Land Acknowledgement

I was born in a small town on land that was and continues to be stewarded by the Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) people as part of the Iroquois (Ho-de-no-sau-nee-ga / Haudenosaunee) Confederacy, whose Great Law of Peace (Kaianere’kó:wa or Gayanashagowa) unites six sovereign nations through centuries-old democratic principles.

I grew up between the Adirondack Mountains (from the Mohawk words for “tree-eater”: ratirontaks, atirú:taks, hatiron'taks) and Caniadari Quaront (Mohawk for “wide lake” and “gateway of the good land”) / Pe-ton-bowk (Abenaki for “waters that lie between”), later claimed as Lake Champlain by French colonizers.

Because my presence here is a product of settler colonialism and genocide against indigenous people, I NO LONGER USE closed indigenous spiritual rituals such as burning white sage, sweetgrass, or palo santo in my work or personal life.

I aim to ground my intuitive and spiritual development in my unique heritage, history, and beliefs without taking even more of what is not meant to be “mine.”

I am grateful for all those who tended this sacred land before me, all those who do it now, and all those who will continue to tend it long after I am gone. For this reason, I support indigenous reparations and self-determination through Land Back.

Roma Solidarity Statement

From its origin as an Italian card game in the 1400’s, the history of Tarot is fraught with exoticization and nonconsensual appropriation of sacred symbology from many different cultures and religions. My journey with Tarot requires accepting the complexity of both its imperfections AND its value as a tool for powerful transformation, which is a tension I hold every time I consult with my cards.

Offering Tarot readings is both a sincere act of love for those seeking my services, as well as an expression of my privilege as a non-Roma person — especially considering the importance of cartomancy to the economic survival of Romani people.

I stand in solidarity with Roma sovereignty and oppose Romani oppression, discrimination, and genocide. I am committed to continuing to educate myself about the history and ethics of reading Tarot (and other divination practices), and to specifically seek out Roma voices and sources on the subject. I do not know everything, and I humbly welcome feedback to help guide my path.

Sources for Land Acknowledgement: Native Land, Native Governance Center, Indigenous History of the Champlain Valley, VTDigger, Great Law of Peace, Adirondack Etymology, Smudge and Cultural Appropriation, LANDBACK.