Can Tarot Uncover Hidden Blocks & Trauma?
- Kamal Deep Bhogal
- 3 days ago
- 12 min read
In 2008, I had my first child, having been a paw parent beforehand. At that time, my husband had just stopped sailing as a Captain on oil and chemical tankers and was working in Singapore. I was living close to my mother's place and had 2 dogs, about 10 fish in a sea aquarium and a myna bird that was gifted to me! My mother insisted that I have a live-in helper so there would be another person in the home. Her part-time helper had a 19-year-old cousin who was unmarried and just in from the village in the district of Jharkhand, India. With no way to avoid having a household helper, I brought home this 19-year-old. The first night, when I went into her room to wish her goodnight and ask if she needed anything, she wasn't there. When I called out to her, she answered from under the bed!! As I sat down and peered under the well-made bed, which was covered with a bedspread that reached the floor, I asked her why she was under it. I thought it was hot too, since it was in Gurugram, NCR Delhi. Over a period of months, she explained to me that her home was in Naxal-occupied territory, which was more like living in an area of civil war. She said that she had spent many nights sleeping in hidden ditches or tied up in a tree, sometimes there for stretches of 24 hours.
Even after shifting to an elite township next to India's capital city, she did not feel safe. It was almost 7 months before she began sleeping in her bed. Whilst she was great with the dogs, and also a fantastic gardener, since she asked for a kitchen garden, it was only when she began sleeping in her bed that I let her play with my daughter. For the first 4 months, she was with me, she didn't even know if I was mommy to a girl or a boy! She was brilliant and blossomed once she processed the trauma. She had a dream to learn English, and she did. If you were to stand outside the room when she played with my daughter and heard the two of them play, you would hear Phulo, who had a perfect American accent, singing the Barney songs.
Our journey towards wholeness was building a friendship, and then I'd get her to pull out cards, since it helped her see the pictures and articulate how she felt, and for me, it was about working on my passion for seeing how deeply the cards resonate across cultures and social strata.
What is trauma? How does trauma function? Can Tarot uncover hidden blocks and trauma?
In the simplest of explanations, trauma is the emotional and physical response to a deeply distressing or life-threatening event that overwhelms one's ability to cope, leaving one feeling helpless. It shatters your sense of safety, causing lasting harm to mental, physical, and emotional well-being.
You can do a great deal of inner work and still feel as though you're going around in circles, hitting walls. It can be frustrating at times, since one is working on oneself and has seen that it can positively affect their lives, through changes in relationships, professional relationships, and a mindset shift. Yet sometimes we feel we are pulled right back in. If you have been asking, "Can Tarot uncover hidden blocks and trauma?" the answer is a loud, resounding yes, and there is nothing woo about it. To understand why this happens, it's a good idea to get into the psychology of trauma.
What are the key types of trauma?
Acute Trauma: When we think of trauma, this is the first one that comes to mind. Acute trauma could be a serious car accident, natural disaster, or sudden loss. Trauma of this category results from a single, isolated, and highly distressing event. In 2004, my aunt lived on the beach in Phuket, and she was a survivor of the Tsunami that devastated many nations. To date, she has a small attic kitchen in Bangkok, where she stores all necessities, in case there is a flood, and regularly rotates the kitchen goods so that her attic emergency shelter for flood, in a 3-story home, has batteries, unexpired goods, fresh water, first-aid supply and so on.
Chronic Trauma: Perhaps the trauma that stems from ongoing domestic violence, abuse, or systemic oppression, the kind of trauma from repeated, prolonged exposure to distressing events. The person is exposed to the same traumatic threat over and over again. The trauma would be surviving under the continuous threat of bombings, gunfire, and military conflict for months or years, as did my live-in helper. Other traumas in his category would be enduring persistent physical or psychological torment from peers at school or coworkers in a toxic workplace, or living with an unstable partner or family member whose unpredictable addiction cycles create a permanent environment of fear. When I was flying, I had a colleague who was gorgeous, and flying in that era was quick money, so she was financially independent, yet she had chosen to stay in a marriage with a man who physically abused her, as she had normalised the trauma. Sometimes, however, chronic trauma isn't about the environment; it could be caused by managing a debilitating, painful medical condition with unpredictable, traumatic medical emergencies.
Complex Trauma: Complex trauma is defined by different types of trauma co-occurring, usually inflicted by an authority figure or caregiver whom the victim relies on for safety. It features layers of trauma and a severe violation of human trust. This could be a child who simultaneously experiences physical beatings, emotional degradation, and/or severe physical neglect by their primary parent. It could be a minor trapped inside an abusive state-run orphanage or boarding facility, enduring systemic exploitation, solitary confinement, and a total lack of emotional support. It could also be narcissistic parents or, for that matter, sexual trafficking and abuse, and being held in captivity against one's will. I have had clients who have endured sexual abuse, and this would come under complex trauma.
How do we experience trauma?
