Tarot and Intuition with Annie DeRuyte
In the early days of November, Annie DeRuyte and I (Charles, your humble admin assistant) sat down to talk about how they relate to tarot - as a queer person, as a part of their therapeutic practice, as a part of their heritage. Then, through the month, we posted card readings that Annie did with a beautiful deck of tarot cards designed by @trungles. The Star Spinner Tarot is magical, referencing mythology, folk tales, art nouveau, and classic tarot symbology. There are lots of different bodies and personalities represented in the deck, though we only pulled a few cards for the readings.
As the month progressed, I shared snippets of the video interview we did together on our instagram. Now, you can feel free to watch the whole interview in sequence below, and find the full transcript here. After the video, you’ll find all of Annie’s card interpretations, including one not published on instagram, and a bonus interpretation from yours truly!
Reading #1: The Chariot
FOCUS
STEADFASTNESS
PERSERVERANCE
The Chariot reveals a path requiring focus and steadfastness. This card urges us to sit in perseverance, and to harness our force of will to drive us to success in our goals.
The chariot does not exist independently from others. This card views opposing forces as a necessary part of the struggle. This is seen in the dual cats at the helm of the chariot in the image. The driver of the chariot sits with them in presence. These opposing forces are not dismissed, but are part of the journey, maybe even part of what drives you. The chariot calls on us to sit with these opposing forces with assurity in our paths, to harness empowerment and meet our challenges head on. In cartomancy, the Chariot is commonly associated with being on a necessary path.
Use your time with this image to reflect on your own path. If you'd like to reflect on what you're feeling, you can draw, journal, or meditate to connect with these feelings. I invite you to use some of these prompts below to guide you on your path:
What are the opposing internal forces within you? Explore which of these are at your helm.
How do you sit with them when they are in opposition to each other, to you? Explore your role in the struggle.
Is there a part of yourself that relates to the Chariot? What might the part of yourself look or act like?
Reading #2:
The Wheel of Fate
CHANGE
CHAOS
CONSTRUCTION
These are only part of what the World of Fate card can represent. Known as a card of good luck and fortune, the Wheel of Fate reminds us that the ever changing world proceeds forward. This however is not an unfeeling card, but a reminder to our systems that there is inevitability in change. The emotions that can come forward from change are deserving of our honour and attention.
Observe your relationship to change as we sit with this card. Consider then, what change looks like in your wider world, in relationship to others. Our communities experience chaos, destruction and construction in many ways. The Wheel of Fate invites us to look internally and externally, to observe and understand change as a force of nature and consider its impact. Observe this card with relationality in mind.
What influences your relationship to change? (ex. life experiences, relationships to others, your place in systems etc)
How do you respond to change? Observe these different parts, what do you notice? (ex. resistance, deflection, acceptance, etc)
What does this image of the Wheel of Fate invoke in you? Are there particular parts of the image which resonate with you?
Reading #3:
DEATH
CHANGE
TRANSFORMATION
COMPLETION
Notice a theme in the cards drawn so far in this reading? Again we see a card of immense transformative power. Many grow to fear or resent the power that a card like Death holds in the major arcana, but this is not inherently an omen of ill portent. Instead, let us consider the transformative nature of a card like Death, and what this could mean for your internal therapeutic journey.
Notice the imagery in the card, how Nyx (the night sky) holds her young Thanatos (death personified). When I reflect on this card I see how gently the night holds death during this period of transformation, how death points to the butterfly and all the change it symbolizes. A gentle, nurturing energy may be needed for younger parts of ourselves during this transformation. Or perhaps this symbolizes more generally how we should approach care when our worlds are in fluxuation. It encourages reflection on how we care for each other, how we care for our internal parts, and how we can sit with each other through collaborative community care. I invite you to reflect on yourself and your place on this path of transformation.
How does your system respond to transformation?
Where are you in your transformation?
What energy is already present in your transformation? What energy is needed, or approaching you on your path?
Reflect on the symbolism of the card, what do the images convey to you?
Are there parts of yourself needing comfort/care?
