The Shadow of Being Seen: Tarot, Psychology, and Writing My First Book

This week on⁠ The Tarot Diagnosis⁠, I'm taking you behind the scenes of writing my new book, Dark Shadow, Golden Shadow (available for pre-order now, out December 8, 2025!).In this deeply personal episode, I share what happened the day I received my author copies: yes, including the moment I froze and couldn’t open the box. But more than that, I offer a director’s cut of the book itself - reading passages aloud, reflecting on what surprised me as I wrote it, and unpacking the emotional and psychological process behind writing about the shadow being an act of personal shadow work.Together, we explore:What it really feels like to be seen, exposed, and publishedThe existential terror of transparencyHow magical tools like crystals became sacred support in therapyThe Queen of Swords as persona and protector (hello, favorite archetype)A real-life case study of shadow integration in therapyWhat Sartre, Jung, Brene Brown, and tarot have in commonAnd yes, I do a bit of spontaneous exposure therapy by reading straight from the physical book instead of my digital copy (gulp). Spoiler: I also spill the behind-the-scenes tea on publisher recommendations, imposter syndrome, and what it's like to hold your life's work in one trembling hand while clutching herbal tea in the other.Whether you're a longtime listener or just discovering the podcast, this episode offers a vulnerable look into the creative process, the messiness of being seen, and the transformative power of shadow integration.📚 Pre-order my book Dark Shadow, Golden Shadow for more therapeutic tarot practices!🌙 Stay Connected With Me💌 Follow me on Instagram:⁠ @thetarotdiagnosis⁠🧠 Sign up for my newsletter at⁠ thetarotdiagnosis.com⁠👥 Join ⁠The Symposium⁠ — my tarot & psychology membership community If you love The Tarot Diagnosis Podcast, please consider leaving a review! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is a super easy and FREE way to support my work. Plus, it helps more people discover the podcast. I appreciate you all so much!Audio Edited by Anthony DiGiacomo of⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Deep Resonance Sound⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Contact: [email protected] by Timmoor from Pixabay

This week on⁠ The Tarot Diagnosis⁠, in honor of my upcoming book Dark Shadow, Golden Shadow, which releases on December 8, 2025, I’m reading a portion of chapter 2 (Roots of the Shadow) right here on the podcast.In Roots of the Shadow, I dive into the foundations of shadow work through a deeply therapeutic and psychologically grounded lens. I explore how Carl Jung’s original concept of the shadow intersects with Internal Family Systems (IFS), Freud’s ideas of the id, ego, and superego, and even Brené Brown’s research on shame. Throughout this chapter, I explore academic theory, personal reflection, and practical exercises, because shadow work is just as much about theory as it is about application.You’ll also get to experience one of the tarot spreads from the book, the Psychoanalytic Shadow Spread, designed to help you explore your inner world using tarot as a reflective tool. I walk you through each position in the spread and provide an example interpretation using cards like The High Priestess, Ace of Cups, Nine of Swords, and more.We also take a deep dive into the Pages of the tarot and how each one can represent developmental moments where your shadow may have started to form. Whether it's being told you're “too emotional,” “too much,” or “not enough,” these early messages get internalized and shadow work gives us the chance to revisit and reclaim those parts of ourselves.🎧 Listen in, grab your tarot deck and journal, and join me in beginning (or deepening) your own shadow journey.✨ And don’t forget: Dark Shadow, Golden Shadow is available for pre-order now wherever books are sold. Pre-ordering not only supports my work, it enters you into a giveaway to win a free shadow reading with me. (Just send me proof of purchase and you’ll be entered to win!)Deck Used: Tarot Vintage🌙 Stay Connected With Me💌 Follow me on Instagram:⁠ @thetarotdiagnosis⁠🧠 Sign up for my newsletter at⁠ thetarotdiagnosis.com⁠👥 Join ⁠The Symposium⁠ — my tarot & psychology membership community 📚 Pre-order my book Dark Shadow, Golden Shadow for more therapeutic tarot practices! If you love The Tarot Diagnosis Podcast, please consider leaving a review! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is a super easy and FREE way to support my work. Plus, it helps more people discover the podcast. I appreciate you all so much!Audio Edited by Anthony DiGiacomo of⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Deep Resonance Sound⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Contact: [email protected] by Timmoor from Pixabay

