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I’m late to the 2020 party + life as an indie deck creator!
Disengage.
This is my word of the year for 2020. Seeing it typed out in big ol’ bold letters like that makes it look… I don’t know, intimidating? Stark? But also… necessary.
I am not yet sure how this word will come into play as the year progresses, but I can tell you that so far the energy of Disengage feels neutral. It kind of reminds me of how I view the Death card.
That’s the best way I can explain how the word disengage feels for me right now.
I just posted a new video where I talk a little more about the word disengage. And the paradox of needing to disengage in order to re-engage. I also talk about some stuff coming up for 2020 in general, and share a little of what my life has been looking like as an indie deck creator.
It’s a casual and chatty video. So have a listen and/or a watch if you could use a dose of Carrie’s rambling thoughts!
Another thing addressed in the video is my repeated (and failed) attempts to get back into a consistent groove of putting things out online.
2020 is my year for this, baby! By disengaging from some unnecessary stuff, I hope to also create space to engage more deeply with my blog. And newsletter. Finally. This isn’t the first time I’ve yammered on about this topic, so this time I’m making the goal official: weekly content creation. From a place of love, not pressure.
What I’m saying is, hopefully you’ll be getting emails from me throughout the rest of 2020!
We made a deck.
I love it.
It is out in the world, and it belongs to everyone now.
Wooooowwwww!
I’m sure I’ll be talking a lot more about this deck in 2020, but there’s just one more thing I wanted to make sure to mention today: we’re already working on a few small changes for a second edition!
The first edition will officially be a limited print run. When we sell out of what we have left now, that’s it. Here’s a post on our Instagram page with more details, and if you’re interested in purchasing the first edition you can still do so on our website.
As always, thank you for being here.
More soon!
Begin or deepen your tarot studies with
Foundational Tarot, my free video course!
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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.
Foundational Tarot
Maybe you’re totally new to tarot and feel overwhelmed about where to begin.
Or maybe you’ve been working with the cards for a while, but things aren’t totally clicking yet.
If either of these ring true, this course is for you!
Foundational Tarot is a free video course which teaches several useful frameworks for learning tarot. Get immediate access by signing up for my mailing list below.
Begin or deepen your tarot studies with
Foundational Tarot, my free video course!
Join the email list for instant access.
Part 1: The Energy You Bring To Your Tarot Studies
- How to minimize overwhelm
- What to focus on instead of memorizing card meanings
Part 2: The Broad View
- How tarot ‘works’
- How to define your tarot intentions (and why this is important)
- What intuition is and why it’s actually a good thing to question your intuition (juicy stuff!)
Part 3: Foundational Tarot
- The overall components of a deck and how they harmonize
- A map for understanding the major arcana
- What each of the four suits is all about
- A numerology framework for understanding cards Ace through Ten
- How to become acquainted with the court cards
Part 4: Conducting Readings
- Guidelines for looking up card meanings
- How to interpret reversed cards
- How to prepare for a reading
- The 7 best practices for working with spreads
I am a big believer that you’re never done learning tarot, and of course we can’t cover everything in one short course! But I’ve packed as much value as I can into this offering and I hope you will find something useful here.
Books:
78 Degrees of Wisdom by Rachel Pollack
Everyday Tarot by Gail Fairfield
My past blogs/videos:
Unofficial Wild Unknown Tarot Card Meanings
A Map of the Major Arcana
The Easiest Way to Read the Court Cards
How to Read Reversed Cards
How to Create Your Own Tarot Spread
The Tip Jar
Optional, but appreciated: if you enjoy this course, consider leaving a contribution of any amount in the tip jar! Acts of reciprocity are always appreciated.
Begin or deepen your tarot studies with
Foundational Tarot, my free video course!
Join the email list for instant access.
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.
Learn tarot – a freebie for you
Hello again,
It’s kind of strange – last week I wrote about content creation burnout. Now this week, here I am actually feeling EXCITED about creating something new! And I need your input on this new thing I’m creating, so stick with me here – we’ll get to that in a moment!
I got quite a few emails in reply to the post last week. It seems a LOT of us are having feelings about what it means to be a creative person online. It feels like things are shifting collectively. We are aching to do real, meaningful, deep work. We are exhausted by the fast pace and overstimulation of smart phones and social media. We might not yet know exactly what we’re shifting into, but it does feel like the winds are changing.