Reading #4:
6 of Coins
COMMUNITY
MUTUAL AID
COMPASSION
(coins are one suit of the four minor arcana and can also be referred to as pentacles)
The Six of Coins has many traditional associations in card readings, centering around philanthropy and generosity. Coins as a suit are connected to luck, material resources, and the Earth. There is rich symbolism in this card (pun intended) that goes beyond "wealth" related readings.
The Six of Coins reminds us that we exist in connection with others, much like the roots of plants that flourish in the same soil. Plants in nature rely on each other, on the earth, on the pollinators and the worms that work the soil. We as creatures on this land hold responsibility to it, and to each other. We can learn many lessons from plants and observe this relationship. Our relationship to other beings is intertwined with our mutual survival, that we exist in connection with others, providing and receiving from one another.
Capitalism and white supremacy as structures discourage these kinds of knowing to profit off our disconnection and suffering. The drawing of the Six of Coins reminds us of this relationship and encourages us to lean into each other in times of need. This card reminds us of our need to give and receive in both material and relational ways. Relationality is often a path to healing, one that we often see in therapy relationships. This goes beyond a transactional exchange, and becomes one where we generate energy and build a relationship with one another.
When you reflect this week on the Six of Coins, consider the symbolism within it and how it shows up in your life. Observe your own relationships, or the relationships you wish to have. Think on your values, how you show up with each other. Observe different elements of this card (colour, shape, texture) and how they interact with the symbolism. What meaning do you interpret from this?
Reflect on how you respond to generosity. How do you respond when you give, or when you receive? What parts of your self become activated when this occurs?
Observe your emotions in reflection on generosity. What responses come up in your body, mind, and heart? Observe these and practice being present with these emotions for a moment.
Reflect on your relationality in a wider sense, with your community, your humanity, the earth.
Reading #5: 8 of Swords Reversed
EMPOWERMENT
CONTROL
RELEASE
(swords are one suit of the four minor arcana and can also be referred to as quills)
Today's card is the first appearance in this reading of a reversed card.
The Eight of Swords when UPRIGHT shows the image of a humanoid creature trapped, surrounded and blindfolded. When upright this card represents the sitter feeling trapped, often evoking emotions of feeling helpless and out of control. A striking part in the visual aspects of this card is the bright red blindfold covering the eyes of the sitter, this is where my attention is drawn in the reading today.
Let's observe this card as it was drawn, in REVERSED position.
When the Eight of Swords is reversed, there is a calling for the sitter to acknowledge the blindfold covering their eyes. In the reversed position, this card calls us out! It asserts that we often know our situation, or perhaps what covers our eyes and contributes to our plight. This card calls us to gently acknowledge this awareness, and to work towards releasing our bonds.
Look again at the red blindfold - it is untied in this image and could fall away, leaving the person able to fly from the remainder of their bonds. However the sitter may not know the blindfold is untied. They may know, but remain trapped in what remains of their cage. The reversed Eight of Swords is a sign of growth, change, and self-control.
In therapy together we often explore growth and self-discovery as seen in this card. That there are ways we can empower ourselves within our means to enact real change in our lives. Release is another strong theme in this reversed card, so I offer to you a chance to explore and release that which may no longer serve you.
Observe the blindfold again and consider yourself. Explore your awareness of what blinds or binds you.
Lean into this with curiosity. Wonder what may remain hidden from you, or what you may be aware of but are not acknowledging.
Reflect on what or who the blindfold serves. Are there parts of yourself that hold on to this blindfold? What emotions do different parts of yourself hold about what blinds and binds you (or what appears to)?
Reading #6:
Knight of Chalices
AWARENESS
IMAGINATION
AFFECTION
(chalices are one suit of the four minor arcana and can also be referred to as cups)
Sitting with the Knight of Chalices today in our reading, I'm reminded of an overarching theme from the cards pulled so far. The transformative nature of this work is very clear - sometimes the cards really like to call us in!
The Knight of Chalices again works in the realm of our emotions, this time engaging our emotional awareness and connection. This is a card that signifies intelligence, affection and awareness of our emotional sphere. This same Knight also is familiar with imagination-- perhaps as a source of comfort, to help conceptualize goals and outcomes, or even as a way to communicate internally with different parts of themselves.
