Tarot and Ikigai: Using Tarot to Find the Intersection of Your Life's Meaning

The Perfect Union of Ikigai and Tarot

Ikigai (生き甲斐) is a Japanese philosophy of life — your 'reason for being' — found at the intersection of four circles: What you love, What you are good at, What the world needs, and What you can be paid for.

Tarot's role in exploring your Ikigai is to help you honestly examine each circle — especially the areas where you haven't fully recognized yourself yet, such as 'What do you truly love?' (not what you think you should love) and 'What are you truly good at?' (not what you modestly deny).

The Ikigai Tarot Spread (8 Cards)

**Circle One: What You Love (2 Cards)**: Card 1: What is the core energy of what you truly love?; Card 2: Have you been suppressing certain passions, and why?

**Circle Two: What You Are Good At (2 Cards)**: Card 3: What are your natural talents and strengths? (Things you might think 'What's the big deal?' about, but others find remarkably difficult); Card 4: What abilities have you not yet fully developed?

**Circle Three: What the World Needs (2 Cards)**: Card 5: How does your existence serve the greater good?; Card 6: Who can you help the most, and what problems can you solve for them?

**Circle Four: What You Can Be Paid For (1 Card)** + **Center Intersection (1 Card)**: Card 7: How can your talents create value in the real world?; Card 8 (Center): Your Ikigai — the core direction of your life's purpose. **Reading Tips**: Card 8 (the center card) may not give you a specific 'career' answer. It's more likely to reveal an energetic theme (such as 'Healing,' 'Teaching,' 'Creating,' or 'Building Order'). From this theme, you can explore various ways of living and working that embody it.