Your shopping cart is empty!
Blog
Denita Tizard
Comparing the Hero’s Journey to the Fool’s Journey. Joseph Campbell (1949) proposed that within every great story ever told, from ancient myth to modern day movies, one can find the same narrative inside every tale. He called it The Hero’s Journey. If we consider the chronological order of the Major Arcana or Trump cards to be a story (often referred to as The Fool’s Journey), a similar narrative is found there as well.
The journey through the Major Arcana cards from The Fool to The World. It shows how we grow from ignorance to enlightenment through various stages of development, both individually and collectively. By truly understanding the process of this journey, one can learn about the important aspects of the development of one’s self. The Tarot can reflect where you are on this journey, what you must overcome, and what you must come to accept. The Tarot enables us to explore the hidden parts of ourselves, brings light into the unknown and highlights the significance of our journeys. They are guides to self-awareness and never cease in bringing forth our own truths.
Here are some great clips you might enjoy if you have never heard of this term...
You can use the Hero's journey in your creativity as the dude from Star Wars used the Hero's Journey concept for the movie.
Today I wanted to share a musical journey I created, starting with... THE FOOL
THE MAGICIAN
THE HIGH PREISTESS
THE EMPRESS
THE EMPEROR
THE HIEROPHANT
THE LOVERS
THE CHARIOT
STRENGTH
THE HERMIT
THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE
JUSTICE
THE HANGED MAN
DEATH
TEMPERANCE
THE DEVIL
THE TOWER
THE STAR
THE MOON
THE SUN
JUDGEMENT
THE WORLD
Are you inspired to create your own playlist? It was lots of fun!
If you want to go a little bit deeper Llewellyn have A Study of the Fool’s Journey on their website you can visit by clicking here.
You could also sign up for Arwen Lynch-Poe's Spellcrafting Your Own Hero’s Journey with Tarot through Tarot Readers Academy by clicking here. I really enjoyed this course.
Or try using The Hero's Journey Tarot spread from Lost and Found Tarot...
Denita Tizard
There’s nothing more disappointing as an artist to see other people making a profit from your hard work and creativity. I have been involved in the art community for a long time, and every time I saw this happen, it really broke the artist’s spirit. It’s hard enough for artists to make money from their creations, so for someone else to be blatantly stealing the material and putting it out there really hits hard.
Moving into the Tarot world, I haven’t encountered this personally until now. Last week I bought a deck and when I received it, I could see that it clearly was a fake. It took me straight back to the art world and the pain those artists felt. I was bummed at first, and then I thought I’m the perfect person to write about this. So here I am bringing up the subject of counterfeit cards. I’ve had a look around and there are a lot of fake Wild Unknown decks out there, so buyers... beware.
If I had only just taken my time I would have never pressed that accept offer to purchase the Wild Unknown Tarot deck, from our national auction site Trade Me. Now that I look back at the auction it was wrong on so many levels. I’m putting this in the “lesson learned” basket, and staying away from buying second-hand cards (for a while anyway!). Call me crazy but I do love a second hand deck.
What do you need to look out for when buying cards?
1. First things first check to see is if all of the information is congruent. Make sure the title goes with the picture. I thought I was buying the Wild Unknown Animal Spirit Oracle deck but when I looked at the photo it was the Wild Unknown Tarot deck.
2. Look at the picture. When you read tarot seeing all the cards upside down is a massive red flag in its own right. Why didn’t I take that into consideration, you ask?!
3. Has the seller got a good account? Always make sure the person you are buying off has a well established account. Only 7 people had bought from “codythewarrior” before.
4. Trust your gut. When the offer came through I went to the page it said that the auction had been won by another person... ding, ding, ding! In the description it said “Opened and used a couple of times. Having a clear out. CHECK OUT MY OTHER TAROT CARD LISTINGS :) Good condition, cards only, no box or book included.” So why had someone else bought them? I knew then that it wasn’t right.
So why did I not listen to myself? Everything I have told you I let wash over me. I did email the seller before I bought the cards to ask if it was all good, and they said “YES”. I obviously trusted the buyer and didn’t put the effort into making sure what I was buying was what I was buying.
The person behind the account was happy to refund my purchase but I couldn’t send them back, someone else will end up buying them and I want to stop this from happening. I’ve checked the account and they don’t have any cards for sale but there are other accounts with similar listings.
