My Journey Into the Tarot

Many, many years ago, I was a young mother with a 3 year old son, and was considering going back to work. I had recently finished my PhD, after taking 3 years to write my dissertation. (Who  can write with a baby in the house?) We–I, my son, and husband at the time–were visiting a friend and her family in Florida. Their son was the same age as ours, and so we were all experiencing similar things in our parenthood journeys. I didn’t realize that my friend read Tarot at the time, but she offered to read for me. I decided, why not? It might be amusing. Being a scientist, I didn’t put much stock in cards and crystals.

Let me tell you, I was shocked at the accuracy of my friend’s reading. I don’t remember the specific spread she read from, but I do remember that the cards captured my (unexpressed) sheer terror about turning my young son (who had a serious food allergy that had already landed him in the hospital once in his young life) over to a daycare, and my uncertainty and imposter syndrome around going back to work after 3 years of staying home to care for him.

Many years passed. I went back to work, my son survived daycare, and thrived in school. He ended up going to college on the other side of the country, and I missed him a lot. My career took a meandering path. My 29-year marriage ended. I didn’t want it to end at the time, but I was much happier when the dust settled. 

Through splitting up, moving, downsizing, selling the house we had lived in for 15 years, finding new friends, and exploring new careers, I am still trying to find my path. I value human connection, and this is especially acute post-pandemic. The Tarot started calling to me again. I am currently figuring out my gift and my boundaries. There are some things I know I don’t want to read about, and I may discover others as time passes. If you want a reading about birth or death, or about getting revenge on someone, or other ill intent, I am not your girl. You will need to find another reader to ask about those things.