Poems to Read Alongside the Major Arcana Tarot Cards

BY JOANNA C. VALENTE

Here are some poems that correspond to the major arcana Tarot cards. As someone who reads Tarot and writes poetry, the two are intrinsically linked for me, as they both deal with a journey.

0 The Fool – new beginnings, trust, positivity  / Kyle Brown-Watson - Church

Card of the day. 🐥🐥🐥#thefool #tarot #tarotista #dailytarot #tarotreading #fortunetelling #tokyo #jiyugaoka #l4l #東京 #自由が丘 #日常 #タロット #占い #うらないももか

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1 The Magician – taking action / Sarah Lyn Rogers - Becoming the Magician

2 The High Priestess – internalization, spirituality, emotion / Leah Johnson - The Blood of the Mother

3 The Empress – fertility, sexuality, abundance / Kristin Chang - In Pine Bluff, Arkansas

4 The Emperor – organization, stability, rules / José Olivarez - I Loved The World So I Married It

5 The Hierophant – tradition, society / José Olivarez - When The Bill Collector Calls & I Do Not Have The Heart To Answer

6 The Lovers – passion, choice, partnership / Eve L. Ewing - 

“the lovers” from the #marigoldtarot - so many of the photos taken of this deck have been 💛😍💛 shot by @dhakshboo, curated by @archcurate with help from @edie_z and @jameshercules_7 • #themarigoldtarot #tarot #tarotcards #thelovers

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7 The Chariot – learning, progress / Jesse Rice-Evans - Bohemia Lies by the Sea

8 Strength – power, courage, bravery / Monica Rico - Spells

9 The Hermit – solitude, consciousness, change / Lacey Trautwein - Found

10 Wheel of Fortune – change, cycles, luck / Hillary Leftwich - Four Mothers of Demons

What a surprise! How light I felt when I turned this bad boy over! Bring it on Mr. Skeleton on your bad-ass horseback. Usher in the end of fear-based beliefs. Time to leave old patterns behind. One of the most feared cards in the deck, it is also the most misunderstood; endings can be supremely positive. And having faced death up close, I honour its mysteries. And who follows? Looking out into the vast ocean, Wands planted on the ground, hands firmly planted on the Wands.... Buddy knows whats up. He reflects on what it will take to build a solid foundation and a sustainable future. He can see a new way. Feeling supported by the certainty of uncertainty. Maybe for the first time. Maybe just for today. #tarot #deathcard #threeofwands #uncertainty #changeiscoming #changeishere #endings #lettinggo #beginnings #positivevibes #sustainablefuture

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11 Justice – equality, balance / Catherine Chambers - Ghazal for Virtue 

12 The Hanged Man – realization, learning, growing / W. Todd Kaneko - Pilgrims

13 Death – end, new beginnings / Emily Paige Wilson - Tuesdays Cut Through Me

14 Temperance – moderation, pragmatism, diplomacy / Sarah Lyn Rogers - Temperance

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Temperance: I pulled this in a reading for myself a couple days ago and wanted to talk about it. Temperance isn't my current state, it's what I need to be cultivating. We all need it, sometimes. It's easy to feel a negative emotion and run with it as far as you can; much easier than taking joy or love to an extreme. When things feel volatile, you have find calm somewhere. #temperancetarot #tarot #tarotcard #tarotreadings #tarotreader #queertarotreader #queertarot #queertarotreadings #tarotcardreader #tarotcardoftheday #dailytarot #tarotdaily #tarotreadersofinstagram #cartomancy

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15 The Devil – toxic habits, addiction / Anne Sexton - Her Kind

16 The Tower – destruction, insight / Elizabeth Bishop - The Moose

17 The Star – hope, stability / Jan Beatty - The Kindness

Card of the Day: The Star #hope #inspiration #lightatendoftunnel #optimism #feelinggood #renewal #rejuvenation #healing #spiritualgrowth #aquarius #zodiac #astrology #tarot #tarotcards #tarotreadings Typically this card looks very pleasant, hopeful and awe inspiring. Basically the meaning of the card is just that really. It shows that things are looking good. This can mean recovering from anything that hasn’t been going well or even perhaps getting rest from a time of having been ill. This can also work for any loved one’s health issues coming around to a better situation. Either way you look at it, this card brings about a sense of hope and optimism about how things are heading and where things are possible to go for the future. The light at the end of the tunnel is getting closer for you to see your way out of the darkness you’ve been dealing with. If you are in need of help in your life, this card may be signifying that this help is well on the way for you. It may be much closer than you think. Be open to receive as what you need is on the way. Renewal is well underway so it’s time to wash your hands and put on a much more sensual lotion on as it’s time to enjoy your life again. Leave that muck you’ve been dealing with behind you. Allow your dreams to come forward and raise you up to a much better frequency with your energy. Astrologically speaking, this card is associated with Aquarius. So this could be January that things come to where they need to be. However, it’s also associated with the number 17 which can mean 17 days or perhaps 17 weeks. From the standpoint of a “yes” or “no” type of situation, this card is a huge YES! YES! YES! This is one of the most inspiring and positive cards in the Major Arcana of the Tarot. So when you get this card, remember hope is not lost, you are finally getting to where you need to be and enjoy the sense of renewal that you will likely feel. Enjoy the newness and never give up your dreams, they are closer than what you think they are.

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18 The Moon – mystery, the subconscious, desire / Anne Sexton - Wanting to Die

19 The Sun – happiness / Brenda Iijima - The Dog of Time

20 Judgment –rebirth / Timothy Lui - Holding Pattern

21 The World – completion, celebration / Edna St. Vincent Millay - Wild Swans

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Joanna C. Valente is a human who lives in Brooklyn, New York. They are the author of Sirs & Madams (Aldrich Press, 2014),The Gods Are Dead (Deadly Chaps Press, 2015), Marys of the Sea (Operating System, 2017), Sexting Ghosts (Unknown Press, 2018), Xenos (Agape Editions, 2016), and the editor of A Shadow Map: Writing by Survivors of Sexual Assault (CCM, 2017). They received their MFA in writing at Sarah Lawrence College. Joanna is the founder of Yes Poetry and the managing editor for Luna Luna Magazine. Some of their writing has appeared in Brooklyn Magazine, Prelude, BUST, Spork Press, and elsewhere. Joanna also leads workshops at Brooklyn Poets. joannavalente.com / Twitter: @joannasaid / IG: joannacvalente