Incandescent Tarot Podcast

Episode DescriptionFebruary 2026 continues the intense arc we entered in January, deepening our collective experience of the Wheel of Fortune. In this live tarot reading, we explore what happens when a period of exhaustion, over-analysis, and emotional saturation reaches its breaking point…and how genuine momentum becomes possible on the other side.Using a four-card spread, this forecast moves from the Ten of Swords as the month’s core theme into the activating presence of The Magician, with The Moon returning as a challenge and The Queen of Wands offering a path forward. Together, these cards describe a moment where rumination has run its course and learning shifts from internal processing to vibrant, embodied engagement.February asks us to stop studying our pain and begin responding to life again. Creativity, agency, humor, and decisive action become a path towards newness and growth.Cards DrawnTheme: Ten of SwordsOof. A moment of undeniable saturation. This card marks the end of a cycle of overthinking, rumination, and psychic overload. February begins by asking: what has become too much to carry? Where has analysis, information, or suffering reached its limit?Environment: The MagicianDespite the heaviness of the Ten of Swords, the surrounding environment is charged with possibility. The Magician signals available energy, agency, and catalytic change. Engagement with the world - people, projects, conversations - can quickly generate momentum.Challenge: The MoonThe challenge is lingering too long in January’s fog. While lunar disorientation was necessary last month, February asks us to stop performing confusion and start responding. Trust in motion can replace prolonged uncertainty.Opportunity: Queen of WandsCreative action, leadership, and visible engagement are supported now. This card invites confidence without rigidity, passion without over-attachment, and movement without needing full certainty. Fire warms the late winter landscape!Key Themes for February 2026* Endpoints, limits, and psychic saturation* Releasing over-analysis and repetitive suffering* Learning through action rather than theory* Creative engagement as restoration* Agency returning after collapse* Leadership, visibility, and warmth in community spacesClosing InvitationFebruary marks a shift from endurance to response. You’re invited to reflect on what you’re ready to put down, and where you’re willing to step back into the world with curiosity, creativity, and trust. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

In this opening episode of Seeing Tarot, artist Anna Rose Stabler and tarot reader Gina Wisotzky begin a collaborative project using art and intuition to explore tarot as a visual, symbolic, and intuitive practice… and build a tarot deck.In this episode we explore learning how to look, how images carry meaning, and how intuition develops through attention, conversation, and lived experience.Together, we discuss:* Tarot as a visual language rooted in illustration and storytelling* The difference between memorizing meanings and cultivating intuition* Tarot’s layered history, from Renaissance art to modern decks* How artists collect symbols and build personal mythologies* The Minor Arcana as the “everyday” tarot, and why it’s often overlooked* Elemental associations as an accessible way into the cards* Seasonality, place, and daily life as sources of meaningThis episode also sets the foundation for the project moving forward. Over time, Seeing Tarot will walk through the cards by creating and exploring images together, beginning in the Minor Arcana and focusing on the everyday, human-scale moments the tarot reflects.Welcome to this collaborative journey!About the HostsGina WisotzkyGina is the founder of Incandescent Tarot, where she has been sharing her tarot experience of over two decades. Her work weaves tarot, writing, culture, and seasonal ritual through readings, newsletters, and audio reflections.Anna Rose StablerAnna is an illustrator and artist whose work centers symbolism, still life, and quiet narrative worlds. Her practice draws from place, personal archetypes, and the everyday magic of objects and rituals. You can find her work at annarosestabler.com and her podcast Exploring Videogames. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