Sure you can still use these cards, they work perfectly and are much cheaper than the real thing, but the deck is tiny, the colour isn’t right, and the titles of the cards are badly pixelated. Nothing compared with Kim’s deck, her quality is delicious... the cards are buttery and such a joy to use.
I did contact Trade Me to ask them what advice they had and they replied by saying “We want to make sure Trade Me stays a great place to trade, so if you come across anything that you think breaches any of our terms and conditions, feel free to report it to us using the Community Watch feature at the bottom of each live listing so that we’re alerted right away”. So please, if you do encounter fake cards, push that Community Watch button.
So now my Tarot collection has its first fake and only fake added to it. Will I use it? Not for readings but I might stick them in a book or around the house, who knows what life they will end up living? Am I upset? No way, life is way too short to worry about spending money on something that didn’t work out. What advice would I give you? Make sure the people you are buying your spiritual tools off are legit.
If you have experienced buying a counterfeit deck I'd love to hear what happened, I'd also like to know of other decks we need to be aware of.
How far can you go using The Wild Unknown artwork? CLICK HERE to check out the agreement on her website.
You can buy the real deck just CLICK HERE.
If you have no clue as to what deck I’m talking about, CLICK HERE to see a review by Benebell Wen
If you own this deck and want to go a little deeper CLICK HERE to check out Carrie Mallon’s unofficial meanings of the cards
Denita Tizard
Here are a few of my favourite card spreads that I've come across mostly from Emerald Lotus, she has an amazing librar of spreads.
The Celtic Cross Tarot Spread
This is one of the most common tarot card spreads, and it’s been in use for a very long time. Use the diagram below to place your cards in this position.
This is one of the most common tarot card spreads, and it’s been in use for a very long time. Use the diagram below to place your cards in this position.
The First Card – The Querent
This card indicates the ‘person in question.’ This usually means the person asking the question. The best way is just to ask for feedback and clarity as you go through your reading.
Other interpretations for the first card
* The heart of the matter
* The querent’s general life at present
* What influences the querent
The Second Card – The Situation
This card shows the situation, potential situation, or problem.
Like any reading, keep in mind that this may not be referring to the question that your querent asked. It could refer to the question they should have asked instead!
This card will often show that there are possibilities for a solution (if it is positive) or that there are obstacles in the way (if it is negative). Challenges usually show up in this position. Since this card ‘crosses’ the first card, you can think of it as the problem that is crossing the querent, or standing as an obstacle in their situation.
Other interpretations for the second card
* What helps or hinders you
(The card in the second ‘crossing’ position is always read upright, not reversed).
The Third Card – The Foundation
This card reveals influences on the querent, usually from the distant past. This card will show the long-term choices or patterns that have brought the querent to the present situation. These are things that still affect you today, even though they happened long ago. This card can indicate negative things you need to move on from, or positive things you can draw on for support.
Other interpretations for the third card
* The root cause of the problem
* Your subconscious influences
The Fourth Card – The Recent Past
This card indicates influences that are more recent, and have lead to this situation, or to the querent asking this question today. Sometimes this card is related to the third card, but it doesn’t have to be.
The Fifth Card – Likely Immediate Outcome
This card reveals the short-term outlook for this problem or situation, generally over the next few months. It’s often called ‘the crown’ card, since it’s at the top of the cross. If things progress along their present course, this card will show the events that are likely to take place in the future.
Other interpretations for the fifth card
* The best possible outcome
* What the querent desires as the outcome
* The querent’s conscious goals and ideals
The Sixth Card – Immediate Future of the Situation
The events shown here will happen soon, and there is little that the querent can do to change them. This card shows if this situation is on hold, or if it is on its way to a resolution. Whereas the second card shows whether or not there is a solution to this situation, the sixth card shows how far along the problem is to being solved.
Other interpretations for the sixth card
* Whether this situation is on hold or resolving
* What will influence this situation in the future
The Seventh Card – True Feelings
This card reveals what the querent really feels about the situation, including how they actually want the situation to resolve. This is a good card to compare with the first card (the querent card in the centre of the cross) to see if there are any obvious conflicts. For example, if the querent seems to want one thing (reconcile with her husband) but actually, secretly wants something else (a fling with a co-worker), then the subconscious motivations will show up here.
