By Karen Hollis

Tapping the rich symbolism of the dream world is one of the royal roads to personal insight, healing and creativity. Combining the Tarot with dream interpretation is a powerful tool for understanding the meaning of dreams and how dream symbolism relates to waking-life.

Dream Interpretation with the Tarot, developed and taught to me by esteemed Tarot scholar and author, Rachel Pollack, may be done with any Tarot deck that you (or your client) feel in-synch with. It is important that you are familiar with the meaning of the cards, regardless of the deck chosen. When used for dream interpretation (rather than divination), The Tarot cards are used like prompts for triggering connections that help you understand what you experienced in the dream state. Dream interpretation with the Tarot can provide great insight about action you might take (or not take) to fulfill your highest good.

5 Steps for Dream Interpretation with The Tarot

1. Write down the dream exactly as you remember it. Divide your dream into segments that make sense to you. You might call each segment a ‘scene.’ Be brief and simple. One or two sentences are all you need.
2. Shuffle the Tarot deck that you prefer to use to inquire about the dream.
3. Pull cards for each segment of the dream as shown in the vignette.
4. Read the sentence aloud, and interpret the Tarot card as it relates to the sentence you wrote for each scene or segment.
5. Piece together the meanings of the cards to form a story of what your dream may have meant.

 Tarot Dream Interpretation Vignette

Over the past few months, Anna has been experiencing a recurrent weekly dream. She is walking in a woodsy glen where she meets a tree fairy, or dryad. The dryad has rough, brownish skin, green leafy hair and glowing yellow eyes. Hints of copper shimmer within the dryad’s gossamer wings. She never speaks. When Anna looks at her, the dryad holds a black notebook up to her. She indicates that she wants Anna to take the book. Anna refuses and runs from the dryad. Being faster, the dryad always gets ahead of her. The dryad persists in attempting to get Anna to take the notebook. Just as she reaches out to take the notebook from the dryad, Anna wakes up—sweaty and heart racing.

Anna’s Dream Segments & Tarot Interpretation

Scene 1.  Anna is walking in a garden.

Card Drawn: Seven of Rods

Interpretation-   You are on guard and afraid that someone or something will challenge you.

Scene 2.  The dryad follows Anna and tries to get her to take the black notebook.

Card Drawn:  Three of Cups

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