In this surprise audio edition of the January forecast, we return to a live, spoken tarot reading after a pause from the podcast. January opens the first full month under our new collective archetype for 2026: The Wheel of Fortune. This reading explores how disorientation, emotional processing, and shifts in communication shape the month ahead—and why clarity may not be the goal right now.Using a four-card spread (Theme, Environment, Challenge, Opportunity), this episode looks at how lunar energy, old mental patterns, and productivity culture interact with the Wheel’s turning.Cards DrawnTheme: The MoonJanuary opens in uncertainty, confusion, and psychic recalibration. The Moon reminds us that disorientation is not a failure—it’s part of the process. This is not a month for forcing clarity or demanding answers. Instead, we’re invited to notice what’s washing through us as the Wheel begins to turn.Environment: Three of SwordsThe surrounding emotional climate points to old wounds, familiar patterns of mental or relational pain, and moments that echo past hurts. Rather than signaling catastrophe, this card highlights the beginning of a cycle—where awareness of pain creates the possibility for change. Reactivity is unlikely to be helpful here.Challenge: Eight of PentaclesThe challenge this month is the temptation to hide inside productivity. Busyness, fixing, and “working harder” may feel culturally sanctioned—but they can also become a way to avoid deeper emotional or spiritual questions. January asks us to question whether effort is truly needed, or whether it’s functioning as a distraction.Opportunity: Ace of SwordsNew clarity is available—but it emerges slowly, through rest, reflection, and restraint. This Ace represents a shift in how we think and communicate, especially in charged situations. Unexpected breakthroughs may come from speaking differently, less defensively, or with greater simplicity.Key Themes & Takeaways* January is a liminal month, more about sensing than deciding* Confusion and emotional churn are part of the Wheel’s movement* Not every feeling requires action or communication* Rest and withdrawal (Four of Swords energy) support real insight* Productivity can obscure desire and lunar practice reveals it* Watch for subtle shifts in how you speak, especially under pressureMentioned ResourceFor a deeper exploration of the year’s governing archetype, including journaling prompts and practices, the Wheel of Fortune Guidebook for 2026 is available in the Incandescent Tarot shop for a limited time. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

This month’s reading situates us in the Two of Wands’ visionary talents. What do we want to dream and then enact this month? The visions, goals, and questions we bring to the following month are likely to yield potent answers, especially if we devote ourselves to creative optimism and peaceful practices of the Queen of Cups. Of course, as with any wands-y reading, burnout is a real danger, particularly the vision-obscuring busyness of the Ten of Wands. Yet if we manage to thread this challenging and worthwhile needle, a whole new chapter can open up via the final card of The Fool’s Journey and the final card of our reading: The World. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

This reading is brought to you by a technical difficulty resulting in a surprisingly cozy nighttime recording! It’s lovely as always to be back with a forecast, but first an important announcement: I’ll be pausing the regularly scheduled content here on the newsletter for a creative and spiritual reset; of course, paid subscriptions will also be paused during this time as well. If you have any ideas or input about the next phase of Incandescent Tarot, do reach out here or to info@incandescenttarot.com. I always love to hear from you - you’re the reason this space exists! Now, onto the cards… This month’s reading plunks us right into the darkness of the Nine of Swords where we’re asked to hang up our suffering, feel through it, and let ourselves feel and be held by the support available to us. In a beautiful gesture, the world reaches back when we reach out as our environment card, the Six of Cups, shows that tenderness and connection is on offer if we can step towards it. Our final cards illustrate a tricky process of discernment wherein we’re tasked with resisting the complacency of the King of Pentacles in service of the spontaneous, riskier magic of The Magician. Energy and growth is on the table, but if we choose The Magician’s path it will be both deeply meaningful and propulsive. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

July highlights the burgeoning excitement, experimentation, and direction of the Two of Wands - this is a month to pay attention to what inspiration is appearing naturally while protecting this tender new growth from harmful influences. The Knight of Swords indicates a critical environment and a choice for us to turn against ourselves or turn against what’s holding us back via the Eight of Swords. The Knight of Pentacles reveals a different approach, one we may already be taking behind the scenes: slow, diligent, and dedicated work that can grow to support a meaningful life. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

