Tarot photo by Lilith Dorsey. The Wild Unknown Tarot by Kim Krans featured. All rights reserved.
Many people realize that tarot is primarily used for divination. Through it we can find out about what may be hidden or unknown to us, and also find out what the future may hold. Ways to use Tarot as a Transformational Tool
Tarot can be used a a tool for meditation. You can meditate on a card you are getting repeatedly in your readings, or on one you choose to focus on as a quality you wish to see in your life. Use your best meditation practices- this could involve sitting quietly with the card, lighting a candle or some incense, and deeply exploring the meaning and imagery of your favorite deck.
Dreams can be full of messages and inspiration themselves. However sometimes their meaning can be hard to decipher. Tarot can help you explore these symbols, either through a reading about especially meaningful dreams, or by using the symbols in the cards and seeing how they may correspond to some of the recurring elements in your dreams.
Journaling and Magickal record keeping can also help your understanding or the cards and of yourself. You can use the cards as a journal prompt, and/or also keep records of your readings. It’s a great practice to develop and you will thank yourself later down the road.
Ancestral veneration is experiencing a renaissance and it’s high time it did. Frequently clients come to me for readings to discover the messages and lessons from their ancestors that may have been lost. Most people are only familiar with the names and stories of their immediate family, but tarot can help us to unlock so much more. Consider doing a reading about ancestral names and qualities that may be helpful to you.
Part of divination, and probably life itself, is dependent on telling a story. This is how humans make meaning and how they learn. I’m not just saying this because I’ve written 6 books. There’s a reason we tell stories to our youngsters, and continue to enjoy them throughout our lives. One popular spread for the cards that I have seen is shuffling then laying out the entire major arcana to tell a story about the situation or individual at hand. It isn’t necessarily the best choice for every situation, but if you aren’t used to this spread I suggest you try it once or twice, just to help get a better understanding of the relationship between the forces of the universe.
This list is just a starting place, there are many more ways to use the tarot to transform your own life, and that of those who come to your for a reading ! For more information on divination and Tarot please check out the other posts here on Voodoo Universe ! If you would like to book a reading you can contact me at voodoouniverse@yahoo.com ! As always if you have enjoyed what you read here please do us a favor and like, comment, and share !
Secrets of Paradise Tarot photo by Leticia, the Witchy Dancer. All rights reserved.
It’s been awhile since we have featured a new installment of Divination Space Station, but when I saw the new Secrets of Paradise Tarot by Leticia, The Witchy Dancer I knew I had to find out more. Leticia Ferrer-Rivera, The Witchy Dancer! is the owner of Dancing Crowns. She is Certified as Tarot and Crystal Healer. She does divination and Psychic Readings using the Pendulum, Tarot, and Crystals. Leticia is also a Wicca High Priestess and comes from a long generation of Witchcraft and Mediums on both sides of her family, especially from the Ferrer side from Barcelona, Spain. Here’s what she had to say (all responses come directly from her):
When did you start divining?
When I was 7 years of age I started to have clairvoyant dreams showing me the related person in the event that was going to happen very soon. For example, I remember dreaming that my mother was going to have her car stolen from one of the big shopping malls in Puerto Rico, and actually it was my aunt (her sister) who had her car stolen from the mall parking lot. As an adult, around 2004, I started learning Tarot and Pendulum on my own. That was the start of a big spiritual change in my life and was about a year before getting initiated as a High Priestess in a very intimate Coven in Puerto Rico. I loved both methods from the get-go.
With what method?
Tarot and Pendulum were my first methods of divination. It is ironic because I played Briscas (Spanish Cards) all my life and saw them as fun, instead of as a divination tool. So I kept using Tarot and Pendulum, and I incorporated Crystals Casting and Oracles back in 2017.
Which method do you use most often now?
I use Tarot, Pendulum, and Crystals more often, but I can also pull out an Oracle Card at the end of a reading sometimes for extra insight.
How important is the choice/phrasing of the question?
It is important to ask the right question and to be specific. The question must not just be about another person alone, but your situation, your relationship, you must be included in the question. This way the outcome has a message for you directly on how this is impacting you, and also guidance on how to proceed.
