Tarot is inherently a joint effort. There’s the interaction between the reader and the querent/client. Tarot readings can also be done in group settings where multiple people participate in a serious session, a party or a workshop. It’s even a joint effort when the Tarot reader is reading for themselves because their subconscious and conscious mind are engaged in dialogue. If the Tarot reader is even more spiritually inclined, they can communicate with their spirit guides and ancestors during the tarot reading.
This is why I advocate for using Tarot as a tool for building community.
On a more practical side, I recognize that I have ADHD. I thrived in college because I had three roommates and despite all of us majoring in different fields, we did homework together, studied together, and prepared for life after graduation together by the nature of us being in the same living room. I don’t think I would’ve graduated without the support of body doubling with my roommates, even if that phrase wasn’t in my vernacular just yet.
In case you don’t know, body doubling is when you have someone nearby who provides a sense of comfort and safety while you’re working on something challenging or anxiety-inducing. This could be a physical presence or even just knowing that someone is available for support. The idea is that their presence can help you stay focused and motivated, making it easier to tackle tasks that might otherwise feel overwhelming or uninteresting.
Large aspects of my spiritual life are private (hence why I tend to discuss divination on public forums instead of witchy details) but there’s a practical aspect that I need body doubling for — taking care of the tools. Just how you may drag your feet when it’s time to sweep the floor or do the dishes, I also put off resetting, cleansing, or clearing my divination tools and my altar space. I’m not proud of it. It’s a reality of adulthood and ADHD.
When I’m at a gathering with other Tarot readers or witchy types, I can mindlessly reset the tools I have on hand while we engage in conversation or meditate along each other. So much that it inspired me to think about body doubling Tarot.
I’ve turned to ASMR and body doubling YouTube channels to get things done. If I need to clean my house, I put on a 2-hour video of someone else filming themselves cleaning. With a large enough television, it can feel like someone else is in the room with you.
There are ASMR Tarot readers, but most of the accounts I’ve come across are more on the role-playing side, which I don’t find helpful. I like the sound of nails on the cards and the shuffling. I like knowing that someone else is working on their tools nearby because it motivates me to do the same. I’m now venturing into creating the kind of videos I need for myself, but I hope that other Tarot readers and enthusiasts see this opportunity to create similar content (again, it’s about community, not competition). So if you’re creating “Tarot ASMR” and “Tarot body doubling” videos, let me know and let’s follow each other.
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