Tarot Bytes

Episode 176. If you've been reading for yourself or loved ones, you might be wondering: what is it like to read for strangers? Jenna Matlin joins me to talk about reading tarot for the general public. Jenna shares her tips for delivering a rock-solid reading, and handling challenging querents. We also talk about the difference between readings for family versus the general public - and how folks should prepare for a session so they get a helpful tarot reading.  

Episode 175. Reading tarot for loved ones seems like a great idea, right? After all, who knows you better than a close friend or family member? While there are benefits to getting a reading from someone you trust, there are challenges for both the reader and the querent. In this episode of Tarot Bytes, I'm joined by Melissa Cynova, author of the upcoming book Kitchen Table Magic and cocreator of The Scorpio Sea Tarot, for a frank discussion on what it's like to read tarot for those who are near and dear. We talk about the pros and cons of getting a reading from someone who knows you well - and what both reader and querent need to do to ensure the reading is unbiased and helpful. Learn when we think you shouldn't read for a loved one too.

Episode 174. There are some real tarot fears out there. Take the Death card for example. People see it and freak the heck out! Why is that? More importantly, how can we understand and dispel those negative connotations? In this episode of Tarot Bytes, Elliot Adam, author of Fearless Tarot: How To Give a Positive Reading in Any Situation, joins me to talk about why tarot scares some folks - and how to look at some "scary" cards through the lens of compassion. 

Episode 173. Although tarot is primarily associated with divination, modern readers know that it can be used for so much more. Jerico Mandybur, the creator behind Neo Tarot, sees tarot as a tool for nurturing yourself. In this episode of Tarot Bytes, we're talking about how tarot and self-care go together beautifully.  Jerico shares various ways to incorporate tarot into your personal spiritual practice. Methods such as affirmations, journaling, and her fave spread for "checking in" help you take good care of you.  You'll discover the tarot might be the perfect companion when you need a little TLC (tarot loving care).  She also dishes about her fascinating new podcast Beyond Belief - which explores spiritual beliefs such as stigmata, satanic feminists, and other belief systems in a curious, non-judgmental way. 

Episode 172. When you blend astrology into your tarot reading, you can uncover new levels of information. That's what V. of Red Light Readings has been discovering. She's been using astrology in her Cosmic-politan, a tarot-infused deep dive into your natal chart. In this episode of Tarot Bytes, we're talking about how astrology influences tarot - and how to create your own natal chart with tarot cards! SO COOL. Prepare to go down a new rabbit hole with V's techniques. Book mentioned in this episode is Tarot and Astrology: Enhance Your Readings With the Wisdom of the Zodiac by Corrine Kenner.

Episode 171. Do you ever find yourself getting hung up on supposed "tarot rules," and losing your own voice in the process? This happens to all of us, especially when we're first starting out. Rote memorization of what each card "means," can have you sounding like a tarot automaton...and that's no good. Tarot is a lot like music - while there are certain rules, individual expression is what creates the most interesting harmonies. Majorie Gatson, also known as The Punk Priestess, joins me in this episode of Tarot Bytes to talk about how to break free from the tarot rules that stifle your creativity...and your voice.

Episode 170. One of the methods I use with beginning tarot readers is keywords, which is a list of prompts for each card. It's a great way to get the interpretations down. Beverly Frable prefers to skip that method. Instead, she advises looking for different clues, which helps to develop your own meanings. In this episode, Beverly joins me to teach reading without keywords - and what you might want to consider instead. I love her intuitive approach to tarot - and I think you will too (Plus not having to memorize keywords? SWEET.)!

Episode 169. A few episodes back, Seth Vermilyea of Coming Out Tarot discussed tarot patterns with me. He joins me again today to talk about cards and patterns that might indicate the coming out journey. We also chat about how tarot can support someone before, during, and after coming out of any life closet. Seth is an amazing teacher and tarot reader - I learned so much in this episode.   

Episode 168. Every tarot reader or enthusiast has at one time or another come across a family member who doesn’t support their tarot passion. Sometimes it’s due to ignorance while other times, there are other emotions behind the haterade such as embarrassment, fear, a lack of understanding, or it goes against their beliefs. In some cases, it’s because they’ve had a bad experience with a tarot reader or know someone who did. For example, my parents didn’t seem to care much when I was experimenting as a teenager. But once I made tarot my livelihood, they were freaked out. My mother was so embarrassed that she wouldn’t tell people what I actually did for a living. She told relatives that I worked for some corporation. Which is crazy because anyone who knows me knows that I would never do such a thing. But to her, the work was so bizarre that she couldn't admit it until years later. I’m sure she’d have a different mindset now because I’ve been doing it so long - and have a few books under my belt. Also, tarot is

Episode 167. It happens to all of us at one point or another…you get a reading but you don’t like what the tarot is telling you. It sucks when that happens. And sometimes, when it does, you’re tempted to ask the question again. I like to say that I’m not a fan of beating a dead tarot horse. Rather than asking the question again in order to get the answer you want, I'm sharing my favorite strategies in this episode!

Episode 166. There are a few Major Arcana cards that tend to spook people, namely Death, Devil, and The Tower. Pull one of those bad boys in a tarot reading, and folks freak out - and fear the worst. Those Majors aren't the only "frightening" tarot cards in the deck. In fact, there are a few scary Minor Arcana cards that trip people up and stress them out. Cards such as the Ten of Swords, or Five of Cups. In this episode of Tarot Bytes, I'm joined by Meg Jones Wall of 3am Tarot for an enlightening conversation on how to deal when the Minors you don't like show up to your tarot party. Meg shares her technique that combines Numerology and Majors to find the wisdom and healing potential in tarot's least happy Minors. You'll start looking at those unpleasant cards with fresh eyes - and they won't seem so scary anymore!

