In Search of Tarot

Angeliska Polacheck (they/she) of Sister Temperance Tarot, is an Austin, Texas based writer, healer, and professional tarot reader. Devoted to helping seekers find their path, they utilize the tarot in a compassionate and trauma-informed combination of visionary mystic counseling and energy work. Angeliska has been working with the tarot for over 30 years now, and has been reading for clients professionally since 1999. Their dedication and genuine passion for creating joyful and intriguing connections has led to acclaim and recognition from the Chronicle's Best of Austin Awards as Austin's Best Tarot Reader/Psychic for the past eight years running. IN THIS CONVERSATION Angeliska shares a bit about their incredibly eclectic spiritual upbringing which combined Celtic, Slavic, Jewish, and Romani influences, among others. We also discuss the important distinction between the practice of divination and the act of prediction, the all too often overlooked history of the Romani people within the overall story of the tarot, and the complicated way Jewish mysticism has been mis-applied within western esotericism. Follow Angeliska on Instagram Visit sistertemperance.com Support this podcast on Patreon Book a reading with Nick In Search of Tarot theme music written and recorded by AJ Ackleson.

Who told you not to tell the future? How might the act of divination be a form of resistance to the capitalistic/colonialist construction of time? IN TODAY'S CONVERSATION Angie and I are falling deep down the time rabbit hole that was opened during our recent interview with Jonathan Koe. Is it really possible to offer a "collective reading?" How can we use Tarot to subvert the linear idea of time? What changes when gender changes from a noun to verb? Support this podcast on Patreon Follow Angie on Instagram Follow Nick on Instagram In Search of Tarot theme written and recorded by AJ Ackleson.

Brittany Carmona-Holt (she/her), “The Birth Witch,” is a full spectrum doula, birth photographer, and writer who has worked as a birth assistant to a local community midwife, and as a class facilitator for a community based doula training program - Day One Doula Collective. She is a queer, bisexual witch with ADHD who approaches her work within reproductive justice from a spiritual lens. Her book, Tarot for Pregnancy: A Companion for Radical Magical Birthing Folks was just published by new, revolutionary publisher Row House Publishing, just this past June. She is an amateur herbalist, a poet, a partner, and a parent to a beautiful gender-defiant unicorn child, Kahlo Sol, and is expecting her second babe this winter. Purchase Tarot for Pregnancy Follow Brittany on Instagram Visit Brittany's website --- Book a Reading with Nick Join the In Search of Tarot Patreon Visit Nick's Website --- Music by AJ Ackleson. Thanks AJ!

David Davis is a mystic, Diviner, and artist currently based in Ypsilanti, MI. As an eclectic occultist and student of the Hoodoo tradition, his work is founded on the principles of Animism and Ancestral veneration. At its core, Porous Palms is a celebratory exploration of identity and place, and the ways they inform our most essential experiences as human beings. This mixture of influences manifests as a diverse and ever-evolving expression of divinity, language, and ritual, resting at the borders of personal and communal realities. Through his spiritual and educational endeavors, he seeks to contribute to the mending of intergenerational wounds (specifically those present within Afro-Diasporic communities) by honoring the resilience of the human spirit and preserving the Earth-based traditions of our Ancestors. Along with offering services and classes, David also sells a curated selection of spiritual products at Porous Palms Apothecary. Visit porouspalms.com Join David's Patreon Follow David on Instagram --- Support this Podcast on Patreon Book a Reading with Nick Follow Nick on Instagram Music by AJ Ackleson. Thanks AJ!

It's the final installment in our Book Club series discussing Charlie Claire Burgess' phenomenal new work, RADICAL TAROT. This episode is an extra long deep-dive into the Minors and Courts, and it's also Angie's farewell to the podcast. We will miss you, Angie! JOIN US THIS THURSDAY 12/21 for our Book Club Hang with special guest Charlie Claire Burgess on Patreon: patreon.com/insearchoftarot Follow Angie on Instagram and visit their website. Follow Nick on Instagram and visit their website. --- Logo by Andrew Tamlyn Music by AJ Ackleson

The In Search of Tarot Book Club continues with our second of three monthly installments discussing Radical Tarot: Queer the Cards, Liberate Your Practice, and Create the Future by Charlie Claire Burgess. Throughout the month of November, we've been reading the chapters on Wheel of Fortune through to the The World, and today's episode features a deep-dive discussion on those chapters. However, you don't need to have read any of the boook in order to enjoy the themes and topics covered in this episode. JOIN US THIS WEDNESDAY (11/29) FROM 6-7:30PM ET ON PATREON FOR OUR BOOK CLUB HANG! All levels are welcome to attend and share your thoughts on the book. ALL THE LINKS: Patreon.com/InSeachOfTarot Angie's Instagram & Website Nick's Instagram & Website --- Logo design by Andrew Tamlyn Music by AJ Ackleson

