Weekly Forecast: November 6-12

Shortcuts can be oh so tempting. Why not do things the easy way? Phone it in just this one time? Take a little extra here and there - after all who will notice?

The issue with this approach is twofold. Firstly, being tricky is only satisfying in the moment. After an initial burst of pride at having gotten away with something a nagging doubt pops up - it's our good old friend, our conscience. And secondly, sometimes we're not the only ones who notice. A sustained campaign of trickiness is difficult to overlook. After a while, people start seeing it, whether it's our shady attitude or the deeds themselves.

Now before we get away with ourselves, let's remember that taking the easy way out is a very human instinct. Add in our obsession with efficiency and speed and we can easily seduce ourselves into thinking we're doing the right thing .Though not always pretty, this instinct is a part of the process. This week we get a chance to engage with our squirrely side and observe where we feel called to be tricky and why.

The Seven of Swords is an interesting card because it shows us a moment where we've achieved so much by taking the long and challenging route. Why are we tempted to sneak off at this moment? The Seven can represent self-sabotage and times when we use false logic to trick ourselves into something that's ultimately against our interests. What are the actual thoughts behind this impulse? Are we afraid of our own success? Feeling unworthy? Scared of responsibility? 

Now is a good time to examine our motivations because our tricky behavior will quickly come to light. Justice is quite the card to follow the Seven of Swords! Nothing escapes the gaze of Justice, and before you run off an cower in a corner, this is a good thing. A natural check for the Seven, if you will. When brought to Justice's scales any self-sabotaging (or purely sabotaging) actions don't pass the test. And what is the test? Fairness, equality, kindness, and balance. We can always do better and Justice points us in the right direction.

Whether Justice manifests as our guilty consciences or an outside force, we'll be feeling called out this week and exposed.It's a vulnerable and scary feeling, one that will have us crumpling like the figure in the Ten of Swords. While this reaction feels dramatic - and in the moment we may feel overwhelmed by guilt or regret - it's temporary. Justice's presence tells us that facing our faults - in this case the desire to take the easy way out - is an important part of our self-growth. And strangely enough, the sun is rising in the background of the Ten of Swords. Soon we'll be able to get up and move forward, all the wiser and ready for our own tricks. 

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Getting to Know the Major Arcana: The Fool's Journey

 We're all familiar with the Death card, The Lovers, The Devil... the major arcana tap into the subconscious rapidly with their archetypal imagery. It's no surprise then that these are the cards that make tarot, well, the tarot.

Even if you have no working knowledge of the tarot you can already sense the importance of this group of cards. The majors point to large events and the deep transformation that we undertake as we travel through life. They're the stages of our personal development, our role-models, hang-ups, and challenges. 

Starting with card zero, The Fool, the majors chart a journey of self-discovery known aptly as "the Fool's journey." As the main character of the major arcana so to speak, The Fool travels through each of the remaining 21 cards, experiencing each one and assimilating their lessons. Once he reaches the end he doesn't rest, however. He simply begins again, continuing to interact with each card on a higher level. The Fool's journey is never truly over just as we never truly stop growing.

Explore Major Arcana Card Meanings

We can divide The Fool's journey into three stages with seven cards each.

Stage one, from The Magicians to The Chariot, represents our social self.

This is the time when we experiment with identity and our relationships with others, navigating our power (The Magician) the pros and cons of structure (The Emperor), our connection with sensuality and relationships (The Empress) and our intution (The High Priestess.) This is a time where we interact deeply with the archetypes of the mother, father, lover, emperor, priest, and priestess, among others.

The guiding questions are "who am I?" and "how do I fit into the world?"

Stage two, from Strength to Temperance, opens things up to a moral realm where we must confront how our actions influence others.

Here we grapple with ethics and difficult questions. Our ideas and values are put to the test and we try out different ways of being - solitude, risk-taking, self-control, and surrendering control.

Key questions during this phase are "What do I believe in?" and "How do I want to be in the world?"

