Social Justice Tarot?
For those of us who study the Tarot, it is just that, an ongoing study where we are constantly learning and finding new ways to interpret the cards. For myself, I have learned that part of the fun of studying and using Tarot cards in my practice is how much fun it is to collect different decks. Each deck brings with it a new perspective, and often a meaning that I had not thought of before. When you think about it, it really is amazing to see how far Tarot cards have come, from the traditional Rider-Waite Smith deck to cards that depict modern people from all walks of life. Seeing ourselves in the cards definitely adds to the study and interpretation. But what happens when the author, illustrator, or both, have injected their political views into a deck that you were drawn to the minute you saw the amazing illustrations?
As conservative Witches and Pagans, we already know that we are a group within a group and a small one at that. We don’t follow the narrative of the “tree-hugging” liberal Pagan. And while our spiritual practices may be a bit different from our mainstream conservative brethren, we agree with them on just about everything else. In a way, we are people without a “group.” Mainstream conservatives often don’t like to admit we exist, and our liberal Pagan brothers and sisters definitely don’t want to admit we exist. Because we are small in number, we are forced to put up with a certain amount of left-wing propaganda when it comes to things like books and Tarot cards. We all no doubt have the same reaction when we run across it, roll our eyes, and move along, after all, we wanted to read that book or use that Tarot deck because it looked interesting all on its own. I recently purchased a Tarot deck during a trip to Cleveland to visit my witchy best friend. It was a deck I had seen someone use in a video, and I loved the illustrations, and it seemed very user-friendly. As I always do, I read the book that came with the deck. I think no matter how long you have been reading, it is an easy way to get acquainted with that deck. But as I got into the guidebook, it seemed as though I was reading about transgender issues every time I turned the page. Don’t get me wrong, I have no problem with adults, anyone over 18, living as they want to live. By all means, you do you. But as I got further into the book, I was also confronted with things like how bad capitalism is, and how America is hopelessly racist and inequitable. America is certainly not a perfect place. She was founded by and is currently inhabited by imperfect human beings. There are ugly chapters in American history. But the beauty of America is that many of those mistakes made by Americans that came before us, because of the genius that is the U.S. Constitution, were able to be rectified. There are too many Americans of all races, colors, and backgrounds that have had humble beginnings, and through hard work and effort, have become successful. And as far as capitalism goes, to the author of that Tarot deck, capitalism is the vehicle by which you are selling your wares, my dear.
What would happen if a conservative Witch or Pagan designed a conservative Tarot deck? Well, let’s see. Donald Trump as the King of Pentacles, maybe Candace Owens as the Queen of Swords, a picture of a complete southern border wall on the Justice or Temperance card. The possibilities are endless. But would we want to imbue our conservative Tarot deck with our political views? Maybe I am biased, but I don’t think we would. Contrary to what people believe about conservatives, we want people to think for themselves, and to have their own views. Witches and Pagans, regardless of their political stripe, want all people to be happy. We don’t care what you look like, or who you love. We might disagree with you politically, but that is ok. We would just like the same consideration in return. We are also usually quite passionate about our beliefs, so perhaps it is only natural that our beliefs would slip into our work. But because we are a diverse community, that diversity doesn’t stop at thought. As is the case so many times for conservative Witches and Pagans, I will keep on using this deck, and overlook the social justice warrior stuff, because the person who authored the deck is an amazing teacher, and I have already learned a lot from her just by reading that little book that comes with the deck. Michael Jordan once jokingly said, “Republicans buy sneakers too.” For all of our amazing witchy writers and artists, a good rule of thumb might be, that conservative Witches buy Tarot cards too.