Practicing Tarot in a Group Setting

If you haven’t yet listened to The Witch Daily Show I highly recommend it. Author and editor of Witch Way Magazine Tonya Brown discusses magical topics each day, sharing insights in short and easy-to-follow pod cast episodes. Tonya answers questions from listeners on each episode, and an episode this past featured a question that I helped to answer.

The question was about learning tarot with groups and how to approach tarot in a group setting. You can listen to the question and answer in its entirety in the February 13th episode on Podbean, Spotify, or iTunes, though I thought that I’d share my answer with you here in case you’d like to read along or have reference to the letter Tonya shared with her audience. I hope you enjoy!

Was steht in den Karten?, by Paul Spangenberg, 1911

Learning tarot in a group setting can be a very rewarding experience because it gives you the opportunity to study tarot in a safe and supportive environment. Tarot in a group setting can also allow for you to gain wisdom through interactive conversations and practice reading sessions. As you can tell, I am a big fan of studying and practicing tarot in a group setting! This question inspired me so much I actually reached out to my tarot community to ask them for their thoughts and experiences with tarot and group settings as well – you’ll hear me mention a few of my friends and tarot colleagues through this answer!

I’m going to share with you three paths I see as productive methods for advancing your tarot studies in a group. You can practice tarot in a group setting by 1. using lessons and class content, 2. using interactive activities that are fun and informative, and 3. giving readings to each other. 

 1.     Class Format. One common method for working with tarot in a group is using your time to approach tarot with traditional studying techniques. In other words: bring lessons, books, and notes to the group. You may want to have time to discuss a book on tarot that you are all collectively reading – this is a great way to share exchange thoughts and opinions on research you are sharing. Or, perhaps you can have one person share a “show and tell” for each meeting, take five minutes to talk about a card they have extensively studied and worked with.

2.     Interactive Activities. A fun method of learning tarot in a group setting is with interactive activities that double as informative exercises into deepening your understanding of the tarot. There are plenty of exercises that are can be fun to try in a group setting. Professional tarot card reader and teacher Ciaran Mealer has her students pick one card – each person in the group writes down their own interpretations and messages from that card. Then, each person takes a moment to share with the group what they’ve written down. Both Ciaran and I have used the following in a group setting, and I absolutely love it: A great activity to open up the meeting with is to have each person pick a card they think represents them, then explain why. 

Another activity that I really like in a group setting is have participants act out the cards – this is really something that aspiring thespians would like! You can start with one person pulling a card – have that person talk about the card they pulled, and what is happening in the card. Then, have the person speak about the card as if they are the card. For example, if I pulled the Fool, I may say something like, “I am feeling really high energy right now, like I could do anything I wanted to!” 

Next, have another person pull another card and also speak on behalf of the card. For example, this person pulls the Five of Pentacles and says, “I’m a little concerned that I don’t have everything I need to be safe and secure.” Now, have the two people, playing the roles of the cards they picked, interact with each other. So, in this example perhaps the Five of Pentacles would say to the Fool, “Do you have everything you need to have a safe adventure?” Or, maybe the Fool would say to the Five of Pentacles, “I don’t think you see the freedoms and opportunities that you have.” These are just examples, but you get the picture. You can have as many people as you’d like add to this exercise. I love it because it really helps people get a holistic view of the cards, allowing them to see how their interpretations are shaped simply by being in the presence of other cards. 

Kyndyll Lackey, aka The Hermit Priestess, especially loves to tackle the Court cards in a    group setting, saying “It’s fun to brainstorm celebrities or fictional characters that match each court card as a group.” It can be a lot of fun deciding which queen is which   Golden Girl, or which member of Led Zeppelin is which knight. Have fun with this!

