Transcript
Divination with Reeta
[00:00:00] You aren't being a proper woman, therefore, you must be a witch.
You aren't being a proper woman. Therefore, you must be a witch.
Hence the reclaiming tradition. Why so important to be a witch? Be a witch. Be a be. Be a witch. A witch. Be. Be a witch. A be, be, be, be, be, be, be, be, be. You must be a
witch.
[00:00:38] Amy: Hey, witches, it's Amy from the Missing Witches podcast, coming at you with our first episode of the companion series, Witches Found, where we talk to contemporary witches about themes that come up in this week's episode.
This week we told the story of Pixie Coleman Smith, the tarot artist, so we thought it would be cool to bring in a tarot reader and practitioner of other types of divination, which we'll get into, Rita. You may know her from Instagram as FromRitaWithLove.
[00:01:12] Reeta: So let's get into it. I'm a spiritual entrepreneur.
I read tarot and I do dasha and I do various forms of divination to help coach people.
[00:01:24] Amy: You mentioned tarot first, so let's start there. How did you find tarot? How did you discover tarot?
[00:01:32] Reeta: I discovered tarot when I was, I guess, 14 or 15, um, at the, I grew up in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and there's about two stores that sold them, and one of them was like the only local kind of witch store that I used to go to with my friends, um, from the suburbs, would bus in, and then I would see, um, I saw them there and then I ended up working there when I was in high school and, uh, acquiring a bunch of decks.
But yeah, I just like, was always into divination. I grew up with it when we were kids. Like all my mom's friends would be reading Coffee Leaves or...
[00:02:13] Amy: So you say you grew up in Halifax, but you weren't born in Halifax. No, I was not. So do you want to back it up a little bit for us? Sure,
[00:02:21] Reeta: sure. Um, I was born in Kuwait.
Uh, my father is Iraqi, Ethiopian, Iranian blend. And my mother is, um, Iranian Kuwaiti. She's from Tehran. And in Iranian culture, um, divination is very, very, like, very much part of it. So, um, Is
[00:02:47] Amy: that, like, separate from Islam, or is it, um, integrated
[00:02:50] Reeta: into... No, it's, it's separate from Islam. It's found upon by Islam, but it, it very much exists in the culture.
And every Middle Eastern culture has, like, its own practice, or kind of its own take on... mysticism, I
[00:03:06] Amy: guess. And okay, so that's gonna bring us to the second, uh, divination tool that you mentioned, which is Desha. Can you Yeah. Uh, I know you introduced it to me. I had never heard of it before, so I'm sure a lot of our listeners are gonna be completely unfamiliar with this.
Can you describe what it is?
[00:03:24] Reeta: Yeah. So, um, that's just so much fun. That's, uh, it's so much fun. Yeah. . Yeah. It's, um. Well, how my, my cousin actually does Dasha and I grew up with women around me doing Dasha and how my sister and I actually, I was staying with her after some serious unfortunate events with the housing and, um, it was kind of a bonding tool.
It was like, let's make our own Dasha and, uh, We did and we just, uh, so Tasha, what it is, it's similar to ruins or like bones in different cultures and, uh, spilling, um, like shell, a combination of shells and other items that you attribute meaning to and you kind of Just spell it and the, the layout kind of tells the story or what's happening.
Um.
[00:04:15] Amy: So you take like whatever tiny objects in your hand and you just kind of release
[00:04:18] Reeta: them onto a piece of rock. Shake them and then release them. Yeah. And the way that they land and the people, depending on like what the intention is when you spell them, um, or when you, yeah, spell them out, that's what the outcome is.
So yeah, you just shake them and spell them, and depending on the layout, like if you're sitting between, um, you and another person, or if you're asking a specific question, then the symbols would kind of tell you that, um, unlike tarot though, tarot you can ask for advice, like how you can avoid situations and things like that, dasha is like fated Destiny.
There's none of this, um, guidance. It's like, no, this is what's happening, kind of thing, or what's going to happen. There's no, like, how I can, can I avoid this. It's just fated destiny. So,
[00:05:12] Amy: that's very interesting to me that there's sort of, in your eyes, like, different divinations. Like, one form of divination is like, this is what's going on and what you need to be noticing.
Whereas another one is like, this is what's coming and what you
[00:05:26] Reeta: need to be ready for. I think Tara can do both, but Tasha, it's one, you know. It's not advised so much as it is like, really what... At that time, yeah, like, I can't ask, like, how can I, you know, have an amazing, like, week with Dasha. It's more like what's gonna ha in, in the timeline.
