How can the Tarot be a helpful tool for our inner work? What are some of the potential dangers of engaging with Tarot carelessly? What can Tarot offer the collective right now? These are some of the questions that the Haden Institute’s faculty Tarot expert, Brian Relph, fielded in a recent interview.
In this blog, we’ve got three things for you.
- A video Brian made of a tarot reading he conducted for the collective. It’s a very rich, surprising glimpse into how Tarot can be more than just a tool for personal reflection and growth.
- A lightly edited transcript of a follow-up interview with Brian.
- An invitation to consider Brian’s Tarot Practitioner Apprenticeship program that kicks off in March, 2026.
A Tarot Reading for the Collective
A Conversation about Tarot for Beginners
Haden Institute: Can you talk a little bit about, broadly speaking, some of the ways that people use Tarot?
Brian Relph: Classically, Tarot has been used as a fortune‑telling tool but frankly, I think it’s the least interesting way we can use Tarot. In my opinion, it’s most useful as a tool for reflection and as a medium for communication with Spirit, with the Divine, with the higher Self. In terms of reflection, it really functions as a mirror. Without fail it shows us what’s going on underneath the surface, becoming a window into the state of the psyche. To the degree that these aspects of Self are unconscious, Tarot can provide tremendous insight and validation, when what we’re experiencing internally is mirrored in the archetypes that show up.
Another approach people take with Tarot is to ask for guidance. There are skillful and unskillful ways to do this. An unskillful approach might involve asking, “What should I do? Tell me what to do.” We often come to the Tarot with anxiety, looking for comfort. But that’s not necessarily what we’ll find at first. A more skillful approach would be to ask, “What do I need to know?” or “What awareness would help me understand of the moment I’m in right now?”
HI: One of the things you said about the unskilled way of using Tarot for guidance—essentially saying, “Tell me what to do”—might touch on some of the collective trouble we’re in right now; looking to political leaders to “save us” or “fix this for us.” There’s a lot of group projection, scapegoating, and hope for saviors. It seems we could approach Tarot with that same energy, but you’re saying that what we most often encounter in Tarot is a mirror of what’s happening inside us?
BR: Yes. Recognizing what that mirror shows can provide inherent guidance, but it doesn’t tell us what to do; it attunes our awareness to a specific aspect of our experience, one that presumably we would benefit from looking at.
HI: That makes sense. We often secretly hope to find a magical path forward, but we’re more likely to encounter an honest reflection about our own experience and agency—what we’re capable of doing in this moment and how we respond.
BR: That’s right. In the video I did for the collective, during this extreme state of turmoil in the United States, I asked about the theme of justice and got a card about pain. That indicated my question about justice was rooted in deep pain, inviting self‑inquiry about the nature of that pain and whether my desire for justice stems from pain or from love. It’s an interesting example of how we come to Tarot looking for one thing and instead receive a window into what’s underneath our question.
HI: As we discuss this, the role of intuition as you’re drawing and responding to cards feels like an essential skill or operation. Could you speak to how intuition works with Tarot and whether other senses come into play? Jung’s four functions of consciousness come to mind here—feeling, thinking, intuition, and sensation. Is someone with an underdeveloped intuition at a disadvantage with Tarot?
BR: Actually, Tarot is an excellent tool for developing intuition. When I first came to Tarot with an underdeveloped intuition, it helped me tune into that capacity. The images speak directly to the unconscious, helping us bypass the thinking mind, which can spin us in circles. We can still use analytical functions to look at symbols, find relationships, and derive meaning, but the intuitive and feeling functions are indispensable in this experience. I identify as an INFP, which certainly shapes my personal orientation to this tool.
Intuition can appear as a sense of knowing, sometimes not even feeling like intuition at all—perhaps a bodily experience, part of the sensate function, or even as images. Some people hear words in their mind; I’m not one of those. For me it’s a deeper sense of knowing, which is beyond the thinking mind. To access that space we need to set aside the distractions of waking life, quiet the autopilot of the thinking mind, and drop deeper below the surface of the ocean. The surface can be tumultuous, but the deeper we go, the stiller it becomes, and in that stillness we can access the full spectrum of insight which Tarot offers.
HI: That’s such work—clearing distraction and bringing our best attention to things. Maybe we could shift gears to discuss the difference between using Tarot for personal work versus using it as a lens to understand the collective experience.
BR: In the last 25 years, I’ve mostly used Tarot for personal insight, either for myself or supporting another. Only in the past couple of years have I begun offering readings for the collective. Regardless of the audience, it’s essential to set the ego, personality, and thinking mind aside, putting ourselves in a receiving mode and staying open to surprising images. Unexpected cards challenge us and remind us they didn’t come from our own assumptions.
The further we travel on our spiritual path, the easier it becomes to quiet the complexes in the unconscious, creating more space to receive. When reading for the collective, I make sure I’ve done my own work first—doing a personal reading beforehand so that any stirring unconscious material is addressed. It’s impossible to read for anyone without projecting, so we must own that and try to be as clear a vessel as possible, even if perfect clarity is unrealistic. Reading for a [spiritual direction] directee often includes a conversational element—notice and discuss what arises from the unconscious—whereas a collective reading lacks that embodied interaction.
HI: Earlier in our conversation, you mentioned that approaching Tarot thoughtfully “reduces the chance of harm.” Could you speak more about the harm that can follow a more careless approach with this tool?
BR: Yes. The harm can arise when we lead instead of follow. For example, in dream work, if a dreamer isn’t ready to look at something we think is apparent, we shouldn’t push them; a gentle approach is best because the insight will surface if it’s important. The same applies to Tarot—we don’t prescribe or fix, we hold what arises with curiosity.
Harm can occur in a few ways. I’ve heard stories of people using intuition through Tarot to manipulate clients into paying more, a classic psychic‑trope where scary ideas keep people coming back. I haven’t experienced this personally, but I’m aware it happens. Another way harm occurs is by pushing or leading too quickly through profound material, moving faster than the client can process. For instance, pulling the Tower card with only five minutes left in a session doesn’t give enough time to process its impact.
Projecting is always a risk. If we don’t own our projections, we make the reading about us, which can do damage. This is true not only for Tarot but also for spiritual direction and dream work.
HI: What about newcomers to Tarot—students just starting out—what questions do they typically ask? How do folks usually begin developing this practice?
BR: Most people begin with a “card of the day,” then wonder how to move beyond that. I suggest making it a “card of the moment”. What is stirring for you at this very moment?
Reversals are another common query; I don’t use them, but if someone does, I invite them to view an upside‑down card not as the opposite but as an unrealized or muted expression of that archetype.
Choosing a deck is also frequently something people wonder about. I teach with the Rider‑Waite‑Smith deck because its imagery captures the archetypes richly, and I encourage students to start there before exploring other decks. While newer decks can be gorgeous, they sometimes emphasize one aspect of an archetype at the expense of others.
Looking to Go Deeper with Tarot?
Brian is a long-time core faculty member at the Haden Institute. He has also cultivated a rich, multi-faceted private practice that includes spiritual direction, Enneagram, Soul Path, dream work, and more. Beginning in late March, 2026, Brian will be leading a year-long Tarot Practitioner Apprenticeship for those looking to really cultivate a deeper working relationship with the Tarot, both for themselves and others. Learn more about this intimate-cohort invitation on his website.