Beyond the Shuffle: Tarot, Life & Everything In Between

Discernment

• Adrienne Amari • Season 1 • Episode 32

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Have you ever gotten a tarot reading that just threw you, saw a reading online and thought that doesn't sit right, or pulled a card for yourself and let your mind spiral into anxiety?

The Fool's Journey is one of the most popular way to explain the Major Arcana. So, let's go through the journey, shall we?


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Have you ever gotten a tarot reading that just completely threw you? You saw a reading online and something just didn't sit right? Or maybe you looked at a card and your mind started to spiral into anxiety. Hi there, and welcome to Beyond the Shuffle, a podcast where we explore this wild ride of the human experience through the lens of tarot. I'm Adrian Amari, your host, guide, and advocate for critical thinking and discernment. So settle in, open your mind, and let's go beyond the shuffle. On today's episode of Beyond the Shuffle, I want to talk about a topic that I think is really important in the spiritual world. And honestly, just in society as a whole. And that topic is discernment. We live in a world where it is so easy to share opinions and ideas and information, and that can be a wonderful thing. But it also means that we have to be careful about what information we're absorbing and what beliefs we are agreeing with or buying into. And I think that discernment can honestly be the ultimate energetic filter if we allow it to be. So, really, what is discernment? I see discernment as something a little bit different from just having good judgment. Discernment is the ability to look at a situation or a tarot card or maybe listening to a tarot reader and separate what is actually true and honest for you. There is definitely a lot of noise going on out there and sometimes in our own minds as well. So discernment really allows you to tell the difference between what is a genuine intuitive gut feeling, what's honest for you, and your ego or your anxiety getting a hold. It helps you look at a situation, look at a reading, for example, and separate what you desperately hope will happen, like the wishful thinking that we all fall into from time to time from what's actually happening right here, right now in front of you. And I do feel like discernment often goes hand in hand with critical thinking, with trusting your intuition, with asking more questions and being curious. I think we have to remember that we all view the world through our own lenses, our own biases, our own perspectives, our own upbringing and culture and religion and beliefs. And as such, no two people are going to view the world in the exact same way, which is really cool and really exciting. But in that same vein, we then have to be careful and discerning about what we think is the truth and what we believe at our core is the truth of the matter. So what I love about tarot is that it can help us be more discerning. It can tell us when we need to be more discerning. But a lot of the time we do have to get out of our own way to really tap into that part of it. So let's talk about a few cards. The reason I even decided to go into this topic is because I did a collective reading the other day where I pulled two cards. We got the King of Swords and the Knight of Cups. And the question was, what does the collective need more of in our lives? And the King of Swords, to me, just hit it right on the head because the King of Swords is the king of critical thinking, of logic, of reason, of discernment. And I would say both the king and queen of swords are prime examples of this. They are both logical and reasonable. They can cut through the noise to find the clarity, and they don't have time for that BS. They have boundaries and morals and they know what they believe. Now, the king of swords to me is a natural leader, so he is the one who will be discerning in front of a crowd. He will ask the difficult questions, whether it's to himself or of others. He will speak clearly and bluntly and honestly. And most importantly, he will advocate when he sees fit. He will speak up. The Queen of Swords is the same. She doesn't have time for the drama. I don't want to say she doesn't care if she hurts somebody's feelings, but she is not so persuaded by the feelings of others that she is going to just accept what they're saying or what they're doing without doing the internal work of thinking through it. So when the king or queen of swords shows up in a reading, that's your reminder to be discerning about the situation, to be realistic about it as well. Then of course, we have justice and judgment, that unfiltered reality where the universe doesn't really care about how you feel about it, because justice is about not making excuses, it's about taking accountability. It doesn't matter what we wish were true. What really matters is the honesty, the integrity, and the objective weighing of the facts. Now, judgment is interesting because it does bring in a little bit more of that spiritual side. It's more about that reflection and about discerning what past versions of ourselves we need to let go of, of what lessons we're repeating, what patterns that need breaking. So it's much less about the discernment out when you're interacting with other people in the real world and more about that inner discernment. Where is our ego getting in the way? Because when judgment comes up, there is a higher calling, a higher purpose, a higher version of ourselves to step into. And how can we ever see that if we're not willing to be discerning about who we are, where we are, and how we got here? Another one I really like that I don't know if people would often put into this category would be the lovers. Because the lovers really asks us what is our personal integrity? What choices are we making and how do they align with that? How do we discern what is actually right for us? And it's not based on what society dictates or what our family dictates, it's what we know in our bones. It's not an easy lesson, is it? But it's important. We have the eight of swords, which tells us that we need the discernment to get out of the trap that we found ourselves in. And it doesn't matter if we put ourselves there or if other people have helped. The way out is to see the story for what it is. And we have the seven of swords as well. The swords are very filled with discernment because I think it makes sense for what they are. But the seven of swords is that sneaky sneak card. Maybe there are some hidden motives at play. Things aren't 100% clear. And I don't love going in to say, oh my goodness, look, somebody's out to get you. But it can totally indicate that there is something going under the surface that we don't have clear sight of. So the Seven of Swords is a little bit like an alarm bell. It's your energetic radar snapping awake when maybe a situation, a person, even a tarot reader feels out of alignment or not totally honest. And I don't think people always do this with malice. I think sometimes people aren't totally aware of the stories they're buying into or the messages that they're delivering. I think a lot of the time they are being delivered with good intention, but lacking, again, discernment and awareness. And I think we all do it. We all buy into things, we all repeat things that we think sound good, that we want to be true, even though deep down we kind of know they're not. And