Episode 56: Tarot Museum Belgium

Episode 56: Tarot Museum Belgium

It’s Tarot On the Road! This week, the Tarot Podcast visits the Tarot Museum Belgium, where proprietor Guido Gillabel shows us what 40 years of pure tarot obsession can look like. If you find yourself somewhere between Brussels and Antwerp, be sure to get in touch with Guido for a tour. The audio and video versions of this episode are distinct.  In the audio version, you’ll hear my interview with Guido about how he became a tarot reader and teacher and how the Museum got started in the Amsterdam occult scene of the late 1970’s and early 80’s. In the video version [LINK GOES HERE], Guido shows off his collection of historic tarot artifacts, tarot novelties and contemporary decks from all over the world.   Links for this episode: * website: https://tarotmuseumbelgium.com * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tarot_museum_belgium/ [https://www.instagram.com/tarot_museum_belgium/] * email: guido.gillabel@telenet.be [guido.gillabel@telenet.be]  ***Tarot Museum Belgium visits are by appointment. Contact Guido directly through his website or e-mail.***   This week’s bonus content: * Tarot Origin Stories: Mine…and yours? [https://www.patreon.com/thetarotpodcast/posts/bonus-tarot-mine-162426900]I was inspired by Guido’s tales of hippie Amsterdam to take a trip in the Wayback Machine myself. * You might also enjoy Episode 54’s bonus content, featuring another collection of rare tarot decks: Tarocks in Amsterdam [https://www.patreon.com/thetarotpodcast/posts/bonus-rare-tarot-161275928/] _______________________________ * Become a Tarot Podcast member! com/thetarotpodcast [https://patreon.com/thetarotpodcast] * Shop for Tarot Podcast MERCH! & cool stuff made by your host! com/shop/tarotista [http://www.etsy.com/shop/tarotista] * Sign up for readings and explore books and classes! com [https://thetarotpodcast.com] * Continue your tarot journey with The Living Tarot book [https://www.amazon.com/Living-Tarot-Connecting-Everyday-Readings/dp/0738772259] and/or The Living Tarot online class [http://tsusanchang.com/class] (discount for class available if you purchase the book!) https://www.amazon.com/Living-Tarot-Connecting-Everyday-Readings/dp/0738772259 [https://www.amazon.com/Living-Tarot-Connecting-Everyday-Readings/dp/0738772259] https://tsusanchang.com/class [https://tsusanchang.com/class]   😊 And...don't forget to like, rate, subscribe, and share!! 😊

Episode 55: Tarot and the Predictive Brain, with Siddharth Ramakrishnan

In today’s show, the Tarot Podcast veers off the beaten path and turns to science! for an explanation of how prediction works. My guest is Siddharth Ramakrishnan, a neuroscientist who also practices tarot. He’s also a terrific explainer of brain biology for those of us without advanced degrees in the sciences. How has evolution shaped our perception of the future? What role does our brain play in decoding what’s to come? Join us for some facts, some educated guesses, and some wild speculation! Siddharth Ramakrishnan, Ph.D., is a neuroscientist, artist, and educator. He is the Chair of Neuroscience and Professor of Biology at the University of Puget Sound and a recipient of the prestigious National Science Foundation CAREER award. His research spans developmental biology, neuroendocrinology and neuroethics. A Fellow of the UCLA Art|Sci center, his collaborations with artists have led to exhibitions and documentaries that blend the worlds of art and science highlighting topics like Hox genes, animal umwelts and biomimicry.  An avid Tarot reader, he has designed and created the NeuroTarot deck based on the major arcana of Tarot and infused with neuroscience. He was the keynote speaker at NWTS 2023, StaarCon 2025, the UCLA Art Sci Center, and a panelist at the Masters of Tarot workshop (2023) with Mary K. Greer at Omega, Rhinebeck NY. In addition he has been featured at various scientific conferences, art museums and tarot workshops. His book "The Neuroscience of Tarot", is out with Llewellyn Worldwide. "The Neuroscience of Magic" will be out in 2026! * Instagram/BlueSky/Threads: @siddbits * Youtube: @brainmystic * Email: neurotarot@gmail.com [neurotarot@gmail.com] * website: www.brainmystic.com [http://www.brainmystic.com] _____________________________________ * Become a Tarot Podcast member! patreon.com/thetarotpodcast [https://patreon.com/thetarotpodcast] * Shop for Tarot Podcast MERCH! & cool stuff made by your host! etsy.com/shop/tarotista [http://www.etsy.com/shop/tarotista] * Sign up for readings and explore books and classes! thetarotpodcast.com [https://thetarotpodcast.com] * Continue your tarot journey with The Living Tarot book [https://www.amazon.com/Living-Tarot-Connecting-Everyday-Readings/dp/0738772259] and/or The Living Tarot online class [http://tsusanchang.com/class] (discount for class available if you purchase the book!) 😊 And...don't forget to like, rate, subscribe, and share!! 😊

