The Archetypal Tarot Podcast

Visionary Woman Tarot

Host Cyndera Quackenbush sits down with artist and tarot reader, and creator of the Visionary Woman Tarot, Kristine Gorman. What unfolds is an intimate, wide-ranging conversation about intuition, healing, grief, and the courage it takes to live and create outside the norm.

To see card images and video of this interview (releasing 12/22/25), head over to https://archetypalstories.substack.com/

Kristine shares the soulful origins of the Visionary Woman Tarot, a deck born not from trends or themes, but from decades of lived experience, channeling, and uncompromising honesty. She introduces her unforgettable metaphor of the “healer equation,” a process of humility, self-work, contribution, and learning how to receive. Within this equation is the “rinse cycle” we all must pass through to dismantle conditioning, trauma, and what Kristine candidly calls the fuckery.

Listeners are invited behind the scenes of Kristine’s creative process, where each tarot card begins as a full-scale oil painting on wood, guided by intuition, spirit allies, and personal reckoning. Cyndera and Kristine explore how tarot can be both structure and freedom: a grounding tool for intuitive minds, a language for truth-tellers, and a way to build confidence in one’s own inner voice.

The episode also honors lineage and community. Christine reflects on her formative relationship with legendary tarot scholar Rachel Pollack, whom she calls her “tarot midwife,” and discusses the importance of knowing whose shoulders we stand on, while still forging our own path. From real women and animal guides woven into the cards, to collaboration over competition in the tarot world, this conversation celebrates inclusivity, mentorship, and shared magic.

Woven throughout is a tender acknowledgment of grief and love, as Kristine speaks openly about the loss of her husband of 25 years, and how art and tarot have offered focus, meaning, and survival through profound change.

This episode is for anyone drawn to tarot as a living, breathing practice—one that helps us tell the truth, trust ourselves, and transform pain into purpose.

You can purchase the Visionary Woman Tarot from your local bookstore or directly from the Publisher, Weiser Books.

Kristine Gorman is an overall badass professional tarot reader, artist, and writer, usually wearing overalls. A unique talent, she hosted her own FM radio show for over eight years, throwing tarot cards for folks calling in, which you can find on Apple Podcasts under “The Visionary Woman Tarot Radio Show.” Kristine has presented at many national symposiums and conferences, such as BATS (San Francisco Bay Area Tarot Symposium), NWTS (Northwest Tarot Symposium), TIDE (The International Divination Event), and StaarCon. Kristine continues to paint, write, read for her clients, and collaborate on tarot projects with magical friends. She lives in Lambertville, New Jersey. Follow her on Instagram @visionarywomantarot.

Wise Earth Medicine Tarot

This episode of the Archetypal Tarot Podcast welcomes visionary artist, mystic, and deck creator Lalania Simone for an in-depth journey into her newest creation, the Wise Earth Medicine Tarot. This rich and heartfelt conversation explores how the timeless wisdom of the animal kingdom finds expression through tarot archetypes, becoming a living bridge between nature, spirit, and human experience.

Host Cyndera’s desk, strewn with cards from Lalania’s decks, sets the tone: this is a celebration of imagery, instinct, and imagination. Together, they trace the roots of Wise Earth Medicine Tarot, a deck that intertwines tarot and oracle traditions into one accessible and soul-stirring system.

 

 

Lalania shares how her lifelong relationship with animal medicine inspired the project. Chance encounters with foxes, hawks, or even household cats can hold messages and meaning. Through careful research and intuitive artistry, she translated the habits, habitats, and mythic presence of these creatures into tarot archetypes: the bat as The Hanged One, the octopus as The High Priestess, and the bonsai tree as The Hierophant. Her entities are not static symbols but radiant beings, marked by the delicate white designs she paints onto their forms—visual whispers of connection and belonging.