Um, when Tarot, Tarot's different. There's a lot more, like, I guess. Yeah, I feel Tasha is more like solid about like what's going to happen, fated destiny, when tarot can be both like, this could happen, but you can also ask different questions. So combining them is like a really great way to get a full scope of a situation.
[00:06:22] Amy: So where do you think that the prognostication, like the future, messages are coming from. Like, do you think that there's kind of a spirit guide that's guiding the cards? Or do you, how do you think the divination happens? Just from your own personal perspective.
[00:06:40] Reeta: Sure. I don't know. I don't think a spirit guide is so much guiding me in my tarot reading.
I feel like... there are energies that already exist that we don't notice and Tarot really helps us notice that. And the same with Dasha, you know, and I think with all forms of divination and, and how I see it anyway, it's not like I'm communicating with a spirit, I just want to know what already exists because that really, Shapes.
If you know everything from a bird's eye, you kind of know where it's going to go. So that's how I connect to divination rather than like, oh, there's this spirit guiding me and spirit saying this, I'm exchanging this with spirit that I've heard of this, but I really like to, you know, I really like that.
What I believe, you know, is the sense that like, um, yeah. I'm just getting more perspectives, because anybody can read you, you know, these clairvoyant people can read you, um, and they can tell you so much, and that's how, like, often people get sold, it's like, oh, well, she told me so much about my past, she knows the future, and then it's like, it gets murky, because it's only from that day, from that moment, that that could happen.
So, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Happen and anything could change. So that's when you have to watch out with divination, it's like, in six months am I going to, you know, buy a house? Um, this is what the energy in the next six months could look like from now. whatever you have going on now, this is it. You change anything about that, you need another reading, you know, um, but you can get the, and I mean, not a complete, you get a lot of the energy.
So I have people that are like, oh, that totally happened three days after, or like two weeks after, you know, that's, but it's not like, I don't predict the future. I can just give you a lot of perspective that maybe you. Haven't taken on yourself. 'cause it's really hard to do that .
[00:08:47] Amy: I really, I really love the, uh, terminology that you gave of the bird's eye view.
Yeah. You know, it's not, um, anything that isn't already out there. It's just giving you this very grand and wide perspective Yes. To help you, you know, figure out what to do next
[00:09:03] Reeta: or, yes. Yeah. And then it takes that like, you know, and it's. Yeah, it's just, uh, it's there and people can see the past and everything.
So cards are just one
[00:09:17] Amy: of those things. Another thing that I know that you're into, um, that definitely falls into this umbrella of divination is astrology. Yeah. So can you talk about a bit about how the position of the stars can, uh, help us understand our
[00:09:31] Reeta: own life? Yeah, sure, I mean, planets, uh, play a big factor in our lives, um, and the way that they orbit, uh, I mean, it's like magnetic fields pull different things at different times and I feel like, um, when planets are in retrograde, um, Like, people feel it all over the world, you know?
I can't, uh, I wish I had a dollar for every time someone during Mercury Retrograde was like, what the, what is happening? Everything is breaking! My business, my relationship, what is going on? Where are my keys? Like anything, anything, and it's uh, whether the, you know, people are like, oh, it's just another day, another day, yeah, but you feel it a little bit more, or it just happens a little tiny bit more, but like, it affects us, these poles, so when planets are not moving as fast as the other ones, Those planets affect those with those placements.
Like, if somebody had a lot of Mercury in their chart or Saturn in their chart, talk to any Gemini or Virgo for the last three years. Aquarius, Pisces. Tell me who's had a great time.
[00:10:43] Amy: I mean, I, I personally, I, I'm sort of like a natural born cynic, you know, like I, I have a bit of a chip on my shoulder, you know, when it comes to anybody who makes promises, I think I, I assume they're selling me something, but I definitely, so coming at it from that perspective, you know, I definitely have to concede that, especially as women, um, Um, and I think that's a really important point, that we are connected to that same cycle of the moon.
I mean, if the moon is controlling the tides, and our bodies are 75 percent water, like, to me,
[00:11:17] Reeta: as a, as a scientific thinker. We're connected to this.
[00:11:22] Amy: Yeah. That to me is like some, some solid evidence that there's, there's not nothing to this. Yeah. Speaking from the position of the cynic, there's, I can't even say that there's, there's,
[00:11:33] Reeta: there's No, you'd be denying.
Science. Nature. Science. Something that happens all the time. It's, uh, there's, you know, I have a like, even with close friends that are like, I don't really, like, believe in this stuff. I'm like, what do you believe in? And then they tell me, well, I believe in the individual. I was like, wow, that is some egotistical shit.
