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Hosted by tarotist and musician Mari Aweidah, Into the Woods is a journey into the heart of tarot as a tool for reflection and self-discovery. Through real-life stories, pop culture, and creative spreads, each episode explores the cards from a grounded, non-predictive perspective.
Welcome to Into the Woods, a journey with the Tarot. Here, we wander together into the woods to explore ourselves, the world around us, and the mysteries and joys of life through the Tarot. I'm your host, Mari, a professional tarot reader and a musician. Grab your deck and off we go. Hello everyone and welcome back to Into the Woods.
Mari:Wow, it's like almost the end of summer already, which is wild. And it's so funny because in my house, my husband is a Cancer and he's like, I just want this summer to last forever. And I'm a Scorpio. My my birthday is actually on Halloween and I'm just like, can we just fast forward a little bit more so that I can, like, drink my latte and look at how giant my pumpkins have grown and, wear sweaters. So we're so different.
Mari:It's really funny, but it's starting to become pretty noticeable the the change in the light right now at this time of year. I live in Seattle so it's like light all day long in the summer like till 10:00 and it finally feels like we have a little bit of nighttime and also the morning isn't so like painfully bright at 5AM. So I'm feeling a little happier because I do love the warmth and the ease of summer. Just like, you know, t shirt shorts, go outside. It's lots of fun with the kids, but, man, I, like, just need darkness.
Mari:I just need a little bit of darkness. So I'm I'm feeling happy right now about the progress of the year as opposed to feeling stressed about how fast the year is going by. So I feel like that's good. Today's episode is going to be a demonstration of a deck interview. So when you get a new deck or even if you have old decks, but you've never done this before, it's a really fun way of learning a little bit about the energy of your deck and establishing a little bit of a stronger relationship with it.
Mari:I I feel like it's a really fun thing to do because it sort of changes the dynamic a little bit to being like the deck is serving you to opening up the other pathway a little bit, like being curious about your deck and, you know, asking about how it likes to be taken care of and how it likes to be worked with. So it's honoring the energy and the spirit of the different decks. I think it's just such a cool concept because different decks have so much character, like the art that goes into it. There's a little piece of the artist, a little piece of the creators, and then of course they go on to take on a life of their own. But, it's just a cool thing you can do.
Mari:So essentially, a deck interview is just asking the deck some questions to get to know it and establish a better connection together. And this is something you can just, like, search on the Internet for a deck interview, and you'll get a lot of them. Five questions you can ask your deck when you first get it or something like that. I, for this episode, have decided to create my own, which you are welcome to use. Before we get into the deck interview, I have some really exciting news to share, which is that I have created a workshopmeditation experience offering called A Past Life Regression Experience and it is now out and available on my website.
Mari:This past life regression meditation is created to guide you to a past life which is relevant to the themes and archetypes of Leo. So I mentioned it a little bit I think in last week's episode all about lions which of course I put that episode out intentionally because of Leo season, the eclipse, solar eclipse in Leo and I was really inspired to make this workshop or experience around the themes of Leo as well. So if you're into astrology, you may know that right now the south node is in Leo. The north and south nodes in astrology are not planets or celestial bodies, but they're calculated points and they are considered to be points of fate or destiny. The north node being where we are headed, our fate, our destiny, and the south node being the past and what we've already experienced, the baggage we've brought in with us from previous lifetimes.
Mari:And so this sort of eclipse season having the south node in Leo is this special opportunity to, like, release some of that old baggage as we go forward. And I think a lot of the baggage related to the South Node in Leo is this hyper individual focus, like, I'm the most important. It's sort of these shadow sides of Leo. We're seeing that a lot, you know, in The United States with our leadership, you know, prioritizing themselves over the collective. So I feel like if we can all put in a little bit of work individually on releasing those sort of shadow sides of Leo, it could be really beneficial for us as individuals and also the world.
Mari:So I've created a past life regression meditation. There's a introduction video that's sort of all about Leo, what the south node means, you know, what this means for everybody, just some some information. And then I have about a twenty five to thirty minute past life regression meditation accessing a lifetime related to the archetypes of Leo. That's something you're ready to process and let go. If you've never done a past life regression before, strongly strongly encourage it.
Mari:It's like I think it's so fascinating and fun and every time I've done it, I'm always surprised by the the depth and the clarity of the experience I have and like the certainty I have of what what I'm seeing, you know, that it was real or that in some way it's real to me and is somehow affecting my current life, you know, in maybe a way I didn't understand or don't want. If you have patterns or habits or fears in this lifetime that, like, don't make sense to you, you're like, well, I've never been abused in this way, but I'm terrified of this type of behavior or, like, no. A dog's never bit me, but I'm absolutely terrified of dogs and I don't know why. Sometimes it can be a past life experience and that's when it's cool to turn to a past life regression. The workshop is prerecorded and is available on my website now for purchase.
Mari:The link will be in the show notes, Also, my link in bio on my socials and all that kind of stuff. So it should be easy to find. Highly recommend doing this sometime over the next two years while the south node is in Leo. We have until March 2028. So actually a pretty long time to be working with this energy.
