Weekly Forecast: November 26 - December 2

This hefty Knight of Cups is staring out at us as if challenging us to a duel. Hardly the sensitive dreamer from the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, artist Jonasa Jaus' version of the card seems confrontational and blunt. We're being asked to see our feelings for what they are this week, even if they're challenging or something other than what we've been hoping for. 

And yet the center of this reading is The World, a hopeful card, yes, but also a deeply personal and expressive one. It tells us that confronting these feelings is freeing us up to be ourselves. Denial can make us feel stagnant and inauthentic, out of sync with our true selves. This week, the other side is just within reach; all we need to do is harness our bravery and face things head-on like the Knight of Cups.

There's a rebellious immediacy to the knights that can bring refreshing verve into tender situations. The Knight of Cups, in particular, is not one to discount their feelings. Sometimes this can lead to  impulsive drama when we allow our emotions to get the best of us. Yet in other situations the Knight of Cups gives us a direct line to our true feelings, the ones that have been begging to get out.

In this reading, our formidable Knight is leading us towards The World, so we can trust that identifying and expressing these feelings supports our personal growth and the world around us. If we march towards them deliberately - we're ready to go and protected with all that armor - and display them with the genuine self-expression and vulnerability of The World we might be surprised at how much our lives open up.

There's another option in these cards, too. The Seven of Swords introduces an element of self-deception. Some of these feelings have been buried and repressed, hidden from ourselves and those around us, and therefore cloaked in confusion. Part of us would like to bypass all this intensity - acknowledging our true feelings and seeing things as they are. Oh, yes, and the most important part: doing something about them.

The Seven of Swords wants to skip past all the hard stuff and move to the next level without doing the work. As you may have guessed, this doesn't work for long. Eventually these feelings catch up to us. We can either examine them now and tease apart their importance or do so later, but after things have become more confusing and even hurtful.

The beauty here is that The World is waiting for us, right here in the center. Paired with the Knight of Cups, we can see that clarity is closer than it's ever been and it's bringing a sense of wholeness. Though The World is an inherently joyous card it also makes room for the tenderness of being our true self in a constantly changing and unpredictable world. Our only constant is ourselves and how we choose to show up. Weaving together all the stands of life - difficult feelings included - gives us a sense of precious beauty and gratitude. 

Running away from difficult emotions, choosing to shove them away because they seem purely negative, cheats us of a sense of fulfillment and the self-trust that we'll be there for ourselves through the good and the bad. Embracing them and respecting them like the Knight of Cups not only restores our sense of agency, but may surprise us with the rapid healing and complex fulfillment that comes from self-love. The World is in our reach and there's room for every emotion and experience. 

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A Tarot Spread Celebrating Abundance

I like to give myself a big, in-depth tarot reading at the beginning of each month. Sure, I love shorter readings, but I find that laying out a huge mess of cards can lead to some fascinating connections and insights. Smaller spreads let us hone in on key issues while larger ones open us up to whole new horizons.

I was feeling inspired last month and designed this spread which mimics the layout of the Ten of Cups, pictured here. What’s more delightful than an array of jolly cups on a rainbow? Similarly, this spread shows us what’s bringing us fulfillment and emotional satisfaction.

There are so many spreads out there for moments of challenge and crisis. Or ones that focus on problem solving. I wanted something breezier and more affirming, a picure of what’s working well.

use this spread when…

This spread has a decidedly optimistic outlook and you could use it to either amplify your good feelings or cheer yourself up when you’re feeling down. In either case, it’s all about showcasing what’s going well in your life and where you can grow and find ease, joy, and expression.

Long story short, if you’re in the mood for affirmation and a bigger picture, this is the spread for you!

look for

Have fun making connections between the positions. First, tie in card 1 (you) to each of the remaining cards to see how you can work with their topics. Think, “how would card 1 approach ___” or “what might card 1 tell me about this?”

As in any spread, pay attention to groups: Major Arcana cards, Minors, courts, and suits. I had a bunch of court cards in my reading which told me that so much of what I have to enjoy and cultivate in my life is in my relationships with other people.

learn more

Click on the image above for more details and happy reading! Be sure to share your experiences with this spread below and share it with anyone who might enjoy its zesty positivity.