A robust and fiery energy for the start of the summer! This spread features the powerful, authoritative Emperor as our theme card. We’re positioned to make big gains this month, using our strength and determination to shape projects, routines, relationships - anything that requires our focus and vision. In our environment position, the Six of Wands shows an abundance of support and collaboration. Success is possible if we engage with others, delegate, and practice mutuality. The challenge, however, is to avoid burnout and emotional withdrawal via the Four of Cups while accepting the fast-moving developments (and successes!) of the Eight of Wands. Listen in for the entire forecast and be sure to share your comments below! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

In May we step out of the world of pentacles and into the suit of swords. Led by the Page of Swords, our theme card, we’re inspired to revisit old narratives and step into a future that has us revising our assumptions and feeling awkward and inspired. The Queen of Swords asks us to be on the lookout for people, resources, and situations that encourage us to think flexibly and to trust our powers of discernment. It’s a powerful time to shift our viewpoint around struggle and effort: Will we choose to feel put upon and irritated like the Seven of Wands or dynamic and confident like the Two of Pentacles? All in all, this is a month of blue skies with clouds receding and a remarkable opportunity to reframe our lives, plans, and even beliefs. Listen in for the full reading and be sure to share your thoughts in the comments! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

April sees us stepping onto the throne of the King of Pentacles as we’re asked to appreciate and be empowered by our increased ability to support ourselves, our lives, and communities. All things pentacles are getting a refresh as this powerful card joins forces our envrionment card, the Seven of Pentacles. What actions, plans, projects, and jobs have yielded results? Do you like them? This month gives us a wonderful opportunity to edit and prune our growing plans. Our challenge comes in the form of the Five of Swords as miscommunication and even betrayal from ourselves and others enters the scene. Grounding ourselves in what’s real, what feels generative, and what we’d like for the future can help offset any hurt feelings or impulses to lash out. Finally, our opportunity lies in the expansive vistas of the Two of Wands: What new horizons are calling us? This month we’re seeing how the small steps we’ve taken have led us to a pivotal and exciting turning point. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

Well, only 2/4 of this reading are court cards, so it’s an improvement, right? March is set to be an intense month as we contend with the pain of endings via the Ten of Swords and the tempting call to enact consequential change through Judgment. Our opportunity card, the Queen of Cups, however, encourages caution; fiery and impulsive moves characteristic of our challenge card, the King of Wands, may further inflame an already difficult situation. Listen in for the entire forecast and be sure to share your thoughts in the comments below! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

Well, we’ve decreased our “court card count” to 50% of the reading, and this month’s spread is, overall, far more gentle than January’s. We begin with an invitation to center ourselves in our networks of care through the Nine of Cups. Emotional and spiritual abundance is backing us as we contend with new inspiration through the Queen of Cups and new ways of thinking through the Ace of Swords. It’s not surprising that our opportunity from last month has pivoted into our challenge for February. Embracing the social intensity and drive of the Queen of Wands threatens to lead us into burnout - too much fire is not a good thing! - and the environment this month is, in contrast, characterized by the soothing and beautiful cups suit. Listen in for the full reading and don’t forget to share your insights and impressions in the comments below! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

The Ask a Tarot Reader segment is back! This month, we have a timely question from a listener named Kristen, who asks:what is the difference between a personal card of the year vs. the collective card of the year? How would we relate to them differently and how might they affect us differently? My personal card of the year is always the next year’s collective card - I’m specifically, and personally, wondering what your thoughts are on the experience of living with a tarot archetype 2 years in a row (but maybe in a different way).Listen in as we explore the ins-and-outs of personal birth cards and the card of the year and how they can inform each other and the year ahead. To submit a question /// click hereTo calculate your birth cards /// click here To get a mini-reading /// click hereIncandescent Tarot is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

