|
|
|
- Tarot Tip: The Four Powers of Tarot
- Wald's Words of Wisdom
- Feature: Court Cards as a Songwriting Process
- Upcoming Events
This month you came from:Brazil, Canada, China, Italy, Philippines, Romania, the United Kingdom, and the United States!
|
I often use tarot to understand myself, how I do things and interact with the people in my life. I especially rely on my Birth Cards and Elemental Array, two Tarot Psychology methods that Wald and I have developed over the years. My Birth Cards are the foundation upon which everything else is built.
As a Moon-Hermit, there are a few characteristics that define how I live my life. First, in order to either walk the path of The Moon or climb the mountain of The Hermit, I must take one step at a time -- slowly and deliberately. Simply skipping ahead can be very dangerous, no matter how much I'd like to do that.
Second, I need to trust my ability to persevere in order to reach the end of the path or the top of the mountain. Abandoning either mid-way just means I'll have to walk back or climb down. That takes about the same amount of energy, so I might as well keep going.
Another thing my Birth Cards explain is why I stay connected to people. I've been close to some of my friends for over 50 years. People who used to come to class or attend The Readers Studio, whom I haven't seen or heard from in years, still hold a special place in my heart. If you think about a horizontal path or a vertical climb, the end of the journey remains connected to the beginning. That connection is never broken.
There are many reasons we love to teach about Birth Cards. These are some that have been especially meaningful to me. If you're a Moon-Hermit, you may recognize some of these characteristics in yourself as well.
If you don't know your Birth Cards, use our handy online calculator here:
Wald and I are very excited to be offering a series of monthly Zoom classes on our system of Birth Cards! We haven't taught about them in a number of years and really look forward to doing that.
We're starting with an Introduction to Birth Cards on Monday, April 20th. Each month thereafter, we'll teach you about a different set of Birth Cards, with some additional practicum classes at the end!
Spread the experience of tarot - share this newsletter with other Tarot Enthusiasts!
|
|
The Four Powers of Tarot *
©️2026 Cheryl Ryder, Albuquerque Tarot Tribe
|
Many tarot readers learn the four suits as symbolic categories: Wands represent energy, Cups emotions, Swords intellect, and Pentacles the material world. These associations are quite useful, but over time I began to notice something deeper and more engaging.
Across tarot literature, the suits consistently describe four domains of human engagement with life. Wands speak of initiative and enterprise. Cups point toward relationships and values. Swords emphasize clarity and discernment. Pentacles concern the structures that sustain our lives.
Looking at these domains together suggests a simple but powerful insight: the suits reflect four human capacities that we all possess. I like to think of them as The Four Powers of Tarot:
Suit: Wands
Domain: energy, initiative
Human Power: Power to Act
Suit: Cups
Domain: relationships, values
Human Power: Power to Care
Suit: Swords
Domain: clarity, analysis
Human Power: Power to Understand
Suit: Pentacles
Domain: work, resources
Human Power: Power to Build
These
powers do not belong to the cards.
They belong to us.
The cards simply help illuminate when and where those capacities may be needed and ways in which they may be applied.
Tarot as a Mirror of Human Experience
The images in the tarot are not abstract diagrams; they are small dramas depicting moments in human life. We see people facing obstacles, making decisions, celebrating successes, and navigating relationships. When we read the cards, we are not merely identifying symbols. We are observing situations that resemble experiences we recognize from our own lives. The Four Powers framework can help us ask more useful questions when approaching a card:
Understand – What is actually happening in my life? (not the meaning I assign to it).
Care – What values or relationships matter to me and others?
Build – What structures or
conditions support the situation?
Act – What action might move the story forward?
These questions shift the reading from prediction toward awareness.
Reclaiming Sovereignty and Agency
Many people come to tarot during times of uncertainty. When circumstances feel overwhelming, it can be tempting to look to the cards for answers that lie outside ourselves. But the tarot does not remove our agency. If anything, it reminds us of the powers we already possess.
The cards often highlight moments of tension, disruption, or change. Those moments can trigger emotional reactions, especially when we encounter cards traditionally associated with conflict or adversity.
Seen through the lens of the Four Powers, however, such cards become invitations rather than warnings. They invite us to observe carefully, recognize what matters, clarify the situation, and decide how we will respond. In other words, they invite us to engage our own powers.
The Reader’s Role
The tarot reader is therefore not an oracle who delivers fixed answers. Instead, the reader becomes a facilitator of awareness — someone who helps illuminate the dynamics unfolding in a situation so that the querent can recognize their own capacity to respond wisely.
The suits point toward the arenas of life where events are occurring, but the Four Powers remind us that within those arenas we still retain the ability to:
- understand what is happening,
- care about what matters,
- build conditions that support our values,
- and act with intention.
When readers begin to see the cards in this way, the tarot becomes less about foretelling events and more about navigating life with clarity and purpose. And that may be one of the most empowering gifts the cards can offer.
What do you think?
About Cheryl Ryder:
|
60-years of tarot use and study, a tarot workshop developer and the leader of the Albuquerque Tarot Tribe Meetup Group for the past 12 years. Cheryl has grown the group from 150 members to over 1200 using innovative and interactive teaching methods.
You all know her: a 10-year Readers Studio veteran, 7 years of Coordinating the Tarot Ambassador Team, occasional First-Timer Initiator, Merchant Faire Vendor, and in 2024, the Facilitator of the Sunday morning Tarot Incubator Discussions.