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Weekly Forecast: November 19-25

How do we engage with community, both chosen and inherited? It's fascinating that this week - the week of Thanksgiving for those of us in the states - features the Three of Cups, a card all about coming together and sharing joy with others. 

This card has been a frequent addition to so many readings lately that I've been holding it close in my mind, mulling over all the happiness, richness, and, yes, even challenges that come with community. 

What do we do when our groups and gatherings require more than just lighthearted abandon? How do we navigate our different needs, opinions, and personalities? This week shows us congregating in a moment of celebration - The Three of Cups - and bringing some interesting and non-traditional tools to the table. We are, it seems, poised to navigate our differences and remain true to ourselves, whether it's over large ideological issues like politics or small tensions like what kind of cranberry sauce is the best (canned, homemade, smooth, or chunky??)

With the Three of Cups front row center, we can see that the overall context is warm and delightful. Just our ability to connect with others is something worth celebrating and, interestingly, this is not a card that focuses on or represents family exclusively. All connections, biological or chosen, are beautiful and worthy.

This is the basic foundation of our week; but, as we know, groups can get complicated quickly, and the other two cards see us doing some wise preparation for the hubbub. 

One could see the King of Swords and think, "Aha! We're arriving armed for battle!" While this is a pretty crude interpretation, it's somewhat applicable here, though a lot less militant! Rather than showing up to our gatherings with swords brandished, we're actually doing the wise mental preparation to navigate the different kind of intensities around our celebrations. This can be stress-based, aka "let me plan out how to cook all this food without losing my mind," or ideological - "what is really important for me during this gathering and what do I want to communicate about my ideas?"

There are no one-size-fits-all answers to that final question. The King of Swords does show us all that we have the ability to stand behind what we value and use our sharp mental powers to think through how we'd like to present them. What's more, this card has the formidable mix of diplomacy and strength. Using this approach we can find ways to be our truest self and take part in the celebration.

I love this combination of self-awareness and fun because we usually assume one excludes the other. The King of Swords asks us to cut through that myth and embrace our power to participate mindfully, clearing a path for ourselves to be a part of a group while being ourselves. 

Fascinatingly, we end things with The Chariot. Clearly, something more epic is coming from these efforts than bloated stomachs and some time off to nap. Engaging with the ins-and-outs of connection head-on, embracing the stress with the joy and the love with the disagreement, is creating a complex and beautiful alliance. 

When we look at The Chariot we see two horses leading the way. Proceeding as a unified front requires training and patience and lots of work. It's up-close and personal. Someone's going to neigh and bite, rear up in the air and come down huffing. That's what it means to harness all that wild and alive power. But if our larger goal is the same we can drive towards it together, still kicking occasionally, but united in our connection and strong in the power of our individual selves brought together.

The Three of Cups, rather than being frivolous and small, sees us practicing and strengthening our ability to move forward together as The Chariot. No matter how inconsequential it seems, our ability to show up for each other and navigate the complexities of our relationships strengthens and solidifies the important, beautiful, and diverse bonds between us. 

But first, the celebration!

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Weekend Send-Off: Cozy Times

Well, it’s cold here at last! Unfortunately, it’s been raining constantly, too. After three cloudy and damp days spent hunched over my computer putting the finishing touches on the updated Year Ahead Readings I felt like the tech version of Gollum. Seeing the sun today has been deeply enlivening and I’m hoping to spend some time taking in the fresh air and putting my garden to bed.

Though I have to admit I did have a blast adding some more magic to these readings. I have a special place in my heart for making artsy PDF booklets and readings (just ask my tarot students! I think my Tarot Basics class book is 30+ pages) Amidst all that magic, I did have some time for tarot-related explorations, such as…

Benebell Wen’s Experience of Creating and Publishing a Tarot Deck - “Behind the Scenes of the Glamorous Deck Collector”

I love Benebell Wen’s unvarnished explorations of being a metaphysical practitioner. Her site is full of amazingly frank and helpful resources - spreasheets on how to make a tarot business work, legal insights, and now the realities of creating your own deck.

