Barbara Moore on Truth and Lies in the Tarot

In this second installment, Barbara Moore strips away the velvet curtains to expose the huckster era of 1-800 psychics and the enduring stigma of the fortune teller. We trace the lineage of modern tarot back to the pioneering women like Eden Grey and Rachel Pollack who rescued the cards from unintelligible occultists. Barbara reveals the startling truth that tarot's supposed ancient Egyptian roots were actually a 15-minute fabrication by an 18th-century Frenchman. You’ll hear why the oldest members of the community still struggle with labels that once felt exploitative and charlatanly. She also shares her bold, late-career critique of the misogynist attitudes found in the foundational works of figures like Arthur Waite. Ultimately, we explore the liberating secret that while the history is all made up, the human magic remains undeniable. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theaquarean.substack.com