Other interpretations for the seventh card
* The querent themselves
* How the querent is currently approaching the situation
* Advice on how to address the current challenges
The Eighth Card – Outside Influences
This card indicates what the querent’s friends and family feel about their situation. It may show that other people are in control, or that there are people who need to be consulted with the decision making.
Other interpretations for the eighth card
* The environment around this situation or the querent
* The people, events, or energy that is outside the querent’s control
The Ninth Card – Hopes & Fears
This card can be closely related to what is hidden in the eighth card. The ninth card reveals what the querent hopes and/or fears about the situation.
In the example above, your querent may hope (and fear!) that the co-worker wants a real relationship, instead of just a fling. This can sometimes be a difficult card to interpret. It helps to compare it to card three, which is the foundation card. There might be a relationship between what they hope or fear and what has led them to this point. If this card is reversed, it may be that the querent is not yet aware of how their hopes and fears are driving the situation forward.
Other interpretations for the ninth card
* The mindset of the querent
* Psychological influences on this situation
* Advice that you shouldn’t overlook
* What you need to know about this situation
The Tenth Card – The Final Outcome
This card shows the likely long-term outcome of this situation, if things stay on their present course. This card often shows what happens when you put all nine of the other cards together. Timeline-wise, I usually interpret this as a solution that occurs over the course of several months to a year. When you are reading for someone else, there is a natural human tendency to make the outcome seem positive and hopeful, even if the cards skew negative. Remember that your role as a tarot reader is to interpret what you see, not to sugar-coat the bad news just to make someone happy.
This card indicates the ‘person in question.’ This usually means the person asking the question. The best way is just to ask for feedback and clarity as you go through your reading.
Other interpretations for the first card
* The heart of the matter
* The querent’s general life at present
* What influences the querent
The Second Card – The Situation
This card shows the situation, potential situation, or problem.
Like any reading, keep in mind that this may not be referring to the question that your querent asked. It could refer to the question they should have asked instead!
This card will often show that there are possibilities for a solution (if it is positive) or that there are obstacles in the way (if it is negative). Challenges usually show up in this position. Since this card ‘crosses’ the first card, you can think of it as the problem that is crossing the querent, or standing as an obstacle in their situation.
Other interpretations for the second card
* What helps or hinders you
(The card in the second ‘crossing’ position is always read upright, not reversed).
The Third Card – The Foundation
This card reveals influences on the querent, usually from the distant past. This card will show the long-term choices or patterns that have brought the querent to the present situation. These are things that still affect you today, even though they happened long ago. This card can indicate negative things you need to move on from, or positive things you can draw on for support.
Other interpretations for the third card
* The root cause of the problem
* Your subconscious influences
The Fourth Card – The Recent Past
This card indicates influences that are more recent, and have lead to this situation, or to the querent asking this question today. Sometimes this card is related to the third card, but it doesn’t have to be.
The Fifth Card – Likely Immediate Outcome
This card reveals the short-term outlook for this problem or situation, generally over the next few months. It’s often called ‘the crown’ card, since it’s at the top of the cross. If things progress along their present course, this card will show the events that are likely to take place in the future.
Other interpretations for the fifth card
* The best possible outcome
* What the querent desires as the outcome
* The querent’s conscious goals and ideals
The Sixth Card – Immediate Future of the Situation
The events shown here will happen soon, and there is little that the querent can do to change them. This card shows if this situation is on hold, or if it is on its way to a resolution. Whereas the second card shows whether or not there is a solution to this situation, the sixth card shows how far along the problem is to being solved.
Other interpretations for the sixth card
* Whether this situation is on hold or resolving
* What will influence this situation in the future
The Seventh Card – True Feelings
This card reveals what the querent really feels about the situation, including how they actually want the situation to resolve. This is a good card to compare with the first card (the querent card in the centre of the cross) to see if there are any obvious conflicts. For example, if the querent seems to want one thing (reconcile with her husband) but actually, secretly wants something else (a fling with a co-worker), then the subconscious motivations will show up here.
Other interpretations for the seventh card
* The querent themselves
* How the querent is currently approaching the situation
* Advice on how to address the current challenges
The Eighth Card – Outside Influences
This card indicates what the querent’s friends and family feel about their situation. It may show that other people are in control, or that there are people who need to be consulted with the decision making.