Dajé Alōh is a storyteller, emergent strategy facilitator, and earth-based, spirit led visionary leadership coach helping creators pursue the deepest dreams of their heart. As a Memphis-born, Appalachian-cured storyteller, song-keeper, and essence liberation coach, Dajé is here to support seekers, lovers, crafters, and kin in finding and singing the deep song of their lives. There are new stories, new ways, and new templates for meeting life that long to be born into our collective awareness. To nurture new stories, we must get low and listen. We must turn on the ears of the psyche, and call them forth from the deep. This is her work as a story doula – calling forth true and deep liberation from the collective subconscious and bringing it into the light. SUPPORT THIS PODCAST ON PATREON Follow Dajé on Instagram Visit Dajé's website --- Follow Angie on Instagram Visit Angie's Website --- Follow Nick on Instagram Visit Nick's Website --- Logo by Andrew Tamlyn Music by AJ Ackleson

Our innaugural In Search of Tarot Book Club pick is Radical Tarot: Queer the Cards, Liberate Your Practice, and Create the Future by frequent ISOT contributor Charlie Claire Burgess. For the month of October, we've been reading the Introduction through The Hermit, and today's episode features a deep-dive discussion on those chapters. However, you don't need to have read any of the book in order to enjoy the themes and topics we dive into. JOIN US TOMORROW (10/23) FROM 7-8:30PM ET ON PATREON FOR OUR BOOK CLUB HANG! All Patron levels are welcome to attend and share your thoughts on the book! ALL THE LINKS: Patreon.com/InSearchOfTarot Angie's Instagram Angie's Website Nick's Instagram Nick's Website --- Logo design by Andrew Tamyln Music by AJ Ackleson

Cyrée Jarelle Johnson is a diviner and poet from Piscataway, NJ. Find him on TikTok at @cyreejarelle and Instagram at @collectivecartomancy or at www.collectivecartomancy.com. JOIN OUR BOOK CLUB! Cyrée Jarelle's Instagram Cyrée Jarelle's TikTok --- Nick's Instagram Nick's Website Angie's Instagram Angie's Website --- Music by AJ Ackleson Logo Design by Andrew Tamlyn

Thomas is a divination coach, deck creator (Life Line Tarot, Life Line Lenoracle, and Seaborn Kipper), and author (Tarot Tableau: The Fool's Journey, Awaken the Court Cards, and many workbooks). As Thomas of Hermit’s Mirror, he helps the spiritually curious use divination to reclaim their present, untangle threads of the past, and weave their future fates. You can learn more about his work at www.HermitsMirror.com and find him online as @HermitsMirror. Join the In Search of Tarot Book Club on Patreon Thomas' Website Thomas' Instagram Nick's Website Nick's Instagram --- Logo design by Andrew Tamlyn Music by AJ Ackleson

Nik (they/she) is a virgo sun, cancer moon & scorpio rising who identifies as queer & gender fluid.   After longing for more experiences of genuine connection & authentic exploration with others, Nik created "the open space" - a platform where they share their gifts as an intuitive, embodiment guide, writer & community organizer.  You can find more about Nik's work at theopenspacelancaster.com The In Search of Tarot Book Club starts reading our first selection, RADICAL TAROT, this Sunday! Read along with us, listen to special book club episodes, and join our live conversations on Patreon at patreon.com/insearchoftarot SUPPORT THE SHOW --- NIK'S WEBSITE NIK'S INSTAGRAM --- ANGIE'S WEBSITE ANGIE'S INSTAGRAM --- NICK'S WEBSITE NICK'S INSTAGRAM --- Graphic Design by Andrew Tamlyn Music by AJ Ackleson

Charlie Claire Burgess is a queer and trans-nonbinary tarot practitioner, writer, deck creator, and witch. They are the author of Radical Tarot, a guide to reading tarot radically for personal and collective liberation; the creator of Fifth Spirit Tarot, a queer and inclusive deck for a world beyond binaries; and the creator of The Gay Marseille, a cheeky, queer update on the classic Tarot de Marseille. They are currently at work on their next book, Queer Devotion (Hay House 2025), an exploration of the queer divine in deities and figures of myth and legend. Originally from the Deep South, Charlie has made their home in Portland, OR, with their spouse and their one-eyed pug Apollo. SUPPORT THIS PODCAST ON PATREON Charlie's Website Charlie's Instagram Order Radical Tarot Order Fifth Spirit Tarot - Nick's Website Angie's Website - Logo design by Andrew Tamlyn Music by AJ Ackleson

