Tarot readers approach the cards through their own unique worldviews and experiences. It’s important to evaluate whether a reader is the right fit through learning more about their philosophy, approach, and teachers. Read on to learn about some of the essential guideposts for my Tarot practice, and feel free to email any questions not answered here to charlotte@awaketarot.com.
Grounded in the Present
I am not a fortune teller, and I do not read for the future. I am intuitive. This distinction is so important! I believe we live in a free-will universe, and as such, the future is not something that can be predicted outside of projecting a continuation of the present into the future–but people change, make one decision, and then decide something else every moment. If you come into a reading with a query about the future, I will gently guide us through considering what is showing up in this moment and how it might relate to the next cycle.
Inclusive
Traditional decks often use gendered, heteronormative, and Euro-centric images and language that don’t make sense in our modern world. The language of Tarot is both ancient and timeless, which means it applies to all ages, genders, races, ethnicities, and identities equally–and carries baggage from old worldviews that failed to imagine the varied richness of the human experience that modern practitioners accept as matter-of-fact. The good news is that in recent years so many beautiful decks have been developed with inclusivity at their heart. When you book with me, if you have a preference as to the visual representations in the cards I pull for you, please let me know and we can work together to select a deck so you feel seen.
Empowering
Because the Tarot speaks to every human experience, there are several cards that appear to be “scary” or signal impending doom. Life is difficult and beautiful–without experiencing the Tower we never get to the soothing grace of the Star. Because I do not read predictively, when these cards come up it is almost always about the feeling of being caught in a difficult spot, or they may reflect your present reality. There is something really beautiful that happens when the cards see you in this way, and my job as your reader is to invite you to consider the medicine that is available to you if and when any of these cards appear in your reading.
Bowing most deeply to my teacher Lindsay Mack, without whom my Tarot philosophy would be very different indeed. These ideas all originated in her teachings, and I am profoundly grateful for her and her work. Check her out here: Tarot for the Wild Soul