DREAMS, TAROT and Synchronicity
Innovative Approach to Dreamwork and Depth Therapy
©2007 Lauren Z. Schneider, MA, MFT
A brief history and evolution of Tarotpy®
My dreams awakened me in my early twenties. I realized that there was a higher consciousness guiding me beyond what chronological life experience had taught me. During the same period, a series of synchronistic events changed the course of my life, like the day a stranger handed me a Tarot deck and said, “You’re supposed to walk with these.”
I was always interested in the language of the unconscious, beginning as a film theorist to training as a hypnotherapist. When I entered a Masters program in psychology and throughout formal training, I applied every psychotherapeutic theory and method – such as hypnotherapy, family systems, dream work, genealogy, and strategic therapy – to experimenting with Tarot Cards. Tarotpy®, a tarot card-based method of depth therapy, evolved over twenty-five years through hundreds of practical experiences with individual clients, couples and groups.
Tarotpy® utilizes the rich symbolic and metaphoric imagery of the Tarot, Dream Cards, Soul Cards, and other illustrated cards to actively engage deeper unconscious processes and resources. We “lay the unconscious on the table,” so to speak, to participate in an interactive dialogue and counsel.
Strephon Kaplan-Williams, one of the founders of ASD, created the Dream Cards for this purpose of “understanding symbolism, dreams and the application of dreams to life”. He observes that the “Dream Card system will help you create strong bonds between dreaming and waking consciousness…You will have a better chance of becoming whole in life because you are constantly integrating inner and outer.”
I have found that this interactive method of Tarotpy® accesses the Dreaming Mind; it allows us to work therapeutically with the “higher consciousness” that is the fabric of dreams; and to bridge the imaginal world with material reality.
The Tarotpy® method: Choosing the deck
During my Master’s Thesis workshop, I brought a number of decks to show that Tarot cards are produced in every different country around the world and that these archetypal images are universal. Simply because there were so many decks displayed, I asked a volunteer to choose the deck she wanted to use for a demonstration “reading.” As synchronicity would have it, she chose a deck that had Greek icons and symbols in the place of the standard archetypes: for example, this deck had the Parthenon instead of a castle that is typical of most decks. This woman’s family came from Greece and the images took on a more profound layer of personal meaning. Thus, through “divine accident,” I discovered that when the client chooses the deck, it leads to greater emotional resonance with the images and greater possibility of synchronicity or connection between the unconscious patterns and the images on the table.
Here’s a case example of what happens when the client selects the deck.
“Moon Card”
M. was referred to me for an alternative short-term treatment, a unique method of intuitive psychotherapy. M. was in her early sixties, her private worries guarded behind a forced smile. She was worried about her sons but would not divulge further. I explained that I used symbolic tools in conjunction with therapy to clarify issues, perspective and solutions. To begin the process, I directed M. to choose a Tarot deck among a wide display of decks. She chose a deck and randomly picked a card, face-down, to represent her central conflict. She turned it over to reveal the “Moon” card.
The Moon card that M. picked from the Karma Tarot deck is on the right (below). I have included the Moon card from what I use as a “control” deck (left), the Rider-Waite deck, to demonstrate the differences.
 
The Rider-Waite deck has illustrations and archetypal images common to most decks. You might notice in the Rider-Waite Moon card that a crawfish crawls up from the depths of the water; a pathway leads between a domesticated dog and a wild wolf that bay at the moon and continues on between two towers. What do you notice in the Moon card on the right? What images stand out? What is the feeling atmosphere of the card? What would you intuit or feel about the client when reflecting upon the card?
As in working with dreams, when an image spontaneously grabs my attention – because it is curious or out of the ordinary – I address it, usually in the form of a question. In the Moon card that M. had randomly chosen, in the place of structures or castles stand two wine bottles. I asked, “Is there a drinking problem in the family?” The shocking accuracy of the image motivated M. to reveal and explore her concerns about the central role of alcohol in her family: her husband had died of alcoholism and both sons were alcoholic.
