The Major Arcana as Photographers

The Major Arcana as Photographers

copyright © 2019 Joanne Matthew

The budding new photographer is the Fool – just beginning his photographic journey. He has acquired all the tools he believes he needs from the Magician – the digital SLR, the memory card, battery charger, and various lenses. The High Priestess has shared some of her innermost secrets to success with the Fool, advising him on lighting techniques, close-ups, landscapes, and more.

The Empress urges him to photograph the children of the world who are the most vulnerable and in need. The more the public sees, the more help they might receive. The Emperor has taken a stand to protect the children in whatever way possible, and agrees with the Empress.

The Hierophant is what you call “old school” in the way that he can only see straight through the lens. He cannot adapt to digital technology and photo manipulation, but knows that you may develop your own style and techniques.

The Lovers want the Fool to photograph the “couples” in nature – the birds who choose life-long mates, for example. – partnerships such as the bees who carry the pollen from plant to plant, the rain that falls to allow growth, the snows that cover and protect the earth throughout the coldness of winter, and so much more. The Lovers know that alliances in nature are the reason for life, and without them, we may cease to exist.

The Chariot honors the photographer’s ability to take charge of how he photographs what he sees, how he manipulates his views, and what he ultimately shows to the public. Strength may often put the photographer in a dangerous situation, but gives the courage to put aside the fear and continue the mission. This is also in conjunction with the Hermit, who has shone his light on the photographer’s inner soul, thus guiding his vision and ideas every time he pushes the shutter button.

The Wheel of Fortune knows that not every picture will be perfect. Wheel knows that every photographer must sometimes take many shots of the same scene or subject, hoping that one out of all those shots will be the perfect photo to convey his feelings.

Justice tells the Fool to not be so harsh on himself – do not judge yourself by your failures, or by what others think. Be fair to yourself – keep everything in the proper perspective.

The Hanged Man knows what it’s like to feel burned out. When this happens, he tells Fool, take a break, chill out, think about approaching your goals from a different position.

Death, always trying to be a downer, wants the Fool to give up, but perhaps it’s just some new, more advanced equipment that will make all the difference. Fool is advised to put aside the old, outdated software, and learn a new technique.

Always the peacemaker, Temperance wants Fool to stay calm. Keep the dreams and desires in check with reality. If you keep your head in the clouds, know that your feet are still planted firmly on the ground.

The Devil, devious as he is, likes to sabotage the photographer, especially if he knows the photographer has many bad habits – not taking good enough care of the equipment, not having the battery charged at a pivotal moment----but all this can be avoided, as long as the photographer is aware of his bad habits and strives to avoid them.

Accidents do happen, and the Tower will sometimes cause a lens to fall, or some other tragic pitfall to happen. Often, the photographer will miss the opportunity for that one outstanding photograph, and knows the chance at that one spot, or one subject may never come again. But, Tower tells Fool, there will be other “perfect” subjects, and you will be at the right place, at the right moment.

The Star realizes every photographer’s dream is to become famous – to be recognized for the exceptional talent he/she has with a camera. Keep shooting, keep dreaming – nothing is impossible, and everything is possible.

The Story of Global Tarot Circle

The Story of Global Tarot Circle

My in-person Tarot Circle was borne of a conversation with Wald Amberstone at an ATA Regional Tarot Convention back in 1999. In speaking with him about what he and Ruthann were doing at the Tarot School I came to understand that tarot education didn’t need to be segregated by skill level. In a class appropriate for all levels of tarot understanding, new readers would learn from those more experienced, and more experienced readers would develop new insights and ideas, even when covering familiar ground.

I started inviting people to my office in Central Village, CT, for regular Tarot Circle meetings. Later, we held Tarot Circle at various people’s homes and shops in Norwich, Waterford and Niantic.

At Tarot Circle we shared readings, exercises, ideas and techniques with each other.

When we moved to Pennsylvania, we continued to hold Tarot Circle during my visits to Connecticut, meeting at By the Shore Embroidery in Niantic. We also began meeting in the Poconos, first in my office building at Fork Street in Mt. Pocono, and then at my home, Sylvan Lodge.

When we moved to the Palm Beaches, I held Tarot Circle in the Harvey Building in downtown West Palm Beach.

Now Tarot Circle meets at Panera Bread in Palm City, FL, and Lutz, FL. We also meet monthly for Global Tarot Circle on Facebook Live.

In 2011 I started giving webinars on WebEx, a meeting platform. That was when I first developed Global Tarot Circle. The idea was to try to recreate our in-person Tarot Circles in an online format.

