Straight-Up Talk About Tarot Reversals

When a tarot card appears upside-down, many readers take the card reversal into account in their interpretations. This is commonly called “reading reversals”. It’s not necessary to read reversals to give a great tarot reading. In fact, some tarot traditions, most notably Crowley-Harris-Thoth, do not honor reversals at all.

Each tarotist, whether novice, or expert, hobbyist or professional, discovers and develops a reading style that works for them. As long as the readings are helpful and reflect truth, there is no one right way to read tarot – the technique is judged entirely by the results.

Likewise, each tarot pro has their own way of formally teaching tarot to their students, and informally teaching about tarot to their clients, and to the public at large.

However, it really gets my garters in a bunch when I hear tarot pros speaking of reversals in terms of positive and negative, or light and dark. This leads to students who tell me “I don’t want to read reversals because I don’t like negativity!”

Today I saw two such posts online – tarot pros who believe that a card reversed is automatically interpreted as “negative”. The suggestion is that a tarot reading without reversals will offer a more uplifting message.  

The idea that limiting the details of a reading reduces negativity seems silly. Likewise, the idea that reversals automatically create negative information or negative energy is laughable.

In general, modern tarot thinking asks us to depart from the fortune-telling days of old when we might see a card as “good” or “bad”. While we would all rather see the Sun than the Tower, most of us realize that, in a particular reading, the Sun, a generally happy card, might indicate something undesirable, while the Tower, a generally unhappy card, might represent a positive change.

I truly believe that the more we readers cling to ideas like positive/negative and good/bad in our understanding of the cards (and in life) the less able we are to use the cards to help bring actual healing opportunities to ourselves and/or our clients. Often, what we fear or resist is the thing we need most, and what we long for doesn’t serve us. When we look at the energies present without judging them as light or dark we are better able to see all the options.

Beyond the philosophical question is the more practical question of how to read reversals. if reversals don’t automatically create a negative interpretation, what do they do, and why are they helpful?

To understand reversals, we must first understand the concept of tarot dignity, or aspect. Even in traditions where reversals are not commonly read, dignity plays an important role in tarot interpretation.

In tarot, the word “dignity” or “aspect” refers to the way context affects interpretation. If a card is well-dignified, it’s strongest and most direct interpretation would be used. If a card is ill-dignified, there may be a resistance, a delay, an avoidance or an opposition.

Dignity can be determined based on the elemental association of the cards in a spread, by the context of the question or the surrounding cards, or even by the way the reader feels about the card in the moment. However, the most common way to determine dignity is to see upright cards as generally well-dignified, and reversed cards as generally ill-dignified.

Many talented readers who don’t read reversals rightly say that their intuition, and the surrounding cards, let them know whether the card should be read directly or with some sense of force or resistance.

I agree that this technique works, but still stand in favor of reversals, for two reasons.

The first is that a reversal can offer a nice visual clue. For instance, if the Waite Three of Swords is reversed, the Swords can easily fall out the heart and offer healing. If the Hanged Man is reversed, he appears to be dancing.

So much of tarot is visual. Reversals literally offer us another perspective on the tarot images.

The second reason I advocate reversals is that reversals present an opportunity for magick. If you receive a card whose energy you don’t welcome, you can reverse it to lessen its effect in your life.

If you receive a card reversed whose energy you would like to welcome, you can turn it right side up as a way of bringing that energy more strongly into your life.

In interpreting reversals, the important thing is to release the idea that reversals are always negative. You can also release the idea that a reversal always creates an opposite of the card’s direct meaning. Sometimes that can be true, but other times not.

The thing to remember is this. A reversal shows an aspect of the energy of the card. When interpreting a reversal, consider first the direct energy of the card. Then, think about the context of the question, the surrounding cards, and how you feel about the card in the moment.

Consider what a more indirect form of the card’s energy might be. A reversal may put the card’s energy in the past, or lessen it, or make it more forceful. And yes, sometimes, it might create an opposite.

There are times when the reversal of a card is less desired than its upright presentation. Yet, that still does not create a sense of negativity, only a question of what to do to welcome that energy more fully.

And, there is the third reason I recommend working with reversals. Each reversal offers us an additional opportunity for contemplation. Is this an energy that is passing out of your life, and are you ready to see it go? Or, is this something coming in that you want to welcome more aggressively?

Reversals let us see nuances, and give us a sense of the passage of time.

Some readers seem to avoid reversals out of fear of confusion. Aren’t 78 cards enough? My answer is that reversals help us understand the full range of each card’s energy. In the end, this can actually make tarot reading less confusing.

Whether or not you want to have reversals in your tarot practice, don’t fall into the trap of thinking reversals create negativity, or give superfluous information. If you hear a tarot teacher suggesting such a thing, it might be time to find a new teacher.

Pro Tarot Tips: Skeptics and Believers at the Tarot Table

Amongst the many myths and fables that surround tarot is the idea that, to receive a tarot reading, you must be “a believer”. Often, when reading at psychic house parties, I will hear about Uncle Joe, who really wants to experience a tarot reading, but is admittedly skeptical. Sometimes, the hostess will tell Uncle Joe that it simply can’t be done; that I can only read for those who believe.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

I am somewhat uncomfortable with the words “belief” and believer” when it comes to tarot. I love reading for people who love tarot.  However, reading for people who call themselves “believers” can sometimes be tricky. Occasionally I suspect the word “believer” can denote not only someone who is open to the process of tarot reading, but often, someone who will take the message of the cards with the same literalism that fanatical fundamentalists use with scripture.

James Wells wrote a blog post about the difference between believing in tarot and using tarot. In it, he suggests that he doesn’t believe in his stove, but uses his stove to cook his food. For him, and for me, the same is true with tarot.

