"Tarot practice has long been downplayed, and demonized as negative, or some kind of dark divination. Tarot however, is nothing of the sort. It is simply a way to access the intuition and wisdom of your higher consciousness."
I'm from NYC, and on almost every 5 to 10 blocks in Manhattan, you can find a small, hole in the wall, mystical looking store front, with luxurious red or purple draping material, adorning the window frame. You might see a mysterious crystal ball, seemingly suspended in blackness, and a beat up "come in and see your fortune" sign out front. Some gypsy-esque looking woman may come up to you with a 10% discount reading card; invading your personal space, in hopes of capitalizing off of an intrigued tourist who is wooed by her unrelenting palm, crystal ball, and/or tarot reading charm.
This is the only introduction to Tarot that most Black and Latino folks in NYC get. It's easy to see why Tarot is ignorantly ignored as a powerful tool of reaching a higher conscious awareness. According to The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, "The most powerful sources of information come from within; the Tarot aids in coming in contact with one's Higher Self."
Because of the conditioning of black and brown communities, specifically in the urban inner cities of the US, many of us have been led to believe that Tarot is a bad thing, and something we should stay away from. It's similar to the caricaturization of 'voodoo' in fictionalized Hollywood films for theatrical entertainment and capitalization. I would like to reverse this way of thinking, and make Tarot more accessible to the people of color to whom it's power potential might be innately blocked. We live in a time where people, (especially WOC) are drawing closer to spirituality, groundedness, and the search for something higher.
Beyonce's depiction of Oshun during her Grammy performance and the esoteric symbolism that can be found throughout her entire Lemonade album is a testament to WOC looking for a divine connection to spirituality and source, outside of our environmental biased influence.
As a black woman humanist, my mission is to empower, uplift, and unite WOC and other marginalized groups, whilst emphasizing the importance of self-love, self-expression, and spirituality to all people. My lifestyle brand company is called Brown Girl Inc. Brown Girl Tarot™ is one of my first initiatives. I hope to help people reach a higher awareness of themselves by using a tarot deck that reflects their likeness and make Tarot more approachable by clearing the misconception of it and making it more modernized.
Brown Girl Tarot™ is the world’s very first, non-illustrated classic photographed tarot card deck entirely inspired by WOC and re-imagined through the eyes and spirit of a melanated woman, on her journey to her most high(er) self. BGT celebrates and embraces the beauty and diversity of brown and black women, as every card is art directed to emphasize the core, sacred messages of tarot- with a modern brown girl spin. The BGT deck will include 78, 3.5 X 5" artfully designed photographed, 350 GSM, Satin finish cards, including all suits of the Major and Minor Arcana. BGT will exclusively feature only WOC + one adorable brown little baby girl named Sierra Leone. Also offered is a soft covered – full-color book of card translation interpretations, authored by myself and short biographies of each model that is photographed as well as sponsors credits. The Decks will come boxed with a silk Custom Brown girl pouch. Signature BGT Decks will be hand customized with brown and black velvet backing.
“I hope to help people reach a higher awareness of themselves by using a tarot deck that reflects their likeness and make Tarot more approachable by clearing the misconception of it and making it more modernized. I'm trying to help raise the consciousness of POC, so we can better ourselves through spirit before wealth. I truly feel that BGT is divinely inspired. I believe that the universe guided me to each and every person involved in this project. I know that my desire to create this tool of spirituality and artistic vision comes straight from source itself.” -Fontaine F. Foxworth
