The Tarot Diagnosis

What does it mean when tarot archetypes are blindfolded or their vision is obscured? In this week’s episode of The Tarot Diagnosis, I explore the often over-looked symbolism of obscured vision in tarot - where sight is blocked, avoided, invited or even denied. Inspired by six cards (Two of Swords, Four of Swords, Eight of Swords, Nine of Swords, Ten of Wands, and Strength), I take a psychological and symbolic deep dive into what it means when our eyes are closed.Together, we’ll unpack:Why blindfolds might represent clarity over confusion (Two of Swords vs. Eight of Swords)The difference between chosen vs. imposed limitations on sightHow anxiety and panic (Nine of Swords) make us unable to see clearly, even if our eyes openWhat closing our eyes can teach us about nervous system regulation and rest (Four of Swords)How over-functioning and burnout distort our ability to see what’s truly happening around us (Ten of Wands)Why Strength might be less about control and more about titration and sensory inputThrough the lens of psychology and tarot symbolism, we uncover how visual obstruction in the cards can indicate increased internal knowing, emotional overwhelm, or even power dynamics. And how sometimes seeing less allows us to feel and know more.If you’ve ever pulled the Two of Swords and said, "just open your eyes and deal with it," this reframe might change the way you see the cards forever.Deck Used: Tarot Vintage🌙 Stay Connected With Me💌 Follow me on Instagram:⁠ @thetarotdiagnosis⁠🧠 Sign up for my newsletter at⁠ thetarotdiagnosis.com⁠👥 Join ⁠The Symposium⁠ — my tarot & psychology membership community 📚 Pre-order my book Dark Shadow, Golden Shadow for more therapeutic tarot practices! If you love The Tarot Diagnosis Podcast, please consider leaving a review! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is a super easy and FREE way to support my work. Plus, it helps more people discover the podcast. I appreciate you all so much!Audio Edited by Anthony DiGiacomo of⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Deep Resonance Sound⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Contact: DeepResonanceSound@gmail.comMusic by Timmoor from Pixabay

This week on⁠ The Tarot Diagnosis⁠, we’re exploring one of the most commonly misunderstood behaviors that exist in many of us: people-pleasing. Inspired by real conversations in the therapy room and the archetypal patterns of tarot, I explore people-pleasing through a trauma-informed, psychological, and tarot-based lens.While people-pleasing is often viewed as a virtue and praised as kindness or empathy, the truth is way more complex. From a clinical perspective, people-pleasing is often rooted in early childhood conditioning, or what therapists might consider as part of the “fawn response,” as well as the development of what psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott refers to as the false self. I shed light on how people-pleasing is actually a survival skill - a way of staying safe by tending to others' needs, moods, and perceptions, often at our own expense.In this episode, I explore how tarot archetypes reflect the nuance and shadow of this survival style. Drawing from both psychological theory and tarot symbolism, I unpack this behavior pattern as a form of emotional manipulation born from a deep need for control, approval, and connection, which might be difficult for many of us to hear.I also guide you through a therapeutic, three-card spread designed to help you explore your own patterns of people-pleasing along with what’s underneath it, what it protects, and what it might feel like to step outside of it.For the collective, I pull…Card One: What emotion am I attempting to prevent or manage by people-pleasing? → The TowerCard Two: What would it mean to allow another person to feel disappointed, angry, or uncomfortable without taking responsibility for it? → Two of CupsCard Three: How can I tell the difference between being kind and giving so much that I lose myself? → Nine of CupsDeck Used: Tarot Vintage🌙 Stay Connected With Me💌 Follow me on Instagram:⁠ @thetarotdiagnosis⁠🧠 Sign up for my newsletter at⁠ thetarotdiagnosis.com⁠👥 Join ⁠The Symposium⁠ — my tarot & psychology membership community📚 Pre-order my book Dark Shadow, Golden Shadow for more therapeutic tarot practices! If you love The Tarot Diagnosis Podcast, please consider leaving a review! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is a super easy and FREE way to support my work. Plus, it helps more people discover the podcast. I appreciate you all so much!Audio Edited by Anthony DiGiacomo of⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Deep Resonance Sound⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Contact: DeepResonanceSound@gmail.comMusic by Timmoor from Pixabay