Tarot Circles have always included readings, tarot study and tarot exercises. Our in-person groups have been able to create some community activities, like day-long tarot picnics, retreats and fundraisers. I haven’t figured out how to do those things in our online version yet.

Global Tarot Circle on WebEx was really fun and enjoyable. It was a free monthly tarot webinar. Eventually Facebook Live became stable and I switched off WebEx and onto Facebook Live, where I broadcast monthly from my business page, Christiana Gaudet.

Global Tarot Circle lasts for an hour. In the first half hour we read for each other. I choose the question from the comments and pull one card for the individual. Anyone who wants to can also pull a card and add their reading into the comment thread.

For the second half of our hour together we work on tarot study. We might do a tarot exercise together, or discuss a particular tarot reading method.

In between our live meetings we can discuss topics for our next meeting and share our readings and exercises in the Global Tarot Circle Facebook group.

When I traveled to the Northwest Tarot Symposium earlier this month I was thrilled to hear how many people were enjoying Global Tarot Circle, both by catching it live or watching it in archive on Facebook or YouTube.

I think it’s important for us tarotists to gather together, whether in small groups at coffee shops, in large groups at festivals and conferences, or together online, where we can meet with tarot friends from around the globe, while staying in our living rooms.

You can always find the next Global Tarot Circle meeting on the event calendar of my website.

Marketing Your Tarot Business: Focus on What Is

I am fortunate to mentor many talented tarot professionals. Watching them grow their careers is one of my greatest joys.

Once in a while I see a trend amongst my pro tarot students. This is a helpful way to read the needle on general trends within the tarot world.

The trend I have spotted recently is this. Tarot pros, when discussing what they do, whether on their website, social media or conversations with clients, focus on explain what tarot is not, rather than what tarot is.

When discussing tarot, we seem to begin the conversation on the defensive, trying to educate people about what tarot isn’t. We might discuss the ways in which we work with tarot isn’t fortune-telling, or why tarot isn’t evil, despite what you may have heard.

We begin our conversation this way because we often feel defensive. Tarot is often under attack, and that attack is often based on misunderstanding.

Yet, we dispel misinformation just as effectively by explaining what tarot is, and the process by which we use it. The power in being informative rather than defensive is significant.

Not everyone is familiar with tarot, and many people cultivate misinformation about tarot. As tarot readers, we are ambassadors of tarot in the world. That’s why we are so anxious to dispel untruths about tarot.

I think we do that best when we approach from a positive direction.

It’s also true that sometimes we tarot readers do better marketing ourselves and the results we can offer versus discussing the tool we use as a way of selling readings. Carpenters don’t spend a lot of time discussing the tools they will use to build your house. Rather, they discuss the product. The same can be true in marketing tarot readings.

Yet, there are times when we need to tell the world about tarot. Sometimes there are opportunities to teach about tarot history, culture and art. When we step up to tell the world about tarot, we are working to dispel the negative mythology. We do that best when we let people know what tarot is, rather than what it isn’t.

Group Readings: The Performance Aspect of Tarot

Group Readings:

The Performance Aspect of Tarot

Recently I found a blogpost from Ethony, headmistress of the Tarot Reader’s Academy, suggesting that tarot readers consider avoiding allowing anyone other than the querent in the room during a tarot reading.

She makes some good points in empowering readers to say no to an audience, and to say no to controlling, skeptical or overtalkative friends or family members who can make the reading more difficult, and therefore less valuable to the client.

Ethony also mentions the possibility of psychic leak. That is, moments when the reader can pick up energy from a person in the room who is not the client.

She also allows that there are times when it’s appropriate to welcome groups into the tarot room. As one who has over the years managed to master the psychic leak problem, I enjoy reading for groups.

I’d like to share some circumstances under which group readings have worked for me, and some advices on how to make them work for you.

Before I begin, though, please understand that every reader, and every reading, is unique. Let me echo Ethony here in saying that we all have the right, and responsibility, to say an emphatic no to anything that makes us less able to provide the best experience for our client.

But, if you want to try group readings, here are some of the circumstances in which they work well for me, along with some hints on how you might make them work for you.

First, you need to decide if you might be good at this sort of work. Folks who do performance-style tarot typically have a stage presence, are comfortable with public speaking, and understand and enjoy the performance aspect of tarot.

I was a theater major in college and have done a bit of community theater over the years. Here’s a picture of me playing Miep Geiss in a production of The Diary of Anne Frank way back at the beginning of my pro tarot career. The truth is, I’ve been too busy since then to take on any more roles, but the role of tarot reader is keeping me happy.

