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Two of Wands :: Wild Unknown Tarot
I’ve written interpretations for every card in the Wild Unknown Tarot. As the box of the deck states, there are no rights or wrongs. These are simply my perspectives on the tarot card meanings. I hope you find them useful!
Click here for a directory of all posts in my Wild Unknown series.
Creator’s Keywords: determination, willpower
Carrie’s keywords: personal power, originality
Begin or deepen your tarot studies with
Foundational Tarot, my free video course!
Join the email list for instant access.
Two of Wands Tarot Card Meanings in the Wild Unknown
The Two of Wands is one of the most boldly colored cards in the Wild Unknown tarot. Horizontal lines brush the card with all the colors of the rainbow. The use of color is strategic in this deck – the full spectrum of hues gives this card a sense of multi-faceted energy.
Two Wands point towards the horizon. The angular positioning suggests you can reach right out and take ahold of them! The Wands beckon you forward. What might you find if you embrace their power (which is really your power)? What waits for you off the beaten trail? Are you ready to continue on your unique path, even when it holds struggles and dangers?
The horizontal lines in this and other cards in the Wild Unknown (such as Temperance and the Fool) suggest energy which is currently stable and untapped. This energy is powerful, but can’t reach its potential until we come in and direct it. This imbues the Two of Wands with an energy of potential. It is invigorating to be in this place where you sense you can make things happen, but now you are tasked with actually taking action. It’s not just enough to be pointed in the right direction, you must actually embark in that direction.
This card shows the moments when you realize our own ability to direct your personal power to shape your life. You are a creator, and this card reminds you of our ability to harness your energy and make bold moves. Now is not the time to be a passive bystander, now is the time to be engaged with the myriad forces of energy in the universe! You are not separate from those forces, you are capable of influencing the way those forces take shape from here. Harness that power, learn to use it effectively.
Experiencing the Two of Wands can be exciting, but it can also be daunting. As Marianne Williamson says, our greatest fear is not that we are powerless but that we are powerful beyond measure. The Two of Wands asks you to acknowledge your power and step fully into it, even when doing so is outside of your comfort zone.
The Two of Wands Tarot Card Meanings in General
For The Spacious Tarot my co-creator Annie and I took a lot of inspiration from the imagery in the Wild Unknown. Here we have one more ‘natural’ wand and one more ‘cultivated’ wand coming together to direct energy forward.
In her book Learning the Tarot, Joan Bunning describes how the Two of Wands ties into some of the themes explored in the Magician. The Magician, Bunning writes, is associated with the archetype of power in all its forms. The Two of Wands brings that theme down to earth, showing the way that the macrocosm of universal powered can be harnessed on a micro-level by you as an individual.
As is the case in much of the suit of wands, sometimes this card requires you to take risks. You might be compelled to move forward based on little more than the direction of your gut. Living authentically requires you to embrace your creativity. This isn’t about forgoing sensibility or logic, but about imbuing your approach with your own unique flavor.
With the Two of Wands, the initial enthusiasm of the ace has started to take shape, but is still largely undirected. As such, this card reminds me of a quote sometimes attributed to Goethe: “what you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Only engage and the mind grows heated, begin it and the work can be completed.”
The Two of Wands is an invitation to step up to the plate. Especially if you have been shying away from your own power and your own desires. Now is the time to embrace who you are, what you believe, and where you want things to go from here. This doesn’t mean you need to become egotistical and steamroll over others! But it does suggest now is a time to claim – or reclaim – your ability to direct universal energy in your unique way.
Hi, I'm Carrie!
I'm a tarot reader and mentor. My purpose is to encourage your expansion. If you're new, start here.
All site content © Carrie Mallon LLC 2017
I am part of Amazon's associate program. If you purchase items linked in this site I will receive a small kick-back.
Maintaining Confidence as a Business Owner (Dear Tarot Tuesday)
Welcome to Dear Tarot Tuesday! In this video series, I answer questions from viewers, advice-column style. But this isn’t your momma’s advice column – my answers will be enhanced with tarot cards. If you’d like to submit a question of your own, shoot me an email: carrie (at) happyfishtarot.com.
