Between the Worlds Podcast

In this episode, Amanda tells the folktale of Tannhauser, a 13th century knight and writer of erotic poetry. (This episode is steamy!). Though the story takes place in Germany, it was a variation of a tale common throughout Europe over a thousand year period while European culture was transitioning from animist paganism to Christianity. It tells the story of a mortal man seduced by an otherworldly...

Between the Worlds returns with Season 4! Today we’re talking about the ACE of Pentacles. The Ace represents the suit in its purest form. Pentacles represents the element of earth. We talk about the history of the suit, deep time, the Orphic Egg, how coins may have made civilization possible (for better or worse), the difference between an amulet and a talisman, why reversed pentagrams are conside...

CURRENT WORKSHOPS  JOIN US FOR THE EMPRESS WORKSHOP.   The Empress Workshop: Erotic Magick for Joy, Pleasure, and Allure In this workshop, we call in the Empress, pleasure Queen and the tarot avatar of Venus, goddess of love, luxury, beauty and creativity, and we practice her sacred arts. Erotic Magick teaches you how to: Have more fun Embrace eroticism Increase your personal power Turn sensuality...

When the 10 of Swords appears, it's usually because you’re ready to call it. The battle is over. There’s no going back, and it’s time to MOVE ON.  The  10 cards are often about our collective experience. In this episode, we think about the social causes of defeat, or “ruin” as it’s called in the Thoth deck. Because we live in an individualist society we tend to think that when we experience ruin i...

The 9 of Swords is often known as "the nightmare card”, referring to the  things that wake you up in the night and keep you tossing and turning. You might be obsessing, like: Did I do something wrong? How could this person do this thing to me? What if I never become economically stable? What if I never find love? What if something horrible happens to someone in my family? The hamster keeps running...

The 8 of Swords appears when we WANT to do something, but sh*t keeps getting in our way.  In this card we can see that the person in the image has forgotten her power, it’s almost like she believes so strongly that she is a prisoner that she no longer even tries to escape. When this card comes up, the rut you’re in usually has more to do with old habits and patterns than it does with current exter...

Rebel, demon, adversary, bringer of light, the Devil appears in all these guises and more. The Devil card often points to our fatal flaw, the wound that is standing in our way, preventing us from getting the thing we really want. One especially delicious tool we can use to help deepen our knowledge of the Devil card is literature. Today we’re discussing the meaning of our favorite foe with Milton...

When I think of the 7 of Swords the first thing I think of is that you’re getting away with something. Now, that could be a good thing or bad thing, depending on the circumstances. Often this card indicates solving a problem without direct confrontation. As much as we might WANT there to be a black and white solution to our problems, a right choice and a wrong choice,  the Seven of Swords often ap...

When I think of the 6 of Swords the first thing I think of is that you’re leaving something behind, it might be a relationship, a job, a house, or an old pattern, habit or belief system. In this card, the Tarot is cautioning you not to bring your old problems with you into new territories. It's not always easy to leave behind what you know, even when what you know isn't right for you anymore. But...

In this episode we talk about spirit guides, how to work with them, what they are, whether or not they're "real", and basically everything you could think of that is spirit guide related. We learn how they can help you find your path, trust your intuition, and make difficult choices. This episode is light-hearted and fun! We thought you'd need a little breather since the Suit of Swords is a challe...

When I think of the 5 of Swords, I think about conflict. Someone is hurt, another someone is feeling bitter and resentful, someone else is on a vindictive rampage. But of course, since tarot is a wisdom tradition, it’s not just going to leave us there in harm’s way like that. It’s got medicine for us, it’s got some strategies, tune in to find out what the 5 of Swords teaches us about transforming...

When nothing feels stable, how do you find stability? After the heartbreak of the 3 of Swords, the 4 of Swords reminds us that we’re entering a recovery period. When this card appears,  it’s time to lay down your weapons. Get some rest. It’s okay to retreat a little and regroup. It’s in the dark of the earth that we restore and heal. You will take action again very soon and you need all your stren...

A sword is a weapon, and weapons are used in armed conflicts. So we wanted to bring Sarah Schulman, author of the book CONFLICT IS NOT ABUSE: OVERSTATING HARM, COMMUNITY RESPONSIBILITY AND THE DUTY OF REPAIR, on the show to discuss the nature of conflict and what we can do to resolve it. Turns out, Sarah has been practicing tarot for decades, and rather than seeing the Suit of Swords as being abou...