And I’m HERE FOR IT!
Speaking of meaningful and deep work, I’ve been reconnecting with my own tarot studies for the past couple of weeks. It’s not like I ever really stopped studying tarot. This is my profession, so I’m almost always dipping into something tarot related. But it has been a while since I’ve studied in a more formal way – as in setting aside blocks of time specifically for study sessions, taking notes on what I’m reading, really dedicating to the process.
Studying in an intentional way is rewarding, and it’s reminding me of something important: even when I am exhausted by the online world, even when anxiety and resistance get in the way… I’m never tired of tarot. The cards are always there for me. The cards always meet me where I am. The cards always reacquaint me with the present moment while also offering a broader view of the universe’s narrative.
I am a firm believe that you never finish learning tarot. And why would you want to? Tarot is an art, and there are countless perspectives on this art. Tarot refuses to be pinned down or kept in a box. Just like us, the cards area always evolving.
Because of this, I know I will be a tarot student for life. That said, somewhere along the line I’ve also become a tarot teacher. There is a high likelihood that YOU found me from the educational posts I wrote about the Wild Unknown deck. Many of my mentoring clients come to me specifically to guide them in their tarot studies.
For a long, LONG time (*cough*YEARS*cough*), the universe has been giving me hints that I should really get serious about teaching tarot. Maybe write a book. Create a course. Do something with more structure. But every time I start down this path, I get overwhelmed and I overthink and then I stall out.
So I’ve decided to start small and commit to creating a short – but hopefully useful – free ebook for you.
Foundational Tarot
This is the tentative title of the ebook: Foundational Tarot. I’m in the beginning stages of creating this, but here’s the vision so far.
This ebook will guide you through the initial stages of your tarot journey. It will be appropriate for total beginners, or those who have dipped into tarot but crave a more solid framework. The lessons will be non-dogmatic, designed to offer suggestions while supporting you in developing your own understanding of the cards.
I haven’t finalized the contents yet, but focus areas may include:
- Clarifying what you expect from tarot
- Examining how tarot “works”
- Sorting through the components of a deck and understanding how they harmonize
- Best practices for conducting readings
We will weave the practical and the mystical, blending psychological and spiritual modalities. You will gain a sturdy foundational knowledge of tarot and be inspired to follow your curiosity forward!
I know there are many “introduction to tarot” books out there already, and many of them are excellent. I am not trying to reinvent the wheel, but I think I have some unique perspectives to offer. I also know we all connect with different vibes. If you’re familiar with me and resonate with my approach, I hope this ebook might be useful for you.
Here’s where I need your help!
If you have a moment, pretty please fill out this short form.
Your responses will help me refine the focus and put together something magical and helpful. You’re also welcome to comment on the blog post if you have further thoughts to share!
I’m hoping to bring this thing to fruition within the next couple of weeks, so I’ll be in touch again soon. Until then, cheers to you wherever you are on your own tarot journey.
Sign up for weekly updates and get the free ebook,
The Tarot Reader’s Daily Companion
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.
Polluting the internet: thoughts on creating content
So… I guess I am going to talk about “creating content” now. There are many things I want to say, but I’m not sure what they all are. I’ve wanted to write this post for a long time, but I have not yet found the way. So this is probably going to be rambling and fractured, but here we go.
I’ve been thinking a lot about what “creating content” means to me. The fact that I am putting the phrase “creating content” in quotes may show the mixed feelings I have about this.
The internet is loud, and I’ve almost completely lost interest in making noise just to make noise. Especially if you run a business online, as I do, there is pressure to “build an audience by frequently sharing high quality and relatable content” (said in a robot voice).
So much online “content” is just noise that people make because they feel like they HAVE to put something up. I saw an Instagram caption the other day where someone simply wrote “posting to post.” It was refreshingly honest!
Here is the core of my own conflict: I want to create stuff online and share it with people. When the circumstances are right, I enjoy creating content (like the panda deck unboxing, that was fun!). I’ve been creating stuff online in various formats for over five years, and I don’t want to stop. But I also don’t want to post just to post.