I’m sure many of us have casually mentioned creating our own deck and even more of us have produced indie or self-published tarot or oracle cards. Well, now we have a much better picture of what it looks like behind the scenes. Spoiler alert: it’s a lot of work!

Asali Earthwork’s Thoughts on Court Cards

We had so many courts pop up in our collective reading at Tarot Club last night that it was such a pleasure to stumble upon this nice overview today. Courts can be the trickiest to learn since they open us up to questions rather than answering them, but this refreshingly straightforward investigation should be helpful to anyone trying to navigate these sixteen cards.

Repeat Tarot Card - Three of Cups

More than just this week, this card has been all over my readings for over two months now. Not that I’m complaining; its jovial and community oriented tone is always welcome (and has some complex facets to boot.)

Most fascinatingly, it appeared in a reading at a party a few weeks ago. Instead of the usual questions about love or career, the querent wanted to know about the political situation in the U.S. You know, light party fare! This appeared to show what we can do to be more involved: work together and show up in-person in our communities to lift each other up. Now that I can get behind.

Listening, Reading, Watching

After following Sarah Gottesdiener on instagram for ages, I was delighted to see her launch a podcast on magic with Amanda Yates Garcia. Strange Magic approaches tarot and other practices from an intersectional feminist lens and has been featuring interesting episodes on each of the Major Arcana cards. Definitely worth checking out if you need another tarot podcast in your life.

Outside of the woo-sphere, I’ve been really enjoying the show Homecoming with Julia Roberts. I was NOT expecting such a tense and artful show full of oldschool cinematography techniques! It’s a visiaul treat and easily digestible with 30-minute episdoes.

And, yes, I have picked up another depressing book, but it is truly and deeply amazing - The Unwomanly Face of War: An Oral History of Women in World War II by Svetlana Alexeivich.

And now, finally, our card for the weekend:

Ace of Cups

Message: Stay alert and excited for a beautiful emotional gift: a new connection, important realization, deeply felt feeling, or moment of transcendent beauty.

Embrace: Connections, socialization, emotional honesty, curiosity, open-mindedness.

Let Go Of: Hyper-rationality, emotional repression, fear of being seen, predictable routines.

Guidance: Something magical could happen at any moment and no other card encapsulates the sustaining joys of the unknown than the Ace of Cups. Look forward to profound experiences and allow yourself to look for them in unexpected places.

Weekly Forecast: November 12-18

This week we're skirting around an issue that means a lot to us and, while we have a larger intuitive understanding of what we're dealing with, our conscious minds need to do some catching up. It's tender territory, in other words, but one we're slowly approaching and very ready for. 

How do we recognize this area of our lives? It's big, expansive and requires us to change our understanding of our capabilities. Look for a feeling of anticipation, the fizz of the alluring unknown, and a healthy bit of trepidation around a change, pursuit, or project.

What's quite beautiful about this group of cards is that we start with the Queen of Cups, one of the most intuitively robust in tarot. This queen knows that her power comes from her connection to herself and she respects her feelings as harbingers of wisdom instead of unwanted distractions or signs of weakness. Rather than "I think therefore I am," this card says, "I feel therefore I am." Her knowledge begins with her personal experience.

In this reading she tells us that deep down we're aware of what we need to be growing into; we've been taking the time to nurture it from a small seed into a sprout that's ready to be planted. The idea might not be in full focus, but the feelings surrounding it most certainly are.

What's interesting here is that we have a court card about intuition instead of a heavy-hitting Major Arcana card like the High Priestess or The Star. This means that we're easing into a new understanding of ourselves, experimenting with a persona like we might try on a new and daring outfit in the hopes that it suits us. 

Judgment, with it's far-from-subtle blaring trumpet, gives us a refreshingly straightforward answer. We're onto something here! The Queen of Cups outfit we're trying on fits us so well that people are cheering when we step out of the dressing room.Tapping into our intuitive selves, whether it's through a new interest, career path, or form of expression, is bringing us a new sense of fulfillment that's radiating outwards and making some very positive splashes in the world around us. 

