ABOUT WILD SHADOW TAROT WITH STACY HATSUYE-RICHARDSON

Soooo…Who Are You?

I’m half Japanese from my father’s side, Irish and European on my mother’s. My father’s mother’s first name was Hatsuye and my grandmother’s maiden name (on my mother’s side) was Richardson. I never knew any of my grandparents in the physical form, but I feel both grandmothers’ presence often. I know, from my parent’s stories, that they were incredibly strong women with amazing journeys all their own. (Stacy’s Life Goal #9: Write a book about their completely different lives, but equally heartbreaking and inspiring stories. “A Tale of Two Grannies”? It’s a working title…bear with me.) I’m reminded of that daily, by the guidance and fortitude of their spiritual presence in my life. 💫

When Did You Start Reading Cards?🃏🧘🏽📿

My first Tarot deck was gifted to me in college…1996. 😱

I was enamored by the concept but didn’t really commit to learning all of the nuances until later. I started teaching yoga in 2009, (500 Hour E-RYT, YACEP). I used to bring oracle and Tarot cards to my private lessons for something fun at the end of our sessions. What I discovered was, not only were my clients freaking out about the crazy synchronicities from the meanings of the cards, and how the messages aligned with whatever they were going through, but it got them to open up to me in all kinds of ways (mentally and physically). I started letting the cards we pulled assist me in sequencing their private yoga practice. It truly was a mind-body-soul experience! I was able to add “Holistic Life Coach” to my offerings, and my private sessions turned into a two-hour fest of yoga, meditation and cartomancy. I’m now on my way to a Masters in Depth Psychology.

Why Focus on the Shadow?

I’m not going to point fingers, but there’s a weird modern explosion of “if you think happy thoughts, you’re in alignment with what you desire and you can have anything you want.” Oye…a crazy mis-guided statement and something downright dangerous to spread around. I’ve read for people at mental health hospitals, and if I dared tell them something like that, it would be terribly cruel and have no bearing on spiritual truth or neuroscience. Energy is energy, and once you know how to control it, you can manifest major things at any time using ANY feeling. It’s the “turning any emotion into channeled energy” step that people aren’t aware of or know how to do. I’ve manifested healthy, positive things out of anger, happiness, frustration, sadness...the key is working with where your body and mind are at naturally.

What I need people to understand and, more importantly, not feel bad about is they don’t have to feel in alignment with sunshine and roses to get what they want out of this life. In fact, logically the most crucial time to manifest is when you’re not feeling your best self. If you were truly authentically happy, why would you need to manifest anything? You wouldn’t. And THAT is where Jung’s Shadow Work comes in.

What Is Shadow Work?

Carl Jung’s Shadow asks us to recount the hidden parts of our being that we may have tried to cover up or avoid dealing with. It’s shame, sadness, depression, weakness and both physical and mental wounds…just to name a few attributes. The body’s first inclination is to cover up the pain and store it in the subconscious, so we don’t have to feel the emotions while trying to survive life. This goes back to cave times when people REALLY needed to focus on running away from that saber-toothed tiger or hunting the elusive red deer. The problem arises when we refuse to step back into our Shadow, to work on the issue that was holding us back from receiving joy. It takes tough work to lean into our Shadow, and most of us wander through life wondering when the struggle is going to end. Here’s a freeing concept: I, nor any reader or licensed doctor, can tell you your life will eventually be without hardship or strife. Life is a series of struggles followed by amazing periods of contentment and happiness. Both sides, so beautiful in their own way. (Think of how much impassioned art comes out of Shadow!) The more we lean into our personal Shadow work the EASIER it gets. THAT I CAN promise. Each Universal test passed/lesson learned, you’ll have accumulated more strength to deal with the next battle. And once the Universe is convinced you’ve learned the lessons, you’ve reached the next phase of enlightenment.

How Does This Relate to Cartomancy?

I would like to clarify that I don’t dwell on the Shadow, I just don’t skirt around it. When I work with clients, I always remain positive and encouraging. ESPECIALLY when dealing with the tough stuff. Each of the cards has a Shadow side that goes with it, in both the upright and reversed positions. (Don’t get me started on the misinterpretations of reversals. 😤) For example, the “Six of Wands” is a Victory card. Generally speaking, if this arrives in your spread (especially as the final card) my querent (cartomancy client) is currently heading towards a positive outcome for their question. But, even in the upright position, the “Six of Wands” comes as a reminder to not do it for admiration from people, more followers on social media or anything other than the humble experience of achieving what you need for the greater good.

Are You Psychic?

We all are to a degree; it’s how you cultivate your temple. Some have to work harder than others to hear their intuition, but we’re all capable. There’s a lot of rhetoric out there about which astrological signs are most intuitive, (Load of crap. Which astrology system?!? Vedic, Tropical, Chinese?), that women are better readers (I’ve gotten some amazing readings from men and some not-so-great ones from women), or that it comes from a lineage of shamanic family members. I’m not saying these things don’t help, but we’re all made to “tap in”. As for myself, I used to astral project and see light beings when I was a small child. I was so frightened by it, I asked them to stop visiting me and moving me away from my bed. Sooooo…they did. I wasn’t ready, and to be honest, it did not feel great. I felt every tear from my subtle energy body away from my tiny physical one. For years I denied my gifts and suffered poor mental health because of the refusal to honor them. Which is when I started working on getting them back. I’ve not only worked in a mental health hospital, but I’ve been admitted to one too. Best thing to ever happen to me. I DO believe mental illness can be heavily tied to otherworldly abilities, of any kind.

Wrap This Up! 💝

My goal is to take away Spiritual Bypass (a term coined by John Welwood in the 1980s meaning “…tendency to use spiritual ideas and practices to sidestep or avoid facing unresolved emotional issues, psychological wounds, and unfinished developmental tasks”) and use the cards to see how to honestly achieve what the querent wants/needs. Trust me when I say, as intuitive as I am, it’s not me sending you the messages…it’s the Divine and/OR (for my atheist/agnostic friends) your energy and the energy of the Universe around you tapping in. I am merely the interpreter. The cards show you what you need to see. If my ego (which is in us for a reason, also a topic for another day), took credit for that, I’d need to do some serious humility Shadow work!

I hope to approach the Tarot game with equal amounts spiritualism, neuroscience and authenticity. Let’s have fun while we work through this lifetime together! Nothing bonds people like comedy and tragedy alike. So, don’t be scared. I’ve got your back! We can do this together. You are never alone and there’s ALWAYS a fresh perspective or approach. I have faith in you. And if I may be so bold…I LOVE you! The world needs that more than ever right now. Blessed Be and Be WELL!! 🧚‍♀️ 💛🖤Stacy