Incandescent Tarot Podcast: Recent Episodes

Gina Wisotzky

Tarot, magic, and spirituality for modern life

incandescenttarot.substack.com

Episode Description

August continues the themes of presence, attention, work, and dedication brought into focus last month; this time, however, we’re feeling less self-conscious, directly immersing ourselves in the busy complexity of the Ten of Pentacles. In doing so, we’re accessing new layers of peace and healing, including some surprising insights and epiphanies, as we practice embodying The Star. We might be tempted, though, to tip a little too far into reverie, fantasy, and wishful thinking as the Seven of Cups tempts us to distract ourselves from the realness in front of us, whether as an escape or act of self-protection. The Three of Wands is our opportunity card, a direct next step from our opportunity last month, the Two of Wands. So we’re gifted with some linear growth! How exciting. Note where you’re secretly committing to budding projects, plans, and self-directed visions for the future. We can enjoy this time in-between vision and structure by exploring, experimenting, and remaining open to inspiration.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

In Episode 7 of Seeing Tarot, artist Anna Rose Stabler and tarot reader Gina Wisotzky continue their card-by-card exploration of the tarot, arriving at the second court card in the wands suit.

Rather than defining cards through fixed meanings, this podcast explores what happens when you live with tarot over time: through art-making, daily life, season, conversation, and sensory experience.

This month’s focus: The Knight of Wands

Here, we dive into the element of fire as expressed through the questing, impatient, and energetic Knight.

Listen in to learn all about the process of creating the Knight of Wands, the card’s connection to getting things done, and why axe body spray may encapsulate this card’s charm and dingusry.

About the Hosts

Gina Wisotzky The founder of Incandescent Tarot, Gina has been reading and practicing tarot and the intuitive arts for over two decades. Her work weaves tarot, writing, seasonal practice, and somatic inquiry through readings, classes, and audio reflections.

Incandescent Tarot / Alchemag

Anna Rose Stabler Anna Rose Stabler is an illustrator whose work centers symbolism, still life, and narrative imagery. Her practice explores how meaning forms through visual language, material, and seasonality.

Website / Instagram / Tumblr

About the Series

Seeing Tarot is a collaborative podcast documenting the creation of a tarot deck from the ground up. Through ongoing dialogue, Anna and Gina explore symbolism, artistic process, intuition, sensory experience, and the evolving language of tarot.

Rather than offering definitive meanings, the series approaches tarot as something lived: relational, interpretive, embodied, and continually unfolding through attention and conversation.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

Episode Description

All the emotion from June gives way to abundant growth. We’re invited to sit securely on the throne of the King of Pentacles, trusting that we’ve learned enough to tend to what’s coming into full bloom in our lives. Those lives, meanwhile, are bustling with activity, work, and connections that need all of our attention and resources, as shown in the maximalist Ten of Pentacles. Our challenge, however, is to not take this intensity as a reason to reinvent the wheel - charging into fresh ideas, systems, and investments of all sorts like the Knight of Pentacles. That would be a surefire way of avoiding the newness that’s on the horizon along with the abundant goodness we’ve been working so hard to cultivate. Instead, the Two of Wands asks us to look for a spark that’s not directly tied to our day-to-day life right now. This isn’t some practical edit or innovation, but a new and likely creative offshoot that could take us someplace considerable, though for now it’s just time to dream and envision what could come while enjoying whatever it is we’ve discovered that's lighting a fire within.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

In Episode 6 of Seeing Tarot, artist Anna Rose Stabler and tarot reader Gina Wisotzky continue their card-by-card exploration of the tarot, arriving at the first court card in the wands suit.

Rather than defining cards through fixed meanings, this podcast explores what happens when you live with tarot over time: through art-making, daily life, season, conversation, and sensory experience.

This month’s focus:

The Page of Wands

Here, we dive into the element of fire as expressed through youthful energy: vigorous, vibrant, and awkwardly enthusiastic.

Listen in to learn all about the process of creating the Page of Wands, the importance of beginner’s mind, and why Paul Atreides is the ultimate PofW in fiction.

Page of Wands Moodboard

About the Hosts

Gina Wisotzky The founder of Incandescent Tarot, Gina has been reading and practicing tarot and the intuitive arts for over two decades. Her work weaves tarot, writing, seasonal practice, and somatic inquiry through readings, classes, and audio reflections.

Incandescent Tarot / Alchemag

Anna Rose Stabler Anna Rose Stabler is an illustrator whose work centers symbolism, still life, and narrative imagery. Her practice explores how meaning forms through visual language, material, and seasonality.

Website / Instagram / Tumblr

About the Series

Seeing Tarot is a collaborative podcast documenting the creation of a tarot deck from the ground up. Through ongoing dialogue, Anna and Gina explore symbolism, artistic process, intuition, sensory experience, and the evolving language of tarot.

Rather than offering definitive meanings, the series approaches tarot as something lived: relational, interpretive, embodied, and continually unfolding through attention and conversation.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

Welcome to Elemental Explorations, a podcast and practice following water, fire, earth, and air through the seasonal shifts of the equinoxes and solstices hosted by Bethany Carder of My Resonant Frequencies and Gina Wisotzky of Incandescent Tarot.

Together, we move with the elements as living guides — through breath, sound, movement, image, myth, and deep listening. Gina brings the wisdom of tarot as an embodied and intuitive language, helping us listen to the symbols, archetypes, and relational patterns moving through the Fire Body. Bethany brings astronomical astrology and stellar somatics as a way of attuning to the living sky, the solar rhythm, and the body’s relationship with Earth, season, and cosmos.

In this episode, released on the Summer Solstice, we turn toward the Sun and the Fire Body — the heat that animates, clarifies, transforms, and calls us into motion as we cross the threshold from spring’s waters into the fullness of summer light.

Episode Overview

Moving from the Moon-Water Body into the Sun-Fire Body, this episode uses astronomical astrology, stellar somatics, and tarot to explore solar vitality, digestion, radiance, and expression. At the Summer Solstice, the Sun illuminates this Taurus-Gemini threshold, where embodied earth meets breath, voice, curiosity, and exchange.

The fire body is our internal hearth: warmth, circulation, metabolism, expression, and the capacity to turn experience into energy. Through breath, humming, laughter, and deep listening, we work with the body’s rhythms directly: Breath of Fire awakens heat and alertness, humming organizes the system through vibration and the vagus nerve, and laughter gives activation a pathway into expression, release, and rest.

Fire becomes not force, but the body’s capacity to metabolize experience without burning out.

Brief Safety Note

These solar practices alter respiratory and circulatory rhythms. Breath of Fire, or Kapalabhati, is not recommended during pregnancy or while navigating high blood pressure, cardiovascular conditions, vertigo, hernias, gastric ulcers, epilepsy, or severe respiratory concerns.

If you feel dizzy, strained, or overwhelmed, return to natural breathing. Your autonomy is central to this practice; pause, soften, or rest at any time.

Closing Practice

In the spirit of Pauline Oliveros’ Deep Listening, we open to fire as teacher and living guide. Our closing soundscape follows a simple elemental arc: solar winds, sunrise, cicadas, fire crackle, lava flows, seismic rumble, and sunset fire crackle amid the hum of crickets, and Koshi fire chimes.

We invite you to honor your own fire body through simple acts of attention and tending: step into morning sunlight, cook with presence, sit near a candle or hearth, listen to cicadas or crickets, feel warmth on stone or skin, hum into the chest, laugh from the belly, breathe with rhythm, and rest before the fire becomes too much.

Notice how fire lives in your place: in heat, dryness, growth, combustion, electricity, digestion, decay, repair, and renewal. Learn who tends fire where you live — on the land, in the home, in community, in ceremony, in ecological care — and consider how your own vitality is connected to that wider tending.

We honor Indigenous fire tenders whose relationships with fire have shaped and protected living landscapes across generations. This threshold invites us to learn how Sun and fire shape our own places, and who is tending the ecological health of the lands we call home.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

Episode Description

In this episode of the Incandescent Tarot Podcast, Gina Wisotzky speaks with philosopher, creativity researcher, and tarot scholar Georgi Gardiner about tarot as a tool for thought.

Together, they explore tarot beyond prediction: as a practice of inquiry, cognitive flexibility, visual literacy, self-reflection, and deep conversation. Georgi shares how a life-changing tarot reading led her to develop a philosophical framework for understanding the cards, and how she now uses tarot, image interpretation, and even games like Dixit in university classrooms to teach creativity, question design, and critical thinking.

This conversation moves through epistemology, AI, ritual, attention, introspection, community, visual culture, and the role of play in meaning-making. Rather than treating tarot as an oracle that delivers fixed truths, Georgi offers an expansive vision of tarot as a conversational space: one that helps us examine assumptions, develop self-knowledge, and imagine new ways of relating to ourselves and others.

In this episode, Gina and Georgi discuss:

Tarot as a tool for thought rather than a predictive system
How good tarot questions deepen inquiry instead of demand certainty
The role of cognitive flexibility and “flipping interpretations” in tarot practice
Why tarot can help develop creativity, visual literacy, and conversational skills
Teaching philosophy and creativity through tarot and image interpretation
The relationship between tarot, AI, and critical thinking in the age of generated information
Tarot as an antidote to shallow conversation
The social and communal dimensions of tarot, astrology, and ritual
How visual symbolism shapes perception and meaning-making
The value of introspection, self-knowledge, and questioning one’s own assumptions
Using Dixit cards, nature, and other image systems as tarot-adjacent reflective practices
The importance of playfulness in ritual and philosophical inquiry

About Georgi Gardiner

Georgi Gardiner is an Associate Professor of Philosophy and Gender & Sexuality Studies at Tulane University, where she also teaches creativity. Her work explores epistemology, self-deception, attention, language, sexuality, ritual, and contemporary uses of tarot as a reflective and educational practice.

Gardiner develops interactive philosophical workshops and installations focused on “scholarship through art, play, and adventure,” incorporating tarot, games, visual culture, and collaborative inquiry into both teaching and community-building. She also runs experimental arts and gathering spaces centered around creativity, ritual, and play.

Find Georgi’s work, tarot resources, essays, and workshops at:georgigardiner.com and on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/georgi.gardiner/

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

Episode Description

June arrives on the heels of a surprisingly intense May. Last month brought us the triumphant momentum of the Six of Wands paired with the profound transformation of Death, a combination that proved both productive and very demanding. For many of us, success and change arrived together, asking more of our hearts and nervous systems than we may have anticipated…

This month brings us back into the realm of the Minor Arcana, but don’t mistake that for a lack of significance. June asks us to pause and process what has happened. The Five of Cups centers the reading with themes of grief, loss, and acknowledgment, while the Ten of Wands reflects an environment that still feels overloaded and demanding. The Three of Swords challenges us to relate differently to pain, and the King of Swords offers a powerful opportunity to bring perspective, leadership, and discernment to our emotional lives.

This is a month of witnessing rather than resisting. June asks us to honor what has been lost, edit what is no longer sustainable, and carry forward the wisdom rather than the burden.