Stage three, from The Devil to The World, opens things up to a cosmic scale.

These cards see us dealing with our spritual identity as we figure out our place in the universe. Yes, it's deep stuff! Our lessons become grander and the boundaries and challenges less clearly defined. We learn to listen to our inner clarion call as well as to follow our spiritual path in whatever form it takes. Dealing with temptation (The Devil) and dramatic misfortune (The Tower) allows us to heal ourselves and amplify our powers on our path towards opening up fully to life (The World.)

Important questions during this time are "What is my greater purpose?" and "How do I open up to the universe?"

We can use the Fool's Journey as a helpful tool for reading majors when they pop up in our spreads. Simply put you our your querent in The Fool's shoes. Note which cards have apeared - they represent stages of the Fool's Journey you or your querent is experiencing. It's a beautiful way of looking at the dance of changes we undertake in our lives and a helpful way to engage with the power of the major arcana. How has The Fool's jounrey inspired and aided your experience with tarot? Please share in the coments below...

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Tarot IRL: Practicing Tarot with People Watching

Tarot doesn't have to be limited to evocatively lit rooms or private practices. It's easy to find connections to the cards in our everyday lives and doing so can be a great way to bond with the cards and make their meanings stick in your memory. 

I originally stumbled on this technique by accident and ever since it's been a go-to whenever I'm out and about. So next time you're in public and feeling the pull to sedate yourself by scrolling through Instagram, give this a try instead...

People Watching with Tarot

It's no secret that I love people watching. One of my favorite things to do is head the mall, grab a greasy pretzel and diet coke (the vice of my teenage years), and sit on a bench in the food court watching peole walk by. Aside from the thrill of seeing late-Capitalism crumbling around me, I love the mall for its uniting force. On a busy Saturday you can find people of all stripes running about - large families, elderly couples, rogue packs of teenagers trying to look tough, and sweatpant-clad college students. It's a warm and bustling scene; diverse, messy, and oh so human. 

In the midst of all this hustle and bustle I get the best ideas. Strangely enough, I write my favorite poems while sitting at the mall food court. And lately I've been honing my tarot skills as well. 

The Four of Cups could be an embarassed teenager pretending not to be related to his parents

I was introduced to this technique in a very bizarre way. One night while standing in a club waiting for a show to start I noticed a man testing the microphones. Aside from being tall and striking he was also wearing an amazing tarot t-shirt. It had the Death card emblazoned in white across a black background. Looking closer, I noticed that the stage itself was decorated with dangling stars and comets. "It's Death on the cosmic stage!" I thought. It seemed very much like a moment.

Inspired, I decided to ascribe tarot cards to the band as they started to play. The lead singer had a shoulder-length mane of wavy hair and a stoic gaze that seemed to look off into the distance with noble purpose. He's The Chariot! The guitar player was self-posessed and calm, yet her solos were effervescent and masterful. A perfect Star! Once I got going it was hard to stop, and now I take this fun exercise with me wherever I go, adding tarot to any situation I stumble upon.

The Ten of Cups could reflect that happy family eating pizza in the food court

It's really as simple as this: go to any public place and observe the people around you. Allow your intuition to speak - what is the first tarot card that comes to mind? After you've come up with one, dig a little deeper. Just what is it that makes you see The Hermit in your taciturn bank teller? Why does that screaming toddler remind you of the Three of Swords? 

An especially fun addition is to look at interactions, too. So you've identified a man who seems like the King of Swords with a woman who is like the Nine of Pentacles. How are they interacting? Is it harmonious, tense, flirtatious? What can this tell you about these cards?

Keep in mind that this is a fun mental exercise and not a prescriptive judgment. No one person is ever reflected completely as a tarot card, so don't worry about getting things right or wrong. I know that right now, for example, I am definitely feeling more like the restful Four of Swords while last night I was a jovial Three of Cups. 

Seeing tarot at work in the world around us can be enlightening and helpful, not to mention a good way to practice our skills of observation while having a little fun. Give it a try and let me know what you find out! 