Today…is…another EXCITING edition of Dear Tarot Tuesday! (*enter party horns here*)
In this randomly occurring series, I give advice & guidance to anonymous seekers using tarot. In this video, I’m tackling a topic which is dear to my own heart: maintaining confidence as a new business owner. Our anonymous seeker writes:
I’m having a hard time always keeping my confidence up. I just started my own business. Although I am having fun and doing what I’m passionate about, sometimes I doubt my ability to succeed with this business. I know I am good at what I do, but I somehow find myself thinking that other people in my industry are better. I would love some guidance on believing in myself and having confidence.
Do you have any additional advice for this seeker? You’re welcome to leave a comment and share your wisdom.
May I offer you an elixir of valor? For a uniquely tailored, personalized dose of confidence, check out my ‘Bad Ass Manifesto’ reading ($17).
If you have a question of your own you’d like to submit for Dear Tarot Tuesday, hit me up: carrie (at) happyfishtarot.com.
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Dreaming Way Tarot Review
“OMG, what deck is that?” “It’s beautiful!” These are the kinds of comments I get EVERY time I post pictures of the Dreaming Way tarot on my Instagram or Facebook accounts. And I can see why – it is a unique and pretty deck! In this review, I’ll walk you through what I like (and what I don’t like!) about the Dreaming Way tarot.
This deck was published by US Games Systems in 2012. The deck creator, Rome Choi, says the images on the cards came to him in dreams, hence the name ‘Dreaming Way.’ The ethereal illustrations are by Kwon Shina. Check out my video review, or the written version below.
Full disclosure: I have trimmed the white borders from my copy! I’d seen pictures online of the trimmed version before I purchased the deck, and I was smitten. Trimming the borders was my first order of business once this baby landed in my hands. This is the only deck I’ve trimmed so far, and I adore the way it turned out! I can’t recall who, but someone else online said that as they trimmed, they felt as though they were letting the images out of jail. I have the same sentiment.
This is definitely a Rider-Waite based deck. Many of the images are virtually identical to the RWS cards (see the video version of this review for more pictures). However, there are a few cards which are entirely different. The World is my personal befuddlement card in the Dreaming Way tarot. It shows an older gentlemen reclining in a chair with a pipe, a book in his lap. He bears a striking resemblance to JRR Tolkien!
I would describe the deck’s art style as “steam-punk meets hipster.” The High Priestess is a prime example. She wears knee socks and a top hat. She sits perched upon a green crescent moon, a funky green pattern behind her. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but I can get down with it.
Nearly every character in the Dreaming Way tarot has rosy cheeks. However, a few characters have notably green hues instead of pink. For example, the figures in the Hanged Man and the Ten of Swords have greenish colored cheeks. This seems to be a way to distinguish cards with ‘heavier’ energy.
The box states that this deck explores elemental influences of the cards. I’ve noticed that artistically, the four suits coordinate nicely with the four seasons. In the suit of Wands we see the beach and the ocean several times, giving it a summery feel. Cups show many blossoms and flowers, tying this suit to spring. In the suit of pentacles we see some grapes and harvest themes, linking to autumn. And in the swords cards we see some actual snow covered grounds, giving this suit a winter theme.
The Pages are depicted as young females, giving the court cards a more even gender distribution than the Rider Waite pack. However, this deck is still lacking when it comes to diversity of age, weight, race, etc – though the same could be said of the RWS deck. My favorite card in the Dreaming Way tarot has to be the Page of Cups. I mean, she has a tea kettle on her head – what’s not to love about that?
In all, this is a fun, whimsical, enchanting deck. A few cards miss the mark for me, and it’s not a ‘perfect’ deck. But the charm of the Dreaming Way tarot keeps it in my constant rotation. I find this deck lends itself well to uplifting, encouraging readings. It’s not a deck I often use for heavier readings with a lot of psychological/spiritual depth. I have used it for deeper readings with good results, but I find that the imagery is more suitable for purely positive messages.
The Dreaming Way tarot has a special place in my heart, and I hope this review has helped you if you are considering purchasing yourself a copy. If you have any questions, do feel free to let me know!
