Cultivating Decolonial Perspectives on Divination With Tarot

Two-Day Online Workshop, Three Hours Per Day 

Brown, queer, and trans writer, diviner, and educator Christopher Marmolejo frames literacy as key to liberation, exploring tarot as critical literacy. Through their work, Christopher reveals how the cards can be read to subvert the dynamics of white supremacist-capitalist-imperialist-patriarchy, weaving historical context and spiritual practice into a comprehensive overview of the tarot. 
 
Situating tarot imagery within cosmologies outside the Hellenistic frame—Death as interpreted through the lens of Hindu goddess Chhinnamasta, the High Priestess through Aztec goddess Coyolxauhqui—Christopher’s work and writing is a profound act of reclamation and liberation. In their latest book, Red Tarot, each card’s interpretation is further bolstered by the teachings of Toni Morrison, bell hooks, Paulo Freire, José Esteban Muñoz, and others in an offering that integrates intersectional wisdom with the author’s divination practice—revealing tarot as an essential language for liberation.  

Join Christopher for an illuminating workshop on decolonial perspectives on divination with Tarot and how to develop a decolonial praxis. On the first day, participants examine how tarot cards can be read to subvert the dynamics of white supremacist-capitalist-imperialist-patriarchy, weaving historical context and spiritual practice into a comprehensive overview of tarot. Participants also explore tarot as a radical epistemology that shifts the authority of knowing into the hands of the people themselves.  
 
The second day is centered on application with a focus on how to use the cards in a reading for yourself or others. Christopher shares insights on the consultation space of a tarot reading, opening conversation and consideration for the similarities and distinctions between a formal therapeutic session; navigating the spread with confidence and a kaleidoscopic perspective.  

In this workshop participants leave with an understanding of Tarot as radical literacy with solid foundations in ethical tarot reading. Please bring your questions, your experience, your tarot decks and your intentions as diviner. 

This workshop is open to all levels of tarot enthusiasts, but some basic understanding of tarot will be helpful in deepening your experience.  
 
 

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Christopher Marmolejo, MA, is a Brown, queer, and trans writer, diviner, and educator. They use divination to promote a literacy of liberation. They are the author of red tarot: a decolonial Guide to Divinatory literacy, Published by North Atlantic Books, Mar 05, 2024. They were born and raised in San Bernardino, California, among the pines, in community with the Serrano people of the pines. With nine-plus years of experience as trained educator focused on cultivating classrooms of emancipatory possibility, they work with students around the world to plant and nurture the seed of a divinatory practice, finely weaving tarot, astrology, and curanderismo with decolonial, queer epistemologies and critical, feminist pedagogies.  
 

Important Event Information
 

Accessibility

If you need to request accessibility accommodations, please email publicprograms@ciis.edu at least one week prior to the event. For more information, explore our Accessibility web page.

Recording Policy

Portions of this workshop will be recorded, and limited access to a recording will be made available to all ticket buyers.

Refund Policy

Tickets are fully refundable up to 7 days prior to the event start. Within 7 days of the event, a 50% partial refund is available. No refunds are available within 24 hours of the event start. Read our full refund policy at our Frequently Asked Questions web page.