Tarot for Self-Inquiry
What can a deck of cardboard possibly have to say about my life?
A whole lot, as it turns out.
But first, a word about what tarot isn’t.
If your primary exposure to tarot has been through the media, you may be under the impression that it is used as a mystical tool for predicting the future. While it’s true that a psychic may use the cards for divination and predictive purposes, I generally don’t. And neither do many tarot readers.
Why? Because that’s not how most people actually use the cards.
As a reader, here’s what I offer.
I bring expertise in the system of tarot to the table. It’s a complex tool, and requires deep study and lots of practice. The cards involve elements, archetypes, symbols, numerology, myth, astrology. There are many branches on this tree, and readers come at it from a variety of perspectives.
I’m an intuitive, which means I also read to discover the energies, messages, unconscious themes, and archetypal experiences that underlie a particular situation (you know, that stuff you might not find in a tarot guidebook.) For me, images and symbols are a powerful tool for exploring what may not be so evident on the surface of things.
When I work the cards for you, I read for insight and information.
To help reveal what lessons and opportunities exist in the present moment. To bring a new perspective to the table as you are weighing a decision or making a choice. To surface ideas you may not have considered. Or to affirm something you might already know, but haven’t been able to fully trust.
Tarot sometimes does provide a very concrete answer to a discreet question. But more often than not, it serves to help us get clear about hidden influences in our lives, and provides a glimpse at potential outcomes. Tarot reveals where we may be fooling ourselves. It also affirms truth. Best of all, it grounds us in our personal power.
You got that right: a good tarot reading empowers.
It doesn’t always tell us what we want to hear. But somewhere in the telling, it brings us home to ourselves. It points toward what we need to know, and how we can in fact chart a course toward the future we hope to create.
We all have different perspectives.
Mine is that the future is not fated. I believe we each have the power to shape our tomorrows through our thoughts, beliefs, and actions today. If you don’t like where things are headed, you have a chance to change course.
What I find most gratifying is when we use the cards to help you claim your power. Unlock your truth. Uncover possibilities and lessons in order to achieve insight, clarity, and understanding.
TAROT OFFERINGS
At this time, I offer live readings via Zoom video call, and include card pulls during coaching sessions upon request. For those in the local Port Townsend area, an in-person reading may be arranged upon request - please contact me rather than using my online scheduler.
During a coaching session that incorporates tarot, one particularly powerful practice we may choose to apply is the creation of a personal ritual inspired by your tarot reading. This is a small, but meaningful additional step you can take to lock down the insights received, tap into your unconscious, and actively plant seeds of change in your life.
If you’d like support in reading the cards for yourself, I also offer private tarot lessons by Zoom or in person.
Tarot Services
MY TRAINING
To hone my craft, I’ve studied with well regarded professionals in the industry, including Liz Worth and Brigit Esselmont. Another significant influence on my practice includes the work of the late Angeles Arrien, who herself taught several of my mentors, including Shaina Noll. It was Shaina who first introduced me to the depths that tarot can truly go. I maintain an ongoing mentorship with my own teacher, Heather Cole Gatto. Heather continues to guide me in the expansion of my skills and abilities, pushing me ever farther.
I acknowledge tarot’s rich and varied history, and that it holds a place of significance in a number of cultures and traditions. My own practice is rooted most deeply in the cross-cultural study of symbols done by Angeles Arrien, along with architypes of the collective consciousness as explored by Jung and others. Ultimately, my readings are intuitive, and a reflection of my personal connection with Spirit.
How to prepare for a tarot reading
Wondering what to ask the tarot? Sample questions I have read on for clients include:
Past/Present/Future Snapshot (an overview of the energies presently at work in my life)
Power Reading (What has a false sense of power in my life? What power am I ready to step into?)
What is a likely outcome/opportunity if I choose Option A? Option B? Something else?
How can I overcome the fear of not being “good enough” as I launch my new business venture?
I’ve been experiencing a lot of pain in my lower back. What is this disruption tied to, and what is it reflecting to be healed?
How can I overcome the obstacles I’m facing to create the best life for me and my children?
Is a relationship meant to bloom between me and the person I’ve started dating?
Examples of questions that are less effective:
What will my future partner look like, and when will I meet them?
Will I get the job I applied for?
Is my partner cheating on me?
What does my boss really think of me?
The difference between these two types of questions comes down to intent.
In the first set, I worked with my clients to offer perspective and possibilities. They remained in the driver’s seat, and were able to use the information their reading contained as a jumping off point for insight and action.
In the second set of questions, the assumptions are either that one’s fate is pre-ordained, or that we are able to use the cards to read the minds of other people.
From an ethical point of view, I don’t read to figure out the motivations and intentions of third parties. I will only read for possibilities and insights into a professional or personal relationship as it relates to you. Your work. Your growth. Your next steps.
If you want to know what your best friend is thinking, I recommend you ask them rather than the cards! But if you are hoping to discover what lessons there are to be learned from that relationship, or how you might best handle an interaction, conflict, or interpersonal dynamic, I can help with that.