Issue #13
Girls and ghouls,
Thanks for opening this email and hello to all new subscribers! This week’s musing is inspired by an anonymous comment I got from a reader of last week’s newsletter.
This isn’t the first time I’ve been told something like this since I started reading Oracle and tarot cards a few months ago. I’ve gotten comments both in person and online, both anonymously and to my face, from friends who are concerned for my salvation.
I asked the folks who watch my story on Instagram what they think, and here are some responses I got:
Leave a comment on this newsletter; next week’s musing will be a response to it!
My very first encounter with tarot cards was when I was a child. We had gotten a box of free games and hand-me-downs from somewhere. Inside, there was a deck of cards. But this wasn’t just any deck of cards. On the cover was a person draped in a red robe with their arm extended to the sky. When my mom saw the deck of cards, she grabbed them from my hands and threw them in the garbage, ‘That’s not a toy.’
As a teenager, I practiced a bit of palm reading, fascinated with the craft after I got a quick palm reading from a vendor sitting outside the Vancouver Art Gallery when I was downtown one Saturday with my friends. When I joined Youth With A Mission (YWAM), I brought up very casually one day that I dabbled in the “New Age” practices of palm reading, astrology, yoga, and more. The faces in the room were shocked, bewildered that a witch was in their midst. They all stood around me in a circle with their hands on me and prayed out all the evil spirits that had surely entered me through practicing these evil rituals. I repented from my old ways and shunned all divination from then onwards, everything from fortune cookies to transcendental meditation.
While the Bible does not mention tarot cards, due to tarot cards being invented in the 15th century, long after the Bible was written, many Christians use a verse from Deuteronomy to back up their belief that tarot is evil.
“When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord; because of these same detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you.”
There is a lot to unpack here, and I don’t claim to be a biblical scholar. I break out in a nervous sweat the moment anyone tries to engage me in any kind of theological debate. But here it goes, swampy armpits and all.
The Laws Moses was given specifically to the people of ancient Israel.
First of all, if you’re not familiar with Biblical history, the book of Deuteronomy is the final book of the Torah, in which Moses gives the Israelites a collection of laws. Israel is preparing to enter (ie. commit genocide to and colonize) the “promised land”, a land that worships many gods who represent all different aspects of creation. In Moses’ view, worshiping these Gods degrades humans and destroys community, unlike worshiping the God of Israel, who is the creator and redeemer.
I always think it’s funny when Christians cite an ancient law in Deuteronomy or Leviticus when they’re trying to discredit a certain practice or behavior. Christians are notorious for picking and choosing which Bible verses are important still today, and which ones don’t matter anymore. It’s detestable to be gay (Lev 20:13), but eating bacon (Deut 14:8) is fine; reading tarot cards (Deut 18:10) is evil but it’s okay to wear a cotton polyester blend (Deut 22:11). Any practice you want to affirm or discredit, there is a Bible verse for that. The Bible has been used to endorse slavery (Col 3:22), oppress women (1 Tim 2:11-12), beat your children (Prov 23:13-14), and commit genocide (the entire book of Joshua).
I have read the Bible in its entirety four times. I used to study the Bible for hours a day, I preached it on the street and led Bible studies in church. I still see the Bible as holy scripture and the divine word of God, but I do not read it as fervently as I once did. Today, I view the Bible as a written record of the ancient Israelites' encounters with God. There are many cultures and people groups the world over that have passed down their stories of God from generation to generation, orally or through written text. Due to a variety of factors – including the Emporer Constantine making Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire in 313, the Gutenberg Revolution in the 1450s which made the Bible accessible to more people than ever before, and the colonization of the Americas in the 1500s – I happened to be born into a society that misinterprets scripture meant for ancient Israelites.
Modern Christianity is often filled with ways in which we’ve adapted pagan traditions to make them our own.
Christmas, the very holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus, is filled with pagan traditions as the holiday was originally adapted from the pagan’s winter solstice celebrations. Decorating a tree was adapted from a Roman tradition from the ancient holiday of Saturnalia, in which they would hang small metal ornaments on trees outside their homes, each ornament representing a different god.
Easter, the holiday that celebrates the death and resurrection of Jesus, is also filled with pagan traditions adapted from Spring Equinox celebrations. Everything from painting eggs to rabbit symbolism to hot cross buns was stolen from pagans.
The Enneagram is a type of personality classification that was a recent fad among millennial Christians, but some see it as a practice of the occult due to its use of numerology and its symbol that is reminiscent of a pentagram.
Yoga is often shunned by Christians due to its roots in Hinduism, but adaptions of the practice, like Holy Yoga, are somehow viewed as okay.
Even tarot can be used as a reflective tool for Christians to worship and pray, according to Brittany Muller, author of The Contemplative Tarot.
In my constant pursuit of building a personal relationship with the divine, I’ve recently picked up the practice of tarot. I do not use tarot to predict the future, communicate with the dead, or worship the devil, I use tarot as a tool for self-reflection, building intuition, and activating the imagination.
In the end, it doesn’t matter. I’m not writing this whole diatribe to convince anyone of anything or even change people’s minds about how they view tarot. Everyone has the right to think and believe what they want to. So, walk in love and continue to live your best life according to whatever system of beliefs you’ve adopted. Love you, bitches!
