The Tarot of the Hidden Star

Sabat Magazine
SABAT Magazine
Published in
10 min readAug 11, 2018

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By Emily Linstrom

Photography by Fay Nyxtuna.

I discovered the Tarot in my teens, at an age when you desperately want answers the corporeal world cannot provide. My body, my heart, my purpose and path ahead, the why? of it all — all seemed to be shrouded in a kind of grown-up glamor, the strange and uncomfortable and even a little sorrowful kind, just out of sight and reach. I had been a Pagan devotee since childhood, with my own set of rituals and beliefs, but the Tarot was something new altogether. Shuffling the cards became an act of meditation, and the answers I sought often fell second to the insights and revelations evoked. I knew the practice of divination was as old as humankind; what I did not realize was just how much it revealed of one’s true — and usually hidden — self.

In the years that followed, I would acquire and dispense with various Tarot editions until I eventually met the deck that remains with me still. I would read for friends and occasionally be hired for events and parties, but mostly my Visconti-Sforza deck and I were lone companions. Not coincidentally perhaps, I now live in a region of northern Italy once ruled by the Visconti and Sforza families.

Pam Grossman by Sylvie Rosokoff.

The intersecting origins of the Tarot as we know it today are intricate and extensive, but I don’t believe them to be a necessary foundation for the newly acquainted. Intuition is the most valuable tool when approaching the cards, and merely bolstered by the addition of background knowledge. Sabat’s newly released Major Arcana deck, Le Tarot de L’étoile Cachée (“Tarot of the Hidden Star”), more than supports this theory. Illustrated by Italian artist Elisa Seitzinger with an accompanying guide by Witchcraft writer, educator, and popular podcaster Pam Grossman, the deck invites the reader to get comfortable in “the exquisite discomfort of mystery.” Seitzinger’s striking black and silver designs, drawn from an alchemical wealth of sacred geometry and symbolism, offer an ecstatic shot of liberation from the traditional Tarot canon. Speaking with the Hidden Star’s creators, it became beautifully apparent that the Tarot ultimately speaks to the individual and thus, is for everyone.

Image courtesy of Elisa Seitzinger.

Emily Linstrom: The introduction in the accompanying booklet truly spoke to me, as I imagine it will to many others. Magick, within the Tarot and otherwise, is a very personal, shape-shifting entity in my life. I don’t believe in attaching it to any one set of rules or guidelines, any more than I believe that there is “one” meaning behind every Major Arcana card. How much of this influenced your process when creating Le Tarot de L’Étoile Cachée? Would you say it was an equal balance between research and intuition, personal expression and traditional imagery?

Pam Grossman: It was definitely a hybrid. I did do quite a bit of research, not only in various Tarot interpretations, but also in the history of Tarot overall. But you’re absolutely right, there is never one meaning to the cards, and I believe they are meant to be fluid and read instinctually. So I was also sure to trust my intuition and let messages come to me as I was writing. Plus, Elisa’s artwork is filled with her own individual symbols and allusions, so it was really fun to incorporate those into the guide as well.

It’s important to honor tradition while still making sure Tarot evolves and stays relevant to the age we are in, and I think Elisabeth’s vision for the project and Elisa’s imagery really bring that home. Hopefully that comes through in my writing as well.

Elisa Seitzinger: I absolutely agree! Illustrating every Arcana was a true cultural and psychological trip. Even if it does not look like it, I’m a fan of functionalism; every Arcana, in my opinion, had to be perfectly readable and recognizable by its symbol. I tried not to miss anything important. I read Jodorowski’s The Way of Tarot, because he’s as obsessed as I am by the iconographic details that compose and stratify every Arcana’s aspect. Above all, I studied the Tarot’s historical evolution, from its origins right down to Jung.

In my mind, the best way to fully understand the meaning of the Tarot is through a sociological lens. While I was studying I was also drawing on free association — inspired by my various readings but also, like it or not, by my beliefs and personal narrative.

Photography by Fay Nyxtuna.

EL: Many Tarot readers prefer to leave out the Minor Arcana cards in their readings, for various reasons, which can often be a topic of controversy. Do you generally incorporate the Minor Arcana into your own readings, or do you prefer the Major — or does it all depend on the circumstances in the moment?

PG: I switch it up. When I’m looking for a more nuanced reading, the Minor cards can add a layer of detail that I find very helpful in some situations. But the Major cards are such strong presences, and are often all you need in order to get solid guidance. They tell a complete narrative within themselves, from setting off on the blind faith journey of The Fool, to taking many turns and learning many lessons of cards 1–20, and then integrating them all into The World card of holistic completion. It’s wonderful to use the Majors especially when you need to make a decision or ascertain where you are on your path and what you should be keeping in mind in order to best move forward.

ES: I’m not a tarot reader, but before drawing Tarot de L’étoile Cachée I drew a deck of Minor Arcana, traditionally used in Italy for various games, including scopa. Drawing, therefore reinterpreting them, was an opportunity to look into their divinatory aspects. As for the Major Arcana, I found the real magic in their narrative and sociological aspects. For example, to my great surprise, I noticed that the divinatory meanings of the Major Arcana and their figures mirror Propp’s morphology of the folktale, which helped in my interpretation.

Photography by Fay Nyxtuna.

EL: In my Tarot reading experience, there are several cards that seem to immediately strike fear in the heart — namely Death and the Devil, but also The Burning Tower. I’ve come to love and welcome all three of these cards, but it took time to truly understand and appreciate the messages conveyed. What cards in particular do you feel get a bad rep, and how have you personally come to embrace them?