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Ace of Wands :: Wild Unknown Tarot
I’ve written interpretations for every card in the Wild Unknown Tarot. As the box of the deck states, there are no rights or wrongs. These are simply my perspectives on the tarot card meanings. I hope you find them useful!
Click here for a directory of all posts in my Wild Unknown series.
Creator’s Keywords: inspiration, new beginnings
Carrie’s Keywords: igniting energy, momentum
Begin or deepen your tarot studies with
Foundational Tarot, my free video course!
Join the email list for instant access.
Ace of Wands Tarot Card Meanings in the Wild Unknown
The ace is the introduction to the suit of wands – and what an introduction it is! An ace always contains the potential for the entire spectrum of each suit, and this ace contains the core essence of wands energy: fire, momentum, and enthusiasm. The Ace of Wands piques your curiosity and sets you on a course to explore the rest of the wands cards. Here you have the igniting energy, a flash of momentum which can propel you forward.
Patches of fresh blossoms and leaves are sprouting from the wand in the card’s center. This sprouting foliage gives the effect of bursting life and untapped potential. The imagery throws back to that of the Fool, where we saw a chick perched on a branch. Perhaps this is the same branch?
Around the wand is a field of white-hot energy, which merges into orange and yellow rays. These are primal colors, associated with energy that is directly connected to source. This is a reminder of the suit’s association with fire. There’s a radiating energy at work in this card, as indicated by the lines radiating outward from the central wand. The use of lines here show an energy that is not stagnant, but in radiant motion. Fire is an active, outward moving element.
The Ace of Wands is a brilliant flash of inspiration that might lead you anywhere. You are in a position to blaze your own trail. The only way to find out where this initial momentum will lead you is to keep following that warmth!
Ace of Wands Tarot Card Meanings in General
The Ace of Wands is often described as the initial spark. This notion inspired the imagery in my deck, The Spacious Tarot (pictured above with the Fire card from our Expansion Pack).
In the Waite-Smith tarot, this card shows a hand extending from a cloud, grasping a wand. It is worth noting that the hand is actively holding the wand. This card does not show a passive energy, but an active energy. Sometimes in life, you are required to be bold. You are an original creation, and you are asked to draw upon that originality here. There are times when it is best to take the “tried and true” route, but this card reminds you that sometimes you need to embrace your own way of showing up in this world.
This card is traditionally associated with an inital “spark of inspiration” or “flash of genius.” As the ace is only the onset of the suit, sometimes it is a fleeting energy which is hard to grasp on to. This is why one of my key phrases for this card is “igniting energy.” It is the spark that gets you started, but sometimes it can be just a flash in the pain – gone as quickly as it arrives.
However, if you are able to fan the flames, this card will certainly open up exciting portals for you to explore!
In a reading…
The Ace of Wands asks you to embrace what compels you. It is not a time to dwell on what you “should” do, but instead a time to embrace what you WANT to do. There is a special momentum that can only be unleashed when you move in the direction of your desires.
Martha Beck says that life is like a game of “you’re getting warmer, you’re getting colder.” The Ace of Wands asks you to tune into what it is that feels warmer for you right now. It may be something big, or it may be something subtle – but if you keep moving in the direction of the heat, your life will always be an adventure.
Hi, I'm Carrie!
I'm a tarot reader and mentor. My purpose is to encourage your expansion. If you're new, start here.
All site content © Carrie Mallon LLC 2017
I am part of Amazon's associate program. If you purchase items linked in this site I will receive a small kick-back.
Frolicking through the Major Arcana: a map of sorts {Tarot & the human experience}
You know what I love about tarot? It relates to ALL aspects of the human experience. Of course, tarot speaks to sweeping spiritual themes, but it also illuminates our mundane daily routines. In this series, I’ll talk about various ways tarot ties into the human experience. I hope this will help you deepen your relationship to the cards – and to yourself!
There are many (endless, actually!) ways to look at the Major Arcana as a whole. Today, we are going to create a Major Arcana map of sorts. This will give us a bird’s eye view of the process of human growth and development as reflected in the cards. You can watch the video, or read the text version that follows.