 3.     Shared Readings. Practicing reading tarot with others is going to be one of the most effective ways of advancing your tarot practice. The simplest method of doing shared readings is by pairing off participants. But you may find it is also interesting to have each participant pull a card for one person. This is a really interesting approach to seeing how different people come up with interpretations, advice, and answers for a reading. You can also working with different tarot spreads, or even incorporating other forms of divination into a reading. For example, if your group is familiar with oracle cards, how would pulling an oracle card with the tarot spread support the overall reading? 

Finally, here is some additional advice you can keep in mind about working with tarot in a group setting as well:

• Learning tarot in a group offers many opportunities for absorbing new information and hearing about tarot from a variety of perspectives. If your tarot group is amongst friends, consider what can be done to create a comfortable and familiar environment. Something about tarot craves intimacy and comfort – so a small group with thoughtful and inspired friends may help to create a safe space where everyone feels comfortable participating and openly sharing their thoughts. You may want to set up a cozy group setting with candles, incense, tea, snacks – the kind of place where everyone feels right at home. 

• GLAM Witch Michael Herkes reminds you: “Look at reading tarot is kind of like a game of mad libs! The cards are a noun, verb, adjective, etc. and depending on the sentence might change slightly! Essentially... reading tarot is not as black and white as reading a guidebook. Allow an engaging experience in a group setting to show novice readers just how colorful and lively reading can be.”

• Astrologer and Medium Suzie Kerr Wright wisely observes “Listen, remain open, let your intuition flow, but don't compare yourself to others. Don't get discouraged if you see others excelling in their knowledge and you're still trying to figure out what the Fool means. Go at your own pace and take what you need, leave the rest.”

I hope that all of this information helps you, and that the methods and suggestions I’ve recommended are things that you try out with your group of friends. If you have any other questions about tarot you are welcome to email me at kiki.dombrowski@gmail.com and keep listening to The Witch Daily Show podcast for your daily dose of magical insight and musings!

Tarot Reflections: The Death and Sun Cards at Chichen Itza

I have finally settled in and feel back in balance with my regular schedule after an adventurous vacation in Mexico. One of the highlights of my holiday in Mexico was a visit to the Mayan archaeological site of Chichen Itza. The astounding ruins reminded me of a tarot reading I did where both the Death Card and the Sun Card sat harmoniously together. The two cards may feel like opposites, but like Chichen Itza, they hold compatible energies that illuminate transformation, rebirth, and a sacred reverence for the passage of time - lessons that deeply resonate with the approaching Winter Solstice.

The Platform of the Skulls reminded me of the Death Card. It is believed this platform was a place that displayed the decapitated heads of sacrificed victims and captives from war. Here there are carvings of skulls in the walls, but also of warriors, sacrifice, and blossoming fruit trees. The Tempolo de Kukulacan, or El Castillo, is the centerpiece of Chichen Itza and dedicated to the feathered serpent god Kukulacan. El Castillo feels like a living site to me, and seeing that the structure meticulously chronicles their calendar through reminds me of the Sun Card. At the base of El Castillo's stairs are serpent sculptures, and at each spring and autumn equinox the sun casts shadows along these stairs, creating the illusion of a serpent slithering down the pyramid. And, what we are looking at is layer three: there are two structures underneath it, the first being a complete mystery to archaeologists. Even more intriguing are the archeo-acoustics of El Castillo: if you clap at its base an eerie high pitched chirp reverberates through the area. This chirping is said to be in honor of the Resplendent Quetzal, a bird revered by the Mayans.

In the simplest sense the Death card indicates transition, transformation, and the endings of cycles. The Sun indicates hope, abundance, good health, good fortune, and rebirth. For me, the Death and Sun cards show the passage of time and the wondrous cyclical nature of existence, both on a very personal level and on a grander scale. Great civilizations rise and fall, and as they do we breathe in deeply and expressively sing the songs of their history and mythology. While roaming Chichen Itza I was reminded of the the Mayan calendar's conclusion of a "Grand Cycle" in 2012, and how the death of one cycle also heralds the birth of a new one. Change can be difficult for some to handle, and it can be easy to react instinctively to change with resistance or fear. But change can lead to opportunities for personal growth, gained wisdom, and new perspectives. Passage and transition is always happening, and even when we feel blocked or stuck, time is still moving forwards. Nothing is stationary, progress can be refreshing and beneficial. If you find the Death and Sun Cards appearing in your tarot readings, consider what in your life is coming to a close and how this might actually be and opportunity for personal growth. Endings of jobs, relationships, and chapters are natural. George Harrison sings “All Things Must Pass” and also “Here Comes the Sun.” So, perhaps consider that when an old cycles concludes a new one awaits you with brighter, more powerful, and more fulfilling opportunities. Acknowledge the stress and challenges of evolution, but celebrate the rewards of it as well.