PG: For me the Tower is the one that has always made me the most disturbed — and that is its purpose really! It is a card about disruption and dismantling things that are no longer serving us, even if (especially if!) we are attached to those old modes. But as we know, even if that feels deeply destabilizing and uncomfortable, it is often necessary, and ultimately for the best. All of the cards are about transformation though — we are all always turning into new states of being, and the cards just help us better pay attention, and learn what we need to at any given time in our own journey.

ES: I love the Devil! The Emperor or The Pope are probably worse than the Devil for a woman… Death is ok, or at least should be acceptable…the scariest one is certainly La Maison Dieu.

EL: What was your first Tarot deck?

PG: Mine was the Sacred Rose Tarot by Johanna Gargiulo-Sherman. It looked a bit like medieval stained glass and had these rich, vibrant colors that just utterly enchanted me. I also loved the elfin faces on some of the characters. They felt otherworldly, but also friendly and welcoming to my curious teen self.

ES: This is the best question you could have asked me. I started drawing in my style because a few years ago I found a deck of old Tarot cards in my grandfather’s former factory. It was a full, woodblock printed Marseillese deck dating back to the 19th century — covered in about an inch of dust! I was completely enchanted by the style, so raw, flat, minimalistic, and powerful — timeless, versatile and naturally magic. I only got one Tarot reading using that deck, and the trademark said “Della Vedova Fantini di Borgomanero”. The girl told me that the guy I was dating was not the man of my life. Two years later, I met my true soulmate.

EL: What first drew you to the Tarot? Was it a particular event or did something strike your fancy to learn more?

PG: I can’t remember the exact moment, but I was a kid who spent a ton of time in New Age shops and the occult section of bookstores. I also always loved magical artwork, especially Surrealism, so I think it was inevitable that I’d be drawn to a tool that incorporates images, divination, and a sort of dream language all in one.

Photography by Fay Nyxtuna.

ES: The Tarot found me. After falling in love with a style I later reinterpreted in my drawings, I was offered to draw some decks. At first by Federico Pepe from Le Dictateur and then by Elisabeth for Sabat Magazine.

EL: Tarot and Witchcraft are, as stated in the introduction, inarguably intertwined, albeit in many different ways depending on the individual. How do you personally make the connection between the two, and incorporate it into your life?

PG: Both Tarot and Witchcraft are systems that honor a more intuitive, even feminine orientation. They don’t operate in the space of objective measurability or logical codification, and yet they are meaningful and results-driven anyway. I often say I wouldn’t bother with either if they didn’t actually work for me. But they do require a high degree of engaging with so-called irrationality — and certainly with mystery. I don’t fully understand them, and yet they have changed my life for the better in beautifully profound ways.

ES: To be honest, I don’t like to get my Tarot readings done too frequently. In my opinion magic or, as Jodorowski would call it, psycho-magic, is something really deep, and sometimes I find this depth way too uncomfortable.

The Tarot is a guide that requires a lot of intellectual honesty from the reader… Sometimes I prefer to be the first Arcana, The Fool, free and intuitive, and without a destination. Sometimes I feel that it is necessary to tackle certain issues, and magic is one of the most fascinating ways to know ourselves and look at the world beyond appearances.

EL: Are there any particular cards in the Major Arcana that pop up regularly in your readings? If so, (without getting too personal if you don’t wish to) what do you think it means?

PG: Star card 100%. It’s funny, because my ego always wants to get the High Priestess or even the Moon, but it’s the Star who most often shows up for me, and has since I was young. I think it must be a reflection of my Aquarius sun. I’m definitely someone who is future-focused, and who looks for light in the darkness, even when I can’t quite see my way forward. The concepts of balance and equilibrium are also really important to me, and the card reflects that integration of dualities, too. And as much as I am a relatively comfortable communicator, I need a lot of solitary time to reflect and recharge, and I definitely see the Star as having that element to it, too. I’m actually rereading Breton’s Arcanum 17 right now, which is kind of his ode to Star card energy, and it’s been truly illuminating.

ES: Mmmm… Honestly I don’t think so. Let’s pretend it’s The World — I’d love for it to pop up, even if it’s not true!

EL: What advice would you personally give to those just beginning to acquaint themselves with the Tarot?

PG: I do think it’s helpful to study the Smith-Waite deck (which many still refer to under its original name of Rider-Waite, despite the fact that Pamela Colman Smith was its incredible artist). It has become the standard for Tarot since it was first published at the beginning of the 20th century, and so many other decks are pretty much riffing off of it. Beyond that, choose a deck that speaks directly to you — one that you find intriguing, inviting, and that feels particularly special to you for whatever reason. There are so many out there, so you are sure to find one that resonates.

ES: Tarot cards are beautiful, living objects. Approaching them means starting a journey, both when reading them for ourselves and when getting a reading. It’s important to enjoy these expectations while having fun. I always advise illustrators to draw their own deck, even if they are not interested in the Tarot or believe in magic. Drawing a personal deck is the perfect exercise on variation of a theme. Like drawing a font, there are endless possibilities, the only rule is that it has to be readable.

Photography by Fay Nyxtuna.

Le Tarot de L’étoile Cachée is now available to order from sabatmagazine.com.

Emily Linstrom is an American writer, artist and solitary Strega living in Italy. She was the first prize recipient of Pulp Literature Press's 2015 The Raven short story contest, and is a regular contributor to Sabat Magazine, The Outsider, Quail Bell Magazine, Three Rooms Press, Nailed Magazine, A Women’s Thing, The Wisdom Daily and Carve Magazine. Additionally, Linstrom is a member of the faculty at the School of Witchery . Follow her adventures on Instagram.

Many thanks to Davide Villa for his translation assistance.

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Sabat Magazine fuses Witchcraft and feminism, ancient archetypes and instant art.