The end of the world?! Well, not in a planetary sense, but we've completed another cycle on the Wheel of the Year. ON Monday the 21st we entered a new Zodiac calendar with Aries, whose card is The Emperor. We haven't turned the page to a new chapter, we're actually closing one book and beginning a new volume. With that in mind, I want to share a personal story through the lens of the cards. Spoiler alert, this story ends at the final card of the Major Arcana, The World, and with some major news... Insert drumroll... My newly redesigned website is live! I want to highlight that: 1) I now accept credit cards! 2) I am now offering a package of 4 1-hour readings! This is designed to support you at each season on the Wheel of the Year, but they can be used at any time. This package includes a $50 savings from regularly priced individual readings, and you will also receive preferential booking availability. This effort has been a labor of love and learning. I want to give a big thanks and a shoutout to my fantastic Wix designer, Miriam Vargas for all her help.
In honor of this redesign, I want to share my story... When I began this journey, I only knew that: A) I had a gift for working with the Tarot B) I wanted to make a living by helping others and doing what I loved In the beginning, Sea Tarot was very much in The Fool stage of evolution.
I didn't know what I didn't know. Though I had lots of experience in the business world, I had absolutely no clue and no training on how to run a small business. I had never built a website nor taken a marketing course. I was optimistic and willing to fail because I believed it was worth the adventure. At first, I over-thought every detail. I felt immobile. I had an idea for a logo, but no graphic design skills. There's no shortage of 'how-to' resources online, too many in fact. I was overwhelmed by suggestions that I, "build a brand book." What's a brand book? It turns out that all those people studying marketing in college actually had a lot to learn! After saying yes to The Fool, I found myself seated with Knight of Pentacles, at first in reverse until, at last, I began.
The Court cards of the Tarot (Pages, Knights, Queens, and Kings) are all double-elemented. Different readers may assign these elements differently, but at Sea Tarot, the Knights are elemented by Air. They give us insight into how we, think, speak and move through a situation.
The Pentacles are ruled by Earth. They represent our root systems, our boundaries, our bodies, and our finances. We see the Knight of Pentacles (Earth/Air) is carefully cradling his pentacle. He is dedicated to his quest, which is to bring this vibrant seed into the world so it may thrive. Like anything that grows from the earth, he knows the process takes time.
In reverse, this can mean allowing the perfect to become the enemy of the good. I spent a lot of time fretting about where to begin without a brand identity, color scheme, or social media presence. Until one day, I finally trusted my steed and placed an order for business cards.
As soon as I gave up on trying to make every little thing perfectly, I was able to start making a big thing, Sea Tarot.
I decided to use Wix as my platform and I built a website as best I could. I created a Yelp! page. I had been giving readings and even getting paid for them for some time already, so I got some reviews. The world was filled with possibilities. This was a Two of Wands moment.
Wands are ruled by Fire. They reflect our passion, creativity, our inner flame. In the Two of Wands, we see a young man who holds a globe in his hand. He is excited about an adventure, but he has not yet traveled the world. The first time someone found me online and booked an appointment, I almost couldn't believe it. I saw the endless potential for this work. I brought several decks to my first group event. I didn't know then that asking clients to select their decks at a party, the way I do in private sessions, would be too time-consuming for a crowd. The more people I was able to serve, the more I grew and learned.
About a year after launching Sea Tarot, the world went into lockdown. We all stayed home. I felt lucky to be growing a business that I loved and fortunate that it was a practice I could continue virtually, but like almost everyone, my business suffered. I'm fortunate that I don't find isolation to be a great struggle, but I felt the struggle of the collective and I really worried about my financial future. I had exhausted all the avenues I knew of to drive awareness. A sustainable income was nowhere in sight. This was a Five of Pentacles moment for me.
During the worst of the pandemic, this card showed up in a lot of pulls for my clients too. In it, we see two figures stuck in the snow outside of a church. Though the light from the stain-glass window is just above them, they can't experience the light from the divine. The Fives of the Tarot are moments of contraction. The Pentacles represent our bodies, our finances, and our beliefs, so this card shows up when we are really stuck in a belief that we may not have what we need for our survival. I remember very clearly that I was acutely feeling this contraction one day on a call with a career coach. I felt I was going to be forced to return to the corporate sales career that I had experienced success in, but that had made me feel stuck, even miserable at times. This coach sweetly asked, "What if you didn't?" I replied, "If Sea Tarot could pay the bills, that would be incredible." She replied, "Why can't it?" I told her that I was out of ideas on how to reach new clients. She asked me, what would do if I were in sales? I told her I would call marketing. Did I know any small business marketing experts, she enquired? I didn't at that moment, but my hope returned with this simple suggestion. I sought help in a new area, marketing. This was my Three of Pentacles moment.
In the Three of Pentacles, we see a young architect collaborating with a priest and noble person on the design of the church. Their skill sets are complementary and different. When I first sought marketing help, I reached out to a number of different experts and coaches, including Caroline Leon. I liked her message, and I could afford her time, but she did not have space to take on new clients. I got on her wait-list. I mention this because there was divine timing at work here. I still had more lessons to learn about how to receive before I was ready to dive into her business coaching and make full use of her mentorship. This is often how the Three of Pentacles shows up in our lives. We may want to grow our business on our own timeline, but it's not until the student is ready, that the teacher appears. Caroline and I have worked together individually for eight months. In January I joined her Conciencious Business Mastermind group. Starting this new Zodiac year, my work with her will have 'graduated' to just the group work. In a similar fashion, there was divine timing involved in the creation of the new website. Miriam Vargas saw my old presentation could benefit from her professional expertise and reached out to me. She was comfortable working with me at my pace, and we both got to learn from each other. The Three of Pentacles shows up when you've reached the limit of your own expertise and the collaborators that come forward are divinely placed to do the part of the job you can't or don't want to do alone.
Thanks to my help in the Three of Pentacles, I now get to experience the Eight of Wands. Wands represent our inner fire, and with eight of them sailing through the air, there is so much potential. Some of the wands that I launched years ago are just now beginning to land, for example, the Wheel of the Year package. I've wanted to offer a group of readings rooted in the seasons for a while, but I wasn't clear on my vision before now. I've already been asked to entertain at some larger events this year! I don't think that I was previously prepared to serve that many people at once. This Spring, I'll be announcing a class on how to use the Tarot as a tool for artistic creation. If you are curious about participating, let me know! Stay tuned for more... I was asked to give a 'Ted talk' at one event last year, and I've since added that option to my 'menu' of service. I liken the Eight of Wands to the 9-hole game of best-ball golf my mom and I play once a year. Not every ball will make it to the fairway, and there is no telling how long it will take, but there is a guarantee for at least one great drive to ring out and it is bound to be a fun adventure. This brings me to the end, the end of The World...
The World is the final card of the Major Arcana. We see a glorious woman in motion holding magic wands in each hand. She is surrounded by a laurel wreath, which is itself bound by a ∞ ribbon. Outside the wreath, we see the symbols of Scorpio, Leo, Aquarius, and Taurus, representing the Wheel of Fortune, the four elements, the four corners of the universe. There is, of course, no end to The World. There is no finish line in our journey. But there is fulfillment. The World shows up for us when we have completed one rotation of the seasons, and when we have processed one spiritual evolutionary lesson. The world is both dynamic and eternal, and when we arrive here, it's important to celebrate. I am incredibly proud of the new website and I'm so thankful to all of you for being a part of my spiritual awakening. It is a milestone for Sea Tarot and a joyous occasion for me personally.