Episode 54: The Tarot Readers of Amsterdam

For this week’s episode, we present something completely different for the Tarot Podcast! We recently traveled to Amsterdam and decided to do an episode on the tarot scene there. We interviewed three readers: Trippy, Melanie Webb, and Giulia Castagna. Trippy and Melanie are readers at the Embassy of the Free Mind, a Hermetic library in the heart of Amsterdam. Both Trippy and Melanie are Jungian-influenced archetypal tarot readers, and you can visit them on Thursdays and Fridays at the Embassy. Our third interviewee, Giulia Castagna, is an Italian tarot reader and astrologer who is based in Amsterdam. She currently gives readings at Black Moon Botanica, in the charming Spiegelgracht neighborhood. Stick around for the end of show! where Trippi and Melanie do readings for me—and I do one reading in return. ALSO: Be sure to catch this week’s Patreon bonus content [http://patreon.com/thetarotpodcast], a video short of a terrific collection of tarot decks housed in Fabula Rosa, in the Jordaan district of Amsterdam. The owner, David Schors, kindly permitted  us to look around and examine some very unusual and beautiful decks he’s acquired over the years.   Giulia Castagna * Website: https://lunaticanocti.com * Upcoming courses (in Italian): https://elenaronzio.socialacademy.com/pages/corsi-di-tarocchi * Instagram: @lunaticanocti Melanie Webb Melanie takes her audience into a world that is not usually seen, but deeply felt — a place suspended between dream and reality. Having grown up with Tarot cards, she developed an intuitive and playful connection to visual language from an early age.       During her twelve years at the Academy for Applied Astrology in Amstelveen, she developed a strong interest in the relationship between Jungian psychology and Western astrology. Tarot formed an additional module within this astrological and Jungian curriculum, allowing her to interpret the cards through the archetypal frameworks and psychological theories of Carl Jung.      With her Tarot cards, she not only reads what lies beyond but also unpacks the signs that are present all around you. A reading with Melanie allows you to pause, take a breath, and look again: at yourself, the moment, and everything that moves beneath the surface. In her sessions you can expect imagery, intuition, and silence to come together. A session with Melanie allows you to sink into the moment and gain a truly unique perspective. Trippy Trippy has been reading Tarot for more than thirty years. Her connection with the cards began in childhood, shaped by early mystical experiences that opened her sensitivity to the unseen.      For the past nine years she has read regularly for Thuishaven, where clients often describe her readings as clarifying, grounding, and deeply supportive. Her work blends intuitive insight with years of exploration in esoteric and meditative traditions, including the Tarot study with Kenton Knepper on Meditations on the Tarot, as well as her ongoing Jungian exploration inspired by the works of Marie-Louise von Franz.         Trippy’s style is warm, compassionate, and direct. She aims to help people reconnect with their inner guidance and leave each session with a renewed sense of clarity and empowerment. * The Embassy of the Free Mind http://embassyofthefreemind.com [http://embassyofthefreemind.com] Keizersgracht 123, 1015 CJ Amsterdam, Netherlands Museum: open Wednesday through Sunday Tarot readings: Thursdays and Fridays Events & workshops: All year! Hermetic text viewing: by appointment __________________________________ * Become a Tarot Podcast member! patreon.com/thetarotpodcast [https://patreon.com/thetarotpodcast] * Shop for Tarot Podcast MERCH! & cool stuff made by your host! etsy.com/shop/tarotista [http://www.etsy.com/shop/tarotista] * Sign up for readings and explore books and classes! thetarotpodcast.com [https://thetarotpodcast.com] * Continue your tarot journey with The Living Tarot book [https://www.amazon.com/Living-Tarot-Connecting-Everyday-Readings/dp/0738772259] and/or The Living Tarot online class [http://tsusanchang.com/class] (discount for class available if you purchase the book!) 😊 And...don't forget to like, rate, subscribe, and share!! 😊

