Making friends as an introverted adult is hard! Now that my son is out of school and I’m a solopreneur going out and making new friends is overwhelming. Where do I even start? As an adult, making friends outside of work and my son’s school activities has been a challenge. This is partly because I feel socially awkward, but mostly because I’m an introvert with a multitude of interests ranging from several different genres of music and literature, an affinity for animals (especially cats), an eclectic taste in movies, and an open mind when it comes to spirituality and different religions. For me this translated into standing out, while blending in at the same time, a paradox I know. It’s not that I’m antisocial, it’s that I’m selectively social. Where does one go to find community and friendship with such a wide range of interests? For me…Rock ‘n Soul Tarot class.

I purchased my first tarot deck at an estate sale when I was 12 years old. It was mini traditional Rider-Waite deck. I remember thinking they were an awesome looking deck of playing cards and showed them to my aunt. When my aunt saw them, she was a little concerned and told me to be careful with them. She really didn’t have a clear explanation, just that they weren’t traditional playing cards that you can play rummy 10,000 or go fish with. This may be why it has taken so long for me to connect with tarot cards. Her words of concern and lack of explanation have contributed to my confusion surrounding tarot cards. I’ve been drawn to several different versions of tarot cards, have even purchased them, but when trying to use them – I found it easier to just go with my senses.

I joined the Rock ‘N Soul Tarot class at the encouragement of my friend Brian, who is also the teacher of the class. Before attending the Rock ‘N Soul tarot class I found connecting with and understanding tarot cards to be a tad challenging. I’ve always really wanted to understand tarot cards, but for some reason none of the decks I’ve purchased made any sense to me (and I don’t really need them to provide messages to others). Since I knew Brian, and he and I shared a lot of the same interests, and I was looking to try something new, I joined his tarot class to see if his method of teaching would help me understand tarot cards better. So far, it has.

As mentioned before, Brain is not your typical tarot card teacher. The first thing he tells students is to throw out the interpretation book that comes with the tarot deck. This is because all that book really does is confuse the heck out of people, readers and clients alike. Brian tells his students to look at the cards from a different lens. Many in fact: there’s the lens of music (specifically rock ‘n roll), our own personal life experiences, and the energy of our client. Tarot cards are not a “one size fits all” tool that will mean the same thing every time. Each card will mean something in every reading depending on the client and situation. He stresses and reiterates in every class that the cards are merely at $20 tool that helps the client better understand the messages coming through. I’m so thankful that I was nudged and encouraged to attend this class. It has helped me understand tarot cards more and incorporate them into my client readings when called to. I think not using tarot cards has cost me many clients over the years, but now I feel better about incorporating them into my readings as needed.

If you’re interested in learning how read tarot cards, or just want to make some interesting new friends, and live on Long Island, NY follow Brian on Instagram @Orlando0616 and join us on Wednesday evenings. If you’re not on Long Island, NY, checkout the book Rock ‘N Soul Tarot, Interpreting the Cards Through the Universal Language of Music.