The fact is, I welcome the opportunity to read for someone who is skeptical about, or ignorant of, modern tarot reading practice.

I’m not sure how the idea of dividing potential tarot clients into two groups – “believers” and “skeptics”, first emerged. I am sure that sticking oneself into either category could be quite limiting. Between the two, I am often happier reading for the skeptics. Those who firmly identify themselves as “believers” sometimes leave their logic at the door. I am terrified that a prediction of a wonderful upcoming relationship might cause a believer to indiscriminately hook up with the first bum that comes along!

Often it is in the psychic party experience where we find ourselves reading for skeptics. That makes sense because those who wouldn’t venture to a reader’s workspace may, for fun, sit with a reader at a social event.

From a marketing perspective, this is a valuable point. If we professional readers pull new clients only from the group of people who are already bought in to tarot, we limit our reach significantly. Any time we read for someone who wouldn’t normally seek out a reading we have the potential of building brand-new business.

Recently I worked a party where a few skeptics were included amongst the open-minded seekers. My concern in working with skeptics is that they enjoy their experience and feel like it is money well-spent, same as with those who know and love the power of tarot. I must confess, I really thought two of these skeptical clients went away dissatisfied. Later on, I discovered from the hostess that they were both blown away by their readings.

In addition to the reminder that a client’s post-reading reaction is not always the best way to judge your success, this experience solidified for me a few truths about reading for skeptical people. While these are certainly generalizations and may not be true about every skeptical person who comes to your table, you may find these observations help you the next time you find yourself sitting across from a skeptic.

First, we need to acknowledge that there are legitimate reasons to be skeptical of a tarot reading. Between psychic scam artists, well-intentioned but poorly-skilled amateurs, and people who are waiting for the spaceship to land, our field really can be choked with crazies.

If we can acknowledge that fact at the outset of a reading, we achieve two things. When we say, “It’s better to be skeptical than gullible” or “I’m glad you are skeptical because that means you are bringing your rational mind to the reading” we are disempowering any negative effect their doubt might have on our confidence. Secondly, when we tell them we are not bothered by their skepticism, the energetic distance they have tried to create with us is significantly diminished.

I think the reason that people say one can’t perform a tarot reading for a skeptical person is that the skepticism can shake the reader’s confidence.

That skepticism sometimes comes across as doubt and ridicule – energies we tarot readers have often faced from family and friends, and don’t necessary appreciate. We need to be careful to not let our skeptical clients trigger that negative reaction in us.

Worse, often skepticism causes clients to deny what we see, even when it’s true. That shakes our confidence even more.

For example, here’s what happened at the recent party.

Early in the reading, I said I saw a job change.

My client said no, neither a change to her current job, nor a new job, seemed possible or desirable.

I shrugged and moved on to talk about other cards. She was equally negative to the next things that came up in the cards, including a change to her household and a change to her husband’s job.

Then, she mentioned she was hoping for a promotion in her own job, and that would be her biggest question.

I said, “You mean like the job change I saw for you in the beginning of the reading that you denied?”

I said it with humor.

It was clear that her basic skepticism of the tarot process had caused her to say no rather than think about what I was saying and decide how it applied to her.

I was able to go back to the beginning, give her information about her upcoming promotion, and then continue on to tell her about the household changes (her adult daughter was moving back in) and her husband’s job change (his company was being sold).

She never apologized for misleading me, and never thanked me for the reading. It wasn’t until I spoke with the hostess that I discovered that her pale face and tight lips as she left the table did not come from anger.

Her reaction was surprise and fear. She was shocked at the efficacy of the tarot reading, and didn’t know how to integrate that experience into her world view.

Very often, we view skeptical clients as rude. They do sometimes come off that way. However, if we respond with understanding, confidence and humor, we can usually deliver a decent reading.

Over the years, skeptics, hecklers and non-believers have turned into some of my most loyal friends and clients.

Perhaps it’s not important for our clients to believe in the process of tarot reading, or in our tarot reading skills. What’s important is that we, as readers, have confidence in those things.

Group Behavior: A Tool for Learning and Teaching Tarot

I am happy to be teaching a rare, live and in-person tarot class series at Dream Angels coming up in May. It’s an advanced class, and I will be assisted by my good friend and colleague, Mary Ellen Collins.

For the first class of four, which will be held on May 11, our topic will be the twenty-two cards of the Major Arcana.

When I used to teach beginner classes I would always cover the Majors in the first class, and the Minors in the second. Even now, working with one-on-one tarot mentoring, I like to start with the Majors.

I once had a respected teacher who advocated starting with the Minors instead. He reasoned that he could cover forty cards (four suits Ace through Ten) and give the students a handle on more than half the deck in the first class.

I understand that strategy, but I am not interested in teaching anyone to “learn tarot fast”. There are plenty of popular teachers who claim to do exactly that. I’ve worked with some of their students, however, and find evidence that it is possible to study tarot fast and shallow, or slow and deep, but not both.

So, what will Mary Ellen and I do with the Major Arcana, two hours and a room full of students who already have a basic concept of the cards?

First, we’ll discuss the differences between the Major and Minor cards. I bristle against the common wisdom that suggests that Major and Minor cards behave differently on the tarot table.

I’ve heard teachers and students alike suggest that Major cards always speak of spiritual things, while Minor cards speak only of the mundane.

I’ve heard people say that Major cards always refer to the things you can’t change, and Minor cards refer to the things over which we can have influence.

One of the things I strive to teach is that the cards speak to each of us in the way we can hear them. I don’t doubt that some people, at some times, may experience the Majors and Minors in the ways described above. However, I find any general rule that limits the voices of the cards didactic and unhelpful. Let’s not make our tarot journey more arduous by intentionally closing our minds to any way the cards could possibly speak, or any subject they might tackle.