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Do I Need Permission to Read Tarot?

What is it about tarot that makes people shy?

Well, there's the mystery. The poetic images seem both familiar and foreign. What messages are they hiding? What do they mean? And how can one lean about them?

There's also the mysticism. Tarot comes with a lot of history, lore, and superstition that, depending on who you ask, means everything or nothing. Are the cards a tool of the devil? An inscrutable magical system only understandable after years of study and an elaborate initiation? Both?

No wonder tarot can seem overwhelming to new learners. 

While I've yet to encounter any wild tarot initiation ceremonies or tarot-related demons, I have encountered lots of anxiety around getting tarot "right," especially from people just starting out.

It's interesting how when we want to learn something new we throw out a lot of obstacles for ourselves. For example, getting caught up with the sheer number of cards - it's too much to memorize! I'll just buy that deck I've had my eye on later...

This is especially true for things we're deepy interested in or areas that reflect a part of ourselves we may be afraid to express. Tarot gets at all these tender spots. As a system it excels in teaching us more about ourselves and encouraging spritual expression. Unfortunately, these aren't always valued by our culture and often it's easier to push our curiosity for the cards aside, directing our focus to more "serious" matters.

I think that's a shame.

I always tell anyone I read for that if they have even the slightest interest they should pick up a deck for themselves and get to know it. Whether you're going to be reading professionally or simply drawing a card a day for personal inspiration, the tarot has so much to offer each and every one of us. You can even buy a deck and ignore it! When the time's right, I bet you'll start shuffling through it.

So if you're looking for permission or some sort of calling, I'm happy to give it to you. Here it is, nice and official: you have my enthusiastic support and permission to embark on the study of the tarot. You are blessed in your jouney wherever it may take you and you are absolutely qualified to add the wisdom of your interpretations to the practice of tarot. We need you. Welcome!

And as for the calling, if you're reading this you've probably already heard it within yourself.

Now get out there and snag yourself your first tarot deck. 

And if you have any questions don't hesitate to reach out. I love to help people along their tarot journeys in any capacity, whether it's through a class, card meanings, this blog, individul mentorship, or a simple email. I'd love to hear from you.

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Weekly Forecast: October 30 - November 5

As the last days of October draw to a close we enter into a darker time of year, one where our natural rhythms slow and we seek out warmth and coziness from our surroundings and relationships. It's no mistake then that so many major holidays fall during this time. As we wind down we get time to see the fruits of our labor and to appreciate the joys of our existence.

This is a glowing assortment of cards, one that reflects simplicity, gratitude, and coming together. Naturally, my mind is on Halloween - the best holiday in my humble opinion - and I can't help but see a story of trick-or-treating in these cards. The energy and enthusiasm of the Page of Wands as you set out on your journey for delicious candy, the happiness of plenty seen in the Nine of Cups (aka when your bag is stuffed to the brim with the choicest candy bars) and the irrepressible feeling of surrender that comes with a candy coma, illustrated here by the Hanged Man. 

Whether you're actually trick-or-treating this coming week or not, you'll be given the opportunity to embrace a similar energy. The Page of Wands is an irrepressible character, full to the brim with youthful energy and more than a pinch of naivete. Oftentimes we attempt to repress or at least edit the childish parts of ourselves, occasionally at the expense of fun and spontaneity. This week, we're given the go-ahead to fully embrace the whims of our inner child so long as they are positive and expansive. In fact, doing so is giving us a path to unlocking achievements that have eluded us. Most importantly, however, leaning into our youthful enthusiasm will give us an opportunity to celebrate the sources of joy already surrounding us. 

I love the imagery that the illustrations of The Fountain Tarot are giving us this week. The radiant energy of the Page of Wands, seen in the soft, inviting hues of red, orange, and yellow, lead directly to the calm and undeniable joy of the Nine of Cups. A card of pure contentment, the nine shows us how being in the moment and caring for our blessings by acknowledging and even caring for them can multiply our good fortune and bring us a sense of clarity. 