Well, dear listeners, we certainly start 2025 with a bang! It’s such a delight to be back recording for you all. Our welcome to the New Year is packed with court cards. Yes, you heard right, 4/4 of our cards are in this group: two queens, one king, and one knight. Phew! January is poised to be full of action, characters, and adventures. We’re being asked to assume the poised and insightful position of the Queen of Swords while dealing with the boisterous and unceasing energy of the Knight of Wands out in the world around us. Reading between the cards, I’m sensing that the wisdom of our card for 2025 - The Hermit - will come in handy. Our challenge is in taking refuge in the false moral or emotional high ground of the King of Cups. What are we trying to protect ourselves from when we pretend we’ve got it all figured out and that the world doesn’t touch us? The Queen of Wands illuminates a path through the challenges of the Knight of Wands that sees us assuming a passionate, powerful, and authentic position of personal authority. Buckle up - it’s a wild ride, but with huge potential for zesty and fruitful growth. Listen in for the whole reading, including me waxing poetic about the passage of time, the first (and only other) time I turned over a spread with all court cards, and losing my mind over this impressive array! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

Hello dear subscribers! This forecast is coming to us in a different format because of some unexpected delays this week. But I will not be defeated! We’re going audio because, to quote this perennial wisdom: ‘done is better than perfect.’ (See the unintentional “remix” at the beginning of our recording 😆.) Listen in for a full rundown of this week’s energy (challenging but rewarding!) as well as the classic “things to embrace/things to avoid” segment. If you’d still like to read, click above to access the transcript! We’ll be back with the usual written reading next week. Thanks as always for being here and best of luck in the holiday chaos! A check-in for the monthly reading is also coming tomorrow. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

Listen in for a tarot snapshot of the final month of 2024 and reflections on our tour of the Strength card over the past twelve months. Our card for December is Temperance, pointing us to a gentle assimilation of all the lessons we’ve learned about Strength and a period of grace (and hopefully ease) as we conclude the year. We’ll be pulled to make some poignant decisions about leaving parts of our lives behind in search of what we know is right via the Six of Swords while trusting our internal compass to guide the way. Our challenge this month is everyone’s favorite catastrophic tarot card, The Tower. Will some things crumble in our lives? Perhaps, but our opportunity card - the Eight of Cups - suggests that our choice lies between seeing endings as solely unjust and painful or necessary parts of our growth. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

An exploration into Judgement, the Ten of Cups, Queen of Swords, and Two of Pentacles for November 2024. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

Judgment heralds a month of revelation, reckoning, and a final stop before we wrap up our exploration of the Strength card in 2024. While it’s undeniably intense, this card is bolstered by a loving and supportive environment shown in the Ten of Cups. How can we let our relationships and pursuit of meaning bolster us as we approach a momentous change? Our theme card for the previous month, the Queen of Swords, occupies the “challenge” position, urging us to move away from the strategies that worked so well recently. We’ve integrated them successfully and now is a time to step into the jovial shoes of the Two of Pentacles. Our opportunities lie in a lighthearted approach, small tweaks to our routines that let in some fun and experimentation, as well as a vision towards a freer, more expansive future. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

Listen in for October’s monthly forecast where the Queen of Wands invites us to take a seat, integrate the lessons we learned from the Knight of Swords last month, and envision a new future. The King of Wands brings both tension and inspiration as the call to do more, produce more, and be more alluring threatens to take us away from our unique perspective and personal healing. We may want to gracefully exit this challenging scenario, but our actual challenge card, the Eight of Cups, instructs us to stay with difficulty and turn away from the distractions of amorphous “better things.” Finally, our opportunity is the beautiful, luminescent card: The Star. Healing can be found in staying with ourselves, learning from the tensions that arise, and committing to our practices of mindful presence, reciprocity, and gentleness. Press play for the full reading and don’t forget to share your takes, insights, and questions in the comments below! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