How, then, can we teach the concept of “Greater Secrets” versus “Lesser Secrets”, or Majors versus Minors?

For me, the concept of greater and lesser secrets becomes relevant when we talk about the lessons and archetypes of tarot, rather than its interpretations.

One mistake I think many tarotists make is to see tarot only as a tool of divination, or a fortune-telling device.

Ironically, when we neglect to study tarot as a book of spiritual lessons, archetypes, meditation and magick, we limit our ability to interpret the cards in the process of divining wisdom.

When I teach the Major Arcana, I ask that my students consider the life lessons, or “path lessons” that we learn from each card.

Just like memorizing Bible verses in Sunday School, there is value in simply studying a card to embrace its lesson.

I think the twenty-two greater secrets are in fact the lessons of each of those cards, rather than their divinatory meanings.

The Minor Arcana cards teach lessons as well.  The is, however, something unique, greater and “major” about the archetypal journey of the Fool, and the lessons, characters and experiences he encounters in the twenty-one numbered Major cards. The story these cards tell very clearly gives us an allegory for life on planet Earth that is just as pertinent now as it was when the cards were first designed five hundred years ago, or when Eden Gray first coined the term “The Fool’s Journey” almost fifty years ago.

Most tarot students have a basic idea of the journey of the Fool. In this class, I will teach that they must understand themselves each as the Fool, and the twenty-one numbered cards as the lessons they have learned, are learning, and need to learn in life.

If you’ve read my book “Tarot Tour Guide” (new edition will be available this autumn), then you know that I see the Fool’s Journey through the twenty-one numbered cards as divided into three sections. I see the first section of seven cards, Magician through Chariot, as the lessons of the material world. That is, things we must learn to live well on the planet.

I see the second section, Chariot through Temperance, as the lessons of emotional balance. That is, what we must learn to find inner peace and emotional wellbeing.

I see the final section, Devil through World, as the lessons that lead us to our spiritual enlightenment.

When the individual cards appear in a spread, those lessons may or may not be pertinent in that particular reading. Major Arcana cards have key words and interpretations that do not necessarily reflect their lessons in every context.

In the process of divination, any card might deliver any message, spiritual, mundane or both. But the twenty-two Major cards are “Greater Secrets” because, in twenty-two short lessons, they teach us everything we need to know about life.

While we often talk about the elemental associations of the suits of the Minor Arcana, we often don’t think about the elemental associations of each Major Arcana card. Adding that elemental and astrological perspective is another way to give us a deeper understanding of the Majors.

 When we understand the Fool as Uranian Air and the Magician as Mecurian Air, we see the subtle similarities and difference between those two cards which both speak of beginning and initiation.

When we understand the Lovers and the Star as Air, we find new options for ways we might interpret these cards in readings. When we understand the Chariot as water, we find a level of compassion in the Hero that we might not have seen before. When we see the Hierophant as Earth we see the paradox of his limitations more clearly. When we see the Emperor as Fire, we understand his ability to wage war.

I’ve discussed two ways of grouping the Majors together to increase our understanding of them; by element, and chronologically broken into three sets of seven. There are an infinite number of ways to group Major Arcana cards with each other, and we learn new things each time we do.

You may try grouping your Majors by symbols, color, attire or similarities and differences. You’ll notice that you find new depth in cards as you assign them to different groups.

When you create a group of cards, consider what the cards have in common, and how they differ. How the unifying energy of the group expressed in each individual card? What determines the differences between the cards?

For example, when I group the Hermit with the Hierophant and the Magician, I see education. Perhaps the Magician is the bachelor’s degree; the Hierophant is the master’s degree, and the Hermit is the doctoral degree.

When I take the Hermit and group it with the High Priestess and the Moon, I see our eternal quest for spiritual wisdom and psychic knowledge.

When I group the Hermit with the High Priestess and the Hierophant, I see the clergy of the tarot.

When we consider small groupings of tarot cards, we find many aspects of each card’s personality. Then, if we ever see that particular group of cards appear together in a single spread, we may receive additional insight by interpreting the group, as well as interpreting the individual cards.

I think that Major Arcana cards reveal information about themselves when we put them in small groups, just as people do. You learn a lot about a person when you know the people they associate with, the clubs they belong to, and the places they frequent. When we are with different groups of people, or in different environments, we may act in different ways specific to the goal of the group. The same is true for tarot cards!

Once we have tarot cards arranged in small groups, the logical exercise is to pull one card at random from each group to create a tarot reading that gives information about the department of life to which the group is related.

When I teach tarot, I have neither intention nor ability to teach another person to read the way I read. Tarot is an intensely personal thing. The cards speak to each of us in unique ways. My job as a teacher is simply to create the environment in which students can begin to understand how the cards speak to them.

For the first class in this series at Dream Angels, one of my primary teaching tools will be grouping the Major Arcana to see what we can learn about the individual cards.

If you would like to attend the class at Dream Angels, please call Angela at (561) 745-9355. If you would like to study privately with me, or are interested in other tarot learning opportunities with me, please call or text me at 561-655-1160, or send me an email.

Tarot: When the Answer is a Question

We usually think about using tarot cards to answers questions, right?

Sometimes, the most useful thing a card can do is ask a question.

This often confuses newer readers, who are surprised by the idea that the answer provided by the tarot reading isn’t an answer at all; it’s a question!

Of course, it is always possible to pull a few cards to answer the question posed by the cards. However, sometimes a great reading offers the client thought homework for their own contemplation.