So part of me thinks the answer is: wait to post until I have something to say. Solves the problem, right?
Well, it probably would for some, but unfortunately it’s not that simple for me. Because if I let myself just wait for inspiration to come along…
I procrastinate. And resist. And overthink. And numb out my creativity via one of my vices. I hang out with the Devil. And the Devil can be a fun guy to party with, but he can also really get in the way of me doing anything meaningful.
Picasso said inspiration exists, but it has to find you working. This is true for me. So there’s the loop I’m stuck in. I need some type of structure around my creativity, or inspiration doesn’t show up. But if I have too much structure, I might create banal “content” that does nothing but make the internet more polluted.
*deep beleaguered sigh*
There’s another squishy thing when it comes to creating content online: I don’t make money from it. My income is from giving tarot readings and mentoring sessions. Sure, sometimes people may enjoy the content I put out and decide to book a session with me. But part of my resistance to creating content is that it takes a chunk out of my limited energy resources, and there’s not always a sense of reciprocity.
I love working with clients. It takes a lot of energy, and using my energy in that way is a priority. Creating content has to be of lower priority as it does not have a direct energy exchange.
Many of my colleagues have been moving to Patreon for this exact reason. Perhaps I’ll do something like that in the future, but I should probably get back into a regular groove of creating content before I’m like “hey perhaps you could pay me a dollar a month for my blog posts!”
Okay, this is all getting a bit whiny and naval gazing, is it not? Let me attempt to get to the bottom line. If there is a bottom line. Which is a pretty big “if” at this point!
Bottom line: I’m overdue for a revamp of how I show up and share online. I still do not know what that revamp will look like, but I’ve at least identified a few of the current issues. And I do have some ideas about how I want to move forward!
Pretty much everything I’ve done in my business so far has been a process of experimenting, seeing how things go, and reassessing as necessary. These rambles are continuing that process of evolution. This has been pretty awkward to write, but sometimes when you don’t know how to say something you just have to TRY SAYING IT and accept the awkwardness that comes with the territory.
Thank you for being here. It really does mean a lot.
Sign up for weekly updates and get the free ebook,
The Tarot Reader’s Daily Companion
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.
Way of the Panda Tarot Unboxing!
I could say more here, but I talk about everything in the video. And also give you a peek at the entire deck! So give it a watch and let the #decklust set in:
Sign up for weekly updates and get the free ebook,
The Tarot Reader’s Daily Companion
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.
Tough or Tender Tarot for September 10, 2019
Here’s how this works: tune in to your intuition and ask if you are currently in need of a TOUGH but constructive message, or a TENDER but to-the-point message.
I’m writing this on September 10 2019, but know that this reading is evergreen: you’ll find this message when you need it. We’ll be using the Wild Unknown tarot.
Once you’ve chosen TOUGH or TENDER, scroll down for your reading.
If you chose TOUGH, your card is the reversed Daughter of Swords. Look, you think you know, but what if you don’t know? What if you are flat out wrong? This may sound like an attack on your intelligence, but it is not – it’s a check on your ego. Your ego wants to be right. Your ego wants the truth to be simple, straightforward, pinned down. But the lesson here is that, like it or not, there are very few things in life of which you can be absolutely certain.
What good is certainty, anyway? How many times have you been sure something was true only to find out that wasn’t the case at all? Perhaps certainty itself is largely an illusion. Maybe there’s no one right answer to land upon and call home, but instead infinite viewpoints to visit and sit with.
The imagery of the reversed Daughter of Swords is reminiscent of the Hanged Man, and there does seem to be a call to surrender here. Surrendering your tightly held “knowledge” might be freaky. It might feel like falling into the void. But it also might feel like freedom. Possibility. A necessary expansion of your consciousness.
If you chose TENDER, your card is the Two of Pentacles. Ah, look at all that you do! Really, look. Notice. Pay attention to the positive impact that your actions have. Like the fluttering of a butterflies wings, these things may be subtle, but they are there. Your influence is real, and it is welcomed in this world.
This is especially important if you find yourself fixating on all that you can not do. It is true that you can not singlehandedly solve all the world’s problems (or even all of your own problems!). This is okay. You are not here to do all the things. You are here to do a few things. Focus on those, enjoy them, do them as well as you can.
