Shame would have to be the most corrosive emotion.

The most crippling.

It can keep you trapped in self-recrimination and low self-esteem for decades.

You can see shame at work in the image above. It’s a feeling of fingers pointing derisively at you, whether they really are or not. Once this emotion has been implanted inside you, there’s no need for others to make you feel bad, you beat yourself up with your own inner voice.

So which Tarot card is this feeling related to?

This one, of course…

Judgement: Judging someone

Or more accurately, this one…

Judgement Reversed: Damning someone – namely, yourself

This card is incredibly powerful. It’s the penultimate lesson in Life Lessons Tarot. The gateway to The World. That’s why this emotion can be so damaging. There’s absolutely no chance of experiencing yourself as a whole, fulfilled human being if you’re trapped in shame.

So, how does Tarot suggest it can be overcome?

The clue is in the image.

People are being called into action by an angel’s trumpet. They’re being asked to do something bigger than themselves. You can see that they’re part of a community, so the call is to help someone else. In giving selflessly, you can heal the part of yourself that is ashamed.

Whether that be volunteering for a charity.

Giving time and care at work.

Or devoting yourself to your children.

Serving others is the key to releasing the shame. To building self-love.

Has this strategy worked for you?