Most of the pictures on Tarot cards are colourful and joyful. They show empowering qualities such as confidence, spiritual wisdom, serenity, and love. However, there are a few images that seem frightening to some people.
Unfortunately, in order to create sensationalism, films and television shows have focused on a few of the cards that are illustrated in a confronting manner. In the Major Arcana, the cards called Death, The Devil, and The Tower are the main ones people find disturbing. But they are not as bad as you think.
Tarot cards are symbolic representations of all aspects of life, including some of the darker themes, such as endings (Death card), temptations (Devil card), and chaotic disturbance (Tower card). Keep in mind that you need endings to have opportunities for a new start. You have to experience temptation in order to feel righteous, and there is always a feeling of chaos whenever familiar circumstances start breaking down around you.
Cards such as Death, The Devil, and The Tower represent change, fear, and disorder. They look fearsome, but the Death card does not necessarily mean physical death. The Devil card certainly does not represent the mythic creature called Satan. And The Tower card does not mean you are going to be struck by lightning!
When these cards appear in a Tarot reading, don’t turn away from them, or reshuffle the pack and try again for a ‘nicer’ spread of cards. Their messages are important. They show that an incredible shift of lifestyle or awareness is imminent. They are suggesting that major life lessons are about to be experienced.
They look daunting, and to be honest, they represent issues or situations that are likely to be uncomfortable at first, but they also show circumstances that cannot remain as they are. Just as you wouldn’t ignore a burst appendix, these cards show conditions that have to be dealt with properly, so you can move forward and bring about transformation in your life.
In the Minor Arcana, there are illustrations of family life, work opportunities, choices to be made, romance to be found, and adventures to be undertaken. Amongst these beautiful images, there are a few distressing scenes too. Once again, these pictures do not necessarily mean horrible circumstances are waiting around the corner. At first glance, they may seem intimidating, but when you are doing a Tarot reading, you are not looking at just one card, you are taking into account all of the images in a spread. You have to take note of the various combinations of cards to determine the full extent of a situation.
Some Tarot cards have disturbing images on them, but on closer inspection, and when a light is shone on all of the circumstances, they can be seen as challenges which must be overcome in order to gain true balance in your life.