Jason shares the deeply personal origins of the deck, created during the pandemic as an extension of his book The Essential Pain and Peace of Life. The cards are made even more meaningful through the inclusion of artwork painted by his late mother, whose presence and creativity continue to live through the project.

Throughout the conversation, Jason opens up about his lifelong spiritual search and how personal struggles led him toward a deeper relationship with God, self-awareness, and ultimately becoming a spiritual practitioner. His vulnerability becomes one of the episode’s greatest gifts, especially as he speaks about redefining identity, trusting intuition, and embracing authenticity in a world that often pressures people to conform.

Listeners will discover the philosophy at the heart of the deck: “Commodity.” Jason’s transformative concept reminds us that each person is inherently valuable and important. He breaks the word into three powerful stages:

• Comm – Communication with inner wisdom through prayer, meditation, and reflection

• Mod – Modification and transformation based on that inner guidance

• Ity – Embodiment of one’s highest and truest self

This episode is ultimately an invitation: to believe in yourself more deeply, to honor your journey, and to recognize that your life itself is a sacred expression of possibility.

• “Your journey is a testament to your authenticity.”

• “Your might grows with every step you take.”

• “You are the living manifestation of your dreams.”

Jason Adeniyi Ojudun Benefield is a licensed Spiritual Practitioner, speaker, published author, stage actor, and singer-songwriter who wears many hats with purpose and passion. Nearly 25 years ago, after delivering his first sermon, Jason recognized the depth of his connection to Source Energy (what many call God, the Universe, or simply the Source). He believes this greater energy dwells within all people and calls each person to evolve into their highest self.

Through discovering and nurturing this spiritual connection in his own life, Jason experienced profound transformation and clarity, inspiring him to dedicate his work to helping others do the same.

Jason is committed to guiding individuals toward embracing their inner energy, purpose, and peace through one-on-one support, intimate group settings, or speaking engagements. His work is rooted in the belief that nothing is ever truly lost or missing in the Universe; rather, it is waiting to be rediscovered.

For those who feel disconnected, uncertain, or longing for something more, Jason offers compassionate guidance on a journey of self-discovery, healing, and empowerment. Walking alongside others as they reconnect with their truth and inner power is not just his calling, it is his life’s work.

jasonabenefield.com

At the center of the conversation is Cloud’s lifelong journey: sparked by an experimental global education program in her youth and deepened through decades of observing planetary trends. Her new book, Response-Able: How to Live Well Over Time On Planet Earth, is not just a call to action but a guide to transforming how we think, teach, and lead in an increasingly complex world.

Rather than focusing solely on environmental problems, Cloud introduces a powerful framework around mental models that are both unsustainable and sustainable. These are recurring patterns of thought—archetypal in nature—that unconsciously drive destructive behaviors, even when people have access to clear feedback. Through examples like the “Fish Game” simulation, she reveals a startling truth: people consistently make the same unsustainable choices, not from ignorance, but from deeply ingrained beliefs.

Throughout the episode, Cyndera weaves in tarot archetypes to mirror these mindsets, bridging intuitive symbolism with systems thinking. Together, they explore how patterns like “maximizing gains for self,” “control,” and “everything is substitutable” distort our understanding of interconnected systems. Jaimie gently dismantles these assumptions, emphasizing that true sustainability arises from interdependence, collaboration, and respect for natural limits.

A key insight emerges: sustainability is about alignment with how life actually works. Healthy systems thrive on diversity, mutual benefit, and dynamic balance. Attempts to dominate, control, or endlessly extract from these systems inevitably lead to collapse. Yet the tone remains deeply hopeful. Jaimie insists that the current trajectory is not inevitable. Because humans created these conditions, we also have the power to change them. The first, and most essential, step is a shift in thinking.

The tarot imagery encapsulating each mindset will be revealed in a video version of the podcast available to subscribers at archetypalstories.substack.com/

Drawing from 16th-century French and Italian emblem books—particularly the 1551 collection curated by Claude Paradin—Rowland reimagines Renaissance “devices” (symbolic images paired with mottos) as a fully realized tarot system. These historic emblems, originally engraved by Bernard Salomon, explored themes of love, war, faith, philosophy, politics, and morality during the height of the Renaissance. Now, centuries later, they re-emerge as living archetypes.

The conversation also explores the Renaissance world that birthed these emblems—a time of religious upheaval, artistic revolution, and humanist revival—and reflects on what this symbolic medicine offers us today. As Roland beautifully suggests, reviving these images is almost a calling: a way of bringing buried wisdom back into contemporary consciousness.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• How a chance encounter with occult-flavored emblem art sparked the creation of the deck

• The fascinating structure of traditional emblems—pictura (image), inscriptio (motto), and subscriptio (commentary)—and how they translate seamlessly into tarot

• Why these 500-year-old images feel uncannily aligned with modern archetypes

• The alchemical and esoteric currents flowing beneath the artwork (such as the powerful phoenix symbolism of rebirth and transformation)

• The creative journey from black-and-gold indie edition to lush, colorized reimagining

Roland shares her passion for pairing poetic language with evocative imagery, creating cards that speak directly to intuition—often without needing to consult the guidebook. The result is a deck that feels at once ancient and immediate, scholarly and mystical.

Whether you’re drawn to tarot as an intuitive art, a historical system, or a symbolic language of transformation, this episode offers rich insight into how past and present intertwine through archetype and image.

Building on the subtle, behind-the-scenes revelations of the Wood Snake year, Vicki explains why 2026 marks a dramatic energetic shift—from hidden negotiations and inner reinvention to bold visibility, truth-telling, and action. The Fire Horse, she reveals, is the most yang and most active of all 60 pillars in Chinese astrology, bringing intensity, momentum, and undeniable clarity. There is nowhere to hide—and that’s the point.

Together, Cyndera and Vicki explore:

• Why the Fire Horse acts like the sun, illuminating everything at once

• How suppressed truths, passions, and ambitions finally demand expression

• What this high-energy year means for introverts, creatives, and spiritual seekers

• How to balance overwhelming yang energy with grounding, rest, and strategy

• The significance of 2026 as a Peach Blossom Year, amplifying love, attraction, and visibility

• Which zodiac signs feel the year most strongly—including the challenges and milestones of an opposing year

• Protective remedies, secret friends, and practical tools for navigating intensity with grace

Vicki also shares insights from her Five Elements framework, celebrity archetypes, and her newly released Chinese astrology daily calendar, offering listeners concrete ways to work with the energy instead of being burned by it.

If you’re sensing that 2026 is a turning point—personally, collectively, or creatively—this conversation will help you understand why, and how to meet the Fire Horse year with courage, consciousness, and purpose.

Right now on Vicki’s featured Facebook post you can read a forecast for each animal sign: https://www.facebook.com/5elementsoracle/

The core archetype drawn for the year is The Amateur, selected from the Identity Pursuit archetype board game (no longer in print). Rather than framing the future through mastery or expertise, the hosts explore the Amateur as a figure of humility, love, experimentation, and community.

Light aspects of the Amateur:

• Doing something for love rather than reward or compensation

• Following the heart without needing certainty or expertise

• Allowing messiness, openness, and shared learning

• Creating the path by walking it, together

Shadow aspects:

• Undervaluing oneself or one’s work

• Exaggerating or misrepresenting skill or authority

• Cultural dangers of “false experts” and influencer culture lacking depth, lineage, or accountability

The Amateur becomes a response to collapsing patriarchal systems, toxic productivity, and ego-driven power structures. In a time of upheaval, the hosts argue that not knowing—and admitting we don’t know—is both honest and necessary.

A recurring insight is the movement away from the lone hero narrative. Healing and survival are framed as collective, relational processes, not individual burdens. The Amateur archetype supports community-based learning, mutual care, and shared responsibility, especially amid political violence, war, and systemic injustice.

Cyndera shares personal experiences offering donation-based tarot readings illustrating how amateur energy can reduce pressure, invite openness, and foster authentic connection—while still raising questions about value, sustainability, and self-worth.

Two additional archetype cards pop out in the podcast! Listen in to hear all about The Poet and The Victim.