To create our map, we will lay the cards out in three rows of seven, with the Fool in his own separate row. Each row shows a different level or dimension of the human experience. This concept has been laid out by several different tarot authors (Rachel Pollack, Sally Nichols and Corrine Kenner to name a few), but they all vary slightly in how they explain the details. I’ve taken some of their ideas and put them through the Carrie-filter to show you how I understand this map!
Let’s catch our bearings and take a quick overview of our map before we jump into the details.
The Fool stands alone (like the cheese). The Fool is a special and unique snowflake who can manifest in any of the cards – he is nowhere and everywhere. We’ve all heard by now that the Fool represents us. The Fool is the journeyer who will traverse the rest of the map. Arthur Edward Waite said that the Fool is a soul in search of experience – and the Fool finds that experience in the rest of the cards.
Row One consists of the Magician through the Chariot. I call this the Traditional Human Development row. Here we find the classic themes associated with our journey from infancy to adulthood. With the Chariot, we see the image of self-possessed “maturity.” I think of the Chariot as the “societal success” card. In her book 78 Degrees of Wisdom, Rachel Pollack points out that not everyone journeys past the point of the Chariot. The next two rows show more complex levels of experience and reflection.
I refer to row two as Deeper Self-Exploration and Maturity. This consists of Strength through Temperance. We’ve established a sense of identity and are now pulled to seek a deeper sense of values and meaning. While the first row dealt more with our outer world, this row sees us doing more exploration of our inner world.
I call row three, the Devil through the World, the Cosmological Significance row. We’re now encountering sweeping universal themes. We’re exploring our place in the cosmos and a greater sense of purpose. We’re doing some psyche exploration. We’re pondering mythical, spiritual themes and trying to define meaning.
Whew! Now that we’ve scouted the terrain, let’s explore each of these rows in detail.
Traditional Human Development :: Magician through Chariot
The Magician shows us discovering our influence on the outside world even as infants. We develop our motor skills and learn that we can make things happen through our actions. The High Priestess teaches us about our inner world, our emotions, and the things about us that other people can’t see right away. The Empress represents the Mother archetype. We learn about nature, nurturing, and manners. The Emperor introduces us to the Father archetype and we learn about discipline, protection, structure and rules. With the Hierophant we begin to branch into outside society. We form a group identity through nations, communities, churches and schools. The Lovers correlates with reaching adolescence. We begin to establish our own identity separate from what we were born into. We begin to define our own relationships with friends and lovers. The Chariot shows the picture of young adulthood. We now have a somewhat set sense of self-identity.
Deeper Self-Exploration & Maturity :: Strength through Temperance
With Strength we learn to face adversity with courage. We’re beginning to confront our wilder nature. The Hermit calls us to turn away from the outer world and begin to look within. We’re re-evaluating the kind of life we really want to live. The Wheel of Fortune teaches us through experience that not everything is in our control. We must learn to change what we can and accept that some things are overseen by an external force. Justice teaches us about integrity and freedom. We begin to acknowledge that we must actually live in line with our proclaimed values. The Hanged Man helps us realize that our belief system is not the only valid belief system. We begin to experience life from alternate perspectives. Death teaches us about physical death, but also about transformation and endings. Our values, priorities, identity can be transformed time and time again. We also learn about ego death – we realize there is more to our identity than ‘I.’ Temperance shows us appreciating both our inner and outer worlds. We’re finding a balanced approach to living that works for us – taking the ideals of society that work for us and adapting our own ideals as well. We’re finding our own unique mix.
Cosmological Significance :: Devil through World
With the Devil, we begin to acknowledge our shadows. We realize we must face our addictions and confront the darkness within us, as well as the darkness in the world. The Tower gives us flashes of truth in the dark of the night. We realize that things which feel chaotic at the time are often exactly what we needed in hindsight. The Star gives us a renewed sense of peace and hope in spite of struggles. We realize that hope is ALWAYS present even in the darkest hours. We experience the importance of vulnerability, of showing our true selves. With the Moon, we explore our vast psychic landscape. Sometimes this is scary – the dark side of our imagination can induce panic and illusions. We reach a higher experience of shining vitality with the Sun. We learn to find clarity and joy without ignoring the hard parts of life. We reach a new invigoration and begin to embrace our true nature. We’re having epiphanies and aha-moments! Judgement calls us to a cosmic purpose. We reach a deep understanding that our lives have meaning, that we can be heroes. We experience a boost from spirit/God/the Universe/our higher power… a force that goes by many names. With the World, we experience integration. Ego and Soul, Mind and Body, Science and Myth all dance together. We experience the place where all of our contradictions meet and form a perfectly imperfect whole.