What if the real root of evil isn’t money, but power?This week on⁠ The Tarot Diagnosis⁠, I take a deep, psychologically grounded look at the Six of Wands, a card typically associated with success and recognition, and reframe it through the lens of shadow work, power and control, neuroscience, and social dynamics.Inspired by a spread I pulled during a recent shadow workshop and influenced by current global events, I found myself asking: What happens when power becomes addictive? When does celebration become complicit? How does unchecked power erode empathy, justice, and even our sense of self?Throughout this episode, we will explore:Why the shadow side of the Six of Wands reveals themes of envy, domination, and the intoxication of being celebratedHow power alters the brain, impacts empathy, and mimics addiction, which is supported by neuroscience researchWhat tarot archetypes like The Devil, Queen of Cups Reversed, The Hierophant Reversed, and The Tower teach us about the darker side of social influence and powerHow power dynamics appear in relationships, institutions, spirituality, and social mediaWhy Lane Smith’s concept of "Move Up, Move Up" (from 78 Acts of Liberation) and Mary K. Greer’s caution about the Six of Wands in The Complete Book of Tarot Reversals both invite us into more collective awarenessIf you’ve ever struggled with your relationship to power (either craving it, fearing it, or unconsciously abusing it), this episode offers a powerful mirror and invitation. Through therapeutic insight and tarot symbolism, we reflect not only on how power can corrupt, but also how it can be shared, checked, and transformed for good.Deck Used: Tarot VintageReferenced: 78 Acts of Liberation by Lane Smith The Complete Book of Tarot Reversals by Mary K. GreerOn power and its corrupting effects: the effects of power on human behavior and the limits of accountability systems https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10461512/🌙 Stay Connected With Me💌 Follow me on Instagram:⁠ @thetarotdiagnosis⁠🧠 Sign up for my newsletter at⁠ thetarotdiagnosis.com⁠👥 Join ⁠The Symposium⁠ — my tarot & psychology membership community 📚 Pre-order my book Dark Shadow, Golden Shadow for more therapeutic tarot practices! If you love The Tarot Diagnosis Podcast, please consider leaving a review! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is a super easy and FREE way to support my work. Plus, it helps more people discover the podcast. I appreciate you all so much!Audio Edited by Anthony DiGiacomo of⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Deep Resonance Sound⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Contact: [email protected] by Timmoor from Pixabay

What does it mean when tarot archetypes are blindfolded or their vision is obscured? In this week’s episode of The Tarot Diagnosis, I explore the often over-looked symbolism of obscured vision in tarot - where sight is blocked, avoided, invited or even denied. Inspired by six cards (Two of Swords, Four of Swords, Eight of Swords, Nine of Swords, Ten of Wands, and Strength), I take a psychological and symbolic deep dive into what it means when our eyes are closed.Together, we’ll unpack:Why blindfolds might represent clarity over confusion (Two of Swords vs. Eight of Swords)The difference between chosen vs. imposed limitations on sightHow anxiety and panic (Nine of Swords) make us unable to see clearly, even if our eyes openWhat closing our eyes can teach us about nervous system regulation and rest (Four of Swords)How over-functioning and burnout distort our ability to see what’s truly happening around us (Ten of Wands)Why Strength might be less about control and more about titration and sensory inputThrough the lens of psychology and tarot symbolism, we uncover how visual obstruction in the cards can indicate increased internal knowing, emotional overwhelm, or even power dynamics. And how sometimes seeing less allows us to feel and know more.If you’ve ever pulled the Two of Swords and said, "just open your eyes and deal with it," this reframe might change the way you see the cards forever.Deck Used: Tarot Vintage🌙 Stay Connected With Me💌 Follow me on Instagram:⁠ @thetarotdiagnosis⁠🧠 Sign up for my newsletter at⁠ thetarotdiagnosis.com⁠👥 Join ⁠The Symposium⁠ — my tarot & psychology membership community 📚 Pre-order my book Dark Shadow, Golden Shadow for more therapeutic tarot practices! If you love The Tarot Diagnosis Podcast, please consider leaving a review! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is a super easy and FREE way to support my work. Plus, it helps more people discover the podcast. I appreciate you all so much!Audio Edited by Anthony DiGiacomo of⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Deep Resonance Sound⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Contact: [email protected] by Timmoor from Pixabay