Paid subscribers on Substack will attain access to the video version of this podcast. They will be enchanted by Lalania’s creative process—how she layers digital collage, hand-drawn tattoos, and sacred geometry to infuse each card with energy and intention! Subscribe now for the video version that will release next week: https://archetypalstories.substack.com/

Beyond the deck, Cyndera and Lalania dive into the deeper invitation of this work: to return to the rhythms and teachings of the Earth herself. In a world that often feels distanced from wildness, The Wise Earth Medicine Tarot becomes a tool for reconnection, for daily reflection, and for finding guidance in the fur, feathers, and roots that surround us.

Recorded in the heart of Denver, where Lalania’s shop Alchemy Ritual Goods continues to nurture seekers and creatives alike, this episode is a love letter to magic, artistry, and evolution. As Lalania says, “In every challenge, there is a gift.”

 

Lalania Simone is an indigenous artist, author, and mystic devoted to a path of personal expansion and collective liberation. She understands the power of images and words and is dedicated to using both to empower people.

Lalania’s decks feature diverse representations of people and cultures from around the world. She is also the co-owner of Alchemy Ritual Goods, a popular spiritual shop in Denver that offers Ancestral Medicine Clinic, a sliding-scale clinic offering multiple modalities dedicated to healing and spiritual liberation.

Tarot Disassembled

What happens when you take the tarot apart—piece by piece—to see what it’s really made of? In this lively and thought-provoking conversation, host Cyndera Quackenbush sits down with artist, author, and tarot creator Jennifer Cooper Steidley to explore her innovative deck, Tarot Disassembled, and its companion guidebook.

Born from an unexpected moment of inspiration (watching her young son take apart a sandwich!), Jennifer began to imagine what it would mean to “disassemble” the tarot—to pull apart its imagery and look closely at the symbols that make up each archetype. The result is a bold, colorful, and refreshingly playful deck that invites readers to reconnect with tarot through the pure language of symbolism.

 

Together, Cyndera and Jennifer dive into:
✨ The origin story behind Tarot Disassembled and its Kickstarter beginnings
✨ How removing human figures opens the door to a more universal, bias-free tarot experience
✨ The joy of rediscovering details hidden in the Rider-Waite-Smith imagery (yes—even the tiny eagle on the Fool’s satchel!)
✨ How “disassembling” tarot mirrors our own life process—taking things apart to understand, re-evaluate, and rebuild
✨ Ways to use this deck in tandem with traditional ones to deepen intuition and symbolic literacy

Their conversation unfolds like a creative workshop and a spiritual reflection all at once—touching on archetypes, imagination, and the art of seeing with fresh eyes. Cyndera connects the process to her own Story Through Stone deck, where ancient stone imagery becomes a mirror for intuition.

By the end, listeners are reminded that tarot—like life itself—is an ongoing process of discovery: a dance between taking things apart and bringing them beautifully back together.

 

Artist and tarot creator Jennifer Steidley has always been fluent in the language of symbols. With a background in graphic design and a deep love of intuitive storytelling, she brings a playful, insightful touch to her creations—including her innovative deck, Tarot Disassembled. Learn more at jennifersteidley.com/

Mindscapes Tarot: Interview with John A. Rice

Step right up dear traveler! Jump into the shoes of an ancient ship’s stowaway and discover the landscapes of the Tarot firsthand with a visionary lens!

 

In this episode of the Archetypal Tarot Podcast, host Cyndera Quackenbush welcomes artist and deck creator John A. Rice to discuss his 5-year visionary creation, the Mindscapes Tarot. Unlike traditional decks that spotlight human figures, the Mindscapes Tarot invites us into vast, symbolic landscapes—vivid oil pastel paintings that immerse the reader in color, place, and atmosphere.

John shares how this extraordinary project began during the pandemic, when visions of celestial skies and archetypal terrains appeared to him almost fully formed. Over five years, he translated these inner landscapes into hand-drawn paintings, borders, lettering, and even unique sigils—imbuing each card with the soulful touch of lived time and experience.

 

From the High Priestess’s veiled mysteries to the evolving vistas of the Minor Arcana, the deck invites readers to step through “little windows” into magical worlds. John and Cyndera talk about art as theater, tarot as travel, and how storytelling transforms symbols into living portals. John also teases new projects—from ghost stories on autumn leaves to a fresh Lenormand deck and fairy-tale illustrations.