Trauma impacts everyone differently. It is not defined by the event itself, but rather by your brain and body's internal response. Common emotional signs include intense fear, anger, guilt, mood swings, or emotional numbness. There can be cognitive repercussions such as flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, memory gaps, or difficulty concentrating. Of course, the way that we very often experience trauma is somatic, manifesting as chronic fatigue, insomnia, headaches, or a racing heart caused by a hyperactive "fight, flight, or freeze" response. Trauma can lead to social isolation, avoiding triggers, or self-sabotaging habits.
How does the brain process trauma?
When a person is threatened, the brain's survival mechanism shuts down the speech centres to redirect energy toward immediate physical survival. This disruption fundamentally changes how trauma is translated into words, both during the event and long afterwards. Language is the first thing to go; we recall trauma through sights, sounds, smells, flashbacks, and that makes it hard for us to pin it down and articulate it.
Here is exactly how this process unfolds inside the brain's language networks. Broca's area is the speech centre located in the brain's left hemisphere, responsible for translating thoughts into spoken words. Brain scans of individuals experiencing a trauma trigger show that Broca's area completely goes dark. The brain physically loses the capacity to produce speech, which explains why people often freeze and cannot scream or speak when terrified. Trauma causes left and right-brain disconnection. The left brain is all about logic & language, and it organises experiences into chronological order, facts, and sentences. The right brain processes emotion & sensation and is tasked with storing the raw, visual, and emotional imprint of the event. Trauma splits the brain as during a threat, the left brain goes offline, while the right brain floods with activity. The experience is recorded as a collage of raw physical sensations and images without a linguistic narrative to tie them together. Because the language centres were offline during the event, memory was stored implicitly (as feelings and bodily states) rather than explicitly (as a verbal story), which creates a storage deficit showing up as "I don't know.. I can't remember". When a survivor tries to recall the trauma later, they often cannot find the words to describe it. Instead, they re-experience the event through physical sensations, smells, or visual flashbacks because the brain never translated the experience into language.
Can Tarot reveal trauma or our hidden blocks in a meaningful way?
Tarot does not diagnose your life. What it can do is bring language, imagery and spiritual clarity to patterns that have been operating quietly beneath the surface. Tarot heals by serving as a visual and symbolic bridge between the unconscious mind and conscious awareness. Because trauma and deep emotional distress are often stored as wordless sensations and images, Tarot bypasses the logical language centres of the brain to access these buried experiences.
How does the Tarot uncover trauma that forms our hidden blocks?
The Tarot helps uncover emotional, energetic, self-sabotaging, and self-limiting blocks that are caused in the aftermath of trauma. A reading may show unresolved heartbreak, fear of abandonment, guilt, resentment or suppressed anger, which were protective responses that kept the individual safe. That safety mechanism caused by trauma is now limiting one's ability to receive love, rest, success, or peace.
For example, someone asking about a new relationship may repeatedly draw cards connected with guardedness, hypervigilance or grief. The issue does not lie with the object of one's affection at all. The deeper block may be an old wound that still expects disappointment.
Some blocks live in the habits of the mind. Perfectionism, procrastination, self-sabotage, and indecision have, in the era of modern science, been seen to have deeper roots than laziness or lack of discipline. Tarot can reveal the fear underneath the behaviour.
A person delaying their next step in business may believe they are being sensible. Yet the cards may show fear of judgment, fear of being seen, or an old memory linked to criticism and rejection. Once that becomes visible, practical action feels more possible because it is no longer fighting an invisible current.
How Tarot reveals what the conscious mind avoids
When the left brain shuts down and words disappear, Tarot provides a symbolic vocabulary. The Tarot is a master at externalising inner chaos. Seeing an internal, overwhelming emotion reflected on an external card creates psychological distance. This distance allows you to observe your pain objectively without being immediately flooded by it. It redirects the mindset from "I am completely broken" to "I am experiencing a difficult situation depicted in this image."
The Tarot is a symbolic language, and when spoken language fails to describe deep pain, Tarot draws on archetypal imagery, colours, and metaphors. The brain naturally processes symbols and stories much faster than abstract concepts. A card like the Three of Swords (heartbreak) or The Tower (sudden upheaval) immediately gives a visual form to complex feelings that you might not have the words to voice.
Perhaps the greatest gift of the Tarot is that it provides a framework for narrative reconstruction. Healing from trauma requires organising fragmented memories into a coherent story. Laying cards out in a sequence (past, present, future) helps the brain reconstruct a timeline. It reminds the subconscious mind that the painful event is in the past, places the current struggle in context, and visually represents a path forward.
I love the Tarot since it holds a mirror to our feelings, creating space to reclaim a sense of agency. Trauma often leaves individuals feeling powerless. Tarot is a tool for self-reflection that relies on your personal interpretation. By looking at the choices, strengths, or perspectives highlighted in a reading, you pivot from a passive victim of circumstances to an active interpreter of your own life story, safely restoring a sense of personal control.