This week on⁠ The Tarot Diagnosis⁠, we’re exploring one of the most commonly misunderstood behaviors that exist in many of us: people-pleasing. Inspired by real conversations in the therapy room and the archetypal patterns of tarot, I explore people-pleasing through a trauma-informed, psychological, and tarot-based lens.While people-pleasing is often viewed as a virtue and praised as kindness or empathy, the truth is way more complex. From a clinical perspective, people-pleasing is often rooted in early childhood conditioning, or what therapists might consider as part of the “fawn response,” as well as the development of what psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott refers to as the false self. I shed light on how people-pleasing is actually a survival skill - a way of staying safe by tending to others' needs, moods, and perceptions, often at our own expense.In this episode, I explore how tarot archetypes reflect the nuance and shadow of this survival style. Drawing from both psychological theory and tarot symbolism, I unpack this behavior pattern as a form of emotional manipulation born from a deep need for control, approval, and connection, which might be difficult for many of us to hear.I also guide you through a therapeutic, three-card spread designed to help you explore your own patterns of people-pleasing along with what’s underneath it, what it protects, and what it might feel like to step outside of it.For the collective, I pull…Card One: What emotion am I attempting to prevent or manage by people-pleasing? → The TowerCard Two: What would it mean to allow another person to feel disappointed, angry, or uncomfortable without taking responsibility for it? → Two of CupsCard Three: How can I tell the difference between being kind and giving so much that I lose myself? → Nine of CupsDeck Used: Tarot Vintage🌙 Stay Connected With Me💌 Follow me on Instagram:⁠ @thetarotdiagnosis⁠🧠 Sign up for my newsletter at⁠ thetarotdiagnosis.com⁠👥 Join ⁠The Symposium⁠ — my tarot & psychology membership community📚 Pre-order my book Dark Shadow, Golden Shadow for more therapeutic tarot practices! If you love The Tarot Diagnosis Podcast, please consider leaving a review! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is a super easy and FREE way to support my work. Plus, it helps more people discover the podcast. I appreciate you all so much!Audio Edited by Anthony DiGiacomo of⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Deep Resonance Sound⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Contact: [email protected] by Timmoor from Pixabay

This week on⁠ The Tarot Diagnosis⁠, we’re getting delightfully nerdy. Inspired by a conversation with a dear friend, I explore tarot through the lens of developmental psychology, focusing specifically on Donald Winnicott’s concept of transitional objects, transitional space, and transitional phenomena.Traditionally, transitional objects are things like blankets, stuffed animals, or toys that help children move from total dependence to early independence by offering emotional regulation and symbolic comfort. But what happens when we grow up? We don’t stop needing comfort. It turns out our transitional objects just evolve…Enter tarot.In this episode, we explore how tarot functions as an transitional object, or what psychologist Mark Brenner refers to as a “sacred keepsake” that helps us self-soothe, regulate, and bridge our inner world with our external world. Drawing from both developmental theory and therapeutic principles, I unpack the psychological richness of the cards as mirrors, containers, and transitional phenomena.I also guide you through an experiential three-card “Container Spread” designed to help you hold and process what feels too heavy using the archetypes as emotional containers. For the collective, I pull… Card One – What feels too heavy right now? → Eight of Swords Card Two – What archetype can hold that heaviness? → Queen of Swords Card Three – What can I do while this is being held? → Nine of WandsDeck Used: Pagan Otherworlds🌙 Stay Connected With Me💌 Follow me on Instagram:⁠ @thetarotdiagnosis⁠🧠 Sign up for my newsletter at⁠ thetarotdiagnosis.com⁠👥 Join ⁠The Symposium⁠ — my tarot & psychology membership community 📚 Pre-order my book Dark Shadow, Golden Shadow for more therapeutic tarot practices! If you love The Tarot Diagnosis Podcast, please consider leaving a review! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is a super easy and FREE way to support my work. Plus, it helps more people discover the podcast. I appreciate you all so much!Audio Edited by Anthony DiGiacomo of⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Deep Resonance Sound⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Contact: [email protected] by Timmoor from Pixabay