This conversation is a journey into art, symbolism, and the ways tarot can become a living landscape for personal and collective transformation.

 

John A. Rice is an award-winning actor, writer, and artist specializing in oil pastels. As one of the few artists working in this medium, his work has sold in more than 35 countries worldwide. He runs his art shop, J.A.R. Studio, NYC, out of his workspace in Astoria, NY.

A skilled Tarot reader, John drew upon this background to create the popular Mindscapes Tarot, featuring his signature landscape style (Hay House/Penguin Random House). Additionally, his hauntingly beautiful illustrated A Christmas Carol and October Shadows: Classic Ghost Stories of Halloween are now available as a collectible editions (Abbeville Press). His unique immersive exhibit Beyond Words, created in collaboration with psychic mediums from historic Lily Dale, is currently exhibiting.

 

Intuitive Manifestation: Interview with Brigit Esselmont

In this episode of The Archetypal Tarot Podcast, host Cyndera Quackenbush sits with Brigit Esselmont to dive deep into "intuitive manifesting." Brigit, a leading expert in tarot and personal transformation, shares insights from her newly released book Intuitive Manifesting: Align with Your Inner Wisdom and Attract Your Dream Life. She explains how manifesting goes beyond the surface-level pursuit of goals and dives into a powerful co-creative partnership with the universe. By tapping into the wisdom of tarot and other intuitive tools, Brigit reveals how we can manifest more meaningfully, authentically, and in alignment with our true desires. Whether you're seeking clarity in your desires or looking to build a deeper connection with your intuition, this conversation offers a refreshing perspective on creating the life you truly want. Tune in for an inspiring chat about blending psychology, spirituality, and tarot to manifest your dreams.

The Mystic Storyteller: Interview with Amanda Hughes

I truly believe everyone has something unique to offer the Tarot world. If you’re a writer or artist or wise wanderer YOU have a unique perspective that will enrich this community. You can offer yet another bridge to self-understanding and inner illumination that no one else can.

It has been my great joy to sit with and press “record” on over 100 conversations with wisdom seekers of the world.

And then I met Mandy.

 

When I had a chance to review Mystic Storyteller: A Writer’s Guide to Using the Tarot for Creative Inspiration, I had a moment to myself where I said, “THIS is the book I wish I could have written!”

Truthfully, Mandy’s got the creds to speak thoroughly on tarot and writing. She has written over a dozen literary works and even has a couple pen names under her belt!

Well, if you can’t beat ‘em, join em! And we do just that here on Substack in our latest Archetypal Tarot Podcast.

I cannot even begin to describe how much this book offers writers, creatives and tarot enthusiasts alike. This book is CHOCK-FULL of guidance as Mandy takes you by the hand, weaving in her personal experience with the timeless wisdom of the tarot. If you’re like me, you might for the first time feel capable of writing that first great American novel!

Her book covers:

• Enhancing creativity.

• Strengthening writer’s intuition.

• Inspiring ideas and composition.

• Improving storytelling proficiency through building confidence and encouraging authenticity of voice and style.

• Nurturing rich character- and world-building practices.

• Elevating plot and scene development skills.

• Troubleshooting writer’s block.

• Supporting self-discovery and wellness routines.

• Mapping out a memoir.

The companion deck, illustrated by Roz Kazaz, is inspired by Rider-Waite-Smith but incorporates the modern visages and true diversity that reflect our world. Playfully, writing paraphernalia populates the tools of the tarot characters:

 

 

Mandy’s fundraising campaign reached full support since we recorded this podcast. If you would like updates on the book’s release, join Mandy’s mailing list here: https://www.haintbluecreative.com/books/mystic-storyteller

The Black Goddess Within

Archetypal Tarot is thrilled to release this latest podcast with guest Dr. Giavanni Washington about her new oracle deck, The Black Goddess Within. It was inspiring to meet a woman who has followed her ancestral wisdom and is blazing a powerful path of healing through conversation and connection through the imagery and words of her oracle.