Cyndera draws Judgment from the Major Arcana, using Natasia Rowland’s Tarot Emblemata deck.

Key interpretations:

• Awakening after devastation

• Truth revealed; what was hidden can no longer stay hidden

• Liberation from old constraints (symbolized by broken shackles)

• A collective rising—not individual salvation

Judgment is framed not as punishment, but as reckoning, clarity, and rebirth. It echoes upcoming astrological themes (notably the Fire Horse year) suggesting that small sparks from 2025 may explode into unavoidable illumination in 2026.

The hosts close by weaving the Amateur and Judgment together:

• It’s okay not to know.

• It’s not all on our shoulders.

• Love, community, creativity, and faith (in whatever form) are sustaining forces.

• The future is not about perfection or mastery, but participation.

Mantra for 2026: Be amateurs. Love what you do. Rise together.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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/

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.

In their conversation, Shannon shares the unlikely path that led her from a 90s video game to her lifelong love of tarot and card decks, the inspiration she found on sunlit hikes during the pandemic, and how affirmations can act as both gentle companions and bold invitations to growth. Together, they explore how the Sun-Steeped deck balances encouragement with challenge, offering phrases that feel less like lofty pronouncements and more like wise words from a trusted friend.

Shannon also opens up about her journey as an artist—shifting from intricate laser-cut line work to the playful, light-filled illustrations of the deck—and her evolving creative life as part of Portland’s Haven PDX art collective, where murals, stages, and even castle-like studios are coming to life.

Whether you’re curious about using affirmations, hungry for artistic inspiration, or simply looking for a dose of sunshine to carry with you, this episode is a bright reminder that strength, warmth, and possibility have been within you all along.

Shannon Christie is an illustrator and mental health care worker living in Portland, Oregon. Born in Southern California and transplanted to the Pacific Northwest as a child, she attended the University of Oregon where she majored in psychology and minored in music and studio art. She received a master of science applied psychology from Sacred Heart University. Her work is highly reflective of her background, exploring themes of identity and emotion while incorporating elements of whimsicality and surrealism. The focuses on both psychology and art in her life give her inspiration and perspective on how a piece moves a person and how creativity connects us all.

Some cards from the deck:

What is asked of us as we encounter the world’s issues today? How can we feel that what we are doing is enough? These questions are addressed and answered with the immaculate symbolism of bees, the honeycomb, and the divine feminine presence inherent in all of us. What begins as a light-hearted tribute to the humble honey-maker unfolds into a deep meditation on community resilience, mental health, and sacred activism.

Julienne introduces us to Our Lady of the Bees—a spiritual embodiment of compassion, guidance, and collective strength. With humor, reverence, and a few irresistible puns, these soul sisters explore how bees can be a symbol of hope and healing in chaotic times. They speak to the urgency of swarming together in joyful resistance, the wisdom of the hive, and the radical act of choosing love over hate—even in the face of oppression.

(favorite line to come from this episode - “Don’t boo people, buoy them up!”)

This episode offers balm for weary spirits, a prayer for interconnectedness, and a gentle but fierce call to community. Whether you’re a mystic, a mother, an activist, or simply someone yearning for sweetness in a bitter world—this episode is for you.

Come for the puns, stay for the prophecy 🐝✨

For more details on how to receive your prayer card and donate to the GofundMe supporting families in need in the Gaza strip, visit Julienne’s Free Range Priestess page dedicated to Our Lady of the Bees.

For the video version and commercial-free listening, become a paid supporter on the Archetypal Stories Substack.

This luminous episode offers a heartfelt exploration into queer tarot wisdom:

✨ How tarot offers radical personal agency and transformation—especially for queer people navigating oppressive systems ✨ Why the title “Tarot in Other Words” speaks to “othered” perspectives and multidimensional storytelling ✨ Personal stories of reclaiming identity, queering archetypes, and surviving spiritual trauma through tarot ✨ How tarot can be grounding and galvanizing in our current sociopolitical moment—especially for marginalized communities ✨ Cassandra’s favorite decks (like the Fat Folks Tarot and Next World Tarot) and the importance of inclusive imagery ✨ A powerful vision of tarot as art, activism, legacy, and spiritual rebellion

Plus, hear about Cyndera’s own intergenerational stone oracle deck, Story Through Stone and how imagery—whether ancient mineral or punk dystopian—can crack open new ways of seeing and being.

About Cassandra Snow:

Cassandra Snow is an author of Tarot & Occult books, full-time Tarot reader and creative witch about town. Their latest book project is Tarot in Other Words, out now! This book is an essay anthology on queer tarot topics that Snow curated, edited and contributed to. You can learn more about them at cassandra-snow.com, on Instagram, BlueSky or Threads at mx.cassandra.snow or on their patreon at patreon.com/cassandrasnow

The Archetypal Tarot Podcast welcomes guest Laura Carbone, a Berlin-based musician, psychic medium, tarot reader and sound healer with Sicilian-German roots.

In this soulful and illuminating conversation, Laura and Cyndera dive deep into the emotional landscapes we all carry—grief, repression, and the sacred work of reclaiming the voice. With a sampling of Laura’s healing sound work, this podcast explores the power of embodiment, the archetype of the Wounded Healer, and what it means to give your gifts consciously to the world. There’s tenderness, connection, and a magical thread that even links the conversation back to Cyndera’s home town of Joshua Tree—a place of spirit and renewal (it’s also the location that the host recorded this episode)!

Prompted by Cyndera to share her story, Laura speaks of her journey through music - from singing in her parents' garden to punk rock stages across Europe, and ultimately into the sacred realm of sound healing and intuitive voice work. She recounts the transformative power of rage expressed through punk, the healing magic of crystal bowls, and her mystical connection to animals, tarot, the womb space, and ancestral memory. Through Laura’s story, we are invited to meet our own voice as a sacred instrument of healing, to confront inherited silence, and to gift our truth back to the world—consciously and courageously.

In this episode: ✨ The connection between the throat and womb as partner organs of expression and intuition ✨ Laura’s rediscovery of mediumship and sacred use of divination rooted in her Sicilian lineage ✨ How sound became a healing modality during the stillness of the pandemic ✨ From across the world, both Laura and Cyndera synchronistically connect around experiences at the Integratron ✨ The shame women inherit through history—and how vocal expression becomes liberation

Whether you’re on your own healing journey or simply curious about the voice as a portal to transformation, this episode offers inspiration, presence, and a sense of deep listening.

You can connect with Laura through her website for information on her tarot card readings, workshops, vocal mentoring and more.

For a commercial-free experience and access to the video, become a subscriber on Substack: https://archetypalstories.substack.com/

What I love about Kaity’s reading style is that it just FLOWS as she trusts her intuition. She is also unafraid to use MULTIPLE card decks, allowing for a diversity of interpretation. Nature’s symbolism is frequent in her readings, and I love how she utilizes the Story Through Stone Reflection Card deck!

This episode reveals Kaity’s reading style IN ACTION while she gives me a live card reading! Budding and experienced card readers will benefit from observing her trust, style and flow — and you’ll definitely want to grab your own deck and play along.

Kaity shares how the process is less about having all the answers and more about being a big YES to whatever arises — drawing another card, chasing a curiosity, or exploring a feeling until the “well” feels fully drawn. Whether it’s joy, mystery, or a spiritual gut-check, the cards are there to meet you where you are and take you further than you expected.

Craving more of Kaity? You can watch her frequent and amazing Youtube videos by becoming a subscriber to Moonflower Moments.

I highly recommend a reading with Kaity, she can read over Zoom or phone at reasonable rates. You book her by reaching out to her via her Instagram account.

Want to see the cards Kaity uses in this podcast’s card reading? Become a paid subscriber on my Substack and gain access to the video version next week!

For video and ad-free listening, support this podcast by becoming a paid subscriber at https://archetypalstories.substack.com/

https://www.romanistanpodcast.com/romanistan-festival-neworleans

You can follow them on Instagram @romanistanpodcast

Julienne Givot, original co-founder and Archetypal Tarot Podcast host, returns to discuss the pervasive victim archetype in modern culture, its disempowered and empowered expressions, and the healing potential that comes from confronting and transcending our wounds. The conversation expands to broader societal dynamics, including the push-pull of victim and perpetrator energies in politics, the struggles of moving beyond the pendulum swing, and the need for a collective, rather than a singular, hero to navigate crises.