The rainbow infinity sign feels like a reminder that there is magic in your seemingly mundane actions. Every action that you take is a contribution to the whole. Do not downplay what you do. The ways that you tend to your work, your craft, your people, yourself. All of the ways you move in this world. These things can seem small, but their effects are infinite. Give yourself credit for all the good that you do. Keep fluttering your lovely, lovely wings.
And there you have it! I hope you enjoyed this round of Tough or Tender Tarot. Maybe we should do it again soon?
Take care and be well,
Sign up for weekly updates and get the free ebook,
The Tarot Reader’s Daily Companion
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.
A mini-reading for you
I could not resist the urge to take my beloved Deck of the Bastard off the shelf today. This is a deck I normally use in the fall, but what the hey. It’s August 20th. That’s close enough, right? So here I am, trying not to think about the fact that it’s still 95F outside, ready to offer you a reading with my favorite autumnal cards. Oh, and we’re also using the Earthbound Oracle for good measure.
Are you open to some insights from the cards? If so, I am happy to offer you a free mini-reading.
As it usually goes, start by taking a moment to pause. Be in your body. Enter the moment. Take a conscious breath. Then, pick a number: one or two. When you are ready, scroll down and listen to your reading.
TWO
I hope that this open-ended reading has given you some interesting things to consider. I’m currently open for personal readings, so check that out here if it calls to you!
Until we meet again,
Sign up for weekly updates and get the free ebook,
The Tarot Reader’s Daily Companion
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.
Tarot Nerdery: What I’m Loving Lately
You know what I miss from elementary school? SHOW AND TELL. Today I made a video showing + telling about some of the tarot things I’ve been nerding out over lately. Here you have it:
Despite all of my good intentions to get back on a regular schedule with blogging, I’ve still been pretty erratic so thanks for hanging with me.
A piece of GREAT NEWS – I also share this in the video – is that we are pretty much DONE with the creative aspects of The Spacious Tarot. We’re working on getting the guidebook and final illustrations formatted to print! Yay!
One thing this means is I will now have more time and energy for blogging and readings. After being unavailable since May, I just re-opened my services today! So if you’ve been wanting to work with me, come on in. I’ve missed connecting with clients and I am happy to be back in action!
I hope you are well. Take care of yourself and we’ll talk again soon.
Sign up for weekly updates and get the free ebook,
The Tarot Reader’s Daily Companion
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.
LUNAR ECLIPSE IN CAPRICORN: a tarot spread
Mercury retrograde.
A solar eclipse in Cancer.
And now, a lunar eclipse in Capricorn.
I think I’ve been feeling this all times ten because of The Spacious Tarot. Creating a tarot deck has been a pivotal event in my life, and it’s coincided interestingly with all the macro level happenings. I’ve definitely been going through looooots of micro level shifts and really feeling this weird but wonderful cosmic energy lately!
On that note – we only have FOUR DAYS LEFT of our Kickstarter campaign for the deck! A lot of people have been asking if we’ll be selling The Spacious Tarot after the Kickstarter campaign ends – the answer is yes, but likely not until 2020. Figuring out the logistics is a big endeavor, so right now our priority will be Kickstarter orders. What I’m saying is, if you know you want a copy of the deck and haven’t yet backed it on Kickstarter, that’s the best way to go.
Here’s the tie in: one of the big themes that has come up over and over in the deck creation process is taking responsibility. Some time ago Annie and I got stuck in the project, and so I pulled a few cards for us to reflect on. The central card was the Emperor. This was an indicator that we each needed to have clearly defined roles, and we each needed to take greater ownership collaboratively and individually for this project. That reading definitely felt like it shifted the energy and allowed us to move forward productively.
This morning I spent some time sitting on my porch, drinking a nettle infusion and reading insights about this lunar eclipse in capricorn from some of my favorite astrologers. Here are some of the key themes they brought up about this eclipse:
–@tara.nikita says we are dealing with collective themes of power, responsibility, and “spiritual adulthood.”
–@mysticmamma says we are stepping out of old constructs and being guided back to our own seat of power. This can be a vulnerable process.
–@chaninicholas says this is a time of release. It is important to stay close to what keeps us centered and protected.