Cheryl’s ongoing programs and discussion groups on the Albuquerque Tarot Tribe’s platform (open to anyone interested in tarot globally) continue to inspire people to expand and deepen their learning of tarot and their worlds.
https://www.meetup.com/the-albuquerque-tarot-meetup-group/
To submit a question to be answered in a future issue of Tarot Tips, send us an email at tarot@tarotschool.com
|
|
Wald's Words of Wisdom
|
|
|
Feature Article
THE COURT CARDS AS A SONGWRITING PROCESS
🎼 By Veronica Harrison
As a musician for over 20 years, much of that time immersed in piano, I’ve come to feel that music is as intricate as tarot itself. People are complex, with many layers and many aspects. Songwriting is no different.
About the author:
|
|
Mind Your Own Business
BUILDING YOUR BUSINESS
Some tips for launching your tarot trade
By Patti Woods
It’s been six years since we retreated into the pandemic-driven lockdown, and the tarot landscape saw a dramatic change. Seemingly overnight, there was a boom of people getting readings, buying decks, learning the cards and starting their own tarot businesses. I’d love to know the numbers behind it. How many people launched their tarot business during this time? How many are still in business today?
To be honest, I thought we’d hit the apex a couple of years ago, but if we can trust social media (and of course, we can’t), it would seem that there’s a new wave of interest. Maybe it’s just my algorithm, but lately I’m constantly seeing posts from people saying, “I think I’m ready to start my own spiritual business.”
And the replies are most often things like, “Do it!” and “This is your calling!” If only it were that easy. These posts got me thinking back to when I first started reading tarot professionally and what I wish I had known. With that in mind, here are some tips you might feel helpful if you’re considering hanging up your shingle.
1) Don’t quit your day job. Whether it’s tarot or accounting or dog walking– whatever business you envision creating– it’s always easier to start as a side hustle. My first paid gig was for a baby shower. At the time, I was the editor of a newspaper and one of my coworkers hired me to read tarot at a baby shower. That was my first paid opportunity and then I very slowly began doing events and private readings on evenings and weekends.
2) Focus on building up a stable clientele. Most likely, you won’t have a full schedule right out of the gate. Treat each client like they’re your best client.
3) Consider your pricing carefully. I’ve written about this before, but it bears repeating. If you’re just starting out, your prices should reflect that. It’s perfectly okay to charge a small fee (or even ask for a donation) when you’re just getting your feet wet. However, you also need to keep in mind expenses and energetic output. Don’t overcharge, but also don’t sell yourself short.
4) Treat your business like a business. Keep your financial accounts separate. I truly felt legit when I first opened my business checking account. If you’re using Venmo or PayPal, make sure you’re using the business settings, not personal. This is for your protection as well as the client’s.
5) Look into the local laws (some towns and states like Massachusetts require a license to practice; others, like Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Minnesota and North Carolina have laws against “fortune telling.”)
6) Remember that there is a difference between a hobby and a business. When tarot is your livelihood, you have to spend as much time doing the not-so-fun “businessy” stuff– marketing, advertising, accounting– as you do reading.
7) Try not to compare. This isn’t easy, particularly with the easy visibility of so many other readers on social media. Remember that no one builds a business overnight. The most successful practitioners likely have been doing this for a long time.
8) Enlist support. It can be lonely owning your own business. Talk to other solopreneurs, join networking groups, collaborate with other spiritual practitioners.
It can be exciting (and a little scary) moving from a hobby into a small business. Taking it one step at a time and celebrating small successes can make the transition easier. For those who already have established tarot businesses, what words of advice would you give to someone just starting out?
About Patti:
|
Patti Woods is a writer and tarot reader with over 20 years of experience in the publishing industry. Having served as an editor for both newspapers and magazines, she transitioned into freelance writing, contributing hundreds of articles to major publications such as The Boston Globe, Business Insider, Wine Spectator, Parade Magazine, The Week, Christian Science Monitor, Vegetarian Times, and Health, among many others.
In addition to her writing career, Patti is the founder of Mind, Body & Tarot, a business featured in Business Insider, Reader's Digest, Good Housekeeping, Fodor's Travel, and more.
She is also the author of Lost Restaurants of Fairfield, published by Arcadia/The History Press, and has contributed to several anthologies, including Chicken Soup for the Soul.
Learn more about her services and offerings at www.pattiwoods.com.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/boozytarot
IG: boozy_tarot
|
|
Upcoming Events: 
Tarot Salon on Zoom!
7:00 – 9:00 pm EST
Our popular Monday night classes are held over Zoom so you can attend no matter where you live.
Classes are recorded and all levels of experience are welcome!
APRIL 2026:
6 - Symbols of the Ace of Swords
13 - Symbols of the 2 of Swords
20 - Introduction to Birth
Cards
27 - The Esoteric Depths of Tarot
Get on the notification list to see what we'll be teaching each week.
|
|
Readings with Ruth Ann
Running The Tarot School with Wald keeps me pretty busy, but I still love giving readings! My specialty is using your Birth Cards
and Elemental Array (techniques Wald and I have developed) in conjunction with random draws to give you an extremely personalized and powerful reading.
If you are familiar with the Tree of Life, you may request a Birth Cards Synastry Reading. I will compare your Birth Cards with those of one or two others to give you a deeper understanding of your relationship with them.
I excel at giving Readings for Readers so if you're always giving readings to others, let me help you with some self-care for a change!
|
|
|
|
|
|