck that you can connect with easily.

 

Basically, don't let it hold you back at all. In some ways it may even be an advantage, but either way, you'll naturally develop your own style and methods regardless.

 

[joy]

First of all I would like to give you all kuddos for being so honest!

The longer I am in this forum the more I love it. It is a very safe place.

 

I agree with everything that has been said. I do not feel I am intuitive but maybe I am more than I think. I think that word has been abused a bit and confused people. To me it is paying more attention to my feelings but also my thoughts. Often thoughts come out of the blue, are not really mine. That I would think is 'intuitive'.

 

I also think it is good to have at least a basic 'classic' knowledge of the meanings of the cards.

 

And the most important thing is, to not feel pressured, to just do what you do. Everything is ok and good. There is no wrong and right. There just is.

[~D~]

First of all, pardon my ignorance :) OR...Excuse my lack of knowledge...

I use to work with little people that are autistic, but each one so different....

If you have Aspergers you might super ace the Tarot...

My nephew(with Aspergers) is the super master of history, and just got his bachelors in that, and in political science...He might even be going on for his masters...

[HeavenlyWren]

Oooooooh hello [emoji1588]

 

I am as well !!! [emoji846] I use oracle cards as guidance when i don't always understand the gist of the reading along side the tarot. Sometimes it's helpful.

 

What i struggle with is combining court cards and some majors so for example Emprees and lovers and knight I'll assume it's about a relationship and not a choice that the relationship has to face.

 

Don't worry too much their are no correct or in correct ways. If you need guidance people on here will gladly help.

 

I know i use this site way too much. But to be hoenst I'm usually just checking my threads because i can't sleep or I'm worried I'll get told off for not responding.

 

I wonder if we can all create some form of thread  to help each other out.

 

It's why my names awkward turtle. Because i don't under stand social cues and i personally find it really awkward when I'm out. And that with the fact that turtles can go in and out their shell any time they please.  And it's my spirit animal.

 

*p.s now is one of these moments, don't hate me. No hate was meant*

 

[emoji2957][emoji846]

 

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

 

[Leucrota]

Thank you all for the kind replies. It's good to see there are other people reading Tarot that would understand where I'm coming from.

 

I'm still learning so much; I'm glad there is this forum to get advice. :)

 

 

[Mi-Shell]

Thank you for this thread! :)

It gives me the opportunity to write about some of my autistic clients and their families - and me using Tarot and Oracle cards with them:

Yes, there are now 5 high functioning/ Aspies, that I taught - or better introduced to Tarot. They took to the system, the colour combinations, the numerology, the Tree of Life associations and all, like fish to water!

Favourite deck among them seems to be the Thoth and its system of correspondences.  But 3 of these clients now recently branched out to study RWS, Greenwood and one into Animals only decks - which incidentally  prompted me to get the same deck as her and study it right now :) (Anieth Nature Tarot Deck)

Social situations are often stumbling blocks and with the families  I we heavily focus on all The court cards, alone and in combination to bring social interactions across and create, what I call an "image blueprint" Also, we take images from Oracle cards, TV, the net to underline and visually / tacitly explain /convey the feelings of a given situation for example.

It is fun and rewarding work.

We do few readings however, but more like, what images fit / felt like  the situation that happened today. Often I get a pdf with just the images on my pooooter as a basis for a talk. This can come from the client or a family member. the jist is, that the family as well learns the image and or colour sceam in order to communicate and understand motivations and anxieties. (you have NO IDEA, how often the 10 of Swords and the Tower show up as a symbol of being overwhelmed!!!!!

The family -  or boss in one case, learns to back off, when the client just holds up the 10 S card!!!! the Tower could be a symbol of fear of having messed up or the client being reallllly mad or..... there everyone is different and many have VERY nuanced inner meanings to the cards, that have nothing to do with the Tarot itself.

This encouraged me, to also use the cards with several none verbal teens and adults.

With one of them we go through 2-3 decks a week, because the client rips out faces or cups and just uses tiny snippets of cards to lay out on a plate to convey meanings and feelings......

Of course such ways of communication soon branch out to anything and everything that one could rip out to form collages, most favourably comic  books and manga. It is the tactile act, the sound of ripping, the digging through  boxes and trunks full of tiny snippets.... To sleep in a huuuuge trunk full of snippets- or just cower down in them, trying to absorb them.......

I could go on here.....

Tarot showed me the path and the method and the client, family and the client's work environment made it "theirs"!

♥

 

 

[ToadieOdie]

I have Schizoid Personality Disorder, which is something that has to be carefully differentiated from Asperger's I'm told. I do have a son with Autism. So even though the two aren't lumped together in the DSM spectrum-wise, I do believe they are related somehow. I personally have benefited a great deal by learning from the Autism community that I wished I had learned years sooner for myself.

 

Intuition is about trusting yourself and the things you know. It's about associative memory and using it.

 

So maybe you heard a song, understood its meaning, made the connection of that to the meaning of a tarot card. That's association. Later you do a reading and that card comes up, but the song has more relevance to their question than the book meaning of the card. So you use the meaning of the song for that reading.

 

That's how associative memory works and that's how intuition can work for you as a reader: knowing when to use which association in each context. And that takes practice.

 

The bigger your mental data base becomes, the more associations you have. This means you have more for your intuition work with. You have plenty of it, trust me. What you lack is practice in working with it. Trust in yourself and look for those patterns. Make those connections as you find them. You will get there, but you need to have patience with yourself and practice reading those cards.