The Power of the Querent

My teenage daughter, (who was thrilled to be included in my first blog post and who loves it when we explore the Tarot), taught me a valuable lesson about the power of the querent. The querent is the name often used in Tarot that is given to the person asking a question. After a particularly challenging reading, she asked me what she could do to make the outlook better. Of course, as any parent would, I began to struggle with the already blurred line of objectivity and responded very generally. 

My words went something like: “You have the power to do anything with the cards you see,” expecting my words to prompt her into realizing that she was in control of the outcome of the reading. She instead focused on the immediate and tangible nature of the cards in front of her. Her unexpected response was, “You mean, I could just turn them over?” and, with a sly smile, proceeded to turn over four cards for which she had expressed concern. The symbolism of this one simple action was significant and, I noticed her ‘lighten’ immediately. She seemed less anxious. She asked me to keep the spread out on the floor so she could be reminded of the power that lived within her.  I immediately observed that the major life changes that were occurring for her seemed less cumbersome and, more importantly, she was showing herself as much better equipped to deal with them.

This post was originally written and posted here in December 2008.