Key Themes for June 2026

Honoring grief without becoming trapped in it

Making space for emotional processing

Recognizing overload before burnout arrives

Editing commitments, projects, and responsibilities

Using perspective as a form of self-care

Carrying forward wisdom rather than burden

Allowing endings to become turning points

🎡 Wheel of Fortune Context

June feels like the emotional aftermath of May’s transformation.

The Death card may be gone from the table, but its effects are still rippling outward. The Five of Cups suggests we’re now processing what changed, what was lost, and what new reality is emerging in its place.

The Wheel continues to turn, but this month asks us to take refuge in the still center of our own experience where we can pause, witness, and integrate.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

In Episode 5 of Seeing Tarot, artist Anna Rose Stabler and tarot reader Gina Wisotzky continue their card-by-card exploration of the tarot, arriving at the final ace of the Minor Arcana: the Ace of Pentacles.

Rather than defining cards through fixed meanings, this podcast explores what happens when you live with tarot over time: through art-making, daily life, season, conversation, and sensory experience.

This month’s focus:

The Ace of Pentacles

Here, we dive into the element of earth: cultivation, embodiment, material reality, labor, pleasure, systems, resources, and the strange human tension between structure and freedom.

The conversation moves between orchards, agriculture, productivity culture, tarot structure, perfume, ducks, bees, home renovations, and the rhythms of seasonal living. The Ace of Pentacles emerges as a card about participation in the world itself: the place where spiritual insight becomes lived experience.

This episode also marks the completion of the aces and the beginning of a new phase in the project, as Anna and Gina begin considering a move into the court cards and the evolving structure of the series itself.

In This Episode

The Ace of Pentacles as the grounding point of the Minor Arcana: where “things get real”
Agriculture as both technology and existential tradeoff: planning for survival versus living in the present
The garden as representation of the emergence of humanity in the tarot landscape
The relationship between structure, discipline, civilization, and spiritual life
The tension between optimization culture and cyclical, sensory, embodied living
Anna’s artistic process creating the Ace of Pentacles illustration: orchards, orange roses, guinea fowl, and pastoral abundance
Cyclical versus linear understandings of tarot structure and personal growth
Perfume, musk, gourmand fragrances, and the sensory world of Pentacles
Bees, ducks, chickens, home renovation, spring labor, and the deeply earthly experience of tending land and home

Scents & Sensory Correspondences

Ace of Pentacles

Fragrance

Anna’s PickDzing! — animalic, hay-like, gourmand inspired by the circus.

Gina’s PickKiehl’s Musk — as earthy as it gets! a musk for the ages.

Additional Pentacles fragrance associations discussed include bread accords, gourmand perfumes, amber, vanilla, and patchouli.

Natural Material

Orchard soil
Fresh bread
Hay and straw
Mossy garden walls
Animal musk
Beeswax

Environment

A cultivated orchard bordered by mountains
A busy garden full of creatures
Spring abundance tipping toward summer

References & Influences

Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom by Rachel Pollack
Tarot Deciphered by T. Susan Chang and M. M. Meleen
Fortune’s Wheelhouse

Ace of Cups Moodboard

About the Hosts

Gina Wisotzky The founder of Incandescent Tarot, Gina has been reading and practicing tarot and the intuitive arts for over two decades. Her work weaves tarot, writing, seasonal practice, and somatic inquiry through readings, classes, and audio reflections.

Incandescent Tarot / Alchemag

Anna Rose Stabler Anna Rose Stabler is an illustrator whose work centers symbolism, still life, and narrative imagery. Her practice explores how meaning forms through visual language, material, and seasonality.

Website / Instagram / Tumblr

About the Series

Seeing Tarot is a collaborative podcast documenting the creation of a tarot deck from the ground up. Through ongoing dialogue, Anna and Gina explore symbolism, artistic process, intuition, sensory experience, and the evolving language of tarot.

Rather than offering definitive meanings, the series approaches tarot as something lived: relational, interpretive, embodied, and continually unfolding through attention and conversation.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

This reading surprised me when I turned over the cards. After a period of (relative) calm in our readings with no majors in sight, May brings us two powerful archetypes to work with: the deeply transformative path of Death and the placid surrender of The Hanged Man. If you’ve been feeling a change building, this month is when it comes into focus - perhaps in a glaring way that has us instincitively shrinking away from the spotlight - and require us to keep going, dare to openly celebrate and continue what’s working well and rapidly, and to also balance all the fire and movement with wise practical decisions in our everyday lives. Listen in and see how these cards might shape your May.

Episode Description

We’re moving out of April’s grounded, contemplative Pentacles landscape and into something much more immediate and alive.

Last month asked us to tend, to wait, and to notice what emerges when we don’t rush. And now, suddenly things are happening.

May brings a rapid shift from possibility into reality. The Six of Wands signals momentum and visible success, while Death reveals the deeper transformation fueling it all. The Hanged Man introduces a tension between movement and retreat, and the Four of Pentacles offers a grounded way to navigate the intensity.

This is a powerful and slightly surreal month. May asks us to accept what is working, trust the depth of change unfolding beneath it, and move forward without abandoning our center.

Our Cards

Theme: Six of Wands

Things are moving—and fast!

What was contemplative in April now becomes real. The Six of Wands brings visibility, success, and a sense of arrival that may feel sudden or even surprising.

This is the moment where ideas take shape and results begin to show. Let yourself be seen, supported, and celebrated. You’ve done more preparation than you think and the feedback isn’t just kindness.

Environment: Death

Beneath the external successes of the month lies a larger path of profound transformation.

Death reveals that what’s unfolding externally is rooted in something much deeper. A cycle is ending, a new facet of ourselves is emerging, and the shift is both inevitable and meaningful.

It’ll be feel intense AND aligned. Make room for all the feelings and keep going, paying attention to your instincts and intuition.

Challenge: The Hanged Man

Amidst all this internal and external movement, a part of us wants to shrink back and hide behind a facade of “wise caution.” This moment, however, calls for us to show up and participate. It’s not the time to turn back, look for perfection, or get abstract when things get real.

Opportunity: Four of Pentacles

Stay grounded, keep it simple, and maybe avoid big financial moves or radical changes in your everyday life!

The Four of Pentacles offers a stabilizing path through the intensity of the month. This is about tending to your resources - energy, time, money, and attention - with clarity and care.

Key Themes for May 2026

Rapid movement and visible results

External success rooted in deeper transformation

Learning to receive recognition without minimizing it

Navigating the tension between action and retreat

Grounding through daily ritual and routine, the senses, and a practice of enoughness

Sustaining yourself through change rather than overextending

🎡 Wheel of Fortune Context

May marks a clear shift out of the Minor Arcana lull of March and April. Major Arcana energy is back!

The Wheel has started to spin faster, calling on our endurance and trust in larger patterns. What was quietly building over the past few months is now becoming visible, tangible, and undeniable. Buckle up!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

In Episode 4 of Seeing Tarot, artist Anna Rose Stabler and tarot reader Gina Wisotzky continue their card-by-card exploration of the tarot, moving through the aces of the Minor Arcana.

Rather than defining cards through fixed meanings, this podcast explores what happens when you live with their energy over time: through art-making, daily life, season, and conversation.

This month’s focus: The Ace of Cups

In this episode, Anna and Gina discuss:

Water as a fluid, transformative element that dissolves the hardness of Swords and Wands into something tender and ineffable
The shadow side of Cups: beneath the softness, what is sinister, soporific, and hidden
The Grail legend as tarot mirror: the holy fool, purity of heart, and the quest for impossible wholeness
How the five streams in the card’s imagery connect to the senses and the facets of being alive
The upside-down M on the chalice and its possible allusion to the Virgin Mary
Rachel Pollack’s framing of the Ace of Cups as “an emblem of love underpinning life”
Psychedelics, blue lotus, and states of perception beyond language
The Cocteau Twins as the ultimate Cups band
Gina’s March forecast and how the Eight of Cups, Ten of Cups, and Six of Wands illuminate the art of following the flow
Anna’s illustration process: gray skies, a sun-sized wafer, and a Medieval-style border
A preview of the Ace of Pentacles and the turn toward earth

The conversation moves freely between the mystical and the grounded — from Arthurian legend and Gnostic Christianity to perfume and Pokémon. The Ace of Cups emerges the place where the full spectrum of emotional life gathers: seeking, melancholy, beauty, and the underlying unity beneath it all.

References & Influences

The Grail Legend by Emma Jung and Marie-Louise von Franz

Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom by Rachel Pollack

The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley

Elaine Pagels and the Gnostic Gospels

The Cocteau Twins

Ace of Cups Moodboard

Scents & Sensory Correspondences

Ace of Cups

Fragrance

Gina’s Pick

Parfum de Thérèse by Frédéric Malle — created by Edmond Roudnitska in the late 1950s for his wife, who wore it exclusively until Frédéric Malle later brought it to market. Notes of melon, green violet, and moss that together evoke a secret shaded pool with water lilies — romantic, melancholy, and quietly watery.

Anna’s Pick

Un Jardin sur le Nil by Hermès — light, aquatic, luminous. Anna’s mother’s signature fragrance.

Natural Material

Still water and lily pads

Rain on a gray afternoon

Violets

Blue lotus (flagged for future Cups exploration)

Environment

A shaded garden pool, secret and still

Clouds heavy before rain

The surface of things — and what moves beneath

About the Hosts

Gina Wisotzky The founder of Incandescent Tarot, Gina has been reading and practicing tarot and the intuitive arts for over two decades. Her work weaves tarot, writing, seasonal practice, and somatic inquiry through readings, classes, and audio reflections.

Incandescent Tarot / Alchemag

Anna Rose Stabler Anna Rose Stabler is an illustrator whose work centers symbolism, still life, and narrative imagery. Her practice explores how meaning forms through visual language, material, and seasonality.

Website / Instagram / Tumblr

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

Episode Description

We’re coming back down to earth in April after practicing honesty and clarity with the King of Swords in March. This month brings us fully back into the body, the home, and the material world, while giving us a new perspective from which we can plan our next steps.

With a strong two pentacles at the center of its reading, April emphasizes stewardship, presence, and participation in daily life. The Queen of Pentacles leads us into a space of care and attentiveness, while the Ten of Pentacles reflects a rich, busy, and interconnected environment. The Nine of Swords challenges us to notice old patterns of retreat or overwhelm, and the Two of Wands opens a quiet but exciting space for creative dreaming.

This is a full and fertile month: April asks us to tend what is already here, trust the stability we’ve built, and allow new visions to emerge without rushing to act on them.

Our Cards

Theme: Queen of Pentacles

April is rooted in care, presence, and grounded stewardship. After March’s King of Swords clarity, we now come into the body and the senses. This is a month of tending: to your home, your relationships, your environment, and yourself.

Rather than speaking or analyzing, the Queen of Pentacles asks: how are you showing up? How are you creating a space where you and your community can feel supported?

There is a quiet confidence here, so trust that you know how to care for what matters.

Environment: Ten of Pentacles

Life is rich and full!

The Ten of Pentacles reflects a world of many moving parts—people, responsibilities, relationships, obligations, and opportunities. It can feel like a lot, but it is also a sign of abundance and interconnectedness. It just might make you feel a little dizzy.

This is not a spacious month externally, but internally, you are being asked to cultivate steadiness. Notice just how capable you’ve become in navigating complexity.

