Melissa, Hilary, and Jaymi revisit the world of boundaries. Melissa reminds us that the definition of a boundary is “Rules and guidelines we set in our personal guidelines.” There are real, tangible benefits to having boundaries and enforcing them. You need to feel comfortable and safe first, and then you can worry about others. Boundaries also aff…

As a nice wrap-up to our deep dive into the Aces, we give some practical ways to use the Aces in your magic. Hilary starts by giving ideas for specific focuses using these cards like new beginnings spells. Jaymi uses cards in her magic. She lays out the cards at her altar according to her identifiers and directions. You can place the magician in th…

It’s all about the things. We equate the Pentacles suit with the element of Earth and maybe winter. They refer to money, tangible items, and your home. These cards remind us to ground and how we can ground. It’s finding the safety when you are in the stillness. Homework: Find the thing you want and get to getting it. Decks Mentioned Rider Waite Smi…

We dive into the Ace of Swords and the immediacy it brings. Swords bring up thoughts, how we use our voice, and put ourselves forth for change. It puts an edge on things and brings our ideas into focus. Melissa, Hilary, and Jaymi break down the Ace of Swords in various ways and how to tie the card into ways you can use the initial spark of action. …

The Ace of Cups has a comforting vibe. Cups relate to our emotions or things that ebb and flow in our lives. The Ace runs over, showing the honest, true source of the waters of life. The cup offers nourishment and receives love in any shape it comes. Homework: Figure out what is medicine and poison to yourself. Make a list and keep it handy for whe…

Aces are the first step of each minor suit. In this case, we relate the wands to the element of fire and a season. It can be the idealized focus for Wands. It’s the ember of the fire seen in the suit. It’s a spark of the idea or connection. They help focus the potential energy into focus. Decks Mentioned Rider Waite Smith by AE Waite and Pamala Col…

Welcome back to the cards. Hilary, Lis, and Jaymi kick off the minors. We see the minors as the day-to-day nitty-gritty items of our lives. These cards are broken down into two aspects: the numbered cards and the court cards. There are four suits to the 56 cards. Each one has its association with an element that relates to one of the four elements:…

Two weeks ago, we had our 100th episode. Instead of doing a recording, we did our first YouTube Live on our very own YouTube channel. We took questions for viewers, brought Kendra, the producer, on, and had fun. Here's the recording from that. Do you like what you hear? Send feedback to us at cardslingerscc@gmail.com. Follow us on Twitter at https:…

Hilary and Jaymi talk about their journey into right-sizing their tarot collections. Whether it’s because you run out of space or self-imposing a container size, it’s good to take a peek at your collections and see what you have and whether or not it’s still loved and useful for you. Please read (and download) Jaymi’s article on right-sizing your c…

The last of the major arcana cards, The World is both an ending and another beginning. This episode examines how The World card is a portal to the past and our future. We also share our favorite World cards from our collections. Check out Courtney Weber’s Tarot for One, and listen to her That Witch Life podcast. Other episodes Into the Mystic, Part…

We love you all! And because life got crazy for us all, we’ve decided to clean out the inbox. Here are our quickfire answers to some of your earlier messages. From revisiting meanings in the little white booklet to ethical questions on reading cards for people we know; to learning which decks are good for clients or other situations; we’re eternall…

Heed the call! Let the angel’s voice wash over you. Cleanse the slate of your sins. Judgment is a card of perspective, in who perceives you. Judgment is the law of the higher self. Use this knowledge gained from the past cards of the major arcana to lead you into alignment for the next project, the next stage of your life’s path. Decks Mentioned In…

Hilary, Melissa, and Jaymi discuss soul mates, twin flames, and kindred spirits. They relate it back to tarot readings and the divination community. We discuss the concepts, pitfalls to avoid, and how to deal with clients who seek their ultimate love. We recommend that you cultivate a relationship with yourself. Learn what you want in your life and…

We got a listener question regarding condescending feedback and clients that fight you on your interpretation. We tell stories of how this worked in our lives, and we give feedback on how to deal with this situation as it relates to client readings and social media posts. Bottom line: don’t be a dick. (Props to Wil Wheaton.) Homework: Know the inte…

Hey, this is our fifth year! And we have so much to share with you all. We give you a small road map of where we’re gonna go this year. Including more card episodes, mentor chats, divination reviews, listener reviews, and maybe discussing some of the US fortune-telling laws. Resources Mentioned Empty Cup Oracle Do you like what you hear? Send feedb…

Clarity is absolute. We look for joy. The Sun card expresses happiness in many forms. Decks Mentioned: The Sacred Sisterhood Tarot by Ashawnee DuBarry and Coni Curi Mary-El Tarot by Marie White Triple Goddess Tarot by Franco Rivolli and Jaymi Elford Do you like what you hear? Send feedback to us at cardslingerscc@gmail.com. Follow us on Twitter at …

