A New Age Christian Mystic’s Perspective on Tarot, Jesus, and Finding God Beyond the Divide
Plus a new episode of the SoulTech with Cynthia Podcast featuring Informed.Now's Kira Shishkin.
Cynthia L Elliott
3x Best-Selling Author, Inspirational Speaker, & Cultural Futurist
The internet is buzzing after popular creator Alex Reads Tarot announced she was leaving tarot behind because she had become a Christian.
I understand her decision. Every person has the right to follow the path that brings them closer to God or the creator of their understanding.
But the conversation that followed revealed something much bigger.
It exposed a belief held by many people that Christianity and New Age spirituality are fundamentally incompatible.
I don’t believe they are.
In fact, I consider myself a New Age Christian Mystic.
That may sound contradictory to some, but to me it simply means this:
I follow the teachings of Jesus while embracing a deeply personal, experiential relationship with the Divine. I believe the creator can be encountered through prayer, meditation, silence, nature, creativity, intuition, and contemplation. I believe spiritual growth is less about fear and more about becoming love.
For me, those ideas aren’t in conflict. They complement one another.
Tarot Isn’t What Many People Think It Is
Let’s start with tarot.
Many people assume tarot cards were created for occult practices or fortune telling.
Historically, they weren’t.
Tarot began in fifteenth century Europe as a card game. The symbolism most people recognize today largely comes from the famous Rider-Waite-Smith deck published in 1909 by Arthur Edward Waite and illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith.
The cards are rich with archetypes.
The Fool beginning a journey.
The Hermit seeking wisdom.
Death representing transformation.
The Star offering hope.
The World symbolizing completion.
Whether you view the cards psychologically, symbolically, artistically, or spiritually, they tell the story of the human journey.
They don’t force anyone to believe anything.
Like a novel, a painting, or a poem, meaning comes from how we engage with them.
I don’t believe a deck of printed cards possesses inherent evil.
I believe the capacity for good and evil lives in the human heart.
A hammer can build a home or become a weapon.
The object isn’t making the moral choice.
The person is.
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Jesus Was More Mystical Than Many Realize
One of the things that first drew me toward Christian mysticism was reading the teachings of Jesus without the layers of modern culture wrapped around them.
His teachings continually point inward.
“The kingdom of God is within you.”
Love your enemies.
Judge not.
Forgive.
Become like little children.
Seek first the Kingdom.
These aren’t merely rules.
They’re invitations to transform consciousness.
Throughout Christian history there have always been mystics who emphasized direct experience with God alongside scripture.
They sought God in silence.
In contemplation.
In service.
In compassion.
Many modern spiritual seekers discover similar practices through meditation, mindfulness, breathwork, gratitude, forgiveness, and the cultivation of unconditional love.
Different language.
Often surprisingly similar destinations.
The Similarities Are Greater Than Most People Think
When I compare traditional Christianity and what we now call New Age spirituality, I notice parallels more than opposites.
Christians pray.
Many New Age practitioners meditate.
Both create sacred space.
Both light candles.
Both gather in community.
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Both believe intention matters.
Both seek healing.
Both hope to become more loving people.
Both believe there is more to reality than what we can measure with our senses.
The vocabulary changes.
The longing underneath often does not.
Where My Path Differs
Where I personally part ways with some expressions of institutional religion is the belief that our relationship with God must always be mediated through religious authorities.
I deeply respect pastors, priests, ministers, and spiritual teachers who help others grow.
Many have transformed lives through their service.
But I also believe every person can cultivate a direct relationship with God.
That conviction isn’t uniquely New Age.
It has deep roots within Christian mysticism itself.
Faith becomes something we experience, not merely something we’re told.
Fear Has Never Been My Teacher
Throughout history, new spiritual movements have often been viewed with suspicion.
Sometimes that caution has been warranted.
There are exploitative teachers in every spiritual tradition.
There are manipulative churches.
There are manipulative gurus.
There are manipulative influencers.
The problem isn’t a label.
The problem is human nature.
Whenever power, money, ego, or control become more important than love, compassion, humility, and truth, spirituality loses its way.
That can happen anywhere.
Perhaps the Future Needs Bridges
I don’t expect everyone to agree with my path.
Nor should they.
Spirituality is deeply personal.
Some people will flourish in traditional churches.
Others will find God hiking through forests.
Some will pray with rosary beads.
Others will journal after pulling a tarot card that encourages self-reflection.
The goal isn’t that everyone practice the same way.
The goal is that we become more compassionate, more honest, more forgiving, more joyful, and more deeply connected to the Divine.
For me, New Age Christian Mysticism is one bridge between ancient faith and modern spiritual exploration.
It allows me to honor the teachings of Jesus while remaining open to wisdom, beauty, symbolism, and practices that deepen my relationship with God.
Maybe we don’t need to spend so much time deciding whose path is right.
Maybe we need to ask a better question.
Does this path help me become more loving?
If it does, perhaps we’re already walking toward the same Light.
With truth and forward momentum,
Regards,
Cynthia
3x Best-Selling author, Cynthia L. Elliott, is the founder of the SoulTech AI Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit supporting underserved communities in the age of artificial intelligence, and the author of SoulTech: 12 Codes for Awakening Your Higher Self.
