It's the triumphant (ish?) return of tarot lesson episodes! In this one, Charlie picks up where they left off long ago with the 8's of the Tarot. We explore the Minor Arcana 8's through movement and change, Strength through tapping into our wild and hidden selves, and The Star through radical acceptance and hope in the midst of upheaval. This group of cards has some potent and necessary messages for the times we're living in. A transcript of this episode is available here. Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $2 a month and get early access to new episodes and other cool patron-onl ..read more

In Part 2 of my conversation with tarot and oracle deck creator and all-around artistic powerhouse Coleman Stevenson of The Dark Exact, we dig into the practical, business side of being an independent creator that not many people talk about! From small-batch printing, to creative inventory storage struggles, to deciding whether or not to put gilded edges on your deck, Coleman peels back the curtain on running a one-person business and also offers excellent, real-talk advice for prospective deck makers. If you haven't listened to Part 1, I definitely recommend doing that to get Coleman's insigh ..read more

Tarot and oracle deck creator and all-around artistic powerhouse Coleman Stevenson of The Dark Exact joins me to talk all about the process of deck creation from concept to art to publication. In this first part of our two-episode interview, we dig into the different processes behind tarot and oracle creation, what makes a good oracle deck (and what makes a bad one), evolving traditional deck systems, and what makes a deck of cards magical. Tune in next week for Part 2, where we get into the joys and challenges of independent deck publication and running your own business! Coleman Stevenson is ..read more

Nick Kepley (he/they), a.k.a. Man of the Cards, joins me to talk about one of my very favorite subjects: gender in tarot. Together, we dig into the court cards, the masculine/feminine duality, the idea of “traditional” card meanings (who’s tradition are we talking about?), tarot as a tool for deconstructing social programming, tarot as an essentially nonbinary journey, and why we’re both so in love with this deck of cards that we’re trying to evolve and expand them beyond these sticky and ingrained limits. As Nick points out in the episode, this topic of gender in tarot ISN’T just for trans, n ..read more

In this special co-interview episode, I sat down with Ashley Brooke James and Elizabeth Moore to talk tarot, spirituality, donuts, and the messy in-between spaces of becoming. Ashley and Elizabeth are the co-founders of TRILUNA Wellness, a non-diet, pro-donut, anti-racist community wellness company in Nashville, TN, as well as the hosts of the Wellness Community Magic Podcast, where they host real talk about the wellness world and seek to make self-care realistic, sustainable, and inclusive. Our conversation is all about the magic and pain and possibility of transitional spaces, so if you're f ..read more

After an unexpected year-long hiatus that started in March 2020 (gee I wonder why...), The Word Witch Podcast is returning to your earbuds soon!   SHOWNOTES Find us on Instagram @the.word.witch Our website is www.thewordwitchtarot.com Pick up Fifth Spirit Tarot at www.fifthspirittarot.com Our theme music is by Bitches in the Beehive ..read more

In this tarot lesson episode, Claire is joined by Reverend Erik of the Arnemancy podcast to guide you through The Chariot, The Tower, and the Sevens! This deep and meaty conversation contains lightbulb moments for both Claire and Erik, and it also offers the most laughs you’ll probably ever hear about The Tower. Fifth Spirit Tarot launches on Kickstarter on March 20th! Mark your calendars to help bring this queer and inclusive tarot deck into the world! Visit www.FifthSpiritTarot.com to check out the cards and sign up to the newsletter to get updates. Connect with Reverend Erik at www.Arnemanc ..read more

The podcast is 1 year old today! In this special anniversary episode, Claire gets personal with cards of the year and shares their experience of living through a Death year. We talk about shedding, transformation, and the sacrifice required to bring anything new into the world. Also in this episode: updates on wtf has been going on since the last episode, and Claire briefly reads the podcast’s natal chart. It’s a double air sign, just like Claire! (To no one’s surprise.) The Word Witch is a podcast about tarot, astrology, magic, and belief made especially for queer folx and others making magic ..read more

In this tarot lesson episode, the Lovers teach us to choose ourselves, the Devil invites us to free ourselves, and the minor Sixes guide us to re-alignment after the struggle of the Fives.     The Word Witch is a podcast about tarot, astrology, magic, and belief made especially for queer folx and others making magick from the margins. The host Claire Burgess (they/them) is a queer and nonbinary tarot practitioner, illustrator, writer, and witch. They're the person behind The Word Witch Tarot, along with plenty of help from their partner and business wizard, Aaron Caffee (he/him). Claire is the ..read more

The Fives aren’t everyone’s favorite cards in tarot—but they are at The Word Witch! The Fives are full of challenge, conflict, and contraction, but they are also where we meet our biggest opportunity to learn, grow, and spiritually evolve. This episode, we explore the Hierophant, Temperance, and the Minor Fives, and Claire shares why they chose to name their in-progress tarot deck Fifth Spirit Tarot. (Hint: it’s because of the Fives!)   Tarot Cards in this episode: the Hierophant, Temperance, 5 of Wands, 5 of Swords, 5 of Cups, 5 of Pentacles.   Check out the Fifth Spirit Tarot deck at www.f ..read more