Happy winter holiday, everyone. In this special episode, the cardslingers toss out what they want in their stockings and some last-minute quick holiday gift-giving ideas. Melissa wants a sackful of tarot decks and books. She would also like more publishers to make tarot books into audiobooks. Jaymi wants an unlimited Google Play gift card to weed h…

A year or two ago, Hilary started a certification process for tapping. This is a process known as the emotional freedom technique (EFT). It’s similar to the rapid eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR) that Lis has been doing. It’s good to work with issues and to clear stresses in our lives. Now, doesn’t that sound a bit like …

The Cardslingers discuss the meanings of The Moon. At its core, this card represents fear and the unknown. It’s a reminder of all we have gone through in The Tower and Devil cards. Yet, this card tells us to recognize the darkness and to learn the lies. Lean into the darkness, sit with it, and learn from the shadows. If you are struggling and need …

Welcome to our Treehouse of Horror, where the Happy Squirrel card is the ultimate scariest card. In honor of the thinning of the veil, we’ll let you all know our top three scary cards. Happy Halloween, Happy Samhain, and Blessed Dia de los Muertos, everyone. Thanks for joining us. Be safe this year. Cards Mentioned: Lis: 9 Swords, Lovers, 10 Swords…

Sign up now, for a new Advanced Tarot class with Melissa. And in the comfort of your own house. Hosted with EventBrite, this class happens in the evening of October 23, 2023 (5-6:30 Pacific, according to Jaymi’s account.) Click here to grab a ticket! From the page itself: Join us for Advanced Tarot - Beyond three card readings, an exciting online e…

Happy October, everyone. Kicking off the divination month, we dive into the psychic arts, thanks to our listener question from way back when. We discuss the differences between how you can tell if it’s real or not, how to hone it in with practice, and what to do with the information after you get it. Our listener from the UK says, TL, DR: For those…

Jaymi’s noticed something interesting happening in the tarot world. There are a lot of decks out there that are renaming cards. For example, some decks rename The Hanged Man to the Hanged One. Suits get renamed; the same with court cards. So, she put it on the kitchen table for Lis and Hilary to give some information. It comes down to the intent be…

Tarot is a language. Like any other language, speaking and understanding the components takes time. Today’s listener question asks, Are there any cards you straight-up disagree with the description listed in the “little white book”? How did you discover the meaning it has for you? We recommend that you take in the info when you are new and then bra…

Some call it the card of hope. Others see it as the calm that comes after the destruction of The Tower. The Star brings healing and space to mend. Now, you are okay; things are safer and softer. In this episode, we dive into our thoughts around this card and pull some examples from our collections. We also discuss how many decks display the central…

The Cardslingers tackle the topic of reviews, criticisms, and feedback. While we tend to focus the discussion on the books we’ve done, the information can apply to your tarot business when clients write reviews or send you feedback (both positive and negative). We give some ideas on how to take the feedback and what we want to see in reviews. Homew…

We stalled on talking about cards due to this ugly vibe. No one likes to get this card in a reading. We’ve hemmed and hawed long enough, and we’re pushing through this one. Today’s card is The Tower. Watch us put on our big person underoos and listen to our thoughts on this difficult card. Is it really the big bad card people think it is? Decks Ref…

The Cardslingers tackle a sensitive topic of deck boundaries. How do we cleanse our decks? Who do we allow to touch our tools? We get a bit deep about boundaries, cleaning, and possession around our divination tools. Is there There was a small side topic that was touched on in Episode 32, which made me want to ask a question. Feelings about other p…

Melissa and Jaymi work on their new musical (don’t worry, it’s not coming out anytime soon). They answer a good listener question from Laura T.: When I read cards, I like to have two rocks..a silver obsidian and a quartz wand. One anchors me, and the other I just like to hold. Are there any objects you like to have in your space when you read? Plac…

Running a business is a marathon. Getting into this profession requires everyone to wear all the hats. Marketing, social media, sales, accounting. In this episode, we spend some time talking about wearing all the hats. Homework: Look at your energy and figure out your capacity. Learn what you can do at this moment or when you’re at your best. Doing…

Understanding and developing timing in tarot is one of the true moments when you can play with your cards. There are so many different systems out there for divining “when” questions. Melissa, Hilary, and Jaymi discuss various methods they know of and use. We also recommend ways that you can develop your own systems based on your personal locations…

The cardslingers invite mentor Nancy Hendrickson onto the cast. She helps us dive deep into her world of writing, family history, and her art of healing with blends of tarot. Nancy says, “The more you know about family, the more you know about yourself. People want their stories told.” So, it’s time to get personal with Nancy and learn more about c…

Hilary and Jaymi talk about reading tarot for your self and Mary K Greer’s Tarot for Yourself. Strangely the two do relate, and cross over, and we feel it’s time to chat about the connections and our observations. We discuss what happens when the cards call you out and go a lot deeper than you expected for reading material. And we share stories of …