“The thing you need to contemplate, or meditate on, is this” can be a helpful directive for focus. Empowering clients to look within for their answers may seem counterintuitive to building a good tarot business. The truth is, helping our clients to know their questions and seek their answers is exactly what great tarot readers do.

If you are not used to finding the questions within the cards, try going through your deck and looking at each card. Ask yourself what question that card might be asking.

Of course, in divination, very specific and unique interpretations can come up for any of the cards. Being open to the idea that a question can be a legitimate interpretation gives you another dimension with which to work.

Two cards that very often show up to ask questions in my professional readings are the Four of Cups and the Five of Wands.

The question the Four of Cups asks is this.

Is it better to take the least undesirable option now, or is it better to wait for a more desirable option?

Sometimes further fortune-telling divination can help answer this question. You might want to know the likelihood of new options appearing, for instance, or what would happen if an option were immediately chosen. You might even need to look at the individual options to discover which is the lesser evil.

The Five of Wands poses an inherent question for me. What are those people doing? Are they fighting, are they building, or are they playing?

When I am conduct a reading where the client can see the cards (so, like, not a phone reading) I will often ask the client to look at the (Waite Smith) Five of Wands. Without any other introduction, I will simply ask the client, “What are the people in this picture doing?”

So far, clients have always chosen either building, playing or fighting, even though I do not give those possible choices. Whichever a client sees is the energy they are currently dealing with, or the energy they are advised to bring to the situation the reading is discussing.

Should they be playful, collaborative, or prepared for a fight? That’s the question the Five of Wands asks. Often, the answer is provided organically by the way the card impacts the client in the moment.

In the process of divination, tarot cards give us valuable answers. They also ask us important questions. Sometimes those questions beg more divination. Other times, those questions provide the springboard for the exploration that leads to growth.

If you are a pro reader, or want to be, check out my book, Fortune Stellar!

Advice for Tarot Readers: When the Final Outcome is Clearly Not the End

Every tarot reader has their own reading style. Some of us use a lot of cards in a reading, other try to dig a lot of information from a very few cards. Some of us use a specific spread, others simply lay out cards and read them, or design a custom spread for the individual reading.

This post is specific to tarot spreads, either traditional or custom-made, which have a last position designated as “final outcome”, “future resolution” or “future events”.

If you use a spread like this I am sure you have noticed that sometimes the card that falls into that final position is poignantly on-point, offering a vision of a hopeful future with wishes fulfilled. It’s a logical end to the story portrayed in the reading.

Sometimes the card that falls into the outcome position can be interpreted as advice – what you have to do to have the desired outcome, versus a specific future prediction.

Sometimes the card that falls into the final outcome position is clearly undesirable. It may suggest an outcome that is less favorable than desired. It may suggest coming to a place of being stuck, with no outcome other than a continuation of what already is.

Speaking as a professional reader, I have to say that this is a lousy way to end a reading.

If you read in a card-by-card linear fashion, that final outcome card may be the way you close the reading. If the card that appears there isn’t a great note on which to end, what can you do?

I believe in ending a reading on as positive a note as possible. I don’t think this is sugar-coating, fluffy or Polly-Anna. I think it’s spiritually appropriate.

There’s a pertinent quote attributed to John Lennon. “Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.”

I believe that my job as a tarot reader includes giving people a message that is uplifting and hopeful, even in dark times. That doesn’t mean I advocate giving false hope, but it does mean that, just like John Lennon, I want to glimpse forward to the time and place when things will really be okay. Or, at the very least, I want to show the gift that is present in the shadow, and the opportunity that comes along with challenge.

There are a number of ways to continue a tarot reading past an uninspiring final outcome card.

Here are my three favorites.

1. End on a Major.

 If the final outcome card is not a Major Arcana, continue drawing cards and laying them in a path from the final outcome card, until you get a Major Arcana. Interpret the Major Arcana card as the final outcome, and the cards that came before as the path to get there, and advice along the way.

2. Let the Spread Give Questions, Not Answers.

If you perform a comprehensive spread such as the Celtic Cross, you can find many questions within that spread. Interpret the spread to give whatever information you see, but also find within those cards questions, and areas where you want to dig more deeply. Which cards make you say “I want to know more about that?”

Then, pick up all the cards, shuffle them, and use the cards to answer those questions, one at a time, in a dialogue, or in a series of small spreads.

This way, the reading is over when the questions are all answers, not when the final predictive card is read.

3. Clarify the Final Card.

If the final outcome card is a dud, you can ask specific questions about it and pull cards to clarify it. Simply place one or a few clarifying cards next to the outcome.

As you pull the clarifying card, you can ask a question like “How can we change this?” or “How can we mitigate this?” or “Where is the gift in this?”

Let those clarifying cards answer those specific question in regard to the outcome, or simply blend their meanings together to give a broader view of the outcome than you had before.

Many modern tarot readers shy away from predictions, recognizing that the future is never set and that free will matters.  Nonetheless, many of our tarot spreads include these pesky “future” positions which are clearly predictive.

Even an intentionally non-predictive spread sometimes foretells the future when a card appears that describes nothing from the past or present, but clearly makes sense in retrospect, after the event or condition it predicted comes to pass.

Whether or not we strive to predict the future, the cards will often reflect our upcoming events, opportunities, solutions and resolutions, and sometimes will give helpful advice for getting there.

If our focus is to help our client stay positive and proactive, we can use these interpretive positions to offer possibilities and perspective, rather than a doom-and-gloom prognosis over which the client can have no control.

A Tarot Reading for 2017: My Predictions

I don’t like making New Year predictions for the planet. It’s a lot easier for me to make predictions for people rather than nations. While we say that tarot cards never lie, it’s difficult to know what questions to ask of the cards to get a comprehensive reading for seven billion people at once.