This deck, for Every Body, features photographs of real woman embodying the goddesses of Africa in its many territories and elements (beautifully bedecked by illustrator Marla Warner). Meet stunning mermaids in the deck along with warriors, healers and other divinities of different ages, body types, abilities, skin tones and gender expressions. 

The deck links the Black body to her storied, ancestral and mythology past in the roots of Africa. Past and present are bridged offering specific healing to Black women in particular, and any who wish to welcome the deep expressions of these goddesses within their modern lives.

This deck welcomes and challenges us to see beyond the veils of a white-valued society to the many-faceted aspects of Black Beauty, Black Divinity and Black Joy.

Many thanks to Dr. Giavanni for joining the Archetypal Tarot Podcast <3 You can find out more on her website and even draw a card online!

The Beloved Dead: Divining Ancestral Wisdom

This newly released oracle deck was created by artist Carrie Paris and writer Tina Hardt. The Beloved Dead invites us into conversation with ancestor archetypes and spirit guides. Pictures of the past from both known and unknown sources help to shed light on unconscious patterns unfolding in our daily lives.

This rich conversation between Tina and Cyndera unveils how this Oracle deck came to be (it started with a picture!) and how the collaboration between Tina and Carrie blossomed (it started with a card reading!).

Amongst these stories, Tina delves into the structure of this 81-card Oracle, tips on usage, and some ways to look at the shadow aspects of the cards. She also distinguishes between the process of divination and mediumship, both of which she has pursued and practiced in her extensive channeling of words, Spirit and ideas.

Additional collaborations between Carrie Paris and Tina Hardt include The Siren’s Song and The Relative Tarot.

Taking Back the Magic: Interview with Perdita Finn

Co-Creator of The Archetypal Podcast, Julienne Givot, returns for this very special podcast and interview with Perdita Finn!

Perdita, Julienne and Cyndera discuss the deep meaning and magic inherent in having a daily connection with ancestors, and all friends, beyond the grave.

Perdita Finn's father, a doctor, used to arrive home in the middle of the night and find his three-year-old daughter sitting in the dark in front of a broken figurine from some lost Nativity scene of the Virgin Mary. Not only was their family not religious but Perdita would not even see the inside of a church for another decade. Perdita didn't remember this...and her father would not tell her this story until just before his death. It took her almost a half century to uncover her childhood devotion and to begin to make sense of it.

A longtime Zen student, she decided she'd had enough of priests and lineages and fundraising campaigns soon after the birth of her children. She preferred to be out in the woods with her kids and caring for various wild animals they discovered that needed help. Once they rehabilitated 16 baby possums together. A pet goose marched up and down the long driveway to their house in the Catskills.

In 2011 in the events described in The Way of the Rose: The Radical Path of the Divine Feminine Hidden in the Rosary her life changed forever. Rediscovering her devotion to the Lady freed her own voice at last. She is the co-founder with her husband Clark Strand of The Way of the Rose, an eco-feminist rosary fellowship dedicated to the rights of the earth and the rights of women. More of her writing can be found at wayoftherose.org

*This description contains content from Perdita Finn’s bio featured on Amazon.

*Julienne Givot's amazing Ancestor Hoops are available in her Etsy Shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/FreeRangePriestess

You can access the video of this interview by subscribing to archetypalstories.substack.com!

 

The Rosebud Tarot: Interview with Amanda Lee Stilwell & Diana Rose Harper

This podcast celebrates the beautiful blooming of the Rosebud Tarot, now available from Weiser Books! Cyndera interviews artist Amanda Lee Stilwell and writer/diviner Diana Rose Harper.

This deck depicts the glories of roses in their many forms along with vintage photographs collaged with sensuous altar imagery. Each card interpretation is introduced with an individualized poem that opens and expands the image translation (this podcast features Diana reading her poem from “The Star”). Tarot titles and suits are creatively re-imagined, busting old tarot restrictions to make both a queer and BIPOC-friendly deck.

In addition to deep discussions on process and collaboration details, this podcast also unveils powerful gardening magic such as intentional tools and the use of rose stems as protective wards.

After witnessing this playful deck and its creators, prepare to have your perspective of roses - and tarot - transformed.