what is tarot?
If you’ve found yourself here, you probably already have an idea what tarot is. But there are a lot of definitions out there! Partly because tarot is a lot of things to a lot of people.
Fundamentally, Tarot is a series of symbols - numbers, letters, gestures, images, colours - tied together through a loose story and a long history.
Tarot originally referred to a card game, played with a standard deck of cards plus 20-22 fancier trump cards. The cards are generally thought to originate from Italy, but if we think more broadly about the origin of card games as a whole, or seek specific references to the stories and symbolisms within the modern Tarot and its forebears, it can be traced as far back as the Tang Dynasty in the late 700s and a game called “leaf play.” Others trace Tarot’s origins to ancient Egyptians and their Book of Thoth, or to Judaic principles of Kabbalah, but there’s likely been some willful reinterpretation of history by 20th Century occultists in those theories. (more on all this history will be recorded under “writing” soon.)
Whether all the potential historical entanglements of the symbols of Tarot are to be believed or not, the long lives of these images and their use as a tool for truly seeing the world around us remains compelling. For more on the history of tarot, check out the writing/research tab above.
who is charles?
i’m a white non-binary anarchist witch dedicated to keeping activists, marginalized folks, and other good souls alive and thriving in everything i do. i am generally curious, thoughtful, and insightful. i like making connections, seeing the bigger picture, and spotting weaknesses in the power structure. my witchcraft is circumspect and travels hand in hand with good science when possible.
i’m currently living as an uninvited guest on the lands of the Anishnaabe, Huron-Wendat, and Haudenosaunee communities, as well as close to the lands of a Mohawk reserve, and that means my services are free forever to anyone who claims those kinships. my services are also free/PWYC to all BIPOC, people with disabilities, and single parents. whatever your position, i accept trades and compromises whenever possible.
tarot has saved my life many a time by giving me a space to see myself more clearly. i use it to think things through, and to connect with ancestors and the unknown. i work with multiple decks and connect to broad symbolisms, mythologies, and collective knowledges. i remember activism and resistance in tarot’s shapes and characters.