Modern Tarot Quotes

“Be the Fool •​Make a Fool Pouch, to either wear around your neck or carry on your person during the day and to meditate with in the morning. Your pouch can be any of the following colors: spring green, violet, yellow, sky blue, or white. It should contain as many of the following as possible: an anise pod, so that you move forward with passion; loose lavender, to see the beauty of your pursuit; a sprig of rosemary, for purity of intention; a bloodstone, to ensure your victory; and a piece of fluorite, to help you see clearly. Other things to energize your bag include butterfly and dragonfly wings (found in nature of course!) and the feathers of hawks, hummingbirds, and owls especially, but really the feathers of any bird will do. Sit with your pouch in the mornings when you wake up (the closer to dawn the better). Ask it for bravery and glamour and innocence and triumph and focus. Ask it to help illuminate your path and to help you trust in yourself when the path is obscured. Touch it or sit with it throughout the day, as needed. It is certainly a foolish thing to believe that the Universe itself is looking out for you, that it’s facilitating your plans, so such thoughts are protected and encouraged under this card and this spell. The Universe is looking out for you, and will lend you its energy as you set off into uncharted territory.”
― Michelle Tea, Modern Tarot: Connecting with Your Higher Self through the Wisdom of the Cards

“The Emperor is a hardy, strong card that requires a hearty, strong spell to channel his energies. This dish, Emperor Tofu, is a spell dedicated to the powerful, fiery leadership qualities of the Emperor. Feast on it when you need to be fearless and to make a stand. •​As you prepare this meal, focus on channeling Emperor energy—intelligence, courage, masculine yang-vibes. Imagine yourself taking a stand, fighting to win, and succeeding. Continue the visualizations throughout your meal and into your cleanup process. This is best eaten the night before a big action, though leftovers can be snacked on at any point in the following days. If your need for raw, Mars energy is so powerful that you are craving some meat between your teeth, substitute the tofu for something bloodier. First, take a half-teaspoon of ground coriander (sacred to Aries, the Emperor’s ruling sign), a half-teaspoon of black pepper (same), a teaspoon of salt (purification), a pinch of cloves (to keep people from talking shit about you), a quarter-teaspoon of cinnamon (protection), a quarter-teaspoon of cardamom (sacred to Mars, the Emperor’s ruling planet), a quarter-teaspoon of cayenne (Aries), and a half-teaspoon of turmeric (good health). Mix it together and set it aside. Next, sauté an onion (Mars) and a jalapeño (protection from negativity) in coconut oil over high, fiery heat for three minutes. Then add a tablespoon of fresh grated ginger (to move your plan along), three cloves of garlic (protection), and your pile of spices; cook for another minute. Throw in a can of coconut milk and a block of tofu that you’ve drained, pressed, and cut up into chunks. Cover and simmer for twenty minutes. Before serving, add some fresh, shredded basil leaves (sacred to Aries) and a squirt of lime (to attract love and support). Voilà!”
― Michelle Tea, Modern Tarot: Connecting with Your Higher Self through the Wisdom of the Cards

“Let’s talk about the Hermit’s lantern, which is super-important, especially for those social animals who, like myself, cringe whenever this card comes into their lives. The lantern is what allows the Hermit to walk this nighttime landscape alone. Night in the Tarot always represents the unknown, the uncertain, the problem that must be solved. When the Hermit arrives, some type of soul-searching is in order, and the lantern represents your inner compass, your inner light, that thing that will guide you through this night and help you solve your current puzzle. You have everything you need to achieve the breakthrough you need.”
― Michelle Tea, Modern Tarot: Connecting with Your Higher Self through the Wisdom of the Cards

“The High Priestess calls for a bit of hibernation, for time to allow thoughts and creativities to germinate without distraction and external influence. It is time for sitting quietly with crystals and doing lots of writing. Don’t be afraid to say no to people, places, and things; everything will be waiting for you when you return. Some social activities, such as taking a class or starting therapy, are endorsed by the High Priestess, but if you drew this card to help you make a decision, her answer is: No decision.”
― Michelle Tea, Modern Tarot: Connecting with Your Higher Self through the Wisdom of the Cards

“The life I wanted, one with healthy relationships and less regret, a healthy body and less sickness, a stronger career and less floundering, would only ever be mine if I passed through this time of darkness.”
― Michelle Tea, Modern Tarot: Connecting with Your Higher Self through the Wisdom of the Cards

“Pages are the students of the suit, suggestive of a person who has yet to master its special powers but who is earnestly engaged in figuring it all out. Knights are super action-oriented, ready to GO, on the double, like, yesterday! Queens are self-assured and generous, a bit interior, strong and meditative. Kings are likewise so but more extroverted and action-oriented.”
― Michelle Tea, Modern Tarot: Connecting with Your Higher Self through the Wisdom of the Cards

“Our future-focused, technology-obsessed world seems to be hurtling down a bad path. People are turning to ancestral practices for a sense of enduring longevity, and comfort. To help stay sane and grounded in the midst of so much cultural insanity. To source a different kind of power in hopes of making changes both personal and political. From learning meditation to fighting off a cold with some homemade fire cider; from indigo-dyeing your curtains to strengthening your intuition with the aid of the Tarot, such old-world practices are capturing our imaginations and providing us with meaningful ways to impact our world.”
― Michelle Tea, Modern Tarot: Connecting with Your Higher Self through the Wisdom of the Cards