Challenge: Nine of Swords

Old patterns of worry, overwhelm, or retreat may resurface.

The Nine of Swords suggests that moments of busyness or abundance could trigger familiar emotional responses such as rumination, anxiety, or the urge to withdraw. Yet this card feels slightly out of step with the rest of the spread, hinting that these reactions may be echoes rather than current truths.

Where might you be defaulting to old coping mechanisms that no longer fit?

Opportunity: Two of Wands

A gentle and exciting opening.

The Two of Wands invites you to dream, explore, and imagine what’s next without pressure. This is not a month for major action or overhaul. It is a time for curiosity, possibility, and low-stakes creativity.

Let yourself expand your vision. What if the best thing could happen?

Key Themes for April 2026

Grounding into the body and daily life
Stewardship of home, resources, and relationships
Navigating abundance and busyness with presence
Recognizing and releasing outdated emotional patterns
Making space for creative dreaming without urgency
Finding stability within complexity

🎡 Wheel of Fortune Context

April continues the grounded phase we entered in March, with no Major Arcana cards present!

This suggests a sustained period of integration where the dramatic shifts of earlier months are being metabolized into daily life. The Wheel is still turning, but now through routine, responsibility, and embodied presence.

This is a time to build, tend, and stabilize while quietly sensing what may be emerging next.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

Recorded on the waxing crescent in Pisces and released on the vernal equinox, this first episode of Elemental Explorations arrives at a threshold as the light just begins its return.

In this conversation, Gina Wisotzky (Incandescent Tarot) and Bethany Carder (My Resonant Frequencies) weave together tarot, astronomical astrology, and somatic practice to explore what it means to live as a water body: porous, rhythmic, and in relationship with the earth. An expansive practice and attunement, this recording invites you to take in at your own pace and return as needed.

Moving through the vernal equinox with the Sun and Moon in Pisces, we enter through the water body—attuning to the Moon and the wider Piscean field through sound, listening, and embodied exploration. An impromptu conversation about the Moon in its waxing crescent phase in Pisces, this episode weaves astronomical astrology and tarot into a reflection on emergence, sensitivity, and the living rhythm of the sky. Attuned to this moment within the lunar cycle, this offering follows the natural cadence of return, where with each phase we are given another chance to listen, reflect, and notice what this exploration is teaching us

What we explore together:

We open with the lunar moment itself — waxing crescent, just past new moon, the slow build before illumination. Bethany brings her six-year practice of attuning to planetary transits through sound and improvisation, arriving through health challenges and the discovery that lunar tracking was a way back into the body. Gina shares her own path to the moon: growing up in the countryside under a full-moon snowstorm, sending Lunar Dispatch voice memos with a long-distance partner, and now wanting something more formally somatic in her spiritual practice.

From there, the conversation moves through the full arc of the Moon card in tarot: shadow, siren call, the High Priestess as creature of margins, the intoxication of going too deep, and the necessity of bringing what you find back into the light. We talk about the Moon’s relationship to nervous system regulation, the 10 of Wands as a personal nemesis, the Nine of Swords as an honest mirror, and what it means to birth yourself through the moon.

Along the way, Bethany leads a grounding breath and embodiment practice, a full-body movement sequence mapped to the lunar cycle, and closes the episode with Pauline Oliveros-inspired deep listening - a water meditation followed by a slow, guided return. We close with an affirmation from Bethany’s teacher Krishna Kaur: I am the center of my world.

To see tarot spreads, visit the project website elementalexplorations.com

Cards pulled:

Seven of Pentacles · Seven of Wands · The World · Five of Wands · Knight of Cups

Practices included:

Belly breathing (4 in, 6 out) · Sounding for nervous system regulation · Lunar cycle movement sequence · Deep listening with water field recordings · Affirmation call and response

Resources:

Freesound — for sharing and exploring water field recordings from your own place

Cities and Memory — a global project of shared listening

About the Project:

Elemental Explorations is a collaborative audio and attunement series rooted in the seasons. With each equinox and solstice, we follow one element — through conversation, sound, movement, tarot, and somatic practice — as an invitation to come back into relationship with the living world and with yourself.

The Elemental Explorations Ecosystem:

www.elementalexplorations.com

myresonantfrequencies.substack.com

incandescenttarot.com

incandescenttarot.beehiiv.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

In Episode 3 of Seeing Tarot, artist Anna Rose Stabler and tarot reader Gina Wisotzky continue their card-by-card exploration of the tarot, beginning in the Minor Arcana and moving slowly through the suits.

Instead of defining cards through fixed meanings, this project explores what happens when you live with their energy over time: through art-making, daily life, the seasons, personal practice, and conversation.

This month’s focus is the The Ace of Swords

In this episode, Anna and Gina discuss:

Why the sword suit contains some of the most dramatic imagery in tarot

The Ace as the brightness of the swords suit before its darker expressions appear

The relationship between thought, communication, and conceptual clarity

The iconic Rider–Waite imagery and symbolism: crown, mountains, and descending yods

The theatrical, almost comic, some might say emo, intensity of sword imagery (including the famous Three of Swords heart)

Anna’s artistic process designing a new Ace of Swords card

Wavy swords vs. straight, the abundance and drama of sqash vines, crowns as hierarchy and violence

Rhapsodizing about dendrites

The air element, the season of spring, and the mental landscape of the sword suit

Barren mountains as symbolic terrain for clarity and danger

Throughout the episode, the Ace of Swords emerges as both tool and threshold - a moment where ideas become clear and insight begins to form, hopefully in a potent, spiritually-informed direction!

Scents & Sensory Correspondences

Fragrance

L'Air du Desert Marocain by Tauer Perfumes

Vol de Nuit by Guerlain

Earthscence Incesnse by Fragile Glass

Natural Material

Galbanum

Pine, Fir, evergreens

Bracing citrus

Eucalyptus

Menthol

Metal

Environment

Rocky mountains

Evergreen forests

The desert at night

About the Hosts

Gina WisotzkyThe founder of Incandescent Tarot, Gina has been reading and practicing tarot and the intuitve arts for over two decades. Her work weaves tarot, writing, seasonal practice, and somatic inquiry through readings, classes, and audio reflections.

Incandescent Tarot/Alchemag

Anna Rose StablerAnna Rose Stabler is an illustrator whose work centers symbolism, still life, and narrative imagery. Her practice explores how meaning forms through visual language, material, and seasonality.

Website/Podcast/Tumblr

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

Episode Description

March notes a welcome tonal shift in the spin of the Wheel of Fortune; after the lunar loopiness of January and the catalytic intensity of February’s Ten of Swords + Magician pairing, this month offers something priceless: no Major Arcana cards!

March brings us back to daily life, precise and grounded authority, and brave emotional seeking. The King of Swords anchors the month in clarity and discernment, while the Eight of Cups quietly invites heart-centered risk. The Six of Wands challenges our definition of success, and the Ten of Cups opens the possibility of genuine connection and fulfillment.

This is a subtle and potentially decisive month. March asks us to stand clearly in what we know, move toward what matters, and choose belonging over status and performance.

Our Cards

Theme: King of Swords

March is all about clarity, intellectual authority, and discernment. After February’s saturation and intensity, we now hold a single sword instead of ten! This is a moment of breakthrough and accomplishment: the period at the end of a long sentence. Trust your perception and stand confidently in your values.

Environment: Eight of Cups

The Eight of Cups shows a quiet but mature turning point. Nothing is being lost - the cups in our array remain upright - but we’re in search for something deeper to add. This is a month of walking toward meaning, especially if we can’t articulate it yet.

Take slow steps and emotional risks in the search of your ninth (and even tenth!) cup.

Challenge: Six of Wands

The challenge lies in how we define success: external validation, big wins, and personal riches? Or something else entirely?

The Six of Wands suggests recognition, applause, and visible accomplishment may be available, but staying there may create distance. Are we using achievement to protect ourselves from intimacy?

Opportunity: Ten of Cups

True opportunity lies in connection.

The Ten of Cups offers emotional fulfillment, belonging, and equal-footed relationship. If we follow the quiet pull of the Eight of Cups, we may arrive somewhere deeply beautiful.

Yet fulfillment itself can be confronting. What happens if striving softens? What happens if you are held and seen? This card asks whether you are willing to be comfortable in joy.

Key Themes for March 2026

Emerging from intensity into clarity
Precision in speech and decision-making
Emotional courage without drama
Redefining success beyond recognition
Moving from solitary authority into shared belonging
Integrating intellect and intuition

🎡 Wheel of Fortune Context

March represents a lull in archetypal intensity.

With no Major Arcana cards present, this month offers spaciousness within the larger spin of the Wheel. It is a moment to stabilize, integrate the lessons of The Moon and The Magician, and act from hard-won clarity.

Where January and February evoked disorientation and catalytic transformation, March invites grounded forward movement - hooray!

Monthly Reflection Prompts

King of Swords

How have you been bravely working through difficulty?
What sentence in your life is ready for a period?
What feels undeniably clear to you right now?
How can you act with precision rather than reaction?
Where are you being asked to trust your perception?

Eight of Cups

What are you ready to walk toward, even if you cannot fully explain it?
What emotional risk(s) feels mature rather than impulsive?
Where are you searching for your ninth cup? (It's okay if you don’t now yet, ninth cups often come into focus slowly.)
What growth feels optional but necessary?

Six of Wands

How are you currently measuring success?
Are you resting on achievement and not moving projects forward?
Where might recognition be creating distance?
What would success look like if no one were watching?

Ten of Cups

What would it feel like to have what you truly want?
Are you comfortable being held and seen? How can you ease into more comfort?
What happens when striving softens?
What does fulfillment mean beyond achievement?
Where are you invited into equal-footed connection?

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

In Episode 2 of Seeing Tarot, artist Anna Rose Stabler and tarot reader Gina Wisotzky continue their card-by-card exploration of the tarot, beginning in the Minor Arcana and moving slowly through the suits.

Rather than defining cards through fixed meanings, this podcast explores what happens when you live with their energy over time: through art-making, daily life, season, and conversation.

This month’s focus: The Ace of Wands

In this episode, Anna and Gina discuss:

The negative space of the Ace of Wands and the fear of open sky

Fire as both creative impulse and destructive force

The pressure and impatience that can accompany new beginnings

How snow, illness, and disrupted schedules mirrored Wand energy in real life

Moving from inspiration (Wands) to intention and structure (Swords)

The sword as a forged tool: shaping energy, setting parameters, making decisions

Gardening and seasonal planning as embodied Swords practice

Sensory correspondences: cold green scents, ginger, roots, foliage

The relational nature of tarot and how one card evolves into the next

The conversation lingers on initiation not as pure excitement, but as something expansive and at times overwhelming. The Ace of Wands brings spark and desire along with exposure and intensity. The Ace of Swords follows as response: discernment, clarity, and the deliberate shaping of energy into form.

Over time, Seeing Tarot walks through the tarot by creating and exploring images together, allowing meaning to emerge through relationship and emerging correspondences rather than memorization.

