Talkin' Tarot With Andy Matzner

Talkin’ Tarot With is a monthly feature designed to introduce my readers to different tarot readers from our wonderfully diverse community! Each month, I’ll be asking various tarot readers 3 questions about their tarot philosophy and style, plus pointing you to their websites and blogs so that you can learn more about them! I like to hand pick tarot readers that I feel are talented and interesting.

If I had to say what would be the best thing that ever came out of attending my first tarot conference, it would have to be meeting Andy Matzner. Andy and I were paired up for some tarot exercises at the Reader’s Studio and we immediately hit it off. We quickly discovered that we not only shared a passion for tarot, but also for industrial music such as Ministry and Nine Inch Nails! We ended up discussing music as much as tarot that weekend (and got shushed a few times when we got a bit too animated!).

Because we were partnered up, we also had the opportunity to read plenty of tarot together. Andy’s readings were insightful and helpful. Some of the information that I gleaned from our weekend of tarot lead to me making some profound changes in my life. I’ve used his services another time when I was dealing with a heavy duty emotional situation, and once again, his wisdom and sensitivity helped me to make the best out of a difficult time.

One of the things that I feel makes Andy such an effective reader is his background as a psychotherapist. He is able to look beyond tarot as a divination tool and, instead, use it for deep healing work. In his unique book, The Tarot Activity Book: A Collection of Creative and Therapeutic Ideas for the Cards, he shares some of his therapeutic tarot techniques with his readers. I’ve practiced some of the suggested exercises in the book and it’s given me a whole new way of looking at my cards. I highly recommend that you have a copy on your bookshelf.

In addition to tarot and psychotherapy, Andy is a licensed clinical social worker and a teacher. He is also a musician who is currently a member of Trancepoetica, a group that, among other things, creates sonic soundscapes to facilitate ecstatic dance.

Andy is also the author of ‘O Au No Keia: Voices from Hawaii’s Mahu and Transgender Communities (2001) and The Buddha Diet: A Guide to Creating a Positive Relationship with Food and Eating (2012).

You can learn more about his work at these sites:

http://beautifulmagicaltarot.com/
http://andymatzner.com/
http://trancepoetica.com/

I feel fortunate to have Andy in my life as a friend and trusted advisor (as well as fellow Ministry fanatic). Get to know him and his work and you’ll quickly learn the special gifts that he brings to tarot.

Check out his answers to my questions below:

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What is your philosophy about tarot reading?

Andy: I feel that a tarot reading can unfold in so many different ways, and that it is my responsibility to to be as directive or passive as the situation calls for. I do love doing long, involved readings but I also know that a two minute reading can be just as effective if my client is open to that kind of instantaneous flash of communication. Some people want a reading where they want me to interpret the meanings of the cards for them. In this sense, they want me to “give them an answer.” Which is fine, because that is how some people relate to the cards and who am I to tell them otherwise?

On the other hand, I have clients who want a more counseling-oriented approach, in which they are interested in spending more time actively engaging with the imagery on the cards. They already know the answers to their questions, but that information, for whatever reason, lies buried too deep within and is inaccessible. In such cases I serve more as a gentle guide, asking questions that might assist in the making of connections between imagery and feelings. I do strongly believe that because of how they are designed, tarot cards have this incredible power of drawing out people’s core intuitive wisdom.

Finally, I love the connection between the act of reading the tarot cards and ritual ceremony. Many of us don’t spend enough time with the sacred and profound mystery of life in all of its dimensions, time that used to spent with oracles, seers, shamans, healers. But a tarot reading certainly gives us that opportunity. For me, Joseph Campbell said it best (although he was talking about “Church” not tarot!): “The real, important function of the [tarot] is to present the symbol, to perform the rite, to let you behold this divine message in such a way that you are capable of experiencing it.”

How do you feel a client might get the most out of a reading with you?

Andy: Developing a clear, meaningful question is important. I like Albert Einstein’s quote: “If I had an hour to solve a problem and my life depended on the solution, I would spend the first 55 minutes determining the proper question to ask, for once I know the proper question, I could solve the problem in less than 5 minutes.” At same time, the basis for a helpful and profound reading can simply be if a client is interested in asking, “What is it I need to know right now?”

I also think that what happens once a client walks out the door makes all the difference. Someone can have a powerful reading with me and discover all kinds of important information about their life. But talk is cheap, in the sense that if my client doesn’t act on that information, then the reading was potentially for naught. Of course, at the very least, a seed has been planted. But for a client to get the best out of a reading with me, he or she should be mentally prepared to take the messages of the cards seriously, and be willing to actually make some movement in the direction suggested by the reading. I’ve found that the cards don’t lie, so we ignore them at our own risk…

What is your best piece of advice for an aspiring tarot reader?

Andy: To be patient; we all pay our dues so don’t get discouraged if things seem difficult at first. The tarot is an incredibly deep and detailed system, and it will take time to get familiar with it. But I’ve found that you truly reap what you sow, and so the more you study and practice tarot, the more you’ll benefit. Personally, I went through the the stage where I read everything tarot-related I could get my hands on, and made study notes for each of the cards in the deck. I had this huge notebook that I filled with info about each of the cards based on what I was reading – and there are so many amazing books out there! So I’d suggest first becoming familiar with what others have to say about the cards and how to work with them.

Personally, as time went on and I started giving more readings, I noticed that I had internalized what I had studied and so didn’t need to depend on my written notes anymore. I found that my book learning bolstered my own intuitive knowledge, so eventually I reached a point where I could simply trust that I would know how the cards needed to be read in the moment.

All that to say: I’d recommend being curious enough to follow all the different rabbit holes into which the cards will lead you, and be sure to have the faith that if you commit yourself to this path because it truly resonates for you, then no matter the challenges faced on the way, it will be well-worth the journey, let alone the destination!

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Major love to Andy for taking the time to chat with me today. Learn more about him and get a reading over here: http://beautifulmagicaltarot.com/

Blessings!

Theresa