Christiana Gaudet appears as Miep Geiss in The Diary of Anne Frank.

Readings Around the Table

I’ve worked many parties of close friends or family groups who want to sit around a table together and hear each other’s readings. I even offer this sort of reading at the conference table in my office.

To make this successful, everyone needs to fit around the table, and pay attention. There can be no side conversations. Readings should be short, usually about fifteen to twenty minutes. Everyone has the opportunity to ask questions for each other, and can comment on the readings, but I keep very firm control on the conversation. I also tell people that this is not a spectator sport. If they are at the table, they are part of the experience, and need to stay present and focused.

Support Team

Much like the parties around the table, this is when a friend brings a friend, or two friends, to witness their reading. Sometimes the friends also plan to have readings, something not. However, after hearing their friends’ reading, they almost always make appointments for themselves.

I have very clear instructions for the supporting friend(s). They are to ask questions that the querent, their friend, may not think to ask. They are to listen, and if something isn’t resonating with their friend but makes sense to them, they should help the friend own their truth.

This invitation does sometimes cause a friend to try to highjack the reading. If you, as reader, keep control of the energy of your table, they won’t get very far when they do.

Couples Readings

Typically, a couples reading is for a romantically-involved couple. Yet, it can also be sisters grappling with a family issue, or bereaved family members getting closure to, and messages from, a deceased loved one.

If you are reading for more than one person having the same issue, it’s easy to read on the issue for both of them. If you are reading for a family group, the mediumship aspect is easier because more people offer more energy to assist in the focus and communication.

A reading for a romantic couple, however, can be tricky.

The times I have refused having someone sit in on a reading have been when I perceive a controlling romantic partner, and that my querent may need to hear some hard things about that partner.

The problem of the abusive or controlling spouse doesn’t crop up often in couples readings, though, because typically abusive partners won’t consider putting themselves in that situation.

Yet, relationship problems can show up in the readings of even the happiest couple. The skill here is to present those problems in a way that offers solutions, normalizes issues and treats those issues with good humor and compassion.

The goal of a couples reading is to foster understanding, not create bad feelings. If you see deeper issues in a couples reading, you are ethically bound to refer them to a good counselor.

Gallery Readings

Psychic Gallery at Soundings Lounge in Mystic, CT, 2004.

I have performed psychic galleries with tarot in nightclubs, churches and living rooms. The key here is to move quickly from reading to reading. Keep readings short and make them entertaining and accessible to everyone.

The energy of a gallery can be very conducive to amazing psychic work.

Very often, the biggest problem with readings that require a performance aspect is that the reader lacks confidence. It takes confidence to command a table, and it takes confidence to command a room.

Sometimes confidence comes with practice, and sometimes it comes with personality.

I do think that we need to sometimes stretch a bit to do our best work. There is a lot of focus on the idea that we readers shouldn’t have to do anything doesn’t make us comfortable. I scoff at this idea. If I didn’t do anything that made me uncomfortable, I would still be in my pajamas right now. Sometimes we must get out of our comfort zone in order to grow and learn to do our best work.

If the performance aspects of tarot don’t resonate for you, or really aren’t in your wheelhouse, just say no to the group readings and gallery sessions. If you are comfortable reading tarot with an audience, know that the practice is valid, helpful and very much appreciated by the clients you serve.

Why Your New Tarot Business Might Fail (And How to Make It Work)

Why Your New Tarot Business Might Fail

(And How to Make It Work)

As my friend Jenna Matlin says, tarot is having a moment. Psychism, of course, has been popular throughout history. There have always been seers, oracles and diviners. I often joke that if prostitution was the first profession, psychic reading was the second. (Although my midwife friends insist that the second profession was midwifery.)

Tarot, and cartomancy in general, are newer tools of the psychic trade. Long before we had cardboard and printing presses, we had stones, beans and bones. Perhaps tarot’s current popularity is borne simply of its modern accessibility.

Whatever the reason, I am thrilled that there are now more tarot decks, tarot classes, tarot groups and tarot readers than ever before in history. Yet, there is another trend that I see that is a bit more concerning. That is the trend of enthusiastic new tarot professionals leaving the industry as quickly as they came in.

Jenna and I discussed this in our last informal Tarot Biz Chat. Her take is that pro tarot readers can burn out quickly, and that many new tarotists don’t know how to protect themselves from burnout.

She has a point. I have seen burned out readers retire with drama and fanfare, although usually after several decades of successful practice, not several months or years.