And, since I have a personal interest in what happens next, it's hard to stay objective.

Looking at 2017 is uniquely problematic for a couple of reasons. First, 2016 was an utterly depressing year in that we had to say goodbye to an inordinate number of beloved celebrity artists – people whose work helped define us, heal us and inspire us.

Why was 2016 such a banner year for celebrity death? I am sure my astrology and numerology friends have some ideas about that. When I asked the cards this question I pulled the King of Cups. That does give me some romantic notion of a heavenly assemblage of our greatest minds, perhaps pulling together to help us, as a planet, find the peace and balance that seems to elude us so.

Truly, the King of Cups also supports the reality-based concept that the 1970s and 1980s brought us a surprising amount of ground-breaking entertainment. The time is coming to say goodbye to many of those entertainers because, well, that was a long time ago and all people get older and die, and many of them don’t get as old as we think they should. The fact is, many of those talented folk battled serious drug issues that factor into their untimely demise.

Many people lament that younger generations of musicians, writers and actors do not have the epic talent of those early stars of our youth. Are we, as a planet, experiencing some kind of creative brain-drain? Are we less likely to produce original thought and amazing talent than we were a half-century ago?

I think not. Fads change, styles change, media changes, but I think talent, and original thought, are inherent qualities in humans. It may be true that, as a culture, we do not currently value talent and original thought as much as we have at other times in history.

More grievous than 2016’s penchant for stealing away our favorite celebs was the United States’ very contentious election season. This energy was felt worldwide; and not just in observing the spectacle of the Pumpkin versus the Pantsuit. Across the planet we have seen signs of a shift toward authoritarianism, perhaps in response to the civil war in Syria. Here in the US, perhaps we are also seeing a predictable backlash against the Civil Rights Movement and the Women’s Movement of recent earlier decades.

Since I’m American and living in the US, my thoughts about 2017 are focused on the United States. It is very hard to ask any American how they feel about the upcoming year, or what they see for 2017, without invoking a heated conversation about the change in government administration that happens in January.

While many of my peers and colleagues expressed their political thoughts, ideas and ire quite freely during this electoral season, I kept my political opinions (and I do have many) primarily to the privacy of the voting booth and letters to my elected officials.

I don’t believe that social media memes create change as much as they create bad feelings.

We live in a divided nation. Of the many people I will read for, teach and interact with, I can only expect half of them or less to share my personal views. I want everyone to feel safe and supported in a reading with me. I don’t think where I stand on political candidates or issues is pertinent to a person’s tarot reading, or to their journey as a tarot student.

I am somewhat uncomfortable with psychics and tarot readers making political predictions. I was really disturbed by the bathrobe-wearing psychic on YouTube, Danielle Egnew, who, in May, told everyone not to worry, that there was no way Trump could be president because it was “Clinton’s time”.

In physics, we say that the mere act of observation changes things. I often wonder, how often is that true when it comes to psychic work? Certainly, we want readings to help our clients make positive change. But, when we make a prediction for the future, are we creating a limitation, or a shift in energy, that wouldn’t otherwise be there? Is there a Prime Directive for professional psychics?

That Egnew’s prediction was bad doesn’t matter; no one gets it right all the time. That she encouraged people to relax, suggesting to an audience who predominately supported Clinton that they didn’t need to work to secure her win, seemed irresponsible.

So, here I am, on the eve of 2017, wondering how to address the year that will be, without making a political statement. I know that many Trump supporters are sure that 2017 will be the beginning of a new era of greatness in America. At the same time, many other people feel that a Trump presidency is a sign of the coming apocalypse and the end of life on Earth as we know it.   Is it possible to make predictions without being influenced by either group?

This is where tarot can really shine. It is very possible (though sometimes difficult) to pull cards and interpret them objectively. It’s a good exercise to try to do this always, especially when reading in situations where we have a vested interest.

Sometimes, the way to be most objective in a tarot reading is to intellectually think about all the possible meanings for each card. Many times, during that process, intuition kicks in and points to a specific interpretation, often in a way that is uncanny.

Getting in to a space where we can separate our fears and hopes from our intuition can be tricky. That’s why supporting our reading with classic interpretations makes so much sense.  Thinking about the interpretations helps keep us detached and objective by causing us to ponder the card more than we ponder the question. From that place of detachment, intuition naturally rises.

Often during the process of considering many possible meanings for a card, we recognize that more than one interpretation may be accurate at the same time. Therefore, multiple interpretations allow for a deeper reading.

This year, I am limiting my predictions to the United States. I will share the questions I asked, the cards I pulled, and my hopefully-objective interpretations.

Feel free to look at the cards that appeared and draw your own conclusions. Tarot speaks to us all.

How will 2017 be for the USA Overall?

The Tower

Let’s all take a breath and acknowledge that the Tower does not feel like a great way to start. Anyone who knows a little bit of tarot knows the Tower feels scary. Those who know a lot about tarot might see this a good sign. The Tower can be destruction and devastation, but it can also be about doing away with what doesn’t work, and making room for what does.

Those who are excited about the Trump presidency are anticipating that kind of change. Those who are concerned about the Trump presidency fear the possibility of the worst aspects presented by the Tower.

The next question, then, is:

What will the nature of the Tower be? How will the Tower manifest in the US in 2017?

 Ten of Pentacles

Interesting that the Ten of Pentacles is associated with real estate, and Trump is a real estate mogul. The Ten of Pentacles also discusses legacy, which, again, is a concern in our divided nation. Some people want to return to a legacy of our past, while others are worried about the more recent legacy of social change being swept away.

So far, we can see how these cards make sense in context, but we receive no clear obvious prediction. However, the Tower and the Ten of Pentacles together could predict a disaster on our home turf. Those two cards could also predict a change in the housing market, like the crash of 2008. 

