Tarot and Existentialism: You Always Have a Choice

Has there ever been a moment when you felt "trapped" by life?

Torn over whether to quit your job, hesitating about ending a draining relationship, anxious that your choices might be wrong — even wondering, "Do I really have no other option?"

In truth, the heart of a tarot consultation has never been about "predicting the future." It's about reclaiming, in the midst of confusion, the quiet confidence that you are the author of your own life. This is tarot's deepest meaning, and something I've come to understand more and more clearly: no matter how difficult your circumstances, you always have the freedom to choose — and that freedom is the very ground beneath your feet.

Today, drawing on tarot and insights from my consultation practice, I want to explore three topics that touch us all: free will, responsibility, and the anxiety none of us can escape.

I. First, Let's Be Clear: Tarot Doesn't "Tell Your Fortune" — It Helps You See Your Choices

Many people hold a misconception about tarot — that drawing a card "seals your fate." Draw a difficult card, and they think, "It's over."

But tarot has never been a judge of destiny. It is your mirror. It doesn't tell you what you "must" do. It simply helps you see: your current mindset, your hidden fears, the possibilities you've overlooked, and the choices you've locked away from yourself.

That's why I often say: the cards can shift, which is precisely why guidance exists.

I've always felt that this mirrors the logic of life itself: we are not born with a preset "destiny." We first simply live, and then through our choices, we shape ourselves into who we want to become. As the famous line goes, "We are condemned to be free." You can choose to stay where you are, or you can choose to break through. You can choose to avoid anxiety, or you can choose to face it. There is no right or wrong — only whether you are willing.

II. The Other Side of Freedom: After Choosing, Learn to Carry the Weight

Many people fear choice not because they lack options, but because they fear "choosing wrong" — fear bearing the consequences of their decisions.

I encounter this often in consultations. It's what people call "the burden of freedom" — the freedom to choose inevitably carries the weight of consequence. No one can make decisions for you, and no one can bear the outcomes in your place. Even those closest to you cannot carry this for you. In the end, it rests on your shoulders.

There is a card in the tarot that captures this feeling perfectly — Justice. It's not about "karma" in a rigid sense. Rather, it gently reminds us: every choice carries its own cause and effect. Every decision you make today quietly shapes the life you will live tomorrow.

I've always believed that true freedom isn't "doing whatever you want." It's "I chose, and I own it." Tarot won't help you avoid risk — it only helps you see risk clearly. And we don't need to force ourselves to carry everything at once. Take it slowly. The moment you dare to own the consequences of your choices is the moment you truly become free.

If right now you're paralyzed by the fear of consequences, please don't panic. Together, we can untangle the risks and rewards behind your options and slowly find the courage to choose — and to carry what follows.

III. Making Peace with Anxiety: Tarot Tells You Anxiety Is Not the Enemy

When we talk about choice and responsibility, we cannot avoid anxiety. Nearly everyone who comes to me for a reading carries some degree of it: fear of choosing wrong, fear of an uncertain future, fear of not being good enough.

Through my practice, I've come to see that anxiety is actually a human instinct. Because we have the freedom to choose and the responsibility to bear, anxiety is inevitable. It is not a flaw, nor proof that you're "not strong enough." On the contrary, it is a sign that you are living earnestly and taking your life seriously.

In the tarot, two cards can help us understand anxiety and make peace with it:

The first is the Two of Swords: The figure on the card is blindfolded, holding two swords aloft. It looks like "defense," but it's really "avoidance" — avoiding choice, avoiding reality, avoiding one's own heart. This mirrors our anxious state perfectly: we know a decision must be made, yet we deliberately look away. The more we avoid, the more anxious we become.

The second is The Hanged Man: The figure hangs upside down from a tree. It appears painful, but in truth, he is "seeing the world from a different angle." This card tells us: when anxiety strikes, don't force yourself to "feel better immediately" or "decide right now." Pause. Shift your perspective. Accept your anxiety. In that acceptance, you may finally see what you truly want.

I once had a client who, overwhelmed by work pressure, was so anxious she couldn't sleep. She drew The Hanged Man.

I told her: "Your anxiety isn't because you're not trying hard enough — it's because you're pushing yourself too hard. Instead of white-knuckling through all the pressure, try 'pausing' for a moment. Look at what you truly want — is it a promotion and a raise, or a simple, peaceful life? Is it worth continuing to drain yourself, or is it time to cut your losses?"

She ended up taking a week off to reflect, and ultimately chose a lateral move to a less demanding role. The pay was slightly lower, but her anxiety lifted dramatically, and her whole being seemed lighter.

In truth, anxiety itself isn't frightening. What's frightening is our constant urge to "eliminate" it. Anxiety is a reminder, not a warning. It's simply telling you: it's time to pause, listen to your heart, and take another look at the choices before you.

A Final Thought: You Always Have a Choice

Life, in the end, is an ongoing process of choosing — choosing a career, choosing a relationship, choosing a way of living, even choosing how to face anxiety and how to carry responsibility.

Tarot is no magic wand. It cannot spare you every detour. But I want you to know:

You have never been "without options" — you simply can't see them clearly yet. You have never been "alone" — you simply need someone to walk beside you while you sort things out.

Life has no "standard answer." Every choice you make is the best answer available to you in this moment.