Journaling Prompt: If I could lighten up a little, I’d let myself …
12 Things I Learned From My First 12 Podcast Episodes
There is no new podcast episode this week. I recently recorded an episode with my darling, handsome boyfriend who is a systems manager, and will be posting that episode next week. I’ve been busy scheduling new guests for upcoming episodes, including a hypnotherapist, a foraging chef, a researcher and seminal lecturer at UFV, and many more! Stay tuned! For now, check out the blog post I just wrote on 12 things I learned from my first 12 episodes.
Artist’s Way, Week 7: Recovering a Sense of Connection
This is my series on The Artist’s Way, a workbook focused on creative recovery. Check out my posts on Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, and Week 6 if you haven’t already. This week focuses on mindset, accessing your intuition, and uncovering areas of genuine creative interest.
Despite the snowfall on Sunday night, I have been feverishly planning and buying seeds for my garden, in eager anticipation of planting the first few seeds that need a bit of cold stratification in a few weeks. I’m looking forward to the Chilliwack seed swap on April 20th in Ryder Lake!
One of my closest friends since grade eight asked me to be her bridesmaid this week! This is my first time as a bridesmaid, and her wedding will be a four-day long affair in July, and a blending of Catholic and Sikh traditions.
I posed for a figure drawing class at the Chilliwack Cultural Centre recently. I was beyond nervous and almost canceled at the last minute, but I ended up facing my fears, and it was the easiest $60 I ever made.
I LOVED listening to the audiobook Love That Story: Observations from a Gorgeously Queer Life, written and read by Jonathan van Ness. It is a hilarious book of essays about everything from navigating the healthcare system as a queer HIV-positive person to imposter syndrome to trans rights to the stages of grief to how to develop a great relationship with your hairdresser. You probably know Jonathan as the hairdresser from Queer Eye, they also host an incredibly informative podcast, Getting Curious, and they are the author of two other books, Over the Top (a memoir) and Peanut Goes for the Gold (a children’s book about a non-binary guinea pig performing rhythmic gymnastics in the Olympics).
I worked crazy amounts of overtime this weekend, and in preparation, I made some bomb sandwich fillings and muffins so I didn’t rely on takeout all weekend. Here are my favorite recipes that all work great on the bread of your choice (I like Portuguese buns or everything bagels), topped with slices of tomatoes and some leaves of lettuce.
Tofu Sandwich Filling
Blend 1/4 cup plant milk, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 tbsp maple syrup, a generous pinch of salt, 1 tsp lemon juice, and 1 tsp apple cider vinegar. With the motor running, pour in 1/4 cup vegetable oil.
In a food processor, combine 1 block extra-firm tofu, 1/4 cup nutritional yeast, 1 tbsp maple syrup, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp lemon juice, salt and pepper, and the blended mixture from above. Pulse until combined. Chop two sticks of celery and stir into the mixture.
Marinated Carrot Sandwich Filling
Combine 4 cups finely grated carrots, 1/2 minced red onion, 3 tbsp chopped capers, 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp liquid smoke, 1 tbsp maple syrup, a generous pinch of salt.
Pickled Onions
In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine 1/2 cup white vinegar, 1/2 cup water, 2 tbsp white sugar, and a generous pinch of salt. Continue to heat this mixture, consistently stirring, until the sugar and salt have dissolved.
Thinly slice one red onion and place it in a sterilized jar. Pour the still-hot vinegar mixture into the jar, ensuring the onions are completely submerged.
I’m pulling a three-card spread with The Wild Unknown Pocket Tarot by Kim Krans. The interpretations are by me, with the help of Kran’s guidebook and Everyday Tarot by Brigit Esselmont.
The question I’m asking is:
How can readers develop a better relationship with the divine?
Three of Wands
The suit of wands signifies inspiration, energy flow, and creation, it is related to our dreams, goals, and ambitions. The number three symbolizes growth, decisions, and change. This card often signifies looking toward the future and foraging a new path. While you’ve developed a strong foundation of morals and values from your family of origin, it is time to clarify your goals and make purpose-driven changes in your life.
Nine of Cups
Cups are the suit of emotions, representing the quality of your relationships and connections to others. The number nine symbolizes the climax of a situation. Nine of cups is a sought-after card in tarot readings, as it symbolizes abundance in all forms - good health, emotional satisfaction, spiritual fulfillment, and financial gain. It is a card of harmony, happiness, and wishes coming true.
Mother of Wands
The Mother (or the Queen) or wands symbolizes a passionate, intuitive, vibrant leader with spiritual strength and inner wisdom. She is proud, determined, graceful, and beautiful, yet she has overcome great pain and trauma in her life. She is bold and courageous, a natural-born leader who fiercely protects those she loves.
To develop a better relationship with the divine, you must be open to new experiences and perspectives, ready to forge your path into unknown territories. Find contentment in the abundance that is overflowing in your life, and practice gratitude for where your spiritual journey has led you thus far. Finally, trust in your inner strength and wisdom when embarking on this spiritual journey. Remember that you are capable of the kind of passionate leadership that inspires others and affects real change. Be courageous and bold in expressing your spirituality, letting no one dim your light.
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I am honored to have written this newsletter and experienced all the joys within these words on S’ólh Téméxw, the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Stō:lo Coast Salish peoples.