It is also super important to choose the correct method of divination when you know what type of reading the querent is looking for. It has higher probabilities for me as a Reader and Psychic to deliver the appropriate message throughout and at the end of the reading. It is important to know which method can be used for what type of reading, but also, within the method which card deck or which pendulum to use as well. I have Tarot Decks that are perfect for business readings, others for love readings, others for any kind of readings, and the same with the pendulums based on the type of crystal they are made, wooden pendulums, metal, etc. It takes not only your intuition and skills for choosing the right tool, but also studying each method and crystal is important.
Do you have a yes/no method of divining you recommend?
I love Pendulum for a Yes or No answer. However, I also use it for multiple-choice, dates, and confirming time frames. I use it for Crystal Healing too.
Is there any advice you have for newcomers when using divination?
– To study each method from trusted and reliable sources.
– To not learn more than two methods at the same time.
– To understand if you want to be a Tarot Reader or if you want to work with intuition, spirit, and the Divine for developing your Psychic or Mediumship abilities. This is a big decision to make.
– Do not choose an easy method you are not tuning with just because it is easier, push yourself to study and connect with the method you really like.
– Buy your decks from trusted sources and support authors, Tarot and Oracle creators, and trusted businesses online and locally. Do not buy counterfeit decks from Wish! This type of practice hurt us all and believe me, your counterfeit deck will not work with you with the same energy as the one bought from their creator or publisher.
Leticia, The Witchy Dancer. All photo rights reserved.
I’m absolutely in awe of your Secrets of Paradise Tarot? What was your inspiration for the deck, and how do people get one?
One day I asked my husband to take a picture of me in front of one of our Lilacs from our backyard. I placed a chair in front, grabbed one of the branches that needed to be cut, and sat on the chair. When I saw the picture I said… This is the Queen of Wands! It was not intended to look like a Tarot card, but it did. That was the first card I created, but from there I created the rest of the cards combining my expertise from the performing arts and the culture with my knowledge from the Tarot. In 600 years of Tarot History, there are several Hispanic Tarot Creators and several Tarot Decks with names related to the Spanish language, but none of them has illustrations, deities, and symbolism from the Caribbean and Latin America. That was the main reason I created it, I love that this deck is going to make history once is published. From the Taínos to our African Heritage, as well as our music, dances, food, and historical places, this deck includes new symbols that have never been on a divination card deck before, as well as some traditional symbols that are based on the Waite-Coleman Smith Tarot. Secrets of Paradise Tarot: A Caribbean and Latin American Approach to Symbolism and Divination is right now submitted as traditional publishing proposals to my two favorite big traditional publishers. One will be answering sometime soon and the other I am not sure how long they take for the response, but hopefully soon. (Update: During the writing of the post word arrived that the deck will be published by Hay House ! Congratulations and more updates to follow!) I want to take this opportunity to invite everyone to sign up for the newsletter at www.dancingcrownspsychic.com so you can all get invited to the themed Launch Party I am planning to do once it is available for purchase.
Are there any new projects you are developing?
Yes, I am always creating. Besides everything I do I am currently teaching to a group of women a pilot course called Sacred Geometry in Dance that I designed myself. I am also working already on my Mysteries of the Spanish Fan Oracle. That is my next big project. I will be opening two new courses in Crystals and Tarot so stay tuned! Sign up for the newsletter to receive all this information via email and before anyone else!
As always if you have enjoyed what you read here please remember to like, comment, and share !
Guardians Tarot image by BLewisArts. All rights reserved.
I’ve been a tarot reader and divination enthusiast since I was a child, but back then there weren’t any decks or images that represented me and other BIPOC. So the minute I saw Brittany Lewis’ new tarot deck I knew I had to get an interview about it for the blog. Lewis’ website tells us ” when creating artwork outside of commissions, my focus is to develop spiritually charged imagery of the African Diaspora in futuristic settings.” But I had more questions, so here they are in the interview below.
Did you always want to be an artist?
