I love the tarot community; we’re an open, receptive, curious, arty bunch – and this month I met some of the academic side. 

Following my May newsletter I had an invitation from the British Association of Decadence Studies (BADS) at Goldsmiths, University of London to come to the first ever Tarot Cultures conference.

“Where does Tarot fit into Decadence? And there’s an actual association studying this?” (I hear you say….) For answers to those questions I would recommend you check out their webpage.

After two days, thirty-or-so academic presentations on the Tarot, a dance-the-Tarot, gamify-the-Tarot and print-the-Tarot workshop, I was very Tarot-full. And I was deeply honoured to then be invited onto the final round-table panel discussion alongside Kim Arnold (UK Tarot Conference), lifelong Tarot reader Bel, Jonathan Allen (Magic-circler and finder of the long-lost Austin Spare Tarot deck) and Tarot tattoo-artist Ant The Elder to speak about what Tarot actually means to us.

Among such a distinguished panel I felt like a relative ‘newbie’ and brought my story of how the Tarot has only really been in my life for five years, how it connects me deeply to Great Mystery and Spirit (particularly to my late father and brother), and also a connection to Self and my journey back to wholeness.

The conference taught me an enormous amount about Tarot’s history, art, and philosophy, but somewhere in two days of brilliant papers, I realised what I’d missed was simpler than any of it, the moment of actually pulling a card. That’s where I live. That’s the work.

For those of you who have worked with me and the Tarot you will know that this journey back to wholeness is the central theme, and is underpinned with psychosynthesis psychology, supporting a transition of Self from fractured and ‘lost’ towards something which feels more harmonious and whole.

To use the Tarot to support this is such an important life resource, and one that I love to share, and this Summer I also find myself at an important juncture in life; I am currently selling my family home, and downsizing. So, I have decided to put a pause on new coaching clients to focus on the home move (join the waiting list for when this offering re-opens).

In the meantime, please enjoy the Ground & Rise® beginner’s course (online), or join the next monthly tarot gathering – a place to come together and keep this work alive for you and for me. 

Tarot consultation bookings remain open.