Using Tarot to take charge of your future

The other day, I thought of a different way to use Tarot cards. Why not, sort through the deck and choose the cards you want to put into a spread. As a method of positive visualization and confirmation. Taking your destiny into your own hands.

Then I discovered Janet Boyer had created a method and accompanying called The Back in Time Tarot Book: Picture the Past, Experience the Cards, Understand the Present that did something like this. From a review:

"Her Back in Time (BIT) Method involves selecting an incident from your past, summarising it into a "snapshot" by identifying the key points you wish to clarify and then selecting cards to represent these key points. Cards are selected either based on their traditional meanings or alternatively, because of your intuitive response to the images themselves."

Then I thought of another method that mixes both randomness and choice. It would go something like this.

Draw X number of cards. X would be a number higher than your chosen spread. For example, if you were doing a 4 card spread, maybe draw 10.

Then, you look at the 10 and decide which cards you want to place in each of the 4 places. The cool thing is this makes it like you were playing a traditional or collectible card game (like Magic). You would be, in effect, planning a strategy for your future. And for the esoterically-inclined, you could even think of it as a spell.

And you could create your own spread. For example, the four cards could be the four directions in Druidry/Paganism. Or the four most important areas in your life. Then, you see the cards that you draw and decide you want to apply to each area. Say one of the cards you draw is "Strength," and one of your areas is your mind or emotions. So you place the Strength card in that spot, positively affirming that you are going to be stronger in that area, and stand up to the slings and arrows that life hits us with. You also may have had a card that represents flexibility and adaption, and instaead place it in that spot to say that you are going to roll with the punches.

With this method, the randomness of the draw opens up different concepts to apply to different areas. Gives you ways to approach things that are different than you traditionally approach them. But, in the end, you still have some control in which approach you apply where. And, since card meanings are so flexible, you have even more control. As in the Back-In-Time method mentioned above, you may simply apply cards not because of their meaning, but because something in the artwork speaks to you.