After a rejuvenating break in nature, I'm back…and tarot wasted no time in offering a message that couldn’t be ignored. In this reflective episode of The Tarot Diagnosis, I share how three cards - The Devil, The Three of Swords, and The Lovers - kept showing up across multiple decks, pointing to a powerful arc about relational stuck-ness, emotional pain, and the freedom of conscious choice.We explore how The Devil archetype can represent cognitive distortions like all-or-nothing thinking and overgeneralization, which are those internal thought loops that keep us locked into outdated stories about ourselves or our partners. Then the Three of Swords becomes the bridge of clarity and discomfort when we realize just how much our thoughts have shaped our emotional experience. And The Lovers is where the healing begins: through reality-testing, reframing, and choosing a more balanced story.I also guide you through a practical, step-by-step therapeutic tarot exercise, using a real-life example I see in couples therapy all the time to show how tarot can help support emotional insight and mental flexibility. We walk through how each card pulled (the reversed Four of Pentacles, Three of Cups, and Four of Wands) helps us better understand our cognitive experience within our relationships.Decks used: Pamela Coleman-Smith Playing Card Deck, Mindscapes Tarot, Eternal Tarot🌙 Stay Connected With Me💌 Follow me on Instagram:⁠ @thetarotdiagnosis⁠🧠 Sign up for my newsletter at⁠ thetarotdiagnosis.com⁠👥 Join ⁠The Symposium⁠ — my tarot & psychology membership communityIf you love The Tarot Diagnosis Podcast, please consider leaving a review! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is a super easy and FREE way to support my work. Plus, it helps more people discover the podcast. I appreciate you all so much!Audio Edited by Anthony DiGiacomo of⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Deep Resonance Sound⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Contact: [email protected] by Timmoor from Pixabay

This week on The Tarot Diagnosis Podcast, I pulled two seemingly contradictory cards (the Knight of Wands and the Seven of Pentacles) and found myself reflecting on the very human tension between urgency and patience. At first glance, these archetypes appear at odds: one races forward, fiery and eager; the other waits, steadies, and tends. But beneath the surface, they share a common root: passion.In this episode, I explore how both cards express passion differently - one through movement, the other through stillness. I unpack how this polarity often shows up in relationships (think of the couple where one is impulsive and driven, while the other is methodical and calm) and how both partners are often acting from the same place: care, longing, and a desire for connection. The challenge is in learning how to integrate their styles rather than battle over whose rhythm is “right.”We then zoom out into the lens of neurobiology by pairing the Knight of Wands with dopamine and the Seven of Pentacles with serotonin. Drawing on recent research from Stanford and Columbia, I discuss how these neurotransmitters operate in opposition yet depend on each other: dopamine initiates action and drives momentum, while serotonin regulates patience and long-term reward. Just like tarot, our brains need both. Without dopamine, we never start. Without serotonin, we can’t sustain.By working with the Knight and the Seven together, we can begin to honor the full spectrum of passion: the spark that ignites, and the soil that nourishes.Deck used: Tarot VintageStudies cited:https://www.columbiapsychiatry.org/news/lack-serotonin-receptor-plays-role-aggressive-and-impulsive-behaviorshttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39586475/Pre-order my forthcoming book Dark Shadow, Golden Shadow here and get an exclusive sneak peek!🎧 Listen now on your favorite podcast platform or YouTube! 🌙 Stay Connected With Me💌 Follow me on Instagram:⁠ @thetarotdiagnosis⁠🧠 Sign up for my newsletter at⁠ thetarotdiagnosis.com⁠👥 Join ⁠The Symposium⁠ (my tarot & psychology membership community)If you love The Tarot Diagnosis Podcast, please consider leaving a review! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is a super easy and FREE way to support my work. Plus, it helps more people discover the podcast. I appreciate you all so much!Audio Edited by Anthony DiGiacomo of⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Deep Resonance Sound⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Contact: [email protected] by Timmoor from Pixabay

