Tarot card readers of varying levels shuffled their customizable decks, placed them in their boxes and gave thanks to Joanna Brook, an experienced tarot card reader and the founder of Brightheart Alchemy Guides, before heading out the door of her home on a drizzly April evening. 

The decks’ themes ranged from cyberpunk to medieval, drawing an equally eclectic group of people together to analyze the cards and search for answers in their lives.

Before attending this tarot card circle, I had some prior convictions about what tarot is all about. I assumed that tarot was something hippie college kids did in their free time and that there were no benefits to analyzing your life through a deck of cards.

I was surprised by how off target I was and how the experience of tarot is not limited by the card but rather enhanced by the community surrounding it.

The regulars of Brook’s tarot circle welcomed newcomers to tarot, which included me and a few others. They explained certain cards and advised on the issue in question.

Brook began her tarot journey 23 years ago in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and felt drawn to tarot due to out-of-the-ordinary experiences.

“I was picking up on emotions, and I could tell they weren’t mine,” Brook said. “I would be in a crowd of people, and emotions would just swirl past me, and that’s when I stumbled upon a sign for tarot reading classes.”

With a degree in English literature and creative writing, Brook views tarot as a medium of storytelling.

With many ways to arrange the cards, Brook says that there are “an infinite number of stories to tell, depending on what cards you put in what position.”

She’s very correct.

There are 78 cards in a tarot deck, which are divided into two sections. The Major Arcana consists of 22 cards that give you information on major life events.

The Minor Arcana covers the remaining 56 cards, which deal with more day-to-day issues. The Minor Arcana cards are then divided into four suits: cups, swords, wands and pentacles.

Each suit is numbered one through 10 and has four court cards: the page, knight, king and queen. These are the typical parameters of a tarot deck; however, as I mentioned, decks are completely customizable, and certain decks have different names for suit and Major Arcana cards.

There are so many different ways to interpret the meaning of each card that a different story can be told every time.

As members of the Tarot circle asked questions to the cards and the group, it became apparent that besides guidance from the cards, people sought community.

It seemed like circle members walked away with a weight off of their shoulders, more sure of what they had to accomplish in the next week, month or even year.

Elvie Pelayo, an office manager at the University of Oregon, is only just starting to dive into the tarot world but had a lot to say about its benefits.

“Tarot helps me choose what I should do when I’ve got turmoil in my life,” Pelayo said. “It clears things up for me.”

For those contemplating life and wondering what their next move should be, I would encourage exploring the Tarot community.

“We’re all searching for meaning,” Brook said. “There is so much going on in the world that is frightening and out of our control.”

Brook’s words stayed with me after my introduction to Tarot. In a world full of uncertainty, sometimes all we need is a new perspective on the same old questions — and a community to remind us that we are not alone.

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