I was doing a panel talk at the VIVO Signal and Noise Festival and afterward these two people from the queer community came over to me. They told me they had a tarot deck that was made by a collective of queers in Portland and that there were only two copies left. They felt that I should have one. I bought their last deck and immediately I was connected to it. I lived with it, slept with it, studied it, meditated with it, and found a new way into spirituality, mysticism, and archetypal therapy that I didn’t know I was missing.
I hadn’t planned on becoming a reader, it just sort of happened. At the time I was running an artist residency program at my house called Hammock Residency (which is still a thing, but now it’s much more organized and sustainable!) and there was a revolving door of people at my house all the time. I always wanted to read, so I would ask if I could for them and they all said yes. I loved reading for people I didn’t know, it was the best practice.
In the beginning, there was very little privacy in my tarot practice. There was really no shortage of people wanting a reading, and I always wanted to read. Others put me, and I put myself, in some situations that had no boundaries. Sometimes folks would show up at my doorstep, sometimes I was brimming over with so much excitement for the cards and would just walk up to someone and offer it. Luckily, people would be very gracious, recognizing me as a baby witch with stars in their eyes who just really wanted to share.
Over the years as I honed my practice and developed better boundaries, I read part time in little rooms I affectionately called “caves” at Quidditas and Mintage Mall in Vancouver. Taking readings out of my home felt like the next step in my journey with professional boundaries.
My 40th birthday felt like a new beginning for me, and I decided that reading tarot was what I was going to do full time. And that’s exactly what I did, and then COVID happened. I moved my practice back into the cave in my house where Hammock Residency used to be, where it all started.
Being back in my home, I no longer read in person because (COVID aside) after all those years of carefree card pulls, some folks felt too comfortable showing up at my house, unannounced, for a reading. I needed to reevaluate how I wanted to offer my services and reading remotely (over the phone) does feel the best for me.
After moving to remote practice I also decided to spend more time offering tarot classes. I love sharing the knowledge of the tarot and teaching has been such a fulfilling addition to my practice.
I’m not the baby witch offering unsolicited tarot I used to be, but there is still an endless fountain inside me spilling over with a desire to read, teach and share. I’m glad you’re here for me to read to because it nourishes me too.
Lots of love,
