Interview: Barbara Moore

I had the great opportunity to interview Barbara Moore over the holidays. 

Go ahead and introduce yourself.

I’m Barbara Moore. Tarot has been part of my life for almost 30 years, and over the past 22 years it has also been my job and main way of earning income. Currently, I am the acquisitions editor for Llewellyn’s tarot line. I am also an author, deck creator, and teacher. I quit reading professionally about 5 years ago in order to devote more time to projects I love, like deck creation. Although I consider myself a Minnesota girl, for the past two years I’ve lived in northern California, tucked away in a valley surrounded by farms and animals.

What is your favorite book?

At my age, is it impossible to a single favorite book? I’ve loved so many. While I value non-fiction (I learn best by reading, so I depend on books), I rarely fall in love with non-fiction books, no matter how grateful I am for them. Oftentimes my favorite is whatever novel I’m currently reading, which right now is The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern and it is perfectly wonderful! Poetic, creative, complex…all about books and full of symbols as well as a love story between Fate and Time. I’m smitten. Another novel I read a few years and still think about is The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. If I had to pick what book affected me most deeply, I would have to pick two books that in my opinion have to be read in sequence. The first is amazing on its own, but with its follow up, it is even more astonishing. These books are The Sparrow and Children of God by Mary Doria Russell.

For non-fiction, if I had to pick a few favorites, they would be The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell with Bill Moyers and To Bless the Space Between Us by John O’Donohue.

My guilty pleasure reading is the The Harry Dresden series by Jim Butcher.

If you practice a spiritual path, what is it? Why were you drawn to it? 

I do not. I am more like a spiritual magpie, kitchen witch, do what works person. I sometimes wish I had a path that I was drawn to…it would be so much easier than making it up as I go along.

Do you have any daily rituals? If so what are they?

My daily rituals change as my needs and interests change. Currently, the only things I do actually every day is pull a tarot card, do 10 – 20 minutes of yoga in the morning, and at night I bless our valley, the land, and all the people and animals on it. I have other things I do on a regular basis or as needed but not necessarily daily.

What first made you interested in tarot? 

In college, I was in an interdisciplinary program and studied history, art history, philosophy, literature, mythology, psychology, math, and science. I loved how I could trace the threads of all these subjects influencing each other as they wove through human history. At a party, someone pulled out a deck of cards, the Rider Waite Smith, and as soon as I held them in my hands, I knew I was holding something special…something that felt like the sum of all human knowledge and a tool that could tell any story that needed telling. Thirty years later and I can verify that my initial instinct was correct. 

What were some of your earliest experiences with tarot like?

Mostly like a self-directed course in tarot, psychology, and mythology. I was obsessed with tarot and Jung. I spent many hours with Jung and Tarot: An Archetypal Journey by Sallie Nichols. My first readings used only the Majors because that is all she covered in her nearly 400-page book. She included one spread and I used it over and over. Eventually I got my sister and a friend interested in tarot, so we studied and did readings together. But there wasn’t an internet at the time, very few books, and not nearly the number of decks we have today. We were very casual about it, sitting at the kitchen table, having drinks, and laying out the cards. I don’t remember us worrying about doing it wrong, the way I see many newcomers to the cards worrying today.

What techniques did you use to learn tarot?

There were two main techniques. One was basically just thinking about tarot…and history, psychology, mythology, literature, art, physics…and finding patterns connecting everything. The other usually involved drinking, my friend or my sister, and a deck of cards. Like I said, we just thought about things we were curious about, threw some cards, and saw what we saw.

After about five years of casual study and experimentation, I learned about the American Tarot Association and their mentorship and certification program. I love degrees and certificates (and back then, naïvely, didn’t question whether it was good or bad, right or wrong), and felt like it would both fun and helpful for me to sum up my path to that point. Still not really much of an internet and email wasn’t that common, so it was all done via correspondence…pens, paper, stamps. In fact, the certification required sending in a cassette tape of a live reading! Can you imagine? Makes me feel old. Anyhow, the certification program asked me to provide my keywords and longer interpretations for all the cards, upright and reversed. I worked surrounded by all the books I bought (all that I could find, but as I said not that many), my notebooks, and my cards. Working card-by-card, I’d read the relevant texts in the books, make notes on parts I agreed with or found provocative. Then I’d form all the information into a coherent essay, and then distill that down to a key sentence and some key words. It was time consuming but an excellent way to synthesize my five years of self-study.

What was your first tarot deck?

