What inspired me to write this blog… my last blog. My bohemian lifestyle brought me down the rabbit hole so to speak….So the more I embraced a bohemian way of life the more I opened myself up to an alternative way of looking at the world, one that did not conform to what I was brought up to believe but one that made way more sense to me and felt like home. I was always attracted to mystical things (the unseen) or as some people refer to as ‘woo woo stuff’. It’s this connotation that also prompted me to write this series of blogs which are based on spiritual awareness…woops did I mention the word ‘spiritual’?! don’t let that put you off, for those not so keen on that word, let’s change it to ‘self discovery’ because this stuff is so natural that it is SUPERnatural and the more we embrace it, the more we can get in touch with who we really are. So, the first blog kicks off with all things TAROT….please don’t go 🙂 I promise this will be an eye opener and you’ll be glad you stayed.
I was fascinated with the tarot cards from a young age but I was also scared of them because I was wrongly told back then from a tarot reader that tarot cards could tell the future and that the future was set in stone…scary info if your cards aren’t so great! We all have free will and so it’s impossible for anyone to tell the future and the future is not set in stone but what tarot does is it lets us know that if we keep thinking and doing what we are currently doing then the energy around that, is what will manifest in our future. However if you change your thoughts/actions you change your outcome. So then I realised that the tarot if used properly was in fact a very powerful tool to guide us to our highest good in all parts of our life, whether it be relationships, career, business, finances and so on.So this brought me to the Queen of Tarot herself, Brigit Esselmont, Intuitive Entrepreneur, Founder of www.biddytarot.com, and best-selling author of Everyday Tarot.
Brigit, thanks so much for taking time out of your busy schedule and contributing to this blog. It means so much to me. I am a big fan of your work and how you are bringing tarot and intuitive work into the mainstream and making it more modern and cool and less scary and woo woo which is what this blog is all about.Firstly, can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you ended up turning your hobby of Tarot reading into a very successful business.
Oh, that’s so sweet, thank you so much! Yes absolutely, so I started learning Tarot back in 1999 while I was at university studying accounting and economics. As a bit of a distraction from my studies, I started a website to share what I was learning about the cards. This was way back in the day, so I was literally coding this website myself from scratch. To practice what I was learning, I was doing free Tarot readings online, and then started offering 10-card readings for $10 each (crazy cheap!).Now, I’ve read for over 10,000 people!My Tarot Card Meanings online became really popular, and I realised people were wanting to learn more about how to read the cards. So over the years, I put together courses and books, and now 20 years later, Biddy Tarot is a 7-figure business with 17 employees and a thriving community of Tarot lovers around the world!
You have managed to modernise Tarot and prove that it is a powerful guidance tool, which is an amazing feat. How did you do this? and what advice would you give to people that are afraid of it?
This is such a juicy question. I think it has happened because I believe at my core that Tarot is a powerful way to connect with your intuition, and that everybody has the ability to access their inner wisdom. Which means everybody has the ability to learn Tarot! All of the answers lie within you, and the Tarot is an amazing tool to integrate into your daily life to access these answers. I live this philosophy in my daily life and in my business, and always let people know that you don’t have to be a 5th generation psychic to read the cards. Tarot is for everyone.It’s unfortunate that so many people have been taught to fear the Tarot, simply from misinformation. The thing is, the Tarot can’t make anything happen. Honestly, it’s pictures on pieces of cardboard. We all have free will, and Tarot is simply a tool that helps give you guidance along the way.
Can you explain how tarot works, who are we actually connecting with through the cards and why is it happening?
When you connect with the Tarot cards, ultimately you’re connecting with yourself. Your own inner wisdom and intuition. You’re picking up on energies surrounding your query, and giving yourself space to tune into what your soul already knows.The most powerful way to read the Tarot is to use the cards to access your intuition and your inner wisdom. The imagery in the cards give you instant access to your subconscious mind and your intuition. And from this place of inner power and wisdom, you can discover how to make positive changes now so you can manifest your goals and your dreams in the future.
You help people make very crucial life and business decisions through the aid of tarot readings. Basically, you have changed people lives for the better through your tarot readings. Can you tell us a bit more about this?
The beautiful thing about this is that all good Tarot readers are helping people change their lives for the better. But the querent is actually the one who is doing the work and changing their own life. When someone comes for a reading and they are open to an interactive experience (like a coaching session), they’ll get amazing results and often walk away with a sense of comfort, relief, inspiration and clear actions or behaviours that will benefit them. But those who approach a reading with scepticism, expecting the Tarot reader to “tell their future” may feel frustrated. This is because the Tarot doesn’t tell the future. You create your own future, and the Tarot helps you see things like potential challenges and how to overcome them, what resources you can tap into for your highest good, and what energies and behaviours you can embody to bring your goals to fruition.People change their own lives the more they tap into their intuition and trust their inner knowing.
So, your message is that you do not have to be psychic in order to become a good tarot reader, it’s all about intuition and we can always improve our intuition by exercising it. Speak to us a little more about that, how do we tap into our intuition more?
