Tarot is such a versatile tool. My use of the cards is hardly limited to divination and even within the confines of divination as an approach, there are still so many practical applications. Today, I'm going to break down the different ways you can use tarot to help make decisions.

Before we get into techniques, I want to share with you a few instances where I've been able to navigate different life situations to arrive at a desired outcome. One of my first experiences with tarot as a decision making tool, was when I was house hunting. The market was (still is, really) a seller's game and options seemed not only limited, but not ideal. In a series of readings that spanned a couple of hours, we explored many different possibilities, all looking dismal, until we arrived at the one - the one we ultimately went for and couldn't be happier with. I write more about this experience on another blog post, if you want to read more!
While this was a major decision, I've also used tarot to help me make decisions where selling my home was concerned, making changes to my spiritual business and helping me navigate certain dealings with our builder. Yes, tarot has basically helped me navigate every part of buying and selling a home!

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Full disclosure - I am of the camp that believes Justice has found it's proper place as the 11th Arcana, though I know there are many who prefer it as the 8th and I am sure there are plenty of valid reasons why that makes sense. However, I'm here to discuss one of the reasons why the latter resonates more with me, and that is because in the 11th spot, based on numerology, it vibrates in line with The High Priestess.

While on the surface, Justice and The High Priestess appear to have little in common, I actually consider these cards to be two sides of the same coin and the secret to reading the tarot. A bit of a bold claim I suppose, but stay with me and we'll get to that...before we do though, let's explore the visual similarities and differences.

Someday you’re gonna look back on this moment of your life as such a sweet time of grieving. You’ll see that you were in mourning and your heart was broken, but your life was changing. -Elizabeth Gilbert

Last month's In-Depth had us exploring the Page of Pentacles, and when I posted about the article on Instagram, I received a request to cover the 3 of Swords next. Since I have just about zero agenda as it comes to these pieces, expect for the hope that I can produce them at a rate of one a month, I was open to the suggestion.

So here we are, my third In-Depth and in it we'll be taking a deep dive with that sometimes dreaded and often difficult 3 of Swords. I say sometimes dreaded and often difficult, because rarely do you pull this card to a rave reaction or sigh of relief. No, 3 swords piecing a heart doesn't exactly conjure up those warm and fuzzys. But, that's not to say there is nothing positive to be gleaned from its presence, but we'll talk more on that later.

"Never stop dreaming, never stop believing, never give up, never stop trying, and never stop learning." -Roy T. Bennett

It's been over a year since I've done an in-depth, but today I felt compelled to pull together another. I'd love to eventually have a full section on this site devoted to card meanings - but this will be a slow process and I'm not setting any tangible deadlines.

For today's selection, I threw it to spirit and asked what card I should focus on. Spirit responded with the Page of Pentacles and so, that is the card we'll be tackling! So, who is the Page of Pentacles and what may his presence indicate in the context of a tarot reading? Pages are typically considered one of three things. 1) An actual physical person in the seeker's life (or the seeker themselves) 2) Attributes that are symbolically relevant to the reading or 3) A messenger (more on that one later).

Tarot has many uses, and one day I intend to write a blog post detailing the ones I go to most commonly, but today, I want to tackle just one - communicating with spirit.

Before we get into techniques, I first want to distinguish this method of using tarot from regular spirit-chat when it comes to divination or reflective readings. When I'm doing a reading, especially for others, I often refer to the messages received as having "come from spirit". So, when I send email reports out, I'll have lines that read "spirit says..." or "spirit wants you to know...". This is not me specifically communicating with a deceased loved one, for example, but simply put, I use the word "spirit" to describe a large body of otherworldlyness - i.e. your spirit guide team, your higher self, the divine source etc.

Maybe you've been reading the cards awhile or perhaps you just started - whatever the case, you’ve probably thought to yourself at some point, “how exactly do these things work? or “why do they work?”

The truth is, no one can tell you for certain, but, it’s fun to play with theories. Below I’ve shared 5 ideas that may explain how or why tarot works. In terms of my own belief system, I don’t think one idea is more true than any other and I tend to think they all play a role and factor in.

These theories may ring true for you or you may have your own ideas which are just as valid (I’d also love to hear them, so please leave a comment if you’re up to sharing). 

As for my totally inconclusive list of reasons why tarot works, here it is!

Tomorrow is the much anticipated Solar Eclipse in Leo and depending where you are in this world, you may experience total-partial darkness for a brief period of time.

Solar eclipses are relatively rare and when they show up, it's a good time for us to take a peek at what's lurking in our shadows and what is attempting to find its way to light. It's also an opportunity to allow for some serious transformation to take place and depending where this eclipse is landing for you in your chart, it could mean a focus on different things.

