PR illustration: Lucy Chen
One of the things I’ve learned as a member of the LGBTQ community is that we like other ways of seeing and knowing things. Whether it’s astrology, quizzes on personality types, or tarot cards, we often call upon new ways of understanding ourselves. So when my editor suggested I get a reading from local queer tarot reader Aurora Dawning, I jumped at the chance.
Dawning came to tarot almost ten years ago, at a crossroads in her life. After renting tarot and astrology books to dip her toe in the “woo-woo,” she says she sat on the floor and meditated, asking the universe to send her a teacher. A few weeks later, one of them came, and so began her relationship with her mentor and the art of tarot.
Pittsburghers might recognize Dawning, who has a day job in tech, as the former Biddle’s Escape tarot card reader in Regent Square. She now operates from her home office, where curious seekers can book Dawning to read their maps on Zoom for $50-100, depending on the length of the session. (Its website says it also offers options for low-income people.)
After connecting to video chat for my reading, I was immediately greeted by Dawning’s warm and energetic presence. My cards have been read before, but this was during a time when things in my life were much more dire and nerve-wracking, so I was excited to ask about my new adventure: leaving Pittsburgh in a few months. After speaking with Dawning about my situation as she shuffled the cards and channeled my energy into them, we drew the first card.
The playing style we did was Celtic Cross, with a traditional Rider-Waite game. According to Dawning, the first card in this set – the reversed Ace of Swords, in my case – represents the inner realm and what I was experiencing at the time of reading around my decision to move.
Dawning told me that often reversed cards are read as opposites or even bad omens, but that’s not how she interprets the cards. The ace of swords is considered the beginning or inspiration of something, a catalyst for a big change in one’s life.
“In that context, it seems like when you first come to it, there might be that inspiration and understanding that comes, but I think it will have to be something that you consciously work to allow and accept to surface or it’ll take a minute for it to appear,” she said.
The next card drawn, the Ten of Cups, intersects inner life with outer circumstances. In conjunction with the Ace of Swords, Dawning says this card can be read as the inner questioning of circumstances coupled with the outer reality of all that comes together. She explains that this card is often read as the “happy family card”, which was a good sign for me as I am moving to be closer to my family.
On her website, Dawning says that her intention as a tarot reader is to “empower the seeker”, explaining that “the tarot triggers emotions, which serve as a personal guidance system: your reading feelings allow you to give yourself the best advice available. in the moment.”
When Dawning draws my next card, the reversed page of wands, she says, is meant to represent grounding force, something that will stabilize me and give me structure as I move through this life shift. Dawning describes it as the “toddler” card.
“The kid who’s really excited and maybe not doing it right,” she says, “but he’ll try and he doesn’t mind failing because of the wonder and engagement with this energy.”
Because the map is reversed, Dawning says there might be a struggle to grasp that childlike energy and feel the wonder associated with it; not this feeling that the emotion is unattainable, but that it might take some work.
During the reading, 11 cards were drawn. After the reverse wand page, I received a few more reverse cards, and what I liked about reading Dawning was that she didn’t interpret those cards in a negative light. Instead, she made sure that I understood that they could represent a struggle but that ultimately it was not something to be feared or dreaded.
On her website, Dawning clarifies that she is not a physician or therapist and that a reading “should not be used in place of medical or therapeutic advice.” But former clients praise her readings in her reviews, including one who wrote: ‘I’m so glad to have a tarot reader who has a queer perspective.’
Two cards that were drawn towards the end of my reading were The Reversed The Sun card and the Justice card. These were removed after getting the reversed Queen of Cups, which represents my perception of me after moving, and was an overall positive take on the card.
“The queen is the one most intimately tied to their power,” Dawning says.
The spread of the cards when reading
She adds that the reversed The Sun card represented the advice I should take to move forward with the move, and that overall the card represents childlike joy, so it was wonderful to see it appear in my reading. The card’s advice was to hold on to that joy when the going gets tough.
The last card drawn was Justice, which meant a lot to me for personal reasons. I left reading feeling even more empowered in my decision to move, and it confirmed things I already knew about myself and gave me hope for things to come.
Dawning says tarot is an integral part of who she is today. “It really helped me unpack a lot of trauma and baggage that I used to deal with, but it also helped me get my power back,” she says, adding that she thinks the tarot has the ability to do this for anyone who engages in it. .
Aurora Dawn. auroradawning.com