Articles — tarot

Mightier Than the Swords: How to Deal with a Bad Tarot Reading

Posted by Michelle Gruben on

Mightier Than the Swords: How to Deal with a Bad Tarot Reading

If you’re an avid reader of Tarot cards, then you know that no matter how experienced or knowledgeable you are, not all readings will be positive. Sometimes, the cards will show something that you weren’t expecting—something negative. But what should you do if this happens? How can you make sense of a negative Tarot reading? Read on to learn how to “win” your Tarot reading when you’re dealt a bad hand. 1. Assess and Interpret As tempting as it may be to throw the ominous cards in a pile and re-shuffle the deck, it’s worth pausing for a second to...

Read more →

How to spot a fake Tarot deck (and why it matters)

Posted by Michelle Gruben on

How to spot a fake Tarot deck (and why it matters)

If you search for Tarot online, you’ve probably noticed a new trend in the marketplace: E-commerce listings for decks at insanely low prices. Often shipping from overseas, these cheapo decks dominate search results on popular shopping sites. Yep, the tsunami of imported knockoffs has finally (and predictably) swamped Tarot-town. Some buyers of pirated decks know they’re buying a fake copy and just don’t give a damn. But reviews and social media pages are full of comments from regretful shoppers who thought they were getting a bargain on a genuine deck. Fortunately, if you choose, you can easily avoid buying a...

Read more →

Deck review: Otherkin Tarot

Posted by Michelle Gruben on

Deck review: Otherkin Tarot

In the follow-up to 2016's excellent Linestrider Tarot, deck creator Siolo Thompson is still striding lines. This time, the barrier being teetered upon is the dividing line between traditional Tarot and avant-garde art deck.  Flipping through the Otherkin Tarot is like taking a trip through the looking glass. Every familiar element is countered by something completely unexpected. A wolf wields a hammer, a miniature knight rides a turtle, an octopus cuddles a snake. Welcome to the world of the Otherkin, where Tarot is still Tarot but everything else is just a little…different. First Impressions Visually, Otherkin Tarot is similar to...

Read more →

Discover your Tarot birth card in the Major Arcana

Posted by Michelle Gruben on

Discover your Tarot birth card in the Major Arcana

If you have a birthday, then you have a birth card in the Tarot. (Actually, you have three—but this article focuses on the birth cards in the Major Arcana.) Learning your birth card(s) can provide insights about your personality and life's path and enhance any readings you perform for yourself. The twelve birth cards (the zodiacal Trumps), are distributed throughout the Major Arcana (interspersed with the planetary and elemental Trumps). They appear in the same order as the zodiac signs, beginning with Aries. These correspondences were inherited from the 19th century Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. But zodiacal images...

Read more →

Deck review: Rackham Tarot

Posted by Michelle Gruben on

Deck review: Rackham Tarot

One of the most anticipated new Tarot decks of 2019, the Rackham Tarot is based on the artwork of the beloved illustrator Arthur Rackham. Rackham’s fantasy worlds are populated with elves and goblins, golden-haired princesses and sly old crones. His artwork appeals to occultists because of his skill in evoking the enchantment (and danger) of the Faery realms. Arthur Rackham (1867-1939) was a major figure in the Golden Age of illustration, which lasted roughly from the 1890s to the start of the first World War. At this time, the major publishing houses in Britain would commission illustrators to embellish classic...

Read more →