I think awareness is the first step. Acknowledging that you do have this thing called intuition, it’s innate in everybody, and then paying attention, making it a daily practice. Meditation is a great way to get silent enough to hear your intuition. Also journaling, particularly Tarot journaling. You can try drawing a card a day, connecting with the imagery and the card meaning and writing your insights down in your Tarot journal. Then throughout the day, pay attention to where that energy appears in your life. At the end of the day, go back to your journal entry and write out what you experienced in relation to that card through the day (eg. If you drew the Queen of Wands, perhaps you embodied that confident energy in a meeting at work, or met a very Queen of Wands type character at yoga).
What advice would you give to someone that would like to learn tarot cards? Best deck to use, best spreads, how to get to know the cards etc?
My first piece of advice is to learn to read Tarot from the heart, not the book. It’s really easy for a beginner to get caught up in trying to memorise all 78 cards and doing a really intellectual study of the Tarot system, which can often block the intuitive side from coming through, The earlier in your learning you can tap into your intuition, the more confident you’ll be as a Tarot reader. A lot of people use my free training,How to Quickly Memorise any Tarot Card Without Memorising all 78 Cards, to do this.Then you can start learning the basic systems behind the Tarot – the suits, elements, numerology and basic symbolism. Once you have an understanding of the systems, you can piece them together to interpret any card (like telling a story).Make Tarot part of your everyday life. When we create a personal connection to our cards, we create space for our intuition to play. You can look to your daily life for personal examples of the Tarot cards. And then (a lot of people don’t like this but it’s the most important bit) you need to read Tarot. Practice practice practice. Yes, even as a beginner. Give free readings in exchange for constructive feedback (the Biddy Tarot Community has a free Tarot reading platform that helps you do this).
Read for yourself every day and write out your readings and insights in your Tarot journal.In terms of decks, I like the Radiant Rider-Waite as it is a colourful, vibrant version of the traditional deck that many card meanings are based on. You really need to find a deck that resonates with you, so take the time to feel into the imagery, colours etc and see what works for you. I do recommend that you get a deck that is in the Rider Waite tradition (such as the Everyday Tarot deck), as it will be easier to connect with any card meanings you may read.
You offer some brilliant online tarot courses for both beginners but also for the more experienced tarot readers that are on the path of spiritual entrepreneurship. Tell us a bit more about the courses you offer?
Yes, we’re really conscious of catering for all levels at Biddy Tarot and creating a journey to help you as you progress along the path.So, for a beginner reader, we have a 10-lesson video course called Tarot 101 that will get you started.Or, if you’re ready to really dive in, Master the Tarot Card Meanings will teach you to become a more confident and intuitive Tarot reader.The Biddy Tarot Certification Program is great for beginner, aspiring or professional readers who love the validation of certification and are ready to develop competence and skill and become a trusted Tarot advisor.And then for our Tarot professionals who want to go to the next level, we have Grow Your Tarot Business Online, which is a detailed program and support network to teach you to create a thriving, profitable business you love, serving people through Tarot.Of course we also have lots of free resources over on the Biddy Tarot website, like the Tarot card meanings and free trainings.
What is the best guidance you have received for yourself through Tarot, what reading had the most impact on your life?
Because it’s such a part of my everyday life, I probably couldn’t pick the best guidance, as I’m consistently guided by my intuition through the Tarot. But the readings that have been most impactful have definitely been the ones I’ve done for myself, where I really took the space and time to tune in and access my inner wisdom. Those readings where I listened to the real message of the cards, rather than what my ego wanted the answer to be.
I think the most common thing people seek answers from tarot is for finding love but I actually think tarot is most helpful in terms of business decisions and career next steps…would you agree or what are your thoughts on that?
I think Tarot is helpful for any area you feel you need guidance. I certainly use it a lot for business planning, and have seen how powerful it is for many people in business. When it comes to the love question, the main reason people don’t seem to have success using the Tarot, is that they’re asking the wrong questions.We need to ask empowering questions, and focus on the elements we can control. So, questions like “when will I find love?” and “will I get back together with my partner?” aren’t helpful, as they depend on external circumstances and other people. Better questions might be “what energy can I embody to open myself to love?” or “what might I experience if I do get back together with my partner/what might I experience if I choose to move on?
What advice would you offer to those that are starting out on their spiritual journey or journey of self discovery?
Have fun with it. Make every day an intuitive, connected, and aligned experience in which you are looking at conscious choices about what you create. Explore different modalities (like Tarot) and really tune into what feels best and resonates for you. You have everything you need, now you get to play with connecting to it all.
I could ask a million more questions because I find it fascinating, but I will leave it there. Brigit, thank you so much for being part of this blog and continuing to help people on their journey of self discovery. You are doing amazing work.
If you want to learn more about Tarot then check out www.biddytarot.com for all you need to know and much more. Brigit has some great podcasts and blogs there too. You can also connect with Brigit on Instagram @biddytarot or Facebook at Biddy Tarot. If any of this resonated then you probably should go buy a tarot deck 🙂 If not then I just hope it gave a different perspective on the world of tarot reading. Check out part two of The Rabbit Hole next week when I talk about how my Spirit Guide popped into my life, literally…yes I said ‘Spirit Guide’ and no I had no idea what a Spirit Guide was back then but I do now. This event was what really escalated my journey of self discovery.
Chat soon
Yvonne x