Julienne and Cyndera explore how the Tarot can offer wisdom, including how archetypes like the strength card, the hermit, and the eight of swords reflect the emotional landscapes many are navigating today. Tune in for an inspiring conversation about building community, finding personal strength, and creating joy amidst chaos.

Stay connected with Julienne! Her amazing art and service offerings can be found at:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/freerangepriestess/

and

https://revjulienne.com/

Drawing from her Southern roots and a lifelong love for music, Stacey introduces us to a deck that channels the essence of four foundational American music genres—Blues, Jazz, Rock & Roll, and Country—into each suit, bringing a fresh, soulful energy to the cards. Stacey and Cyndera’s conversation is visited by brilliant song clips from a few of the cards (there is a Spotify playlist to go with entire deck).

Stacey takes us behind the scenes of her creative process, where Southern history, family legacies, and her rich musical heritage converge to form a tarot deck unlike any other. From the deep, heart-wrenching blues of the Mississippi Delta to the rebellious energy of rock and roll, Rhythm & Soul Tarot brings a musical cadence to tarot readings, pairing each card with a song that resonates with its energy. Stacey even introduces two new Major Arcana cards, Rhythm and Soul, which embody spiritual depth and cultural significance (these cards are optional depending on how traditionally you approach tarot).

But this episode is more than just about the artistry of a tarot deck—it’s a reflection on the power of music, culture, and spirituality to heal and transform. As we honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we are reminded that the fight for justice in the American South is deeply tied to both personal and collective stories of resistance and resilience. Born in the heart of the South, King’s vision of justice was shaped by the region’s painful history—one marked by racial oppression, segregation, and systemic inequality—but also by a powerful spirit of resistance, unity, and transformation.

King's call for a "beloved community" wasn’t just an abstract ideal. It was a vision born out of the complexities and contradictions of Southern history—where the struggle for justice was intertwined with music, culture, and a shared desire for a better, more equitable future. The same spirit of resistance that fueled the civil rights marches, the sit-ins, and the fight for voting rights also echoes in the music that shaped the South—blues, jazz, and rock all carried messages of freedom, defiance, and hope.

In this context, justice becomes more than just a legal or political term. It’s about confronting the painful truths of the South’s legacy of racial violence and inequality, while moving toward a future where dignity and opportunity are not just ideals, but lived realities for all. King’s vision of justice was never about simply dismantling oppressive systems—it was about building bridges of understanding, compassion, and love. He knew that true justice could only be achieved through nonviolent resistance and a collective commitment to reconciliation, even in the face of overwhelming adversity.

As we reflect on King's work and vision on this Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we honor not only his legacy but the ongoing journey toward justice in the South and across the nation. Whether through music, tarot, or the power of community, we are reminded that justice is not a destination—it is a journey that requires each of us to confront our past, challenge the present, and envision a future where equality and love reign.

Join us for this heartfelt and thought-provoking conversation, where tarot, music, and history come together to inspire us to continue the fight for justice—because the path toward a beloved community begins with us, together.

You can purchase this extraordinary deck from La Panthère Studio directly (Stacey is also the founder of this publishing company!)

Stacey is the writer and artist behind The Southern Gothic Oracle, the deck that launched La Panthère Studio. She is a former design instructor and children’s book illustrator, and is a frequent speaker on topics of design and art-making.

Visit her website at lapantherestudio.com/

This conversation, with Archetypal Tarot Podcast host Cyndera Quackenbush, delves into Rachel’s multifaceted journey, from her 23 years in the corporate world to embracing shamanism and herbalism full-time. Rachel discusses her herbalism practices, including creating flower essences and integrating them into her latest oracle deck, The Totem Flower Essence Deck, which merges plant medicine with archetypal wisdom.

This episode explores how tarot, herbalism, and plant allies can guide self-reflection and manifestation, offering listeners a unique blend of mysticism, practical wisdom, and personal growth. Enjoy and check out Rachel’s links below!

Bio:

Known as “The Skeptical Shaman”, Rachel White is making waves as an unusual spiritual practitioner. Blending more than 20 years of corporate experience with a deep knowledge of the World of Woo, Rachel’s fresh, pragmatic and inherently practical take on spiritual and personal development is a hit among the “spiritually homeless.” Rachel is the host of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, the Owner of TOTEM Readings—her Austin, TX-based spiritual practice-- the author and publisher of the TOTEM Tarot Deck and the TOTEM Flower Essence Deck, and the purveyor of TOTEM Flower Essences on her TOTEMReadingsATX Etsy Shop. She is also the author of the TOTEM Readings Substack, an engaging community that challenges preconceived notions of what it means to “be spiritual.” Rachel works with clients in-person and remotely, offering one-on-one psychic services and tailored Spiritual Transformation Coaching and Business of Woo Mentoring programs.

Important Links:

Rachel’s Instagram || TOTEM Readings Website || The Skeptical Shaman Podcast || Rachel’s Etsy Shop

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

This podcast begins with an exploration of how the ancient Greek legend of Cassandra’s gift of foresight—and the accompanying curse of being disbelieved—resonates with recent political challenges. Julienne shares her own "Cassandra moments," reflecting on alarming agendas such as Project 2025, while emphasizing the need for collective action and community in the face of rising authoritarianism. With insights into the dynamics of modern democracy and the importance of staying engaged, this episode is not just a discussion but a rallying call for listeners to remain vigilant and connected.

Tune in for an enlightening conversation that blends mythology, politics, and the power of collective heroism!

Have you registered to vote? You can check that out in just 30 seconds here:

https://www.vote.org/am-i-registered-to-vote/

Discover how David's deep-rooted passion for storytelling influenced the creation of this unique deck, filled with rich cultural references and literary nods—from Dante's Divine Comedy to ancient myths. Explore the intricate process behind the deck's creation, including David's intuitive approach to art and his commitment to cultural sensitivity. Whether you're a tarot enthusiast or simply intrigued by the fusion of art and storytelling (like I am!), this episode promises a captivating journey through the world of tarot and animation. Don’t miss out on this chance to uncover the magic of The Storytellers Tarot!

To support the Archetypal Tarot Podcast, become a paid subscriber at https://archetypalstories.substack.com/

Throughout the years, our lives and the podcast have evolved, shaped by significant events such as the global pandemic which brought us back together. In this reunion, Julienne and I sat down to discuss current events through an archetypal lens, diving into societal divisions and the dehumanizing effects of social media and AI in today's complex world.

Julienne shares her reflections on her path as a Free Range Priestess, crafting prayers and feminist rosaries with a deeply personal and intuitive touch. She also has married hundreds of couples on Maui!

Meanwhile, I reveal the latest development —twenty-two years in the making—working with my father’s stones to create a 3rd Edition Story Through Stone Reflection Card deck, soon to be released.

After a decade and 100 episodes, we express our deep gratitude for our listeners and the opportunity to embark on this podcast journey together. With enthusiasm, we look forward to exploring deeper themes of life, spirituality, and human experience in future episodes, inviting our audience to join us in this ongoing exploration.

Links:

Julienne Givot can be found at:

https://revjulienne.com

and https://www.etsy.com/shop/freerangepriestess/

Cyndera’s Story Through Stone card project can be supported here:

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/story-through-stone-reflection-cards/x/24162339#/

For a now-dated but still relevant understanding of AI, watch the documentaries provided at https://www.humanetech.com

To support this podcast and receive special video access to all podcast recordings, subscribe at archetypalstories.substack.com

Not only that, but this is a fiercely practical guide that will hold your hand as you face these questions. It will give you accessible understanding and WORDS in the face of life’s events that often rob us of speech.

Plus, Theresa, aka the Tarot Lady, is just fun and comfortable to talk to. Her voice, as in all her books, comes through familiar and warm like a best friend. She shares herself and her true life experience so you don’t feel so alone.

This podcast conversation delves into specific chapters of the book, such as dealing with death and dying, pregnancy loss, ends of relationships, and serious illnesses. Theresa provides examples of tarot spreads and exercises, like the "Words Left Unsaid" journaling exercise, to help individuals process their feelings and regrets.