Episode 165. The interpretation process can be daunting, especially for beginners. But what if you could look at the tarot cards through a different lens, one that views them as individuals functioning together in a situation? Melinda Lee Holm shares her genius method with me in this episode of Tarot Bytes. When you start reading the cards as personalities in a room, your interpretations will flow like never before! Melinda also talks about why she focuses on the difficult cards first in a tarot reading (you will love this piece of advice).

Episode 164. Do you read reversals? If so, do you only see them as the "opposite" of the upright meaning? There's more than one way to look at a reversed tarot card - and in this episode of Tarot Bytes, Emilie Muñiz teaches all the different ways you can read them. Some of her methods include the shadow, weaker, blocked, or the wakeup. If you want to work with reversals and are stuck on the opposite only, get ready to amp up your interpretation skills with Emilie!

Episode 163. The elements play an important role in the Tarot. Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit - each one holds clues to the cards. For example, the suit of Pentacles is ruled by the Earth element, which signifies the material world. Pentacles are therefore our foundation, the things that make us feel secure. Not just money (although that's a big part of Pentacles energy), but also our homes, values, and boundaries. Once you understand the Elements, you have a better connection to the cards. In this special episode of Tarot Bytes, I'm joined by author and witch Gabriela Herstik for a deep-dive into the Elements in Tarot. We explore each suit and corresponding element through cards she chose for her upcoming book, Bewitching the Elements: A Guide to Empowering Yourself Through Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit (this is a must-have book for every Tarot reader and witchy person!). Gabriela shares different ways to tap into the elemental energy of the cards, which will add an extra layer of interpretation

Episode 162. Whether you're a long-time tarot reader or totally new, a regular practice is necessary if you want to develop a strong relationship with your cards. But what does that look like? And how do you get started? Kait Fowlie joins me to talk about creating a meaningful tarot practice. Kait shares tips for making tarot part of your daily life with journaling and monthly/yearly rituals. She also shares her genius tip for combining tarot with "morning pages," a practice from The Artist's Way that involves writing three pages of longhand stream-of-consciousness done first thing in the morning. If you're curious about how to get started on a regular tarot practice, this episode will get you started in the right direction!  

Episode 161. So you've read all the tarot books. Now you have a database of tarot meanings, and you're good to go, right? Not quite. While the books can give you a solid foundation, you may find that over time you start to develop your own tarot meanings. This is important because everybody's relationship with tarot is different - and that means everyone will have unique ways of interpreting them. In this episode of Tarot Bytes, Mantis, the author of Truly Easy Tarot,  joins me to talk about creating your own tarot card meanings. Learn about the tools and methods he recommends to find interpretations that come from your heart.

Episode 160. Awhile back, Erin Aquarian joined me on Tarot Bytes to talk about Tarot as a tool for liberation. She's back and this time we're chatting about the wisdom codes in the Major Arcana that trigger our evolution. Erin has been downloading this information for some time and shared this with me:  "The messages I've been getting clearly especially from the Empress/Emperor years is that we are being initiated into mental/emotional/spiritual adulthood, all the work that is happening around deprogramming/healing/unlearning problematic conditioning, etc, is ultimately about becoming an empowered adult who is actively participating in creating a better world, rather than passively accepting the one we've been given.” Wow. We discuss this and more in another deep dive Tarot lesson!

Episode 159. A few years back I wrote a blog post about six mistakes tarot readers make. I thought we might want to visit that again here on the podcast. Here are the six things to avoid when reading tarot: 1. Depending too much on the “little white book." At some point, you gotta ditch the training wheels. 2. Becoming enamored with your newfound “powers." It's not about you - it's about serving the client. 3. Giving a prediction without strategies to change the outcome. If the outcome looks dicey, you need to show what can be done to navigate the situation. 4. Not keeping healthy boundaries. Boundaries keep you sane. 5. Taking on the role of a doctor, therapist or lawyer. Leave that to the professionals.  6. Thinking you got it all down.  Keep learning, always.

Episode 158. 2020 marks the universal year of the Emperor. The themes for the year: security, protection, and the patriarchy. While the Emperor can symbolize the father figure, the shadow side is the dictator. In this week's Tarot Bytes my co-author of Tarot for Troubled Times, Shaheen Miro, joins me to talk about how to find the yearly number, what the Emperor year means for us on a collective and personal level, plus how to deal in a way that makes sense for you based on your birth card.  Navigate this year's vibe with tarot - and Shaheen!

Episode 157. There will be times when you’re reading for someone and suddenly you lose your sense of objectivity. For example, you’re reading for a loved one - and you see something bad and don’t want to tell them so you sugarcoat your delivery. Or perhaps you have someone at your tarot table that you don’t like. Maybe they are doing something that you feel is morally wrong. In that case, you may find yourself looking for the so-called bad cards because you feel some type of way. If you ever find yourself in one of those situations, don’t feel bad. It happens to all of us at one time or another. BUT if you don’t get out of your own way, this will hinder your ability to deliver a helpful reading for the person at your tarot table. Remaining objective isn’t easy but it can be done. The key is to keep a neutral mindset at all times, no matter who is in front of you, what questions are being asked, or what cards show up. This Tarotcise involves role-playing and can help you learn to get centered - before you're