when we're feeling emotional or tender, it's tempting to scramble for control. in such a heartbreaking world, keeping ourselves locked up may feel like the only power we can really exert.

control isn't a dirty word. it's natural to want to protect ourselves, to need to compartmentalize, to focus on things that we have agency over or understand clearly.

and when it comes to big feelings and intense emotions, it can feel like control is the only option. traversing our internal depths, holding space for our fears and our furies, may seem like an impossible task.

yet ignoring our messiest feelings, constantly repressing them or denying them, doesn't make them disappear. and treating self-discovery like a luxury doesn't serve anyone.

what if instead of pretending powerful emotions don't exist, we could start to understand them instead? what if we had safe methods for building relationships with our feelings, and through those new connections, could find compassion and grace for ourselves too?

while there are many cards in the tarot that can help us understand emotions, compassion, and protecting the self, the minor arcana queens in particular live in the beautiful intersection of water (matters of the heart, relationships, emotions, vulnerability) and the number four (foundations, boundaries, safeguards, discipline). queens literally serve as the emotional containers of the tarot, teaching us how to live in the world with both gentle tenderness and empowered focus.

every queen holds both water and an additional element — which means that every queen is uniquely positioned to help us navigate a complex emotion. who better to teach us how to safely explore our own depths than these fierce, generous leaders?

queens of spirit is a four-part journaling series, which uses each of the minor arcana queens to navigate a complex, powerful, complicated, or intense emotion. using gentle questions, supportive techniques, and intentional boundaries, this series will help you learn to understand how your personal feelings express themselves, what helps you feel safe to explore them, and how you can offer yourself kindness or compassion as needed when experiencing them.

-you're interested in exploring the depth of your own emotions in a structured, intentional way

-you understand how to take care of your emotional health, and are looking to begin additional practices for checking in with yourself on a regular basis

-you respect the potency of your big feelings, and want to learn to show yourself more compassion when they come forward

-you want to use the tarot for introspection, self-discovery, and processing

no matter how your rage manifests, no matter where your grief buries itself, no matter what your anxiety looks like, no matter why you might feel exhausted, the queens of the tarot can help you understand who you are, what you need, and how you can care for yourself.

-each lesson includes a short audio message to encourage and support, a series of journal prompts to work through in your own way and at your own pace, suggested simple exercises to keep you grounded, and a tarot spread connected to our queen of the week

-you'll get access to a private corner of the 3am.tarot sanctuary discord server, where i'll share weekly discussion questions. these are entirely optional, but available for those who want to share, connect, or be in community with other folks working through these practices

by the end of this series, you'll have a deeper understanding of your own emotions: how they manifest, what they might reveal about you, and how you can tend to them with loving compassion. you'll also have a richer connection with the four minor arcana queens, and will be able to tap into these relationships in the future to process powerful or intensive feelings.

queens of spirit is appropriate for tarot readers at all levels, even those brand new to the practice. all you need is a place to journal and a physical (or digital) tarot deck.