To figure out where the eclipse is showing up for you, you need to locate what house Leo lands on in your natal chart. You can run a chart over at Cafe Astrology, which is an excellent resource that I use frequently since I'm definitely no Astrology expert. Once you've run your chart, scroll down to the bottom and find what house Leo falls in for you. There are 12 houses total and I've included a list below so you can reference what each of them means. Please note that I've included the natural sign that occupies each house to provide more context to that house, but your natal chart will show you specifically where the signs are landing for you.

I've been working with the Wisdom of the Oracle for awhile now and truthfully, it is the only oracle deck that I really consistently use - especially when I'm reading for others. While the aesthetic doesn't sing to my soul, what this deck does deliver for me is no-nonsense practical guidance and cards that are easy to interpret no matter what the question or situation. I don't think this deck is particularly hard to grasp, though the thing with oracle cards (unlike tarot) is that each deck is like a brand new system needing to be learned and that can feel daunting. 

One of the things that made it even easier to assimilate all those meanings was associating them back to tarot cards that I felt carried a very similar meaning, vibe or energy. So, if you're a tarot card reader and new to the Wisdom of the Oracle, I've compiled a quick tarot association cheat sheet. Hopefully you agree with the cards I've selected but with anything, some of these things can be personal and so I encourage you to explore and come to your own conclusions as well. (see chart after cut)

Hey All,

I am so thrilled to be taking part in this first ever International Tarot Day blog hop along with so many interesting, inspiring and diverse bloggers. I hope you enjoyed reading all about the 6 of Pentacles over on Heather's blog and in mine, we'll be tackling the more pensive 7.

The 7 of Pentacles to me is like the pause before fruition. This is why for many decks, you’re going to see the scene on this card depicting a sort of growth. In the traditional RWS, we see what I assume is a farmer reflecting on the work that’s so far been achieved - 7 coins blooming in a bushel representing the results of our labour.

Yesterday I posted on Instagram a quote about letting your intuition lead, and wrote about a recent TED Talk I'd listened to before going to sleep. It's become a bit of a ritual to queue up a talk and let it glide me into sleepytime. If I do this, I am guaranteed to catch at least one in full, and then I generally end up falling asleep part way through the second.

Part of the reason I love TED talks is because they are so bite sized and succinct. They also make my mission to consciously consume my entertainment super easy. What I mean by consciously consume is to pursue entertainment in a very intentional way. That doesn't mean I never watch fluff, because yes, I like to let go of consciousness every once and slip into fantasy land. I'm human. But, the purpose of this post isn't to talk about ways to shut off - it's about leaning into entertainment in a way that can intellectually and or spiritually...turn you on.

Hey Tarot enthusiasts, I've made a fun little quiz to put your knowledge of the cards to the test! There are 4 ranks that can be achieved - Fool, Magician, Hermit or Star; where do you fit in? Take the test and find out!

This entry and topic is born from challenge. This is something that had muddled around in my mind and through the process of thinking, over thinking, and thinking some more, I've finally come to a place in my practice where I know how to confidently tackle this pressing issue and commonly asked question: "what is my life path and purpose?"

Let me first take you back in time, a couple of years ago. It was close to my birthday and I wanted to order a reading for myself. This was before I was providing readings for others (besides friends and family) and prior to me being visible on social media. I looked around online and found someone who I vibed with and ordered a "life path and purpose" reading. The reader worked with the Life Purpose Oracle deck combined with meditation and angel work. It didn't take long to get my report back, and the results? Energy Healer. He also provided some suggestions, divinely inspired, to check out some course offerings and to select something that spoke to my soul. He said I shouldn't spend a lot of money and it wouldn't take much education, but it would be a good way to get my feet wet on a certain bracket of metaphysics that I was drawn to. Well, I didn't pursue energy healing per say, but I did immediately follow his other suggestion and let my gut and heart guide me. It was through this process that I found a spirit guide coach certification course and signed my ass up. I can say with certainty, this was a pivotal and changing moment for me. 

For many tarot practitioners, we understand the value in a well constructed question. In fact, if a question isn't clear enough, I'll reach out to my client to rework it so it's more succinct. The philosophy states, the better the question, the better the answer, and so many a great readings start with a well thought out and fully formed question.

But what about those times when you just want a straight forward, yes or no response!? Damn it tarot, I just want to know if I'm gonna get that job or not!

Okay, here's the thing. There is something inherently problematic about a closed ended question where Tarot is concerned, and that's that it doesn't allow any room for grey. I am a firm believer in free will, but I also understand energy and trajectory, so while I think it's possible that Tarot can show us the "likelys", the future isn't set in stone, and so there must always be room for the "maybe". Even if the answer is "yes", it's always a "yes" with a caveat. So, how can you determine probability using tarot? Well, keep reading and I'll show you!