Go-To’s gone a bit witchy. All because the bright, bold, joyous packaging of our 2024 Holiday Collection (have a peek here!) so closely mirrored tarot. Which, naturally, meant we had to turn this print into a deck of our own.
Practised regularly, and mindfully, tarot can exist as a form of self-care. The same way your beauty routine becomes a non-negotiable part of your morning and evening. The cards you pull can give you what you need to feel supported and empowered in everyday life. It can help to explore your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours on a deeper level. It can help to connect you with some pretty incredible humans. Like: Flex Mami.
We had a chat with Flex about her spiritual journey to date. And what role tarot plays in her very chaotic, creative, successful life.
What does the practice of tarot mean to you and why were you drawn to it in the first place?
I use it as a tool for agency, self-discovery and symbolism identification. It’s like a Rorschach test for your mind. The body talks to us in sensations, the mind talks to us through symbols, and symbols are the language of the world. Tarot shows you the evolution that everyone takes from naivety to wisdom — whether that’s in love, career or life purpose. The cycles of life are the same no matter the person or situation: birth, growth, entropy and death (figuratively and literally). Tarot helps me illuminate where I am on the cycle.
I was introduced to tarot through my interest in philosophy and psychology post-high school. When I first picked them up, I didn’t necessarily understand the use case or history, but the more you study the more you realise that it’s so much more than a tool to determine “if they’re coming back or not.”
Talk us through your tarot workshops and what you’ve discovered when bringing these offerings to life.
INFUSE Tarot Workshops definitely weren’t in the pipeline — they arrived to me in the form of a divine DM of a longtime supporter who wanted to know if I’d ever consider teaching. It’s been so long in the tunnel of tarot that I assumed anyone who was interested in it broadly knew the lore deeply. I was thankfully wrong and now I have a beautiful outlet to pour the bountiful seeds of my self-study into the fertile minds of others.
It’s legitimately so hot, sexy, exciting and affirming to cultivate a coven-like space for people to delve into symbolism and their subconscious. We always come to the same conclusion: when people give themselves room to intuit or even just creatively articulate what they see in the cards — THEY CREATE MAGIC!!!!
What has this practice taught you about yourself and the people who come to your events?
We absolutely need environments to hone our creative skills (and spiritual beliefs) in community. Every single class, people arrive as strangers and leave as friends. I watched people exchange details, give advice, be vulnerable and build trust with so much ease. It’s also taught me that taking the power of reaching the few in an analog setting — logging off, meeting in a physical space, eating great food and chatting might be the meaning of life. It showed me that when you shed any awkwardness, shame or embarrassment that comes from trying something new, and instead dive straight in and be the person you want to experience. EVERYTHING CHANGES!!!! It’s so life affirming.
Do you see tarot as a form of self-care?
Tarot can absolutely be a form of self-care, but it depends on how it’s used (and popular use cases can be extremely toxic). At its best, tarot provides a space for reflection, emotional processing, and connecting with your intuition. It can serve as a tool for self-inquiry, helping you navigate challenges, understand your emotions, and gain clarity on decisions. In that sense, it can be as much a part of a self-care routine — but tarot is cards with symbols and pictures. It won’t give you a self-care practice.
If it’s used obsessively, to the point of relying on the cards for every small decision or trying to predict/control every outcome, it can become more of a source of stress than healing.
The real self-care aspect lies in the willingness to engage with yourself honestly and thoughtfully through the process.
If you understand and implement the teachings as part of your self-care practice then absolutely — but simply picking up the cards? No.
My current beliefs on self-care have been heavily influenced by Black feminists and academics. Brittney Cooper says that it’s about reclaiming time, space and peace in a society that demands labour (from Black women especially), and I back that!
Someone is a total novice to tarot, what’s the easiest first step to make on their journey?
Get yourself a Go-To Tarot deck and/or something with traditional and original tarot imagery, go through every card and reflect on what you get from it. Similar to walking through a museum and letting the art speak to you. This practice allows you to build confidence in your interpretations, which will then be bolstered by further self study (reading blogs, watching videos or of course coming to an INFUSE Tarot Workshop).
Your final words of advice to tarot beginners before they begin their journey?
If you’re feeling stressed, anxious, worried, or unstable — put the cards down. Do your due diligence and research the origins and the use case of this beautiful historical tool so you can have an intentional experience (directed by curiosity not desperation).
Have a look through every single card and call out what you see — from the colours to the background, the outfits to the people. This way you’ll be able to see similarities and differences that might help you with future divination.
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