You know? Like, just you. All of this, it's you. Wow. No, we're it's, it's us. We're connected to all of this. You know, it's, we're what? What's happening with our neighbors down south is affecting how crazy humanity is up here. It's so close. We're all connected here. Sky the moon pulls the oceans. We're just one person pulls us.
We're just people on land. Yeah,
[00:12:28] Amy: I get questioned a lot by my, you know, old timey Christian family about my, uh, heathenism. And I mean, to me it's, it's obvious, I mean, I see the sun rising in the east and setting in the west. Like, to me, if you're going to worship something like that thing that gives all life to our planet.
I mean, it's not some ghost, you know, that's like, you know, we've imagined, like, there's nothing. airy fairy or like, you know, or silly about paganism to me it's what makes the most sense. It's the least absurd, really.
[00:13:11] Reeta: And respectful of like environment. Yeah, yeah, totally, yeah. It's all tied together. Yeah.
It's
[00:13:18] Amy: all tied together. Okay, so let's spiral back a bit because you said that you did something that is like on my bucket list where you worked in a witch store. Yes! So let me, let me just like... Take the bus with you there when you said you were 15, the first time you went there. So why did you guys go there?
Like what drew you and your little coven? Was it the year the craft came out?
[00:13:42] Reeta: Yeah, yeah, yeah, totally. It was like, uh, the crow did it for all the guys and then the craft did it for all the girls. And we were like, what is this? How can we do this? And like,
[00:13:53] Amy: Um, just as a quick shout out to the craft, like apparently they hired like a real, you know, Wiccan high priestess.
Like everything that's in the movie is like, basically, you know, or at least based on legitimate Wiccan ritual and thinking anyway,
[00:14:10] Reeta: it's an amazing, amazing film. She's a tarot reader, Rachel True as well, Curly Hair. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, of course she has. Oh, really? That's amazing. Yeah, yeah,
[00:14:25] Amy: totally. Do you know her handle offhand?
Or, we'll put it in our notes if you don't. It's okay. No. Because I will look it up.
[00:14:31] Reeta: I think it's Rachel True, like, tarot readings or something very basic like this. I love that story.
[00:14:36] Amy: Yeah, yeah. Okay, so it's in the zeitgeist because of the crow, because of the craft. Right. You and your girlfriends get on the bus.
[00:14:44] Reeta: We go downtown and there are two stores and there was a black market which still exists and it was like your incentive shop with imports and then there's little mysteries books and um, this is where they had like a tarot reader in the back. They had a few, um, shamanisms where I learned about shamanism, um, stones, you can go buy stones, make your own tiaras, like have pine cones that you can throw in a fire, you know, that Sparking color and it was um, And then all the books, all Tarot cards were there And everybody worked there, it was like Amazing, uh, well Most of them were great Ha ha ha ha ha So how did you choose your first deck?
So I picked my first deck I still have my first deck It survived a fire, the Vampire Tarot deck Um Uh, I saw it And I think A girlfriend of mine who was working there, like, we were just looking at them and that one looked so cool. I was really into vampires and I got that one. And then I ended up having, like, the Halloween deck.
And... I wanted the Salvador Dali deck. And then I had, like, God is Terror, but the vampire deck stuck with me. So that one's the one I actually have used the most. Um, and, but it's really dark. So every time I, like, have read, well, for my friends, um... All these years has been like, wow, they're so dark. I'm like, no, no, no, it's fine.
It could be fine. It could be fine.
[00:16:18] Amy: Which is another sort of fundamental principle of magic. Yeah,
[00:16:21] Reeta: yeah, yeah. Um, but yeah, Vampire Tarot Deck were my first tarot deck. Um, and they're cool. Right now I'm using Morgan Greer to read, uh, For the public and more congruence. Yeah, it's
[00:16:36] Amy: so inclusive and colorful
[00:16:38] Reeta: Really beautiful cards and I use them our side.
I got really close to the marsh. So I talked this summer It was just like so many things were happening Speaking of planets like there were six planets in retrograde July it was like cancer season and I was just drowning over and over again It's like, humidity, and then showering 10 times a day, and then crying at night.
It was just like, I'm drowning. Cancer season is killing me. Um,
[00:17:07] Amy: but so you find like in different times, different decks sort of call out to you?
[00:17:12] Reeta: Yes, absolutely. I, I got the um, the Wild Unknown recently, and uh, just in the last couple months. And that was a beautiful deck, but it does have a ton of players.