It's the final episode of Season Six, and the final installment of this Season's Guest Host episodes! Today we're bringing you another conversation full of warmth and love between Guest Host Maria Minnis and Sarah Arantza Amador of Hawthorn Mountain Tarot. Sarah Arantza Amador is an author and tarot reader living on the Monterey Bay of Northern California. A former university professor with a background in literary analysis, nonviolent communication, psychoanalysis, and critical theory and philosophy, Sarah works with the tarot to explore inter and intrapersonal connection and understanding. Find her online on IG @hawthorn_mtn_tarot and on Twitter @ArantzaSarah. Maria Minnis is an unapologetically Black writer, artist, ritual facilitator, and tarot reader who teaches people about blending their spirituality with liberation work and sensuality. She has creatively worked with tarot for over 20 years and considers herself an eternal student of life, and thus the tarot. Her work is inspired by her belief that the end result of all magic should be to cultivate a more equitable and empathetic planet. Her antiracism tarot workbook, Tarot for the Hard Work, will be released by Weiser Books in Fall 2023. Maria enthusiastically drinks from the flowing firehose of life and wouldn’t have it any other way. Find Maria on Instagram @feminnis Join us for our June Tarot Hang and support this podcast on Patreon Book a Recorded Tarot Reading with Nick Music by AJ Ackleson. Thanks, AJ!

Today we're sharing a conversation that originally took place on The Tarot Diagnosis podcast. In it, Nick and Shannon discuss The Magician, and use this iconic card to investigate and trouble the notion of "Self" as it appears in Western ontology. Shannon Knight (she/her) is a queer therapist licensed in both Arizona and Florida where she specializes in working with individuals and couples. Shannon received her B.A. in Applied Clinical Psychology from the Florida Institute of Technology and her M.S. in Mental Health Counseling from Johns Hopkins University. Shannon currently resides in Arizona and when she needs to escape the heat, she’s traveling to find mountains and cooler weather with her partner and her dog Barley. She feels highly aligned with the Queen of Swords and is constantly trying to deconstruct her perceptions of Temperance and The Sun. Be sure to check out Shannon's great work over on The Tarot Diagnosis podcast! If you are a fan of the show, please leave us a rating and review wherever you listen, and consider lending us your financial support for as little as $2/month over on Patreon. There you'll gain access to long-form essays, workshop and class discounts, and invitations to attend our virtual monthly Tarot Hangs! You can also book a Recording Tarot Reading with Nick by clicking here. Music by AJ Ackleson. Thanks, AJ!

Today's minisode is a live recording of Nick's Opening Remarks from the opening night of the Meet Me at The Margin virtual queer conference, which took place on Sunday, June 4, 2023. If you're feeling the FOMO, registration will remain open through June 12. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER NOW! Nick is also currently hosting the #PrideInTheTarot2023 card-a-day challenge on Instagram, and there's still time to join in the fun! Click here to view the prompts. We also invite you to support this podcast by making a monthly contribution on Patreon. You can also leave a rating and review wherever you're listening right now. Music by AJ Ackleson. Thanks, AJ!

Today's episode is first for us. It's a crossover/part two that builds on a conversation Nick took part in over on Britten LaRue's Moon to Moon podcast. In that episode, Nick shared his thoughts on The Margin, and mused on queerness as an unknowable, unspeakable power. Then Britten asked a question that sent both of their heads spinning in opposite directions. Today, Nick and Britten are coming back together to hash it all out and share where their different experiences have led them since that first conversation. If you'd like to listen to part one of the conversation on Moon to Moon you can do so HERE. Britten LaRue is a mystic, teacher, and author who channels the spirit and cosmic realms to conjure words that create cracks: cracks in who we think we are and what we think this reality is. A recovering academic and a single mom, Britten is more interested in questions than in answers. She creates potent offerings anchored from her deep trust that we are fractal beings who are dreaming new worlds into being together. Britten's book Living Astrology will be published in early 2024. In the meantime, you can learn and unlearn with her through her podcast Moon to Moon, on Instagram @brittenlarue, via one of her sumptuous workbooks, through one-on-one mentorship, or from inside one of her many learning containers.  --- Click here to register for the MEET ME AT THE MARGIN virtual queer conference. Members of the In Search of Tarot Patreon community receive 15% off. Click here to support this podcast on Patreon. --- Visit Britten's website Follow Britten on Instagram --- Visit Nick's Website Follow Nick on Instagram --- Music by AJ Ackleson. Thanks, AJ!