Mari:Okay. So that's my big announcement. Super excited to put this offering out into the world. And let's move on to our deck interview. So I just bought a new deck.
Mari:It is the Flower Child Tarot by Kyra Sayan. I'm guessing that's how you say the name. It's c y a n. And I've been eyeing that deck for a while. It's like kind of hippie garden inspired instead of humans.
Mari:Sometimes the characters are frogs. It's like, really cute. Pretty happy for a tarot deck. I really don't need another tarot deck, but I just there's something about this deck. I just had to have it.
Mari:It was out of stock for a while, I was so bummed. And then it's back in stock, and I just had to order it. I do feel like I'm a little bit of a flower child. Like, I identify with that archetype. I loved fairies as a kid.
Mari:I'm sort of a jam band person. I've seen fish and, you know, the Grateful Dead, like, a million times. So or, you know, the the iterations of the Grateful Dead without Jerry Garcia, of course. So, yeah, the artwork on this deck, I just really love it. And I also love that it's a little bit more of like a fun lighthearted Tarot vibe because sometimes we need that.
Mari:You know, Tarot can be really heavy. So I haven't done my deck interview for this. So I'm gonna do it live with you here on the podcast. So the four questions that I came up with for the deck interview are, number one, tell me something special about you. And I just felt like this deck would really like that question.
Mari:Number two is what is your communication style? Number three is how can we best work together for clarity, joy, and healing? And number four, how do you like to be taken care of and handled? So those are my four questions. If you're on my email list, I will be sending a picture of the spread that I pull along with these four questions.
Mari:So if you're not on my email list, you can sign up on my website, mariofthewoods.com/contact or just, you know, click on the contact page on my website and you can subscribe to my newsletter. So I don't send out a ton of emails, just updates on the podcast, the pictures of the spreads, so it can be kind of fun to follow along. Alright. So here we go. I definitely recommend when you get a new deck, taking a look at all the cards, like running your hands over all the cards.
Mari:I like to flip through and just observe all the artwork and sit with it for a little bit. And then you're gonna wanna do a lot of shuffling, you know, before you do the deck interview. Really mix it up. If you do reversals, do some riffle shuffling, that kind of stuff. Okay.
Mari:So I've laid out four cards here for each of my four questions, and I'll go through them one at a time. Actually, I think I'll look at what we've got overall as a spread sort of taking my own advice here from the episode about reading multiple cards together. So I've got the king and queen of pentacles both in the reverse position. And then I've got one swords card, seven of swords, and then I have the fool, which I love that. Okay.
Mari:Cool. So, pentacles, swords, and the fool. So we've got an earthy vibe, an airy vibe because the fool is ruled by the element of air and so are swords. So two earth, two air. I feel like that is totally the vibe of this deck, wow, with the flower child because we've got the garden theme going.
Mari:So that's like the pentacles and the earth. You know, those two cards, the king and queen of pentacles have lots of flowers, butterflies, like earthy elements. And then I I it's just so funny to me. The seven of swords, you know, which is the one where the the person, in this case, it's actually a frog, is, like, sneaking off with five swords. It's sort of the trickster vibe.
Mari:And then we have the fool who's ruled by Mercury who is also a trickster. And then, like, this deck is so silly and cute and funny. Like, I could already tell that its vibe is, like, part trickster. That that's it. It's just it's just part trickster.
Mari:Okay. So tell me something special about you. So we've got the king of pentacles in the reverse position. So the king of pentacles in this deck is seated on a throne with the the bulls overhead, right, the the reference to Taurus. And, you know, I'm I'm really getting that this deck is about abundance.
Mari:It's like, I can help you with abundance, but it's it's in reverse. So it's like but, you know, not in the way that you think. Like, this deck isn't like, I'm gonna bring you tons of career success and, like, things in the in the way that that people expect it to come. It's like, I'm gonna help you see things in a different way. Like, I'm gonna make you see the king of pentacles in a way that you don't normally think about it.
Mari:And when we think about the king of pentacles, lot of times we're like, oh, but boss at business, like, making fat stacks, like, all that kind of stuff. You know? But but the king of pentacles is that that's just how we see it in our modern world. The the king of pentacles is really that groundedness, that earth quality, that awareness of the of the importance and value of the material world around us, the environment. And, yes, like, maybe is a master of the garden, like making things grow and all that.
Mari:So tell me something special about you and I get this card. What I'm getting is like, I'm a fucking master at abundance, but just not in the way that you think. Right? And so I think that's really cool. And I'm excited to see that come through as I work with the deck.
Mari:What is your communication style? Queen of pentacles, also inverted. So with this card, I'm expecting, like, you know, softer language. Like, it's not gonna be I didn't get queen of swords. Right?
Mari:I got queen of pentacles. So there's a sweetness to the queen of pentacles. She's got the bunny next to her. She's in garden, and there's there's something very soft and feminine about the queen of pentacles. But also, you know, not it's it's also not queen of cups.