References & Influences

Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom by Rachel Pollack

Twin Peaks by David Lynch

Scents & Sensory Correspondences

Ace of Wands

Fragrance

Aura by Thierry Mugler

Green and Amazingreen by Comme des Garçons

Natural Material

Fresh ginger root

Ginger tea with honey

Lush green foliage

Mineral and concrete accords

Environment

Cold green air

Dandelion growing through concrete

Expansive open sky

About the Hosts

Gina WisotzkyThe founder of Incandescent Tarot, Gina has been reading and practicing tarot and the intuitve arts for over two decades. Her work weaves tarot, writing, seasonal practice, and somatic inquiry through readings, classes, and audio reflections.

Incandescent Tarot/Alchemag

Anna Rose StablerAnna Rose Stabler is an illustrator whose work centers symbolism, still life, and narrative imagery. Her practice explores how meaning forms through visual language, material, and seasonality.

Website/Podcast/Tumblr

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

Episode Description

February 2026 continues the intense arc we entered in January, deepening our collective experience of the Wheel of Fortune. In this live tarot reading, we explore what happens when a period of exhaustion, over-analysis, and emotional saturation reaches its breaking point…and how genuine momentum becomes possible on the other side.

Using a four-card spread, this forecast moves from the Ten of Swords as the month’s core theme into the activating presence of The Magician, with The Moon returning as a challenge and The Queen of Wands offering a path forward. Together, these cards describe a moment where rumination has run its course and learning shifts from internal processing to vibrant, embodied engagement.

February asks us to stop studying our pain and begin responding to life again. Creativity, agency, humor, and decisive action become a path towards newness and growth.

Cards Drawn

Theme: Ten of SwordsOof. A moment of undeniable saturation. This card marks the end of a cycle of overthinking, rumination, and psychic overload. February begins by asking: what has become too much to carry? Where has analysis, information, or suffering reached its limit?

Environment: The MagicianDespite the heaviness of the Ten of Swords, the surrounding environment is charged with possibility. The Magician signals available energy, agency, and catalytic change. Engagement with the world - people, projects, conversations - can quickly generate momentum.

Challenge: The MoonThe challenge is lingering too long in January’s fog. While lunar disorientation was necessary last month, February asks us to stop performing confusion and start responding. Trust in motion can replace prolonged uncertainty.

Opportunity: Queen of WandsCreative action, leadership, and visible engagement are supported now. This card invites confidence without rigidity, passion without over-attachment, and movement without needing full certainty. Fire warms the late winter landscape!

Key Themes for February 2026

Endpoints, limits, and psychic saturation
Releasing over-analysis and repetitive suffering
Learning through action rather than theory
Creative engagement as restoration
Agency returning after collapse
Leadership, visibility, and warmth in community spaces

Closing Invitation

February marks a shift from endurance to response. You’re invited to reflect on what you’re ready to put down, and where you’re willing to step back into the world with curiosity, creativity, and trust.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

In this opening episode of Seeing Tarot, artist Anna Rose Stabler and tarot reader Gina Wisotzky begin a collaborative project using art and intuition to explore tarot as a visual, symbolic, and intuitive practice… and build a tarot deck.

In this episode we explore learning how to look, how images carry meaning, and how intuition develops through attention, conversation, and lived experience.

Together, we discuss:

Tarot as a visual language rooted in illustration and storytelling
The difference between memorizing meanings and cultivating intuition
Tarot’s layered history, from Renaissance art to modern decks
How artists collect symbols and build personal mythologies
The Minor Arcana as the “everyday” tarot, and why it’s often overlooked
Elemental associations as an accessible way into the cards
Seasonality, place, and daily life as sources of meaning

This episode also sets the foundation for the project moving forward. Over time, Seeing Tarot will walk through the cards by creating and exploring images together, beginning in the Minor Arcana and focusing on the everyday, human-scale moments the tarot reflects.

Welcome to this collaborative journey!

About the Hosts

Gina WisotzkyGina is the founder of Incandescent Tarot, where she has been sharing her tarot experience of over two decades. Her work weaves tarot, writing, culture, and seasonal ritual through readings, newsletters, and audio reflections.

Anna Rose StablerAnna is an illustrator and artist whose work centers symbolism, still life, and quiet narrative worlds. Her practice draws from place, personal archetypes, and the everyday magic of objects and rituals. You can find her work at annarosestabler.com and her podcast Exploring Videogames.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

In this surprise audio edition of the January forecast, we return to a live, spoken tarot reading after a pause from the podcast. January opens the first full month under our new collective archetype for 2026: The Wheel of Fortune. This reading explores how disorientation, emotional processing, and shifts in communication shape the month ahead—and why clarity may not be the goal right now.

Using a four-card spread (Theme, Environment, Challenge, Opportunity), this episode looks at how lunar energy, old mental patterns, and productivity culture interact with the Wheel’s turning.

Cards Drawn

Theme: The MoonJanuary opens in uncertainty, confusion, and psychic recalibration. The Moon reminds us that disorientation is not a failure—it’s part of the process. This is not a month for forcing clarity or demanding answers. Instead, we’re invited to notice what’s washing through us as the Wheel begins to turn.

Environment: Three of SwordsThe surrounding emotional climate points to old wounds, familiar patterns of mental or relational pain, and moments that echo past hurts. Rather than signaling catastrophe, this card highlights the beginning of a cycle—where awareness of pain creates the possibility for change. Reactivity is unlikely to be helpful here.

Challenge: Eight of PentaclesThe challenge this month is the temptation to hide inside productivity. Busyness, fixing, and “working harder” may feel culturally sanctioned—but they can also become a way to avoid deeper emotional or spiritual questions. January asks us to question whether effort is truly needed, or whether it’s functioning as a distraction.

Opportunity: Ace of SwordsNew clarity is available—but it emerges slowly, through rest, reflection, and restraint. This Ace represents a shift in how we think and communicate, especially in charged situations. Unexpected breakthroughs may come from speaking differently, less defensively, or with greater simplicity.

Key Themes & Takeaways

January is a liminal month, more about sensing than deciding
Confusion and emotional churn are part of the Wheel’s movement
Not every feeling requires action or communication
Rest and withdrawal (Four of Swords energy) support real insight
Productivity can obscure desire and lunar practice reveals it
Watch for subtle shifts in how you speak, especially under pressure

Mentioned Resource

For a deeper exploration of the year’s governing archetype, including journaling prompts and practices, the Wheel of Fortune Guidebook for 2026 is available in the Incandescent Tarot shop for a limited time.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

This month’s reading situates us in the Two of Wands’ visionary talents. What do we want to dream and then enact this month? The visions, goals, and questions we bring to the following month are likely to yield potent answers, especially if we devote ourselves to creative optimism and peaceful practices of the Queen of Cups. Of course, as with any wands-y reading, burnout is a real danger, particularly the vision-obscuring busyness of the Ten of Wands. Yet if we manage to thread this challenging and worthwhile needle, a whole new chapter can open up via the final card of The Fool’s Journey and the final card of our reading: The World.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

This reading is brought to you by a technical difficulty resulting in a surprisingly cozy nighttime recording! It’s lovely as always to be back with a forecast, but first an important announcement: I’ll be pausing the regularly scheduled content here on the newsletter for a creative and spiritual reset; of course, paid subscriptions will also be paused during this time as well. If you have any ideas or input about the next phase of Incandescent Tarot, do reach out here or to info@incandescenttarot.com. I always love to hear from you - you’re the reason this space exists!

Now, onto the cards… This month’s reading plunks us right into the darkness of the Nine of Swords where we’re asked to hang up our suffering, feel through it, and let ourselves feel and be held by the support available to us. In a beautiful gesture, the world reaches back when we reach out as our environment card, the Six of Cups, shows that tenderness and connection is on offer if we can step towards it. Our final cards illustrate a tricky process of discernment wherein we’re tasked with resisting the complacency of the King of Pentacles in service of the spontaneous, riskier magic of The Magician. Energy and growth is on the table, but if we choose The Magician’s path it will be both deeply meaningful and propulsive.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

July highlights the burgeoning excitement, experimentation, and direction of the Two of Wands - this is a month to pay attention to what inspiration is appearing naturally while protecting this tender new growth from harmful influences. The Knight of Swords indicates a critical environment and a choice for us to turn against ourselves or turn against what’s holding us back via the Eight of Swords. The Knight of Pentacles reveals a different approach, one we may already be taking behind the scenes: slow, diligent, and dedicated work that can grow to support a meaningful life.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

A robust and fiery energy for the start of the summer! This spread features the powerful, authoritative Emperor as our theme card. We’re positioned to make big gains this month, using our strength and determination to shape projects, routines, relationships - anything that requires our focus and vision. In our environment position, the Six of Wands shows an abundance of support and collaboration. Success is possible if we engage with others, delegate, and practice mutuality. The challenge, however, is to avoid burnout and emotional withdrawal via the Four of Cups while accepting the fast-moving developments (and successes!) of the Eight of Wands. Listen in for the entire forecast and be sure to share your comments below!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

In May we step out of the world of pentacles and into the suit of swords. Led by the Page of Swords, our theme card, we’re inspired to revisit old narratives and step into a future that has us revising our assumptions and feeling awkward and inspired. The Queen of Swords asks us to be on the lookout for people, resources, and situations that encourage us to think flexibly and to trust our powers of discernment. It’s a powerful time to shift our viewpoint around struggle and effort: Will we choose to feel put upon and irritated like the Seven of Wands or dynamic and confident like the Two of Pentacles? All in all, this is a month of blue skies with clouds receding and a remarkable opportunity to reframe our lives, plans, and even beliefs. Listen in for the full reading and be sure to share your thoughts in the comments!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

April sees us stepping onto the throne of the King of Pentacles as we’re asked to appreciate and be empowered by our increased ability to support ourselves, our lives, and communities. All things pentacles are getting a refresh as this powerful card joins forces our envrionment card, the Seven of Pentacles. What actions, plans, projects, and jobs have yielded results? Do you like them? This month gives us a wonderful opportunity to edit and prune our growing plans. Our challenge comes in the form of the Five of Swords as miscommunication and even betrayal from ourselves and others enters the scene. Grounding ourselves in what’s real, what feels generative, and what we’d like for the future can help offset any hurt feelings or impulses to lash out. Finally, our opportunity lies in the expansive vistas of the Two of Wands: What new horizons are calling us? This month we’re seeing how the small steps we’ve taken have led us to a pivotal and exciting turning point.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

Well, only 2/4 of this reading are court cards, so it’s an improvement, right? March is set to be an intense month as we contend with the pain of endings via the Ten of Swords and the tempting call to enact consequential change through Judgment. Our opportunity card, the Queen of Cups, however, encourages caution; fiery and impulsive moves characteristic of our challenge card, the King of Wands, may further inflame an already difficult situation. Listen in for the entire forecast and be sure to share your thoughts in the comments below!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

Well, we’ve decreased our “court card count” to 50% of the reading, and this month’s spread is, overall, far more gentle than January’s. We begin with an invitation to center ourselves in our networks of care through the Nine of Cups. Emotional and spiritual abundance is backing us as we contend with new inspiration through the Queen of Cups and new ways of thinking through the Ace of Swords. It’s not surprising that our opportunity from last month has pivoted into our challenge for February. Embracing the social intensity and drive of the Queen of Wands threatens to lead us into burnout - too much fire is not a good thing! - and the environment this month is, in contrast, characterized by the soothing and beautiful cups suit. Listen in for the full reading and don’t forget to share your insights and impressions in the comments below!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

The Ask a Tarot Reader segment is back! This month, we have a timely question from a listener named Kristen, who asks:

what is the difference between a personal card of the year vs. the collective card of the year? How would we relate to them differently and how might they affect us differently? My personal card of the year is always the next year’s collective card - I’m specifically, and personally, wondering what your thoughts are on the experience of living with a tarot archetype 2 years in a row (but maybe in a different way).

