At the beginning of each card study class, we do an exercise called Close Examination. The basic idea is to take a detailed look at everything in the card. There are a number of ways to approach that but my favorite is to find something you've never noticed before. Try it sometime and see if it changes or adds to your interpretation of the card.  

The same card rarely speaks in exactly the same way twice. A symbol that once seemed mysterious may suddenly become obvious. A card we thought we understood may reveal an entirely new dimension. Each reading, each class, and each conversation adds another layer of meaning.

For us, teaching tarot has always been a conversation rather than a lecture. Some of our most meaningful discoveries have come not from presenting ideas, but from exploring them together. Whether we are examining symbols, discussing number relationships, studying Birth Cards, or considering the many ways tarot reflects both our inner and outer worlds, we continue to learn from the observations, questions, and experiences shared by our students.

After all these years, the cards continue to remind us that there is always more to see. 
 

(Left to right) Queen of Swords, Death, and Time from the Visconti-Sforza tarot cards by Bonifacio Bembo. Milan or Cremona, Italy, ca. 1456-58.Art works by Bonifacio Bembo / Courtesy Morgan Library & Museum

This summer, the Morgan Library & Museum is presenting Tarot! Renaissance Symbols, Modern Visions, a major exhibition that traces the history of tarot from its origins in Renaissance Italy to its continuing influence on modern and contemporary artists. The exhibition is divided into two parts: one devoted to the earliest surviving tarot cards and another exploring the many ways artists have reimagined tarot imagery over the past century.

Among the highlights are the extraordinary Visconti-Sforza cards, some of the oldest and most beautiful tarot cards in existence. The Morgan's own collection forms the foundation for the exhibition, and many of these fifteenth-century masterpieces will be reunited with companion cards from Italy for the first time in North America. The exhibition also includes works by modern and contemporary artists inspired by tarot, including Leonora Carrington, Remedios Varo, and a newly commissioned work by Chris Ofili.

Also included are a number of related programs that may be of particular interest to tarot enthusiasts. The Morgan is offering lectures and panel discussions on tarot's artistic and historical significance, an online course exploring intuition and tarot imagery, and even evening tarot readings within the museum itself.

For anyone interested in the history, symbolism, and artistic legacy of tarot, this promises to be one of the most significant tarot exhibitions ever presented in New York. Tarot! Renaissance Symbols, Modern Visions runs from June 26 through October 4 at the Morgan Library & Museum.

https://www.themorgan.org/exhibitions/tarot

Not Who You Are, But How You Grow

©️2026 Cheryl Ryder, Albuquerque Tarot Tribe

Kings direct power intentionally while accepting responsibility for outcomes and continuity.

Notice that none of these describe a fixed identity. They describe relationships to personal skills growth and modes of engagement with life. You can see this progression clearly within any suit and any deck. 

Suit: Wands

Alchemical Element: Fire       

Domain: energy, initiative            

Human Power: Power to Act

Suit: Cups 

Alchemical Element: Water        

Domain: relationships, values     

Human Power: Power to Care

Suit: Swords

Alchemical Element: Air       

Domain: clarity, analysis     

Human Power: Power to Understand

Suit: Pentacles

Alchemical Element: Earth          

Domain: work, resources     

Human Power: Power to Build

Let’s put the Life Domains associated with the Suits together with the personal skills interactions of the Court Ranks: 

For example, in the Suit of Swords — the Domain of Understanding, with the goal of developing skills using the powers of clarity, discernment, coherence, measurement and definition — the developmental sequence becomes surprisingly recognizable:

• Page of Swords explores curiosity, questioning, and mental experimentation.
  • “What is this, what makes it work, what does it do, how can I use it better?”

• Knight of Swords actively tests ideas through intense questioning, challenging coherence.
  • “Does this hold up to scrutiny,  does it work everywhere all the time, why and why not?”
  • “What can I do to help people clearly understand what is needed here without overbearance?”
  • “I make people clearly understand that my aim is stewardship of infrastructure to ensure continuity for all.”

