You asked if meditation with tarot is just sitting with a card and thinking about its meaning. I’ve been meditating for over 50 years, and if you look up "meditation," the definition usually includes contemplation. That’s pretty much what you’re describing, and contemplation can be really valuable.
But there’s a difference between contemplation and true meditation in spiritual practice. In meditation, the goal is to stop thinking. There are a ton of different meditation styles, but the common thread is to clear the mind and stop engaging with thoughts. When thoughts come up (and they will), you let them float by instead of getting caught up in them. It’s like, just because a thought knocks on your mind’s door, you don’t have to invite it in for tea.
If you never let your body sleep, it wouldn’t function well, right? Your mind needs that kind of rest too, and meditation is how it gets it. It’s through consistent meditation that your brain actually gets the deep rest it needs. And over time, it helps with things like intuition, lateral thinking, and even decalcifying the pineal gland (third eye). That’s all part of why meditation is so powerful.
