Queering the Tarot

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Welcome to Tarot Bytes – the tarot podcast for people who want to learn tarot…but don’t have all day. Short, bite-sized tarot lessons. Episode 133: Queering the Tarot with Cassandra Snow The High Priestess is all about feeling our truth, and there are few, if any, things more awakening than sex. The Emperor card was also wildly sexist. I know the author tries (or says they try) not to associate the cards with their gender, but there seems to be a personal bias against the stereotypical masc-associated traits with this card. (Really, any masc card.) Saying it's all about control and forcing people into submission feels like a huge loss to the meaning of the card, and is contrasted wildly against the almost purely positive portrayal of the Empress. I don't feel like the author did a good enough job here overcoming their own personal issues with this card and genuinely giving it a queer perspective.

In Queering the Tarot, Cassandra Snow opens up the world of tarot and makes it inclusive for the LGBTQ community and other marginalized folk. I think this may be one of the most important tarot books out today. It gives much needed representation and respect to a whole slice of the population that has been left out due to tarot’s tendency to focus on white, cisgender, heteronormative. Queering the Tarot is a wonderful book who’s time has come. It belongs on every serious tarot reader’s shelf." —Theresa Reed, author of The Tarot Coloring Book and co-author of Tarot For Troubled Times I also find it strange how, for several cards, the author says the meanings are 'guaranteed'. I'm not sure I've ever met a tarot reader who thinks any card is a guarantee. Even for spiritual readers, nothing is set in stone. So I found that really odd. Weighing in as a queer, nonbinary professional tarot reader with over 20 years of experience, some parts of this book really rubbed me the wrong way. While I empathize people saying that despite not liking the book, they still think it's important, I question how important it can be if it's done so poorly. For a book that markets itself about being inclusionary and about the queer community as a whole, to write a book where the focus is almost entirely about your own personal views/experiences, and how we should change our style to fit those specific views/experiences, that feels...well, exclusionary. And kind of bigoted, tbh. I can appreciate the idea of this book, but I cannot find myself recommending it. I've found more queer readings and understanding of tarot in non-queer focused books. This one felt often close-minded, ignorant, or extremely biased. (And the Swords section was just...I have no words. We are not therapists, and to associate swords with mental illness is insane to me.) Our conversation also included discussing interpretations for marginalized folk, gender, pronouns, advice for straight tarot readers who read for an LGBTQQIP2SA+ client, and more. Cassandra is a bright light blazing trails in tarot. You are going to learn a lot in this episode and I think her book belongs on every tarot reader’s shelf!Start with The Fool when queering the tarot, because they have queer meaning and queer place. Is The Fool the beginning of the Major Arcana or the end? The answer is unknown and unknowable as zero itself. The answer is not meant for anyone to know. the Wands usually refer to the aspect of our life in which we are most passionate about. The Wands represent ambition, passion, and lend well to queer readings, as queer folks often experience a passionate relationship with their queer identity. Wands traditionally are likened to penises, so in your readings, be careful not to assume the presence of a penis indicates a person who identifies as male. Finally, Cups represents the element of Water which is associated with emotions. The Cups are often linked with romantic relationships, but can also refer to any emotional relationship, as well as the process of healing. The fluidity inherent in water, as Snow points out, lends well to queer folks, creating a pretty queer suit. Giving Readings

While I know the author originally wrote all these as blog posts and just compiled them together, I wish they put more effort into editing. It really does seem slapped together as "good enough". There isn't really flow from one card to the next, and there is an insane amount of repetition. Issues I've not seen in other tarot books I've read. It makes the quality of this book feel more amateur. Tarot is best used as a tool for self-discovery, healing, growth, empowerment, and liberation. Tarot archetypes provide the reader with a window into present circumstances and future potential. But what if that window only opened up on a world that was white, European, and heterosexual? The interpretations of the tarot that have been passed down through tradition presuppose a commonality and normalcy among humanity. At the root of card meanings are archetypes that we accept without questioning. But at what point do archetypes become stereotypes?OK. If you are a person who is cisgender and heterosexual, and you read tarot, especially if you read for other people sometimes, here's what I need you to do: How do we bring the practice of queering the tarot into our everyday practice? Begin by questioning what you think you know about tarot. Let it guide you towards more complex meanings. Stop trying to nail everything down. Why is tarot so popular? A huge part of the draw (get it?) is the beauty of the cards themselves: 78 little stories, each with multiple layers of meaning, that reveal stories about your life. If you’ve ever performed a reading or had someone read for you, you’re probably familiar with that eerie moment when the cards seem to know exactly what your problem is—and, like a gruff but loving aunt, they call you out on it! And speaking of negative, oh boy is this book largely that! There are CONSTANT references to how badly queer people are treated, how much we suffer, how little progress there is, how everyone hates us, how isolated we are, etc etc. I think general references of activism is fine, I get it, we all get it. But the constant mention of it gets tiring. For a book where I'd like to feel seen and heard, I don't like being reminded about how much I'm not. It feels draining for me to read through sections where it's mentioned. (It's a large part of why this book took me forever to read, and while I ultimately gave up on it.) I'd love some more happy and positive examples of queer rep and readings with the cards, and not just mentions of our difficulties and hardships. Very few cards made me feel empowered. Most of them only focus on our collective trauma.