The Tarot Diagnosis Time, Tarot, and the Nervous System
I’ve had “Timekeeper” by Grace Potter & The Nocturnals stuck in my head, and it sent me down a rabbit hole about how we experience time - psychologically, somatically, and through tarot. In this episode of The Tarot Diagnosis, I explore why time isn’t a single, objective thing we all live the same way. Instead, our nervous systems, mental health, creativity, grief, and even neurodivergence shape how fast or slow life feels. Plus, tarot gives us language and imagery to work with that reality.
I explore how time is deeply subjective and shaped by the nervous system, noting how ADHD, anxiety, trauma, grief, and even creative flow can dramatically alter our felt sense of time. I also look at how capitalism, calendars, and the constant pressure toward productivity hijack our internal rhythms and distort our perception of urgency.
Through a tarot lens, I consider how the cards function as mirrors for our temporal experience: the Wheel of Fortune becomes a symbolic clock that reflects cycles, seasons, turning points, and the timelines we fear we’ve “missed” or been redirected from; The Hanged Man teaches us the value of a purposeful pause, choosing suspension to gain clarity; Death and the Six of Cups speak to endings, nostalgia, and the bittersweet grief of what we cannot return to; and Judgment paired with the Eight of Pentacles invites us to ask, “Whose timeline am I serving?” - guiding us toward value-aligned efforts and a more conscious relationship with time.
Resources & goodies I mention
Grace Potter & The Nocturnals - “Timekeeper” listen here.
Time affluence vs. time famine. Inspired by Dr. Laurie Santos: feeling like you have enough time is a better predictor of happiness than “free time” alone. You can watch her talk here.
My 2026 Wheel of Fortune Year Journal (monthly essays, daily prompts, and exercises to work with cycles and timing). Grab a digital and physical copy here.
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📚 P.S. My new book Dark Shadow, Golden Shadow blends psychology, tarot, and therapeutic self-reflection to help you move from shame to awareness and integration. It releases December 8th and is available wherever books are sold.
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Audio Edited by Anthony DiGiacomo of Deep Resonance Sound
Contact: DeepResonanceSound@gmail.com
Music by Timmoor from Pixabay