A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE TAROT

For centuries, across cultures, people have spoken of a world beyond the physical. Some call it the supernatural or God, others the subtle body, the collective unconscious or the ethereal. Whether connecting with something deep within or something divine beyond us, this non‑physical realm has long fascinated both sages and scholars. Though modern science and mysticism often clash, I have always been drawn to their boundary—a liminal space where metaphysics and quantum theory blur into what some call the ‘secrets of the universe.’ 

Historically, people have developed tools and methods to commune with this unseen world. With this column, I hope to explore these divination practices—both to demystify the idea that we can engage with the unseen and to consider how they might help us connect more deeply with ourselves and each other. Theorists like Albert Einstein, who envisioned an interconnected universe, and Carl Jung, who wrote about archetypes and the collective unconscious, have suggested a hidden web. I believe divination can help us tap into it, offering insight and self‑understanding. 

One of the most well‑known tools today is the tarot. While tarot as we know it differs from its origins, the practice of cartomancy (using cards as divination tools) began in the Tang dynasty in seventh-century China before traveling west and evolving into the 15th‑century Italian tarot deck. Contemporary tarot decks still maintain the 78‑card structure developed in the Renaissance era, which is divided into the Minor and Major Arcana. 

The Minor Arcana mirrors a traditional deck of playing cards, with four suits—pentacles (or coins), swords, wands and cups—each aligning with one of the four elements: earth, air, fire and water. Within each suit, ten numbered cards trace a personal journey through the challenges, growth and lessons of that element.  

These culminate with the court cards—Pages, Knights, Queens and Kings—which reflect stages of maturity. Pages carry the curiosity of beginnings and knights the restless energy of adolescence, while queens and kings embody mastery of the inner and outer realms. Together, the suits form a story of self‑actualization through the elements that shape our lives. 

The Major Arcana, a set of 22 cards, speaks to our broader existential journey. They follow the fool through symbolic stages of life. The fool encounters figures like the Empress, Strength, Death, and the Star that echo the hero’s journey described by Joseph Campbell. These archetypes appear across global mythologies, alchemical traditions, and Jungian psychology, offering a symbolic map of transformation. 

In essence, a tarot deck is a guide to the process of becoming. It’s an archetypal narrative found everywhere from ancient myths to Alice in Wonderland and Star Wars. It mirrors what spiritual practitioners call the dark night of the soul: the leap into the unknown, the trials, the adventures, and eventually the revelations. 

For this month’s collective reading, I’ve chosen the Smith-Waite deck. It was illustrated in 1909 by artist and occultist Pamela Colman Smith. Commissioned by Arthur Edward Waite, the deck was created through Smith’s intuitive practice, and her imagery has since become the foundation for countless tarot decks.  

Every reader approaches tarot differently, but I begin by grounding myself, often with a quiet prayer or affirmation, before shuffling and pulling the cards the spread calls for. This month, I’ve drawn three cards for the collective: one for our past, one for the present moment, and a third for what awaits us. 

In the past position, we have the Ace of Swords. This suggests the collective has recently moved through a period of sharp, and maybe even uncomfortable clarity. An essential truth has been revealed. The Ace appears when illusions fade and we’re asked to see things as they truly are. For many, this may have been a moment of honesty, a shift in perspective, or the realization that something could no longer be overlooked. 

In the present, we meet The Emperor. He brings structure, discipline, and a call for grounded authority. After the clarity of the Ace, the Emperor asks us to act on what we now understand. This is a moment to establish boundaries and take leadership into our own hands. Collectively, it signals a need to envision new systems, routines, or foundations that support long‑term stability and growth. 

Looking ahead, the Six of Pentacles points toward a future shaped by reciprocity and balanced exchange. We are invited to consider how we share our resources and to do so with fairness, generosity, and integrity. 

Together, these cards paint a trajectory from clarity to structure to compassionate action. What we understand now becomes the blueprint for a more balanced and mutually supportive future. While I hesitate to use these tools for fortune‑telling, I use them instead as cues for reflection, and this reading suggests a collective movement toward reciprocity, —something I can happily stand behind. 

A WALK IN MCLENNAN PARK WITH DAVID ALTON

Community facilitator David Alton was easy to spot when I arrived for our walk in McLennan Park. They were dressed head-to-toe in bright colours, contrasting with the grey March day.  

“Lately I’ve been calling myself a paladin of joy,” Alton said. “I have this commitment to this idea that life and existence is fundamentally meaningful, and I want to use my big, buff body to try and make it possible for people to experience the joy.” 

Alton guided us along the park paths before we tackled the big hill, known locally and affectionately as Mount Trashmore, to enjoy the view from the top. 

“A paladin is like a husky knight who’s got a responsibility complex to some kind of divine calling…which I feel is pretty representative of myself,” Alton said. “I chase joy, but then I’m also putting myself in constant suffering [so] other people have space for joy.” 

Joy is a driving force in Alton’s life. For them, joy is not merely the pursuit of happiness, but rather a more nuanced expression of the human condition. 

“[J]oy is the experience of being valued,” they said. “Joy is actually a much more all-encompassing emotion that’s everywhere.” 

Alton grew up in Elmira and Baden, spent some time in Toronto, then returned to Waterloo Region just before the pandemic to reconnect with community and pursue activism work. They started Ground Up Waterloo Region with some friends to connect with people and fill in perceived gaps. 