• Queen of Swords refines discernment into adaptive, responsive clarity using influence, not force.

• King of Swords intentionally directs systems operations using principles of cause and effect, makes dispassionate (not unemotional!) decisions, applies and expects precision in communications.   

The suit remains the same. What changes through the court ranks is how the Power of Understanding is engaged at various levels of skill and in various situational contexts.

This approach to Courts as life skills instead of personality traits also changes the role of the tarot reader.

Instead of reducing someone to a label, we begin observing patterns of engagement:

• What capacities are developing?
• What abilities are being strained?
• What level of regulation is present?
• What stressors are in play and with what skill level is the person responding?
• What support might help growth continue?
• What broader engagement may become possible?

And perhaps most importantly ask yourself:  “What level of skill will < I >  respond with?”

That question quietly changes the entire reading process.

Court Cards stop functioning as judgment tools and begin functioning as mirrors of conscious participation in life. When we read the Courts developmentally, the cards become immediately recognizable in real human experience deeply practical and that makes them  deeply practical. 

We can see, not symbolic kings and queens sitting on mystical or furniture, but living human beings doing the best they can to develop the skills needed to navigate life and its demands.

And because life is never static and development is really never fixed, movement always remains possible. Growth remains ever possible.

That may be the most important thing the Court Cards have been trying to show us all along.

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/

Email: ABQTarotTribe@gmail.com

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

Mind Your Own Business
CHANNELING THE THREE OF PENTACLES

Creating a collaboration can bring new spark to your business

 By Patti Woods

As a professional tarot reader, you likely have a consistent schedule for readings and classes. While necessary, honestly, it can also get a little boring at times. It can also feel a bit lonely at times. One way to inject some new life into your business is to consider doing a collaboration. Teaming up with another spiritual practitioner can be a fun way to attract new clients, expand your offerings and increase credibility.  

During the pandemic, I participated in an online event called “Friday Night Flights.” The practitioners included those who work with astrology, tarot, the akashic records, Human Design and more. Participants picked three mini sessions they wanted to have, and in between sessions, they were offered the opportunity to “hang out” in a main Zoom room and mingle. It was a great way to meet new people and do something a little different from the normal one-on-one reading. Now that the world is back to doing in-person events, there are tons of opportunities for collaborations, and people are craving in-person experiences. 

So who can you team up with? Think astrologers, mediums, coaches, yoga instructors, sound bath and drum circle facilitators, art therapists … the list goes on and on. Tarot pairs very well with so many different modalities. Reach out to the people you know from your networking groups, online groups or local shops. 

Events can be created around a certain theme (manifestation, forgiveness, shadow work) or a time of year (New Year’s, Samhain, Valentine’s Day). One year I teamed up with a medium and we did an All Soul’s Day event. Another time I enlisted about a dozen different practitioners for a fundraiser Psychic Fair where each person offered mini sessions for a discounted rate. This was a great way to allow people to sample different readers to see who they resonated with. 

Before joining forces with another practitioner, there are some things to consider: 
 

1.  How will the work load be divided? 

2.  What will the price be and how will the proceeds be divided? 

3.  How will people sign up? (Will you use one main booking system?)

4.  Who will be responsible for marketing? (Do you both have newsletters and social media to utilize?)

Other things to consider:

1.  Make sure the other person aligns with your work ethic. I once did an event with someone who flew by the seat of her pants. An hour before the event, she was still working out what she wanted to talk about. While everything went fine, that was too stressful for me. I took her off my collab list. 

2.  What will your cancellation policy be? What will happen if one of the hosts has an emergency and can’t make the event? 

3.  Are there liability concerns that need to be addressed? (Insurance, licenses, permits).

Collaborations take work and it’s important to choose your partner(s) wisely, but done well, they can bring new pizzazz to your practice. People are looking for community, and with some planning, you can bring connection to others through a well-planned collaboration.

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 EDT

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!

JULY 2026:   

  6 - Color in Tarot

13 - Symbols of the 6 of Swords

20 - Symbols of the 7 of Swords

27 - Birth Cards: Justice-Priestess

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!