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Introduction My intention in creating The Slutist Tarot is to tell the Fool’s Journey through the archetype of The Maiden. The Maiden represents a young femme and she symbolizes the divine feminine: a spiritual aspect of ourselves that is not limited to feminine persons. In the classic tarot narrative, a querent is expected to identify with cis male archetypes — regardless of their own gender identity — and conversely, The Slutist Tarot asks its querent to see themselves reflected in The Maiden. This deck is meant to be both erotic and representational — not just for daringly promiscuous sex witches, but also for those who devote themselves to monogamous relationships or abstain from sex altogether. As an advocate for sex positivity it is of utmost importance to acknowledge that sexual liberation operating within intersectional feminism represents the power to make choices about your own body, and to practice whatever brand of consensual sex that you desire. The Slutist Tarot as a narrative and collection of portraits centers those on the feminine spectrum with a few precious masculine and male­identified exceptions. I aspire to flip the script on historically androcentric and sex negative models of thinking. Additionally, I emphasize the labor of those in the sex industry over all other modes of employment and lifestyle rather than regarding those individuals as maudlin, fringe characters or societal failures used as foils to purity, as is typical of most stories. I aim to showcase a multiplicity of sexual expressions and identities rather than depicting a norm or a standard one. For my entire life I have been forced to identify with characters, social structures and narratives in which my lifestyle is neither included nor validated. To me, sex and femininity are not niche subjects — nor are the lived experiences of sex workers. Regardless of your own background, I ask you to move past stigma to find yourself in our story. That being said, I am happy to share these images and stories with those who are in the dark about alternative sex practices and sexual labor. I hope that these cards will inspire those who feel closeted or simply curious or tickled by transgression, and honor those who share a both bloodied and enchanted heritage with the Sacred Whore. Although many people’s images and spirits were inspirational in creating this deck, the cards and descriptions are not meant to be or represent any living person. The Slutist Tarot Mythology The narrative inherent in The Slutist Tarot is about sexuality specifically: how sex and sexual trauma can change you, your perception of yourself, and how you deal with humanity. I believe that on some level all individuals have their lives defined by sex, whether that be the act of sex (orientation and preference, having it and not having it, consensual or otherwise), or gender­based sex. Ultimately for my heroine, sexuality is what hurts her and it’s also what empowers her (and makes her money!) For this reason, sexuality is The Maiden's gift and curse. The Maiden’s Journey is a departure from the classic Fool’s Journey, which my dear friend and tarot mentor Sarah Lorraine taught me when we were just becoming friends around the age of 24. She recited the lore like a fairy tale and after that point I began associating that mythology and accompanying archetypes with several of my most influential childhood favorites: the tales of Camelot, Alice Through the Looking Glass , Labyrinth , and The Never Ending Story . Stripped down, the Fool's Journey is the blueprint for every myth that centers a young adventurer who is forced to grow and change through the experiences they have and the people they meet. These stories often end with our protagonist facing their greatest fears and prevailing because those experiences and people have made them stronger and braver. In my inversion of the cis­hero trope, I see Alice as a young girl who is "too curious." She is forced to grow up before she’s ready to leave childhood behind and comes to accept a sometimes harrowing and other times ecstatic new life as a woman. I see her adventure as a metaphor for the unexpected burden we face when at a very young age we realize we are desired, and yet we have no bodily autonomy, and the potential of traumatic, exciting and beautiful experiences that unfold as we gain agency over our bodies and emotions. Divination Instructions & Tarot Structure This deck and spread were created specifically for love and sex readings, but you may find that the written and illustrated metaphors can carry across a multiplicity of experiences and emotional states. I think most of my readers have had similar experiences with tarot guidebooks where one really has to bend the meaning of the cards to match the question asked, which for so many of us is inevitably about love. So I decided to lean into the collective obsession we have with the mysteries of love and attraction. You may notice that some aspects of The Slutist Tarot differ from the traditional tarot structure. I have princess in place of page/knave and I use prince in the place of knight, similar to the Thoth deck. I also changed several of the titles in the major arcana to align with new archetypes that stray from imperialistic and Christian heteropatriarchy. I kept the royal suits because I feel that our queer community has done an incredible job of thoroughly reclaiming all those titles. There are no “reversed” readings for the cards because I believe that the positive and negative aspects of any card can be gleaned from those surrounding it, or from many of the card’s existing dualities. The Slutist Tarot Relationship Spread was designed to help readers navigate some of the more confusing or difficult to interpret aspects of relationships (AKA all of them, am I right?) I like to use this spread as a check in, whether that be with new lovers, friends, family members, or even colleagues and business partners, like mine! I did a reading for ( Slutist founder) Kristen and I and it was all cups and coins, and The World. Beyond the instructions listed, I encourage readers to engage with the general energy of the spread, how the two cards on the side create a V shape that points both down and up, and how those messages communicate and create a larger picture. As compared to a celtic cross, I have cards 5 and 8 representing lower and higher energies respectively; your Earthly reality and your Heavenly possibilities. It’s also important to look at the conversation between 4 and 6 which mirror one another: what are your desires or fears projecting? How do the things that scare or excite us the most with love inform the reality we create around relationships? There are many ways to utilize this spread and to get the most from its messages. For example, I was recently in what turned out to be an unhealthy relationship and throughout that time documented each reading in a journal. By doing this, I created a story of that relationship, with a beginning, middle, and end positively loaded with painful life lessons that I can now add to my emotional arsenal. With documentation, I can compare readings amongst partners at different stages to help me see red flags more clearly, or signs of love that I can truly believe in. I also encourage thorough journaling for those who are susceptible to gaslighting. Histories of abuse can make interpreting and intuiting particularly difficult for any mystic, no matter how experienced. During this time I also discovered a helpful addition, which is when I see a prince (or knight in traditional decks) in position 8 I will pull an additional card or two for clarification. This is because the princes are in motion, and often times it’s fair to read them as warnings. When I did this during that particular relationship, the Prince of Wands warned me of rushing ahead without considering the consequences of my actions, and the cards I pulled for clarification were Death and 5 of Cups. I certainly had all the answers, but I wasn’t ready to do the right thing, which was walk away (6 of Swords, which came up often along with 7 of Coins). The struggle to let go of attachment is no doubt a common experience with querents who have a hard time negotiating their own emotional boundaries due to trauma. When things get dark, divination can help us to see the light. I hope you all find the strength and compassion to get everything you want out of love and sex, and the foresight and intuition to properly identify and banish weasels* before you let them into your hearts. I am honored to have my words and images be a part of your journey, especially on round two of this process. Blessed be. *Weasels are insecure abusive individuals who act out of fear, can be found sniffing around magnetic powerful witches they want to break. Like vampires, one must invite a weasel in, in order to give them power. Card Descriptions The Major Arcana 0, The Maiden Also known as The Fool The maiden is a young, sexually inexperienced person on the brink of a sexual awakening. She is only now becoming aware of how attractive she is to others, to those she wants, and to those who prey on her. Her beauty is a double edged sword: on one hand she can flirt with men and get anything she wants, and on the other she is sought after by predators.

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