This is an episode in a series …. the “The Major Arcana In-Depth” series! Every few weeks I will be featuring one card of the Major Arcana, from the Fool to the World. Come take a tarot journey with me!

Going within and just being left alone with your thoughts is something that seems trite or too simple to be truly wisdom. The Hermit tells us that the best of way of knowing ourselves and our inner truths is to be by ourselves and retreat from the noise of the outer world to hear what’s within.

When writing about the Hermit card, I had a perfect setting for it: a rainy drizzly night in which I was home alone while hubby was out at his darts game. A perfect time to write and reflect and contemplate and read books and dream.

It is often said that extroverts are outgoing, loud and boisterous and generally fun, great at networking and making friends and working a room. Introverts on the other hand are timid shy creatures like scared churchmice that would rather fade into the wallpaper when faced with a crowded room full of strangers. In this dualistic world, you’re said to be one or the other as your general nature or basic falling-back-to point. But really? Extroversion and introversion are truly based on what your source of energy is. As Sophia Amoruso writes in her book #GIRLBOSS: “Research over the last few years has been focused on how the two personality types are actually more defined by what energizes them. Extroverts get their energy from being around a lot of people, but introverts find large groups draining and require time alone to recharge.”

Books mentioned in this episode: #Girlboss by Sophia Amoruso

Read about the Hermit card here: http://tarotbyhilary.com/the-major-arcana-in-depth-the-hermit/

Cardslingers Coast to Coast episode: Episode 28: The Hermit, A Box We Can’t Check https://cardslingerscc.podbean.com/e/episode-28-the-hermit-a-box-we-can-t-check/

Content warning: If you have littles, you may want to pop on a set of headphones before firing up this episode of the podcast... there may be some swears.

“I know what I need to do. I just don’t want to do it.”

My client’s voice echoed on the other end of the line. It’s a familiar line, and while I don’t want to sound cavalier… I’ve heard it before. Many, many times, often after I complete a tarot reading with someone. Most people are not willing to admit that fact before the reading, but it all comes up after in light of the cards.

That’s the downside to empowering readings. You are often stuck with not indecision, but finding the courage to do what you know you need to do. Often it’s something that you’ve known you needed to do for YEARS, and the courage or determination to do exactly that is lacking. But still… it ain’t about getting clarity: it boils down to doing or making the choices that you don’t want to.

Prefer to read this instead? You can do so here: http://tarotbyhilary.com/i-know-what-i-need-to-do/

Book a reading with Hilary at www.tarotbyhilary.com

Content warning: There may be a little bit of the swearbearing going on, so make sure you wear headphones for this episode.

This article elaborates on a topic I’ve written about previously: Can’t Read for Everyone – go check it out!

My husband is notorious for becoming quite the brat if he’s forced to do something that he doesn’t want to do. He digs his heels and won’t budge, or if I get him someplace he doesn’t want to be, doing something he doesn’t want to do, he acts out like a 2 year old. There’s a well-known story about him pulling this stunt on an ex, and narrowly avoiding getting beaten up by strangers by him deliberately saying inflammatory things just to “get out of” the situation… or simply to prove a point: he doesn’t want to be someplace, and this is what you’ll get. [An aside: he was playing Devil’s advocate in a situation where he really shouldn’t of—and he deserved what he got!]

Why am I talking about this? I understand the impulse… especially when I have a client for the umpteenth time asking “Will he/she come back?” I have often said that I am not the best at romance readings, simply because of this one question. “Is he my soulmate?” is another question that rubs me wrong in a similar way, because I personally don’t believe in soulmates. I DO believe in kindred spirits. And don’t get me started on twin flames, either!

Text version of this episode here: http://tarotbyhilary.com/refusal/

For some, the Strength card is a source of, well… Strength! When the Strength card comes up in a reading, it can be a tricky card, because it can either tell you that you need strength or you already have the strength to get through the situation that you asked about… Even if you don’t believe you actually have the strength. Sometimes the Strength card in different decks will have a different name, depending on its depiction within the deck: I have seen it be renamed to Fortitude. Also, the numbering on the Strength card can be tricky: it can appear as either the 8th or the 11th (switching with the Justice card, respectively) card of the Major Arcana, at the discretion of the deck designer. However, most modern decks now have Strength as number 8. Remember that the sequence of the Major Arcana is important and can give us clues as to the nature or significance of the card, depending on which cards come before and after the card itself.

Read about the Strength card here: http://tarotbyhilary.com/the-major-arcana-in-depth-strength/

Strength and Justice numbering episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0N3cSqhcbnLdD0R1XzprEk?si=06cb35709cb54e7b

Cardslingers Coast to Coast episode Episode 27: Strength, the Annoying Gym Teacher https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-27-strength-the-annoying-gym-teacher/id1493144803?i=1000510809399

In this episode I do a couple of card readings LIVE for listeners, as well as answer some general questions about the tarot, such as reading with reversals, how it feels to have my first tarot book in the world, and choosing a tarot deck for yourself.

Recommend reading or listening:

Cardslingers Coast to Coast Episode 13 Reversals: Flip This Shit https://open.spotify.com/episode/00nUXYY9saURZY7e29WnbS?si=tqpX8zFbTceCBUyDxkz2bw

Cardslingers Coast to Coast Episode 68 Newbie Reader with Bo

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3lcLrs7dVTTeUq6uLM9a1j?si=R7TLov64T6uJFNUfGLTeeA

My Tarot Deck Library

https://tarotbyhilary.com/behind-the-scenes-my-tarot-deck-library/

The Simple Tarot

https://thesimpletarot.com/

The live call-in show happens every first Thursday of the month. Find out more and get notified by going to https://tarotbyhilary.com/podcasts/

Ad break - Stumped for a holiday or Yule present? Give the gift of clarity with a tarot reading! Gift certificates are available at www.tarotbyhilary.com

Have you picked up my book yet? How to Read Tarot from Flame Tree Publishing is available now.

