Ep 10. Embracing the Unknown

In this episode, we continue our Animals in the Tarot series with fish! Fish appear only in the 4 cups court cards and understanding fish as a symbol can help us understand what these characters are trying to communicate to us when they show up in a reading. In this episode, I talk about how fish as the first vertebrates, represent an ancient version of ourselves much more connected to instinct and intuition. We also talk about the Jesus Fish and a few miracle stories, the Hindu myth of Matsya and Manu, and the astrological sign of Pisces. Then I talk about how these myths and themes help us understand the Page, Knight, Queen, and King of cups. We also briefly touch the weirdo Crayfish creepy crawler in the Moon card. Join the email list here for pictures of the cards I pull or talk about on the podcast, the spreads I offer, and other fun musings on the tarot! Check out my workshop and past life regression meditation: Releasing Leo Book a reading with Mari Website: www.mariofthewoods.com Instagram: @mariofthewoods TikTok: @mariofthewoods

This week we're going back to Tarot basics and talking about the four suits and the history of Tarot as a playing card game. Why are there four suits? What do they each represent? Is one suit better than others? I answer all these important questions in this episode. Like in astrology, the four suits are connected to the four elements: fire, water, air, and earth. Each suit also is associated with either archetypal feminine energy or archetypal masculine energy. Adding to this framework, I also like to incorporate Jung's theory of personality types and the four cognitive functions (thinking, feeling, intuiting, and sensing), by attributing one of these to each tarot suit. If you really understand the qualities of each suit and some of the numerology, then there's really no need to memorize all the tarot meanings! Learn more about my Reiki offerings Join the email list here for pictures of the cards I pull or talk about on the podcast, the spreads I offer, and other fun musings on the tarot! Check out my workshop and past life regression meditation: Releasing Leo Book a reading with Mari Website: www.mariofthewoods.com Instagram: @mariofthewoods TikTok: @mariofthewoods

This week's episode is a deep dive into the Hierophant card and how to work with this archetype to find your spiritual center and connection to the divine. I don't know about you, but I'd never seen the word "Hierophant" before using tarot and had no idea what it was! A "hierophant" is a priest in ancient Greece, more specifically the chief priest of the Eleusinian Mysteries (ancient religious rites in honor of Demeter and Persephone). Before the Rider-Waite-Smith deck in 1909, this card was typically entitled "The Pope." In this episode, we talk about the complicated archetype of spiritual leaders and institutions, ways we look for meaning through religion and spirituality, and how the hot priest from Fleabag, The Leftovers, and Hogwarts can help us understand this card. We close with some powerful journal prompts to use when you pull The Hierophant, which can be turned into a spread if desired. Join the email list here for pictures of the cards I pull or talk about on the podcast, the spreads I offer, and other fun musings on the tarot! Check out my workshop and past life regression meditation: Releasing Leo Book a reading with Mari Website: www.mariofthewoods.com Instagram: @mariofthewoods TikTok: @mariofthewoods

Shadow work, the unconscious...these are terms used a lot in the world of spirituality and in psychology. But what is it, where did this term originate, and why on earth would we want to access it? In this episode, I take us back to Freud and Jung who popularized the ideas of the unconscious mind, the collective unconscious, dream work, and other methods of making the unconscious conscious (aka shadow work!). I share a few recent breakthroughs that I've had in my shadow work journey, and then we close with some simple ways you can start using tarot to work with the unconscious. Join the email list here for pictures of the cards I pull or talk about on the podcast, the spreads I offer, and other fun musings on the tarot! Check out my workshop and past life regression meditation: Releasing Leo Book a reading with Mari Website: www.mariofthewoods.com Instagram: @mariofthewoods TikTok: @mariofthewoods

When you’re tasked with putting a lot of meaning into the tiny space of a tarot card, every little detail counts. Pamela Colman Smith, the artist of the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, was incredibly intentional with her use of symbols, colors, clothing, environments, and more. I don’t often work with the original RWS deck, so whenever I return to it, I find myself noticing something new—and this is one of my favorite things about the Tarot. No matter how long you’ve worked with the cards, there’s always something you haven’t noticed before. This time, I noticed just how many figures are wearing red hats and started wondering what that might mean and what connections might exist between these cards. Join me as I explore the symbolism of the red hats, along with some other fun new observations I made while looking through the deck!