Although I find it hard to believe today when I look at the deck, it was the Haindl Tarot. When I had it, I was mostly only working with the Majors. After seeing how the Haindl was so unusual and how most books talked about the Rider Waite Smith, that was my next deck, although I loved collecting them, even early in my tarot life. Because decks were not easy to find, seeing ones in stores that I’d never seen before was always a special treat.

What is your favorite tarot deck besides some of your own?

I’ve had many favorites over the years. Some stay favorites for years, some for months…or even less. One of my favorite true loves was the World Spirit Tarot. I liked it so much that I traded with the artist for an original piece of the art (6 of Cups) and in return, I knit her toddler a sweater. I also loved the Nigel Jackson Tarot (and bought a piece of his original art, Temperance). Currently, I’m enchanted by the Dark Mansion, Pagan Otherworlds, and Dreaming Way Tarot. This winter I’m really looking forward to diving into Benebell Wen’s Spirit Keeper’s Tarot.

What card are you most drawn to? Why?

The Hermit. I am a Hermit by nature and like to take time to think about and absorb things in my own time and my own way. I prefer to be alone and like a quiet life without lots of distractions. When tarot came into my life, everything I read about the Hermit card resonated with me. Later, I learned that it is one of birth cards. The Hermit is in my blood. It is like my core card and I can always return to it to find answers and guidance whenever I feel I’m getting off track I also have a tendency to isolate myself, so it is also a good reminder to balance my Hermitness with more social and community activities. 

 

What is your favorite card? Why?

Temperance has been my favorite from the beginning; however, the Star has become very dear to me over this past year. I went through a bad patch of life and the Star was part of what saved me.

Temperance is such a beautiful card. Temperance is more than just equal amounts of things; it is the blending of the perfect amounts of the perfect things. It is grace under pressure. It is doing the right thing at the right time. No matter how the external circumstances change, Temperance can always retain her balance. The Wheel of Fortune has creatures clutching the edges of the Wheel, suffering the vicissitudes of life. I always picture Temperance standing at the center of the Wheel, unaffected and watching all the drama move around her. 

After going through a quintessential “Death” year, it was hard clawing my way out of depression and confusion. When telling a fellow tarot friend about it, she asked, “if you are done with Death, what card would you like next?” I thought about it and concluded that the Star was the medicine that I needed. I made paper stars covered in glitter and hung them all over the house. I read all I could about what other people wrote about the star. I drew pictures inspired by the card. I did yoga poses that opened my heart to the Star and her gentle healing, grace, and guidance. The Star was a life preserver and helped keep me afloat until I was strong enough to bring in another card. Now I have a practice where I pick a card to be my specific guide through a particular phase in my life (this is not based on time but on need…so not like “every season” based on the calendar but based on what I’m experiencing in my life). My current card is the Empress. I’m finding that with the Empress right now, she is also bringing in the Minor threes.

Can you introduce the various tarot decks you have worked on?

I can, but it’s a pretty long list, since I’ve worked on many. Some I completely designed, including directing the artist and some I just wrote the little booklet for…and everything in between.

These are the decks and books that I consider the most “mine,” meaning that they were mainly my idea and execution:

• Llewellyn’s Classic Tarot

• Llewellyn’s Little Book of Tarot

• Tarot for Beginners

• Modern Guide to Energy Clearing

• Steampunk Tarot

• Tarot in Wonderland

• Tarot Spreads

• Wizards Tarot

Here is a more complete list, but doesn’t include quite everything (because no one wants that much detail!):

• Barbieri Tarot

• Barbieri Zodiac Oracle

• Book of Shadows Tarot, volumes 1 and 2

• Cats Inspirational Oracle

• Color Your Tarot

• Earth Wisdom Oracle

• Enchanted Oracle

• Epic Tarot

• Gilded Tarot

• Green Oracle

• Llewellyn’s Tarot Calendar 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021

• Llewellyn’s Classic Tarot

• Llewellyn’s Little Book of Tarot

• Modern Guide to Energy Clearing

• Mystic Dreamer Tarot

• Mystic Faerie Tarot

• Mystical Manga Tarot

• Pagan Cats Tarot

• Pagan Magical Kit

• Primordial Tarot (forthcoming)

• Shadowscapes Tarot

• Silver Witchcraft Tarot

• Steampunk Tarot

• Sweet Twilight Tarot

• Tarot of the Dream Enchantress

• Tarot for Beginners

• Tarot in Wonderland

• Tarot Made Easy

• Tarot of the Hidden Realm

• Tarot Spreads

• Vampires Tarot of the Eternal Night

• What Tarot Can Do For You

• Witch Crystals

• Wizards Tarot (forthcoming)

• Your Tarot Your Way

What is your favorite tarot project you have worked on? Why?