This week the cards are inviting us to step away from the drudgery of our obligations and refocus on the sources of happiness we already have. Showing our happiness and excitement like the Page of Wands has the potential to bring in even more sustaining relationships and sources of contentment. We can slow down, relax, and take the time to be where we are right now. It's a safe and beautiful place.

And there's more still. As we lean into appreciating what we have, including our page-like energy, we're finding that there's something else beneath all the fun and warm feelings. I love how the colors from the Page of Wands and the Nine of Cups combine in the sunrise shown in The Hanged Man. As we relax from all the festivities we'll find an exciting idea bubbling beneath the surface. It may be slow and subtle at first, but you'll recognize it by the feeling of excitement and a little trepidation. Don't worry and don't rush. The Hanged Man shows us how letting go opens new doors. This one is just starting to swing open between the unfiltered enthusiasm on the Page of Wands and the joyous contentment of the Nine of Cups. Give it some time to open and then see where it leads... 

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When a Tarot Card Just Doesn't Make Sense

We've all been here before. You've laid out your cards, looked at their meanings and connections, and spun them into an insightful reading. The catch? One of them just doesn't seem to fit. It could be a rogue major arcana, a pesky minor, or a theme that won't tie in no matter how you look at it. Either way, its meaning won't reveal itself to you.

This can be frustrating and a bit of an ego blow. We all know there's nothing like a smooth, free-flowing tarot reading. It's exhilarating and illuminating. We get the insight we want and the satisfaction of pulling it all together.

What would you say if I told you that my favorite part of reading tarot is not knowing what a card means?

Over the years I've done a lot of readings. When I first stumbled on a tricky card I was upset. No matter how many books I consulted it just didn't gel with the rest of the reading. And then I let it sit (definitely more out of frustation than wisdom!) I simply didn't know what to do.

And then the magic happened. 

All the times I've encountered a difficult card it was for a reason. Sometimes a card doesn't reveal itself because it has a larger message that needs time to unfold in real life. These instances have always stuck with me as the most powerful moments in tarot.

An example: I was doing a reading about an opportunity I was going to pursue. Everything was looking peachy and about as "logical" (or understandable, rather) as a tarot reading can be. Then I drew a card that represented "something to watch out for." It was the six of cups.

Now this is perhaps one of the rosiest tarot cards in the decks. It represents connection, innocence, and tenderness. I couldn't for the life of me see how it related to my situation, especially since what I was asking about had very little to do with friendship or relationships.

Fast forward two days and I found myself in a sticky situation involving a friend trying to take advantage of the situation I had been doing the reading for. Suddenly, I understood what the card had been trying to tell me. In the left corner of the six of cups there's an often-ignored figure. It appears to be walking out of the frame and holding a spear and can refer to moments when you let your guard down.

I had been letting my rose-colored vision of this relationship cloud my judgment, choosing to ignore my doubts and "let my guard down." It was an exciting a-ha! moment that drew me deeper into the card and cemented a facet of its meaning with a real life experience.

These tarot moments are unique and special - I never forget them when they happen and they've led me to embrace the times when I can't seem to make a card fit. It may seem counterintuitive, but give it a try for yourself. When you encounter a tricky card let it rest. In time, it will reveal its meaning in your life and leave you with a magical tarot experience and story. 

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5 Ways to Take In Your Tarot Reading

Getting a tarot reading can be overwhelming. There's a lot going on! The images, meanings, and connections can all blur together after the reading is over, much like a spell has been broken. What seemed clear-cut in the moment becomes muddled and you might wish you could replay the entire session to recapture each and every insight.

Before you do, take a deep breath. This is all part of the process. Like a delicious meal, it takes time to digest a reading. The more in-depth and large, the longer it takes. That being said, here are five ways to maximize your knowledge from the cards while minimizing stress. And remember, the message that's the most important will be the most clear to you. 