Job burnout is a risk in any profession, of course. It’s also statistically true that any new business, in the first five years, has an equal chance of failure or success.

I believe there are a multitude of reasons talented new tarot pros often quickly throw in the towel, and some of those reasons don’t include burnout. Here are some of the problems I have seen in the ventures of my students and colleagues over the past twenty-five years, along with some advice on what to do differently.

You Started Pro Reading Before You Were Ready

This is an easy trap. Tarot teachers and business coaches will encourage you to be brave and get out there without evaluating whether you are truly ready. Psychic fair operators will push to get your butt in a chair as quickly as possible because they are under-staffed.

It might be that you felt encouraged because you did a few practice readings that went really well. Perhaps you had an immediate financial problem and felt tarot could be a source of much-needed revenue.

The solution here isn’t to quit, but to back off and brush up. Sometimes a tarot reading flows smoothly. All the cards make sense in their positions and appear to answer questions succinctly and definitively. It’s those readings that fool us into believing tarot reading is easy. When the cards don’t make sense at first, or the client communicates in a challenging way, we need to rely on our studied knowledge and the experience we gained from countless hours of practice.

You Aren’t Practicing Good Psychic Hygiene

This is where I think Jenna’s theory about burnout really applies. If you feel drained after a reading, or if you are having a hard time receiving intuition on demand, or if there are days you just don’t feel like doing a reading, it’s possible you aren’t doing the energy work that is necessary for professional tarot.

The trick to fix this is fairly simple. Make sure you do strong energy work to create sacred space for each reading. Connect yourself to both earth and heaven, and become a straw, or a conduit, for energy.

Give nothing of yourself to your client and take no energy from them. Serve them with the limitless supply of energy that you pull, as a conduit, from earth and heaven.

After the reading, shake your energy off, and consciously release your client.

You should emerge from a long day of readings feeling energized, not drained. If that is not what is happening, meditate, breathe, work with your energy and be a better straw.

You Aren’t Attracting Enough Business

Very often when I hear this complaint it is followed by a list of reasons excuses explaining why it just isn’t possible to gain new clients. Those excuses often include geography. That is, the belief that people where you live just aren’t into tarot, or don’t like getting readings, or believe that this stuff is evil.

I will be the first to tell you that every geographic area is different, and some are easier to work than others. However, the difference is not that people in some areas enjoy what we do and people in other areas don’t. The difference is that in some areas, people are more closeted about it, and therefore you have to work harder to identify and serve them.

On the flip side, if you are in a mystic-friendly location, you might feel the market is choked and there is no room for you. That’s an excuse, too. If you are a good reader, there will always be people who want to see you.

Another reason readers don’t attract business is they don’t present themselves with confidence. Clients will only be as confident in you as you are in yourself.

Another problem is you might be marketing to the wrong demographic. It’s amazing how often I see tarot readers marketing to other tarot readers. While we do sometimes read for each other, your tarot friends and students will not always be your best source of clients. The vast majority of your clients will be people who want answers and insight and don’t give two pents about tarot, metaphysics, spirituality or how you derive your information.

Your Goals Aren’t Clear, or Your Expectations Aren’t Realistic

Perhaps you attended a tarot party and watched a mediocre reader make a thousand dollars in an evening. Perhaps you believed a shyster tarot business coach when they told you that it’s easy to make a six-figure income with tarot. Perhaps you believe that memorizing seventy-eight key words is all it takes to give a meaningful tarot reading.

I have met many aspiring tarot pros with unrealistic expectations of both the earning potential of a tarot reader and the ease with which they could do the work and make the money.

Legitimate tarot reading can be moderately lucrative, but only if you are patient and work hard. If your goal is to make a lot of money, there are hundreds of better jobs to choose.

It’s important to be clear about your goals. Professional tarot offers so many different types of opportunities. You can entertain at parties, work on the phone or webcam, work in shops and psychic fairs, or find your own venues. A college student can often make more money and have more fun working psychic fairs than hustling fast food. You can read tarot as a side hustle or a full-time job. Just be sure about where and how you want your tarot business to fit in your life, now and in the future. Don’t expect a full-time income from a part-time effort, and don’t expect a full-time income when you first start out.

Most importantly, only choose to be a tarot professional if you love reading for strangers. You may love tarot and may enjoy tarot books, classes, art and friends. That’s a beautiful thing. Perhaps the best, most important use of divinatory tarot is for one’s own enjoyment and enlightenment. None of that, however, means that you will be delighted to have your job be reading tarot for clients. But, if reading for others does delight you, I promise there is no greater joy than having that be your livelihood.