Listen in as we explore the ins-and-outs of personal birth cards and the card of the year and how they can inform each other and the year ahead.

To submit a question /// click here

To calculate your birth cards /// click here

To get a mini-reading /// click here

Incandescent Tarot is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

Well, dear listeners, we certainly start 2025 with a bang! It’s such a delight to be back recording for you all. Our welcome to the New Year is packed with court cards. Yes, you heard right, 4/4 of our cards are in this group: two queens, one king, and one knight. Phew! January is poised to be full of action, characters, and adventures. We’re being asked to assume the poised and insightful position of the Queen of Swords while dealing with the boisterous and unceasing energy of the Knight of Wands out in the world around us. Reading between the cards, I’m sensing that the wisdom of our card for 2025 - The Hermit - will come in handy. Our challenge is in taking refuge in the false moral or emotional high ground of the King of Cups. What are we trying to protect ourselves from when we pretend we’ve got it all figured out and that the world doesn’t touch us? The Queen of Wands illuminates a path through the challenges of the Knight of Wands that sees us assuming a passionate, powerful, and authentic position of personal authority. Buckle up - it’s a wild ride, but with huge potential for zesty and fruitful growth. Listen in for the whole reading, including me waxing poetic about the passage of time, the first (and only other) time I turned over a spread with all court cards, and losing my mind over this impressive array!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

Hello dear subscribers! This forecast is coming to us in a different format because of some unexpected delays this week. But I will not be defeated! We’re going audio because, to quote this perennial wisdom: ‘done is better than perfect.’ (See the unintentional “remix” at the beginning of our recording 😆.) Listen in for a full rundown of this week’s energy (challenging but rewarding!) as well as the classic “things to embrace/things to avoid” segment. If you’d still like to read, click above to access the transcript! We’ll be back with the usual written reading next week. Thanks as always for being here and best of luck in the holiday chaos! A check-in for the monthly reading is also coming tomorrow.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

Listen in for a tarot snapshot of the final month of 2024 and reflections on our tour of the Strength card over the past twelve months. Our card for December is Temperance, pointing us to a gentle assimilation of all the lessons we’ve learned about Strength and a period of grace (and hopefully ease) as we conclude the year. We’ll be pulled to make some poignant decisions about leaving parts of our lives behind in search of what we know is right via the Six of Swords while trusting our internal compass to guide the way. Our challenge this month is everyone’s favorite catastrophic tarot card, The Tower. Will some things crumble in our lives? Perhaps, but our opportunity card - the Eight of Cups - suggests that our choice lies between seeing endings as solely unjust and painful or necessary parts of our growth.

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An exploration into Judgement, the Ten of Cups, Queen of Swords, and Two of Pentacles for November 2024.

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Judgment heralds a month of revelation, reckoning, and a final stop before we wrap up our exploration of the Strength card in 2024. While it’s undeniably intense, this card is bolstered by a loving and supportive environment shown in the Ten of Cups. How can we let our relationships and pursuit of meaning bolster us as we approach a momentous change? Our theme card for the previous month, the Queen of Swords, occupies the “challenge” position, urging us to move away from the strategies that worked so well recently. We’ve integrated them successfully and now is a time to step into the jovial shoes of the Two of Pentacles. Our opportunities lie in a lighthearted approach, small tweaks to our routines that let in some fun and experimentation, as well as a vision towards a freer, more expansive future.

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com/subscribe

Listen in for October’s monthly forecast where the Queen of Wands invites us to take a seat, integrate the lessons we learned from the Knight of Swords last month, and envision a new future. The King of Wands brings both tension and inspiration as the call to do more, produce more, and be more alluring threatens to take us away from our unique perspective and personal healing. We may want to gracefully exit this challenging scenario, but our actual challenge card, the Eight of Cups, instructs us to stay with difficulty and turn away from the distractions of amorphous “better things.” Finally, our opportunity is the beautiful, luminescent card: The Star. Healing can be found in staying with ourselves, learning from the tensions that arise, and committing to our practices of mindful presence, reciprocity, and gentleness. Press play for the full reading and don’t forget to share your takes, insights, and questions in the comments below!

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com/subscribe

Strength is back! This month we have our hand’s on the lion’s head, so to speak, as we grapple with a central personal challenge. This is the kind of challenge that, if we approach it bravely, can propel us to the next level. I have a feeling that September will be a month we’ll look back on as a when we really stepped forward and into a deeper relationship with ourselves. Our environment is shown in Justice, a card that instructs us to take our values seriously while remaining open and flexible. Our challenge, the Queen of Pentacles, shows a pull towards playing it safe and getting lost in the details of routine, daily life, the domestic sphere, or the material. Yet our opportunity lies in the Knight of Swords: rushing towards challenge, asserting our ideas, sharing our thoughts, and engaging with the world. Press play for the whole forecast and don’t forget to share your thoughts in the comments below!

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com/subscribe

Once again, I’m sharing this with everyone, 1) because it’s fun and I’ve never been good at paywalls, and 2) because our entire reading for August was Major Arcana cards. How are you? Still alive? Reeling from profundity? or just plain tired? Let’s talk about it!

Of course, you can press play above (or in your podcast platform of choice) to hear my in-depth thoughts on the cards as they unfolded over the month, but you can also scroll down for some more lighthearted reflections. And get a look at the cards for September.

Speaking of September, I’m having a visceral experience of autumn approaching. Maybe it’s years of internalized back-to-school energy, but this time always seems ripe for preparation, reinvention, and some generalized nervousness. I’m watching the light change here in North Carolina and seeing the first leaves grow tired and change color around the edges. I’m also thinking about how this time marks a new year in some traditions which has always felt instinctively right to me. How have you been experiencing fall and its many transitions?

Oddly and not surprisingly given our cards, I’ve felt like I’ve been in the busy fall season already. August was a blur of work, adventures, and guests. I felt energized and called to do a whole bunch of home projects and yardwork which prompted some spontaneous magic, see below, and left me feeling recentered and reconnected with my home.

So much was happening, in fact, that I didn’t read or watch as much as usual. I did the classic “check out too many intense psychology and non-fiction books from the library” move that leaves me with a stack on my bedside table that I’m too exhausted to read properly. (Me treating my reading like The Hierophant when I really want a steamy beach read a la the Queen of Wands?)

I did honor my need for stupidity by going to see Twisters in the theaters. While an unhinged trailer for a Christmas action movie starring The Rock, Chris Evans, and a horrific muscular CGI polar bear was more jaw-dropping than the movie itself, I thoroughly enjoyed being swept away by frenetic action sequences and oddly chaste romance. In tarot speak, this was absolutely a Seven of Wands meets The Fool scenario.

And in the tarot world, I found myself moving away from personal readings and just letting this massive, honking monthly forecast take center stage. I did, however, keep pulling Strength as a daily draw. I guess some things require emphasis, but at this point I think I’ve gotten the message!

But, to go deeper as we wrap up this recap, having Strength as our opportunity card this past month was such a robust invitation to look at how we’ve been preparing for this moment of transition. Things are about to get more specific in September (which may be a welcome change after our existential deep-dive tour of the major arcana!) and now is a good time to ask ourselves: What is the major issue I’m working on this year?

As usual, please share any insights, experiences, questions, or comments below. I adore hearing from you all and this community has some incredible gems of wisdom! Don’t forget to scroll down for our reflection prompts and our cards for September (you’ll never guess what our first card is…).

Reflection Prompts for August 2024

The Fool

Where did you take risks, a leap of faith, or commit to stepping into something new this month?
How did you honor your true nature, wishes, and instincts/intuition?
What did you learn about who you truly are and how you can begin again?

The Devil

What did taking these chances bring up for you?
Where did you notice fear, self-sabotage, and harmful thinking in your life?
What patterns felt stale, limiting, and old? How did you commit to shedding them?

The Sun

Where did you notice yourself pretending to be farther along your path, fine, or fully healed?
What did you learn about discerning between important self-growth and keeping up apperances?
How did you develop self-trust this month?

Strength

When, where, and how did you show up for yourself?
What did it feel like to honestly observe and accept difficult parts of yourself, the world, your experiences?
What do you know now about your next steps working with these issues?

…and, finally, the cards for September!

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Podcast Episode Show Notes: Featuring Quinn Diacon-Furtado

Episode Title: Exploring Gender, Magic, and Memory with Quinn Diacon-Furtado

Episode Description:

In this episode, we are thrilled to host Quinn Diacon-Furtado, a multifaceted writer and creator who delves into the intricate realms of gender, magic, intuition, and memory across various genres. Quinn's unique perspective and creative journey offer a rich tapestry of insights and inspirations.

Guest Bio:

Quinn Diacon-Furtado is a writer and creator who explores gender, magic, intuition, and memory across multiple genres. They are the author of the young adult thriller, The Lilies, published by HarperTeen. Their newsletter, The Slow Read, delves into current book recommendations and cultural reading trends through the lens of Quinn's personal experience with reading (dis)ability. A 2022 Lambda Literary Fellow, and former middle school and high school teacher, Quinn holds an MFA in Creative Writing for Children from Hollins University.

Key Topics:

The Lilies: Dive into Quinn's young adult thriller published by HarperTeen. Explore the themes, characters, and inspiration behind this captivating novel, which tells the story of four students at an elite private school who find themselves trapped in a time loop reliving their worst memories and greatest regrets. Together, they must grapple with the truths of their pasts in order to find a way out of the loop, before the fabric of time can fully disintegrate. This thriller explores queerness, generational patterns, and how secrecy can rot institutions (and the people who uphold them) from the inside out.
Tarot and the Creative Process: Learn how Quinn uses tarot to inspire and guide their writing.
Using Your Practice to Inspire Action: Hear Quinn's thoughts on tarot, community, and bringing your spiritual practice into the real world.
The Future of Tarot & 'Spiritual Technology': Listen in as Quinn discusses their thoughts on where tarot is headed and the intersection of spirituality and social media.
Personal Practice and Ancestor Work: Learn about Quinn's persona practice, favorite resources, and frequent tarot card visitors.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Rust Belt Arcana Tarot

Raymond Buckland Romani Tarot

Using Tarot in the Writing Process: Leveraging Tarot Readings as a Creative Catalyst

The In-Betweens: The Spiritualists, Mediums, and Legends of Camp Etna by Mira Ptacin

Clearing Spaces: Inspirational Techniques to Heal Your Home by Khi Armand

The Morgan Greer Tarot

Connect with Quinn Diacon-Furtado:

Website: thisisquinnswebsite.com

Newsletter: theslowread.substack.com

Instagram: @ya_quinn_ya

Join the Conversation:

Have questions or thoughts about today's episode? Share them in the comments of the substack post for this episode or message directly at info@incandescenttarot.com. Don't forget to share and rate and review the podcast on your favorite platform!