“If this were my dream”
When working with Tarot cards, I approach the images not with preconceived ideas about the meaning of a particular symbol or archetype. The metaphoric imagery creates a conduit for unconscious material and intuition to flow between client and therapist. If a certain image catches my attention, I offer suggestions and associations to the imagery along the line of Montague Ullman’s or Jeremy Taylor’s approach, “If this were my dream.” I recommend that the reader offer interpretations gently as an invitation to explore further, taking into account that any interpretation may be personal projection. I use many of the same techniques as in dreamwork, including association to symbols, metaphors, and archetypes; amplification; dialoguing with the figures; active imagination; and embodiment of an image.
The Universal Intelligence
As with dreamwork, the core principal of Tarotpy® embodies a profound respect for the inherent wisdom, creativity and wholeness of the psyche. The unconscious is a creative and generative resource for processing experience, problem-solving and evolving the unique wholeness of the Self. It is evident in working with dreams that there is an intelligence operating in the selection of images, metaphor and story. When we work with the dreaming unconscious, we are interconnected with a greater collective unconsciousness. Working with Tarotpy® for over twenty-five years, has offered me empirical evidence that there is an intelligent organizing principal in the random selection of cards. This is what Jung called the “objective psyche” and Einstein called the “universal unconscious.”
“Black Wolf”
G. came into the room with thick body armor and a challenging look. She had a very abusive mother and was highly suspicious of women. I knew that she would not make a connection with me easily. I also knew from our brief phone conversation that she had a strong spiritual belief and that Tarotpy® would be a safer way to make a connection. The cards offered a buffer and a focal point for interaction. I asked G. to select a deck: she chose a Native American design. I then asked G. to take a deep breath, shuffle the deck and randomly choose a card. G. laid all the cards face down, ran her hands in the air above them and pulled out a card. With the card face down, I asked G. to name the “placement,” i.e. , what question or counsel was she seeking in regards to this card. She said, “I am thinking about Black Wolf.” “Who is Black Wolf?” I asked. “He is a Native American Shaman – he was the first person who saw how wounded I am and, also, my strong spirit.” “Well, I am glad you brought him into the room,” I said, knowing that her spiritual mentor was a great resource and ally to her therapy. When she turned the card over, we were both awe-struck, because here was the image of a medicine shield (for both protection and healing) with a black wolf on one side. G. exclaimed, “And I am a Leo,” as she felt strongly identified with the mountain lion on the other side of the shield. With this powerful synchronistic moment, the therapeutic bond and trust began. (See card below.)
Projection vs. Synchronicity
On the one hand, the therapeutic use of Tarot cards functions as a highly effective projective tool or Rorschach for assessment and exploration. This simple method relaxes the vigilant ego and provides a safe and effective medium to discuss issues, often revealing the client’s deeper concerns and truth without engaging resistance.
On the other end of the spectrum, there seems to be an unconscious mastermind at play in the “random” selection of a specific deck and particular imagery; it appears more intentional than random to bring into consciousness information about ourselves, our relationships and environment that is vital to emotional, physical or spiritual growth. We discover in the random selection of cards a “…peculiar interdependence of objective events among themselves as well as with the subjective (psychic) states of the observer or observers.” (C.G. Jung). This principle of meaningful coincidence or synchronicity often produces a powerful emotional charge, spontaneously evoking new perceptions on both emotional and cognitive levels. As in the case of G. with the card of “Black Wolf,” there is no need for interpretation. In the best-selling book, There Are No Accidents, Robert Hopcke observes that synchronicity has a significant impact on our psyche. “…there will be stories of inner transformation and growth, for dreams …are often synchronistic events, as are forms of divination which rely on chance, such as the Tarot, the I Ching, and so on, which make use of synchronicity to help us see more clearly the story we are – or perhaps should be – living out”. The renowned Jungian analyst, Jean Shinoda Bolen also likened synchronicity to dreaming: “Synchronicity, like dreams, invites us to participate in the symbolic level, where we sense there is underlying meaning, where we share a collective unconscious with humanity, where time and space become relative, and where, in the course of our everyday lives, we experience a non-ordinary reality…Synchronicity is like a waking dream in which we experience the point of intersection of the timeless with time, where the impossible union of spheres of existence is actual, and where what is inside of us and what is outside of us in unseparated.”