Art and creating in general has been something I’ve done my entire life. I did it when I was bored, sad, happy, excited. I would draw so much that I thought it was something everyone did. It became second nature to me. I didn’t think much of it until I was about 16 when I had an art teacher – Mrs. Owens – who took me under her wing and saw something in me that she fostered and nurtured. She was my first Black art teacher and she gave me the confidence to move forward as a creative. From that point on, I decided that I would be an artist professionally.
When did you decide to fuse your art with spirituality?
As an artist, especially once I began to freelance – I found that I was creating work that wasn’t necessarily what I wanted to create. It didn’t fulfill me and I found myself creating more and more to meet the expectations of others rather than being authentic to who I am. I remember one day, honestly reflecting on what I was doing versus what I wanted to do and what I wanted to see. I was really going through it at this time because to be an artist – in my opinion is much more than creating pretty pictures but giving a voice to the voiceless, even if that voiceless person is you.
Recognizing the power of being an artist, I had to decide how I wanted to use this expression. I no longer desired to create images from pop culture – which was more about recreating other people’s ideas and visions. I wanted to express myself in the most truthful way I could. Shortly after going through that thought process, I was asked in an interview with Blaque Canvas Magazine, what I thought people would say when they saw my art. I remember being completely dumbfounded and speechless. I didn’t answer. But what that question did, was give me the boost I needed to move forward creating more for myself and whatever was to come from it would come. I set out on a mission to be purposefully introspective throughout my artistic and spiritual journeys.
One of the biggest things that I was lacking was visual representation of my own spiritual journey. What I noticed was that worldwide – in almost every culture, there were very few – if any – depictions of the African Diaspora – or any darker people – as Gods and Goddesses, witches, mythical characters, etc. Much like the old Hollywood troupe, darker beings were often seen as negative beings. There’s a HUGE lack of balance and void in that space. One of the biggest arenas for this lack of representation is in the realm of Tarot and Oracle decks.
Artist Brittany Lewis. All rights reserved.
Do you read cards? How did you get started?
I do! The same year that I decided to be an artist – I decided that I wanted to learn to read tarot. I’m not sure what lead that desire but I knew I wanted to learn. I was always reading about and researching different spiritual systems – even at that young age. I also had plenty of metaphysical experiences – often seeing apparitions and so much more. So wanting to read tarot I think was just a natural calling.
During this time the only deck that I could get readily available was the Rider-Waite Smith Deck. I remember not being able to connect with the images – as a 16 year old there was something about it that I just didn’t vibe with. There wasn’t very much information for beginners to learn to read with them, so I gave up on it. Fast-forward 13 years from then, I get the itch to learn again. This time with many more decks and information available, and having grown significantly in my own journey, I began to read and I’ve been doing it every since.
You are working on a tarot deck yes? How did you get the idea to do this?
Yes. Once I decided that I would learn tarot again, I had to find a deck. I knew from my past experience that I didn’t want to start with the traditional Rider-Waite deck but I also recognized that there was a vast amount of information about learning from that particular system. So my search began. I was set on finding a deck that I connected with and instantly ran into the hurdle of not finding one that I felt represented me. This was around the same time I was having my artistic epiphanies. Being from a very ingenious lineage, I decided that I would use my own abilities to create what I wanted to see, rather than wait on the world to do it for me. At that point, I decided that creating a tarot deck would be a dream project of mine – It took me 5 years or so to finally start that project.
What’s your favorite card so far? I’m particularly fond of your Lovers card? Why did you choose this direction for the card?
The Lovers card is my favorite card as well. One thing about my deck is that it’s a self-portrait of my own spiritual journey and understanding. The Lovers card is a representation of something I experienced – so it holds a super special place in my heart. Just prior to creating that card, I was going through a major shift spiritually and I was exploring the duality of the mundane and higher selves – thus the Lovers card was born.
The Lovers Tarot Card by BLewisArts. All rights reserved.
It seems like much of your work is rooted in Afro-futurism? Do you agree? Why do you think this is especially important now?