This week on⁠ The Tarot Diagnosis⁠, we’re getting delightfully nerdy. Inspired by a conversation with a dear friend, I explore tarot through the lens of developmental psychology, focusing specifically on Donald Winnicott’s concept of transitional objects, transitional space, and transitional phenomena.Traditionally, transitional objects are things like blankets, stuffed animals, or toys that help children move from total dependence to early independence by offering emotional regulation and symbolic comfort. But what happens when we grow up? We don’t stop needing comfort. It turns out our transitional objects just evolve…Enter tarot.In this episode, we explore how tarot functions as an transitional object, or what psychologist Mark Brenner refers to as a “sacred keepsake” that helps us self-soothe, regulate, and bridge our inner world with our external world. Drawing from both developmental theory and therapeutic principles, I unpack the psychological richness of the cards as mirrors, containers, and transitional phenomena.I also guide you through an experiential three-card “Container Spread” designed to help you hold and process what feels too heavy using the archetypes as emotional containers. For the collective, I pull… Card One – What feels too heavy right now? → Eight of Swords Card Two – What archetype can hold that heaviness? → Queen of Swords Card Three – What can I do while this is being held? → Nine of WandsDeck Used: Pagan Otherworlds🌙 Stay Connected With Me💌 Follow me on Instagram:⁠ @thetarotdiagnosis⁠🧠 Sign up for my newsletter at⁠ thetarotdiagnosis.com⁠👥 Join ⁠The Symposium⁠ — my tarot & psychology membership community 📚 Pre-order my book Dark Shadow, Golden Shadow for more therapeutic tarot practices! If you love The Tarot Diagnosis Podcast, please consider leaving a review! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is a super easy and FREE way to support my work. Plus, it helps more people discover the podcast. I appreciate you all so much!Audio Edited by Anthony DiGiacomo of⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Deep Resonance Sound⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Contact: DeepResonanceSound@gmail.comMusic by Timmoor from Pixabay

Dive into profound therapeutic insights as the hosts explore the impact of cognitive distortions in relationships through card pulls. Discover how the Devil represents all-or-nothing thinking, while the Three of Swords reveals clarity through pain. The Lovers card encourages the art of reframing and conscious choice for healing. A practical tarot exercise illustrates how these concepts play out in real-life scenarios, guiding listeners to break free from unhealthy thought patterns and embrace emotional flexibility.

Dive into the intriguing duality of the Knight of Wands and the Seven of Pentacles, representing the tension between urgency and patience in relationships. Discover how these tarot archetypes reflect our neurobiology, connecting dopamine's drive for action with serotonin's role in sustaining rewards. Learn to integrate these contrasting styles to enhance connection. Plus, get excited about the upcoming book 'Dark Shadow, Golden Shadow,' which promises a deeper exploration of shadow work and personal growth through tarot.

Discover the captivating symbolism of clouds in tarot as they embody transition and the unknown. Learn how clouds contrast with fixed zodiac signs in the Wheel of Fortune, reflecting mental states and emotional journeys. From evoking feelings of turbulence in the Swords suit to representing completion in The World, clouds are more than just a backdrop—they mirror the human experience. This exploration encourages us to embrace change and view our challenges with fresh eyes, reminding us that nothing is static.

Discover why the usual advice of 'just think positive' often fails in mental health. This discussion emphasizes how real change begins with action, not just thoughts. Learn about the brain’s response to trauma and how Dialectical Behavior Therapy can help navigate complex emotions. Explore how tarot can serve as a transformative tool, guiding you toward new experiences and small victories. Uncover practical strategies like a unique tarot spread designed to illuminate micro-moments of safety and agency in your healing journey.