This is an episode in a series of episodes…. the “The Major Arcana In-Depth” series! Every few weeks I will be featuring one card of the Major Arcana, from the Fool to the World. Come take a tarot journey with me!

I decided to produce this episode of the podcast this week because though I’m recording and releasing it in December of 2022, we are rapidly heading to the end of the year and will soon be into 2023. 2023’s General Card of the Year will be the Chariot - 2 + 0 + 2 + 3 = 7, and the seventh card of the Major Arcana is the Chariot.

Let’s do a deep dive into this card of the Major Arcana.

Do you want an episode on birth and year cards? Let me know!

Read the article here: http://tarotbyhilary.com/the-major-arcana-in-depth-vii-the-chariot/

Stumped for a holiday or Yule present? Give the gift of clarity with a tarot reading! Gift certificates are available at www.tarotbyhilary.com

Have you picked up my book yet? How to Read Tarot from Flame Tree Publishing is available now.

This is an episode in a series in episodes…. the “The Major Arcana In-Depth” series! Every few weeks I will be featuring one card of the Major Arcana, from the Fool to the World. Come take a tarot journey with me!

Oh, the Lovers card. Quite a few cards that are considered negative cards at a glance are misunderstood, but this is a card I consider equally misunderstood, despite the fact that people believe it to have inherently positive qualities.

The Lovers card makes those seeking love ooh and ahhh when it comes up in a reading. To which I have to then burst their bubbles slightly. Because while the Lovers card seems to be a sexy card on the surface, in reality it’s more about choice and consequences than about losing yourself in a steamy tryst (oh poop, that’s kinda boring, isn’t it?). Mr. or Mrs. Right vs. Mr. and Mrs. Right Now is more the Devil card to me (temptation) than the Lovers card. And if you’re looking for “the One”, I would rather see the 2 of Cups over the Lovers, anytime.

Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom: A Book of Tarot by Rachel Pollack

The Major Arcana In-Depth: VI The Lovers http://tarotbyhilary.com/the-major-arcana-in-depth-vi-the-lovers/

2 of Cups > The Lovers Card http://tarotbyhilary.com/2-of-cups-the-lovers-card/

Episode 17: Sexy, Sexy Fun Choices of the Cardslingers Coast to Coast podcast https://www.stitcher.com/show/cardslingers-coast-to-coast/episode/episode-17-sexy-sexy-fun-choices-78018126 (or whatever podcast platform you prefer)

Want to join in the next time we have a call-in show? It happens every 1st Thursday of the month! Get a reminder at tarotbyhilary.com/podcasts/

——

Questions asked:

1st guest: Teresa

What to expect for Sagittarius rising with Saturn and Mars conjunct in 1st?

The Devil card and an affirmation card

Message for us all: raise the standards of your friendships - quality over quantity - hold people accountable and allow them to learn their own lessons

2nd guest: Kristen

What are some good journal prompts for shadow working with the tarot?

Deck suggested the Mary-el Tarot by Marie White

General question about career and finances

5 of Wands reversed

Message for us all: Tune out the noise so you can focus on you!

Order by new book How to Read Tarot tarotbyhilary.com/book/

Live streaming happens every Friday night at 6:30 p.m. EST on youtube.com/hilarytarot and Facebook.com/tarotbyhilary

Podcast information available

tarotbyhilary.com/podcasts/

Feel free to send a voice message to ask me a question or provide feedback on the podcast.

This is an episode in a series of the podcast…. the “The Major Arcana In-Depth” series! Every few weeks I will be featuring one card of the Major Arcana, from the Fool to the World. Come take a tarot journey with me!

Please note that there's a few minor audio glitches in this episode, and I thank you for your patience!

Confession time: I’ve always had a problem with the Hierophant card. Maybe it’s because I think of the Hierophant as representative of dogmatic religion or tradition: religious beliefs for the sake of religious beliefs without understanding of the reasoning BEHIND those traditions. I’m not a big fan of doing something by rote.

From Dec 16, 2011, I wrote about the Hierophant: There’s a reason why you do the things you do. You educate people and help people because underneath everything, you genuinely care about them. Even if you seem like a curmudgeon on the outside sometimes. You are seen as a spiritual go-to person today. Just accept it and go with it. You may not have all the answers (no one does!) but that doesn’t make you less of a person or a guide.

From Dec 28, 2011, I was a bit more glib: The Hierophant: You feel that seeing your spiritual path for yourself is more important than being shown it by someone else. It’s your soul; you get to make the decisions.

The Hierophant can be tricky in determining its meaning as different from that of the Hermit card, because both figures are so dependent on the wisdom gained through study and books. However, the Hierophant is much more of a spiritual teacher or guru, while the Hermit is a being of solitude. Both can teach, but they are different lessons.

Read about the Hierophant card here: http://tarotbyhilary.com/the-major-arcana-in-depth-v-the-hierophant/

Episode 15: The Hierophant: The Key is the Key Cardslingers Coast to Coast podcast: https://cardslingerscc.podbean.com/e/episode-15-the-hierophant-the-key-is-the-key/

It's 11/11, so make a wish! Supposedly it's a powerful day numerologically. But what does that mean? Let's dive into repeating numbers, what they mean, and the significance of numbers in a tarot deck's Major and Minor Arcana. Can knowing this information help you interpret tarot cards? Absolutely.

Recommended Reading:

Kitchen Table Tarot by Melissa Cynova

Magnetic Mindset by Gala Darling

How to Read Tarot by Hilary Parry Haggerty