It's, uh, very beautiful and their meanings are a little bit different. But, um, I don't know, that one has, like, speaking of moody, like, that one, I really see that in myself. I'm like, why? What are you doing? Business is not calling it to me. I don't know. Uh, yeah, just like some days, Dasha. Dasha is like, I get a lot of...
More clear messages from that like especially with social media and things like that like don't No, not today put me by the window Yeah
[00:17:57] Amy: I'm glad we came back around to Desha because we didn't really get enough into My favorite part about it, which is that it's completely DIY like if you see Rita's Desha it has like Um, and then there's, there's, there's bread tabs in it, like random, you know, because you attribute, again, another fundamental principle of magic is sort of that you contribute, you attribute the meaning to things, you know, and so you take, A paperclip and that might mean security because,
[00:18:28] Reeta: you know, yeah, I really love it.
It's kind of like primitive, you know, to have all these things to that you collect from daily life. It's so primitive. It's like, Oh, this is like really, I'm so connected to these things, you know, even if you're reading for someone else, like you really. Meditate. The meaning 'cause it's yours and,
[00:18:48] Amy: uh mm-Hmm.
And it, you don't have to buy anything special. No. Or go to any special stores. You know, you can just, I mean, when Rita first introduced me to this concept, she was, she was at in my home. And immediately, I mean, you start going around in little boxes of things, all those charms that you didn't know what you were gonna do.
And
[00:19:08] Reeta: you love Knick-knacks too? Oh yeah. Yeah.
[00:19:11] Amy: and Bobs. It's just like you can make a deha with. What's around.
[00:19:17] Reeta: Yeah, I mean people like ruins or just stones and they made carvings in them to attribute their own meanings. Very, very cool. Very, uh.
[00:19:26] Amy: But speaking of DIY, I also made my own tarot deck.
[00:19:30] Reeta: Beautiful deck.
A beautiful deck. Thank you
[00:19:34] Amy: so much. But it was, um. I don't even really use it that much. The making it was really the fun part for me. And, uh, again, maybe that's why I'm so attracted to Desha, because it is something that can keep evolving. Yes. You can keep adding pieces to it.
[00:19:50] Reeta: Yeah, it gets harder to shake, but, uh, it's definitely fun adding to it.
I still have like two pages of just meanings and like symbols I need to get,
you know, just so it's like more in depth. It's fun. It's
[00:20:06] Amy: fun. And what made you decide to take your practice to the public?
[00:20:11] Reeta: Um, I mean, I've had. I've been reading tarot for like, I don't know, like
[00:20:20] Amy: you worked in a witch store.
[00:20:21] Reeta: Yeah. Yeah. Like just solid street cred. Yeah. Yeah. So a long time, a long time. So, and, um, for the last like five years, I've had so much encouragement from like my close friends to just be like, you need to do this for people.
Yes. Like, um. Business wise, you know, people are also noticing that like, Hey, religion isn't really working. All these standards that everybody set up for us, like prioritized, that we're like, always failing by, um, isn't really working. So people are reaching out for like spirituality and connecting with nature and themselves.
Like, and what that means in their universe, you know, rather than feeling guilty and imposed. So like. I work in the social sex, you know, I coach families. I work with your day job in my day job. Yeah. And, um, Um, so helping and coaching and advising and having my life on top of that was an easy transition for me to be, to want to help the public and having the encouragement from my community really, my best friends really just like push me there
[00:21:34] Amy: because they, we lost in the week.
We recognize that you're a gifted, I think, you know, sweet. Um, well, you know,
[00:21:45] Reeta: yeah, and I've been reading for them for, you know, these guys for a long time, for a long time, and, uh, and they've been coming back, so it's, uh, It's good. It's yeah, it was definitely encouraging and I'm glad I went to the public. Um, it's been really fun.
Um, it's definitely taught me a lot, uh, already, but yeah, I know. And that shows really special, you know, I'm still like, I don't know, you don't bring that into the, no, like it took me this long to take tarot. And now that's just like, Hmm, I don't know, slowly, very slowly. But those that have seen it, I've fall, uh, like have been like, really entertained and enjoyed it and definitely have come back for it.
So, it's been fun. It's been fun. Yeah.
[00:22:31] Amy: Do you have any thoughts on this new, um, movement of young witches and the sort of new capital of witchcraft?
[00:22:46] Reeta: Um... I mean, it's exciting to see people getting into things that you've always been into. Um, Selling it in the masses, what are my thoughts? I hope everybody is like, really careful.
Cause like, working with energy, that's what we're doing. We're working with energy, and um, if you're not protected, if you're not grounded, Educated? Educated, yes, yeah, exactly. Um, it can be... Do all that. Go get educated. Learn how to stay protective for all these young witches. If you're playing with this energy, you're opening something up.