Additional topics include: How Tarot can be used for personal reflection, Tarot for caregiving, Tarot for coping with collective grief, finding empowerment and resilience with the cards, how to ask health related questions, and facilitating difficult conversations with children.

Theresa explains that she wrote this book to fill a gap in Tarot literature, providing interpretations, spreads, and professional advice for readers dealing with challenging circumstances. I am sure you will treasure Theresa’s personal experiences and insights as they highlight the role of Tarot in processing emotions we may have hereto thought impossible to approach.

P.S. It's a big birthday and anniversary month coming up for the Archetypal Tarot Podcast! If you would like to support the podcast please consider becoming a paid subscriber on https://archetypalstories.substack.com/ or backing my new Story Through Stone card deck release. There are perks for contributions! Check out the details here: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/story-through-stone-reflection-cards/x/24162339#/

After spending decades with the Tarot, I find myself still tapping all their mysteries and layers of interpretation. Here and there, the Lenormand started to tap at my window and I got curious what this divination system was all about.

I got my first Lenormand deck years ago, and drew my first card (a practice I later learned was not suited to Lenormand readings). What card did I get? The Coffin. Not long after that the pandemic began. Life (and death) happened…

It wasn’t until I came across Lenormand expert Erika Robinson, that I was introduced properly to this method and how it could be used for readings.

This podcast unveils Lenormand for all listeners and Erika even gives me a reading on the show! Her warmth and clarity is stunning.

Here are a few of my takeaways from our conversation:

1. As the title of Erika’s book suggests, Lenormand can be seen as a language of divination. The way the cards work together in a spread is like interpreting a sentence, or (my favorite thing) telling a story that speaks to your question. Who better than Erika, long-time English teacher and writer, to break this down for us?

2. Cards are rarely picked for 1-card readings. Cards are best interpreted in relationship to each other in a spread.

3. There is a beautiful simplicity inherent in the Lenormand. Meanings can be memorized and fortunes told even with a regular deck of playing cards.

4. Erika is just a wonderful person - fun to chat and connect with! Her reading was insightful and dead on.

Check out Erika’s latest publication, The Language of Lenormand and her beautiful deck, Lenormand of Hope:

Kara recounts her journey of breaking away from a restrictive and damaging belief system rooted in Mormon theology. Her experience of being torn away from deep family connections at a young age paved her path toward a direct connection with the other world. She found guidance from the forces and animals of nature, which lead to the creation of her Prairie Majesty Oracle and Song of the Grandmothers.

Kara is a mother of 3 and a practicing lawyer too, so you get a well-grounded and practical perspective that is rare in the spiritual canon. Have you ever felt you might need a spiritual lawyer to come and draw up some contracts for greater self-awareness and boundary setting? With Kara’s guided questions at the end of each section of her book, search no further!

This autobiographical book is not just a beautiful read but a gateway of encouragement and allowance for each person’s deeper access to spirit. Please join the Archetypal Tarot Podcast in celebrating the bravery of Kara’s work - you can sign up to receive updates at the following link:

https://www.backerkit.com/call_to_action/46e707e0-76b3-4db2-8993-607cbd3d7eeb/landing

Though her work doesn’t (yet) appear in the form of tarot decks or grimoires, Rachel’s creations tap into the communicative powers of photo manipulation and the magic that such manipulation has on our own reflections of time, ancestry and the journey of women as both the viewer and viewed.

Rounding out the end of last year, Cyndera had the chance to go and visit Rachel’s exhibition Holding Time, Tracing Light held at San Francisco State University’s School of Art and Design. 

Cyndera had originally been drawn to Rachel’s artistry in the form of her collection called Divinations.

In the 1860s, Cabinet Cards were all the rage. Having your photograph taken more frequently (not just once or twice a year) allowed for the introduction of photography to the modern world. These pictures on stiff cardboard, often lost the names of the person’s portrait over time, holding just the company of the photographer. In Rachel’s transfer print play, she brings to life once again the faces of the past while dreaming into their “divination” method dictated by imaginative shadows and images:

Divination by Celestial Bodies, 2014

Divination by Cards, 2014

Divination by Sharp Object, 2016

Well, that was an appropriate year for sharp objects, as it turned out, so we are convinced Rachel’s intuition via art work is spot on!

To see Rachel’s full body of work online, visit https://treadwellpress.com/

Stay tuned for the Archetypal Tarot Podcast release of the video for paid subscribers on Substack, where you can catch a glimpse of Rachel Phillips herself, along with her incredible Ghost Light Theater alit in the background!

Also, a very happy birthday to Rachel this month, we're so glad she was born!

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 Lunar New Year itself will welcome the Wood Dragon. We met with Vicki Iskandar, creator of The Chinese Five Elements Oracle, in this podcast to discuss what we can expect from this cycle and symbolism.

Surprisingly, Vicki’s words on this card and cycle were all about joy.

In 2024, we find ourselves in an election year, not just in the United States, but with over 50 countries deciding between authoritarian and democratic leaders.

Already we see divisiveness and tension playing out with over 110 armed conflicts through out the world - how can we possibly participate and cultivate joy?

"Joy, associated with Fire element, is the key to raising our frequency. This is especially critical in the Age of 9… As the world becomes more divided, those who are able to cultivate inner joy will be the ones who’ll keep moving up on the path to bring light to others; fear and negativity may push others to spiral downward."

~Vicki Iskander

Many of the messages within The Chinese Five Elements Oracle are designed lovingly to stoke your inner joy. From the messages of Heaven and Earth to the charming illustrations provided by Candice Soon, you are sure to find that special spark that is uniquely your own joy.

Happy 2024! Happy Lunar New Year! Happy Age of 9 to you!

To glimpse imagery from this glorious deck in the Video Interview, along with other perks, please become a paid subscriber on Substack!

In this interview, Athene and Cyndera discuss spiritual belief and creation as well as how she makes the tarot images tangible and relatable in an intuitive way. Athene shares her journey with us, which in turn becomes a tool that can welcome communication with the beyond to inform our own paths.

The imagery included in this deck features animals, plants, and a cast of modern and diverse people—all with a mystical touch. Each suit is represented by a different color palette while characters of varying color, size, ability, and age create a beautiful community. This 78-card deck and guidebook is the perfect compass for those seeking self-discovery.

ATHENE NOCTUA is the artist and creator behind several oracle and tarot card decks. Her creative process is deeply meditative and forms a key pillar of her spiritual practice. Placing herself at the service of Spirit, she works to create divination tools that open a channel of communication between us and the Divine. Living deep in the English countryside on a renovated canal barge, her art is inspired by the energies and cycles of life in the natural environment around her.

For the Video version of this podcast, subscribe to https://archetypalstories.substack.com/

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.

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!

** WARNING - THIS RECORDING INCLUDES SPOILERS FOR THE FILM BARBIE

This interview covers the differences between the more commonly known “Hero’s Journey” popularized by Joseph Campbell. With parallels to ancient myth, the world’s first writing, and fairy tales, the heroine’s journey has the power to reach and validate women in their real-world lives. A deeper exploration within this interview reveals how the Heroine’s Journey can be a transformative experience open to anyone regardless of gender.

Kate Farrell believes in the power of story. A graduate of the School of Library and Information Studies, UC Berkeley, she has been a language arts classroom teacher (pre-school and grades kindergarten through 12th), author, librarian, university lecturer, and storyteller in Northern California since 1966. 

Kate has founded Woven with the vision to enhance and elevate the feminine in 21st century culture by applying the universal archetypes of the heroine’s journey to creative works that reflect a clear awareness of the vital role of the feminine in our era. Woven’s mission statement is to provide opportunities to explore the fundamental aspects of the universal heroine’s journey through activities such as, but not limited to, talks, workshops, training, retreats, in person and online, publications, and other media.

You can sign up for Kate’s upcoming workshops by visiting her website: https://katefarrell.net/events/

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.

This is an origin story. This is a family story. This is a story from the earth herself. 