A few Life Examples of how the Tarot can show trauma
Here are three examples of how specific cards give you the language to express what your brain cannot voice:
1. The Tarot gives words and articulates feelings- The Tower uncovers trauma, and people remember how they felt when they drew the card. When a major trauma or sudden shock happens, the amygdala fires uncontrollably, and Broca's area goes dark. The seeker is left with a feeling of overwhelming terror, but no words to explain the internal collapse. Seeing The Tower (depicting a structure struck by lightning, figures falling, and sudden destruction) gives the brain an immediate visual metaphor. Instead of struggling to find abstract words for panic, one can look at the card and say: "This is what my mind feels like right now. Everything I built has fallen apart." By using the card's imagery, one begins to safely externalise the trauma, shifting the energy from internal chaos to an objective story.
2. The Tarot gives form to pain that is so overwhelming that no words fit, and a good example would be the Three of Swords. Drawing the card for a client makes me feel like being punched in the chest, a pain that goes beyond the physical. Heartbreak, betrayal, or deep emotional trauma often leaves a heavy, suffocating sensation in the chest. Because the brain stores this implicitly as a physical state rather than a verbal narrative, one might find oneself weeping or frozen, unable to answer the question, "What's wrong?" The imagery of the Three of Swords—a heart pierced by three blades under a dark, raining sky—instantly captures the exact physical and emotional weight of grief. The card acts as a linguistic bridge. By pointing to it, one can express, "My chest feels like this heart. I am pierced by grief." It honours the pain without requiring a complex, logical explanation, allowing the emotional cleansing to begin.
3. Perhaps, I love the Tarot best as a device for reclaiming agency: The Magician would be one such herald! Trauma makes people feel completely powerless, as if they are trapped in the "freeze" response. The prefrontal cortex is suppressed, leaving one feeling disconnected from their strengths and unable to make decisions. The Magician stands with all the tools of the elements (cups, swords, pentacles, wands) laid out on the table, pointing one hand to the sky and the other to the ground, symbolising the manifestation of personal power and resourcefulness. Pulling this card helps the brain reconnect with the concept of agency. It provides the visual affirmation: "I have the tools inside me to navigate this. I am not helpless." It coaxes the rational prefrontal cortex back online by asking the seeker to look at their options and choose their next step.
By utilising these archetypes, a practice like therapeutic Tarot helps weave fragmented, wordless trauma back into a coherent life story.
What Tarot can do - and what it cannot
Tarot is powerful, but it is not a magic shortcut. It can reveal a hidden block, but one still needs to work on it. Insight is a tool that allows you to see what needs to shift, but healing still requires willingness, honesty, and often support.
It also depends on timing. That difference between immediate clarity and skirting the edge of a deeper issue occurs because that is all you are ready to hold at once. A skilled reader respects that. There is no need to force revelation before your nervous system feels safe enough to process it. One needs to listen and take their time to process what has been said. It is a human response to resist what makes us unhappy, even if it is true. Tarot shines a light on a possible path.
Tarot should not replace therapeutic or medical support when needed. Spiritual insight and practical care often work beautifully together. For many people, the strongest transformation happens when emotional, energetic and spiritual healing are allowed to support one another. I keep an extended list of vetted counsellors, lawyers, and therapists to ensure you have access to real-world support when you need it. Please note: I do not make any money from these referrals. No kickbacks, no affiliate fees. My only goal is to connect you with the right care.
I also turn down certain clients when I feel that they are using spirituality to escape difficult situations. I have found profound personal joy, and see it as a measure of extreme satisfaction when I've had clients take steps to leave toxic relationships, after understanding their blocks and readings.
Can Tarot reveal hidden blocks around love, work and purpose?
Yes - and these are often the areas where hidden blocks speak the loudest.
In love, tarot may reveal attachment wounds, fear of intimacy, repeating dynamics with unavailable partners, or a tendency to abandon yourself to keep the connection. The cards can show not only what is happening with another person, but what your soul is learning through that connection.
In work and business, hidden blocks often centre on worth, visibility, receiving, leadership and fear of expansion. You may have the skills and the desire, yet still hesitate, even though it is time to be seen. Tarot can expose the inner resistance that strategy alone cannot solve.
Around purpose, the cards often reveal tension between the persona you adopt and who you truly are. Sometimes the block lacks direction. It is the fear of what your life may ask of you once your path becomes clearer.
How to approach a reading if you feel blocked
Sometimes, the most useful questions are not, "When will this change?" but "What is keeping this pattern in place?" reframing passive waiting into conscious participation. It also allows the reading to become a space of reflection and renewal rather than a rescue search or an abdication of agency.
At Urban Soul Tarot, trauma is where tarot can become part of a wider healing journey rather than a one-off moment of insight. Combining the tarot with astrology, Huber psychology, and the akashic records, a reading aims to leave you feeling more connected to yourself and less afraid of your life. Especially when difficult truths arise, they can be held with compassion. Our blocks, trauma, and shadows lose some of their power the moment they are brought into the light with care. If something in your life keeps repeating, delaying or draining you, it is worth uncovering the cause and moving beyond it. We only realise we are in a repetitive pattern when we are ready to break free.
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