We interrupt our usual programming to give a little impromtu pep talk. This little rant / love letter to you is raw and un-edited. A last minute thing coming as a result of... ummm, people storming the capital building and an attempted coup. Basically, we didn't feel right putting out our scheduled episode but Amanda still had a few things to say, so here it is. Hope you enjoy. And we'll be back w...

Everyone knows the 3 of Swords, because everyone has known heartbreak on some level, or will someday. When this card appears, so too does hurt. But the hurt points to something authentic and true within your nature that is not being treated with the care that it needs. The solution is tenderness. Our medicine is humility and gratitude. While we might resist the 3 of Swords, it’s actually a good th...

In the 2 of Swords, a woman has to make a big decision without having all the information she needs. She's paralyzed by the thought she might make the wrong choice, and so she waits. The wisdom of this card teaches us how to move forward even when we feel caught in indecision. We could be deciding where to live; whether to break up or hook up; which next project to begin; or where we should focus...

Welcome back to Between the Worlds, Season 3! This season we’re tackling the suit of swords, which deals with two basic themes: truth and conflict. In this episode we discuss the Ace of Swords, going deep into the mythology of the Arthurian Legends, thunder gods, fairy women, gifts from the underworld – AND how all this relates to making choices and finding your life's purpose. We can't wait to ge...

Join us for our season finale with superstar special guest, writer and activist adrienne maree brown! We talk about her favorite decks, the pleasures of tarot, the power of witchcraft, and the truth about the 10 of Wands. Usually the 10 of Wands appears when you're feeling burdened, overwhelmed, and when you can't see a way out of the trouble. In the Thoth deck, the 10 of Wands is known as "Oppres...

We've got a fun new segment for you, travelers between the worlds! In these minisodes host Amanda Yates Garcia answers listener questions. She gives you practical, actionable, witchy tips that are fun to use at home. In this episode she answers a question from Weird Circle subscriber Rune Stone Rainwater about how to make the most of their kitchen magic. Tune in to find out herbs to use, incantati...

Join herbalist, artist and comedian Melanie Griffin, and host Amanda Yates Garcia, as they discuss spiritual and herbal means for coping with the stress of 2020. This episode covers a lot of ground, ranging from overcoming the militaristic medical complex, to working with herbs to ameliorate depression. Plants are not just resources to exploit but beings to establish relationships with. Our spirit...

How do you keep going when you're exhausted and over it, when you feel like no matter what you build, something just comes along to knock it down again? The 9 of Wands is the feeling that comes when you feel like you've been struggling forever and you just don't know if you can take one more blow. The good news is, the 9 of Wands also offers some wisdom on how you can reconnect with your power sou...

The 8 of Wands appears when it is necessary to focus our attention and act fast. The time for waiting is over. We receive an important message and we need to act on it. Join us this episode when we talk with Harvard educated T. Susan Chang, author of Tarot Correspondences, who literally knows everything there is to know about the tarot. We talk about this card's astrological correspondence: the up...

The 7 of Wands teaches us to stand up for what we believe in. As we rally the courage to defend what we believe in, we inspire others to do the same. This card is all about taking risks, trusting our intuition, and creating the change we want to find. Join host Amanda Yates Garcia and special guest, artist, mystic, and psychotherapist Edgar Fabian Frias, as we discuss they ways in which YOU are be...

Magical cauldrons, sacred stones, bewitched swords, well maidens, bleeding spears, such are the things of Arthurian legend. Tune in today as we discuss the ancestral magic of the ancient Celts with expert and Western Mystery Tradition initiate Mara Freeman. We talk about the grail myth as a prophecy for contemporary environmental collapse; poets as prophets; the meaning of the knights; and the sui...

The 6 of Wands speaks to us of progress, recognition and reward, but the real question it asks is... from whom is that recognition coming? Do you need to impress someone to make progress? What does victory mean for YOU? We discuss all this and more with the brilliant Rash Tramble of Stay Woke Tarot. Prepare to think deeply about what it means to honor accomplishments, and WHO does the honoring in...