Tarot Reflections: The Moon Card On 11/11 and a Full Moon Eve

Today is 11/11 and we are on the eve of a Full Moon in Taurus. 11/11 is a special day  for those who observe and celebrate numerology. The number 11 is revered as a mystical number of enlightenment, psychic abilities, and spiritual awakening. The number takes on the imagery of two columns, symbolizing a gateway or portal. This gateway energy at the full moon reminded me of the towers or pillars in the Moon Card. 

The pillars in the Moon Card loom in the distance, the moon shining between them, as if they are standing stones of an ancient magical civilization, marking a sacred astronomical sacred event. Perhaps the moon shines on the path below, illuminating a path towards a gateway or portal. We can only theorize where the path goes beyond the pillars of the Moon Card. No veil blocks us from going beyond the pillars. It is our choice whether to follow the path beyond the pillars to it’s reveal, or retreat from and not risk dabbling in the hidden. It’s also important to mention that the pillars also appear in the Death Card: Pamela Coleman Smith thus weaves the Otherwordly energy of these pillars through both cards.

How do you respond to the tarot card? Do you feel good when you look at it, or do you feel uncomfortable? The Moon Card is both loved and feared by tarot readers. On one side the Moon Card could indicate psychism, empathy, intuition, devotion to the ancient paths of enlightenment, femininity, receptivity, and vivid dreams. On the other hand: this card could indicate disillusionment, abandoning the path, falling privy to fantasy, depression or bipolarism, sadness hiding below the surface, and dreading the reality we are stuck in. So, how do we ever handle the precarious energy of the Moon Card?

As the nights grow longer and the weather gets gloomier it can indicate time to honor the night. In a mundane sense this could mean now is a good time slow down, rest, pause, recuperate, and indulge in cozy and comfortable activities. In an esoteric sense honoring the night may mean turning inwards and examining your deep, soulful yearnings, and asking yourself where the path in your dreams would take you to. Personally, I have had vivid dreams with strange and clairvoyant messages. How are your dreams right now? Are you writing them down and analyzing them?

During this full moon ponder what feels authentic and true, and what illusions distract you from your goals and evolution. Maybe it’s the kind of evening where you engage in a deep conversation about our own limitations as humans. Maybe it is a good time to contemplate those places in the world that feel like they touch an unseen, supernatural, and magical force. What secrets are being withheld from all of us? Think about the stone structures and ancient monuments that ancient civilizations saw as gateways to Otherworlds. What do you think hints are we getting to indicate what lies beyond the pillars? Strange sounds? Otherworldly creatures? Spirit guides? Extraterrestrials? Take a deep dive into those conversations – I think you will find as we move forward into these strange times these veiled things that were once hidden will start to reveal themselves.

Tarot Reflections: The Magician in Mercury Retrograde

The Magician represents raw creative energy. His talent is taking spiritual and mental concepts and manifesting them into a physical reality. I have always been partial to the Magician card, I think in part because of its bright colors and garden landscape, but also because he is about to begin a ritual. He holds a wand towards the sky and also points his finger to the ground, his pose embodying the magical phrase “As above, so below.” He has everything he needs to succeed. The tools lay in front of him to perform to initiate magic and create the results he desires.