So, make sure whatever you're opening up, you're guarded. Because, um, it's just like traveling to a different country. You're like, oh, okay, I have to abide by these codes and ethics. And figure out how this culture works and what this means. So, that's the same with your energy field. So, be careful, young witches.
Play safe. I mean at play safe when you sell like these mask kits with sage and stones in them It looks like a toy, you know, and it's uh, and it's if it's teaching meditation amazing You're teaching young witches how to meditate and be grounded and skills. Yes. Great. That's the right direction. But is
[00:24:06] Amy: it?
For those of you who didn't catch it, the, the Sephora witch kit that actually under, under, um, um, massive kind of backlash really was withdrawn
[00:24:20] Reeta: from the market. No way. I didn't know that it was withdrawn. Oh,
[00:24:23] Amy: wow. Yes. And a phrase that came up a lot during the discussion was spiritual bypassing, where you're sort of buying the cutely packed token of, you know, indigenous people.
of various cultures and just having the, yeah, it's almost like conspicuous consumption, luxury brands, this kind of thing. You want to show that you're this, but you don't really want to do the reading or the work or the energy
[00:24:52] Reeta: control. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. No, it's just like, I wanna have this, you know, with anything that people steal from other cultures, it's just like, um, disrespectful and you don't know what you're getting yourself into.
You know, like, again, the craft was cool, you know, but like the craft was really well done. It made us go to a bookstore, like, you know, like we're kids from the suburbs, and instead of, you know. I don't know. I didn't play sports. I, I, I went there and I collected stones and had a connection with nature. So I was a kid and that stimulated that.
Um, is that what this is doing? I don't think so. I don't know. I hope that's, that was the intention.
[00:25:35] Amy: Yeah. I mean, we hope that, uh, we hope that there, the bi there's at least a byproduct of genuine Yeah. Positivity that comes from the commodification of magic, because
[00:25:47] Reeta: everyone should have sage. Everyone should have his age.
[00:25:52] Amy: As long as it's, um, ethically sourced.
[00:25:54] Reeta: Yes, yes. That's another thing, okay. I just mean, like, it's just so good for everything. Yeah. To smudge, you know, that's, I don't know.
[00:26:02] Amy: Yeah, and there has been some science dropped lately that it actually has been shown to clear bacteria from the air. So, of course, why
[00:26:09] Reeta: not?
Yeah. But yes, ethically sourcing, I totally support that. I mean, it grows so many gardens. Like, to have that bit more of education about it would be great. Yeah. Yeah. And I think
[00:26:25] Amy: that ethically sourcing is just kind of a big one in general. You know, if you are looking for spiritual tools. I mean, a lot of, uh, stuff that I have, um, uh, people have given to me or made for me.
And those are always my favorite, you know, the sort of surprises that show up with one of your girlfriends on a weekend, you know, because they thought of you, or they just saw this and thought it was cool, but, um, yeah, I mean, they aren't just objects. They really have a greater life outside of that. If you don't know that, then...
Maybe you're, you're just wasting your money.
[00:27:04] Reeta: Yeah, yeah. It just happens so often now, like, I'm really glad that they stopped. You know, like, uh, this would have been another crazy fad. Yeah,
[00:27:18] Amy: but it keeps coming back. I mean, it's funny that we, we remember the craft, you know, and now we're in this sort of, what are we calling this, like, hundredth wave witchcraft?
[00:27:28] Reeta: Well, it's the millennials. Millennials are way more into astrology, um, and tarot and, um, spirituality than, You know, maybe the 90s kids where we're still, like, grew up in quite conservative households. Uh, overall, the kids are born in the 80s, you know? Uh, but the millennials have steered this, you know? Like, you go on YouTube and there's, like, tons of tarot readers.
Tons and tons that I follow, you know? And great ones, too, because we are just moving there. There are outdated structures that have been imposed on us that... You know, it's great that this is happening, but, you know, having mass production is a byproduct of this movement as well, you know, just like It just seems hypocritical, right?
Yeah, so, I don't know, it's like gentrif I think it's gentrified. Yeah, yeah. Um, but, I do like how the pendulum is swinging, cause like, up until this point, and even still now, like, religion, like other spirituality wars. Is there a religious, like, tax? Like, I don't know, I don't know what, I don't know. But I know that whatever this, the way this pendulum is swinging, in my end, and like, what it's creating in these spiritual communities, especially of women that are coming together, like, supporting each other, through magic, through connecting with nature, through paganism, through tarot and divination, and just empathic healers.
