This month, I'm doing some interstellar astral travel in my daily Weather Report! The recently published Starchild Tarot is the glorious creation of artist and tarot reader Danielle Noel. As soon as I saw some of the early images pop up on Instagram in 2014, I knew I just had to dive into the mysteries of the universe with this deck! Imagine my excitement to be holding the finished product in my hot lil' hands!
You may know by now that my first port of call with any new deck is my birth card, The Hierophant.
Firstly, I must say, I love a lady Hierophant! This card is so often associated with patriarchy and oppressively masculine energy, which for many readers and querents overrides its more helpful messages of connecting with tradition and finding the divine down here on earth. Playing with the gender of this card blows all of that wide open, and allows us to get past some of the limitations of this card that more traditional decks might get stuck on.
Another thing that totally floats my boat with this Hierophant is the background - a beautiful wild and natural scene. The Empress may traditionally be the card of sacred nature, but The Hierophant also guides us to find the holy in the worldly, and what better place to look than under a tree or a stone? It doesn't get more worldly than that.
Finally, the gesture of offering. This Hierophant holds a glowing orb in an outstretched hand, as if to say, "Here is the whole universe. Take it!" She isn't an unapproachable pope on a throne. This Hierophant is down here amongst it, ready to engage with you and help you find your place in the rich tradition of spiritual seeking. What a beautiful take on this card!
Now, let's see what this deck has to say for itself. Here, I drew two cards, asking, "Starchild Tarot, what do you have to tell me about yourself?"
I drew the Seven of Crystals, and surprise surprise, The Hierophant.
The Seven of Crystals (traditionally, Pentacles) suggests this is a hard working deck, ready to go the distance and see things through from start to finish. The Starchild Tarot may be beautiful at a glance, but its true depth and application can only be understood with concerted attention. It will take some perseverance and study to fully come to grips with the complex ideas and symbols in this deck, but close attention and continued engagement with it will be more than worthwhile!
Study seems to be the name of the game here, reinforced by our ol' pal The Hierophant. This deck is obviously steeped in tradition, and filled with knowledge and insight just waiting to be unlocked. As the student of the Starchild Tarot, all we need to do is be ready to ask the right questions, and that glowing orb of wisdom and divine connection will be ours. Bring it on, I say!
What do you make of the Starchild Tarot? I'd love to know! Share your thoughts in the comments.
Before I sign off for the week, there's one more thing to share. The Agony Augury, a new regular column, is coming soon to the blog!
Think a trusted agony aunt armed with tarot cards, the Agony Augury is here to throw some cards, dispense advice, and solve your most pressing problems! Each week, I'll select one quandary, concern, or question and answer it with a tarot reading right here on the blog. Got a difficult dilemma? Send your questions to readings@twosidestarot.com. I can't wait to hear from you!
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