Strength is back! This month we have our hand’s on the lion’s head, so to speak, as we grapple with a central personal challenge. This is the kind of challenge that, if we approach it bravely, can propel us to the next level. I have a feeling that September will be a month we’ll look back on as a when we really stepped forward and into a deeper relationship with ourselves. Our environment is shown in Justice, a card that instructs us to take our values seriously while remaining open and flexible. Our challenge, the Queen of Pentacles, shows a pull towards playing it safe and getting lost in the details of routine, daily life, the domestic sphere, or the material. Yet our opportunity lies in the Knight of Swords: rushing towards challenge, asserting our ideas, sharing our thoughts, and engaging with the world. Press play for the whole forecast and don’t forget to share your thoughts in the comments below! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com

Once again, I’m sharing this with everyone, 1) because it’s fun and I’ve never been good at paywalls, and 2) because our entire reading for August was Major Arcana cards. How are you? Still alive? Reeling from profundity? or just plain tired? Let’s talk about it!Of course, you can press play above (or in your podcast platform of choice) to hear my in-depth thoughts on the cards as they unfolded over the month, but you can also scroll down for some more lighthearted reflections. And get a look at the cards for September.Speaking of September, I’m having a visceral experience of autumn approaching. Maybe it’s years of internalized back-to-school energy, but this time always seems ripe for preparation, reinvention, and some generalized nervousness. I’m watching the light change here in North Carolina and seeing the first leaves grow tired and change color around the edges. I’m also thinking about how this time marks a new year in some traditions which has always felt instinctively right to me. How have you been experiencing fall and its many transitions? Oddly and not surprisingly given our cards, I’ve felt like I’ve been in the busy fall season already. August was a blur of work, adventures, and guests. I felt energized and called to do a whole bunch of home projects and yardwork which prompted some spontaneous magic, see below, and left me feeling recentered and reconnected with my home. So much was happening, in fact, that I didn’t read or watch as much as usual. I did the classic “check out too many intense psychology and non-fiction books from the library” move that leaves me with a stack on my bedside table that I’m too exhausted to read properly. (Me treating my reading like The Hierophant when I really want a steamy beach read a la the Queen of Wands?)I did honor my need for stupidity by going to see Twisters in the theaters. While an unhinged trailer for a Christmas action movie starring The Rock, Chris Evans, and a horrific muscular CGI polar bear was more jaw-dropping than the movie itself, I thoroughly enjoyed being swept away by frenetic action sequences and oddly chaste romance. In tarot speak, this was absolutely a Seven of Wands meets The Fool scenario.And in the tarot world, I found myself moving away from personal readings and just letting this massive, honking monthly forecast take center stage. I did, however, keep pulling Strength as a daily draw. I guess some things require emphasis, but at this point I think I’ve gotten the message!But, to go deeper as we wrap up this recap, having Strength as our opportunity card this past month was such a robust invitation to look at how we’ve been preparing for this moment of transition. Things are about to get more specific in September (which may be a welcome change after our existential deep-dive tour of the major arcana!) and now is a good time to ask ourselves: What is the major issue I’m working on this year?As usual, please share any insights, experiences, questions, or comments below. I adore hearing from you all and this community has some incredible gems of wisdom! Don’t forget to scroll down for our reflection prompts and our cards for September (you’ll never guess what our first card is…).Reflection Prompts for August 2024The Fool* Where did you take risks, a leap of faith, or commit to stepping into something new this month?* How did you honor your true nature, wishes, and instincts/intuition?* What did you learn about who you truly are and how you can begin again?The Devil* What did taking these chances bring up for you?* Where did you notice fear, self-sabotage, and harmful thinking in your life?* What patterns felt stale, limiting, and old? How did you commit to shedding them?The Sun* Where did you notice yourself pretending to be farther along your path, fine, or fully healed? * What did you learn about discerning between important self-growth and keeping up apperances?* How did you develop self-trust this month?Strength* When, where, and how did you show up for yourself?* What did it feel like to honestly observe and accept difficult parts of yourself, the world, your experiences?* What do you know now about your next steps working with these issues?…and, finally, the cards for September! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com