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This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com/subscribe

Can you believe it?! For the first time in “Monthly Forecast History” we have a reading of four Major Arcana Cards! That’s right: 100% archetypal power and intensity. Buckle up, because in August we’ll be launching into a Fool’s Journey, battling with The Devil, and resisting the individualist joy of The Sun in pursuit of the meaningful process of (building) Strength. Listen in for the whole forecast including me absolutely losing my mind while turning over these cards.

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com/subscribe

Hello everyone and welcome to the monthly review for July! I’m sending this out to all subscribers since some life chaos prevented me from getting the Weekly Forecast out to you all this week. I’m loathe to skip anything Incandescent Tarot-related, so I hope this makes up for the absence and maybe gives an enticing peek behind the curtain/look at the magical realm of a paid subscription.

So how was July for you all?

I was looking back at my camera roll and shocked to see how much had happened. I took a trip to visit family up north and was able to take a small detour alone to visit my hometown. I hadn’t been back in almost nine years and it was euphoric and eerie to drive along the backroads of Western Massachusetts and know my way exactly.

We had an interesting group of cards this month - all minor arcana - and the month had a similar feeling of profound everyday-ness. Working through the same issues, going back to the work, driving along the backroads again, and again, and again. What did you learn from all the returning, revisiting, and repetition?

I’m writing this with the knowledge of our cards for the next month and wow. There’s clearly a lot to uncover in this month that can help steer us in the weeks ahead. Be sure to scroll down for reflection prompts to gather your thoughts and insights, and of course the cards for August. (I am shook!)

Before then, a few highlights:

In the tarot-verse: I did a bunch of personal readings this month, including one with a fun structure I’m excited to share. (Anyone else out there into DIY-spreads?) The first card I drew?? Strength! I’m also so excited that a second edition Uusi Design Studio’s Eros Tarot (joyfully NSFW) is on pre-order. What decks have you been enjoying? Always looking for recommendations to diversify my heavily-RWS tarot portfolio.

Reading, watching, listening: Vacation time means reading time and aah and I am missing the feeling of being able to devour a book in two days! I finally readWandering Stars, Tommy Orange’s follow-up to the wonderful There There (very Five of Cups, Ten of Pentacles, and The Moon with its themes of lineage, grief, and transformation) and Birnam Wood, which I found annoying at first and then absolutely engrossing. It probably didn’t help that many of the characters gave me flashbacks to myself, age twenty, ranting about Noam Chomsky and “decentralized nodes of modality,” but what can you do?

I had the delightful experience of sitting by myself at a movie theater watching a film set in my hometown. Janet Planetfollows a single mother and her daughter as they navigate the rhythms of a lazy summer in Western Massachusetts. Set in the 90s, it was like a flashback to my childhood; think Six of Cups nostalgia mixed with zany alternative Four of Wands shenanigans. (This movie made me want to host my own surreal puppet show in my back yard.)

I also got sucked in to the Netflix documentary series about the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, America’s Sweethearts. (Anne Helen Petersen has a characteristically insightful take on it on her substack.) Come for the performative femininity, stay for the deeply relatable characters!

Ace of the Month: This itty bitty baby snapping turtle!

How was your June? I’d love to hear in the comments below! And don’t forget to scroll down for prompts and that insane reading for August.

Reflection Prompts for June

Eight of Pentacles

What work, projects, or routines naturally drew your focus this month?
How were you able to remain centered and on task?
What have you learned about yourself through committing to work?

Eight of Swords

What self-limiting beliefs, mental blocks, and insecurities were you able to identify this month?
How did you successfully confront them?
What do you now know about your true desires, thoughts, and direction?

Eight of Cups

When did you feel the need to retreat, chase something new, or find fault with the support and resources you have?
How did it feel to come back home to yourself?
What part of your desires are you inviting back into your life?

Nine of Cups

What did you learn about your emotional and spiritual resources?
How did it feel to uplift and appreciate the love and beauty in your life?
Did you feel discomfort? How did you soothe it?

and, finally, a look at our next reading…

Cards for August 2024

(I almost didn’t post these because I wanted it to be a surprise in the live reading, but you’ll just get to listen to me huff and puff with incredulity on the recording - I can’t get over this array!!)

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com/subscribe

We’re back down to earth this month, with a natural focus on work, dedication, and follow-through shown in our theme card, the Eight of Pentacles. The first of three consecutive eights, this card positions us as the makers and doers in our own life story. It’s a welcome change from all the Major Arcana energy that’s been animating our past readings, yet three eights is no small matter and perhaps even a shoutout to our card of the year, number eight in the Major Arcana, Strength. We have some lingering swords-issues in the world around us as the Eight of Swords shows us messily contending with our wishes, desires, opinions, and even self-confidence. Yet our opportunity card, the Nine of Cups, invites us to consider how we might have everything we need and to use our emotional resources to ground ourselves instead of, as our challenge card the Eight of Cups suggests, running to the hills in pursuit of newness or elusive feelings and goals.

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com/subscribe

I couldn’t keep us from our reading this week, dear readers! Press play above for the full rundown - I can’t express enough how excited I am to see The Magician! I’ll be back with regular programming next week.

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com/subscribe

In June’s reading we have another court card leading the way. The Queen of Swords encourages us to embrace our power to organize and communicate our thoughts, advocate for ourselves and others, and strive towards a more meaningful and, you guessed it, just world. Yes, Justice is in the air the month as our environment card. We’ll be grappling with how to bring this lofty ideal into our flawed and complicated world, both in our everyday life and our larger communities. While we can accomplish a lot in this space, it’s calling on us to show up mindfully and with directed intention. Yet part of us wants to sneak off and get distracted in daydreaming, fantasy, and frivolous side quests. I’m talking about the Knight of Cups here, our challenge card. The Two of Cups, however, offers us an opportunity to engage with lofty principles in our everyday life and gain some balance by having fun in small ways while inviting in bigger changes. Listen in for the full reading and be sure to leave your comments below.

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com/subscribe

This month’s reading has a fresh energy, led by the formidable and fiery King of Wands. In May we'll be stepping into our power and ambition, showing up, and making things happen. Temperance invites us to balance this output with steady, dedicated care for both ourselves and our communities while Judgment gives us a somewhat comical alarm for when we’re getting off-course. Why pass judgment when we can be chill, focusing on tending to our cups? These cards remind us that life is not a zero-sum game and that change does not lead to a static outcome. Not only this, but the Two of Cups shows us how our new relationships, passions, and artistic or spiritual pursuits are a source of both pleasure and promising growth.

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com/subscribe

We’re back at long last with another installment of “Ask a Tarot Reader"! Listen in as I dive into two excellent listener-submitted questions. The first touches on the tens of the minor arcana:

“Why do you think the 10’s are so different from each other (or not)? The 10’s of pentacles and cups are so abundant, joyful, and triumphant, while the 10’s of wands and swords are overwhelming, burdensome, and a real bummer. I know there’s a range of what they can represent, but I’m curious about how you’d explain the apparent contrast.”

and the second brings us to the world of the Major Arcana:

“How does the Star card relate to the star in the Hermit’s lamp?”

Submit your own question .::. https://www.incandescenttarot.com/askatarotreader

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com/subscribe

What a fascinating group of cards for April! This month is animated by the call to move towards peace and fulfillment via the Six of Swords, and it seems as if our environment card, the Ten of Cups, isn’t just giving us a green light, it’s giving us a full-on, resplendent rainbow. This is a long and poignant journey, however, and we’ve been preparing for it for some time. The World from last month gave us a peek at the landscape we’ll be traversing and now our job is to wade into it and stay the course, trusting in our emotions, intuition, and deeper wisdom. Our challenge will be to resist the urge to turn this moment into one of practicality and caution like the Knight of Pentacles. This is not a month to reason away our joy, wishes, or values. Luckily, the Knight of Swords is rising to the challenge and shows us using or words, wit, and conviction for good; choosing what matters to us, trusting in the meaning we make of our lives, and defending our dedication to connection, sweetness, and community.

Listen in for the full forecast, including an enthusiastic deep-dive into these two knights, rapturous explorations of the swords suit done right, and lots of impassioned musings on spring as a season for new beginnings.

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com/subscribe

This month we shift from the analytic, sharp swords and into the feeling world of the cups. The Two of Cups sees us reaching out and being received by others. What insights can we gift to those close to us? What can be revealed to us in turn? The Hierophant suggests that there’s profound wisdom to explore in this space and the energy to make headway in areas of our life that give us a sense of meaning and purpose. Our challenge card, the Two of Wands, shows a desire to turn away from all this and keep things light, but in doing so we’d just be hiding in our actualization, healing, and self-expression as shown in our opportunity card: The World.

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com/subscribe

February’s reading features a bevy of swords cards. We’re poised to step into the shoes (and throne) of the discerning and stoic King of Swords while struggling against “Knight of Swords impulses” in ourselves and others to rush to conclusions, have the first and last word, and figure it all out. Yet underneath it all, we’re undergoing a slow and steady journey away from ideas and expectations we’ve outgrown. The Six of Swords shows a deliberate choice to take responsibility for ourselves and remain open to input from the world around us. Think sailing across the river vs. sweating to build a whole bridge. All this complexity, if we choose to engage with it, steers us towards the fertile shore of The Star where wisdom and peace await. Sounds alluring! And well worth the pointedness of the rest of our reading.

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com/subscribe

Listen in as we explore the cards for the first month of 2024! But first, a look at our transition from a Chariot Year (2023) to a year animated by Strength (2024). It’s been a wild ride, and this jump seems both exciting and grounding. The year starts out with a serious and zesty batch of cards. January’s theme is The Hermit, where we travel inward to uncover animating truths that give our lives meaning. The environment is supportive of this quest along with many others touching on themes of romance, connection, and spiritual meaning. The Knight of Cups shows our enthusiasm and more than a little potential to be “extra.” We’ll be challenged to resist the assumption that we have to go it alone like the Eight of Cups, yet the gravitational pull of The Lovers reminds us that life is sweet and exciting when we find people who support, understand, and expand what really matters to us.

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com/subscribe

Listen in to the latest edition of “Ask a Tarot Reader,” a segment where we explore two listener-submitted questions: one about how to read tarot and the other a personal question or issue to invesitagate with a two-card tarot reading. This month, we’re starting with a reading about how to survive/endure/thrive in the challenging holiday season, and we finish with a perennial concern: reversed card. To read with them or not?

To submit a question // Click here

More on Reversals // Click here

A few quick podcast annoucements:

I will no longer be sending out emails for each new episode. This is a spam-free space! To stay up to date, be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts (and while you’re at it, do leave a rating and review ;)
In case you missed it, transcripts are available for all episodes. Simply click the transcript bar below the audio player to read the episode in its full glory. (Caveat: the transcript is AI-generated and sometimes I miss ridiculous mistranslations. I hope they’re entertaining!)

