Tarot: Art or Science?

My friend Fordrena Griffith recently asked my opinion: Is tarot reading an art or a science? If science why are not all equal? If an art, what distinguishes gifted readers from others?

I think tarot is both an art and a science, in the same way that art or cooking mingles both art and science. And in the same way that all art and all cooking are not equal, tarot readings will also not be equal. So much depends on the reader’s skill, confidence, understanding, and creativity. I’ve had readings where it felt like the reader was simply repeating book definitions for each card in each position without alteration. In a way, they had much of the science, if by science we mean a solid understanding of traditional interpretations. But the readings feel lifeless.

I’ve had readings by people who laid out the cards and either hardly looked at them or picked out one or two symbols and did the reading. Sometimes it is clear that they have no real understanding the deck’s structure or how to incorporate the suits or numbers into the reading. These readings often have a lot of emotional intensity but lack grounding or even an orderly presentation, making them feel ephemeral. I may leave those readings feeling good but have nothing concrete to hold onto.

I think a great tarot reading incorporates both aspects, just as a tarot deck does. The deck has structure which not only makes it easier to understand but elements of the structure can be used to create a framework for the reading, grounding it in the querent’s reality. The images on the deck provide a bridge for our intuition and bring a sense of life, magic, and creativity to the reading.

Over-reliance on either one, science or art, to me creates an imbalanced experience.