“Being in community and having relationships with lots of people, that’s kind of my constant,” Alton said. “[Asking], ‘What’s going on? What do people need? What’s the vibe in community?’.” 

In 2022, Alton began working with the Social Development Centre Waterloo Region as a lived experience consultancy facilitator and in 2024 their role expanded to include grants and program development. Much of their work revolves around the housing crisis in the region, as well as advocating newcomer rights. In 2025, they were the recipient of the Lynn Macaulay, Exceptional Housing and Homelessness Community Educator Award given by the Region of Waterloo. 

With a master’s degree in urban development and education in conflict management and mediation, Alton understands the intersection of structures and people that exist in cities. However, they believe Kitchener needs to embrace being a growing and diverse city to deal with current issues. 

“I think it’s the moment now for Kitchener to embrace its own sovereignty and its own people,” Alton said. “If we are not asserting everyone’s basic rights, then we are at risk of having our own rights stripped away…it’s time for Kitchener residents to own what we are doing.” 

For Alton, the path of activism needs everyone to use their voices and contribute as they can, which often means sitting in the discomfort and anxiety that this kind of work can produce. 

“There’s a lot of failing forward in activism,” they said. “There’s tons of conflict because everyone is processing their own shit at the same time…it’s going to be messy, [so] embrace the fact that it’s going to be messy…it’s time to just raise your hand and see where it goes.” 

Activism work is Alton’s calling and allows them to find meaning even within conflict, but it also comes with a cost, and they have had to make choices that impact their life. 

“Holding the level of both interpersonal and political conflicts that I hold definitely has impacted me,” Alton said. “I don’t do friendship anymore. I’ve really pulled back. I do acquaintanceships which I love…the life outside of work is doing what I need to do to sustain myself, to stay in community.” 

Alton pursues activism and community building through a study and practice of theology. While working at church camp, Alton built their philosophy about finding joy and meaning through value. 

“I’m not a Christian…but I often spend time in Christian spaces because they’re really the only spaces that have infrastructure I can work with,” Alton said. “Most of what I do in Christian spaces is just remind everyone that the Bible is gay and horny. Which it is…but my real passion is about making the experience of faith and spirituality and meaning accessible for where we are right now.” 

As we ascended to the top of the hill, Alton reflected on the role of parks in the city and advocating  them as sites of survival for the unhoused. 

While there are many challenges that Alton sees in their work and in the community, they take solace in spending time with their coworkers, board games, reality television and going for walks. 

“The world may be hard, but I’m not,” they said. “There’s lightness everywhere.” 

We paused at the top of the hill to take in the view of Kitchener.  

“How can you not just fall in love with the city when you’re able to see all its little nooks and crevices?” Alton asked. “I’m constantly trying and searching and yearning for ways to do justice to the meaning around me, and I think that will be a lifelong journey.” 

Gotta evaluate the new #CSS #column features.
https://css-tricks.com/css-multi-column-layout-wrapping-features/

I created a similar #layout for https://metaspora.org using #flexbox.

THE LOCALIST: MARCH

Avalon Stone—Meant to Break (EP) 

Release Date: Feb. 27, 2026

City: Kitchener 

Genre: Alternative Rock, Grunge

The six-song debut EP from singer-songwriter, Avalon Stone draws clear inspiration from 1990s alternative and grunge rock but with a polished, modern influence. Produced by Juno Award winner Kevin Dietz (Glorious Sons, Billy Talent), the project features heavy alt-rock anthems that distinctively compliment the gritty vocal performance.

Nothing We Do Matters—Kinematics of Machinery

(EP) 

Release Date: Feb.28, 2026

City: Kitchener 

Genre: Experimental, Noise

The entirety of the band’s biography simply states “emo rhythm noise nonsense” which, while brief, perfectly encapsulates the experimental sound the band has concocted on their debut EP. The three tracks collectively present a challenging listening experience that melds layers of harsh noise, abrasive screams and unsettling electronic soundscapes.

I, the Mountain— Body (LP) 

Release Date: Mar. 6, 2026

City: Kitchener 

Genre: Indie Folk

Four-piece folk rockers I, the Mountain return with an emotional new five-song EP which is comprised of recent single releases, with the most recent and final addition being the title track “Body”. The collection of songs is raw and personal, exploring themes of self-worth and acceptance, while featuring some of the band’s tightest vocal harmonies to date.

Thorns—Closed Casket Burial 

(Singles) 

Release Date: Mar. 13, 2026

City: Waterloo

Genre: Metalcore

Thorns’ newest release consists of two singles, “Closed Casket” and “Burial”. Across both songs, the vocals are impressively dynamic, transitioning from deathly growls to aggressive shouting seamlessly. The band blends these vocals with heavy hardcore inspired breakdowns and intense metallic guitar riffs to create a unique sound.

Eric Folino—Hours for the Taking (EP) 

Release Date: Mar. 13, 2026

City: Waterloo

Genre: Acoustic, Indie Pop

Originally recorded in 2024, this eleven-song project was gradually released as singles and has ultimately culminated in Eric Folino’s debut album. With acoustic guitar and poetic lyricism at the forefront of each song, Folino presents a refreshing take on contemporary indie pop. The track “The World Began This Morning” is an impressively notable highlight from the album.

Album artwork sourced from Bandcamp.