Our Cards from the Mini-Reading:

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com/subscribe

December is here! In this last forecast for 2023, we’re visited by the introspective, questing Hermit who invites us to go inward to find authentic, actionable, and realistic ways to navigate tradition, structure, and lineage represented by The Hierophant (and the entire holiday season). We may find ourselves tempted to overindulge and distract ourselves with celebration and socialization through the Three of Cups; however, healthy expansion can be found in recognizing the meaningful actions we’ve been taking individually and collectively so that we can continue to practice them moving forward. Listen in for the entire reading and be sure to leave a rating and review or share if you found this forecast helpful.

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the latest installation of “Ask a Tarot Reader” where we dive into listener-submitted questions about 1) how to read tarot and 2) personal questions for an answer via a two-card tarot reading.

This month, our question about tarot comes from a listener who asks:

“How do you read challenging cards without falling to either 'they are good/bad'? Some cards can be seen as so challenging (from knowledge or past experience), yet you seem to be able to read each time with curiosity and openness, without your intuition being cluttered by challenging experiences with the cards. Would you say that comes with practice with the cards/self-care routines/personality trait? What would be your advice(s)? (I ask because I can sometimes feel 'overwhelmed' by certain cards when I read to myself, and it can take away my initial enthusiasm and intuition.)”

The question for our tarot reading comes from a listener named G, who asks:

“Will I ever feel fulfilled by my professional career again?”

Listen in as we discuss their card: The Eight of Cups and The Tower.

To submit a question // Click Here

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com/subscribe

I had several moments of pause when recording this episode. 1) To reshuffle or not reshuffle? This spread has a wild repeat, but after a busy event, I knew the draw was thoroughly random, and as much as I’d have loved to not talk about this card again, I do believe that the reading in front of you is exactly the reading you need. And 2) should I re-record? I may not have reacted so elegantly to our repeat visitor! Again, I decided no: this podcast is all about authentic, live tarot readings, including incredulous pauses, hemming and hawing, and all. So listen in for the whole reading where we grapple with the Five of Pentacles once again, yet are joined by the tender and intrepid Page of Cups who asks us to practice positivity and some joyful creative thinking. We may be tempted, however, to distract ourselves from tough spots with newness, achievement, and a full schedule via the Page of Wands. Ultimately, we have the opportunity to retreat into a place of deep knowing - the Two of Swords - where we’ll be able to approach a long-held decision with poise and clarity.

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to a new segment of the Incandescent Tarot podcast, Ask a Tarot Reader!These used to be snuggled in at the end of regular episodes, but they’re too much fun to keep in the corner.

In Ask a Tarot Reader, I’ll answer two listener questions each month about:

Tarot! how to read, troubleshooting issues, anything that’s been nagging you as you explore this wonderful and, let’s be real, often-confusing practice.
Life! Submit a personal question for a mini-reading at the end of each episode.

To submit a question of either stipe visit incancescenttarot.com/askatarotreader or send an email to info@incandescenttarot.com.

This month, we explore a question about intuitive readings and advanced decks:

I read intuitively using a RW deck. The Prisma Visions Tarot deck draws me. I worry, though: is a deck with such sophisticated imagery too advanced for me? Perhaps I will not be able read intuitively with such a deck? How can I tell whether the deck is too advanced for me?

To take a gander at the stunning Prisma Visions Deck // Click Here

…and answering a question from lovely subscriber, Lisa, who asks:

what should I expect through the end of the year? Will I close any business or find any love interest?

See her cards below:

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com/subscribe

We’ve finally done it! Our two month exploration (expedition? ordeal?) of the Five of Pentacles is over. This month, we’re in a state of natural focus and determination illustrated by the Eight of Pentacles. Following this card’s dedicated work ethic is opening up a world of joyful connections via the Three of Cups, not to mention a dose of much-needed levity and tenderness. Oh, and did I mention traction? We’re being given the unique opportunity to learn more about the tempting dreams that have lured us off our path in the past as the Ace of Pentacles appears in our ‘challenge’ section, showing us how we may want to use newness, potential, and fantasy to avoid the success we’re working towards. Instead, these cards encourage us to adopt the stance of the Four of Pentacles: deep enduring awareness of our resources, pride in our ability to structure our lives, and devotion to maintaining what we have and staying the course.

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com/subscribe

September brings a rare repeat of our central card from August: The Five of Pentacles. We’re tying up loose ends to this challenging card, yet there’s a welcome source of (unpredictable) change on the horizon as The Wheel of Fortune spins through the areas of our life reflected in the Five of Pentacles, bringing changes of fortune, surprising opportunities, or even rapid breakthroughs. We’ll feel challenged to walk back some of our ambitious plans and dreams with regards to money and career via the Two of Pentacles, yet the Six of Swords shows us how we can move forward slowly, deliberately, and armed with lots of hard-won wisdom.

Listen in for the full reading, lots of excited exclamations (still can’t get over the Five of Pentacles 2x in a row!), and my thoughts on the poignant, autumnal nature of the Six of Swords.

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com/subscribe

This month’s reading is tender and intriuging. The hardship of the Five of Pentacles sees us grappling with material restrictions - what is enough? How do we support our lives? - while occupying a much different role than we’re used to via the King of Wands. We may have more resources at hand than we realize, especially those that center our agency, creativity, and energy. Playing it safe like our challenge card, The Queen of Pentacles, may be tempting, but in reality, our opportunity lies in grieving and integrating the messages around scarcity and capability that have held us back in the past through the Five of Cups. Listen in for the full reading, including my odd appreciation of the fives as a group, the confrontational nature of the King of Wands, and the importance of reading “between” the cards.

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com/subscribe

July arrives with a refreshing shift of energy. Armed with new and inspiring ideas, we’re entering into a phase of mental growth and exploration via the Ace of Swords, our card for the month. Our environment is poised to support the daring personal breakthroughs we’ve been craving as The Sun casts its warm glow on our purusits and inner life. We may be tempted to skip our own coming out party by getting distrated in far-fetched plans or alternate futures a la the Two of Wands. Who could blame us when the success of The Sun is casting its light on some restrictive habits and situations we wish we could keep in The Devil. Listen in for the whole reading, including my dizzy dissection of last month’s Wheel of Fortune wildness, a Fool vs. Sun showdown, and my excitement over this opportunity to work with The Devil card. (A special note: there will be no weekly forecast in an attempt to give myself a little summer vacation. Regular programming will return next Monday.)

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com/subscribe

The cards in play for June represent a shift into a period of cultivating balance in our work and material lives. The Six of Pentacles appears as our card of the month, showing us motivated to get in touch with our resources. It’s a practical and calming energy that stands in contrast to the world around us, as The Wheel of Fortune brings some change, chaos, and opportunity our way. We’ll be challenged to make sense of it all and drawn to managing our stress through planning and rationalization via the Queen of Swords; however, our true path forward is in the much more free (and fun) Four of Wands. Listen in for all the details, including a comprehensive rant on the weirdness of the Six of Pentacles and my love of tarot “odd couples.”

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com/subscribe

Hello Tarot Friends! This week’s forecast is in audio format; we’ll be back to the usual written reading next week, but until then enjoy this departure from tradition! As always, thank you for being here. If you enjoy this work and want to support it, consider sharing or subscribing below.

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com/subscribe

May is illuminated by the thoughtful glow of The Star, a card that invites us to carve our space for healing, reflection, and vulnerability. We may need to channel the discernment of the Two of Swords, guarding access to our soft underbellies, while remaining wary of our propensity to get carried away or just plain run away from growth like the Seven of Swords, our cautionary tale for the month. Sitting with ourselves via the Four of Cups, especially in moments of boredom or dissatisfaction, holds a mysterious key to our exciting next steps. Listen in for the whole reading and consider subscribingb elow for access to more material working with this reading as we work our way through the month.

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com/subscribe

April is all about the feelings as we figure out how to steer our lives with the determination of The Chariot. The Queen of Cups provides essential advice as our card for the month - how can we take gentle and joyful responsibility for our dreams as we work towards actualizing them? The Emperor as our challenge card shows us just how difficult it can be to remain open, receptive, and flexible, yet the opportunity of the Seven of Cups invites us to trade in fear and avoidance for a healthy dose of weirdness and inspiration. Listen in for the whole forecast and consider subscribing for extra reflections, prompts, and a video check-in throughout the month.

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com/subscribe

Listen in as we explore a unique tarot landscape. Yes, The Tower is rising up in the center, drawing our eye, but all is not what it seems. The enduring theme of March is newness - what are we excitedly seeking out right now like the energetic Knight of Wands? It may bring up some criticism via the Queen of Swords who wants to frame our mistakes and misfortunes as catastrophe. Yet the King of Pentacles tells us the world isn’t ending at all; in fact, it’s quite delightful.

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com/subscribe

You’re listening to the free version of Incandescent Tarot. If you’d like to support this work and gain access to a treasure trove of tarot content, do consider subscribing below!

We break from tradition this week for an audio version of the Weekly Forecast. Exciting! Life got a little intense, hence the change, and we’ll be back with our usual written forecasts next week. Until then, listen in for insights into the serious drive of The Chariot, the deep search for meaning of The Hierophant, and the Knight of Pentacles’ welcome practicality.

This week, embrace:

Focus
Determination
Openness to new perspectives, the wisdom of tradition
Committing to actionable steps

This week, avoid:

Distraction
Obsession with the exact details of your original plans
Avoiding responsibility and/or change

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com/subscribe

Hello Lovely Listeners,

It’s February already, which means it’s time for our monthly tarot reading. What’s in store in the weeks to come? Listen in as we discuss the nuances of our card of the month, Strength, its clashes with our context-card, The Emperor, and how being The King of Wands isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

I’m trying valiantly to embrace imperfection (which, as it turns out, is another theme that falls under the Strength card, ha) but have to add that the audio quality of this episode is not what I’d like it to be! Still figuring out a new recording configuration, so thank you for bearing with me.

As always, do share any comments, questions, or observations in the comments below. If you’d like more insights and reflections on this month’s reading, do subscribe to the paid version of the newsletter. In addition to supporting this work, you’ll get access to additional essays, readings, and announcement time a sneak peek at the cards for next month’s reading.

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com/subscribe

What a welcome to the new year! Listen as I try and fail to contain my excitement over The Fool and its presence in our reading, especially since it’s bolstered by the emotional maturity of the Queen of Cups. This is a time for new beginnings rooted in personal authenticity and joyful interconnectedness. Our challenge for the month is represented by The Hermit, as we may want to turn away from the brightness of a radically new beginning. Solidity and plenty, however, are to be found in the world around us, as The King of Pentacles shows us an opportunity for growth, both in terms of our material resources and personal power.

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com/subscribe

This month we have an energetic and focused reading to guide us. What happens when we find ourselves warmed and supported by our communities and creative endeavors? The Four of Wands directs us to celebrate and enjoy what’s working in our lives while seeing what we can do to amplify it with the determination and grand vision of The Chariot. We’d be wise, however, not to overburden ourselves with ambition for ambition’s sake or a hefty workload just because we can. Following a speedy path via the Eight of Wands, no matter how tempting, will just bring us right back to where we started. Instead, this reading asks us to embrace restriction and our empathy and humility in order to be sure we’re doing what really matters to us. Listen in for all this and: semi-unabashed self-promotion, an extensive & rambling bonfire metaphor, and lots of rueful chuckling about wands enthusiasm.

