Tarot for a Troubled Time

Host River Rose is reflecting on the fact that it's been a hard week on planet earth, between COVID-19 and everything else that's happened. In the wake of all of our collective challenges, she asked the Tarot: What the actual f**k?! This may not be the most constructive question, but it's meant to get a deeper wondering: How can we possibly deal with all of the devastation that is happening around us right now? This question applies to any situation that you’re finding too difficult to deal with, anything that is happening that is overwhelming, infuriating, anything that you would like to change but you can’t change, or you don’t know how to change. In response, the Tarot gave us an overwhelmingly encouraging response, with The Lovers, the King of Swords, and The Chariot. How do we make sense of this super-positive spread when we're feeling exasperated?

If you're feeling stressed, check out the podcasts River mentions in this episode, by Dharmapunx NYC and Tara Brach.

To connect with River, follow her on Instagram (@callmeriverrose) or Twitter (@callmeriverrose) or send her an email at [email protected].

Host River Rose is spending another week away from home and pondering not just how she can get back home but even where home is, and when it is. Turning to the Tarot for answers, she draws the Wheel of Fortune and Strength reversed, What do these cards tell us about the ability we might have to get back home? And what does The Wizard of Oz have to do with this question?

This week, River Rose is thinking about the heated conflicts in our lives, and she asks the Tarot the question: How can I cool things down? In response, we get the Knight of Pentacles, the Two of Swords, and the King of Cups. With a spread that suggests we bring our whole selves, body, mind, and spirit to cooling the tensions in our lives, we are literally being told to lay down our weapons now so that we can think clearly, behave in a reliable fashion, and draw on our emotional intelligence. This is all easier said than done, but if we don't dig deep to cool the conflicts around us and within us, what is the alternative?

To connect with River, follow her on Instagram (@callmeriverrose) or Twitter (@callmeriverrose) or send her an email at [email protected].

This week, River Rose thinks about our dearly departed and wonders what advice they might have for us right now. Whether you believe that our departed loved ones still exist somewhere out there in the universe, or whether you believe they only live on in our memories and in our collective psyche, it's interesting to wonder what guidance they might have if they could communicate with us right now. On asking the Tarot: "What would our spirit guides say?", the cards that appear are the Two of Cups reversed and Justice reversed. It seems that the spirits are confirming that  our bonds being tested or downright broken, and that our balance and sense of justice have been completely thrown off. Given this difficult reality, what guidance do they have to offer? 

To connect with River, follow her on Instagram (@callmeriverrose) or Twitter (@callmeriverrose) or send her an email at [email protected].  

In this episode, host River Rose considers what good news may be available to us this week. She also aggressively asks the Tarot to tell us something good. Like a the close friend who tells us like it is but who may not tell us what we want to hear, the cards reveal the Three of Pentacles reversed, the Devil, and the King of Wands reversed. With the cards showing a community divided, and an underground resistance to amoral power and to destructive energy, they are telling us to dig deep within ourselves and to do some work to create something good out of a less than ideal situation.

Lots of cultural references to inspire you are mentioned in the episode: Alexander Hamilton, Lin Manuel-Miranda, Dolly Parton, William Shakespeare, Dante Alighieri, Luigi Pirandello, Amanda Yates-Garcia,  Chaka Kahn, and more!

It's a noisy night in Brooklyn, but River transcends the roar of the traffic to ponder the question: how do we rise up? The Tarot tells us to consider the Two of Pentacles reversed, the Ten of Wands, and the Three of Swords -- three cards that warn us about the weight of our continued burdens and ask us to focus on the compassion we feel towards each other.

Check out the podcast that River mentions during this episode, The Insomnia Project. River was a guest on a recent episode of this show (season 4, episode 27).

With another wild month behind us, we are now in August, and reflecting on the moon. Looking ahead to the week that stretches before us, River Rose asks the cards a question that is on many of our minds: how can I get some rest? The cards respond with the Six of Swords, the Five of Swords, and the Emperor -- all reversed. How can these cards guide us to a place where we can recharge? River Rose shares some of her insights.

The week that just passed was intense and difficult, so River wants to keep this week's reading simple. She also wonders whether we might feel better if we stop focusing on ourselves for a moment (if we can), and so she asks the cards the question: How can I help? In response, the Tarot gives back the Five of Cups reversed and the King of Pentacles. What do these cards mean, and what if you're thinking you really can't help anyone right now? River has some thoughts.

This week, we embark on our journey through the Tarot with a three-card reading, and we ask the cards the question: Where the F Are We Right Now? In response, the Tarot gives us three cards: the Queen of Wands, the Nine of Wands, and the Five of Wands. What do these cards mean? Host River Rose gives her insights.

Introducing Tarot for a Troubled Time: 

Host River Rose reflects on the troubled time that we are collectively living through, using the cards of the Tarot deck. Looking for a way to deal with COVID-19, political corruption, racism, and other diseases of the era? This podcast is for you.

Episode Transcript

Hi, I’m River Rose. I live in New York City. Like many people, I’ve been struggling to deal with the impact of the coronavirus, the dysfunction of our political system, and now the escalation of tensions caused by repeated, unjustified hostility and violence towards African Americans and other groups on the part of law enforcement, political leaders, and regular citizens. For some time, I’ve been reading Tarot cards to help me clarify my thoughts and make decisions, and I’ve been thinking I might take my practice public. So, I’m about to embark on an experiment that will take me on a journey through the Tarot. And I’ve decided to share my journey through this podcast, Tarot for a Troubled Time. In each episode, I’m going to do a quick reading, pulling one or more cards, depending on what’s happening in the moment. When I’m finished with the cards I pulled for the episode, I’m not going to put them back into the deck. I’m going to set them aside and, in the next episode, I’m going to choose from the remaining cards, until we have only one card left. This will essentially give us a 78-card reading over time, one that will force us to reflect on every archetype, every situation, every element of the Tarot, so that in addition to gaining insights about this troubled time that we’re in, we can also learn a little bit about the cards, together.

Now, the podcast may sound serious, and indeed, I am serious, but I’d like to add that this podcast is, as they say, “For entertainment purposes only.” And, in addition to entertainment, I’m hoping that we can gain some insights, make connections with each other, and have some fun.

Some warnings: I’m actually sheltering in place in an apartment building Brooklyn, NY, beside one of the busiest stretches of highway in the world, and so in addition to my voice, you will hear the roar of traffic, siren sounds, honking, truck bouncing, the occasional noisy neighbor ... stuff like that.You will also hear me curse, because, let’s face it, given where we are in time, I’m gonna be dealing with racism, death, political corruption, and the need for systemic change, and all of those things fucking piss me off.

Having said all that: join me this summer on my journey; listen to Tarot for a Troubled Time. Until then, find me on Instagram. My handle is @callmeriverrose. See you soon!