The Magician appears to remind you that this can be a time of action. You may have brilliant ideas, creative breakthroughs, or even hear or sense spiritual messages. It’s time to do something with all of this organic magic inside of you waiting to come out.

He is ruled by the planet Mercury, planet of communication, speech, travel, intellect, adaptability, and perception. I enjoy reflecting on the Magician during Mercury Retrograde, which is occurring right now, and for me has been a challenging time. For anyone else struggling with the intensity of this Mercury Retrograde, let the Magician help redirect you back to your magical altar: the tools of success and manifestation are in front of you.

Here are a few suggestions for Magician activities, if he is resonating with you today. I have tried to be mindful of this suggestive list to keep it sensitive to the current energies of Mercury Retrograde:

• Say the following powerful words out loud: “I forgive myself.” Double up this power and say: “I forgive you.”

• The Magician is sometimes connected to trickster energy, originally being depicted as a street gambler. Be mindful of the words and intentions of others. Look to see if the words match the actions. Keep your distance from those with nothing nice to say of others. Only add to conversations that enhance success as opposed to lessening others. 

• Sing, chant, pray, or use incantations to ask for clarity, direction, guidance, success, and support through transitions. 

• Think about a major project that you want to manifest and share with the world. Build out a timeline, outline, and/or brain map to begin plotting out the path to this project’s creation and ultimate completion. 

• Write a letter, whether you intend to share it or not. Consider writing the letter to someone you wish to reconnect with, or even yourself. Just be mindful during Mercury Retrograde to resist the temptation to contact an Ex!

• Wear or diffuse a blend of sandalwood and lavender oil to conjure hopeful, and soothing thoughts. 

• Read ‘Big Magic’ by Elizabeth Gilbert.

• Meet with a therapist or life coach to discuss dreams and develop realistic plans to make those dreams a reality. Or, seek out a teacher who can help you deepen your knowledge and strengthen your natural skill sets.

• Practice a grounding activity. This can be an activity that brings your attention to your body and it’s interaction with the earth below it. This can be as simple as sitting in the Child’s Pose, or planting your feet firmly on the ground and visualizing roots growing from the soles of your feet deep into the earth. 

• Pull three cards for the Magician. Card 1 represents a project you need to focus on right now. Card 2 represents a creative talent you need to explore. Card 3 represents a magical talent or spiritual practice you need to study. 

• Strange suggestion, but I always share clairaudient hits, and today when I look at the Magician card I hear Gandalf reading the magical inscription on the doors to Moria: “Speak, friend, and enter.”

Seven Sisters Tarot Spread

The Taurids Meteor shower is peaking this week. The meteors appear to travel from the constellation Taurus. While admiring this area of the night sky see if you can find the star cluster of the Pleiades, a star cluster cluster in Taurus. The brightest stars in the cluster are named after the Seven Sisters of Greek mythology, along with their parents Atlas and Pleione. Here is a tarot spread I created a long time ago to honor the personalities and stories of the Seven Sisters. I hope you enjoy it while the meteor shower is overhead!

Tarot Reflections: The Death Card

The Death Card has been appearing in many readings I have given over the past week, and rightly so. We are all feeling a shifting, transformative, and Otherworldly energy. It is apparent in the air, in the moods we are feeling, and in the nature of the world right now. I believe the reason we are feeling it so strongly and deeply right now is threefold: we are experiencing the New Moon in Scorpio, Samhain is approaching, and the Veil that separates our world from the Otherworld is thin. Today I would like to talk about the transformative energy of the New Moon in Scorpio and the Death Card. I will circle back later in the week to discuss Samhain and the Veil in greater detail. 

The New Moon in Scorpio is an intense time where you may be working through some challenging emotions. Perhaps those bad habits, difficult relationships, or burdensome emotions that you left on the backburner all summer are now at the forefront of your attention. You may feel annoyed, angry, or depressed. Now is the time to examine those feelings and remove those difficult patterns and habits from your life. If you are having negative feelings try and identify what triggers them. You cannot turn away from whatever is causing suffering in your life now: these things need to be examined, understood, honored, and released. These lessons are similar in the Death Card, which happens to be ruled by Scorpio.