These two cards could also say that there will be significant policy change around land use and housing development.

Additionally, these two cards could address our crumbling infrastructure, and a plan to fix that critical problem.

How will Donald Trump do in his first year as president?

King of Swords

King of Swords is a decent card for a political leader. It does suggest that he will indeed take office and serve as president. I mention this only because some folks have doubted that possibility.

The King of Swords is a communicator, so I would assume that President Trump will be a deal-maker, and will meet with, and talk with, a lot of people.

This might also indicate that he will not give up his much-discussed Twitter account.

The King of Swords may also indicate a high approval rating for Trump in the first year, since the King of Swords is often seen as doing the right thing.

What will happen in Syria?

The Chariot Reversed

The war in Syria has been the catalyst for many changes around the world. The Chariot reversed suggests that we will continue to not intervene there militarily.  This card may also predict that in 2017 Syria will come to a resolution, but one that does not have much of a sustainable way forward for the future.

What will the US economy be like in 2017?

Five of Swords

The economy will be a subject of much debate this year. A few people will do well, many others won’t. To me, this does not suggest we should expect widespread prosperity this year.

Will there be any natural disasters in the US in 2017?

 Three of Wands reversed

To me, this says we will not have as many severe forest fires in 2017 as we did in 2016, but there may be three smaller areas hit by fire or storms. There is also the possibility of a weather-related infrastructure breach, such as a roof or bridge collapse.

What about human-caused disasters in 2017 in the US?

Ten of Pentacles

This is disturbing because I had already received the Ten of Pentacles in conjunction with the Tower in the beginning of the reading.  Because of this, we must consider the possibility of a human-caused disaster in 2017.

Of course, this begs another question.

What more can we know about this possible disaster?

For this, I pulled three cards.

Seven of Cups Reversed, Page of Swords Reversed, Six of Pentacles Reversed

To me this looks like another young, troubled person who has not gotten proper help, creating a violent disaster.

Of course, we must remember that a compassionate, vigilant society might be able to avert or mitigate any such future occurrence.

Will the US involve itself in new wars in 2017?

Page of Swords

This is a Page, not a Knight, and it is the Page of Swords. Therefore, I would see a great deal of diplomatic activity, but no new military involvement.

Will there be any terror or militaristic attacks on our soil from a foreign power in 2107?

Nine of Wands

I think this says that there is not likely to be, but we are right to be prepared.

What will happen with our national cultural divide in 2017?

Two of Swords Reversed

I believe this suggests that the divide will continue, but we may begin to have some conversations that will sow the seeds of finding common ground.

In order to have the best possible year, what should we each focus on in 2017?

Eight of Pentacles

We each need to consider the value of staying in our own lane, learning new skills, working hard and creating what we need in life. Hard work and education seem to be the greatest solutions to the problems we face in 2017, and to our desire to make 2017 a great year.

Advice for Pro Tarotists: Everyone Wants Tarot Readings!

As I prepare to teach the Professional Development Intensive at TarotCon this year, I find myself thinking of all the particular advices I might have for new tarot professionals.

I know I won’t have a chance to share every little tidbit, especially because I am part of a stellar team, all of whom will have equally delicious tidbits to share.

So, I’m inspired to share a tidbit here, on my Community Blog.

Here it is: When you are looking to attract clients, don’t look for “like-minded people”. That is, don’t limit your perceived client base to only people who think as you do, or believe as you do.

Clearly, we all need like-minded people to become our collaborators, study partners and friends. However, we don’t need to seek them – we will attract them naturally, as our work makes us visible. That’s one of the perks of being visible as a tarot reader – you get to meet a lot of great people.

When it comes to clients, the life-blood of any business, like-minded folk are exactly the people we don’t need to market to. Sure, it’s great to set up at a Pagan festival, but we attract as many, or more, regular clients when we set up at our local flea market.

Many readers have great success at New Age expos. We can also have great success at a local home and business expo.

So, if you live in an area without many Pagan or New Age events, don’t worry. You can still attract clients. Eventually, you can create the community that is lacking, if you choose.

The assumption that everyone who wants a tarot reading or other healing service has a particular mindset, or specific spiritual beliefs or aesthetic tastes is a fallacy.  Sadly, it’s a fallacy held by many tarot readers and healing professionals. As you can imagine, professionals who hold these beliefs often aren’t as busy as they would like to be.

The assumption that folks in rural areas, and “Bible Belt” areas aren’t open to what we do is only half-true. Sue, there are many who don’t approve, but there are many who are quietly open, as well.

A better assumption is this. Most people want a tarot reading, whether they know it or not. Why? Because a tarot reading is all about THEM, and people are always interesting in their own lives.

For a Christian, a tarot reading can help sort out church politics, or can help guide spiritual devotion.

For a business-person, a tarot reading can help with strategy.

There is no kind of person who can’t find value in tarot. Of course, many people don’t understand this.

Perhaps they have heard things about tarot that scare them, or that earn their scorn.

The sales job of the tarot professional is to give not only the opportunity for a reading, but the understanding of why a reading might be helpful and enjoyable.

Selling to like-minded people is easier because we get to short circuit that important step in the sales process. Like-minded people already know that tarot readings are awesome, right?

Many tarot pros may also believe that people who aren’t “into tarot” won’t understand the value of a reading. The thing is, all people understand the value of insight, information, new perspective, ideas and strategy. If they don’t know they can get that from a tarot reading with you, then it’s your job to tell them.

Some of my favorite readings I do are for other pro readers. However, the vast majority of my clients are teachers, nurses, doctors, artists, fire-fighters, police officers, scientists, homemakers, clergy, well, you get the idea.

