Tarot for the Hard Work Red Wheel/Weiser

“An important and profoundly edifying book. . . . Perhaps the most important tarot text that will define this decade.” — Benebell Wen, author of Holistic Tarot
 
Tarot for the Hard Work is a provocative exploration of the twenty-two cards of the Major Arcana that re envisions these archetypes as beacons that illuminate the various ways racism takes root both in ourselves and in the world. Author Maria Minnis, with compassion and wisdom, shows us how these insights can be turned into self-awareness, self-love, and positive social action.
 
Tarot has always been a powerful guide for introspection and inner work, so what better tool to use when we’re ready to do the really hard work? Minnis provides actionable exercises in this tarot workbook, giving readers a unique, personal understanding of what systemic racism is—and what steps we can take to begin to dismantle it. This is a book for anyone who has been overwhelmed, outraged, or frustrated and asked, “But what can I do?” It is a book for anyone ready to look within and do the uncomfortable inner work necessary to demolish everyday racism. This book says tarot can be a tool for action, one that may offer great satisfaction as well as great difficulty, all while pushing you out of your comfort zone.
 
In Tarot for the Hard Work you’ll explore the Major Arcana to uncover how each card highlights both benevolent and shadow aspects of each archetype in relation to the different ways that racism shows up in our lives. With exercises and thought-provoking recommended reading and resources, you will be guided how to use those themes to dismantle internalized racism, racism in your relationships, and racism in your communities. Journal prompts are provided to help you create your own antiracism tool kit. As you move from the Fool to the World card, you’ll discover that everything we do ripples beyond us and that there are practical ways to use tarot energy to change our actions and our world.

Specs

• Paperback 280 pages
• 5.75 x 0.75 x 7.75 inches

Author

Maria Minnis is an unapologetically Black writer, ritual facilitator, and tarot reader who teaches about blending spirituality with liberation work. She has creatively worked with tarot for over twenty years and considers herself an eternal student of life, and thus the tarot. Her community program, Antiracist Tarot Society, is inspired by her belief that the end result of all magic should be to cultivate a more equitable and empathetic planet.

Reviews

“Perhaps the most important tarot text that will define this decade.”
—Benebell Wen, author of Holistic Tarot

“The world is changing and so is tarot. Back in the day, tarot was associated with divination, but now it’s taking us in a whole new direction. In Tarot for the Hard Work, author Maria Minnis helps the reader open up the Fool’s bag to unpack their privilege so they can show up and fight for an equitable world using the twenty-two Major Arcana. Magic rituals, affirmations, and tarot interpretations sit side by side with suggestions for effective, everyday actions for combatting systemic racism and oppression. This is a must-have book for tarot readers and anyone who wants a just, equitable, and sustainable world.”
—Theresa Reed, author of The Cards You’re Dealt

“Maria Minnis delivers a punch to the gut with Tarot for the Hard Work. It’s a refreshing, courageous take on using tarot as more than a reflective tool but also as a spark for tangible societal shifts. This book confronts the intricate issues of racism directly, charting a course for both personal enlightenment and community action through the Major Arcana. Minnis embraces the tough conversations and ushers the reader toward a voyage of self-exploration that’s as illuminating as it is actionable. It’s a stirring read—raw and perceptive—that not only provokes deep introspection but also arms the reader with a practical blueprint to actively dismantle prejudice. For anyone dedicated to combating racism and seeking a uniquely inspiring approach, Minnis’s work is a crucial addition to your arsenal.”
—Mat Auryn, author of Psychic Witch and Mastering Magick

“Tarot for the Hard Work shines a torch illuminating our path toward justice. This author knows that her readers don’t need to be coddled; we need to be reminded that we have the power to create a more beautiful, loving world. When we look through her lens, tarot can help us get there. Compulsory reading for anyone interested in personal and collective liberation.”
—Amanda Yates Garcia, author of Initiated and host of the Between the Worlds podcast

“Tarot for the Hard Work will move your moral compass in a healthier and more enlightened way.”
—Jen Sankey, author of Magickal Manifesting with the Moon, Tarot of the Enchanted Forest Felines, and Stardust Wanderer Tarot 

“Since the very first time I read Maria Minnis’s work, I have been waiting impatiently for a book, knowing that it was only a matter of time. And as high as my hopes were for Tarot for the Hard Work, this book still managed to blow me away. Minnis is the real deal. From transformative perspectives on tarot archetypes to clever action items for every kind of reader and activist, Tarot for the Hard Work doesn’t apologize for being exactly what it is: a brilliant primer and essential guide for utilizing tarot’s truth in personal and collective antiracism work. Not only did I learn something new about the tarot on every page, but I found myself challenged, inspired, and energized too. This book is a must-read for every tarot reader, as well as anyone who is serious about engaging with antiracism work but isn’t sure where to start. I can’t recommend this book highly enough.”
—Meg Jones Wall, author of Finding the Fool

“Tarot can struggle in the liminal space between the spiritual and the practical, but Maria Minnis powerfully tosses it over the abyss and plants it firmly in earthly soil, asking profound and necessary questions that each of us—but especially white people—need to engage with in order to address the long-standing, systemic racism that permeates our white-dominant culture. She compassionately and thoroughly weaves tarot archetypes and correspondences into the web of intersectional liberation, highlighting the interconnectedness of causes like climate and disability justice with anti-Blackness, and inviting everyone to go deeper into their own radical efforts.
 
“Tarot For the Hard Work is not only a resource itself, but a collection of resources, offering additional reading materials, voices to listen to, ideas to germinate on, historical and present-day information to research and learn, and tangible ways to put this work into action in your community. With this incredible book in your hands, there are no excuses as to why you cannot engage with antiracism in every aspect of your life. These pages will change you if you let them.”
—Rebecca Scolnick, author of The Witch’s Book of Numbers

“Author Maria Minnis shows us that the archetypes of the Major Arcana can be put to far more significant use than kept as mere tools for fortune-telling. Under her firm and insightful direction, they become a series of foundation blocks, jumping-off points to help us create a personalized toolbox that will—if we do the hard work—transform each of us into confident and useful advocates for others who face discrimination.”
—Alison Cross, former chair of The Tarot Association of The British Isles (TABI) and author of A Year In The Wildwood, Tarot Court Card DNA, and Tarot Kaizen 

“Tarot is a tool of awakening, and Tarot for the Hard Work takes that seriously, challenging us to truly awaken to the internalized racism and structures of white supremacy that live inside of us, no matter how ‘woke’ we think we are. This book is an antidote to the watered-down ‘love and light’ tarot treatment, a tender and supportive guide to self-exploration and reclamation, a rallying cry to create better futures, and a practical toolkit for action and change. It’s also an excellent tarot book, one that not only provides progressive explorations of the cards but bridges that into embodiment and real-world action. It’s often said that using tarot will change your life. Tarot for the Hard Work won’t just change your life; it can help us change the world.”
—Charlie Claire Burgess, author of Radical Ta]rot and Fifth Spirit Tarot

“Her forward thinking belief in humanity infuses every page. This book is not a prescription for behavioral change; it is an invitation to evolution.”
—Melinda Lee Holm, author of Your Tarot Guide