Talkin' Tarot with Diane Wilkes

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 three 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.

I’ve been friends with Diane Wilkes for quite a while now. I’m not sure how we met. It may have been through online circles or a tarot conference but whatever the case may be, I’m glad we connected.

Diane is a total tarot pro but also a dear, kind soul. Whenever I am around her, her warmth comes through like the big ole Sun card. She’s always got a smile on her face and something positive and thoughtful to say. Which is why she is a trusted tarot reader and teacher for so many. Her Tarot Passages website has been around for a long time – it’s been a source for tarot curious folks who want to know which decks and books are the best. While the site hasn’t been updated in some time, there is still a lot of info to sort through.

In addition to running Tarot Passages, Diane hosts the Northeastern Tarot Conclave, which is moving to North Carolina this year and being rechristened as the Southeastern Tarot Conclave. This annual event has been a beloved learning hub for many.

Diane is also the brains behind the Jane Austen Tarot, which is now, sadly, out of print. If you’re lucky, you can find copies of it for sale but you’ll pay a pretty penny for this beloved deck. But no worries: she’s working on another oracle deck behind the scenes, which is sure to delight her fans. This woman is one of the quieter tarot treasures – she may not be “out there” as much as some of us but she contributes some of the best to the tarot world.

Bio:

Diane Wilkes has been divining with cards for almost 50 years and teaching Tarot for decades. She is the author/creator of the Jane Austen Tarot and the Storyteller Tarot, with another oracle in the works.

Diane is the webmistress of Tarot Passages and a Certified Tarot Grand Master. She created and hosts what was the Northeastern Tarot Conclave in Pennsylvania, but in 2019 will be the Southeastern Tarot Conclave in North Carolina.

Check out Diane’s answers to my questions below:

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Q: What is your philosophy about tarot reading?

Diane: A tarot reading can be likened to a candid photograph, as opposed to a scheduled, planned picture. It shows things as they really are in the moment. You may decide you want to change some things—lose (or gain) some weight, cut (or grow) your hair, adjust your wardrobe, smile more (or less)–to reflect the image of yourself you want to be. These are all things that are well within your control.

There are also things you can’t control—and either can a tarot reading. Floods, illnesses, accidents, death. But a tarot reading can alert you to what may come, and even offer some guidance as to handle it when it does.

You are ultimately in control of your reaction and your responses to what life brings to your table (or camera). Tarot is but one tool that enhances that life if you choose to utilize it.

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

Diane: The way a client can best prepare for a reading with me is to be open to new information, but also to know who s/he is and what s/he wants to know and/or learn.

We are all always in a process of self-discovery, I think because ideally, we don’t stay the same. We develop and grow and change. We sometimes see ourselves as one thing because we were that way at one time, and forget to notice that our thoughts of ourselves are based on the past, and not the present. A tarot reading can provide profound symbols and images that nudge us to see that reality—and to act accordingly. The Tarot offers a way to motivate and reinforce positive change, as well as according us illumination and guidance.
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Q: What is your best piece of advice for an aspiring Tarot reader?

Diane: The aspiring tarot reader also needs to be open to new information—even an old dog like myself can learn new tricks if I don’t delude myself that I have nothing left to learn about tarot. THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING MORE TO LEARN! ABOUT EVERYTHING!

As I mentioned above, there is always something new to learn about ourselves. The aspiring tarot reader of any age needs to know who s/he is, her/his style of communication, the way s/he thinks, her or his biases and preferences and issues that trigger judgment or anger or anything that might cloud the message the cards have to say. Since we are constantly changing, tarot readers at all stages should periodically self-examine these aspects of ourselves, because life and experience (and, ideally, wisdom) inform who we are as readers.

And because I believe an aspiring Tarot reader should trust the tarot, I recommend a reader devise a spread for such self-discovery and do it for her or himself on a regular basis.

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I am so grateful that Diane was able to make time to talk to me again! Learn more about her right over here.

Blessings!

Theresa