This Fall Hamptons.com has partnered with local expert Diane Ferraro of Tarot Tauk and the Urban Siren Creative Hub to delve into the mystery and spookiness of Fall. Tarot Tauk specializes in many fields of exploration and insight, among them Tarot, astrology, reiki, and energy healing. More than anything, she offers practical guidance on holding space to explore the unseen energies that live within and surround us.
The words “Fall” and “spooky” are often associated. It’s more than just Halloween. Days get shorter and chill air foreshadows winter’s approach; leaves suddenly erupt into colors, the soon-to-be-bare branches signaling the last gasps of summer’s abundance. Change is all around us and in the fall especially, as our planet moves around the sun, the hidden currents of time laid starkly bare are hard to ignore.
With so much changing around us, we are reminded to turn our gaze inward, to create space to acknowledge change and growth. Spookiness has another side—an eerie coincidence or an uncanny connection. The importance of a moment or feeling or longing is sometimes greater than it appears on the surface. To disregard the unknown and unexplained without examination is deeply dissatisfying.
Inspired by the questions the season evokes, I spoke with Diane Ferraro of Tarot Tauk about Astrology, Tarot, and the spookiness of the fall.
Let’s get it out of the way, in your opinion what is Tarot?
Both Tarot and Astrology are part of a mystical approach to relating to the human experience. Tarot is a divination tool that helps us understand ourselves better. It contains 78 cards, each representing a quality or archetype of the human condition. I don’t recognize the Tarot as much of a fortune-telling tool but rather a tool for self-inquiry and personal growth. Tarot is a judgment-free tool that allows us to examine our thoughts, feelings, and choices while helping us discern what we should be paying attention to as reflected in the cards.
Can you quickly define “Astrology”?
Astrology, of which there are many types and approaches is, as we are most familiar with it in the U.S., a system that relies on understanding the archetypal meanings of zodiacal signs, natal chart houses, and planets as they relate to one another through aspects (or degrees of connectivity or separation) in one’s birth (aka natal) chart.
What are you hoping to help with when you give a reading?
Both Tarot and Astrology are empowering tools of self-discovery, hopefully leading to self-acceptance and self-love. I’m looking to help people understand and embrace what is strong with you, not what is wrong with you.
Do you think the fall is spooky? What about the fall evokes spookiness?
As I’ve gotten older, the Fall has felt somewhat sad. I love summer and I’m always sorry to see it fade, and I wasn’t sure if it was the sadness over summer passing or something else that brought up feelings of what took some time for me to identify as grief. When I finally did identify the grief, I was feeling, it took me by a surprise. “Grief? Where is this coming from?” When I began studying astrology, I recognized that perhaps I was relating to the archetypal energies of the Scorpio season, in which the birth/death/rebirth cycle is prevalent. I also believe the Fall can feel spooky for sure. As the weather changes…I feel a preparatory quality to the Autumn months, which can be a stark contrast to the effervescent energy of Summer.
Does Astrology say anything about the fall being “spooky”?
On the zodiacal wheel, Virgo season urges us to get serious about making our base secure as winter is around the corner. Scorpio season prepares us for inevitable transformation, including the birth/death/rebirth cycle. And Sagittarius season invites us to get present with the truth of our circumstances and surroundings so we can realistically deal with what is happening. The spookiness of Fall can have something to do with the dormant/death cycle of the Earth as we experience it in the Northern Hemisphere this time of year, especially since our culture doesn’t have the most harmonious relationship with death. Halloween of course adds to the spooky flavor of the season. As this tradition of recognizing ghosts and ghouls reminds us, we dance between the world of the living and the world of spirit. Perhaps this time of year reminds us that we are all just whistling past the graveyard.
How did you first begin as a Tarot reader?
I began studying Tarot in 2015 as a way to better understand a slew of then-confusing life experiences. I found myself in a period of my life where I needed a clearer grasp on the why’s behind my choices and when I began listening to gifted Tarot readers, even when they were interpreting the cards for other people or I was reading about the meanings of the cards in books, I was captivated by the depth, complexity, flexibility, and insightfulness of the Tarot.
Where do you find inspiration for your readings? What are your passions relating to your work as a reader?
Perhaps what inspired me most of all was the compassionate approach of these gifted readers and teachers of the Tarot, as well as the dynamic messaging of the cards themselves. This no-drama zone was where I could explore the mystical and mysterious side of life while taking applied action toward choices that felt more life-affirming for me. I dove deep into learning the Tarot and the traditional meanings of the cards while staying abreast of the more modern interpretations of current-day readers. What ensued was my deep passion for wanting to support others the way the Tarot and its teachers had supported me.
What recommendations would you give to someone who is having their first reading?
My recommendation would be to trust yourself and your intuition above all else. Any trustworthy Tarot reader would emphasize that their client must know they are empowered to make their own choices through the power of their own intuition and discernment. And certainly, have fun. Personal growth and self-inquiry don’t need to be void of humor, laughter, or joy.
What misconceptions about your work do you encounter most frequently?
Since I extensively exemplify what to expect from my readings each time I read for someone, rarely do people have misgivings about what I’m offering. There are, on occasion, people who, while they may have received my disclaimers, remain committed to what they want the reading to be, and what some people want is a fortune-telling session. I clearly state that is not what I offer, and then check in with them if they want to proceed to work with the Tarot given my approach which is open-ended and does not focus on predictions. I sometimes come across people who believe the Tarot will tell them what the future holds, which scares them. I reassure them that it is not my intention nor the purpose of my readings, which can put people’s minds at ease. Believe me when I say I wouldn’t wish for the burden that comes along with knowing what’s coming! The Tarot can, though, bring us into the present moment and make choices mindfully from the present moment, which can inform our future.
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After talking with Diane, I think there is a powerful metaphor in this season: Trees shed their leaves so that new life can sprout; what parts of myself are the leaves and what part is the tree? What do I need to let go of to become the person I will become? What then are the tools to celebrate and acknowledge the not-yet-known? How do I intentionally attend to the underlying patterns recognized effortlessly by the heart? In many ways, the spookiness of the season is in essence a perception of something just beyond the senses—a feeling of change. Long before the matter-of-factness of science offered answers and definitions, humans relied on intuition, intention, and ritual to imbue our questions of the unknown with meaning and joy. That is to say, the question is sometimes the answer.
Diane has an office in Montauk as part of the eclectic Magnolia Wellness and Beauty Collective where she offers her Tarot Tauk services including Tarot and Astrology readings, Reiki, singing sound bowl meditation, and crystal healing sessions. She also offers beautiful “goddess gear” which can be seen on her vibrant Instagram account @tarottauk. She can be reached at 631.702.0246 and [email protected].