Specific to this reading, the Knight of Chalices is an important part of our transformation. It reminds us that emotional awareness is only one area of our experience, and that we should engage in other parts of our experience too. It could be a call to utilize imagination to connect with these emotions in different ways. Think art, visualization, internal dialogue, among others.
It also could be a call to change your relationship to imagination-- for example, do you tend to utilize imagination to escape emotions, or connect with them? What does this bring forth in you, and how does this contribute to your understanding of yourself?
How about the nurturing nature of this Knight-- do you meet yourself with this same nurturing, affectionate nature? The Knight of Chalices is a reminder for balance. Balance yourself with multiple ways of understanding your experience, and without forcing understanding from a certain perspective.
What role does emotional awareness play in your life?
What is your relationship to imagination (entertainment, escape, connection etc)
Reflect on the imagery of this card with our theme mentioned above. What parts stand out to you, and wonder to yourself why?
Reading #7:
8 of Chalices
PREPARATION
CONTEMPLATION
JOURNEY
There is a dreamy reading attached to this card.
With such soft imagery and whimsy in its design, it evokes the sense that the sitter has contemplated their past and has a journey they are about to embark on. This card is seen as a card of action, a card that symbolizes taking the first step on the forked path ahead of you. For whatever reasons you have decided to leave your current circumstance, this card highlights that there is hope in the journey ahead. There may be a sense of excitement or wonder attached to this journey, or perhaps your destination is unknown, but you can visualize what it may feel or look like.
In your therapy journey, contemplation is one part of your journey. For many, this is a part that is loaded with discovery, actualization, and validation. There may also be moments of release, reflection, and preparation for the next steps on your path. The Eight of Chalices does not indicate how the road ahead may be, the challenges and changes that come along your path are yours to discover. It does however invite you to notice in what ways you may be ready to take the next step.
Reflect on this idea of "readiness". What aspects of your life or experiences influence what "readiness" looks like to you?
What are you looking to release as your journey continues?
What are you wanting to process or accept on the path?
From Charles, here is a
BONUS READING:
FIVE OF STAFFS
CONFLICT
COMPETITION
PLAY
(staffs are one suit of the minor arcana and can also be referred to as wands)
This card, unlike the others from @trungles, is from one of the decks that popularized tarot amongst occult practitioners of the early 20th century. The Rider-Waite-Smith deck’s imagery became the coathook upon which future artists would hang their hats.
It’s hard to tell if these people are fighting or playing. They could even be trying to build something? Their expressions run the gamut. But at the very least, one gets a sense of crossed purposes, of not working together in one direction, or a general feeling of chaos. That’s what this card often means in a reading. The degree of intensity can be better understood in context. But suffice to say, this card may indicate you’re feeling a bit scattered, a bit uncertain, and a bit embattled.
Here are some things that are very 5 of wands coded for me:
You and your friend often tease each other lovingly, but something they joked about recently really hurt your feelings. You can’t tell whether you’re being reasonable or not, but it felt more pointed than usual, or it hit on a real insecurity you didn’t realized you had.
You are trying to organize an event of some sort but there are maybe too many cooks in the kitchen? Everyone wants to be in charge and everyone has lots of ideas for how it should be done, such that you’re all tangled in knots on your signal group trying to actually get something going.
You have the sense that you are falling behind at work, and it’s starting to feel like your coworkers are judging you. Is it because you are judging yourself? Is it because THEY are falling behind? Why do things feel so tense?
Get the idea? It’s a bit of a squirrelly feeling and hard to put your finger on, but it’s there. The key with this card is recognizing the big picture: in the end, they’re just sticks. Its intensity can be amped up or tamped down by the cards around it in a reading, but the advice is the same. Get grounded, read the instructions, say what you mean, and give people the benefit of the doubt. It might also be a reminder to get out there and play!
Where are you feeling squirrely in your body right now? When does it come up / get bigger?
Can you see a character in the card above that you relate to? What do they want to do in this situation?
Reflect on any conflicts you may be feeling these days - if these conflicts were a game you were playing, what are the rules? What would “winning” feel like?