Of course, this is also a lot to take in, especially if we're coming from the tender seed stage! The Two of Swords sees us retreating into familiar territory to regroup and reassess, almost as if we're trying to moderate the loudness of Judgment's trumpet blast. 

This is all well and good - the Two of Swords features heavy water motifs showing that intuition can still be included with the intellect - but we may want to watch out for retreating too far and using our rationality to reason ourselves out of a necessary change. 

Still, we can move forward at our own pace, giving ourselves plenty of time to acclimate to the large, resounding scope of Judgment's message. We can always consult ourselves as we chart this path, editing as we go. The Queen of Cups, however, tells us to follow our hearts above all and trust in the immense power of our instincts. We're on a very rewarding track and our deepest self knows it. 

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Book Review: The Creative Tarot by Jessa Crispin

There’s no shortage of tarot book on the market, as we all know. But how often does one come along with a refreshing new focus that can add to anyone’s practice? In The Creative Tarot, editor, author and tarot expert Jessa Crispin provides us with an insightful exploration into tarot’s relationship to creativity that’s full of new connections to the cards.

Book Overview

The book itself is designed for anyone engaged with creative pursuits - artists, in particular. You don’t, however, have to identify as one to gain something from this book. In my many years studying tarot, I’ve found that reading multiple sources with only generalized tarot meanings can be confusing and overwhelming. What’s more, it’s difficult to flesh out the cards into all their possibilities. Sure, we may know that the Five of Cups deals with grief and loss, but how does that tie into career, love, or creativity specifically?

Approaching tarot from the creative perspective gives the book an engaging and helpful sense of structure. Limiting herself to this vantage point, Crispin intersperses her card descriptions with ties to artists and artwork that reflect their themes and issues. So, for example, the Queen of Swords becomes tied to the photographer Sally Mann, whose piercing photos of her children required her to insert a sense of detachment from her role as a mother in order to capture her uniquely magical and feral images.

Giving the reader these stories and associations is a priceless addition to our tarot meaning database. Each card description has several pages of text followed by suggestions for works of art to explore. These include paintings, films, songs, and dances. I love the added dimension Crispin gives with these options for further exploration. Indeed, the indelible experience of taking in art marries perfectly with tarot’s wordless and often inexpressible deeper meaning.

Writing Style

The overall tone of the book is wonderfully colloquial and eloquent. We can see Crispin’s voracious intellect in her writing without feeling alienated. It’s an engaging and accessible read that also challenges us to seek out the artists embodied in the cards and make our own associations. Now that’s my kind of approach to tarot!

The book concludes with a massively helpful section on spreads. Crispin’s own tarot practice has evolved around creative issues and clients so she has a lot to offer in this arena. Her spreads are concise, useful, and include helpful example readings to give us a sense of how they play out in real life. I’m looking forward to using these as I navigate my many creative projects and plans.

And now into the details of the book itself.

This Book is Wonderful for…

Anyone who identifies as creative (though, in my humble opinion, I think we all should embrace this title!) and those looking for new and refreshing tarot meanings and associations. She specifically addresses themes of creative block, doubt, success, monetization, and integrity, among many others.

Crispin’s card meanings are treasure troves of art and information. I have a massive reading list from this book alone and found myself googling multiple artists and artworks while reading!

Creative Tarot is also a great tarot book for those who are more on the intellectual end of the “woo spectrum.” Crispin is wonderfully intelligent and has a pragmatic approach to tarot that’s accessible for many, especially those who don’t feel comfortable identifying as spiritual or interested in divination or the occult. For example, her section on tarot history is refreshingly up-front and dispels many alluring myths around the cards with dry humor.

Skip this Book if…

You’re looking for a more esoteric approach or a strictly introductory text. While Crispin covers a lot of ground in a very accessible way, this book isn’t designed for a complete tarot beginner looking for a traditional approach. This book is also focused on the Rider-Waite-Smith tradition, so for those looking to study another system look elsewhere.