In the Smith-Waite deck, the Death Card depicts a skeleton in a black suit of armor. He rides a pale horse, a reference to Death in the Book of Revelations. Various figures respond to him in fear or discomfort, with the exception of a child who innocently offers him flowers. Tarot reader and author Madame Pamita observes that Death doesn’t carry a scythe, but instead carries a flag with a rose on it. This suggests that the Death card does not deal out scary or violent changes. He does however, impact everyone around him, showing that change is an inevitable and indiscriminate reality. As George Harrison sings: “All things must pass.”

In the background of the card the sun is rising through two pillars, show the dawn of opportunity. Perhaps the pillars represent a portal point, or a gate to the Otherworld, like the space where the sun peaks through sacred monoliths to mark the passage of seasons. The Death Card appears when we lean into change. Change is certain, loss is painful, and the removal of things that have become familiar to us can be brutal – especially if you are anything like me and stubborn to change. But, there is one thing you can keep in mind while experiencing transition: you can control of your reaction to change.  So, I urge you to pass through those pillars, move towards that monolithic portal, and accept that the hard work must be done. You will ultimately be gifted wisdom through the evolution of mind, spirit, and magic. 

Every time I write about a tarot card, I like to look at its imagery and discover something in it that I may have not noticed before. This time I have noticed the small sailboat on the river in behind Death. Some have said this is the river Styx from Greek mythology, the river that travels to the Underworld of Hades. Rivers have been places of power in many ancient cultures and myths. The sailboat in the Death conjures images of water flowing towards endings, inspiring me to contemplate Pharaohs’ final voyages along the Nile River towards the Valley of the Kings, Gilgamesh and Enkidu journeying along rivers to the Netherworld, hidden rivers in Central American caverns that Mayans revered as paths to the Underworld, and even King Arthur’s final mortal voyage across water to Avalon. 

Imagine being a passenger on this sailboat: perhaps you once stood on that field facing Death (change), accepted that change was inevitable and unavoidable. In accepting change you are released of suffering, blockages, and stagnancy. You watch the banks of the shores passing you by, reflecting on the power of the river and how it not only created fertile land, but would be the passage to another world. The river marks the passage of time, and we all have got to sail it.  How much easier would this journey be if you were not resistant to change?

If you are looking to deepen your understanding of the Death Card, or feel you need clarification on what the changes that you are going through personally, try to pull three cards: Card one indicates what is ready to end in your life or something that would be best removed from your life. Card two indicates how you can allow yourself to let go of that thing from Card One. Card three reveals the opportunities or beginnings that will appear as a result of the removal or ending.  

I recommend wearing a blend of vanilla and cedarwood oils to help ground you, protect you, and surround you with love while moving through these transitions. A piece of tiger’s eye can give you courage, black obsidian or tourmaline can help protect you, or Mookie jasper can help you with accepting change. Today I will be harvesting the final herbs of my garden to create smoke wands, basil rinses, and herbal bundles – in doing this I help to facilitate transitions in my garden space. I also feel naturally inclined today to clean and organize the house, decorate it with pumpkins and apples, and take stock of what I’d like to fill in the cabinets for the winter. It is a lovely afternoon where I am to prepare the home for coziness, comfort, healing and security. Wherever you are I hope that this week you are able to do the same. 

Finally, I would love to hear from you and have a few questions to ponder with the Death card: 

• What changes are happening in your life right now? 

• How does transition feel to you? 

• Do you feel a greater shift happening in our world? 

• How does the Veil feel to you, and how do you sense it is thinning? 

Please click here for the see all works referenced.

October Witch Tarot Spread

October is one of my favorite times of the year! Here is a tarot spread I created to help explore, celebrate, and develop your spiritual practices during October. I hope you enjoy!

