Working with Tarot for Creative Spirits

In which I get started with Cecily Sailer's glorious new book.

I just got a copy of Tarot for Creative Spirits by Cecily Sailer. Cecily has been using Tarot as a tool for self-exploration for quite a while. The experience and wisdom she has to offer are evident in her book, as is her enthusiasm for encouraging others to learn from Tarot While she does offer her own interpretations of the cards, the text she has created is designed to help readers develop their own intuitive sense of what the cards mean and how they resonate in our lives with journaling prompts and invitations to make visual art. And Ami Plasse’s exuberant black-and-white artwork is just begging you to get out your gel pens or colored pencils.

At the very beginning of the book, Cecily shares “A Tarot Spread to Kick Things Off!”, and this is where I began working with Cecily as my guide. 

Cards from Rainbow Tarot by Sonia Lazo

In the three-card spread Cecily designed, the first card answers the question, “What is beginning for me today?” I drew Ace of Pentacles are, of course, cards about beginnings, but one way to see Ace of Pentacles is as a seed. Or, to quote Michelle Tea, this card “often suggests an opportunity is being offered to you, something will bear fruit at some point down the line. Big fruit. Delicious fruit. Big, delicious fruit.”

Ace of Pentacles feels ridiculously on-the-nose because Cecily and I are collaborating on a couple of new projects together—projects that I hope bear “big, delicious fruit.” But I’m also thinking about Postmodern Witch as a reimagining of my first Tarot business. I felt the need to start fresh because I felt like I had told my clients everything I knew about Tarot and that I had stopped learning anything new about Tarot. Rebuilding with a broader focus—making Tarot just one part of what I’m creating—has definitely given me a fresh start.

Queen of Pentacles wants to support me as I begin this new journey through the Tarot, and I love to see it! This card is a harbinger of well-earned comfort and ease—maybe even a little luxury. The past five years or so have been pretty rough on my family (I know that they’ve been rough on everyone). “Comfort” and “ease” are not words I would use in describing this period of time, so I welcome any suggestion that better days are ahead.

As a person, Queen of Pentacles is a good caretaker—of people and of resources. While I’ve done my best to tend to the needs of the people who count on me for support, but the ways in which I have tried to care for myself have been… not always healthful. A tendency to think I can spend my way to comfort and ease is something I am consciously working on right now, and this is a very Queen of Pentacles project. I also find, lately, that I need to focus on slow, sustainable growth and to avoid overextending—and overcommitting—myself. Queen of Pentacles knows how to prioritize, and she knows when to say “no” without apology, explanation, or guilt.

“Where might I experience transformation if I stay the course?”  This is the question the third and final card in this spread answers. At first glance, Knight of Swords seems right, but it also makes me feel kind of tired. I am in my third year of a six-year term on my school district’s Board of Education. I am on the leadership team of my county’s Democratic Party. I’m active in state-level efforts to protect reproductive freedom. I’m doing everything I can to change the laws around sex ed in my state. It’s a lot, and it’s all important.

Swords are words and thoughts, and the Knight of Swords knows how to use his words as weapons. It’s not simply about saying “No!” or heckling power from the crowd. It’s about using your ability to put thoughts and words into action, to sway others, and encourage dissent.—Jessa Crispin, The Creative Tarot

Swords are the suit of truth, and Knight of Swords is charging off to fight for what they believe in. Swords are also—always—ready to cut the bullshit. Lately I’ve been trying to envision my life beyond the 2024 election cycle, beyond my term on the school board. Some kind of community organizing seems likely. I’ve been learning about praxis that looks very different from what I’ve been doing so far—work that is actually community-centered in all of its components. I do not plan to be involved in galas or silent auctions, and I’m trying to unlearn language and ideology that focuses on lack while ignoring strengths in underserved communities. I also realized—quite recently, in a flash—that I don’t want to spend one more minute than is absolutely necessary in conference rooms. This, I think, is Knight of Swords energy tempered by Queen of Pentacle’s capacity for self-care.

This spread gives me some hope for the future, and touchstones I can return to when I’m not feeling so hopeful. I’m excited about working with Cecily’s book and working with Cecily herself. Expect to see more of her in this space. In the meantime, find her on Instagram and at Typewriter Tarot.

In other news, I have lowered the price on just about everything in the Postmodern Witch Store, and I’m offering a discount on Substack subscriptions.

One of the prickliest parts of working as an independent artist is finding the right price for one’s work—and by “right” I mean a price that is accessible to as many people as possible without undervaluing the time, effort, and other resources that go into whatever you’re trying to sell.

When I launched Postmodern Witch, I was thinking about the prices that I charged Tarot clients who knew me and had been working with me for a while. When pricing zines, I thought about what I typically earn for freelance writing. When setting subscription prices for Substack, I looked at newsletters that seemed similar to mine.

I don’t think that any of these metrics were the right metrics for someone trying to build a new community of readers and clients, and that’s why I just lowered prices for just about everything I have to offer.

A paid subscription to the Postmodern Witch Substack is now more affordable at every level. A monthly subscription is $5. An annual subscription is $37. Both include access to downloadable tools like Tarot spreads and seasonal guides. Becoming a Founding Witch at $97 includes these premiums plus one free Tarot reading each year. I’ve also adjusted the prices of zines and Tarot readings in the Postmodern Witch shop.