To see additional imagery and video surrounding this podcast, please head over to Cyndera's substack archetypalstories.substack.com or to her website storythroughstone.org

When so much traditional knowledge, life and livelihood has been lost through colonization, where can we even begin to pick up the pieces? New hope is found in the great gift of Frost’s Oracle, illustrated by Steph Littlebird. Steeped in Ojibway teachings, Asha has retrieved this wisdom from ancestors and from her own bones, to share with both indigenous and non-indigenous seekers. She instructs her audience on how to approach and use this medicine respectfully, with the true belief that these teachings can guide each of us back to our own unique medicine. How might the world transform if we are to walk in our own gifts, tailored from our own healed ancestors?

While revealing traditional insights, Asha’s work is also immensely inclusive for our modern world. Asha embraces two-spirit folks in her work and introduces guides that are non-binary in both her imagery, stories and language.

A whole-hearted gift from a rainbow healer, podcast listeners will love Asha Frost and for the visionary work that lies within her words and Oracle.

ASHA FROST (she/her) is an Indigenous Medicine Woman and a member of the Chippewas of Nawash First Nation. As an energy healer, homeopath, and mentor, Asha has guided thousands of people through profound and lasting transformation with her ceremonies, teachings, and speaking events. Asha lives on Anishinaabe, Huron-Wendat, and Haudenosaunee Territory, with her husband and two beautiful children, with whom she co-creates a better world for the seven generations to come. Visit her online at ashafrost.com

which is also my inner truth.” ~ Michael Meade.

What fairy tale, myth or story most resembles what your mother lived in her formative years?

This month’s podcast is a special early tribute to Cyndera's mom for Mother’s Day! This podcast includes her story as a child, and its many parallels to the Cinderella story: absent mother, absent father, abandonment, perseverance, patience, kindness, birds, housework, stepmother, stepsisters, fairy godmother, the magic carriage, the dog, the dream come true....

A video version of this reading is available for paid subscribers on the Archetypal Stories Substack! The article and video includes pictures of Cyndera's mom and images from the Little Golden Book version that captured my her imagination and heart as a little girl. 

Enjoy and... Happy Mother's Day!

Melissa's work can be purchased through her website at https://melissa-townsend.com

Melissa's Bio: 

Melissa Townsend is an Artist, Author, Psychic & Astrologer, and  lives in San Francisco with her husband and son. 

She has been a practitioner of Yoga for over 35 years, and studied Sanskrit for over 15 years, now teaching the language to others. Melissa has also translated the Yoga Sutras, and has been creating paintings inspired by them since 2011. The paintings, translations, and commentary of the Yoga Sutras, Book One and Book Two, have been published in full-color, soft-bound books and as Meditation Cards. 

You can also find Melissa on YouTube videos on Astrology and the Tarot. She has created a couple Tarot Decks including The Subtle Tarot. 

The unifying force behind all of Melissa's work lie the age-old questions, the ones that push us onto the spiritual path, “Who am I?” and “Why am I here?” All of this is a way to engage with each other, as we all ask and try to answer those questions.

More about Judika Illes:

Born in New York City, Judika Illes is a lifelong lover, student, and practitioner of the magickal arts. She is the author of numerous books devoted to magic spells, witchcraft, saints, spirits, and the paranormal including the best-selling Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells and Encyclopedia of Spirits. Her other books include Pure Magic: A Complete Course in Spellcasting, Magic When You Need It, Encyclopedia of Witchcraft, and Daily Magic, a perpetual calendar of spells, rituals, and feasts. Judika is also the curator of two books of occult fiction. Someday she will publish some occult fiction of her own. Judika is a certified aromatherapist and has been a professional tarot card reader since 1988. Judika has worked as an editor for Weiser Books since 2015. Before that, she worked for The Witches’ Almanac.  She teaches about spell-casting and other topics in the US, internationally, and virtually. Her website is under construction, but Judika is easily found on-line at Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJudikaIlles  Instagram: @judikailles and Twitter: @JudikaIlles

More about Kathryn Sky-Peck:

Kathryn Sky-Peck has been a life-long student of the esoteric arts. Currently Creative Director at Red Wheel/Weiser, she has been with Weiser books off and on since 1981 when she first began working with the publisher. She is an award-winning poet, a fine artist, and—when the grace of youth allowed it—a modern dancer. She sees all these art forms interconnected, finding color and movement in words and music in poetry. She has been the sole proprietor of Sky Peck Design for the last 27 years, where she maintains a select group of clients, most notably The Witches Almanac and Ibis Press. In her role as book development director at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, she authored Who Has Seen the Wind? and The Poet’s Delay, both compilations of poetry based on the museum’s art collection. She loves the anonymity of being in the background, from where she’s had the honor to work with, support, and learn from some of the occult world’s best-known authors. Not on social media, she lives at the edge of a New England wood with her cat Milo.

For video of this special interview, become a subscriber at archtypalstories.substack.com!

Find out more anout Kara, her decks and connect with her on her website joyfulresonance.com 

This episode is sponsored Freerange Priestess on Etsy - you’ll find nontraditional rosaries, quirky prayer beads, sacred jewelry and more.   freerangepriestess.com  /  https://www.etsy.com/shop/FreeRangePriestess

BIG Thanks to our patrons:  Peter, Janet, Richard, Joro, Juniper and Rash of Stay Woke Tarot.   We appreciate our Patrons and their support!  You can find out more about the fabulous benefits of being a Patron at http://tiny.cc/tarotpodcast

Are you a fan of this podcast?  Rate and review us on whatever app you use to listen.  Connect with us on Instagram & Facebook @TarotPodcast  our email is tarotpodcast @ gmail.com

The podcast is produced by Both/And Media  Theme music by: The Lunar Group

Together they discuss the universal archetypal patterns and perspectives seen in the cards and guidance on working with these energies. 

Sophie Bashford is a UK based author, channel and much-loved expert on Goddesses. She supports people all over the world to awaken their soul memories of the Goddess through her Moon Temple Membership, private sessions and retreats.   www.sophiebashford.com    

Follow her on Instagram

About author Priscilla Howe: Storyteller Priscilla Howe has traveled the world with a bagful of puppets and a headful of stories since 1993. Her favorite story is the one she's telling at any given moment, and her favorite audience is the one right in front of her. She is a native New Englander who lives in Lawrence, Kansas with a cat named Pippin. Priscilla's new book, Clever, Kind, Tricky and Sly: A Bulgarian Folktale Sampler just came out, thanks to Parkhurst Brothers Publishers.  Find out more about and connect with Priscilla through her website https://www.priscillahowe.com/  .

About Rash

• Website: chris-anne.com
• Instagram: @pixiecurio

• Justice
• World
• Temperance
• Judgement

• Hierophant
• Chariot
• Emperor
• Magician 

• Empress
• Priestess
• Star
• Strength

• Devil 
• Lovers
• Tower

• Hanged Man 
• Hermit 
• Fool 

• Sun
• Moon
• Wheel 

Marieke Lexmond reads tarot cards, loves food, photography, and travel. She has three sassy little dogs that she likes to take everywhere and have their own Instagram account @urbandogsquad. Her background in filmmaking enabled her to travel and live around the globe. Storytelling is in her blood, from saving her allowance from a very young age to buy books, to her master's degree from the Dutch Film Academy. Fantasy and science fiction are her favorite. She prefers to write fun and mystical stories. Her attraction to nature and places with a magical history brought her to New Orleans and the West Coast of Ireland. As a pagan, she felt an instant connection to the land; it feeds her imagination and has become the inspiration for the Madigan Chronicles.

Her website and instagram tag: underthewitcheshat.com @underthewitcheshat

BIG Thanks to our patrons:  Joro, Peter, Janet, Richard, Juniper and Rash of Stay Woke Tarot.   We appreciate our Patrons and their support!  You can find out more about the fabulous benefits of being a Patron at http://tiny.cc/tarotpodcastt

Julienne and Cyndera join together for a very special interview with Nancy Hendrickson, author of the recently released Ancestral Tarot (full bio below). Like a 3 of cups dancing, hosts and guests embark on a discussion of anchoring with the ancestors, and the growing interest this has in the collective at the moment. 