Exercise: Select a card
I hope that each of you has a deck to use. It will also be helpful to have paper and pen for writing. If you have several decks at home, select the deck that attracts you at this moment. Or it may be a deck that provokes some discomfort or emotional charge. Now, take several deep breaths and allow yourself to relax. Focus on a dream or a question. For example, what message does this dream offer me at this time?
Shuffle the deck until you feel complete and put the deck down. Choose a card randomly from the top or anywhere in the deck.
Alternatively, spread the deck face down, run one hand palm-side about an inch over the cards. You might feel heat or pressure or pulled toward a specific card.
Either way, allow your intuitive energy to guide you.
Even the process of selecting a card can teach us a lot about ourselves. For example, do you find yourself second-guessing your choice, or fear that you will get it wrong? Is this typical of your choices in life? Just be patient with yourself and simply take note of your process.
Now, look at the card. Notice the colors, the atmosphere, and the general emotional feel of the card. Do you have any immediate feelings or reactions? If you do, make note of them. Notice what images catch your attention. Sometimes, it helps to write down details about what you see to help connect with the images and allow them to begin to “communicate.” What associations do you have to the images that catch your attention? Is there a specific character that you notice? You might imagine or write a dialogue with the character about your question, asking for his or her perspective. Is there a title or message you would give to the card? How does this relate to your question?
Please feel welcome to write back about your experience with this exercise, including any problems, questions or insights that you have. Describe the card to the best of your ability so that I might reflect upon the images as well and respond as effectively as possible.
Creating a layout or mapping
Unlike traditional Tarot readings in which there are set formats and definitions, this method is a hands-on interactive process with the client. I call this creating a layout or mapping. I carefully attend to the individual’s verbal and non-verbal cues as the client selects the deck, the number of cards, the form and name of each placement. Together, we create a layout based on mapping the client’s inner process. I usually draw the layout on a piece of paper before the client chooses a deck and use the map as a guideline for laying the cards on the table.
By shuffling the deck, the client induces a mild trance state. This method shifts the client’s attention away from fixed problems and ego defenses to focus on the images and stimulate the imagination. The personal layout acts as a dream, displaying life patterns, relationship dynamics and core beliefs. New perspectives, creative ideas, insights or healing images come into view. Dreams and ancient mystical tools such as the Tarot offer images as “healing medicine.”
“Golden Open Doors”
A colleague I will call B. came to get support and clarity about the plan and direction for her life. B. was in her mid-forties, facing a midlife transition. I started by asking B. to take a few deep breaths, to relax and focus inward. I invited her to ask her unconscious “how many cards she needs to look at.” It seems like an abstract or strange question to ask anyone: “How many cards do you need to see?” Nevertheless, a number always pops into mind. B. said “seven.” I asked her how the cards are laid out. As she described the layout in her mind, I drew a map on a piece of paper: six cards on the bottom and one card above. Next, I asked B. to name each placement. I carefully followed her attention as it moved from one rectangular placement to the next.
When she got to the seventh rectangle, which was placed above the row of six, she said “this represents “I’ve arrived. But, I’m so scared.” As I paid careful attention to her verbal and non-verbal cues such as her emotional tone and energy, I sensed more fear than excitement about this placement. She agreed. I suggested that she let this card represent fear and put an extra card down for her “arrival.” Being a mind/body psychotherapist, B. had highly developed intuition. She added to her layout by saying “on the right side of the six cards, I see a golden color. On the left side, I see pink orange. With the card ‘I’ve arrived’, I see golden open doors.” I wrote everything down on the map. Here is the layout that I drew on a piece of paper.
B. selected the Dream Cards. She shuffled and randomly laid the cards face down for each of the places. We turned the cards over. There was a striking match for many of her descriptions. What first struck me was that the row of six cards were divided symmetrically with similar hourglass shapes around the central images on the left three cards and a triangular shape for all three cards on the right. On the left, there was a golden color, as she had stated – and on the right, the three cards had a similar “pink, orange” hue.