that's where the hermit and the high priestess come in so beautifully because our intuition is a tool of discernment. The hard thing with the intuition is that it's not always logical, reasonable, or easy to understand. So it's easy to disregard and push to the side. It's easy to think our way out of the way we're feeling. And the hard part with that intuitive discernment is that it doesn't scream at you. Not most of the time, at least, until you ignore it for a long time. But especially in the beginning, it whispers. The high priestess is the reminder that we might not always have all the answers. There is mystery in the world around us, so we have to navigate with our intuition, with our discernment in a way that still feels right. And fortunately or unfortunately, that comes with paying attention to the world around you and with that self-trust. With the hermit, they know that they have to close off the outside world to let the light of truth reveal itself. And sometimes to be discerning, that's exactly what we have to do. We have to stop listening to the noise around us and go within. I think the moon and also the seven of cups are good lessons in this as well, because both of them talk of illusions and fantasy versus the reality of a situation. With the Seven of Cups, we feel so overwhelmed by choices that it's hard to know what the best path forward is. And we have to figure out what's sustainable versus what is just a fleeting fantasy. And with the moon, it's our perspective playing tricks on our mind, shadows dance and jump in the moonlight that in the daytime don't seem so scary. And how do we guide ourselves with discernment through that? Well, in the moon, we have to trust our intuition. We have to slow down, we have to pay attention, and we have to be okay going through the fog. I think being discerning can be really hard when you don't fully know yourself or when you don't fully trust yourself. And that's not a criticism. I just think it's the nature of the beast. And part of learning discernment is learning exactly who we are. And of course, that is always going to shift and change as we grow, like it should. But I think that filter of discernment is something that we definitely continuously need. So, how do we use discernment in our tarot readings? And this could be if you're sitting down for a reading with somebody else, or if you're pulling cards for yourself. The golden rule is basically a tarot reading should empower you. It shouldn't terrify or disempower you. If a reader tells you something that feels completely wrong or manipulative or disempowering, use your discernment to figure out what that is and don't be afraid to reject it. You are always in the driver's seat of your own life. Maybe you can't control the situations happening around you, but you do get to control the choices you make and the ways that you react. And again, I don't think many readers go into a reading with the intention of being dispowering. But with the way a lot of people view cards, and I'm seeing this more and more in Facebook communities, it's very black and white. And I think we all know life isn't like that. It shades of gray. And even in the difficult cards, there's a reason why they're coming up. There's a reason why we got here. And it's not to disempower you or scare you or take anything away. It's to help you learn and live and grow. And we can't do that in a vacuum either. It's okay if you don't resonate with a full tarot reading. There might be phrases or words that are said that you're like, that doesn't really fit for me. And there's nothing wrong with that. And there's nothing wrong with saying or admitting that as well. A good tarot reader will talk it through with you, not to prove that they're right, but to see where the gap is. Tarot readers are human. They are not infallible. We make mistakes, and sometimes our own lives get in the way. It can be a difficult thing when you're going through something rough to separate your situation from what clients are bringing you. It's a skill that takes practice and that takes time. And when something comes up that we don't love, whether it's from a reader or from a poll that we did for ourselves, we need to ask: Am I interpreting this card based on my deepest hope, my deepest fear, or what's actually right in front of me? It's okay to sit with it. It's okay to not know how you feel about a reading or a card pulled right away. There's nothing wrong with that. And that's where discernment kicks in. It's giving yourself the time to think it through, to mull it over, and to see where you stand. And the million-dollar question becomes how do I know if I'm being discerning? So here are a few things to keep in mind. First and foremost, discernment means the energy is emotionally neutral. It's objective, it's just like looking at data or a scale. If it's anxiety or fear-ridden, it feels frantic, heavy, racing, and maybe panic-inducing. When your mind is spiraling into what ifs, we're not being very discerning. If it's wishful thinking, it feels a little bit desperate. Maybe it's overly exciting or like a hyperfixation. You're clinging to a specific outcome, which again, we don't know where things will always lead. So discernment means we're not clinging to that outcome either. Discernment feels quiet, kind of like an unshakable fact, and it might be uncomfortable, but a lot of the time your internal response is calm, even if you don't love it. Another thing to remember is that discernment looks at the here and the now. It's not worried about the outcomes or obsessing over fantasy scenarios. It's the present moment. It requires humility. If you're not opening to gathering new information and testing different theories, then you're probably not being very discerning about the situation. And I mean that nicely. Because if you're reacting with defensiveness, anger, or a desperate need to be right, that's ego. And like I said before, there needs to be a willingness or an okayness, I guess, with taking a step back and thinking to yourself, okay, I'm gonna sit with this. And I think my favorite part is that discernment empowers you, it doesn't paralyze you. It allows you or helps you to see things clearly so that you can navigate in the best way possible. And I think it's important to realize that discernment isn't about being cynical or closed off, it's really about being grounded. It's a little bit of a shield that keeps your spiritual practices safe, healthy, and helpful. There is a lot of noise out there and there are a lot of stories and great information and misinformation. So navigate accordingly. If getting out of your head and giving yourself more discerning, empowering readings is something that is on your 2026 to-do list, make sure you check out my free workshop, Reading Tarot for Yourself, available at thetarolab.com. And if it's some grounded, practical, empowering advice from the cards that you're looking for, you can book with me at adrianamari.com. But as you move forward throughout the week, I'd like you to think about which side of discernment do you need to tap into this week? Do we need the logical, rational side, the side that asks questions and is curious, or the one that's more gentle and intuitive? No matter which way you go, remember that you don't have to take or accept everything that is given to you. Feel free to come share your thoughts at Instagram.comslash beyond the shuffle podcast. And I'll see you next week right here on Beyond the Shuffle.