Episode 53: How Do I Care for My Cards? with Barbara Moore

In today’s episode, we take on a totally practical question for both new and experienced tarot readers: How do I take care of my tarot cards? The care and maintenance of a metaphysical object is just different from the way you deal with your ordinary household items. Whether or not you feel your cards are actually sentient (and some people do!) they deserve special consideration. And Tarot Podcast favorite Barbara Moore is back! to walk us through some of the tarot community’s most common physical, metaphysical, and ritual practices around card care.   Barbara Moore (Saint Paul, MN) has been in love with tarot for over thirty-five years. She has shuffled her cards and taught tarot all over the world. Now she embraces her Hermit self by writing books and creating decks. Her Steampunk Tarot, Good Fortune Tarot, and Trick or Treat Tarot are among her favorites.   Links for this episode: * Barbara’s website: https://barbaramooretarot.weebly.com/ [https://barbaramooretarot.weebly.com/] * Magician’s Fanning Powder [https://www.amazon.com/MilesMagic-Fanning-Ellusionist-Theory11-Cardistry/dp/B0DF6JN3YH]! * Barbara’s author page at Llewellyn: https://www.llewellyn.com/author.php?author_id=3396 [https://www.llewellyn.com/author.php?author_id=3396]   * Become a Tarot Podcast member! patreon.com/thetarotpodcast [https://patreon.com/thetarotpodcast] * Shop for Tarot Podcast MERCH! & cool stuff made by your host! etsy.com/shop/tarotista [http://www.etsy.com/shop/tarotista] * Sign up for readings and explore books and classes! thetarotpodcast.com [https://thetarotpodcast.com] * Continue your tarot journey with The Living Tarot book [https://www.amazon.com/Living-Tarot-Connecting-Everyday-Readings/dp/0738772259] and/or The Living Tarot online class [http://tsusanchang.com/class] (discount for class available if you purchase the book!) https://www.amazon.com/Living-Tarot-Connecting-Everyday-Readings/dp/0738772259 [https://www.amazon.com/Living-Tarot-Connecting-Everyday-Readings/dp/0738772259] https://tsusanchang.com/class [https://tsusanchang.com/class]   😊 And...don't forget to like, rate, subscribe, and share!! 😊

Episode 52: Jumpers, Stalkers, and Holdouts—Cards with an ATTITUDE!

It’s the ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY of the Tarot Podcast! and have I got a show for you! Today we’re having a look at three Unexplained Card Phenomena that every tarot reader faces at some point or another.  They are: * Jumpers: Cards that fall out when you’re shuffling. * Stalkers: Cards you always get. * Holdouts: Cards you never get. What do they MEAN?  What message is your jumper card trying to send you?  WHY are you getting that stalker card again and again? And why are your holdouts keeping their distance? Discover the secrets that these attention-seeking cards are trying to share! Also: the miracle of card tracking! To gain access to T. Susan’s card tracking template, sign up as a member at the Fortuneteller level www. patreon.com/thetarotpodcast/membership [http://www.patreon.com/thetarotpodcast/membership] . (It’s also available in the Living Tarot online class www.tsusanchang.com/class [http://www.tsusanchang.com/class] .)     * Become a Tarot Podcast member! patreon.com/thetarotpodcast [https://patreon.com/thetarotpodcast] * Shop for Tarot Podcast MERCH! & cool stuff made by your host! etsy.com/shop/tarotista [http://www.etsy.com/shop/tarotista] * Sign up for readings and explore books and classes! thetarotpodcast.com [https://thetarotpodcast.com]  * Continue your tarot journey with The Living Tarot book [https://www.amazon.com/Living-Tarot-Connecting-Everyday-Readings/dp/0738772259] and/or The Living Tarot online class [http://tsusanchang.com/class] (discount for class available if you purchase the book!)