If you are interested in taking the next step in growing your business, make sure you get a copy of my book, Fortune Stellar.

If you would like to work one-on-one with me to grow your skills and business, contact me about a custom mentorship program.

I hope you can catch Jenna Matlin and me as we present our Professional Development Day as an extension of the Northwest Tarot Symposium.

Holiday Open House 2018

Holiday Open House 2018

Giving Back to Our Community

On Sunday, December 23rd Tarot Circle of the Treasure Coast Meetup and I joined forces to create another successful Holiday Open House. This was the second largest Holiday Open House in 20 years, and I am confident that next year’s will be even better.

This year I moved the event from the Palm City Professional Building to Unity of Stuart, which turned out to be the perfect place for us. We had ten readers in the classroom, four readers and healers outside in the courtyard, and two volunteers assisting me in the kitchen where we greeted folks, offered snack and collected the contributions for Treasure Coast Food Bank.

Everyone working at the event was a volunteer. We were so busy that, halfway through, when tarotist Barbara O’Brien came through to get a reading for herself I pressed her into service, making her another of our volunteers.

John took the food we collected to Treasure Coast Food Bank on December 26. We had raised over five hundred pounds of food and $200 to help those in our area who are food insecure.

I am so grateful to everyone who working with me to make this annual event happen. I look forward to working with you again in December 2019.

I am also grateful to the many people who took time out of their busy holiday schedules to generously bring donations for the food bank in exchange for sessions with our readers and healers.

It’s always great to see old friends and meet new ones at these events, and to watch tarot students blossom into readers. I’m also happy to give our greater community an opportunity to sit with some of the area’s best-known readers and healers, as well as to meet some new talent.

Special thanks to our readers and healers, Mary Ellen Collins, Blue Evans, Ambika Devi, Mark Gross, Shasana, Tyrone, Gerri, Lee, Donna Diroma, Barbara O’Brien, Sherry Adrame, Julie, Maureen S., Tyronne, and Ruby Hands. Thanks also to my helpers for the day, and to Unity of Stuart for working with me to arrange this event.

See the full gallery on Facebook!

Archetypes in Action: How Tarot Updates Itself

Archetypes in Action

How Tarot Updates Itself

I feel as though I spend half my life waiting for updates to install on my many devices. I understand the need for this and try not to complain too much. Updates are necessary to respond to changes in security threats, user needs and machine capabilities. Recently, I have seen some social media conversations that suggest tarot needs to be updated, perhaps for metaphorically similar reasons.

Updates and revisions to sacred texts often cause acrimony. I remember in the 1970s that the Evangelical teachers at my private Christian high school hated the then-modern “Good News Bible” that my father, a fairly hip United Methodist Minister, revered.

As sacred texts go, tarot differs from the Bible in many ways, not the least of which being it is made of pictures instead of words. Another difference is that in tarot, multiple interpretations of the cards, both in art and divination, are welcome.

There are many tarot artists who seek to ‘update’ tarot by using modern images, and working to make the image more inclusive, and more reflective of our diverse society. There are many tarot authors and readers who do the same, finding within the cards interpretations that reflect our modern lives.

I submit that the reason it is relatively simple for an artist to create modern versions of our beloved tarot characters, and for readers and writers of tarot to find new, modern interpretations, is that archetypes are timeless.

I sometimes think that, as the world of tarot has grown exponentially, many new tarotists have focused more on tarot images than on tarot archetypes. This is reflected in much modern tarot art that takes significant liberties in the depictions of the tarot archetypes. It happens to the point that some tarotists worry this might encourage a potential loss of universal tarot understanding – that our beloved archetypes might slip away in the sands of time.

Our understanding of those archetypes has already changed over decades – that’s part of the ongoing living process of tarot. Yet, many of us don’t want there to be so much change that we lose cohesion to the point that tarot becomes any random oracle.

I vacillate between two moods here. Do I trust the process and trust that the truth of tarot will keep itself, nurtured by the tarot historians and scholars in each generation? Or, do I give in to a sense of unease that, in a sea of “Divine Child,” Ancestor,” and “Master of the Head” cards, we will lose the Hierophant. That’s ironic, of course, since “Hierophant” itself is a modern renaming of the original Major Arcana Five, the Pope.

Creative tarot depictions work to define the archetype even as they redefine it. Archetypal assignment tarot decks help us find the commonality between different depictions. The central energy we find as we compare depictions is the archetype in its present moment.

