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 possibilities to your Tarot readings. Get ready to look at the Elements - and Tarot - through new eyes! 

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!