Nancy delves more deeply into the description of the different types of ancestors tarot readers can work with. Beyond ancestors of blood, each person can call on both Ancestors of Time and Place. Drawing the wisdom of daily life lived over centuries, guidance for specific questions and problems can be articulated through Tarot imagery. 

Julienne describes a mini reading she did for herself for her beginning ancestor work and Nancy provides further insight, including some perspectives on reversals. To further delight current topic interests, Nancy, Julienne and Cyndera further explore the connection between fairy tales and tarot, as well as the ancestors present in the larger natural world. This episode wraps up with the conclusion that ancestor work is not only popular at the moment, but is necessary for our continued survival on earth. Open your eyes, ears and heart for signs from the ancestors in this latest interview!

Nancy Hendrickson is the author of Ancestral Tarot, a book that takes readers into the realm of Ancestors of Blood, Place, and Time using Tarot. She has decades of experience in both genealogy and tarot. Nancy is a columnist for The Cartomancer Magazine, writing about Tarot decks from a cultural perspective. She is active on Instagram @nancysageshadow where she posts daily about Tarot and other forms of divination. You can learn more about Nancy and her work at www.sageandshadow.com

This episode is sponsored Freerange Priestess on Etsy - you’ll find unconventional rosaries, prayer beads and chaplets made for ancestor work.  https://www.etsy.com/shop/FreeRangePriestess 

blog: freerangepriestess.com 

Many thanks to our patrons:  Peter, Janet, Richard, Juniper and Rash of Stay Woke Tarot.  We appreciate our Patrons and their support makes all of this possible.  You can find out more about the fabulous benefits of being a Patron at http://tiny.cc/tarotpodcast

The podcast is produced by Both/And Media  Theme music by: The Lunar Group

Show notes & Reference Links:

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

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. 

Melissa on Insta

Melissa on FB

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

• Imagination 
• Sees things afresh 
• Willingness to try something new
• The rejuvenating power of play
• Connects with nature 
• Curiosity - being curious keeps you open - seeking wisdom vs simple answers even if unsubstatiated - these often concretize - become a protected belief because we are not able to let in opposing or new ideas.   

• Naiveté - believing because we want a simple answer.
• Blind trust / handing our power over to another for protection
• Temper tantrums
• Refusal to follow guidance because it’s uncomfortable “You’re not the boss of me!” 

• Creates, holds and protects boundaries
• Uses discernment before engaging in battle
• Seeks not to hurt others but protect
• Acknowledges that wounds connect us to each other fostering understanding & compassion 
• Alerts us to when we are in danger

• Refusal to move toward healing
• Hands power over due to woundedness / helplessness 
• Seeks attention through complaining without movement toward resolution
• Engages in blame but not toward healing 

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

✨ Local Futures

✨  The Sunrise Movement

✨  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.

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. 

As per the Archetypal Tarot tradition, co-hosts Julienne Givot and Cyndera Quackenbush got together over the phone and picked a card for the new year. This time we picked one from the Rider-Waite Major Arcana and one from the Mana Cards, to bring a bit of Mainland and Island Wisdom together for our New Years reading. Themes emerging include Strength, Winds of Change, At-One-Ment and yelling at CNN... 

Poem by Hafiz and Story of Maui from Catherine Kalama Becker & Doya Nardin's Mana Cards (as is the above image)

As the smoke thickens and we face a “new normal,” we seem to be seeing even less clearly around us and are uncertain in these darkening times. True Light, when it comes, is unexpected and often fleeting. More and more we ask, what is our path as a human race? What is our place here on this earth? What can I in my one life do to contribute? 

This podcast explores the quest for purpose through a recent reading. The querent asks how she can find her path again and what's important to her amidst a chaotic daily family life. This question is a meaningful personal plea that has collective significance. 

Here is how you can get an online reading from anywhere in the world:

First Visit storythroughstone.org/readings  

Purchase the reading using the PayPal button. Readings are usually $75 but with your $30 discount they will only be $45 by Typing in Promo Code STONESEASON. This offer will stand just until the end of 2019, so take advantage and purchase the gift of a reading for a friend as well!

You may also support this podcast by making a pledge at tiny.cc/tarot. Warmest thanks to our current patrons Cat, Richard, Allie and Geneva.

This podcast also offers two different ways to receive your own Story Through Stone Reflection Card Reading!

Do you have a grit of sand you would like to explore as a possible pearl in a Story Through Stone Reading? We are still accepting questions and readings to be featured on the Podcast, which you can submit by becoming a Patron and e-mailing tarotpodcast@gmail.com. Make your tiny, or not so tiny pledge at tiny.cc/tarot and warmest thanks to our current patrons!

The episode begins with a brief history of the Archetypal Tarot Podcast and how this latest period marks a third chapter. The real-life question comes from "Dee" in India, who is wondering about the unfolding of her own tarot practice. 

Will you be the next reading question featured on our show? Become a patron at any level and submit a question at storythroughstone.org/readings!

Aloha means love.

SPECIAL GIFT from Ke’oni - us the code FERN15 to receive 15% off your order through his website.

masculine & feminine energies, compassion, purpose & meaning, Emotional intelligence - feeling the feels, true expression of the Self

There is more than a little bit of Hawaiian language used in the podcast so here is a handy cheat sheet in case you need it. The Hawaiian language is contextual and relational as well as poetic. It frequently does not translate directly 'one to one' and words have multiple meanings but here is my best attempt to share the meanings of some of the words used in the podcast.

Aloha: There are many meanings of aloha but my sense is that they culminate in what we call Love with a capital L. It’s worth noting that 'alo' means ‘presence’ and ‘ha' is the breath of life - so in a way it’s the recognition of sacred presence which is Love. It’s used as both hello and goodbye as well.

Kapili (kah-pee-lee) : to bond, synthesis, put together, unite

Kapu (kah-poo): forbidden, sacred, protected (because it’s sacred)

Kūkala: proclaim

Pōhala: to recover consciousness; to wake from stupor. PōHALA, to ascend.

Huna: secret, hidden

Kahuna: expert, priests/priestess, keeper of sacred knowledge, medicine holder

'Ike (ee-kay): wisdom

Mana’o (man-na-oh): thought

Kiakahi (key-ah-kah-hee): purpose & meaning

Ke'oni and Julienne

Find more info on Shawn on his website:  https://www.imagineastrology.com/

Saturn in Capricorn - echoes of the slave trade 

Subtopics include:

• Thresholds
• Capricorn
• The Handmaids Tale
• Black Panther
• Ancient Babylonia

They also pull a card to reflect on 2017 and one to work with for the year to come.  The results might surprise you.

This is how we win. Not by fighting what we hate, but by saving what we love.

- Rose Tico as played by Kelly Marie Tran in The Last Jedi

Find out more about becoming a Patron of the Archetypal Tarot Podcast by clicking here Tiny.cc/tarot

Connect with the podcast team on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram or email  tarotpodcast@gmail.com

The conversation ranges from tarot in current events, pop culture and let me tell you we filled the swear jar in this episode. If you are sensitive to expletives this might not be the episode for you.

More about Melissa: She lives in St. Louis with her outstanding kids, her sweet husband, Joe, two cats, two dogs, and a tortoise named Phil. When she's not slinging cards, she's enjoying her tribe and probably watching a superhero movie while reading a book. She is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Go ahead and schedule a reading – she already knows you want one. LittleFoxTarot.com

Topics include:

The Moon

Trump

Politics

The Fool

Heros journey

The Outsider

The World

The Heirophant

The Tower

6 of swords

Miss Cleo

Help keep the Archetypal Tarot Podcast alive by becoming a Patron!  Just visit Tiny.cc.tarot to find out about all the nifty rewards for joining our Patron team.

Sign up for our email list for free!

Tim and Julienne discuss the ideas in Soul Story, evolution from the Fool to the World and how the Tarot works - like really HOW TAROT WORKS. More info on Tim on his website TimFreke.com

Enter to win an ebook copy of Tim's book Soul Story on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter @TarotPodcast Find entry posts and submit by August 18, 2017.

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Sign up to be a part of the Archetypal Tarot Patron Team!  tiny.cc/tarot

In an attempt to add a poster of Wonder Woman to my office, a new colleague of mine expressed her reservation to the addition of this image to the office environment, which, to her credit, did contain a speech bubble from Wonder Woman’s mouth saying “No Time for Naughty.”