A Tarot Reading on Abundance and Gratitude

For modern day witches and pagans the Autumn Equinox is a special time. It is a time of transition, inching ever closer to Samhain and the darker time of year that magical people revel in. The air itself changes: we go from heavy and humid weather to cool and crisp weather. Nature around us transforms into a palette of vibrant reds and golds. The very world shifts into an Otherworldly landscape. Mabon/the Autumn Equinox is also known as the Second Harvest, following Lughnassadh in August. At this time our gardens are full of vegetables and fruits ripe and ready to be harvested. It is from this that at Mabon/the Autumn Equinox we celebrate abundance and give thanks for where we have plenty. With this idea of plenty, I wanted this week’s reading to focus on abundance and gratitude. Take a moment to pick one of the cards that you are most drawn to and read the interpretations below.

If you picked the card on the left you picked The Sun. With the Sun Card you can celebrate emotional success. Your life is spiritually abundant and you feel light, brilliant, and divine. Right now your relationship with divinity comes to the forefront: it is a time where you feel liberated from worry and anxiety as a result of your dedication to magic and creativity. If these interpretations feel like something you want to experience more of in your life, you picked this card to remind you that now is a time to take care of your emotional wellness. Reflect on where you have strengthened emotionally and grown spiritually. Consider the times in your life that you’ve felt the most happy. Contemplate what the most satisfying activities are in your life. Hold onto these sensations and memories, as they will allow for you to identify moments of pure happiness. Some associate the baby on this card as the Sun King, so in considering the Sun King’s association with rebirth, spend time in the coming week discovering where you would like to transform and be reborn. Speak with divinity through meditation, prayer, chanting, spell, or ritual to help you make this so. 

If you picked the center card you picked the Ten of Pentacles. With the Ten of Pentacles you can celebrate domestic success. You have abundance with your homestead and health. Right now your relationship with those in your home and tribe come to the forefront: it is a time to embrace the coziness and luxury of your home life. If these interpretations feel like something you want to experience more of in your life, you picked this card to remind you that now is an excellent time to create sacred space. Reflect on what you have already done to stabilize your homestead and grow your financial security. Looking forward, what can you do to ensure your private space provides comfort, inspiration, and support? This card also reminds me of the rune Othala, which represents estate, inheritance, and ancestors. How does your ancestry influence and inspire you? And finally, the Ten of Pentacles may be an indicator that now is a wonderful time to break dull routines and try out leisurely, pleasurable, and exciting new activities.

If you picked the card on the right you picked the Nine of Cups. With the Nine of Cups you can celebrate public success. You have an abundance of social success and a calendar full of opportunities. Right now your relationship with your community comes to the forefront: the world loves you and supports you in your endeavors. If these interpretations feel like something you want to experience more of in your life, you picked this card to remind you that now is a time to share your joy with the world. Reflect on the worldly gains you have recently relished in and social encounters that made you feel hopeful. Your story is inspiring, so moving forward, ask yourself who you can help to succeed. The Nine of Cups is also traditionally seen as the “Wish Card,” as it is believed that when you receive this card you can make a wish and it will come true. Finally, this card can indicate a time to be mindful of your own personal reserves: that is, take time to care for yourself by slowing down and allowing for pauses in your wild (but rewarding) schedule. 

Happy Fall Y'all! A Tarot Spread to Enjoy for the Autumnal Equinox

When I have the time I love to create tarot spreads for readers to enjoy. This one marks my favorite time of the year: FALL! Happy Autumn witches and readers - I hope this spread is an enjoyable way to explore the magic and energy of the Autumnal Equinox.