Tarot readings are for everyone. If you want to be successful, give everyone access to your readings.

Keep an open mind about what you do, and you will have an easier time opening other people’s minds about what you do.

Corporate Tarot: Minding Your Business with the Cards

Corporate Tarot is a unique self-published deck created by my Tampa Bay neighbor, Melanie McCarthy.

The deck is of average size, and come in a box with a lift-off lid. The cardstock is of good quality, flexible to shuffle, with a glossy finish. The deck does not come with a little white book (LWB). However, a lengthy, fully-illustrated companion e-book, also by McCarthy, is available for free download from the very helpful Corporate Tarot website.

It was a very easy process to get the e-book downloaded into my iPhone.

Corporate Tarot deck is more than a theme deck about the business world. Corporate Tarot is specifically designed for use in the boardroom, in career development, and business strategy.

Truly, this deck is a good tool for anyone who has a job, a business or a career – and that’s just about everyone!

There are many unusual and creative elements to this deck, not the least of which are the card backs. The backs of the card are non-reversible, and they are also not all the same!

The card backs depict an urban business district. Each card back shows a distinct view and perspective. Some feature bridges, or billboards. Others show tall towers, or an urban skyline.  These backs are meant to add to the interpretive value of the reading. In the e-book, the backs are described as a bonus, to be interpreted in whatever fashion the reader sees fit. To me, this is one of the most exciting aspects of this deck.

The deck’s structure is based on tarot, but designed to fit within the workplace theme. The Major Arcana is presented as “Strategy Cards”. The four suits Ace-Ten are “Tactical Cards”. The Court cards are “Myers-Briggs Personality Cards”.

This is not the first time a tarotist has drawn a connection between the sixteen Meyers-Briggs Personality Types and the sixteen Court Cards of tarot. In the Corporate Tarot “court”, the ranks are Manager, Mentor, Partner and Strategist. These do not seem to reflect age and gender as with traditional tarot, but rather personality and professional energy.

The Major Arcana card names are changed to fit the business theme. I can certainly see how these cards could be used, in divination, to decide on a particular strategy, or predict what another’s strategy might be.

For example, the Fool is exuberance, the Magician is Proficiency, the Hierophant is Training, the Devil is Negativity, Death is Promotion (that one is brilliant, I think).

The one Major Arcana association that didn’t make me smile is Card 11, Justice, as “Karma”. When every other Strategy card is named with a word chosen from business vocabulary, the word “Karma” sticks out like that one New-Agey crystal-adorned paralegal in the otherwise stuffy firm.   Legality and ethics are such important aspects of the corporate world; I might have preferred a different label for this particular card.

I also didn’t love that the Star has become “Inspiration”, only because the suit of Wands has been renamed the Phase of Inspiration, and that seems confusing and redundant.

The Minor Arcana Ace through Ten cards are called phases rather than suits, but retain elemental associations. Phase I is Inspiration, or Fire, therefore the suit of Wands in a standard deck. Phase II is Research, associated with Air, and Swords in a standard deck. Phase III is collaboration, Water, and Cups. Phase IV is Expression, Earth, Pentacles.

I love that the Air suit is Research, and that Water is collaboration. What perfect ways to express those elemental energies in business terms!

Each Phase is described card-by-card in the book. McCarthy has tried to fit each minor card to an actual linear progression within its phase. In my opinion, some of this seems forced, and sometimes departs from the traditional energy of the card, even when that energy could easily fit into the Phase.

There is a special section in the e-book dedicated to professional tarot readers. I am looking forward to using this deck in planning and operating my own business. In my book, Fortune Stellar, I advise tarot professionals to use their decks to plan and create their businesses. How exciting that there is a deck designed for that actual purpose!

McCarthy sees a place for Corporate Tarot, not just as a kitschy theme deck, but as a tool to be used by actual corporate leaders, visionaries and employees.  To me, this is not a far stretch at all. The community that embraced “What Color is My Parachute?”, “Who Moved My Cheese?” and “The One-Minute Manager” could easily accept Corporate Tarot.

So, what does the deck actually look like?

The cards are attractive, and exactly what you would expect a business-themed deck to be. The cards are color-coded in muted tones. Border-clippers, beware! This is not a deck that would work with borders removed.

Some of the deck images are photographic, others are illustrated, some are a combination. Much like a Marseille tarot deck, the Strategy (Major) cards, and the Personality (Court) cards are illustrated with people, while the Tactical (Minor) cards are illustrated with symbols.

Corporate Tarot may not be a deck for everyone, but it distinguishes itself by being a deck for a group of people who might not otherwise consider tarot a helpful tool.

I think that Corporate Tarot could help any tarotist improve their understanding of the ways tarot can speak to questions of business.

As a tool of career development for professional tarotists and their clients, Corporate Tarot could be invaluable.

(Note 9/7/24: The link to the Corporate Tarot website, corporatetarot.org, isn’t working. Please use the link to the Amazon page instead.)

When Death Means Death; What’s Your Tarot Theme Card?

Ste McCabe from The Tarot Cat explores how death brought him to the tarot and asks - which tarot theme brought you to the cards?

Like all tarot cards, the interpretations for Death can be endless depending on the deck you’re using, the position the card appears in the spread, what cards are near it, the question asked of it - all kinds of factors. I don’t believe in being too prescriptive with ‘keywords’ when reading tarot, but having said that, there are a few common Death themes that most tarot readers agree on that ring true for me too - themes such as personal, revolutionary life transformations for example. Out with the old, whether you like it or not. The new chapter will be coming soon, but perhaps after a bereavement of some kind.

Unlucky Number Thirteen?