Yes, I totally agree. Afro-futurism is one of the things that I wanted to showcase in my artwork and especially in my tarot deck. I’m a huge science fiction fan – from Television to literature and beyond. One of the things that I’ve noticed in sci-fi – as with many things, is the lack in representation and presence of the African Diaspora – as if we don’t exist in the future. And though there are black creators of this genre, they often don’t get the recognition I feel they should. Writers like NK Jemisin and Tananarive Due are brilliant – but they are often overlooked. Nonetheless, in popular science fiction, there’s plenty of dystopian doom and gloom.
One of my goals artistically is to showcase a different viewpoint: a much more magical viewpoint. Someone who has struggled will continue to struggle – vying for acceptance from others if that person cannot imagine themselves as something more – more magical, more powerful, more godly even. If I’ve never seen myself as a Goddess, how can I act as a Goddess? Just as when I was younger, before I had my first black art teacher, doing anything art related as a profession was outside of my purview. I didn’t even consider it – nor did I think it to be possible for someone like me. It is my desire to showcase infinite possibilities.
Do you have any advice for young Black witches just starting out?
To young black witches I would first say: No one can tell you how to do your magic. Trust in your own intuition and your own abilities. Heal those past traumas in order to move forward. That means confronting the darkest, deepest secrets and showing those parts of yourself love. Love every part of who you are. Seek help if you need it – whether that is through counseling or confiding in unbiased elders. Love yourself and be yourself.
What are you working on now?
Currently I’m creating the Queens in my tarot deck. I’m so excited to be working on this deck. The response has been wonderful and so humbling. I’m just happy to be able to share this part of myself.
How can people get in touch and buy your amazing work?
I’m currently on Instagram and Facebook as @BLewisArts and @BLewLotus.Tarot. I post lots of behind the scenes looks into the creation of my deck and I also do daily readings. Prints and t-shirts of my art can be found at: www.blewisarts.com. There you can also sign up to join the Tarot waitlist. Wait-listers will have first dibs on Pre-orders and will find out before it goes public. If you sign up for the monthly newsletter you get a coupon for Free shipping off your first order.
For more posts about Tarot please check out the Divination Space Station series on this blog. As always if you have enjoyed what you read here please remember to like, comment and share !
Tarot Deck photo by Art-Of-Joan. Licensed under CC 0.0
Most days I think Tarot Decks are like Tattoos, you can’t have just one. Each one explores something different in a unique way. There will be images that speak to you in a variety of ways. Getting to know your newest deck is part of the fun. After you birth your new deck you are ready to start the process of getting to know it with a discovery spread.
Here on the Voodoo Universe blog I have talked a lot about how to birth your deck. Saying:
The process can be as complex or as simple as you would like to make it. You can use any, or all of the following methods as you birth your tarot deck into the world.
Consider getting a special bag or box to place your tarot deck in. This could be something in the a psychic power color like purple, or one inscribed with symbols or sigils that will help to charge and energize your cards.
Some readers like to put their new deck under their pillow on the night of the full moon to bond the deck and the reader together.
After you have blessed it using the above ways, or one of your own choosing, you are ready to start a dialogue between you and the cards. One great way to start this process is to do a discovery tarot spread. Shuffle and combine the cards well. Some people do this three times to make sure they are well mixed. Then choose three cards. Lay them out from left to right. The first card will be on the left.
What can I learn from you ?
What’s going to help with that learning?
What subject are you best at exploring?
The first card will show what you can learn from this particular deck. You may choose a major arcana card which well represent that this deck can be focused on major issues and forces at play in the universe. A court card here might indicate that this deck will help with interpersonal relations or messages from people. The second card you pulled will show you what is going to assist in your learning. This could be an individual person, if you pull a court card, or an idea or attitude if you get a major or minor arcana card that isn’t one of the court cards. The third will deem the subject that your new deck will give special insight on. If you’re unclear about the meaning feel free to lay another card on top of any or all of these to help elaborate on the message. For beginners and adepts alike I always recommend Jana Riley’s Tarot Dictionary and Compendium, this provides a variety of meanings and insight into each card. This in conjunction with the book or instructions that came with the specific deck will be more than enough to get started. What are your favorite ways to get to know your newest deck of cards. I’d love to hear about it in the comments below.