What a trip, eh?
A while back I talked about growth being a spiral process, not a straight line. That seems apt to bring up here again. The map we just ran through is not one-size-fits-all. We go through our experiences in our own unique way and our own unique order. Even so, I find this map of three rows very useful. It’s an effective way to get a general feel for how these cards chart our journeys and highlight our experiences.
As always, if you have comments or different perspectives, I LOVE to hear them.
Cheers to the journey,
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The Core Tarot Mandala {Tarot & the Human Experience}
I’ve always had a longing to piece together the discombobulated bits of my human experience. What does it mean to be human? What is consciousness? How does everything connect? How can I define meaning and live my life to the fullest? Why do I feel the way I feel? These are things I am always pondering.
These are the things that drew me to tarot – and these are the things I want to explore in this new video series I’m calling ‘Tarot and the Human Experience.’
In this series, I’d like to share with you some of the insights I’ve had while studying tarot. I’ve had a lot of ‘aha’ moments from books, blogs and other resources, and now I’d like to pay it forward and share things from my own filter of consciousness. I don’t proclaim to be an expert by any means! There are no rights and wrongs when it comes to tarot, and I’m always learning. It will be fun for me to see how my perspectives shift over time.
In this first video, I’m talking about creating a core tarot mandala. We’ll look at a few key cards that can help us get a broader perspective on the deck as a whole. I’ll talk about how these core cards set up the framework for a deeper appreciation of our human experience.
I really hope you’ll find this fun and interesting! If you have comments or feedback, I’d love to hear from you. Thanks for watching and I’ll catch you next week.
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Setting your theme for the New Year with tarot
Hi, you glorious person you! I’m baaaack! I took a lil’ break from blogging to focus on some behind the scenes stuff. I hope you had a wonderful Yule/Christmas/Solstice and I really hope you’re feeling pumped about moving into a new calendar year! So many fresh, invigorating possibilities await you in 2015 and beyond.
As I prepare to enter the new year, I’ve been feeling the potency of choosing a theme word (or power word) for the year. This involves intuitively selecting a word which resonates with you, and then using that word as an anchor over the year. Your theme word becomes a beacon to guide your goals and actions – powerful stuff.
Tarot naturally lends itself to this process. Here’s how I used tarot to select my theme word – I invite you to try this for yourself, or check out my “Setting Your Theme for 2015” reading if you’d like outside perspective. (In addition to theme word suggestions, this reading also delves into your lessons, challenges and strengths for the year ahead.)
Shuffle your deck while asking for guidance in selecting a theme word for the new year. Draw three cards. Take a moment to note the first word that stands out to you for each card. You might find that the word comes to you immediately, or you might need to process the cards for several moments. If you have difficulty gleaning a word that resonates, try using a dictionary or thesaurus.
Intuition is key here. Your theme word may tie directly in to the traditional meaning of the card, or you may be come up with a word that seems out of place. This is okay. The most important thing is that your theme word feels natural and resonates deeply with you.
Once you’ve selected a word for each of your cards, consider which one seems like the right fit. Do any of the words scare or challenge you? Which words make you feel awakened? Select the word that feels right. If you can’t narrow it down to one word, no big deal – you can have multiple theme words. You make the rules here!
To give you an idea of how this worked for me, here are the three cards I drew for myself and the words I came up with.
Death: ULTIMATE
This year offers me the chance to focus on my ULTIMATE desires. What would make 2015 an ULTIMATE year – how can I maximize my experiences and give this year my all?