1. Be Present

It's important to stay present both during and after the reading. Focusing on "catching" important connections takes you out of the experience and cuts off your intuition. You're essentially handing over the reins to your thinking brain, and we all know that brain loves to worry! Practice letting go and opening up to the "flow" of the reading, trusting that in doing so your energy will have a clearer path to interact with the cards. 

2. Follow Your Intuition

Use your senses to access any intuitive messages coming from the cards. These can be tricky to pinpoint at first and a little off-putting for some since they don't take the linear, matter-of-fact form of thoughts. Just try to go with it and see where it takes you! Follow the more ephemeral signs - feelings that come up, impressions, and memories. This can be in the forms of colors, visions, even smells.

For example, I might see the Five of Cups and suddenly think of earl grey tea to the point where I can almost smell it. If I pull on that thread I might discover that it reminds me of my grandmother, adding more personal meaning to the card and the reading at large. These connections are where a lot of the magic of the tarot occurs and they create lasting meaning and a deeper understanding of the cards.

3. Trust the Process

Tarot is about ceeding control and opening up to new energies and ways of thinking. That's whay it's such a powerful tool - it gives us an alternative to our go-to form of problem-solving: rational thought. That's not to say tarot is irrational, it's just that the pathway we take to arrive at a deeper knowledge isn't the one most traveled. Placing trust in the cards and our intuition gives us an opportunity to expand our way of looking at the world and our issues. Take a deep breath, welcome this energy in, and let it unfold as it will. 

4. Pay Attention to First Impressions

You can safely gauge the energy of a card or reading by your first impressions. They're informing you of the dominant theme of the situation and/or most important insights. Whatever jumps out at you is noteworthy and key to your understanding of the reading. 

5. Go With the Flow

Sometimes we have an idea of how our reading will unfurl and anything that deviates can cause us frustration. Don't despair if something just isnt' falling into place or seems to be taking you in a different direction. Lean into the current instead of fighting it. Tarot can be circuitious and meandering, but if one thing's for sure it often deposits us at a much more interesting and rich place. Give yourself time to get acquainted with the new and unexpected messages of the cards. Things will settle down in good time. 

For me, following these reminders helps me remain open to the message of the readings I do for myself and also fosters a unique and deep relationship to the cards. How about you? What do you do to interact with and digest your tarot readings?

Notes from a Tarot Reader: The Eight of Cups, Pigeons, and Change

As many of you know I have a pet pigeon named Pearl. She's a fascinating creature. When I first met her she was a ridiculous ball of puff, confused and suspicious about her new surroundings. Since then, I've had the treat and privilege of learning other shapes she takes: the elongated posture of curiosity, her contented scrunch, and a splay-winged flop when she sunbathes. As we spend more and more time together she reveals new facets of herself.

The latest has been in turns messy, hilarious, and fascinating. It's molting season!

One thing I love about animals is that they're unapologetically themselves. In late summer I noticed Pearl getting grumpier and grumpier. Although she's no shrinking daisy (this pigeon has good boundaries!) she was being particularly salty. Wing-slaps, angry cooing, and hissing pecks came my way whenever I approached. And then the next day when I looked into her cage I saw what looked like a whole bird's worth of feathers.

Since then Pearl has gone through three bouts of moulting. Each has the same pattern: grumpiness, an insatiable appetite for birdseed, and a cascade of feathers. Next, tender new feathers start emerging and Pearl gets sleepy, conserving her energy as she grows. 

The whole process has been beautiful to observe and it has had me thinking a lot about the painful, prickly, and transformative nature of change. I think sometimes we look at the proces as levelling-up, complete with its video-game simplicity. Looking at Pearl, however, I saw how change is gradual and comes in phases. Most importantly, it's a challenging process. Our new feathers feel prickly and itchy, we feel vulnerable, and as we shed what's old there's a time in between when we're left exposed and unsure. We have to trust the process.

Because I'm a tarot reader, I just had to ask myself which tarot cards represent this type of change. Not the cataclysmic type, brought on by outside forces, as shown in The Tarot. As I shuffled through my deck, it dawned on me - the Eight of Cups. 

