Highlight: THE FOOL card

By Veronica Varlow

Image courtesy of Veronica Varlow

As this is my first column with Enchantments, it seems quite appropriate that as I shuffled my deck on my Brooklyn fire escape, The Fool card would jump from the deck. Luckily, I grabbed him before he sailed on the wind and this wild card has quite a story for your July!

My Grandma Helen was of Czech Roma descent and used playing cards to tell the future, just like her own mother did. She taught me the cards when I was six years old, but I had difficulty remembering the red and black shaped symbols on the playing cards and what they meant.  She came home with a pack of colorful Rider-Waite tarot cards featuring the classic artwork of Pamela Colman Smith and sat down with me to tell the stories of the 78 cards.

The story of the tarot all begins with the Fool.

My Grandma Helen explained that the Fool symbolizes your own PURE POTENTIAL. Imagine July as the beginning of a new story for you this year. Whatever has happened in the past, let it stay there. July is calling for you to open new doors with new possibilities and adventures. Let the next step you take be one of a new beginning.

She would also say that The Fool is like you in your child self.  When you were little, you knew no boundaries or obstacles. Your imagination was limitless and wild. When someone would come up to you and ask you what you wanted to be when you grew up, you would look them dead in the eye and say something to the effect of, "I want to be an astronaut."

Think about this.  You knew what you wanted and you were ready to get it.

You didn't answer, "Well, I want to be an astronaut, but the space program got seriously de-funded and the training seems intense and I'm not really sure if they are hiring or not."

No. You said, "I want to be an astronaut." Clear. Simple.  A mind with no boundaries, obstacles or limitations.

My Magic Darling...the Fool is calling you to stand in that innocence and courage of your own pure potential this month. I want you to let your child self lead and throw yourself into your dreams without hesitation this month. Just like the Rocky Horror Picture Show theme encourages us, "Don't Dream It, Be It."

Have a gorgeous adventure this month, my Loves and I'll be back in August to throw down some more cards for you!
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Hello, my name is Veronica Varlow! I'm a lineage witch taught by my Grandma Helen and I specialize in love and sex magic. I read tarot, tea leaves and Vogue. I'm an international burlesque performer and fire dancer. I'm based in Brooklyn, NY, where I  run www.lovewitch.com and offer online mystery schools known as: the Love Witch Academy and Craft & Conjure. Follow me on insta at: @veronicavarlow and say hi in the comments!

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​If you would like to learn tarot in the tradition of my Grandma Helen and the Roma people - by applying a story to each card that you relate to and remember easily - I am offering my Love Witch Tarot School online here.

I also just launched a virtual Witch Camp: Society of Spellcraft that starts on the full moon of July 16th. Enchantments Readers get $11 off with the code:  WITCHPLEASE