The Steampunk Tarot. It was the first project that I felt like came almost entirely from me. The artist, Aly Fell, of course brought so much (and even helped with some cards where my descriptions didn’t work) to the project, but the concept and card descriptions were mine. Not only that, but Aly brought them to life so beautifully. Finally, the book…it was my favorite to write. I got to be completely myself in a way I’ve not done with projects that are either more collaborative or that are just books to go with an already made deck. It was fun to write and when I go back and reread it, I still love it. I’m also the proudest of it because not only is a good expression from my heart but also because as a tarot deck it works! I’ve heard from so many people (and experienced it myself) that these cards are just bursting with stories and are quite easy to read as well as being beautiful (assuming you like steampunk style).

What has your creative and published the process been like?

“Varied” is the best word. While there are some similarities between projects, each one is also very unique. “Fortunate” and “blessed” are also good words because I feel so very lucky to have the many opportunities that came my way. Sometimes the ideas come from me alone, oftentimes my publisher has an idea and asks me to explore it. Sometimes it is more like a work for hire, where I’m hired to be the voice of a deck that is already created. All are fun in their own ways.

Has there been any frustrations along the way from various concepts to production? If so, what have they been?

To be honest, there haven’t been that many frustrations. Probably the most frustrating project was the Book of Shadows. This was a long time ago and before Lo Scarabeo had a good understanding that witchcraft, Wicca, paganism, and magic are things people take very seriously and, in some cases, such as with Wicca, it is their religion, and these topics have to be taken seriously. There was also a language barrier. I wrote it in English, then someone translated the text to Italian. In these cases, there is no back and forth with the artist, so if they got my vision wrong, there was nothing to be done. The first round of images for this project were too sexy and objectified and I insisted that new images be made. It was a hard stance, but necessary. In the end, it all worked out really well. So even my most frustrating experience wasn’t that bad in the end.

How would you recommend one of your decks to someone?

I try to find out what their interests are, what they are drawn to in terms of art, and what their previous tarot experience has been. There is no (in my opinion) one deck fits all. For beginners, I normally suggest an easy to read RWS clone, so ones like Llewellyn’s Classic, Mystical Manga, or Steampunk. To be honest, if someone asks for a deck recommendation, I don’t necessarily stick to just my works. I admire so many decks and will suggest them, if I feel they’d be the best fit for the person asking. 

What advice would you give for choosing a deck?

If they are complete beginners, I’d suggest a RWS clone in an art style they like. If they have more experience, then I’d ask which type of decks/systems they prefer, such as RWS, Marseilles, Thoth, or something completely different. If they are more interested in intuitive work, then something like the Tarot of the Hidden Realm, which isn’t for everyone, but for those who click with it, it seems perfect.

What advice would you give for learning the art of tarot?

That depends on the student. People learn differently. Some do best if they just jump in and start reading the images. Some like to read and study on their own. Some prefer a teacher or structured program. So I would say, take whatever approach you take to learning any new skill and do the same with tarot. Regardless of the style of learning, practice is just as important. Reading books and studying will only get you so far. Practice as much as possible to integrate what you learn. And don’t limit yourself to learning tarot. Your tarot readings are influenced by every part of your life, everything you read or listen to, just like any other art. Fill your well with not just tarot but as much wisdom from as many sources as you can.

Do you have any rituals you follow when you do a reading? If so, do these rituals differ from when you read for someone and when you read for yourself? 

When I read for others, I keep things simple. My rituals are silent and not observable by the client (silent prayer to start, shuffling three times, offering thanks when finished). When I read for myself I either just throw the cards on the table (least effective!) or make a full-blown ritual (cast a circle, call in specific guides). I think in reading for myself, I get more out of the reading when I make it special.

Because my life has been challenging over the past three years, I’ve rarely read for others. If I’m not in a good place, if my well isn’t full, I have nothing to offer others. So I’ve refrained. As my life gets more stable and I think about reading for others again, I am contemplating the need for more ritual in a way that is visible to and includes the client. I wonder if the attempts over the past 30 years to make tarot more normalized (and more mainstream) has taken something from the experience of consulting the cards. I wonder if people wouldn’t welcome (and indeed, need) more ritual in their lives. Maybe consulting the cards should have a sense of mystery and wonder to it. 

Do you have anything else to add?

Only to thank you for the opportunity! Who doesn’t love to talk about themselves? I got to talk about myself and about talk so much. It’s been fun and hopefully will be interesting to your readers.