Most striking were the two cards where we had so closely attended to her emotional energy. In the placement of fear, there was an image of a man curled up in a fetal position inside a cave. It was a good illustration of fear. In the place of “I’ve arrived,” golden doors open to a brilliant golden bathed drawing of Stonehenge. The synchronistic match encouraged and empowered B to trust the correctness of her vision and journey.
Patterns and Fields
I marvel at how often clients “randomly” select cards that so closely match their inner reality. What could account for the frequency and accuracy of these meaningful connections? It is as if our inner patterns, images and feelings attract mirror images in the cards. I believe that quantum physics and electromagnetic field theory would offer theoretical foundations for these synchronistic experiences. Dr. Michael Conforti, the invited speaker at last year’s IASD conference, said that “you begin to get the sense from the synchronistic occurrences that your life is being shaped by forces of destiny…There are fields in the outer world that shape phenomenon…What shapes life are these archetypes… Like dream images, these fields are electromagnetic. This is not a subjective experience. There is a confluence between matter and psyche.”
Tarotpy® enhances dream work
Tarotpy® enhances dreamwork and visa versa. I use Tarotpy® with a client to contemplate and bring further insight to a specific night dream; or to stimulate imagination and insight that may be otherwise blocked in some clients – for instance, with those clients who do not remember their dreams. Often, I find that a Tarotpy® session will be followed by reports of more vivid dreaming.
“The Heart of Power”
In an ongoing dream group for therapists, one group member did not have a dream so I offered Tarotpy® to do inner work. I asked L. how many cards she wanted to see and how they were to be laid. She mapped out seven cards like the head, arms and lower torso of a body. In the center, she placed a card which she called, the heart or power center. (I show here only the cards from the upper half of the torso.)
What do you notice about the center card? The card appears to represent a strong masculine or patriarchal character at the center or her life or in the place of the heart. L. said that her dad was in fact a very dominant role model in her life. What was most interesting was L.’s very specific connection to the father image in the card. What else do you notice about the details of this patriarchal figure?
In most decks, the King of Swords is illustrated as a King, usually from the Renaissance period. This King is high tech, holding modern missiles. Below him read the words, Nuclear and Atom. L.’s father was in fact a nuclear scientist who worked on the atom.
L. was having difficulty trusting her emotional core as a woman and therapist. When asked if she would choose to move him from this heart center, she said no.
Following this group session, L. had a series of dreams about her father and she began to have more balance with her own choices.
Interweaving Tarot and Dreams
This last series has been an ongoing process of working back and forth between dreams and Tarotpy® to further deepen the client’s relationship to her dreams and unconscious. In the next example, the client used Tarot to gain further insight into a dream.
“Car Accident”
Sarah shared with the group her dream: “I am standing at the corner of Veteran (near the hospital where I used to work). There is a traffic jam caused by a car accident in the middle of the road. An Asian man’s son was driving the car. The Asian man tells me he has no insurance and the son was drunk. I grow more impatient and irritated and said that I will pay.” Sarah began to reflect upon the images: the Asian man reminded her of the health administrator who headed the department where she once worked and whom she thought to be incompetent. Sarah began to associate the dream images with her poor health and the ineffectiveness of her current treatment. Still, Sarah felt incomplete with the dream work and the group seemed reluctant to further address serious concerns about Sarah’s health. Sarah asked to pull some Tarot cards to comment on the dream. She randomly selected two cards: one to represent “health”, the other “guidance on the dream.”
As usual, the particular deck she chose added to a heightened sense of connection to the dream. Whereas in most decks, the Chariot is illustrated as an ancient cart pulled by horses, this Chariot was clearly a car, as in the dream. The image of an oversized helmeted head detached from the car provided more insight into her “health”—Sarah felt disconnected from her body, and had been in denial about her worsening health. The “Death” card, which Sarah said represented “guidance on the dream,” allowed Sarah to explore more deeply her concerns about serious health problems and mortality. The combination of the dream and Tarotpy® layout motivated Sarah to take charge of her health situation: months later, after a change in physicians and medication, her health improved significantly.