Drawing upon these themes, I’ve created a LUNAR ECLIPSE IN CAPRICORN tarot spread for you to try. Although I did create this with the eclipse in mind, I think it would be a good spread to use any time themes of maturity and responsibility are prominent for you. Here’s the spread:
Whatever this eclipse is bringing up for you, I hope you can find some meaning and magic in the moment. Remember that our individual experiences are important, but we really are all connected. The whole universe is going through this thing with you, let’s support ourselves and each other on this wild ride.
Book a private reading with me here.
Sign up for weekly updates. You’ll also receive my free ebook, The Tarot Reader’s Daily Companion.
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.
Becoming the Queen of Pentacles
So now here I am, five years on, and I do feel like I’m becoming the Queen of Pentacles. There are many layers of complexity and nuance to this. The most obvious sense – and the thing I thought of when I saw this card five years ago – is income. To be completely honest, I’ve never made much, but you generally don’t become a tarot reader to get rich. My earnings are still pretty modest, but I do feel more secure and stable these days, which is a very welcomed sensation.
Maybe this is a good point to talk about how FREAKIN AWED I AM at the reception of The Spacious Tarot on Kickstarter. For months before we launched I was haunted with the notion that we might not reach our financial goal at all. Well, we did. In fact, we met it only two hours after launching the 30 day Kickstarter campaign.
Now that we’ve met our initial goal, it is a guarantee we can move forward with printing and distributing decks (YAAAAY!) the extra income we’re generating via Kickstarter will be used to make the project even better. We’re already brainstorming fun bonuses for our backers, plus we’re planning to invest in some behind-the-scenes stuff to improve the quality of the deck (a copyeditor for the guidebook and maybe a graphic designer, perhaps someone to help with distribution, etc).
On that note, if you want a copy of the deck and have not yet reserved on Kickstarter, our campaign is still going for another 24 days. We do plan to sell the deck on our website at some point in the future, but that’s likely a way out. So right now, if you want a copy of The Spacious Tarot, backing on Kickstarter is the way to go.
Anyhow. Becoming the Queen of Pentacles means a lot more than just earning some coin (and to be frank, it will likely be a while before Annie and I to see personal profits from the deck, as much of what we’re raising right now will be invested back into the business).
Lately, for me, becoming the Queen of Pentacles (or Guardian of Pentacles, as the card is titled in our deck) also looks like:
-Refining my existing skill sets and deciding what new things are worth learning. I’ve learned a LOT of new things while launching the deck: about selecting printers, about offering physical products instead of just services, about creating and managing a crowdfunding campaign…the list goes on.
-Finding the right balance of actively building things up while also letting things grow at their own organic pace. A lot of this involves my relationship with “marketing.” Ugh, a businessy word, but really, marketing is just letting people know about what you’re making. Right now I’m inhibiting this interesting space where part of me wants to market the HECK out of our deck and get the word out there in big ways. Then the other part of me wants to take a quieter approach, letting the cards make their way into the world at their own pace and trust that they’ll find who they most resonate with.
-Choosing to focus more of my time on the projects that matter the most to me. This part hasn’t been particularly easy, as I’ve had to make the tough decision to put my client services on a long hiatus while I work on the deck. I really, really miss working with you guys. A few people have emailed me lately asking when I’ll be available again, and it puts a little ding in my heart every time I turn someone away. But at the same time, client sessions take up a lot of time and energy. And any Queen of Pentacles worth her salt respects the fact that her time and energy are finite. Oh, and by the by, I’m really hoping to open up client services again at the end of July or early August – I’ll keep you posted.
And perhaps more than anything, becoming the Queen of Pentacles has meant deeply sensing in to how I want my business to grow from here. What do I want to build next? How can I best prioritize my endeavors going forward? What do I want my work to look like five years from now? I’m not certain of the answers, but I have some ideas, and I’ll keep sitting with the questions, listening to the Universe, and doing the work to find out.
Sign up for weekly updates and get the free ebook,
The Tarot Reader’s Daily Companion
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.
Carrie Mallon
Header art from The Spacious Tarot illustrated by Annie Ruygt
All site content © Carrie Mallon LLC 2014-2019
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