Strengths

• Clear and concise writing

• A helpful “tarot FAQ” in the introduction perfect for those on the fence and concerned about some of the myths and misconceptions around tarot.

• Helpful structure - Crispin limits each card description to a few pages and divides her book into sections on the major arcana while dividing the minor arcana by number instead of suit (an approach I find massively helpful when learning!)

• Evocative and intriguing connections to art - this my favorite part of the book. It truly opens worlds to the reader and provides priceless associations with anectdotes, stories, and artworks.

• Engaging tone - this book is far from dry and moves at a lovely pace. You can imagine Crispin sharing her stories with you personally and get drawn into her unique perspective and personality.

Weaknesses

• The artists Crispin references are predominately drawn from Western art history

• Some assumptions about the reader having a specific body of knowledge. This book doesn’t hold your hand and jumps straight into sometimes academic reflections on art and history (this can also be seen as a pro!) that may be intimidating to some readers.

Conclusion

Overall, this book is a wonderfully engaging journey into the often-neglected connections between tarot and creativity. I can see myself gifting this book to my smart and creative friends who are curious about using tarot as a tool for inspiration and guidance in their projects. And I’ll definitely be purchasing a copy to use as a reference and point myself towards inspiring creators and their art.

Weekly Forecast: November 5-11

Why is it that we often choose to highlight our struggles instead of our happiness? This week's reading challenges our assumption that the most difficult things deserve the most attention. What can happen when we take abundance seriously?

As a young teenager filled with angst, I spent a lot of time listening to Elliott Smith and crying with theatrical intensity. Of course, I was having a hard time navigating the formidable wilderness of high school, but I was also finding comforting stasis in my sadness (just ask my livejournal!) 

I built up a wonderful and well-tended myth around the difficulties in my life and used them as a shield. Of course my life was meaningful and important - just look at how hard I was struggling! But I was also relatively cozy and had a lot of wonderful things occurring at the same time. Rather than give those attention I tended to my angst with the diligence of a master gardener. And, as one would expect, it flourished while the rest of my life stayed the same.

This week we're being asked to lift our heads from the difficult or frustrating and do the more challenging work of nurturing and highlighting our abundant joy and success. Having these cards back to back - the intense Three of Swords with the celebratory Three of Cups - suggests that we've been trained to see one instead of the other. Perhaps we're even choosing to highlight our struggles as a way of protecting ourselves. Is the open happiness of the Three of Cups boastful or ego-driven? Is it leaving us vulnerable to criticism and judgment?

I think of how easy it is to wax poetic about the latest struggle in your life only to come up with a few measly sentences to describe a major accomplishment or beautiful moment. Focusing on the fear - the Three of Swords - limits our expression and growth. So much can happen when we're unabashedly broadcasting our strengths and dreams, one of the most important being that is attracts friends and allies who want to join in on the party. 

And, yes, it can be difficult. There will always be Three of Swords experiences in our lives. Turning our back on the concurrent Three of Cups moments, however, keeps us in a limited place. We can struggle forward with joy, too. It's more complex, sure, but far more meaningful.

Speaking of meaning, The High Priestess is holding down the other end of our reading with patient wisdom. Her presence elevates the magic of the Three of Cups, telling us to direct our attention to what's growing, giving back to us, and bringing us closer to other people. Doing so is awakening an important sense of purpose and uncovering some pretty profound insights. 

The High Priestess chooses to see the world as a place full of mystery and meaning. What's more, she positions herself as an important keeper of knowledge. Her presence here inspires us to turn her curious gaze towards the Three of Cups moments in our lives. They are, in her eyes, full of important and magical connections worthy of study. The Three of Swords has had more than its share of time in the spotlight. Now it's time to discover that the Three of Cups has to tell us about ourselves and the world around us. 

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Weekend Send-Off: Seasonal Transitions

This week has been a nice, slow re-entry to post-Halloween life and I’ve finally had time to do some strategic business planning and dive back into creating blog posts and newsletters for you all. Maybe I’ll miss the hectic event schedule of October in a few weeks, but for now I’m taking the time to breathe deeply and re-center.

Here are some of the highlights from the past seven days - please share yours in the comments below!