Ace of Cups: ALLOW
How can I ALLOW and be present with my feelings and experiences this year? How can I decrease stress through ALLOWING? What steps can I take to ALLOW more peace in my life?
Queen of Wands: BRIGHT
This year, I can cultivate a positive, can-do attitude. What daily actions can help me feel BRIGHT? How can I BRIGHTEN the lives of others?
After letting these words roll around in my consciousness for a while, I’ve decided that ALLOW will be my theme word for 2015. It feels necessary, nourishing and uplifting. I’m looking forward to ALLOWING this word to show up for me this year.
When you’ve found your own shiny, inspiring theme word – put it everywhere! Write it on the mirror. Put a sticky note on your car’s dashboard. Make it your screensaver. Put it on your vision board and in your day planner. Watch for the ways this word shows up in your life over the course of 2015. Watch as your theme word inspires and elevates you.
I’m currently in the midst of offering a Setting Your Theme for 2015 reading. As a part of this reading, I draw three cards to offer suggestions for your 2015 theme word. I’ve been overwhelmed by the positive, glowing response to these readings! If you’d like to snap one up, please do! This option will only be available until January 9, 2015. Check it out by clicking here.
Cheers to a kick-ass 2015!
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Embracing the beauty of slowing down
Creative projects are like babies. You nurture them. You care for them even when they’re fussy and tedious. You pour time, energy and love into them. But no matter how devoted you are, sometimes you need distance from what you’ve been immersed in. A rest, a vacation, a chance to catch your breath and regroup.
And when you feel that deep-seated need for hibernation, declare it. Make your time away from your project official. This gives structure to your time-out and prevents abandonment guilt from eating away at you.
So, I’m declaring it now: I’m taking a two week hiatus from my blog.
Blogging is one of my favorite aspects of Happy Fish Tarot. My blog provides an outlet for my creative fire. My blog builds an avenue for me to connect with you. I normally post every Tuesday – but I have no interest in throwing together half-assed content just to meet a self-imposed deadline. And so I am lovingly conjuring up the energy of the Four of Swords and taking a break.
Happy Fish Tarot is still going strong despite the solitude on the blog. I’m still available for readings. I’m still peeking in on Facebook & Instagram. And most importantly, I’m quietly brewing new content for 2015. Soon it will be full speed ahead, but for now – ahh, I’m embracing the beauty of slowing down.
With visions of sugar plums,
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Escaping the media circus (7 of Swords)
We live in a world where the opinions, thoughts and art of others are constantly paraded through our awareness. Endless social media feeds, books, magazine subscriptions, Netflix. All of this is well and even good – to an extent. Rapid communication and exchange of information can lead to progress and innovation. But it can also lead to overwhelm and consuming, consuming, consuming (with no creating).
It can feel like there’s no escape from the various forms of media. But I’m going to try to get away. For one week.
When I worked through ‘The Artist’s Way’ for the first time, the most difficult (yet rewarding) exercise was a week long media detox. This book was originally published in 1992, before the internet completely transformed society, and even then there was value in taking a hiatus from the constant bombardment of media.
Here’s the idea: one week with no reading, no social media, no TV, no YouTube, no newspapers (wait, does anyone still read physical newspapers?). If it sounds brutal, that’s because it is!
The week long Media Detox: tougher (and more beneficial) than a week of eating lemons & cayenne pepper.
(tweet this)
I can tell this is necessary for me right now. I need to walk away from all the noise & outside influences. I’m becoming easily distracted by bloops & bleeps. I’m comparing my own creative works to others. I’m having a hard time discerning where the input of others ends & my original thoughts begin. I’m wasting time clicking on link after link after link (they NEVER end).
The 7 of Swords is traditionally associated with deceit & slyness. But when I looked at the card this week, I saw a different message. I couldn’t help but think the 7 of Swords was the perfect representation of a media detox. Swords represent thoughts and the mental realm. The figure on this card seems to have gathered his own thought-swords and left two behind (the thoughts of others, or in this case, the media at large). He’s walking away from a colony of tents (the entertaining but overwhelming circus of media).