Mari:Like, there's not gonna be this emotional depth or this emotional, like, manipulation. I feel like she's still gonna tell me how it is, but it's just gonna be kind. You know what I mean? And I feel like that's where the reversal is coming in because what I'm getting from the deck is like, just because I'm being nice doesn't mean I'm not gonna serve you the truth because, like, honestly, that's what Tarot does. So I feel like that's where the little reversal is coming in, the the little change up in the energy.
Mari:It's like, oh, I it's it's sunshine and flowers and butterflies and sweetness, but, like, in there is gonna be the truth. You know? It's it's gonna be there and it may not be easy, but I'm gonna tell it to you really, really nice and in a way that's maybe you can see some humor in it. So I like that. That's from the queen of pentacles reverse.
Mari:The question was, what is your communication style? Number three, how can we best work together for clarity, joy, and healing? So this is interesting because I got this seven of swords, you know, which is like this card of deception, walking away with the swords. And what am I getting from this card? I mean, first of all, I think just not to take myself so seriously.
Mari:Like, this card always feels kind of silly to me. The way that the figure is, like, holding the swords by the points is absolutely idiotic. And then the way that their head is, like, comically turned back, it's like a Scooby Doo drawing tiptoeing and, like, looking straight back in a way that, like, doesn't even really seem comfortable or possible for your neck. So it's like, there's this sort of silly quality to this sword. How can we best work together?
Mari:Yeah. I feel like this duck is gonna be like, look, sis. Don't take yourself so seriously. It's just life. And, you know, I really like that.
Mari:Also, maybe helping me to see things aren't always what they seem or maybe where I'm fooling myself, you know, deceiving myself. Like, maybe that's kind of where this deck is gonna help me untangle some things, you know, both both for myself and for other people. So I like that a lot. And I think that if I sort of accept the whimsy of this deck, and again, I will put the pictures. You'll see what I mean.
Mari:Like in the in the seven of swords, it's a it's a frog holding swords. It's like all pink in the background and there's flowers on the ground and everything. I mean, it's just a very whimsical deck. So I think if I can embrace the sort of like, I don't know, like a little bit of the futileness or like the silliness of life, then, you know, this this deck is gonna help me a lot with with that wisdom. Okay.
Mari:Cool. How do you like to be taken care of and handled? And I got the fool. Wow. You know, the first thing that came to mind is, like, this deck wants me to take it with me everywhere.
Mari:It's like, just throw me in your purse. Let's go jump off a cliff. Let's go on an adventure. Like, I don't care where you take me. Like, just put me in your little sack over your shoulder.
Mari:So I love that that this deck is like it's so cute. Once again, it's a frog, and instead of the little dog barking at the heels of the fool, it's a grasshopper. Guys, I'm, like, gonna cry. It's so cute. I love it so much.
Mari:So I I feel like the deck is like the grasshopper that's just, like, jumping along with me. It's like, take me with you. I'm here for everything. I'm down for any reading. Just pull it out on random strangers.
Mari:Let's go. Let's fuck shit up. So I think that wow. Yeah. I I'm so glad I got this deck because I'm just, like, getting so much energy from it.
Mari:It's making me excited. I feel like it's making me even funny. Like, it's it's making me deliver the messages funny, which is yeah. Like, what what else could I ask for? I hope you enjoyed going along for the ride with me here with this deck.
Mari:I know it's not your deck, so it's not like I'm helping you figure out your deck. But just, you know, with with a deck interview, it doesn't have to be so serious. You're just kind of, like, going with the flow, taking whatever pops into your head. Like when I saw the fool, it was like immediately I just felt like take me with you. As an intuitive, sometimes I get words pop into my mind, sometimes it's images and things like that.
Mari:And so or just knowings that that's actually a lot of times how I get stuff. For me, it's it's the knowing. Look out for that kind of information when you are doing your deck interview, and don't forget to look at the full spread too. This is technically a spread. Right?
Mari:It's yes. It's for individual questions that you're looking for answers, but looking at what came out, you know, if you do four or five cards, I feel like a lot of ones I see online are five questions. Yeah. Notice what comes out. Notice if there's a strong element in there.
Mari:You know, I got two pentacles in a four card spread. That's a lot. You know, then lumping in the fool as an air card, you know, split pretty much fifty fifty between air and earth. That definitely tells me a lot about the deck. It really is this garden vibe with a little trickster energy and that came out immediately just looking at what I had in the spread.
Mari:So don't forget to zoom out, look at the bigger picture as well. Try this out with your deck. If you haven't done a deck interview, please feel free to take mine. I will send it out in the email about this episode, and I'll probably put it on Instagram as well or something like that. So if you're not following me, I'm at mariofthewoods, Instagram, and TikTok.
Mari:Then you'll be getting the images. I'll put the image of my spread with this deck, and I will also put out a graphic of the deck interview spread. Alright. That's all for today. Thank you so much for listening.
Mari:Please check out my new workshop offering. And if you do the past life regression experience, would love to hear how it went for you. Would love any feedback. You can email me info@MarioftheWoods.com. I'm going on vacation this week, so most likely there is not going to be a podcast episode next week.
Mari:So until two weeks from now, happy wandering.