# The Energies of a Tarot Reading _All things are vibrations, and the Tarot is no exception._ ## Introduction Most tarot readers focus on _meanings_. But if you stop at meanings, you miss the mystery. A true tarot reading isn’t about definitions or keywords—it’s about sensing the _energy_ moving through the spread, the client, and the moment itself. At **Taro Rota**, I read energies—not symbols. Let me explain why this matters. --- ## A Strange Silence Before the Cards Speak There is a peculiar quiet at the beginning of every real reading. Not a silence of sound, but a stillness that descends as the astral atmosphere begins to shift. Whether I shuffle or the client does, something deeper is already at work. This is the point most readers overlook. They hunt for messages, archetypes, keywords. But I listen for vibrations—currents that are sometimes subtle, sometimes overwhelming. Each card is a crystallisation of energy shaped by elemental forces, planetary rhythms, and the emanations of the Tree of Life. The reading, then, is not a script to interpret. It is a _weather report of the soul_. --- ## Tarot as Movement, Not Message When a card appears, it does not say something—it _moves_. It radiates, recoils, hums, or flickers. Its energy shifts depending on context. The Fool might be inspired madness in one reading, and reckless self-destruction in another. Same image, same card—_different current_. Fixed meanings? They’re for beginners. Eventually, they must be cast aside. What remains is sensation—clairvoyant awareness of living energy, not frozen symbolism. --- ## The Energetic Bridge Between Reader and Querent Every reading builds a bridge between the reader and the querent. That bridge is made of energy, not intellect. I listen—not to what the client says, but to what they _emanate_. The cards are mediators between our spheres of awareness. And sometimes, they refuse to speak altogether—a signal of deep protection, resistance, or misalignment. At other times, the spread howls. Desperate, uncontained force pours through the cards. When that happens, I close the reading. To continue would be profane. --- ## Reading the Spread as a Circuit A spread is a circuit, not a collection of meanings. Each card feeds, disrupts, blocks, or harmonises the next. I read not what the cards “mean,” but how the energy _moves_—whether it flows or stagnates, builds or collapses. This is why I often ignore the question the client brings. The spread reveals what is truly at play—not what the client thinks, or even wants, to explore. The energy always tells the truth. --- ## The Thoth Deck as a Living System I work almost exclusively with the **Thoth Tarot**, because it was designed as a magical weapon. These cards are _not illustrations_—they are **sigils**, temples of living force. Each card opens a gate into spiritual reality, ruled by angelic, planetary, and elemental intelligences. This is not metaphor. This is how the Thoth works. To read it is not to interpret, but to listen. --- ## Why Energy Trumps Meaning Meaning is dead. Energy is alive. Take the Two of Swords. Most will say it means “peace.” That may be true—but is it a true peace, or the false calm before collapse? Is it a sacred stillness or an emotional suppression? You can’t know until you feel the energy of the spread—its rhythm, tone, colour, pressure, flow. This is the real reading. The energy is the _truth behind the symbol_. --- ## Final Thoughts from the Reading Table To my students and seekers: Throw away the books. Or rather, read them—but don’t _believe_ them. Let them be your scaffolding, not your cell. Instead: - Breathe. - Listen. - Feel. What does the card _do_ to you? What does the spread _demand_ of you? Tarot is not a language to translate—it is a _force to be moved by_. And if the energy overwhelms you, you’re probably doing it right. This is a version of a post on my [substack](https://tarocurrents.substack.com/) #tarot-reading --- ### Contact me The circle is open — if the work calls to you, or if you simply wish to say hello, you're most welcome. Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: [Message me here](https://wa.me/447918637940) ### Links to Paul on the web - [Substack](https://tarocurrents.substack.com/) - [Patreon](https://www.patreon.com/paulhughesbarlow) - [Youtube](https://www.youtube.com/@PaulHughesBarlow1) - [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/paul.hughesbarlow) - [Bluesky](https://bsky.app/profile/paulhughesbarlow.bsky.social)