She articulated: “I feel it's important to celebrate real women, brave and courageous historical leaders who had an actual impact on the world.”

I felt as though wounded, as if a spear had gone straight through my heart, as if she was saying I wasn’t real. Why on earth did I feel this way? Wonder Woman is not, in fact, flesh and blood, and I am certainly myself not Wonder Woman.

The poster did indeed stick out like a sore thumb on the wall, she did not match the drab green walls, the muted tones of the overhead file bins. Would my own personality clash as brilliantly as this to the work culture?

Wonder Woman seemed protected in her plastic cover, the natural light causing her to emit an armor of reflected light. I was speechless, tears came to my eyes, I left early from my first official day, along with the poster.

Today, in Wonder Woman’s defense, these words have come me: You speak of the courage of suffragettes, the immensity of emotion portrayed in Frida Kahlo’s artwork, but who would these women be without the forces that came alive within them. We speak of these forces in abstracted terms all the time - they are real and present even after each historical woman exhales her last breath - Courage, Leadership, Imagination, Vision. Fictional figures such as Wonder Woman, illustrate and actually embody these forces for us.

The gift of Fiction, the gift of art, that percolates through our culture in various guises - depicts for us these forces we hope to ourselves enact. We can celebrate the lives of historical women AND embrace the inspiration of of the figures of fiction - who try on possibilities, dreams and visions that our not-so-humble humanity has not yet dared.

Scientists look to science fiction for ideas of invention and innovation. Teachers and psychologists look to literature for an understanding of human behavior. Mathematicians have found formulas from their dreams (another source some may call “not real”)

“The Gods have not died, they have just gone underground.”

The forces within us are Real - Love, Hate, Courage, Passion, Intelligence. Allow us to celebrate and be educated by history and Imagination alike, for one teaches of the past the other of the future.

Since her creation, Wonder Woman has been resurrected many times, always reflecting the struggles of the age. Her tiara and dark tendrils rise again, along with a voice that is once again trying to be heard.

What do you believe in? What do you wish to stand for? Do you act from Love or do you simply hide and take cover from fear? Wonder Woman’s name is Diana Prince - Diana connects her to the name of the Roman Goddess of the Moon. Like the light of the Moon, her power is a reflected one and thus reminds us of REFLECTION - the power to look within yourself to see your own shadows and your own light. Prince - though she is a woman she also embodies the sacred masculine. She is in touch with her noble male capacities (the animus in psychology). And thus Diana Prince, Wonder Woman, is a marriage of opposites, the holding of a tension between differences, and thus a medicine for our deeply divided times.

Red, White and Blue are the colors of Wonder Woman’s classic costume. In one comic, she is actually dressed from a tattered American flag. Since WWII Wonder Woman has stood for what is noble about the United States, a symbol of liberty, justice and truth. She rises in the face of what is most ugly about our country, which has always been equipped with the teeth of greed, bigotry, narcissism and blindness.

Wonder Woman rises with only the weapons of truth, and her own strength to remind us of the hope we must not lose hold of. Hold tight to the Lassos of Truth! Feel the bondage of those bracelets encircling your wrists, reminding all deeds done by these hands to be for the liberation of self and others.

Feel the tiara, placed upon the crown of the head, framing the third eye of Insight, Intuition and crystallized concentration. Most of all, feel your heart, beating with life, beating with love for life bursting in each moment with your passion...

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Cyndera shares her experience visiting the fiery beauty of a live volcano and the mythology of the Hawaiian Goddess Pele and the two discuss the foreshadowing events found in the Mana Cards deck years before Julienne's move. Synchronicity, sun and learning to integrate symbols, intuition and are the themes of this show! Sorry no ukelele serenade this time.

Pic of the Maui card mentioned in the podcast. And surprise! This deck of Hawaiian wisdom is available to purchase! You can buy they direct from the authors from their site or get them via Amazon.

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Cyndera Quackenbush interviews Angelo Nasios, author of the book Tarot: Unlocking the Arcana.Temperance is the card under discussion; a card whose angel symbolizes the "middle way" path as a solution between extremes. The need for this in today's culture, a political and lifestyle landscape of polarities, is explored with an eye on the upcoming election (some cussing ensues naturally as a result!). Angelo and Cyndera also take a deeper look into how tarot works, identifying spiritual and psychological components in its understanding.

Sign up to be a part of the Archetypal Tarot Patron Team! tiny.cc/tarot This month Julienne is in conversation with Archetypal Counselor, Spiritual Director and film buff, Jim Curtan. Jim and Julienne discuss some of their favorite topics - Archetypes and Movies. They focus on the Tower card in particular and the many aspects of change that it symbolizes. They discuss the good, the bad, the scary and as well as the grace that change can bring when we fully allow ourselves to grieve the loss of the past and dive into what the change brings us. They also discuss the Tower card in relationship to popular films such as The Hunger Games, Castaway, Inside Out and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Jim has just released a self-guided audio workshop called Embracing the Grace of Change using the film The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel as a contemplation on the choices and opportunities presented by the kinds of change that the Tower card can present.

----more---- As a gift to our listeners Jim is offering a 20% discount on this course and all others by using this link or entering the code podcast at check out. More about Jim: Jim has combined his 20 years’ experience in the entertainment industry with more than a decade as a retreat leader and spiritual director to develop a unique and entertaining approach to using film as a gateway to rich spiritual experience. He is a spiritual director, archetypal counselor and retreat leader. He has taught extensively with New York Times best-selling author Caroline Myss and has been a faculty member of the Caroline Myss Educational Institute (CMED) since its inception in 2003. He has also taught at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, New York, The London Centre for Spirituality, St. John’s Seminary, Stillpoint Center for Christian Spirituality and The Crossings in Austin, Texas among others. His lectures and workshops have been well received throughout the United States, Canada, Great Britain, the Netherlands, France and Indonesia. In his prior career as a talent manager, Jim advised such prominent actors as John Malkovich, John Travolta, Patrick Swayze, Geena Davis, Willem Dafoe, Andy Garcia and Melanie Griffith. Since 2014 Jim has produced a series of self-guided workshops using films for archetypal and spiritual contemplation of situations that affect our daily lives. Each comes with an audio course commentary on the film and workbook available to download immediately from his online store. Courses include:

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• Ratatouille: Fate, Destiny & the Hero’s Journey
• The Way: A Journey of Healing & Self Acceptance
• Embracing the Grace of Change: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

These and more audio courses are available to download from his website http://jimcurtan.com/audio-workshops/

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Julienne Givot and Cyndera Quackenbush raise a glass of wine (or four) and revel in Dionysus and all horned gods. Your favorite archetypal tarot podcast hosts unleash new wild and vulnerable aspects of themselves as they celebrate the Autumn season and spirit of Halloween with the Devil card. What results? An exploration of the need for ecstatic experience and letting loose to be yourself (complete with LOTS cuss words). A brief drunken history of Crete (the F*cking Minoans!) is reported as the creators of labyrinths and worshipers of the Minotaur. Also featured is a ukulele lost and found, stories about Raccoons and Outlander outfits. Heck, there's even some live music and marital arguments. A midst the revelry there is some actual information and discussion of The Devil card of the tarot, mythology and meaning. This is a podcast (foolish or funny?) to shake your tail at - and you're just about to learn what that means.  

Quickie Edition of the Archetypal Tarot Podcast! (Quickie Editions are 30 mins or less)

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  In the last podcast on The Moon we discussed being lost and the creative process in relation to the Artist archetype. In this podcast we delve into another aspect of this shadowy archetypal stage - the feminine archetype of deep knowing, agency and connection to nature. Artemis, also known as the Goddess of the Moon, the Hunt, Midwifery and Wilderness. 

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If you think about it, you are probably in some kind of transition in your life right now. It could be small and less noticeable or it could be a huge life transition which leaves you feeling lost and unsure of what will happen next. This ambiguous stage of life is often associated with The Moon card of the Tarot when things are not quite what they appear to be and when we often feel lost in the wilderness. Along comes an archetype that embodies this situation to guide you through. She is called Artemis and she is part of the pantheon of mythological Greek Gods and Goddesses replete with stories to nourish you during this time.