Exercise: Create a layout
Begin by taking a few deep breaths and relaxing. Focus on a dream or question.
Ask yourself how many cards you need to consult: for the sake of this brief exercise, ask yourself if you need to see between two or three cards. Now ask yourself how the cards are laid out, and a constellation will appear in your mind. On a piece of paper, draw spaces to represent the cards. Which card attracts your attention first? What meaning or word or feeling would describe this placement? In the traditional Tarot layout, there would be preassigned meanings for the placements in a spread, as for example, the “problem,” past, present, future, and the outcome. I am inviting you to find your own meaning for a placement that is tailored to best represent an aspect of your life or inquiry. Allow any words, thoughts, or feelings to surface. Do not censor or judge.
Select a deck. In this case, you can choose to select cards from more than one deck. Again, trust your intuitive flow. Lay the cards face down according to the placements on your map. Now, turn the cards over.
Look at the cards one at a time. Notice if you have any feelings or reactions. Notice the details of each of the cards. What associations do you have to the images? What feelings are evoked by each card? How does the card relate to the placement? Begin to notice any relationship between cards. Are there any colors or patterns that you notice? How would the figures interact with each other? What perspective might they offer to your query?
Please write back your experience with this exercise, including any problems, questions or insights that you have.
Creating Tarot cards from Dreams
One can create one’s own Tarot card or collage from the dream. Working back and forth from dreamwork to Tarot is another way to develop a proactive relationship between the conscious and unconscious psyche. Images from dreams become more animated in the conscious realm and this, in turn, pollinates the dream world. One begins to fully witness and participate as an image or theme evolves in the dream world and in the cards. Carl Jung said that it is not viewing one dream that is as important as following the evolution of a theme or image through a dream series.
“As above, so below”
In the dream, Sarah looked up as a young man jumped from a very high ledge into an empty pool. She recreated the image of his dive in a series of cards. Sarah developed relationships with these figures as she carried them into waking life and sat with them in meditative counsel. Her work with the cards deepened her connection to the figures and symbols that appeared in the dreams. Sarah’s comment, “As above, so below,” described how those that peopled her unconscious world became as real and active as those in her waking life.
An example of the evolution and animation of an image from the dream to the waking world and visa versa is the “spiral.” Sarah first had a dream in which a guardian figure told her to silently observe as a fisherman curled a skinned fish into a spiral shape. The shape reappeared in the cards above – Keith’s leap, the man-spiral inside the globe in card 1, and the spiral shell in card 2. The imaginal field seems to know no boundaries: the spiral spontaneously activated in my waking life as well. After tending to several of Sarah’s dreams and homemade Tarot images of spirals, I began to receive gifts with spiral designs – a stone with engraved spiral, a postcard of a spiral painting and a book called “The Mystic Spiral.” I shared these with Sarah.
Conceived out of the same pool
Sarah created a card from several dreams, in which a child, an elder man and a wise old woman reappeared. I noticed that Sarah had added images to the card, such as the vase and water, which were not in the dreams. These images had simply jumped out to her from the magazines. Her card reminded me of some of the Tarot Cards from the Voyager deck. I put the cards side by side for Sarah to view.
Sarah discovered emotional resonance with the themes of love and grief when she viewed her own Dream card next to the Tarot cards.
Dreams and Tarot: a universal language
These archetypal symbols represent a universal language of imagery, which is cross-cultural, perhaps birthed from the same collective and psychic pool from which emerges the dream. In her book, Jung and the Tarot, Sallie Nichols states that “...these old cards were conceived deep in the guts of human experience, at the most profound level of the human psyche…Studying a specific card seems to unlock hidden stores of creative imagination so that sudden insights and ideas can burst forth into consciousness – seemingly from nowhere.”
Exercise: Create a Tarot/Dream Card
Try this additional technique when you have an hour or two of free time: Experiment with creating a Tarot card out of a personal dream. You will need to have on hand a small stack of magazines, scissors, glue and card stock.
Begin by contemplating a dream. Breathe deeply and reflect on the images and feelings of the dream; notice any sensations in your body. Notice the background of the dream and which figures stand in the foreground. Notice if there is a story or theme to the dream. Give the dream a title.