Other interpretations for the eighth card
* The environment around this situation or the querent
* The people, events, or energy that is outside the querent’s control
The Ninth Card – Hopes & Fears
This card can be closely related to what is hidden in the eighth card. The ninth card reveals what the querent hopes and/or fears about the situation.
In the example above, your querent may hope (and fear!) that the co-worker wants a real relationship, instead of just a fling. This can sometimes be a difficult card to interpret. It helps to compare it to card three, which is the foundation card. There might be a relationship between what they hope or fear and what has led them to this point. If this card is reversed, it may be that the querent is not yet aware of how their hopes and fears are driving the situation forward.
Other interpretations for the ninth card
* The mindset of the querent
* Psychological influences on this situation
* Advice that you shouldn’t overlook
* What you need to know about this situation
The Tenth Card – The Final Outcome
This card shows the likely long-term outcome of this situation, if things stay on their present course. This card often shows what happens when you put all nine of the other cards together. Timeline-wise, I usually interpret this as a solution that occurs over the course of several months to a year. When you are reading for someone else, there is a natural human tendency to make the outcome seem positive and hopeful, even if the cards skew negative. Remember that your role as a tarot reader is to interpret what you see, not to sugar-coat the bad news just to make someone happy.
Denita Tizard
Here’s a photo of me with my very first Tarot deck—The Mythic Tarot. I can hardly believe this picture was taken over 20 years ago! I still have that beloved deck, though it’s now retired after many years of love, guidance, and well-worn use.
I dabbled in Tarot as a teenager, but it wasn’t until I found many years later that everything truly clicked. I’ve always felt deeply intuitive and divinely connected, but something about working with cards makes me feel truly at home. I have many tools in my spiritual toolkit, but Tarot and Oracle cards are my deepest loves.
In the late '90s, I bought my first Oracle deck, and that experience opened up a whole new world for me. It sparked a hunger to learn more, and before I knew it, I was building a growing collection. Today, I have over 200 decks—and I treasure each one. A friend once joked that I’m like a "card pharmacist"—whatever you need, I have the deck for it!
For many years, Oracle cards were my main focus. But around 2006, I found myself drawn back into Tarot, and I’ve been exploring its many rich layers ever since. Tarot is endlessly fascinating—there’s always something new to learn or uncover.
For those who are curious, here’s a quick overview:
- Tarot is a structured 78-card system that reflects the journey of life through archetypes and symbolism.
- Oracle cards are more free-form—there’s no set structure, theme, or number of cards, making them incredibly versatile and creative.
Oracle cards offer broad, intuitive insights, while Tarot tends to provide more detailed interpretations and clear paths forward. Both are powerful, but in different ways.
I’ve always been naturally inquisitive, and over time that curiosity has turned me into a bit of an education junkie. Long gone are my party-girl days—these days I prefer diving deep into topics that spark my interest. This year, I’ve been exploring psychology, especially Cluster B personalities and healing childhood trauma. I love learning from all angles and perspectives.
To me, being a skilled Tarot reader means being compassionate, intuitive, and well-rounded. I’ve spent years building my knowledge bank in areas like ritual, gardening (especially herbs and their healing properties), numerology, crystals, cooking, art, flower therapy, aromatherapy, the Divine Feminine, relationships, parenting, ADHD, music, archetypes, astrology, the occult, witchcraft, and meditation. My life has been anything but ordinary, and I’ve experienced many of the life lessons reflected in the Tarot—from both sides. Working with the cards has truly changed the way I see the world, and for that, I’m endlessly grateful.
As a way of giving back to the Divine, I teach an "Introduction to Tarot" workshop.
It’s a day’s journey designed to help you connect with the cards and build your own relationship with Tarot. I hold this workshop once a year, so if you’re interested, feel free to reach out and I’ll add you to the list.
That’s a little about me and my Tarot path.
If you feel a connection and would like support on your own journey, I’d love to work with you. Click here to book a reading.
Reading cards is a sacred privilege and a true joy in my life.
Ultimately, I believe in living a life filled with love—for what you do, for yourself, and for the world around you. I live in harmony with nature, embracing the seasons, manifesting with the moon, soaking in the energy of the sun, and aligning with the wisdom of the stars.
With love,
Denita x