Cyndera and Julienne discuss The Moon card of the Tarot in relation to Artemis who some interpret as a Three-in-One Goddess with different aspects embodying cycles of transition. The new moon seen as Artemis herself (also known as Diana in Roman mythology), the full moon seen in Selena and the waxing moon seen as the goddess Hecate. This triune goddess takes a page out of the archetypal Maiden/Mother/Crone iconography and presents the middle stage as not simply woman as Mother but as woman in full bloom with or without children. It's a model we have had scarce references to in the past but one that is coming into fruition in the 21st century when a woman can be valued for herself with or without offspring. Together C & J talk about a recent workshop they attended with the venerable Jungian Psychiatrist and Author Jean Shinoda Bolen. Her new book, Artemis: The Indomitable Spirit in Everywoman delves deeply into the archetypal powers of this feminine character and how her energy is showing up in our lives and the greater culture.      

Do you have an example of one of these indomitable archetypes from film, television or books? Leave it in the comments.

Artemis: The Indomitable Spirit in Everywoman by Jean Shinoda Bolen is a groundbreaking new book that explores the archetype of the activist. Indomitable means untamed, unsubdued. It is the one-in-herself quality in girls and women who will not be victims, no matter what. To bring the Artemis archetype to life, Dr. Bolen delves deeply into the myth of Atalanta, the famous hunter and runner in ancient Greek mythology, a mortal woman who is identified with Artemis the Greek Goddess of the Hunt and Moon. Atalanta began life abandoned and left to die because she was born a girl. She faced the Calydon Boar and drew first blood; she was the runner who would demand to be beaten in a footrace by the man who could claim her as his bride. Atalanta exemplifies the indomitable spirit in competent, courageous girls and in the women they become. This is grit, the passion and persistence to go the distance, to survive, and to succeed.  Dr. Bolen paints a vivid picture of Artemis women in current media, including Princess Merida from the animated film Brave and Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games. In all these examples and those of real-life women who grow into their Artemis spirit, she provides the means through which readers can navigate their own personal exploration to become their authentic selves. Bolen dedicates this book to women and girls who embody the archetype of Artemis, who discover her uncrushable spirit in themselves or others. We highly recommend getting a copy of this book - it's rich in detail, insight and empowering examples we can see in ourselves. If you are going through a transition, this book is a valuable resource.

For some, the Death card can feel ominous and terrifying. What if there was a deck that faced it directly and in every card of the Major and Minor Arcana?

Sign up to be a part of the Archetypal Tarot Patron Team!  tiny.cc/tarot In this brave new Archetypal Tarot podcast, Death is embraced early on with an interview with Lupa Greenwolf, artist and creator of the Tarot of Bones . Lupa is the author of a number of books including her upcoming book Nature Spirituality From the Ground Up: Connect With Totems in Your Ecosystem out in January 2016. We will be discussing her new tarot deck The Tarot of Bones, a natural history themed divination deck, which will make its debut in the summer of 2016.

----more---- The full 78-card deck will feature photography of Lupa's artwork made from animal bones and other natural materials. Cyndera and Lupa discuss stones, bones and how relating with these natural presences can deepen the human connection to nature. A naturalistic interpretation of the Death Card allows us to get in touch with the ignored presence of Death in our lives and how it relates to our current relationship with the environment. Topics covered in this podcast: - the process of working with animal remains as an artistic and spiritual medium - how to make art for both major and minor arcana - How to work with Death in tarot readings and combat superstition - How encountering bones assists with deepening a connection with nature rot of Bones, featuring nature-found moss and a corn snake skeleton.

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Craig Chalquist - Depth Psychology Bad @ss!  In the continuance of the new Archetypal Tarot Podcast series, Julienne and Cyndera break the linear mold of the Tarot order and jump all the way to The World Card! Our guest for this episode is Craig Chalquist PhD. Craig is the department chair of East-West Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies and adjunct faculty at Pacifica Graduate Institute, where he teaches ecopsychology. Craig is an author and editor many books, including Terrapsychology: Reengaging the Soul of Place.

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----more---- He is also a contributor to the Huffington Post, AlterNet, The Journal of Critical Psychology among many, many others. Craig is a Certified Master Gardener, teacher to many, passionate advocate of cultivating a sustainable relationship to the planet and all around bad ass of depth psychology. Freud vs Jung! (with Cyndera egging them on)  Topics discussed / fun had:

• The momentous effect of “earthrise” the first photograph of the earth taken from space and how it forms a new mythology.
• Hobbits & Heroes (guess which we need more of these days?)
• How Craig started teaching the Hero's Journey and why he seldom does anymore.
• The Avengers
• Alchemy & Gnostiscism & the Silver Tradition (hint: it's not all about the dudes...)
• Carl Jung and the red book
• The Pandora’s box opened by the Nuclear age
• The role of fantasy as impetus for change (in fact the driving force of necessary change).
• Using mythology to shift consciousness

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----more---- Our guest for this edition is an author who has literally written the book on the nature and nurture of passion, Gregg Levoy.  Gregg is the author of the best selling Callings:  Finding and Following an Authentic Life and puts his keen sense for creative insight as well as a Storyteller's magic into his new book Vital Signs: The Nature and Nurture of Passion. Where his first book Callings was about finding passion, Vital Signs picks up on the why’s and how's of losing our sense of passion & vitality and how to regain a passionate life with creativity and abundance.  We love this new book and recommend you get a copy - it's available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon and many fine bookstores.  Visit Gregg's site and check out all of the resources in "Wow!" images, books, music and films to help you connect to passion and excitement.  http://gregglevoy.com

We think you will really enjoy Julienne's conversation with Gregg about passion, creativity, the call of the wild, the archetype of the Fool, Vampires, Zombies, Intuition and the practice of living our lives fully. Passion is an unstable element and will naturally degrades over time but some very simple, yet powerful practices have the ability to heat things up again.  Not only is passion something we start to miss over time but it's important to our overall health.  As Gregg says in our discussion "Our attachment to life depends to a great degree to our interest in it.".  Without interest, everything fades, including our health.  It's no wonder Zombies and Vampires have been of such an interest in the last few years - we fear the life being sucked out of us by routine and a lack of creativity. You can listen to the entire podcast below or subscribe to the podcast in iTunes and never miss an episode.  We have a very exciting line up of authors, teachers and creators lined up for future episodes. Gregg's List of 5 Things You Can Do To Beef Up The Passion & Quality of Your Life: 1)  Pay attention to what is trying to emerge in your life. 2)  Remember that you have a ‘use by’ date. 3)  Come up with a bucket list. (Check out this from Artist Candy Chang:  Before I Die) 4)  Always give yourself something to look forward to. 5) Look for where you’re restless - ask yourself: What wants to move? And where does it want to go? Julienne’s addition: 6) Turn something upside down. (The Trickster archetype can be very useful in this.) Want to email us about the Archetypal Tarot Podcast? We'd love that! ATPodcast@archetypist.com Related articles & podcasts: Harvesting From This Year's Season The Tower & Lightning Liberation The Archetypal Tarot Podcast is a production of Both/And Media. Sign up to be a part of the Archetypal Tarot Patron Team!  tiny.cc/tarot

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----more---- Stephanie offers customized  sessions with guided meditations mixed with a gentle hypnosis. Meditation is an immensely powerful and beneficial tool that can enhance your well-being and can allow you to remove limiting beliefs that cloud your path to happiness.

Want to email us about the Archetypal Tarot Podcast? We'd love that!  ATPodcast@archetypist.com

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Julienne is excited to announce a project about archetypes and film that she produced with her archetypal consulting Mentor, Jim Curtan. A newly released audio course and workbook on Fate, Destiny & the Hero's Journey as seen in Pixar's 2007 animated film Ratatouille. This self-guided audio course takes you on an archetypal adventure of an Artist and the choices that transform a life of dreary fate to one of heroic destiny. Julienne's blog post on it expands further and you can purchase the course and save $5.00 by using the offer code podcast (good until May 31st)

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