When I think of it this way, the figure in the card doesn’t seem sneaky or deceitful. He seems like he’s taking his own path for a while, getting his mental bearings. Doing his own thing. Minimizing outside influences, getting all the jibberish out of his brain so his originality can peek through.
If you are a creative type, you probably see the appeal of taking your own week long Media Detox. I challenge you to truthfully observe how much time & mental energy you are spending enchanted by the media circus. Can you walk away for a week? Think of what you could do with those heaps of newfound time & energy. Here’s what I’m thinking: go for long walks. Work on my own novel. Dust my bookshelves. Practice yoga. Listen to records. Write poetry. Plan my next tarot projects!
I’ll still be posting on Facebook & Instagram, but ONLY to share my original creations and words (no mindlessly scrolling through my feeds this week!). I’ll still be checking email and completing private readings for clients, as well. Once the week is up, I will begin consuming media again – but more consciously. Leaving behind the fried, mindless junk and choosing the healthy, thoughtful, soul-affirming delicacies.
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My journey with tarot… so far!
Last week, I asked for your thoughts on the content I’ve been putting out so far. I got some really nice comments on my YouTube channel and a few emails as well! A couple of people suggested that I talk about my journey with tarot – so that’s what I’m doing today!
I was introduced to tarot through my best friend and college roommate. We would sit on our living room floor eating ice cream and she would give me readings while she thumbed through the little white book (I remember seeing the Four of Cups come up almost every time).
This friend was involved in student government and helped bring a tarot reader to a campus Halloween party. Thusly, I received my first reading from a ‘professional’ (while I was wearing a pirate costume. It was Halloween, after all). I told the reader I was studying to become a kindergarten teacher. He smiled knowingly and told me that I would change my major and have a much more original career (turns out he was right).
A few years after graduating college, I found myself in the thick of a quarter life crisis. I could see my future stretched out before me like a vast, empty canvas. Instead of seeming exciting and full of possibility, this blankness seemed daunting. Life felt gray, void of any sparkle. I spent all my free time watching TV and eating ice cream in an attempt to numb the low-grade misery. I was stuck. Very stuck. Eight of Swords stuck.
Around this time, a few storms began to brew simultaneously in my inner world. I started to get little intuitive hunches. As I cautiously explored these hunches, I was slowly led to the resources I desperately needed to climb out of my funk. Out of the complete blue, I had a sudden urge to buy a tarot deck. And I do mean URGE. Despite the fact that I’d hardly thought about tarot since my reading years earlier, I suddenly felt that I NEEDED to buy a deck of my own. And so I did.
Over the next few years, I began to slowly explore and excavate my true self. I began to think of myself as my own best friend, someone I was excited to get to know. Parts of my personality that had previously been buried began to emerge. I slowly gathered courage to be more of myself and shed the masks which no longer felt right. I read books – lots and lots of books – on creativity, spirituality, psychology and tarot.
Through this continuing process of self discovery and recovery, tarot was there. The cards gave a voice to my essential self. In them, I saw my deepest, wordless wisdom. My life began to feel radiant and colorful, like the gray fog was lifting. I recognized the patterns in the cards. They spoke to me of the collective unconscious and the hero’s journey (concepts I’d been introduced to shortly before buying my first tarot deck).
As I read books and worked with daily draws, I grew more and more amazed with tarot. It wouldn’t be hyperbolic to say I felt like I’d found a map of my soul. Tarot covered it all. The grand, sweeping visions of powerful archetypes and universal experiences were reflected in the major arcana. The day-to-day activities, thoughts, emotions and experiences shone through in the minors.
It has now been about five years since I got my first tarot deck. I believe I was guided to tarot because I needed to be. I’ve grown, evolved and learned a lot in these past five years. Most importantly, I no longer feel stuck – and tarot has played a huge role in my freedom. Even so, I don’t feel like I’ve ‘arrived.’ Tarot has taught me that life is a constant process of emerging. But now, when I look out at the vast expanse of life before me, I feel vibrant, creative, dynamic. I’ve learned to love the journey – because after all, as they say, the journey is the destination.
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Carrie Mallon
Header art from The Spacious Tarot illustrated by Annie Ruygt
All site content © Carrie Mallon LLC 2014-2019
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