Sierra is one of my absolute favorite tarot readers and her instagram constantly makes my day, so its been such an honour to interview her for Daydreaming Wolves. I love her gentle, loving approach and all the beauty she brings into the world. Enjoy!
How did you get into tarot and what is your approach to reading the cards?
I got into tarot later on in my life. As a child I was taught that tarot cards were “devil cards” and was scared away from them, and really all metaphysics. I was always intrigued witchcraft, being a weird, introverted kid, so wanting to be a “witch” was always my dark little secret. As I grew up, it was only a matter of time before I found my way to tarot. I had been studying Jungian psychology extensively at the time I received my first deck, so learning the cards came really naturally to me. All the archetypes of the Major Arcana just clicked for me and I was instantly hooked. My approach in reading the cards has always been from a more psychological angle. I use the cards not to tell me secrets I don’t know, or to communicate with spirits, but to help my subconscious pull out the things I already do know. Again, that’s the Jungian coming through, connecting and utilizing the collective unconscious
Tell us what your average day looks like and how you prepare for readings?
I enjoy and really simple and laid back life. I have a two year old son, who is my whole world, that I spend all day, every day with. We do a lot of hiking and exploring together, and read a lot of books. I really enjoy every minute I spend with him. When he goes down for a nap midday, that’s when I prepare and do all of my magickal workings.The ritual behind cleansing my space is hugely important, and always my first step. I need my spaces to be clean and orderly in order for me to work well in them. I wash up, tidy, organize, light some candles, burn some incense. From there, I’m ready to sit down, always with coffee and my notebook, and begin grounding myself and focusing my thoughts on the reading at hand.
Could you share a bit about how you read for yourself and friends?
I do all of my client reading in the same way that I read for myself or those close to me. I wouldn’t say there is any huge difference. My approach is to always analyze the questions or topic at hand, and really go over what the roots and intricacies of what this “issue” is. “What do I, or the recipient want to get out of this? What stumbling blocks may they encounter? Is there a lesson to be learned? How can we learn and grow from this? What are these life lessons leading me towards?” Those are my first considerations during any reading. Needless to say, I’m not particularly fond of quick answer styled tarot reading.
What are your favorite decks and why?
That’s really hard to answer! I can’t really say I have any one favorite. I love many for different reasons. I recently received Pagan Otherworld’s from Ussi Studios, so that’s my newest obsession. I’m extremely drawn to the classical art style of it, a bit barbaric and serene, all rolled into one. A quick scroll through my Instagram feed, though, will prove that The Wild Unknown is another favorite of mine. I’m also particularly fond of The Fountain Tarot’s work, although I don’t use it often for readings. I’m very much into collecting the artworks of the deck, and choose to keep quality (my personal choices) over quantity, A bit more on the collector end of things, I’m BEYOND excited to receive my Twin Peaks – The Magician Longs to See Tarot deck. It’s a kickstarter right now, although it has already passed it’s fundraising goal, and is estimated to be sent out come December.
What do you see as the mission of your business?
My mission statement has always been “To manifest beauty everywhere I go.” This has always been what I really feel compelled to do: the totality of my life’s goals. Although it may come across superficial, it’s anything but. When I read tarot, for myself and others, I’m always trying to facilitate healing and growth. When we do this on a constant basis, to push ourselves to expand and go through those growing pains, the beauty of transformation happens. Just like the Death card, (which is my favorite by the way) there is always something wonderful to be obtained, even in the bleakest of times. My mission statement not only covers tarot reading, but my urging of self love, for myself and others, especially women and those who identify as women. I love cultivating confidence and that deep sense of feminine power, and capturing that through my photography.
My favorite little poem in the world world is a little verse by Iain Thomas that says,
“Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let the pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place.”
Every time I read that it chokes me up. Seeing beauty is a choice, and I choose it every single day, and desire to cultivate it for those who may be struggling..
Do you love any other (healing) modalities that have helped you on your journey?
Yes! I’m a big advocate for the healing properties of daily meditation. It doesn’t have to be anything crazy, no need to hide in a cave for 7 years, but a strict 5-15 minutes of sitting meditation can do wonders. Before I found meditation I had completely crippling anxiety. I’m still human, but my ability to cope with my anxiety and triggers is noteworthy. I don’t struggle anywhere in the same way that I did before. It’s such an simple thing to do, and has such amazing benefits.
A more complicated and less well known healing practice that I utilize is individuation, which again, is a Jungian term. It is, in short, the ability and practice of communicating with the lesser conscious or completely unconscious parts of yourself, and the collective unconscious. A lot of people would refer to such practices as, “shadow work” but I feel that simplifies the process too much. The ultimate goal of individuation is to make all the parts of yourself equal and balanced, bringing your personality and psyche to its most complete state. Individuation utilizes meditation, active imagination and automatic writing. There are a ton of resources and information available online on this topic, and a quick Google search can take you quickly down the rabbit trail. I urge anyone who is interested in learning more to do so, and reach out to me! It’s really a passion of mine, and I love talking about it.
Sierra Selene is a occultists and artist based out of Portland, Oregon. Since a young age Sierra was enamored with all things mysterious; an introvert exploring mystical realms. She was also a creative and highly sensitive child, prone to raw feelings and numerous tears. In many ways a very stereotypical Scorpio. This often served to be her greatest gift and largest stumbling block. Today she has harnessed these born talents of empathy, claircognizance, and creative expression in her chosen vocation. The services she offers are not of prestige, but come from a heart driven purely in humble service. Her driving force is a deep sense of higher calling, to cultivate and manifest beauty, to uplift, and to heal.
Sierra’s home life consists of a life partner, a beautiful child, and a black kitten. She enjoys a simple life, is an avid reader of books, and a coffee devotee.Find Sierra at http://www.rosecityritual.com/ and check out her instagram, Facebook and Pinterest!