It's amazing. I love it. And like, social media has made this community thrive, and it's great. So, um, and that's a lot to do with the millennials, too. Yeah, so it's not all that, you know.
[00:29:15] Amy: Yeah, I think, I think kind of what happened, maybe, and this is just my perception of things, is that we, by and large, like, as a zeitgeist of young people, started to reject our parents religion.
And a lot of us. Um,
[00:29:36] Reeta: and
[00:29:37] Amy: then we kind of noticed that maybe atheism wasn't filling the gaps like we needed it to. Yeah. And so now like a lot of people are coming. to esoteric metaphysical studies and that kind of thing and getting into that thing. Again, maybe it can...
[00:29:53] Reeta: The stuff that's been around for thousands and thousands and thousands of years.
Down to food, you know? It's like, oh, you mean eating seasonally is the best? Really?
[00:30:07] Amy: Eating locally?
[00:30:09] Reeta: Yeah.
[00:30:11] Amy: Yeah, but we, I mean, we, everything becomes trendy, you know, quinoa. It's not like someone invented quinoa. Yeah, yeah. You know, at the turn of the
[00:30:21] Reeta: millennium. It's just that people... And extracting quinoa even is like actually killing more animals.
You know, just the harvesting of quinoa. So, you know. It's uh, what do you do? Just kidding.
[00:30:36] Amy: I guess we just have to strive at a personal level to keep the
[00:30:40] Reeta: balance. You start somewhere. To change the status, you know. In your own universe, you know. So it's like, vegans and this population, explosion of vegans is It's making, like, the harvest of quinoa, like, so high, like, demands of it, so, I don't know.
Anyway. There's just no balance anywhere. There's no balance. The pendulum's just swinging.
[00:31:02] Amy: So how does, um, reading tarot cards, or throwing dasha, or reading tea leaves, if that's what you're into, or throwing bones, or whatever it is that, you know, ruins, like you said, or... Cornmeal, you know, there are African, um, Yeah.
methods that use, like, making markings in cornmeal. How does that help you in your day to day
[00:31:23] Reeta: life? Oh, it helps so much. Um, especially, like, that's just great because it's perspective and It's like, sometimes it brings up things from the past, and then it shows you kind of a path of where they're going, uh, in that time, and that gives me peace of mind a lot, because sometimes the, when you are, say, when some, in a time where you're seeking guidance, you know, from Tarot Deja, um, It's because, like, you don't have an answer or something else, so that perspective can be so healing to be like, you're just a part of this, you know, like, you're connected so much and this is, this will pass.
And it's, uh, or whatever it is that you're seeking, but it's just that this is just, you're just a part of this, so it's great that it's, I guess it makes things lighter, I guess, by making you... How can I say this? Like, tarot is great because I can ask it for guidance. Like, what can I meditate on? What can I take from today?
What's my message, um, in my day to day life? And that's great because sometimes, like, I think of taking action that I very much should not. Um, and of course, I try not to tarot for me so much. Um, but I do for, like, And, and how it helps me is like to ask for guidance, um, a card to meditate on, energies associated with something that could jeopardize or, yeah, and, um, it hasn't really failed me, you know, I'm very grateful and, uh, you know, things to meditate on are great.
I'm a very visual person, looking at these archetypes really helps me, uh, doing Tasha gives me, um, Peace of mind. And I mean, you take that with a grain of, uh, it gives me peace of mind and, and that can change too. Like, I don't get so hung up on it. It's just like, at that moment, it's bringing peace to my heart.
And then I carry that with me.
[00:33:44] Amy: I mean, you can't ask
[00:33:46] Reeta: for more than that. Yeah, yeah, you know. It's in my heart. Yeah, yeah, it's really nice, um, to, you know, like, um. I have these great oracle cards. They're called sacred vision oracle cards and uh, they're beautiful and they're great meditation cards. I highly recommend, and like, I like to close some of my longer readings with them and it's like It's just such a beautiful moment, you know, for whatever card comes for you to focus on that resonates.
[00:34:16] Amy: Can you talk a little bit about, um, the other cards that are out there that aren't tarot? I know you just said oracle cards. I feel like they're like angel cards.
[00:34:24] Reeta: Yeah, there's like angel messages. Um, I don't really use them, but people like them. They're more of the um I guess fluffier cards on the, on the Tarot spectrum, I guess, um.
But yeah, they're great. I mean, God is cars to focus on, like strengths to focus on, which are great. So there are a lot of positive things and like what, um, and they're great. Cause it's like, instead of telling you like, oh, this is going to happen or whatever messages, it's like, you should really focus on this.