Oh, how I love this card. It's poetic, mysterious, and a bit unnerving, a cloaked figure moving away from eight upturned cups heading along the start of a rocky mountain pass. Why are they undertaking this journey? The cups behind them are upright and plentiful, surely enough to satisfy their needs, and the road ahead looks bumpy and uncertain. Yet there's a sense of peace there as well, an idea that the natural time has come to move on and that the journey will be worth it. 

Here the idea of moulting, of change, shows up as a natural impulse - an inner call we must heed as we shed what once worked and now is not enough. Who wants to be burdened with old, ratty feathers that are good enough, sure, but far from ideal. Should we abandon change simply because it will be difficult and, at times, painful?

I see this as the moments we all know so well, times when we're called to move on and we're not sure why, only that it feels deeply necessary. Like moulting, it's a primal and natural process. It's part of who we are. 

Looking over at my grumpy pigeon I realize that not questioning these impulses frees us to experience them for what they are and to care for ourselves the best we know how. Pearl certainly doesn't apologize for the fact that she needs extra alone time and much more birdseed when she's shedding her feathers. She certainly doesn't apologize for needing her space as I've learned from several decisive pecks. 

While we don't have to go around wing slapping our friends and family when we're in the process of shedding old ideas, beliefs, or relationships, I think it's important to make room for our own moulting process. Getting to know our needs a we embark on the brave process of change is tender and beautiful. We can give ourself the gift of what we need, making room for time to heal, reflect, and grow. Our reward? A majestic new set of feathers and a greater understanding of who we truly are. 

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Weekly Forecast: October 23-29

As far as Three of Swords illustrations go this one from the Circo Tarot is quite gory. A card that demands your attention whenever its drawn, the Three is all about undeniable pain. It's the feeling when you stub your toe (or worse) and can only experience the sharp waves of discomfort coursing up your leg. Maybe you're so taken aback you spew forth some salty words, temporarily uninhibted from the shock. 

We're dealing with the realm of the swords here, so things aren't literally stabby in a physical sense. Instead, the suffering stems from our minds - what has us wounded, activating our harsh and overthinking tendencies? 

If we take a closer look at this card we see two things. Firstly, three knives (serrated in this case!) are a bit of an overkill. One would certainly do the job. Perhaps there's a tint of overreaction we can't see in the moment. Our pain is amplified by our thoughts. It might seem like there's three knives sticking out of our hearts, but maybe it's just one knife. Maybe we just stubbed our toe.

Secondly, we're just three cards along our journey through the suite of swords. If this wound was fatal, how could we continue? There's more here than meets the eye. What can spring forth from the discharging of our pain and where can it take us? 

Sometimes this card springs up when we 're at a place when we need some good old fashioned, intense emotional catharsis. We like to contain ourselves and present our best face to the world. It's all well and good, but sometimes we can fool ourselves, tamping down more complicated feelings that become hidden even from ourselves. 

We're not closed systems and our suffering needs an outlet just like how we might need to yell out a juicy obscenity when we stub our toe. While at first it might seem like we could drown in the roiling sea of complicated emotions it can often yield surprising and fruitful results.

Now is one of those times, hence the somewhat odd contrast between the emo darkness on the Three of Swords and the exhuberant plentifulness of the Six of Pentacles. Can expressing our negative emotions lead to abundance? This week will see this transformation manifesting itself in surprising ways. Handled with care and respect, digging deeper will open us up to many possibilities. Whether they're residing within ourselves or to be discovered through seeking help from others, these sticky spots are in the process of transforming into happiness and joy.

I especially love how The Wheel of Fortune concludes our reading, a lovely tarot summation and reminder of how we are constantly in a changing world. The sharp certainty of the Three of Swords? It's temporary and part of a natural cycle. Opening up to is and embracing it as a part of our multifaceted experience allows us to live more authetically and fully participate in our lives. 

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