A Ritual of the Five Senses

How I prepare for a tarot reading (when I have time)

(Photo Source: Wikicommons)

To add more weight to my tarot readings, I came up with a ritual of the five senses.

I carry several items in a pouch that I take out before a reading: an incense holder, some gemstones, a ring with a gemstone that contains what look like floating islands, a tiny glass bottle filled with dried lavender flowers, a herbal blend with a pipe, and a brush.

Often, I skip this part for the very reason it exists: not having enough time. But when I do make time for it, and when I’m sitting with someone, I invite them to pick up the objects. To feel the gemstones. To smell the bottle and guess what’s inside. To observe the floating islands in the ring. Tea for taste, if I’m feeling generous. Or a piece of chocolate if I’m craving something sweet.

The brush and the ring with the floating islands — Photo by author

Sometimes I light a candle or some incense. Sometimes I smoke the herbal blend and blow the smoke across the table. I play with the mystique. I create a character in the moment, complete with an accent that’s neither here nor there. We laugh.

The ritual helps shift attention away from our racing thoughts, much like a grounding exercise. It slows things down and redirects focus to the present moment.

The last item is the brush, the pièce de résistance, the thing that turns attention into intention.

I tell the person sitting across from me to hold their hands above the tarot deck. Then I take turns passing the brush over each hand. Its stiff bristles hover somewhere between discomfort and comfort, with a bit of tickling thrown in.

I say something along the lines of, “Now we shed your loose hairs and skin particles onto the tarot deck. Out with the old, in with the new,” which usually makes my guest giggle. If I deliver it with a straight face, they often try to stay serious too.

Sometimes I pluck a strand of hair and burn it in the candle.

All of this is meant to hone in on intention-setting, but really, it is about calming our monkey brains and encouraging us to take the reading seriously without taking it too seriously.

Now we may begin.