And that's nice, you know, if those are messages that you want, and that's great. That's more of direct, uh, a direct message from an angel card. Um, oracle cards are great, too. It's very similar. Um, I like these ones because it has a lot of, like, um, What's the name of it? Sacred Vision. Sacred Vision. Yes, and it's, uh, like, aboriginal art and, um, Spirituality and culture are like, um, in these cards, they use a lot of like, um, ancient art and images and then beautiful meanings, you know, based on their philosophy and it's, uh, on that philosophy and it's really, they're just beautiful because it's connected to nature and it's just great.
I love them. They're so nice. Yeah, they're great. And, um, what else are there? There's like the Zen, the ocean Zen Tarot, which are like kind of, um, They're lighter, they're not so... Quote unquote dark or whatever that people have referred like when people are talking about like Osho's and I've seen them too, and they're nice, you know, that's like Wise, you know, really it's a different approach to tarot.
[00:36:15] Amy: There's definitely a whole range I mean first of all other types of decks that aren't tarot, but also branded tarot Um, like the kawaii deck, which is just so cutesy cutesy and I love it so um, can you maybe give our listeners who are starting out some advice about how to choose their first deck if they haven't
[00:36:36] Reeta: already?
So my advice to new readers would be to get A deck, you know, they say that Tarot's initially supposed to be given to you, you know, you're chosen. Oh! Yeah. You're supposed to be
[00:36:51] Amy: given
[00:36:51] Reeta: your, oh, interesting. Yeah, this is what, uh, I read. So, I've, I've bought some, I've definitely bought some girls and some Tarot decks in my lifetime.
But, um... It was just another thing I explored, so I just got rid of it.
[00:37:06] Amy: Yeah, I mean if you want to buy into this and say like, Okay, my first tarot deck has to be given to me, maybe you and your bestie go and decide to get each other a deck and trade. Yeah. So you can bypass that rule a little bit. Yeah. With your
[00:37:20] Reeta: eggling and your bestie.
And get something that you would be able to, like, take the time to look at the picture and connect with the symbols. Because a lot of these decks play up on the original. Jack, well the original, like, North American Rider Waite Smith. The Rider Waite,
[00:37:37] Amy: who, since you mentioned,
[00:37:40] Reeta: shout out to
[00:37:40] Amy: Pamela Coleman Smith.
Yes, yes. They officially changed the name. Well, there are different editions, of course, you can still buy Rider Waite, but now you can buy, um, Smith Waite. You can buy Smith Rider Waite. But anyway, shout out Pamela Coleman Smith. Yes, hey, hey. You finally got your name on
[00:37:56] Reeta: the box, girl. Hey. Took, what, how long?
50 years?
[00:38:00] Amy: Oh, more, took more. The centennial edition had her name on it, so for sure at least, like, within a hundred years they started putting her name on it. Um, but that's a classic, the Rider
[00:38:11] Reeta: Waite. Yeah, so like, I mean, yes, and it's classic because it's really, for beginners, like, Learn those symbols, like really connect with the image, and that one is really bright, and it's a good primary one to like start with, and then, um, or foundational level one, and, uh, and then you can get ones later, and then you, but connect with the image, you know, don't just get one because it looks cool, so I recommend getting something like that, um, they even have like variations of that one with like similar things, so you can, um, Connect, uh, with that first.
[00:38:50] Amy: Once again, I made my own. I have trouble memorizing, so for me it was really useful. What a
[00:38:55] Reeta: great, great tool, yeah. Yeah, make, yeah, or make them. Yeah, totally write the meanings on them. That's also a great advice, Amy. Um, it's
[00:39:06] Amy: very cool. But I mean, a girlfriend of ours made a deck and it took her, uh, I think a year.
You know, she loved it. They're beautiful too. And that survived a fire as well. Anyway, um, I of course blew through mine in like a month because I was so excited. I would just like go down and like, I was like making like five cards a day. So I, I... For sure, like, the process is going to be very individual for anybody who's making anything.
But if you can't take that on, if you don't have time, there are probably at this point, what, thousands, thousands of decks that you can choose from.
[00:39:41] Reeta: Totally, totally. And also, a piece of advice for new learners, um, or new readers, um, Don't read reversals immediately. It's going to confuse you, because you're going to get into reading combination.
This question right now, it's like the combinations and it's like, okay, well don't read. And it took me a while to read reversals and I prefer not to most of the time, but sometimes they just kind of like that. I think
[00:40:06] Amy: there's a great connective sigh of relief from those of us that are still trying to memorize the deck when Rita tells us, just don't bother with reversals.