Reflecting on Generosity in Tarot

For Tarot Tuesday I wanted to discuss generosity and the benefit of offering services to others. I always look to align with those who strive to build and develop personal, creative, and professional relationships. You have probably observed that people who are enthusiastic and supportive of their peers' successes manifest abundant, vibrant, and creative lives for themselves. Being generous does not mean that you will lose what is rightfully yours, but instead you will gain what what is soulfully rewarding. Try this today: see how you feel if you set your mindset to generosity and support. Watch the people around you in awe as they blossom and mature. You may find that your day is much lighter. Through kindness, generosity, and support, you may find that you may build a valuable network of relationships that can lead authentic connections. Read about a card that you are most drawn to, or feel free to read about each to you explore different expressions of generosity. These interpretations examine cards that show generosity between people, so my hope is that these interpretations help you see how you can be a loving support system for those around you.

Six of Swords: Remain present for others through transition. If you picked the Six of Swords (the card on the left) your service to others is to be available to those going through times of transition. This card shows a man ferrying two people to a better place. Sometimes one of the kindest acts we can do is to remain present for someone when they are moving from one situation to another. Change can be a tricky thing - it means leaving behind familiarity and moving into unknown territories. Think of a time you went through massive changes - who was there for you? What would have helped make that transition smoother? Keep this in mind because you have the opportunity to assist someone in a challenging and tricky situation. One brilliant observation by author and tarot expert Rachel Pollack is that the Six of Swords is extremely silent. In considering the silent nature of the Six of Swords, your generosity can be to remain quiet and simply be an active listener. Sometimes just saying "I hear you" to someone can be the most effective method form of generosity there is. Additional suggestions to express generosity through the Six of Swords: participate in a Reiki share, smudge your home or a friend's home, offer to listen to someone vent, participate in or lead a group meditation, help someone move or travel, or share a meaningful crystal with someone. The crystal with this card is Dumortierite Quartz, which is used to connect with Spirit Guides, ease grief, restore mental powers, and develop patience.

Six of Pentacles: Share resources. If you picked the Six of Pentacles (the center card) your service to others is to be share resources. The Six of Pentacles shows a person sharing money to people in need. You will find that you profit the most by sharing resources and supporting other businesses. The most progressive thing you can do to mobilize your own prosperity is to support your community’s prosperity. Connect two people who can help each other out, collaborate if you have a solution to someone's nagging issue, and help to develop other people's prosperity. You will find that by helping others manifest their dreams your own may come into fruition as well. Think of a project or time in your life when you needed help - who did you ask for help and why? Keep this resourceful person in mind and consider who it is you can be resourceful or charitable to. Additional suggestions to express generosity through the Six of Pentacles: practice "pay it forward" by paying for the person behind you in line, gift a book to someone, plug a close friend’s business, donate to a charity that is important to you, refer someone to a job, write someone a recommendation, or share food with someone. The crystal with this card is Unakite Jasper, which is used to enhance kindness, uncover opportunities, reduce anxiety, and boost confidence and love.

Six of Cups: Create loving space. If you picked the Six of Cups (the card on the right) your service to others is to create a comforting and loving space. This card shows one child giving flowers to another child. In many ways the Six of Cups shows an innocent exchange where these two children can simply be who they are. In that sense it may also be mindful to meditate on the idea of “safe space,” and what it means to be open and caring to people from all different walks of life. Think of a time you felt the most comfortable or experienced hospitality - who were you with and where were you? Keep this in mind as you offer comfort to others through your actions and words. You may feel inspired and creative when those around you are in the position to share their loving authenticity. Additional suggestions generous expressions through the Six of Cups: organize an event or party that welcomes marginalized communities, compliment someone, reach out to someone you are missing, volunteer to work with people in need, treat your significant other out on a date, babysit, or petsit. The crystal with this card is botswana agate, which is used to deepen universal love, conjure creativity, stabilize wellness, and promote spiritual comfort.

Are there other cards you think that reflect the theme of generosity? If so, which cards? Leave a comment and let me know!

Tarot Reflections: The Star Card

The Star card indicates a time of healing and inspiration. It is a relieving card to see, especially since it follows the Tower card in the Major Arcana. This placement is essential: after suffering through the challenges of the Tower card, the Star allows you to pause to heal, regroup, and find inner peace. The Star offers you an environment to do the healing work, but also urges you stay determined to personally evolve. If you receive the Star card you are not simply here for an easy experience, but a profound experience filled with complex emotions and events to deepen your understanding of the range of human feelings and the power of hope. The Star gives you the magic to help others who may need support as they move through their own suffering. Let healing and guidance move gently and passively by simply being present to listen.