As always if you have enjoyed what you read here please remember to like, comment and share !
Jodorowsky’s Tarot exhibit at IMMA’s As Above, So Below. Photo by Lilith Dorsey. All rights reserved.
There are a lot of Tarot Superstitions out there. If you’ve just started reading or even if you’ve been doing it for almost 4 decades like me, people will probably try and tell you what you should or shouldn’t do with your tarot deck. Ultimately all anyone can do is share what has worked for them, why some traditions exist, and hint at how you might be able to navigate this powerful system of divination for yourself.
Top Ten Tarot Superstitions
The following are in no particular order.
You must not buy your own tarot deck. This particular advice was given to me over 30 years ago by some prominent witches. Gifting a deck can give an extra special blessing or energy, but if you really want a deck don’t let me or anyone else stop you. Personally, I have several treasured decks that were given to me over the years, to me it feels like a connection to the people.
Don’t reuse a deck. Over the years I’ve been given decks from friends who have passed, or people who no longer wanted or needed them. I don’t know what people who follow this advice expect instead, a ritual sacrifice of the cards, composting on the bin next to the rotten onion peels and worms, or something else. There have been used decks that I was given that I did readings with, made into artwork, or turned around and gifted myself. I think each individual case is different.
Tarot decks must be wrapped in silk. Natural fabric is said to provide benefit to the cards. Synthetic fabrics are by definition unnatural and can take away from the inherent power of the cards. This is one of those tarot superstitions that actually has some logic behind it.
You can’t read your own cards. My opinion on this is probably going to lose me business. I’ve always read my own cards. One of my old clients even stopped coming to see me and wrote a book about reading cards for yourself. Guess I’m a good teacher. The key to reading for yourself is objectivity and seeing what’s really in front of you.
You should always/never read Tarot card reversals. I’ve written extensively about this before. In my blog post Thoughts Towards Tarot Reversals I write “My advice is to learn as many of the meanings upside down and backwards pardon the pun, when you are a beginning student of the tarot. Once you have a working grasp of these meanings you will be able to then pick out which ones are useful in the situation. You have to walk before you can run. Obviously not every meaning is going to be helpful, but once you learn them you will be on your way to understanding how these delicate meanings manifest in the readings you have before you.”
You have to sleep with your cards. I’m the last person to tell anyone that they have to do anything. I have an old friend who likes to say, I don’t even have to get out of bed to go to the bathroom, it will be messy but I don’t have to. Personally I think sleeping with your cards under your pillow occasionally can help you to reconnect with the cards and recharge them.
Facing east or north will improve your readings. Well I can see the logic in this, aligning yourself with the elemental directions might help, or it might not. My question with this is why not face west or south ?
You can only have one Tarot deck. Who are these haters that say things like this. Each deck has it’s own unique character.
Tarot is evil and attracts bad spirits. If you adhere to strict Christian dogma almost all methods of fortune telling are evil. As far as I’m concerned like attracts like, and the system can be used for whatever you want to focus it on. But is that in your best interest ?
Put the cards back in their original order after each reading. This could be helpful, but it is also time consuming.
What tarot superstitions have you heard of ? I would love to find out about it in the comments below. As always if you have enjoyed what you read here please remember to like, comment, and share !
True Heart Tarot by Rachel True. Photo by Lilith Dorsey. All rights reserved.
Rachel True is an icon, a living legend, a pioneer, and now an author. Specifically she’s the author of the True Heart Intuitive Tarot Guidebook and Deck which debuts this month. I’ve been waiting for this deck to arrive, and I haven’t been this excited about anything in awhile.
A few years back I was fortunate enough to meet Rachel True … she attended one of my rituals, we sat on a Witchcraft panel together, and we even got to hang out a bit. The experience was an honor and a privilege. It gave me an even greater appreciation of her acting work, and also this deck. The description for the Lovers card caught my attention. In addition to the traditional meanings, she talks about her own experience with love, and her life with her cats. “When I die, will they eat my eyes?” she writes. I’m laughing even as I type this. This book is chock full of the wit and wisdom which is Rachel True. She explains the meaning of each card by talking about herself and her own experiences. This is genius. Stories are a powerful means of gaining knowledge, and using this technique makes the messages of the cards infinitively relatable. Plus her stories are entertaining AF.