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com/subscribe

Explore the themes at work for November as we dive into a curious reading. Two nines show us that the central theme of the month is culmination, accomplishment, and taking the responsibility to end portions of our own stories. We’ll be challenged by a desire to wrap everything up in tidy bows, make strong declarations, and hide behind absolute statements as the Knight of Swords brings their bluster and hidden insecurities into the picture. Meanwhile? A powerful call is pushing us towards facing our true self and doing the next big thing, especially if it’s intimidating and requires us to leave our small and simple ideas behind.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

A rambling deep-dive into the topic of certainty and its place in tarot. Can we achieve certainty in our readings? Do we even want to? Listen in to hear what the Strength card has to teach us about looking for answers in tarot, Gina’s “bro voice,” and a story about someone pulling The Tower before a first date.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

Listen in for the tarot forecast for October of 2022, aka the episode where I audibly gasp multiple times because we have four Major Arcana cards to guide us through the month - The Chariot, Strength, Temperance, and The Hierophant. How can we use our perfectionistic tendencies for good? What weird truths are we about to learn about ourselves? And how will the pursuit of balance nudge us into challenging and fruitful spaces of learning?

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

We have a uniquely clear and galvanizing forecast this month, dear listeners. Join us for September’s collective tarot reading as we discuss how personal authority and leadership (The Emperor) can inspire satisfying action (The Seven of Wands) while steering us away from distracting hedonism (The King of Pentacles) and towards mental clarity (The King of Swords). So, you know, really low-key themes at play for the month! It should be a pivotal and exhilarating time, so be sure to listen in to find out how The Emperor embodies “back to school energy,” whether the person in the Seven of Wands is as angsty as they look, and why lazing around in your grape-patterned robe a la the King of Pentacles isn’t actually the best move at the moment.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

A glorious and slightly nerve-wracking group of cards greets us this month, but in a “butterflies before you go on stage” way (instead of“buckling under tons of external pressure”). The Queen of Cups represents the themes of the month: emotional wisdom, dedication to love (romantic and otherwise), and a connection to beauty. The Knight of Pentacles, however, wants to keep things on the straight and narrow, but how could we when The Lovers card shows us a tantalizing and transformative opportunity? The Two of Cups lets us know that piddly distractions may tempt us to sidestep an important choice. Listen in for the whole forecast, tips on how to navigate the energies of August, and why I call the Knight of Pentacles “the dirt knight.”

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

Let’s talk about practice, shall we? In this episode I dive into the how’s and why’s of practice, discuss how a tarot practice differs from, say, a meditation practice, and ways to make your practice more magical and sustainable. This episode centers on personal tarot practices and gently touches on practicing as a way to learn the cards themselves. Come for the helpful tips, stay for the musings on my middle school tarot readings.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

We’re back with a new forecast for July, dear friends. Don’t be fooled by the fact that I emphatically state that it’s JUNE in the audio - once again, the concept of time has gotten the best of me! This month - the month of July - we have a Major Arcana card giving us focus: The Chariot. Willpower, action, and trust in our path merges with the helpful structure of the Four of Wands. Taking risks leads to community and a home for our deepest convictions. We may struggle with wanting to initiate new plans constantly via the Ace of Wands, but there’s room for growth in pondering what’s working for us in our daily lives a la the Seven of Pentacles. Tune in for the whole forecast here or anywhere you get your podcasts, and thanks as always for listening.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

Hello lovely readers and listeners,

I was running out of time to write out a weekly forecast for you all and thought I’d plug in my microphone and record one instead. I hope you enjoy this spontaneous experiment - the regular written forecasts will be back next week.

Until then, listen to hear:

How the Four of Swords and Knight of Swords are the ultimate power team

Compelling thoughts on the Four of Swords: Is that a crypt or cozy stone bedroom?

All the ways the Three of Cups can rain its magic on us this week (and our friends as well)

The reading has all the features of the forecasts of olden thymes: a full reading, themes to embrace, themes to avoid, and ways to creatively explore and express each card.

Thank you as always for listening and reading and have a lovely week.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

It’s finally here, dear friends! Listen in to the first monthly tarot forecast. Get a look at the energies at work, the themes we’ll be engaging with, areas for growth, and helpful insight into any stickiness or challenges that may come our way. This month, we have the intrepid Page of Swords leading the charge as our card of the month, followed by The Wheel of Fortune as a representation of the larger picture and what we’re dealing with. Get ready for change, confusion, and lots of questions. Things get difficult if we fall into the slow, plodding, and practical outlook of The Knight of Pentacles. Things get magical, however, if we leave space for stillness, dreaming, and opening up to the unknown via the Four of Cups. Tune in for the whole forecast here or anywhere you get your podcasts, and thanks as always for listening.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

The podcast is back! I’m so happy to be recording again and sharing episodes with you all.

In this episode, I explore the topic of reading for yourself during times of stress which, to be honest, is one of the most common reasons for seeking out tarot readings. How often do we approach the cards, the epitome of collected calm, and ask about something incredibly low stakes like when to do the dishes or where to go for dinner? (Not often! But I recommend you try it sometimes - it’s fun! and a refreshing change.)

Here, however, I share observations and insights from my personal and professional practice about helpful guidelines, techniques, and expectations for readings that:

touch on sensitive topics

deal with big decisions

engage us emotionally, stirring up fear or anxiety

And, because I can’t resist, I touch briefly on how these themes come into play when giving or receiving readings as well.

Those of you who've reached out with questions for the “Ask a Tarot Reader” segment way back in the olden times, fear not! I’ll be addressing those and posting them in upcoming episodes.

For those of you who are unfamiliar, this is a section where you can ask me anything about tarot - my personal practice, experience as a pro reader, questions about the cards themselves. You can also submit a question for a mini, one-card tarot reading, to be conducted on the podcast. I’d love to hear from you! Reach out via email or submit a question on the website here.

If you’d like to be notified when new episodes launch, sign up for the Everyday Arcana segment of the newsletter. This is the inner sanctum of Incandescent Tarot, if you will. Sign up for extra insights, personal ramblings, and updates.

You can also subscribe to the podcast on all major podcast platforms. Do leave a rating and review if you enjoy it, and share with friends far and wide!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

In this solo episode Gina explores the dark, striking world of “negative cards” - those tarot mainstays like Death, The Tower, and the Ten of Swords that show up in horror movies and challenge us to confront the full range of the human experience.

Learn how these cards operate on a spectrum like any other in tarot, often encompassing surprisingly positive notes and meanings. What happens when we engage with “negative” cards from an empowered perspective? What can they teach us? Gina shares personal anecdotes throughout, like how Death and The Tower didn’t actually curse her wedding.

Finally, in Ask A Tarot Reader we have a wonderful question from listener Cat Child about what it means when you draw all the same type of card in a reading. What does it mean when it all comes up cups?

Subscribe at incandescenttarot.substack.com

Join us for a lively conversation with the delightful Lucas Taylor of @brightleaftarot. In this podcast, Lucas shares his experiences growing up in New England, connecting with tarot and witchcraft, the allure and mystery of ghost stories, and gives some amazing advice to aspiring readers.

We also theorize about why so many people discover magic during early adolescence (ourselves included), discuss the finer points of pumpkin carving, and get misty-eyed over the landscapes of our youth (and apple cider donuts).

Finally, the very first installment of Ask A Tarot Reader features this excellent question from a listener, Ruby:

What does it mean when a specific card keeps coming up in readings?

For the past few months now, every time I do a reading for myself (once, maybe twice a month), I always get the 3 of Swords, whether I pull it myself or it just falls out of the deck. It seems obvious that there's a message here - it's definitely not a fun card to be getting, so I'm trying to understand what this could mean.

Want to have a question of your own featured on the podcast? Submit at http://incandescenttarot.com/askatarotreader. And, if you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe and rate or comment on Apple Podcasts.

Shownotes

Lucas Taylor is a talented tarot reader and collector of cards. You can find him on instagram @brightleaftarot.

For more Lucas magic, check out his Tarot Interview on the Incandescent Tarot Blog.

For a look into the history of ghost stories in the United States and their underrepresented connection to race and trauma, check out the fantastic book Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places.

And, Lucas inspired me to start creating an online version of the Intuitive Tarot Class he mentions in the interview. For more info and to sign up for the waitlist, click here.

Subscribe at incandescenttarot.substack.com

The Incandescent Tarot Podcast is finally here! In this episode I introduce the podcast as a whole and then dive into the differences between reading for yourself and getting readings from others/giving readings to others. What happens when we embrace the fact that these two practices are, in fact, very different? And how can we use these differences to have better tarot experiences? I address questions and concerns about objectivity, fear, wish-fulfillment, and the temptation to put an overly positive spin on the cards.

Hello Everyone,

It’s such a delight to be announcing the first ever official, full-length episode of the Incandescent Tarot Podcast! I had to tear myself away from getting fully lost in an editing wormhole to bring this one to you and I think it’s definitely worth it. Listen above or check it out on Apple Podcasts and all your other favorite podcast sources.

I’m so excited to be publishing more episodes in the coming weeks. You can expect solo episodes on tarot, intuition, and spirituality, plus interviews with professionals and everyday people about their practices.

And did I mention you can take part, too? Submit your questions for our regular feature, Ask a Tarot Reader. These can be questions for an answer via a quick tarot reading or more technical/specific questions about tarot, magic, spirituality, and intuition.

I won’t be sending email updates for future episodes lest I become what I despise - an annoying spammer - so be sure to subscribe for the latest episodes and, if you enjoy what you hear, do leave a rating and review. These are so helpful for getting the podcast out into the world and into the ears of new listeners.

Enjoy and happy listening!

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Listen now | Hello lovely friends & subscribers, I was so blown away by your enthusiastic response to last week’s experimental audio episode. It was a joy to be back in the podcasting chair and doing weekly forecasts again. With all that magic afoot, the decision was easy: the forecasts are here to stay and I’ll be creating more audio episodes for you to enjoy.

Subscribe at incandescenttarot.substack.com

Hello everyone,

I didn’t expect to be sending you a mini-podcast this morning, but much to my delight I clicked around Substack and discovered this beta feature! I’d planned to write as I usually do, even though it takes me an inordinate amount of time for a three-card reading.

So, without further ado, here it is! An experimental, free weekly tarot forecast.

For those of you who followed these back in the day, each is an exploration into the energies and themes for the week ahead.

I’ve been playing around with the idea of relaunching these in a way that’s more sustainable for my workload and schedule. This is a way to test whether podcasting is a better format. After recording just now, I have to say it certainly takes less time and feels delightfully enjoyable and in-the moment.

What do you think? Would you be interested in receiving weekly audio forecasts? It looks like I can connect to Apple Podcasts, so these would be potentially streamable from other platforms and you could listen on the go.

Really and truly, I’d love to hear what you think. Either comment below or send me an email to info@incandescenttarot.com.

And I hope you enjoy the forecast as much as I enjoyed recording it :)

I am currently offering readings, intuitive sessions, lessons and more with options for sliding-scale and free readings for social justice organizers and caretakers - both professional and private. Click here to book and learn more.

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