Queering the Tarot

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The Emperor card was also wildly sexist. I know the author tries (or says they try) not to associate the cards with their gender, but there seems to be a personal bias against the stereotypical masc-associated traits with this card. (Really, any masc card.) Saying it's all about control and forcing people into submission feels like a huge loss to the meaning of the card, and is contrasted wildly against the almost purely positive portrayal of the Empress. I don't feel like the author did a good enough job here overcoming their own personal issues with this card and genuinely giving it a queer perspective. All in all, I'm glad I read this and can put the author's knowledge and teachings to use in my own readings, but I do think that this book is just a fun addition to your tarot collection and not necessarily a must read book! Start with The Fool when queering the tarot, because they have queer meaning and queer place. Is The Fool the beginning of the Major Arcana or the end? The answer is unknown and unknowable as zero itself. The answer is not meant for anyone to know. I think the author means well and is clearly writing from their own experience. The book makes it clear that intersectionality is crucial when it comes to reading for others in the queer community (it is) and does a decent enough job trying to deconstruct the influence of white supremacy and capitalism within the tarot system.

CW/TW - Christmas family trauma, therapy, anxiety, mental illness, homophobia, internalised homophobia, confusion around sexuality, smoking, alcohol, weed, biphobia, the struggle of being queer at school, being closeted, sex and dating, Also for a book that seems to pride itself on its intersectionality, I wish that they had chosen anything other than a skinny, white blond haired femme for their cover art.

Giving Readings

also this book: talks exclusively in allosexual terms, ignores the idea that you might be sex repulsed or sex neutral

Louise On “The Morning Show” Goes Gay Spy Mode " You couldn’t even bring yourself to say “Palestine” at any point and that speaks volumes. Also, Drew has written about…"

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Many of us find tarot as we leave Christian supremacist ways of doing faith. This makes sense because tarot undermines dogmatic ways of seeing the world. Tarot asks us instead to see a web of connected symbols and archetypes guiding our lives. We see the archetypes in friends and enemies, in systems and relationships. How do we bring the practice of queering the tarot into our everyday practice? Begin by questioning what you think you know about tarot. Let it guide you towards more complex meanings. Stop trying to nail everything down. Also, for a book about rejecting gender norms, there is a lot of discomfort around masculine energy. To explain the issue in a microcosm, Snow describes the Empress card as representative of mothering energy but encourages us to think of a mother as something beyond gender. A mother can be found in men, and doesn't necessarily have to include womanhood- but in the very same section condemns the Emperor card as a card that "bullies you into submission." I wanted to enjoy this book so bad. I give it 3 stars because it’s the first tarot book I’m aware of to be written with a queer lens, and that is so valuable in and of itself. I’ll start with the criticisms first then end on a high note. I also find this book was HEAVY on American society and heavy on trauma. There was no room for anyone outside of American and there was very little room for joy.

A dynamic celebration of trans male culture, this essential collection makes visible a decade of FTM and transmasculine experiences. Even if the intention was to define a list of queer signs each card could represent, the list felt weak. Where’s all the rich queer history references? https://thebookishtype.co.uk/products/queering-the-tarot-by-cassandra-snow?variant=32020379631701¤cy=GBP&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&utm_campaign=gs-2021-08-07&utm_source=google&utm_medium=smart_campaign TW: Biphobia, whorephobia, discussion of sex work and sugar babies, drugs, sex, suicide mention, outing, queerbait culture, harassment in clubs/bars. When we choose to queer tarot, to insist on the queerness inherent in tarot as a tool, we find ourselves in the cards. Queerness and the CardsWhile it's definitely thoroughly geared toward queer folks, it also highlights the way many marginalised communities are affected. For example, the Justice card might not be all sunshine and roses in a reading because the institutions that were ostensibly put in place to protect us can (and do) work against BIPOC folks as well as queer ones. So it's a case of adding that layer of interpretation to the card in consideration to those surrounding it. Firstly, tarot cards without context are rarely positive or negative. We apply and project those meanings on to them during the course of a reading. This author loves to label cards as inherently positive or negative which truly limits the multi-dimensionality of all these rich cards. We also pull some majorrrr major arcana cards and talk about the beauty of pole dancing! What a treat! Tarot helps us see the world anew. We must also let it help us act well. We must also let it push us to inspect the archetypes of patriarchy, and suspect them.

Cassandra Snow’s long-running and much-loved series on the Little Red Tarot community blog has been published in book form! While the Tarot is called a divination tool, or a way to see predictions about the future, today many use the cards as essentially a mirror. (Using the Tarot for divination is frowned upon by some occultists, including Waite himself.) If you’re in a relationship that’s obviously doomed, the cards will call you out. This is rarely news, but rather a means for self-reflection. The cards, in particular, the Major Arcana, use archetypes to help us find clarity. Once you begin to understand the many interpretations of the cards, you can ask for guidance on anything from gender to a failing friendship. Why does the Tarot need queering?There are some truly wonderful points that I'm glad were put to print, but they were drowned out by what felt like a beginners interpretation of what some of these cards can offer. OK. If you are a person who is cisgender and heterosexual, and you read tarot, especially if you read for other people sometimes, here's what I need you to do: I’m Theresa Reed (aka, The Tarot Lady). I’ve been a full-time tarot reader for 30+ years — which, in my industry, makes me pretty badass. If the four suits represent the four elements Earth, Air, Fire, and Water, the Major Arcana is the Spirit. When one of these cards shows up in a reading, they typically reference a life lesson or journey. For instance, the first card, the Fool represents new beginnings and a fresh perspective of someone without cynicism. It may appear before you embark on a freelance project you’re extremely passionate about and determined to make work. It signifies major, often risky new beginnings that are in line with what our soul wants. As it’s the first card, the entire sequence of the Major Arcana is often referred to as the Fool’s journey. Snow queers the Fool by pointing out how often queer folks start over, such as coming out, finding queer family, supportive relationships, and so on. These queer experiences may not first come to mind when considering the Fool, but upon reflection make perfect sense. From the Fool to the World, a card of completeness and the final card of the Major Arcana, Snow offers a fresh queer perspective. The Minor Arcana