Reading and understanding cards can be hard for beginners. The companion book or little white book (LWB) can be viewed as a boat or a harbor that anchors you instead of being set adrift on a sea of tarot meanings/interpretations. However, as you grow and learn, you’ll find that cards have a wide variety of meanings. So, in today’s episode, we answe…

Usually, tarot uses the information from the cards that readers lay on the table. But what about what doesn’t show up? Can it tell us anything? Hilary and Jaymi talk about how one can read between the lines and show what’s missing from what doesn’t appear in a spread. Jaymi views cards in a spread as the main focus. When cards or suits don’t appear…

Welcome back, Lis! We missed you. And what is this? A haunted deck. Oooh. Thanks. Hilary hates it, and Jaymi wants to get her hands on it. So, dear listeners, we’re discussing personalities we assign to our decks, whether they are truly haunted or angry. We give you ways to deal with these personalities. Decks mentioned: Untold Tales, a home-made d…

Hilary and Jaymi revisit some listener questions focused around spreads. This episode revisits and expands information from episode 53. Which is “what spreads do you guys use, and how to determine which to use for each client?” We recommend you have a small stockpile for various topics. We also like to create our own spreads from scratch and often …

Hilary and Jaymi take time to chat with one of their beloved mentors, Theresa Reed. Join in as Theresa shares many great nuggets of wisdom, including this one: “We must never take our elders, teachers, and mentors for granted. They deserve the ultimate respect for passing down their experience and wisdom. To be in the presence of greatness and know…

Welcome back to Cardslingers in 2023. We've had a nice winter break, which allowed us to relax and update the site design a bit. Hilary and Jaymi give a preview of what's to come this year! Thanks for sticking by with us. We're glad you're here. Mentors series More reader questions More card episodes Do you like what you're hearing? Send feedback t…

Content Warning: While we’re under an explicit tag for cussing, we get sexually explicit in this episode. So, please don’t listen to this around kiddos; we also want to be aware of those who have sexual traumas or issues around sex. We’re not making fun of anyone’s sexual kinks or labels. Our crew spans all types of sexuality. Jaymi digs deep into …

What happens when two authors and tarot readers get together and reminisce about their history with tarot with someone who is freshly learning to read tarot? We welcome in “newbie” reader Bo Jofferon, who reminds us what it is like to be a reader in their first five years. Each tarot journey is different. Your journey will be different than everyon…

The Cardslingers get down to business, the business of readings. Special guest, John Verbrugge, is here to help us understand more business for readers. While coming in from the tech world, John gives us all some great advice on running your readings as a business owner. Think big and look to the future. Invest in yourself. Here’s hoping Hilary get…

The alternate title of this episode is “Grand Rising, Beloveds!” Be careful of how you get a witch’s attention. Scammers online, and off, are everywhere and we’re fed up with it. Even tarot decks are being “counterfeited” and scammed. Listen to our stories about scammers; being copied; or having to deal with unhappy people who think we’re frauds. A…

Note: Zoom had some technical glitching in recording, so there may be some weird transitions in this episode. Don’t let it get in the way of this good stuff. Self-care is the best care. What happens when you can’t even look at another deck? We’re talking about how to not turn into a chunk of charcoal. This field is lonely, and burnout can be real. …

Let’s talk about the dark side of the tarot community. Readers are people, not products or things. Yes, we appreciate each other's ideas and opines. However, there is a way to come at us and befriend us, and help us through our own journey. Think about how you use your privileges towards others and remember that a person is at the other end of the …

Welcome to the last formula for our “What to Charge” series, where we show you our consummate competence. That’s right; we’re talking professional-level charging. We’re using craftsman instead of master because, at this level, you do so much more than just read and offer advice. You craft magic with the cards between your hands. At this level, you …

We push the What to Charge series one level further with the Journeyman level of charging for your reading, being a Journeyman. What does this mean? Well, at this level, you’re 3 years or more off book and should be charging between $50-$100 depending on where you live. This level is about experimentation with your readings or learning what works, …

We’re back with another episode of the What to Charge series. Today we dip one step above a Student level to Apprentice (aka “knight”). You took your skills and knowledge as a Student and have started putting it into practice. This is where you do it all events, online, friends,and family; and to make the mistakes that help you develop your busines…

Welcome to the wild world of reading for others. Our student formula helps you dip your toe into getting used to charing for readings. Students are those who have studied the cards for a bit and may still rely on books for deeper meaning. At this level, you’ll be charging $25-$30 and hopefully you aren’t using your books. At this stage you’re learn…

Welcome to the long-awaited series on what to charge for your gifts and readings. We kick off this series by letting you know how this will go, some of our stories from the trenches, and other things to consider before you jump straight into making tarot a business. Thanks to our listener who came in and asked, “Being off book for 3 years, what can…