Tarot and my Grammy

Here in the states it was Mother’s Day yesterday, May 12. My Grandmother’s birthday is May 11, and had she lived another 12 months and 3 weeks, she would have been 95 years old this past weekend. Grammy was the matriarch of our family, my mother and her two sisters each had three children of their own, upon Grammy’s passing she had 9 great grandchildren to boot including my sister’s baby in her belly. She was a truly special woman and her loss affected me greatly, I have looked up to her since I was a small girl.

My grandmother inspired me by living alone for many decades in New York City, dancing and taking painting classes well into her retirement. She had a strong relationship with Tarot, before I was born she taught yoga at Integral Institute (her mother was a yoga teacher and student of Transcendental Meditation also). Most of all, Grammy took each of us aside at our tenth birthday parties and showed us how to use iChing for divination and guidance. She had many decks of Tarot cards tucked in baskets and onto the shelves amongst her dozens of books. She was mystical and quiet about it, while simultaneously generous and lavished me with teachings whenever I asked. Which was more and more often as we both aged.

I owe much of who I am today to my Grammy, and I’m beyond grateful for everything she has given me. The practices I’ve learned from her inspired me to continue on this path and shape my own spiritual practice. My practice involves a lot of privacy and it’s always a balancing act for me to discern what I’d like to share with the public and what remains for me and those in relationship to my practice. Reading Tarot is such a wonderful place to share one of my dearest practices with others. I have read Tarot for people in many different walks of life, who are on their own spiritual journeys. Sometimes the only overlap we both share is an interest in the Tarot, other times there are many layers of overlap and there are further practices we might share like yoga or ritual.

Sharing Tarot had been slowly growing as more of my public practice as well as some ritual work, and suddenly in 2018 Grammy became ill, and within six weeks was gone. I had the chance to say goodbye to her, and it was incredibly hard for me. The following months I took space away from sharing publicly because of how much Tarot was tied to my relationship to Grammy. Even as recently as 2 months before she died I was in her apartment comparing dozens of decks with her and learning from her long time relationship with the cards.

This year I decided I was ready to return to sharing Tarot, it brings me so much joy and it delighted my grandmother to know I was sharing this work with the world. I started a monthly article for Wanderlust Journal, I’ve loved writing for them for a long time and it’s been wonderful to collaborate with the amazing team on these posts.

You can see them here :: January, February, March, April, May.

I offer readings via phone call or FaceTime video (your preference) and I’ve got some great workshops coming up for you soon on Tarot. Contact me to discuss one on one readings, group workshops or mentoring sessions.