[TW: Discussion of death, grief, suicide.] This week on The Tarot Diagnosis, I sit down with the Five of Cups and a whole host of other cards, but not in the way we usually expect. Instead of offering a clinical take or a tidy metaphor, this episode is more of a free-flowing love letter to the messiness of grief: the kind that arrives with dreams, dead batteries, wildflower fields, and the unshakable ache of remembering (those will all make sense once you listen, I promise).Inspired by a recent pull of the Five of Cups (which you may have seen on Instagram), I reflect on decades of lived experience with loss - starting with my Uncle Barry and a stopped clock, winding through stories of my TT, childhood concoctions, and the ghosts of the selves we never got to be. This isn’t just an exploration of death-related grief, but of all the quiet, complicated, and cumulative forms grief can take: missed opportunities, dissolved friendships, the unspoken distance between people, the lives we didn’t live, but could have.You’ll hear me pull and process cards live that include the Ten of Swords, Six of Cups, Ten of Wands, Queen of Cups, and Ace of Cups - each offering insight into how we might tend to, hold, and honor our grief. I talk about the importance of remaining in relationship with what we’ve lost, the burden of carrying grief alone, and the healing power of shared memories, rituals, and emotional openness.This episode is for anyone who has ever carried the weight of grief, a memory that won’t fade, or a part of themselves that got left behind. Whether you’re mourning a person, an identity, or a path not taken, may this conversation offer you a moment of softness and proof that your pain and experience is real and valid.Deck used: Tarot VintageReferenced: "Grief is a form of learning" - Mary Frances O'Connor Watch her TedX here.Recommended Reading:The Grieving Brain by Mary Frances O'ConnorGrief is Love by Maris Renee Lee🌙 Stay Connected With Me💌 Follow me on Instagram: @thetarotdiagnosis 🧠 Sign up for my newsletter at thetarotdiagnosis.com 👥 Join The Symposium — my tarot & psychology membership communityIf you love The Tarot Diagnosis Podcast, please consider leaving a review! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is a super easy and FREE way to support my work. Plus, it helps more people discover the podcast. I appreciate you all so much!Audio Edited by Anthony DiGiacomo of⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Deep Resonance Sound⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Contact: DeepResonanceSound@gmail.comMusic by Timmoor from Pixabay

Dive into a gripping exploration of the Five to Ten of Swords in tarot. Discuss the emotional turbulence of hollow victories and deceptive shields against pain. Journey through escapism, self-deception, and mental imprisonment, unveiling a psychological narrative that resonates deeply. Witness the transformation from collapse to catharsis, revealing how confronting our wounds can pave the path for healing. Join this reflective experience as we navigate the dark spiral of escapism and discover the light of personal growth.

This week on The Tarot Diagnosis Podcast, I’m unpacking the emotional aftermath of the Summer Solstice Summit and diving deep into one of the most powerful psychological and tarot-based concepts I explored there - the Golden Shadow, which I expand on as a type of abandoned archetype.I begin by reflecting on the special magick that unfolded during the Summer Solstice Summit and how a weekend meant for learning and connection blossomed into something collectively sacred and transformative. From heartfelt comments in the chat box, to “aha!” moments during presentations, it became clear that this space wasn’t just about tarot, it was about holding space for each other and ourselves.***Skip to 9:57 to avoid hearing me gush about the Summer Solstice Summit.***That leads into the theme of this episode: the golden shadow as the abandoned archetype. Using both therapeutic insight and Jungian psychology, I examine how the golden shadow holds our disowned potential… all of that creativity, boldness, and joy that have been buried under years of social conditioning and shame. I draw from Robert Bly’s “bag of shadows” as a metaphor and infuse some developmental psychology, as I reflect on how our shadow forms across the lifespan.Plus, you get to hear me talk about how the Tower is one hell of an epic, abandoned archetypal golden shadow. Tune in to hear my thoughts on how this often feared card is actually beautiful and admirable.In this episode, I also walk you through a tarot spread to help you meet your own golden shadow and discover your abandoned archetype. Through three card pulls, we explore how to identify repressed potential, recognize what’s blocking it, and find ways to integrate it back into our life. I end up pulling the Magician, Six of Wands, and the World.Whether you attended the summit or are just tuning in, I hope this conversation invites you to look at your shadow not only as a place of wounds, but as a container of all of your endless potential and authenticity!Deck used: Pamela Coleman Smith’s Playing Card DeckTarot Spread from the Episode:The unacknowledged potential of an abandoned archetypeAn obstacle preventing me from embracing this potentialA way I can reclaim and integrate this hidden potential into my life 🎧 Listen now on your favorite podcast platform or YouTube! Want to find out all of the ways you can connect with me live this month? Join us inside⁠ The Symposium⁠! If you love The Tarot Diagnosis Podcast, please consider leaving a review! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This helps more people discover the show and is a great way to support my work <3Don't forget to subscribe to our email list to get all kinds of free mental health and tarot goodies on our website, as well as access to our private membership community ⁠The Symposium⁠!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.TheTarotDiagnosis.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow The Tarot Diagnosis on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@TheTarotDiagnosis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Audio Edited by Anthony DiGiacomo of⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Deep Resonance Sound⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Contact: DeepResonanceSound@gmail.comMusic by Timmoor from Pixabay