The work of Stephanie Adams-Santos spans poetry, prose, screenwriting, and visual art. She/They are the author of the full-length poetry collections Dream of Xibalba and Swarm Queen's Crown (a Lambda Literary Award finalist). Their chapbooks include Total Memory and The Sundering (New York Chapbook Fellowship, Poetry Society of America). Stephanie’s short story "Night Flowers" appeared in the Latinx anthology Speculative Fiction for Dreamers. Stephanie was a Staff Writer and Story Editor on the television anthology horror series Two Sentence Horror Stories (CW/Netflix); their episode "Elliot" won a 2022 Gold Telly Award in Writing. As an inaugural fellow of The 2022 Ojalá Ignition Fellowship, they developed an original fantasy pilot based on the world and characters of the Tarot. In addition to her literary work, Adams-Santos is a professional Tarot reader and is making headway on an original Major Arcana tarot deck inspired by occult animism. In all her work, she is drawn to queerness, the uncanny, and whatever draws us closer to the primal source. Charlie Claire Burgess is a queer and trans-nonbinary tarot reader, deck creator, writer, and artist. They are the creator of Fifth Spirit Tarot, a queer and inclusive deck for a world beyond binaries, and the author of Radical Tarot, a guide to reading tarot radically for personal and collective liberation. Charlie is currently at work on a second tarot deck, The Gay Marseille Tarot, and a book on queer devotion. They teach classes on tarot and queer magical topics online and in Portland, Oregon, and sometimes they record episodes for their podcast, The Word Witch. REGISTER FOR MEET ME AT THE MARGIN SUPPORT THIS PODCAST ON PATREON --- VISIT STEPHANIE'S WEBSITE FOLLOW STEPHANIE ON INSTAGRAM --- VISIT CHARLIE'S WEBSITE FOLLOW CHARLIE ON INSTAGRAM --- Music by AJ Ackleson. Thanks, AJ!

Nick's going solo today to explore the themes and concepts that will inspire Meet Me at The Margin - a month-long virtual conference for queer people who want to reclaim and re-story their innate capacity for ambiguity, paradox, and liminality, which will take place June 4-28, 2023. Through a series of eight workshops facilitated by some of today’s most Marginal thinkers, participants explore queerness through the lenses of tarot, astrology, narrative therapy, eco-mythology, archetype, art, and more. Facilitators include Charlie Claire Burgess, Amy DiGennaro, Edgar Fabian Frías, Nick Kepley, Jonathan Koe, Elias Lawliet, Sophie Strand, Jaison Perez, Chanti Tacoronte-Perez. Workshops will be held every Sunday (from 6-8pm ET) and Wednesday (from 7-9pm ET) in June, for a total of 16 hours of instruction. Captions will be enabled for all sessions, and recordings will be available through 7/31. REGISTER FOR MEET ME AT THE MARGIN Save on registration by joining the In Search of Tarot Patreon Music by AJ Ackleson. Thanks AJ!

Eli Lawliet, PhD, is The Gender Doula - offering full-spectrum support to folks who are transitioning, questioning, or exploring their gender. Due to the unique nature of every gender journey, Eli pulls from his many experiences--a working-class background in retail, ten years of academic research on trans healthcare in the U.S., five years of tarot reading for others, and much more--to support clients holistically. He also uses his broad training to create workshops, classes, and resources to help gender expansive folks thrive. He lives in Los Angeles with his partner, three cats, a dog, and four snakes. Register for Meet Me at The Margin Support this Podcast on Patreon -- Work with Eli Follow @thegenderdoula --- Order a Recorded Reading from Nick Follow Nick on Instagram --- Music by AJ Ackleson. Thanks AJ!

We're back for another shuffle of the history books — today exploring the traditions and legends of Runes and Ogham. At first glance, these two symbolic systems (which are actually alphabets) appear quite similar. But it turns out that their stories branch apart in many directions. Join us as we discover more about these popular methods of divination, and question just how old they actually are. For links to all of our sources for today's episode, visit the transcript page for this episode and scroll to the bottom. REGISTER for MEET ME AT THE MARGIN SUPPORT this podcast on Patreon FOLLOW ANGIE on IG FOLLOW NICK on IG Music by AJ Ackleson. Thanks AJ!