Queering the Tarot

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Even if the intention was to define a list of queer signs each card could represent, the list felt weak. Where’s all the rich queer history references? I wish the card interpretations felt more three-dimensional. Rather than discussing how archetypal symbols can relate to common queer experiences, it felt more like defining the cards as a sign of a particular common queer experience. To me, there’s a major difference between a symbol and a sign. A sign directs our attention toward something very specific that requires no further interpretation. Symbols involve in-depth interpretations that are semi-universal, or threaded through various associations and schemas. I also can't help but mention that the artwork chosen for this book feels tone-deaf to it's subject matter. The Justice card, for example, features a police officer. The Lovers card is of a thin feminine woman with a fit masculine man (Yes queer relationships can look like that, but we're not exactly starved for that imagery and the book missed a huge opportunity in offering something else.) 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. Also for a book that seems to pride itself on its intersectionality, I wish that they had chosen anything other than a skinny, white blond haired femme for their cover art.

We also pull some majorrrr major arcana cards and talk about the beauty of pole dancing! What a treat! The Minor Arcana is broken into four suits. The Wands represent the element Fire. As Snow describes in Queering the Tarot:

Giving Readings

Louise On “The Morning Show” Goes Gay Spy Mode " You couldn’t even bring yourself to say “Palestine” at any point and that speaks volumes. Also, Drew has written about…"

DNF @ Swords (at 50%). I have better things to do with my life than force myself to read a poorly written depressing book that excludes and stereotypes so much. Laura F On Work and Class in “The Haunting of Bly Manor” " This was an excellent article. So much going on here that most would miss and helped me see the show…" Don't feel obligated to read this book just because of what it promises--queer representation. It does not deliver. This book has given me so, so much more to consider in terms of interpreting the cards, especially in regards to giving readings to folks in the queer community. It's definitely not a book for beginners, and novices may still find it a bit overwhelming. I consider myself an advanced novice, and there is a lot to take in.Any resources for breaking cis-heteronormative tarot views and interpretations. I’m a gay male and sometimes it like 😑how tf this relate to me. For a book that purports itself to be about the queer community and teaching us how to queer the cards, I'm confused as to why there are mentions of gender (and sex organs...yes) sort of randomly throughout. The Wheel of Fortune is feminine? Since when? The Moon can't be negative because it's feminine? What? What does "feminine" mean? It's never really described. If someone doesn't connect well with stereotypical femininity, how can they connect with these cards? And the wands being a stand-in for a penis was not on my bingo card. (wtf?? xD) As a writer, tarot is also one of Cassandra’s focuses, and she authored the newly released Queering the Tarot book from Weiser/Red Wheel Publishing. Cassandra’s tarot writing has been seen at Little Red Tarot, The Column, Take Your Pills and Northern Lights Witch among others. 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

I feel like the author takes her own experiences and generalizes them out to being "2SLGBTQ+ experiences" in general. There are a lot of "we..." statements in the book that, to me, don't reflect intersectionality and presume a very particular reader. For example, phrases like "in our society...” are utilized frequently and demonstrate a clear presumption that the reader is American. I felt like the whole book presumed an American reader in their 20s or 30s who lives in a bigger city – a rather narrow focus audience.If you want to make more sustainable choices and shop new, the Good on You Sustainable Fashion Directory and App are really useful! Also, for a book about rejecting gender norms, there is a lot of discomfort around masculine energy. To explain the issue in a microcosm, Snow describes the Empress card as representative of mothering energy but encourages us to think of a mother as something beyond gender. A mother can be found in men, and doesn't necessarily have to include womanhood- but in the very same section condemns the Emperor card as a card that "bullies you into submission." When we allow a loosening of meaning, truth can shine through. Personal transformation can then enter. Queers know well that there is more than one way to tell the truth. Living the Tarot 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. This is vitally important because a lot of the cards' conventional interpretations simply don't work for queer querents (henceforth queerents) like they do for cishet folks. For instance, while a cishet person might see the Hierophant as a card of spiritual stability and community, a queerent's past experiences with the homophobia of many mainstream religious institutions might leave them bracing for abuse or even expulsion from someplace they've thought of as a safe haven. On the flip side, while a cishet querent (especially a white one) might balk at the chaos and destruction of the Tower, a queerent might gleefully welcome the chance to strike down discriminatory structures and build something new.

Cassandra Snow’s long-running and much-loved series on the Little Red Tarot community blog has been published in book form! Tarot helps us see the world anew. We must also let it help us act well. We must also let it push us to inspect the archetypes of patriarchy, and suspect them.CW/TW: bullying, school bullies, body horror (the Grinch eats glass and a plate and a raw onion), mania & manipulative public proposals. 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 It specifically looks at the cards from through a queer lens, as well as a sex-positive, polyam- and kink-friendly one. It doesn't shy away from discussing sexual or polyam themes, and that's fantastic. In addition, while there are caveats not to ever, ever assume or make concrete calls on a seeker's gender identity or sexuality - and rightly so! - there are also interpretations for readings that are about a seeker who's exploring or asking about those aspects of their life. "This card frequently appears when..." and "often this can indicate..." are a couple of the phrases used to point those things out. Again, nothing concrete or "this is how it is, all the time, no exceptions" because let's face it, humans don't do that and neither do the cards, just layers of interpretation that can help a reader to assist the person they're reading for. If the four suits represent the four elements Earth, Air, Fire, and Water, the Major Arcana is the Spirit. When one of these cards shows up in a reading, they typically reference a life lesson or journey. For instance, the first card, the Fool represents new beginnings and a fresh perspective of someone without cynicism. It may appear before you embark on a freelance project you’re extremely passionate about and determined to make work. It signifies major, often risky new beginnings that are in line with what our soul wants. As it’s the first card, the entire sequence of the Major Arcana is often referred to as the Fool’s journey. Snow queers the Fool by pointing out how often queer folks start over, such as coming out, finding queer family, supportive relationships, and so on. These queer experiences may not first come to mind when considering the Fool, but upon reflection make perfect sense. From the Fool to the World, a card of completeness and the final card of the Major Arcana, Snow offers a fresh queer perspective. The Minor Arcana