The Goddess Tarot Deck

By Kris Waldherr

For example, the Magician in Kris Waldherr’s Goddess Tarot is Isis. In Lisa Hunt’s Animals Divine Tarot the Magician is Cerridwen. When we look at Isis and Cerridwen together, we can try to find the central themes that relate them to each other, and then connect that theme to more traditional associations like Hermes, the number one, the element of Air, Mercury, the path from Kether to Binah, and keywords like “tools, skills and abilities andtrickster”. If we are able to do that successfully, then our tarot knowledge, and tarot itself, is on a firm foundation.

Animals Divine Tarot

By Lisa Hunt

My primary thesis here is that, regardless of imagery, tarot can stay relevant to a changing world without major overhaul, because of the way the archetypes speak in divination. For example, in our modern world, our automobiles are very important. While there were no cars during tarot’s inception, the Chariot has come to signify our vehicles, and our issues of transportation.

Computers and the internet easily appear in the Pages, and some of the Swords cards. Even the World can now speak of the World Wide Web. There is nothing in modern life that tarot can’t depict. The dating app Tinder looks to me like the Seven of Cups, while Bumble sometimes shows up as the Queen of Swords.

I’ve seen these spontaneous tarot updates happen relative to locale as well. I first started reading professionally in Putnam, Connecticut, right as the Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods Casinos were becoming some of the largest casinos in the world. I started noticing that the Wheel of Fortune would appear for casino workers, those hoping to be employed by the casinos, and those who were developing gambling addictions.

The question is, how do we come to know modern meanings for ancient cards? The answer is, the cards tell us!

There are three important ways to consider modern meanings for your cards. One is through communication with other tarotists. As we share our stories, we share our oddball experiences with the cards and our offbeat card interpretations. When we keep these stories in mind, sometimes they pop up in our memories to inform a particular reading. When that happens in a way that is accurate and helpful, that new meaning will forever be a possibility whenever we see that card.

The second way is to look through your deck with an imaginative eye. Think about what cards might mean. Then, when you see those cards in action, you can see if those modern alternative interpretations might be pertinent.

These two methods for learning new card meanings illustrate a reason it is so important to have in your practice real-time readings for others; it’s a solid way to confirm the truth in the cards.

The third method of allowing tarot to update itself is simply to pay attention in readings. As you look at the cards, let your intuition lead you to what they might be saying. Over time in your practice you will remember the first time a particular card gave you a new type of message. After that, the possibility of that message with be present every time that card appears.

In this way we grow as tarotists, and tarot grows with us. When needed, each card has the ability to express its archetype in a new and relevant way.

Major Arcana Christmas Season 2018

As the Universe prepares to celebrate Christmas, the Major Arcana is facing a crisis. World is alternating between depression, anxiety, anger, and hopelessness. They have gathered together in hopes of finding a solution to save the World.

The Fool admits to not knowing which path to take, and the Hanged Man is contemplating different directions.  Empress worries about the children taken from their parents and confined to camps without the comforts of loving homes and parents to protect them, as well as her concerns for children all around the World who do not have safe homes, clean drinking water, medical care, and food on their tables. She has asked Strength to find a way to help and has turned to the Hierophant for spiritual guidance in her endeavor.

The Devil knows that current and past bad habits are contributing to the problems, and vows to change course. The Wheel of Fortune admits we cannot leave change to chance. We must act immediately. Chariot chimes in that there must be greater control in the Universe and has asked the Emperor to step up and take command.

Tower admits there has been too much destruction – floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, and fires rage out of control. We cannot sit around and wish for all to suddenly improve, says Star.

The Moon, Hermit, and High Priestess are deep in meditation, seeking answers. The Lovers know a solution cannot be achieved alone – that we need strong partnerships around the globe in order to effect change.

Those who have done wrong to the Earth must one day answer for their ill deeds, says Judgement, and our friend Justice will be there to administer their punishment.

Death wants to end the strife and trials, and to begin anew with hope. He wants Sun to once again shine on this beautiful planet. Temperance pleads for understanding how important it is to not place blame, and not make demands, but to work alongside each other.

They now all look to the Magician. He is the one who has everything needed to start the process of healing. He has the knowledge and the tools to make the World happy once again.

This holiday season, may we all work together and do our part to save the world. The Major Arcana can offer suggestions as to how we might help. They cannot do it alone. They need us to do our part, and make it a Merry Christmas for our World.

Can a Tarot Practice Become Unhealthy?

Can a Tarot Practice Become Unhealthy?

