The Archetypal Tarot Podcast

The World - True Balance and Connection

What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from. ~TS Eliot

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Finally we reach the culmination of this heroic journey with card 21 –The World! In this last of the regularly scheduled podcast series, Julienne and Cyndera discuss beginnings, endings, rebirth, transformation and fulfillment. After all these trials and tribulations of the hero's journey, we now come to know true balance and connection to our destiny looking back across our past and forward into the future. We feel the benefit of the journey thus far and see that our evolution is not just for ourselves but for the good of others. From this stage onward, our sense of risk is different because we have a greater understanding of the richness of life and recognize both the strength and space to hold challenge and loss as well as joy in the days to come. Full show notes and references

Judgement - Redemption, Evolution and Our True Calling

With a trumpet blare and a scene depicting people rising from graves as shown in Judgement - card number 20 of the Tarot, Julienne and Cyndera discuss how the hero of our journey is called to leave the old behind – not just Death and those stages in between.

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This penultimate edition of the Archetypal Tarot Podcast sees Judgement as a stage of the rebirth process where one is asked to call the old selves back up and with it the old stories to release their particular hold on us and see them in a new light. Through the lessons and experiences of the journey we can now judge what best action should be taken and rise up to the challenges to embrace our life and answer the greater 'Calls' of our life beyond the egoic or the mundane. We see now our true calling is in every breath of our lives playing out in every moment.

Julienne regales us with how this story of redemption and evolution is played out poignantly in the 2012 epic film Cloud Atlas with the compelling stories of lives interwoven over 500 years.

Cyndera relays how the academy award winning documentary "Searching for Sugarman" captures the essence of a true calling held within the Judgement card. Throughout the podcast the ideas of redemption, evolution and levels of change effect how we see our true calling. Full show notes with links and references

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The Moon, Madness and The Artist

After emerging from the water's edge of the lovely Star maiden, the Archetypal Tarot podcast heads to the eighteenth card of the Major Arcana - the Moon. Sounds romantic, doesn't it? But what's this - a barking dog, a howling wolf and a .... lobster climbing from the depths?!?!

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Julienne Givot and Cyndera Quackenbush have a WTF moment as they explore the depths of this surprising, surreal imagery incorporating the archetype of the Artist and the penchant for creative madness. Our hero of the Tarot Journey has reached her dark night of the soul and finds that she has spiraled back to the dark wisdom behind the High Priestess's veil. In relation to the "lunacy" encountered in the moon, Julienne presents to us the Artist archetype and its shadow. Cyndera shares some highly personal details and a passage from Carl Jung's Red Book. The following films, discussed in this edition, beautifully illustrate the Moon themes of madness, creativity and dreams: The Hours, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Science of Sleep. COMPLETE SHOW NOTES

Dancing with the Devil and the Addict

As we enter the last row of our Tarot Journey (and a new year for the Archetypal Tarot Podcast), we are met with the formidable character of The Devil, the fifteenth card of the Major Arcana. Our hero, well on the path to rebirth, must first meet his own shadow and face addictions and attachments.

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Julienne and Cyndera also discuss the Pan-like characteristics of the Devil, who invites human beings to recognize their animal natures that  rebel when they are suppressed. As always, this podcast adds to your growing movie list with some subtle and interesting studies of the Devil archetype in film.

Full show notes with references

Temperance, The Angel of Our Better Nature

 

“What we strive for in perfection is not what turns us into the lit angel we desire.” ~David Whyte

With a little rest after the Death card the Archetypal Tarot Podcast explores the beginning of the rebirth cycle with Temperance - the fourteenth card of the Major Arcana. Julienne Givot and Cyndera Quackenbush discuss the Angel archetype and the healing and recovery that can take place internally and even below conscious awareness. At the end of our second row, the Realm of Equilibrium, we have a resolution to the ongoing theme of opposites. Here, two elements are blended to create "the third thing" that mediates and transforms opposing realities. Listen to the podcast for more on this next step of the journey. Click for complete show notes with all the references from the podcast.

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References

Cyndera mentions A Blue Fire by James Hillman specifically chapter 3. Julienne mentions this related article: Original Fairy Godmother

Death: Dwelling in the Darkness Before Rebirth

“We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us.” ~Joseph Campbell

Who knew that Death could be so funny? But here it is, card number 13 in the Major Arcana. Join Julienne and Cyndera as they look at the archetype of Death from a symbolic and psychological point of view with a dash of added humor. Learn why this inevitable stage for the Hero isn't the end but an important element to the rest of the journey.

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The Death card liberates all that has reached its end, and cuts away stagnation so that life can continue. Beyond the literal interpretation of this card, there is a rich array of deaths that visit in our daily lives: the end of jobs, relationships and also the visitations of depressions and other forms of "falling apart." What advantages are there to dismemberment and disintegration? How do Zombies and Batman play a role at exploring this the ultimate mystery of life - it's end. Or is it the end? You'll just have to get the podcast and find out.

PS: Listen to all the way to the end and you'll find the first ever archetypal tarot gag reel.

Click for complete show notes

Strength: More Than Muscle

The Archetypal Podcast returns from its Summer Sabbatical with its Twelfth Edition starring the eleventh Tarot card, Strength. After a turn on the Wheel of Fortune our Hero/Fool is taken in a new direction and learns from the Lion and Maiden depicted in this card. 

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Inner strength is called for with the knowledge that it's made up of patience, self-control, and the awareness of one's instincts and drives. Archetypal Consultant Julienne Givot gives us the breakdown of the empowered and disempowered archetype of the Damsel and reflections on Beauty and the Beast story as it relates to this stage of the journey. Tarot Consultant Cyndera Quackenbush regales us with a retelling of an ancient Korean myth about a woman's lesson in true courage. See Julienne's blog post for more information and the text to the Korean folktale from the recording.

The Wheel of Fortune: You Can‘t Plan This Stuff!

You can't plan this stuff! In card number 10 the Archetypal Podcast is met with the Wheel of Fortune - a fortuitous card that marks a new stage of awareness in the Fool's journey. After evaluating new moral issues presented by Justice, and time to reflect with the Hermit, the Fool/Hero is ready to chance life more consciously with The Wheel of Fortune. Though she thinks she may have control, the Wheel (often a favorable card when appearing in Tarot readings) quickly shows her that much of life is an inexorable force operating out of our control.

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Taking their own risks with this card, Julienne and Cyndera discuss an archetype addressing the fortune seekers of the world - The Gambler. Also the voice of the Victim emerged in the podcast, whispering woes from the bottom of the Wheel and warning against buying furniture in "Suckland".  From lessons learned in both life's wins as well as losses, the message of this card is to let go and spin where the wheel takes you. As always, there is a lively discussion of film, psychological inquiry and insight.

The Archetype of the Fool

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In this first edition of the Archetypal Tarot Podcast we delve into the '0' card of the Tarot - the archetype of the Fool.  A backwards Hero, a symbol of freedom and resilience, comic relief and a surprising carrier of wisdom.  Listen in on a conversation with Cyndera Quakenbush, proprietor of Tarot Dream Stone.com and Archetypal Consultant, Julienne Givot as they discuss this intriguing character and it's role in the greater story of our lives.