Rachel True and Lilith Dorsey 2018. All rights reserved.
I’ve been getting to know this deck and book over the past few days, “birthing it ” as they say. The images, created by Stephanie Singleton, are sublime and inclusive. This deck has brown people, black people, white people, and a whole host of animals and insects. True begins by talking about what to do when you first get your deck. She details the process of connecting with it, and the all important care and feeding of it. One part I love is an exercise called “Using The Actor’s Way.” Not many people know that much of my misspent youth revolved around acting (I was even on Broadway.) The exercise here allows people to really explore a card using acting techniques that are very valuable even for non-actors.
Rachel True dedicates this book to Pamela Coleman Smith & all who came before, I’m sure Pixie and all the Foremothers are truly proud. This set is a wonderful addition to any Tarot library and I hope all of you rush out and purchase it.
As always if you have enjoyed what your find here please be sure to like, comment, and share !
Black Tarot Readers, Psychics, and Astrologers photo by Lilith Dorsey. All rights reserved. ( Mecca Woods and Lilith Dorsey -top. From left to right top row Rebeca Spirit, Rev. Phoenix Williams, Sangoma, Starlet Lebrun, bottom row Iya Mawiyah Bomani, Tehron Gillis, Rhonda Alin, and Jaishirelle.
There’s no doubt about it, we live in interesting times. Never before have Black Tarot readers, psychics, and astrologers been so seen, and so necessary. As a black woman I have always done my best to highlight Black practitioners in the occult, witchcraft, and psychic communities where we are traditionally under-emphasized. Please take a minute to look at the back catalog of the blog Voodoo Universe where we have featured such notables as:
Courtney Alexander and the Dust II Onyx Tarot – I fell in love with this tarot deck the moment I first saw it. Then I got to interview her in 2016, and even had a visit from Courtney last year, and I fell in love even more. A truly melanated tarot was long overdue and this one is truly amazing. The artwork and knowledge that she drops here is vital for everyone. For more information, and to purchase one yourself please see the website dust2onyx.com
Mecca Woods, Author and Astrologer– Many of you are familiar with the rising star of astrology known as The Meccanism or Mecca Woods, author of Astrology For Happiness and Success and co-host of TLC’s Stargazing. It was a true joy to be able to interview her here on Voodoo Universe. Click on her name to book a reading, I highly recommend it.
Brandi Auset, Author and Diviner – In my interview with Brandi I write “Brandi Auset is trained as a High Priestess of the Goddess, Reiki Master Teacher, massage therapist, spiritual counselor, and intuitive reader. She has been working with Goddess energy for most of her life, and she teaches workshops on many topics, including sacred sensuality, and techniques for infusing the Divine Feminine into daily life and spiritual practice.”
Fontaine Foxworth and Melanade Stand Tarot – All I can say is that it was a great honor and a true privilege to be included in this groundbreaking Tarot deck featuring Black and Brown women, and even one baby. Please check out this interview with creator Fontaine Foxworth and find out how this deck came to be.
Lilith Dorsey (your humble blogger here) – I’ve been reading cards professionally for over 30 years. I answered a lot of divination questions when I started this blog, and you can find my answers here. If you would like to book me for a reading please email me voodoouniverse@yahoo.com
Black Tarot Readers, Psychics, and Astrologers Resource Guide
The following is a partial list (in no particular order) of some of the amazing Black Tarot Readers, Psychics, and Astrologers out there, please use the info below to contact them directly and support them in whatever ways you can. Note: If you do not see an email listed, please click on the name to go to that person’s website or social media.
From left to right Rebeca Spirit, Rev. Phoenix Williams, Sangoma, Starlet Lebrun
As always if you have enjoyed what you read here please remember to like, comment and share ! And if you would like to be included in this list please email a photo and contact info to me at voodoouniverse@yahoo.com this post will be updated periodically, and likewise if I made any mistakes please let me know, this took over 10 hours to assemble and I apologize in advance if anything is incorrect.