Fear of tarot is a thing, even amongst spiritual people and diviners. Most of that fear is borne of religious prejudice, superstition, or simple misunderstanding.

The truth is that for most people the process of having tarot readings, reading tarot and studying tarot is beneficial in many ways.

Working with a great tarot professional can give perspective, understanding, strategy, goals and encouragement, as well as a sense of spiritual connection and hope for the future.

Studying tarot, and reading for oneself, can instill spiritual grounding and connect us to our inner guidance.

I firmly believe that tarot can help pretty much everyone in one way of the other.

There are times, however, when a tarot practice can become unhealthy, or at least unhelpful. This can be made worse by tarotists who refuse to acknowledge this possibility and don’t want to work to find ways to mitigate these potential pitfalls.

The important thing to remember is that, aside from being a trump-taking card game, tarot is a helpful creative and spiritual tool. That’s right, a tool, like a stove, a hammer or a curling iron. Tarot in and of itself can’t be evil, can’t be harmful and can’t be unhealthy. Tarot is simply cardboard and ink, art and symbolism. You might get a paper cut, but that is the only harm tarot can do you.

Yet, the way we use a tool matters. A hammer can be used to build a house or commit a murder. Tarot can’t be unhealthy, but we can use tarot in unhealthy ways.

Here are three tarot-related behaviors to watch out for in yourself, your clients and your friends.

1.    Psychic Addiction

Psychic addiction happens when we rely on cards and readers to tell us what we want to hear rather than accepting what’s really going on in our lives. We shop for readers who will give us the rosy picture of the future we desire. We interpret our own cards to support our fantasies. Very often psychic addiction happens when we pay too much attention to the predictive aspect of psychic work, rather than digging in to the cards for perspective and strategy.

Unlike many other addictions, psychic addicts don’t necessarily need to completely avoid readings in order to recover, they simply need to change their behaviors and expectations. Very often, psychic addiction is brought about by anxiety that is undiagnosed or untreated. Once that problem is taken care of a person can generally find the helpful benefits of divination without taking it to an unhealthy place.

2.    Intense Anthropomorphism of Tarot

Let’s face it, we all personify the cards a bit. “What did the cards say?” “My cards are being saucy today!” “The cards never lie!” These are things we tarotists say. However, there is a line between understanding tarot as a tool of communication and believing that we are communicating with cardboard. When we start ascribing a sense of self-awareness to a deck of cards, we lose sight of reality. Tarot should help us understand our reality, not deny it or hide from it. Spirituality must help us make sense of our world rather than help us escape our world.

3.    Failing to Use the Right Tools for the Right Job

If you think you might be pregnant, you can get a pregnancy test at any grocery store. If you want to understand the emotional and spiritual ramifications of adding to your family, have a reading.

It’s amazing how often we turn to the cards to give us information that another tool could give us more concretely and easily. At the same time, we often fail to use tarot in the ways it can be most helpful to us – when we are desperate for guidance in decision-making or spiritual understanding 

Some other behaviors that concern me include the tendency to be didactic and dogmatic about tarot interpretation. In my experience tarot is most helpful when we give the cards a little wiggle room. Likewise, is the habit some have of making the tarot, or the words of a psychic, their only source of information, rather than adding the voice of spiritual guidance along with the voice of other experts.

Tarot is the most helpful tool I have every had the pleasure to use, and I am grateful to able to use it for myself and my clients. I am happy to see tarot spreading in popularity around the word. In fact, this is something I have prayed for, and worked for. The more people that have access to tarot, the better.

However, if common sense doesn’t accompany our tarot practice, there is always the possibility that we will turn our wellness practice of divination into something more sinister. As long as we stay grounded in reality and disciplined in the way we use our psychic resources, I believe we can avoid those behaviors that can create unhealthy practices in divination. Instead, we can use those resources to stimulate our growth, heal our wounds and plan for the very best future possible.

Understanding your Zodiac Sign through Tarot

Most of us are familiar with our Sun Sign within Astrology and know what sign to look at when reading about our relationship style according to our Zodiac Sign or looking at the horoscope section of the newspaper.

This only scratches the surface of what Astrology can tell us about who we are and the energy that is most influential in our lives. It is ludicrous to think that there are only 12 personalities on the planet. Sun Signs are a top level way that astrologers can provide general information to a lot of people. If you want a more detailed astrological reading you will need to get a full natal chart which is based on the specific time and location of your birth, and maps the location of all the planets at the time of your birth, going far beyond your Sun Sign alone.