The Star asks you to examine what divinity is: what are you experiencing on this planet, in this era of shifting and transition? Do you feel out of place with the times and overwhelmed by the pain inflicted in our world? The Star offers us the hope that there is more beyond these five senses. In terms of the tarot, the High Priestess card shows us the perspective of “in front of the veil,” where we wish to cross into the magical Otherworld. The Star is said to show us the perspective from “behind the veil.” With the Star Card you have finally stepped into the Otherworld dimension where magic is prevalent. It is here where you feel you can reconnect with spirituality, feel soaked in the healing rays of the stars above, and let the healing pools of water wash over you and the land. There is realization with the Star card that when we are our authentic selves we blossom with joy and inspiration. Be open to receiving transmissions from the Divine Creator, who wishes to extend to you the magic you need to manifest inspiration and prosperity in your life so you may heal, ascend, and share those universal treasures with others.

I love to suggest that the seven stars surrounding the main Star above the figure in the Star are the Pleiades star cluster in the constellation of Taurus. This brings in a whole other element to the interpretation of the Star, and that is a connection to higher realms of consciousness and perhaps even ultra-terrestrials. Perhaps this isn’t too far-fetched, as some have debated that the scene in the Star may be on another planet altogether. We live in an unusual time – we can drink from the deep well of ancient knowledge and we can also look upwards into the heavens and meditate on what else is out there.  

Other readers suggest that the Star is a symbol of Polaris – the North Star that guides us. If that is the case, then consider the Star as a suggestion to use your heart as a compass. Let your heart guide you back to your true self and the path you feel your soul has brought you to this place to experience.

Star Card Activities to Initiate:

• Use your own way to speak with Divinity – whether in prayer, meditation, chant, or otherwise.

• Close your eyes and envision you as your best self. What does it look like? How does it feel?

• Write a letter to yourself or someone you love encouraging them to follow their dreams.

• Read a New Age or Metaphysical Book.

• Study tarot or another form of divination.

• Speak with the goddesses Nyx or Nut. 

• Practice a cleansing or purifying ritual.

• Drink water with monatomic gold. 

• Make a wish or cast a spell to grant wishes. 

• Take a risk – it’s an auspicious time to make dreams come true.

• Go outside and stargaze. See if you can spot the Pleiades star cluster (visible in the fall and winter in the Northern Hemisphere).

Crystals in the Star card picture include crystal quartz for enhancing energies, green calcite for healing, and a variety of blue crystals. My favorite, and one connected to the Star card, is the Aqua Aura Quartz. Another blue crystal in the picture, and also connected to the Star card is Celestite.

I would also like to take this opportunity to share with you my personal connections to The Star at the moment. This past year was one of the most challenging I faced. I was misdiagnosed with two significant medical conditions. Although I am blessed to indeed not suffer from the conditions, I did have to endure dozens of doctor visits, thousands of dollars in medical bills, physical trauma from medication that my body rejected, and mental trauma that took the form of health anxiety (ie hypochondria). On top of health issues my loving and magical friend and familiar Phoebe passed away after battling Cushings Disease for the past year. Months later I still find myself deep in grief over this loss. At the same time all of these things were happening my day job required monumental levels of attention and endurance. By the time I got home I simply had no energy left to give. This was the Tower Card time for me: a painful period where it was hard to see past the grief and suffering.

I am so thankful that I am feeling better these days. I truly believe it has been the support, comfort, and cheerleading that my friends have been showering me with that have helped me through the toughest points. After a lot of rest and personal reflection I am feeling inspired again to turn my attention to metaphysics, magic, and creativity, with the hopes it may inspire and heal those who encounter it.