Tarot Discoveries - Tea-Soaked Letter by Anna Burch

I love seeing tarot show up in pop culture, so it was fun to discover the cards in the music video for this delightful song. That three of swords looks ominous!

Witches in the News - “Real-life witches practice everyday magic in the Triangle”

It’s always nice to see positive mentions of witchcraft, metaphysical practices, and paganism in the news, so this feature by The Daily Tarheel is an all-around joy. And although the comment section isn’t the kindest, I did get a chuckle out of the grab-bag of defensive responses!

Repeat Tarot Card - Four of Pentacles

It seems like a lot of us have been feeling the urge to hold our resources tightly this past week. The Four of Pentacles sees us valuing stability and wanting things to stay the same, if only just for a little bit…

Listening, Reading, Watching

For some reason whenever I go to the library I pick up a bunch of intense books. Rarely do I come home with something lighthearted and simple (though I could probably use it!). Case in point: this week I checked out The Lucifer Effect by creator of the Stanford prison experiment, Philip Zimbardo (it’s amazing) and Sabrina, the latest graphic novel by Nick Drnaso.

I knew nothing about Sabrina going in and devoured it in one sitting. Perhaps foolishly, I assumed it’d be at least somewhat happy (there’s flowers on the back!) but, no. It’s a riveting and devastating look into our current relationship to truth, hardship, and social media while being uniquely and utterly itself. I highly recommend it to any graphic novel fans out there or anyone looking for an insightful and artistic take on our modern times. Though maybe not for general uplift an merriment ;)

And now, finally, our card for the weekend:

Two of Swords

Message: Focus in on a big choice in your life right now.

Embrace: Gathering facts, trusting your instincts, making space for information to come through.

Let Go Of: Confusing what could be a straightforward choice into something more dramatic, needing absolute clarity.

Guidance: It’s important to give ourselves time and space to mull things over; however, being too isolated can block out connection and creativity. The choice at hand can be exciting and expansive if we let it.

Samhain Reflections

I lovingly joke that counting the times I hear “when the veil between the worlds is thinnest” during this season would be a full time job. It’s true that October, home to the holidays Halloween and Samhain, has a strong association with the otherworldly. I’ve always loved this time of year because it seems extra magical: when else are we permitted to play with the spooky, imaginative, and uncanny sides of the human experience with such abandon?

This is also the busiest time of the year for a professional tarot reader, so finding time to squeeze in my personal celebrations has been a bit of a challenge. And what’s more, there’s some tenderness and pressure tied to Halloween as well.

A quick trip through “witch instagram” will give you hundreds of examples of rituals and tarot spreads to conduct for Halloween or the pagan holiday Samhain. And, in true instagram fashion, all of these are laid out and photographed alluringly with candles, crystals, flowers - the whole ritualistic shebang.

So you won’t be surprised to hear that I was pressuring myself to come up with something meaningful, elaborate, and photogenic. And, as seems to always be the case, my internal judgment and expectations lead to… nothing.

To be fair, I’d been running around hosting a big party and reading at several others the weekend before. When the 31st came around I was plum tuckered out. And, since Halloween and Samhain deal with all things ancestral (what’s behind that thin veil), I had a lot of emotions tied to contacting them.

I think it’s easy to get caught up in the “shoulds” of any situation, and witchcraft and magic are no different. With instagram things get trickier. Those photogenic altars are meant to telegraph profound and developed personal practices. Many of them are. But they often gloss over the more challenging aspects and experiences.

For me, ancestral reverence and communication can be an emotional and complicated practice. Not all of us have straightforward or uncomplicated relationships to our ancestors. Many were complicated people making the best of a complicated time. Working with them can be an emotional experience and that side, I’ve found, is rarely shown online.

So instead of having a lush Samhain ritual, I simply sat and experienced my feelings. Grief, love, emptiness, and searching - all of them were enough to handle as I focused on making a very ancestral meal of pierogis/vareniki and relaxing the best I could.

And this morning? I got up early, clearer and more focused, and called my beloved ancestors into a circle for a tarot reading. The time was right and it was more than enough.