Now, go through the pages of the magazines as quickly as possible. When images catch your attention, tear the page out. Do this quickly, taking about fifteen minutes – we want to engage the unconscious process rather than the rational mind. The images that pop out do not need to make sense or directly resemble images from the dream. Trust the process.
Now take the torn out pages and contemplate the images more closely with each page. You may find that another image on the page, something unforeseen, gets your attention. Cut out the images that attract or evoke an emotional reaction.
With this next step, you take the images one by one and find where on the card they seem to fit. Move them about and intuitively sense what feels right. Do this with each of the images. Some may not fit the card at all. You may save these for another card.
When you have found places for each, glue them down.
Reflect upon the card. Give a title to your card. Notice if the title relates to the title of the dream. Notice what other images may have entered your Tarot card that was invisible in the dream. Do some of these newer images bring deeper insight or another layer to the dream?
For example, I once had a dream in which a lizard walked across my kitchen floor and went to the pantry where it knew to find “seeds and nuts” in a bag. I made a Tarot card of this dream: a lizard showed up and I added some real watermelon seeds to the card. Surprisingly, a baby’s face suckling a breast called to me from the magazine page. It needed a place among the lizard and seeds. The theme of nourishing the infant put me in touch with an unrecognized need. The card brought more insight and raw emotions to the dream.
Let go of any expectations, as I must also do when experimenting with a new method. Simply notice the process and have patience. Images will reveal their messages and gifts for you when we are not demanding but observing with curiosity and wonder.
Enjoy and play. Sally Nichols once wrote that she approaches the Tarot with a combination of frivolity and reverence. I find this to be a good balance.
Again, I encourage you to send me your thoughts and insights or any requests for further guidance in the process. I am not used to working in “psiber space” with images, so I hope these exercises will allow you to find meaningful connections on your own.
Experiencing a greater wholeness
Tarotpy® opens a door beyond our personal, causal or rationalistic orientation to enter the realm of the dream, where time and space are not linear and events are not causal but rather multi-layered and simultaneous. In dreams and Tarotpy®, the veil between the worlds of matter, imagination and spirit seemingly becomes more transparent.
For many clients, the Tarot therapy session is a profound and sacred experience, equivalent to that of a numinous dream. “Numinosity is that experience we have when we feel that we are undeniably, irresistibly, and unforgettably in the presence of the Divine, our experience of something which transcends our human limitations.” (R. Hopcke, There Are No Accidents).
Going beyond the “aha” of insight that is the realm of traditional psychotherapies, Tarotpy® offers an “awe” inspiring experience, actively engaging a dynamic relationship between conscious and unconscious and revealing our deep connection to universal psyche. Often, as with dreams, there is no need for interpretation. The sense of knowing or connection is visceral. As with Big dreams, the emotional power of the experience itself transforms us.
Resources
Jung and the Tarot
Sallie Nichols, 1986
Tarot Celebrations: Honoring the Inner Voice
Geraldine Amaral and Nancy Brady Cunningham, 1997
Tarot Made Easy
Nancy Garen, 1989
Tarot, Plain and Simple
Anthony Lewis (Psychiatrist), 1997
Tarot and Psychology: Spectrums of Possibility
Arthur Rosengarten, 2000
When buying a Tarot or Imagery deck
I work with imagery as if it were a dream, rather than relying on preconditioned knowledge of strict Tarot symbolism. Therefore, I recommend Tarot decks in which every card of the minor as well as major Arcana has illustrations rather than purely abstract symbols. Here are some of the decks I like and recommend. I encourage you to choose a deck that you find attractive and/or emotionally evocative.
Dream Deck
Linda & Roger Garland (created by Strephon Kaplan-Williams), 1991
Karma Tarot Cards
Birgit Boline Erfurt
Motherpeace Deck
Karen Bogel & Vicki Nobel, 1981
Rider-Waite Tarot Deck
Arthur Edward Waite, 1989
Soul Cards
Deborah Koff-Chapin, 1977
Voyager Tarot
James Wanless & Ken Knutson, 1986
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