
Focus Cards for 2021



We are getting all kinds of Witchy this October episode - we’re excited to share this conversation with Tarot bad @ss Melissa Cynova. 🕯️ Melissa is an award winning author and tarot reader from St. Louis, MO. Her latest book, Kitchen Table Magic is out now. We talk magic, the archetype of the witch, grief, toxic positivity and pumpkin spice lattes - there is more to them than you realized. True story! As is the case when Melissa and I together swearing happens so you have been warned - there will be f* bombs a plenty.
Follow Melissa on the socials for authentic, wise, big-hearted goodness.
As always, you can Find us on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram @TarotPodcast Email us at TarotPodcast@gmail.com
💞 Big thanks to our Patrons: Peter, Richard, Juniper and Rash of Stay Woke Tarot. We appreciate your friendship and support every day!
The podcast is produced by Both/And Media
Theme music by: The Lunar Group
Story Through Stone founder and teacher Cyndera Quakenbush along with her co-host Julienne Givot, Archetypal Consultant and Free Range Priestess discuss the surprising fact that they have been publishing the podcast for 9 years, the Lovers card - internal wholeness - relationships - weddings - prayer - Julienne’s role as a Free Range Priestess and Cyndera’s deepening into her work with her Story Through Stone Cards.
Big thanks to this episode’s sponsor, Melissa Cynova! Melissa is an award winning author and tarot reader from St. Louis, MO. Her latest book, Kitchen Table Magic is out September 8th. Check out her website melissacynova.com and follow her on the socials for authentic, wise, big hearted goodness. You can thank us later.
References:
The Way of the Rose: The Radical Path of the Divine Feminine Hidden in the Rosary https://wayoftherose.org/
Check out Julienne’s Instagram exploration of beauty on https://www.instagram.com/revjulienne/
Cyndera’s Insta also has some beautiful imagery with her billion year old stones with naturally occurring imagery. https://www.instagram.com/story.through.stone/
Cyndera on Your Tango: https://www.yourtango.com/experts/cyndera-quackenbush
“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” -James Baldwin
Here are some ideas that we have gathered if you are wondering how you can participate in healing the long standing injustices facing our world:
❤️ Connect with community. Listen.
❤️ Connect to nature. Listen.
❤️ Make sure you are registered to vote and VOTE. Local elections are important!
❤️ Connect with, listen, support, follow and donate to organizations working for justice. Here are some:
For white folks specifically:
It's incumbent upon white people to humbly listen to and bear witness to the experiences of communities of color. What affects one, affects us all. It's not enough to not be racist ourselves but to actively practice anti-racism. If a social media post or a donation could fix this, it would be done already. As with all evolutionary process, it will take inner and outer work. And it will get uncomfortable. Failing and missing the mark is part of the process so don't let that stop you. In the words of Samuel Beckett "Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better."
❤️ LISTEN and learn from the organizations above and people of color sharing their stories. Be open to what is uncomfortable. There are plenty of stories to learn from and many different perspectives. Below are some podcasts worth checking out - there are many more:
United States of Anxiety - from WNYC
Hear to Slay with Roxanne Gay & Tressie McMillam Cottom - from Luminary Media
White Lies - NPR
What Matters - Black Lives Matter
❤️ Do the heart work of examining your own shadows and complicity in a white culture's dominance. Shadow in this context means you are not aware or conscious of something - this is not a cudgel to beat yourself up, but an exploration with compassion as to where you can heal so as to help stop the cycle. Seek guidance of a qualified counselor if needed.
❤️ Explore some of the anti-rascism resources available. Here are a couple:
How to be an Antiracist by Ibrahim X. Kendi (Start a book club perhaps?)
❤️ All of the above will guide you to your next right actions.
We named the episode Wide Open based on the title of a painting created by Cyndera's friend Angela Han. The painting itself was inspired by a song of the same name written by Cyndera and her husband, Joro. Both song and painting were created in the last month amidst the covid-19 pandemic. Look for a bonus episode with more info.
We hope you find inspiration and hope you’ll reach out to us on social media or by email.
For a photo of the painting and links and references visit the show page here: https://archetypaltarot.podbean.com/e/wide-open-three-archetypal-processes-of-evolution/
✨ Angela Han, artist https://www.angelahanart.com/ IG&FB @angelahanart
✨ Michael Meade - A Time of Transformation series
✨ New York Times article on St. Rosalia patron saint of plagues
✨ This Jungian Life episode 106 When Everything Changes
✨ Metaphysical Milkshake podcast episode on Beauty
"Wide Open" a painting by Angela Han.
Cyndera & Julienne discuss the the Corona Virus pandemic through the lens of the archetypal stories of the tarot. Keeping in mind that we drew The Strength card as our focus for 2020, we pull in a few more that we see in evidence during this crisis and discuss how this archetypal view can guide and possibly bring something new to the world during the darkest time.
Tarot Cards / archetypal stories discussed are: STRENGTH, HANGED MAN, HERMIT, TOWER, DEATH-REBIRTH
We are careful in our discussion to honor what unfolds with compassion (and especially self compassion) and not castigate people for not approaching the hardships with a purely spiritual view. All of our capacities are needed at this time even if it means standing in the closet and screaming obscenities to re-set ourselves for the road ahead.
We also discuss ways to use time away from regular routines to re-connect with friends, spend time in nature, bring life to new projects and observe the process of creativity as fomented by BEING (Yin/Feminine) and then brought to life by DOING (Yang/Masculine).
References:
As usual we recognize our podcast friends, colleagues and sheroes for their thoughtful contributions and ideas.
✨ Rash of Stay Woke Tarot reminds us of compassion for ourselves and not feeling ashamed of a less than spiritual approach.
✨ Award winning author, academic and bad@ss goddess, Naomi Klein
✨ Cyndera's first ever certified Story Through Stone Reader, Desiree Ammons of Sukha Self Care.
✨ Ke'oni Hanalei of Pohala Hawaiian Botanicals references the lessons of Hawaiian Fern Medicine, particularly Laukahi - Divine Magnetism.
✨ Author, card-slinger and all around bad@ss of tarot, Melissa Cynova turned us on to The Lightseer's Tarot by Chris-Anne which are the images we focus on.