When you think of the Wheel of Fortune, you might focus on the wheel itself - the chaos, the symbols, the turning of fate. But what about the soft, billowy clouds that frame the card?In this week’s episode of The Tarot Diagnosis, I take a journey into the symbolism of clouds in tarot, exploring how they quietly anchor some of the most profound archetypes in the deck. Far from being just background art, clouds emerge as powerful metaphors for transition, liminality, and the unknown.Together, we’ll explore:Why clouds in tarot represent thresholds between the known and the unknownHow their mutability contrasts with the fixed zodiac signs in the Wheel of FortuneWhat clouds reveal in cards like the Aces, Four of Cups, and Seven of CupsHow darker, jagged clouds in the Swords suit mirror mental turbulence and griefThe surprising role clouds play in The Lovers, Judgment, The World, and The TowerFrom “your head is in the clouds” to having “clouded judgment,” our language reflects how deeply clouds connect to the psyche. In tarot, they remind us that nothing is static, that change is always underway, even when we resist it. Clouds offer us valuable lessons. Perhaps the most important being to step into the role of mindful observer and to witness shifts without being consumed by them.If you’ve ever overlooked the clouds in your deck, this episode will help you see them in a whole new way - as mirrors of the human experience, as symbols of impermanence, and as invitations to trust the unfolding process of change.🔮 Listen now and discover how clouds can shift your perspective on tarot, psychology, and the weather of your own inner world.Deck Used: Tarot Vintage🎧 Listen on your favorite podcast platform or YouTube!🌙 Stay Connected With Me💌 Follow me on Instagram:⁠ @thetarotdiagnosis⁠🧠 Sign up for my newsletter at⁠ thetarotdiagnosis.com⁠👥 Join ⁠The Symposium⁠ (my tarot & psychology membership community)⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A great way to support my work is by leaving a review! This is a super easy and FREE way to support The Tarot Diagnosis. Plus, it helps more people discover the podcast. Audio Edited by Anthony DiGiacomo of⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Deep Resonance Sound⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Contact: [email protected] by Timmoor from Pixabay

This week on The Tarot Diagnosis Podcast, I’m unpacking why “just think positive” advice often backfires and offering a more sustainable approach rooted in both Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and tarot. Together, we’ll explore why lasting change doesn’t start with your thoughts, and why it actually starts with your actions.I’ll walk you through how trauma wires the brain to anticipate harm, how DBT helps us hold two truths at once, and why micro-moments of safety and agency are the real building blocks of healing. You’ll learn how tarot can be more than just a tool for insight and how it can be a guide for new experiences.Along the way, we’ll explore:The problem with the phrase “Change your thoughts, change your life”Why action leads and thoughts follow when it comes to rewiring your nervous systemHow cards like The Fool, Eight of Pentacles, and Page of Cups can guide you into new behaviorsA 3-card “Micro Wins & New Paths” spread to help you notice small glimmers and create change 🌙 Stay Connected With Me💌 Follow me on Instagram:⁠ @thetarotdiagnosis⁠🧠 Sign up for my newsletter at⁠ thetarotdiagnosis.com⁠👥 Join ⁠The Symposium⁠ (my tarot & psychology membership community)If you love The Tarot Diagnosis Podcast, please consider leaving a review! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is a super easy and FREE way to support my work. Plus, it helps more people discover the podcast. I appreciate you all so much!Audio Edited by Anthony DiGiacomo of⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Deep Resonance Sound⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Contact: [email protected] by Timmoor from Pixabay