[00:40:15] Reeta: Like, ah, yeah. 'cause it makes things so much harder. And once you get. To know what the cards mean, then you know what it means if the energy's blocked, or you're letting go, you know, like, um. And
[00:40:27] Amy: ultimately, it's all up for your interpretation anyway, that it's not 1
[00:40:31] Reeta: plus 1 you feel, yeah, like, really connect with the image and go with how you feel.
Um. You know, whatever your approach is. I like telling a story, but if you're into like doing Celtic Cross, which people love, then, uh. Oh,
[00:40:46] Amy: we didn't even get into all the different layouts that you can do. Okay, so there are thousands of different decks. Thousands. And there are also... I can't even speculate because you could really do whatever you want.
You
[00:40:57] Reeta: really, yeah, totally. You could do the
[00:40:59] Amy: Celtic Cross, which is the classic, which you
[00:41:00] Reeta: mentioned. Yeah, yeah. I was a big fan of the Gypsy Spread, which was like five to seven cards, just kind of like in a rainbow shape. And it was like a beautiful story. And I did that one. for so long, you know, it's just like the, and I really like the story part.
There's also like the clarific, clarifying card where it's just a spread where it's just like one card and then there's three or four other cards around it really in relation to this. The center card. Um, so yeah, I don't know. And then there's like past, present, future, which is I love that, you know, especially if you get these long three card spread.
Three card spread. Yeah. Or these longer, you know, it's really fun where it's like a long spread and then you're like both into it. You're like, what's happening? ? Yes. This what? Oh, oh no. Yeah. And it's, uh, it's 'cause sometimes, you know, you put a. 10 cards and it's like all of this just happened and I'm meeting with them tomorrow and it's like, oh, well we have to do more Yes, yes and it's uh super fun
[00:42:06] Amy: So of course there are a million books and there are a million rules, but really like you you can make your own rules
[00:42:12] Reeta: Yeah, you know it Yeah, I mean, get the basic meaning down.
People, and that's a question too I get too, it's like, oh, it's kind of tech, what books do you recommend? And even like, I get PMs for books and it's like, all the books are dry. The majority of them are dry. They're good. There's a lot of good ones that like get into the symbology and things like that. The meanings are repetitive, but then the imagery kind of changes, I feel.
For me, like, And depending on, like, if you're reading the book in association with the tarot deck, then it's, like, in reference to that specific deck and those images. Like, the wild unknown, the meanings are a little bit different, and the images are a little bit different. So, um, could you use that book for other decks?
No. But you could use the general tarot deck. And it's, those are, most of them are dry. It's just like, this is what this means, this is what... The empress means, you know, fertility, so on, so on, um, love, nurture, all these things. Um, but to just have a basic understanding of that and then you can, yeah. You know, it's like, and then it's up to you because, and you have a basic understanding of all the cards, individual cards, in combination with others, then it becomes up to you.
What do you feel? And part of the reading, you know? Yeah.
[00:43:31] Amy: So help me wrap it up. Okay. What is the gospel according to Rita? What do you want the world to know as a final thought?
[00:43:47] Reeta: I want the world to know that Women of color are amazing women and we fight battles every single day, um, structural violence every single day, um, so shout out to all my women of color, I love you guys, I feel you guys, I live you, um, I struggle with you, struggle every day.
In this body here, but I'm grateful to be here, um, Well, to know, God, love each other. I want us, the world, all of us, love each other. Um, you get a lot more out of loving each other than you do Stepping over each other, competing against each other, Using each other as ladders, um Support your community.
Support women of color. Support women. Um. And if somebody wants to get a reading from you, how Yes! Yes, they can, um. You can find me on Facebook, From Rita With Love, uh, Rita is R E E T A, or they can hit me up on Instagram at From Rita With Love. And
[00:44:59] Amy: of course we'll have all those links in our show notes
[00:45:02] Reeta: for you.
Yes, yes, I'm working on a site, so stay tuned, and I'll be posted, of course. Stay tuned for more of the future, coming soon with Rita, thank you so much, Rita. It's been so lovely, thank you. Always a pleasure, my darling. Be a witch.
Be a witch.
Be a witch. Be a witch. Be a witch. You must be a witch.
Thanks for listening, witches. Um, if you can do one thing to help us find the witches we've been missing, I think the thing that we would ask is to send this to the one witch you know who might like it. Um, yeah, we think networks build one by one. So send it to your bestie and let's meet her and let's all meet each other on the internet.
Um, thanks. We love you. Bye.