In most cards, you’ll see a figure looking fairly morbid, sometimes clearing away old bones. The Death card sits at number 13 in the Major Arcana, sometimes without saying Death on it at all; it was a nameless card in most decks for centuries, and has been considered an unlucky number for many reasons since. Fear not though, my chickens, as there’s plenty of cards with positive, uplifting messages following in the Major Arcana’s progression after death.

Card 13 from the CBD Tarot de Marseille

Ask the average tarot reader about the Death card and the first thing they’ll say is ‘don’t worry, it doesn’t mean actual death!’. Well, actually, sometimes it does. Essentially it can be a card of revolutionary and difficult change, so it stands to reason it can be understood in the most literal sense too. I realised this for myself when doing a reading for a friend a year or so ago, whose mother had died not so long earlier. When the Death card fell into place I began the (subconscious) usual avoidance of the literal translation, when she turned to me and said, that’s talking about my mum’s death. Never has a tarot miss been so glaringly obvious for me; I’d spent the previous months chatting with her about this awful event in her life, and yet such was the level of my hippy tarot indoctrination that I still misunderstood what should have been the most straight-talking card on the table. Of course, most of the time the Death card is speaking metaphorically (as the cards do!), and personally I’d only explore the possibility of an actual death if the card was in a past position, or if the querent had brought that topic to the table themselves (with a lot of consideration and sensitivity in both cases). Tarot should be insightful and useful. It can give us difficult home truths for sure, but it should never be downright f*cking terrifying! It’s unethical and potentially very damaging to be talking about a death lurking in someone’s life unless you already know it’s a given. That aside though, as I learned, death can mean death; we just have to know how to work with that if it does appear in a reading, and to give someone the chance to talk about it if they want to.

Death of the Physical

When I first became obsessed with tarot, eleven years or so ago, it was shortly after my dad died. In retrospect, I was looking for something to help me understand life, death and to open up the possibility of something else happening after death. In 2004 I found myself buying a Tarot of the Cat People  deck from a New-Agey book shop in Manchester (England) and was pulled into a world of beautiful symbolism which helped me deal with his death in the most beautiful way I could have hoped for. Ultimately, it was a spiritual connection I was experiencing with the cards the first time around. Subsequently, as I slowly started doubting the concept of the afterlife and ‘another realm’ (yes my dear spiritual hippies, it does happen and it’s okay), the cards slipped into the background in my life. 

Death of the Identity

It’s ten years later. I’ve been a musician with a passionate music act who has been constantly performing and releasing records for almost my entire adult life. Around the time that this major phase in my life was dying (once again, against my will), my friend bought me the gorgeous and surreal Nicoletta Ceccoli deck as a Christmas gift. At first, I peeled off the wrapper and gorked. Tarot? Now? All that creepy-cute, little-girls-with-massive-heads artwork, too (even if I did still care for tarot, I’d never choose a deck like this for myself!). But I pulled out the cards regardless, and even with a Christmas Day hangover from hell, within one hour I was back there again, simply appreciating how incredible it is that these images and symbols developed by human beings, for other human beings seem to capture pretty much all of the major themes we experience in life. I became obsessed like never before, only this time keeping an open mind as to what’s going on with tarot. Whatever is happening, I decided, it just doesn’t matter. I was sick of music, sick of the underground punk communities I was involved with, sick of the politics, and - to an extent - sick of people in general! Exploring the phases of my life through someone else's symbolism and artwork was powerful and moving; it made me feel small, insignificant, and all the more amazing for it. Move over, massive ego, you’ve had your decade. Here was the tarot again, giving me a new passion and focus in life, helping me through this metaphorical death that I was kicking so slowly and pathetically against, and I began a professional tarot reading service with a desire to share it with others. I adore that Ceccoli deck now too (big-headed-little-girls and all); it really is like being transported to another world, and that’s very welcome at the moment. I honestly don’t like this one very much right now.

Major Arcana 13 Waite Smith Tarot

Death in both its literal and metaphorical sense is what brought me to tarot, and yet the card is cheeky enough to never show up in my own readings, despite it being a card I am very comfortable with. Perhaps the cards which don’t have strong lessons to offer at any given time in your life won’t show up for you. What can such a card have to actually offer anyway? Death has brought me to the tarot twice over; I am still feeling its impact in my life on a daily basis, so it stands to reason that I don’t have anything to learn from it right now. On the other hand, the skeptic side of my tarot brain (it’s still active babes, and I embrace it) says perhaps it’s just a coincidence not worth reading into. I honestly find tarot amazing, whatever is - or even isn’t - going on. Either way, the tarot holds my hand through both life and death, and for that I am so happy to have discovered it.

Perhaps, like me, the tarot “theme” that brought you to the cards is not one that you see reflected in your own readings. Have a think; how did you discover tarot? Was it family (10 of Cups)? Childhood (6 of Cups)? Pure chance (Wheel of Fortune)? Destructive habits (The Devil)? Take the suitable card out, do a bit of work with it, and give it an appreciative thumbs up. You’ve got a lot to thank it for!

Visit the Tarot Cat's blog and website for more great posts!

Answers to Your Questions about Tarot: Why wouldn’t you want to do a reading?

This question is from Katie, who wondered why she was reticent to perform a specific tarot spread about a new child in her life.

The spread was called “A Child is Born”, and had a very predictive tone to it.

I believe there are times when all things are possible, and predictions just aren’t helpful. The energy wrapped up in a brand new baby is like that – why try to limit the possibilities with predictions?

At these sorts of times, it might be best to ask different questions of the cards, such has, “How can I help this new person?” or “What do I need to know about this new person?”

Often, when we are reticent to go to the cards, it’s really the questions we are asking, or the spread we are using, that create the problem.

Enjoy the video!