But this doesn’t diminish the importance and usefulness of your Sun Sign for understanding some of the forces that drive you and some of the influences that are having a big impact on your life.

The information available to us from our Sun Sign can also be deepened by coupling it with Tarot. Much of the wisdom of Astrology is mirrored in Tarot, and just as the different Zodiac Signs are associated with the different elements (Earth, Air, Fire and Water), so too are the suits of the Tarot.

Each sign of the Zodiac also has a corresponding card in the Major Arcana of the Tarot deck. Understanding a bit more about the meaning of each of these cards can throw some further illumination onto what we can learn about ourselves from our Sun Sign.

Aries (March 21-April 19) – The Emperor

A fire sign rules by Mars, Aries is linked to the Emperor, a symbol of authority, structure and control. In a Tarot reading The Emperor is a card is often a symbol of undergoing an intensive life experience during which much is learned, and the person comes out the other end stronger. This link indicates a person who is a born leader and isn’t afraid to make decisions. However it also indicates a person who sees themselves as the centre of the universe, even if they are benevolent to those around them.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) – The Hierophant

Earth based Taurus is linked to the Hierophant, a symbol of tradition and conformity, as well as ethics and morals. In a Tarot reading the Hierophant is a divine messenger and represents strong spirituality. This link indicates a person who is always at the centre of their community and has great influence on those around them. They are trend setters and peace keepers.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) – The Lovers

The dual nature of airy Gemini is linked to the Lovers, a symbol of partnership, duality and self love. The Lovers card is often taken to represent romantic love, but it is more closely linked with ideas of self-love and self-acceptance and being complete as an individual before sharing with another person. This link indicates a person who has a duality of nature and can adapt to different situations, but is also sometimes hard to pin down.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) – The Chariot

Watery Cancer, ruled by the Moon, is linked to the Chariot, a symbol of control and will power. The Chariot speaks of the need to focus and put in the hard work in order to reach a goal. This link indicates a person who protects themselves, wearing armour like a charioteer, and seeks balance across the different aspects of their life.

Leo (July 23-August 22) – Strength

Bold and fiery Leo is connected with Strength, a symbol of bravery, focus and compassion. In a reading this card indicates that a person has the resources that they need to meet their challenge. This link indicates a person with inner strength and self-assurance, but who is also generous and compassionate, as well as fiercely protective.

Virgo (August 23-September 22) – The Hermit

Down to Earth Virgo is linked with the Hermit, a symbol of contemplation and the search for guidance. The Hermit represents the ability to step back from the noise of the universe and self-reflect, noticing details that others can be blind to. This link indicates a person who is always seeking, new knowledge, self-improvement, love and respect.

Libra (September 23-October 22) – Justice

High minded Libra is connected with Justice, a symbol of clarity and truth. Justice is the card of Karma and speaks to the consequences of actions, and the importance of integrity. This link indicates a person who is committed to what is fair and right, but also someone who can be indecisive as they try and balance the influences in their life.

Scorpio (October 23-November 22) - Death

Ferocious Scorpio is linked with Death, a symbol of new beginnings and metamorphoses. Death rarely refers to physical death in a Tarot reding and rather points to the end of cycles and new beginnings. It is also linked to an ability to deal with grief. This link actually indicates a person who is full of life, as they bounce back easily from pain and disappointment, and are always excited by the prospect of something new.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 22) - Temperance

Free flowing and watery Sagittarius is connected to Temperance, a symbol of balance and deeper meaning. Temperance in a reading often calls for patience and is a reminder that all things come in their own time. This link points to a person who strives to be moderate in their approach to lie, but is actually prone to taking things too far.

Capricorn (December 22-January 20) – The Devil

Devoted Capricorn is connected with the Devil, a symbol of materialism and playfulness. When the Devil appears in a reading it is often a sign that a person feels out of control and needs to take back control of their destiny. This link indicates a person with a forceful personality and a drive to succeed. It also speaks to a tendency to try anything and everything, if when you are pretty sure it isn’t right for you.

Aquarius (January 20-February 18) – The Star

Airy Aquarius is linked to the Star, a symbol of hope, faith and rejuvenation. The Star often carries a message of hope, healing and renewal. This link indicates a person who is optimistic and altruistic, always thinking about the needs of others.

Pisces (February 18-March 20) – The Moon

Pisces is linked to the Moon, a symbol of intuition. The Moon often appears in a tarot reading when a person is feeling anxious or doubting themselves, and encourages the person to trust their gut. This link indicates a person who can fit in anywhere and easily connect with others.