Tazama African Tarot

What do the Tazama ancestors have say for this week? Pick a card and see how the energy of the Tazama African Tarot cards come through.

Pick a card 1, 2 and/ or 3 and read the caption below for the cards meanings. Take what resonates and leave a comment below if you received this post! ❤️

Card 1️⃣
The 4 of Swords is asking you to take a break, let it go and contemplate for a while. Don’t try to push through right now, you’ll only wear yourself out. This break is important for your healing and recuperation. A solitary experience bears spiritual fruit. The ancestor in this card is the son of the Kimi Kambu (prime minister) or the king from the (Ba)Kuba tribe in Congo. The Kuba work with nature spirits and spirits of their dead kings. How can being in nature and connecting with your ancestors be of service to you?

Card 2️⃣
The Emperor asks you to follow a more traditional way of doing things. Using wisdom and a confident energy. You may be dealing with issues of power and control. Apply hard work and discipline. You may have to deal with authority figures. Boss up and command respect. The ancestor in the card was a former government official of the city of Dar es Salaam. His power and authoritative position will assist you in your matter.

Card 3️⃣
You possess the tools and the power, go for it! You are ready to make the best use of your power. The solution to the problem is at your fingertips, take action soon. You have mastery over heaven and earth. As above, so below. You are a powerful person with the talent needed to achieve your goals! You have one of the three wise kings on your side. King Caspar, the ancestor of this card. He came with with three gifts; gold, incense and mirre. How can you make use of these gifts to strenghten this ancestors energy?

Decks used:

   

The 8 of Cups is telling you that it is time. Leave it all behind you and don’t look back.

Tuning into his intuition and meditating on his next move, you can find the ancestor on the 8 of cups, a Moorish man, while standing in front of a mosque in the original painting. ➡️ Swipe to see the painting from the year 1895.

There are new things to learn and to experience, just on the other side of the mountain. Move along and you will find a new perspective. Abandon what isn’t working and open yourself up to new energies. This card can also represent travel, a spiritual quest, or a solitary journey. If you feel like something is missing in your life, you may have to leave your comfort zone to find it.

Take some time to reflect and meditate on where you want to go next ✨


                                     

Why did we create a love oracle deck?

One of the missions in creating a love oracle was to create a more inclusive deck that allows us to create our own Garden of Eden a true Garden of Eden. A garden that represents love in different shapes and sizes, beautifully q***r and everything inbetween. The photography by A.J. Hamilton is inspired by classical art but reïnvented in a modern day composition. Reimagining stories of mythology, religion, art and history.

Like the ancient story of Cupid who was sent by his mother, the Goddess Venus, to shoot the beautiful mortal Psyche. Venus was spiteful of Psyche’s neglect to worship goddes Venus and also jealous of her beauty. Cupid was ordered to shoot Psyche with his arrow so that she would fall in love with any random and unworthy person. Cupid however, accidentally scratches himself with his own arrow. Consequently, Cupid falls deeply in love with Psyche.

On card INTIMACY you see two beings draped in red velvet embrace on a bed of clouds. Their hands and arms form a physical connection while the gaze into each other’s eyes forms an emotional one.

“Intimacy is to encourage finding moments to connect with others for a deep sense of closeness.
True intimacy requires vulnerability and the ability to be completely present in your own mind, body, and spirit while simultaneously being present in the mind, body, and spirit of another. Intimacy can be established in all types of relationships and take on different forms. Consider how you might deepen the various connections in your life.””

Affirmation: “I am open to connecting with and becoming close to others on a deep and intimate level.”

Art by
Guidebook writing by
Models:  & 
Deck: Love Oracle of Eden
Purchase on www.tazamaafricantarot.com

                     

To have FAITH is to encourage one’s mind to have hope and look for the positive. To have faith in others’ intentions. 🕊️

A being rests and releases a dove, the symbol of hope, as they can’t take action on the matter at hand; they must sit back & have faith the dove will return with a positive outcome. ✨

Positive living is putting your faith in the fact that what you focus on expands. Trust that the Universe is conspiring to lead humanity to its highest and greatest consciousness. Believe in the pure-heartedness of the people who come into your life. When the mind wanders to discouraging thoughts, choose to focus on strengthening your faith instead.

Affirmation: “Faith is my natural state of mind.”

Love Oracle of Eden is available and ships internationally 🌎

Visit link in bio to shop! 🤎

EMPATHY ✨ To encourage understanding and softness in one’s relationships. To put oneself in the other’s shoes and respond with compassion.

A being in need of compassion is embraced by another who’s draped in a red cloak symbolizing love, warmth, and an open heart.

You don’t have to agree in order to care. You don’t have to understand in order to accept. Open your heart and mind to the experience of others and watch how the world that surrounds you softens. No matter your race, gender identity, sexual orientation, and/or personal beliefs — we all return to the roots. In the words of Ram Dass, “We’re all just walking each other home.”

“I treat the people in my life with empathy and understanding.”

How can we balance age and innocence?

Age gives us experience and powerful knowledge. Innocence offers a blank slate where we can form our thoughts freely without preconceived notions.

The Page of Wands is our adult self reaching back to the curiosity of our youth. It's expansive, unknowing, open and vulnerable. In this space we are ready to chart unknown waters, take a new path and learn something new.

In corporate speak "I don't know" is often seen as the first step towards career su***de. The bu****it that I saw come out of people's mouths in meetings was quite astonishing, just to save face in front their boss. WHY? I think "I don't know" is one of the most beautiful phrases. It's a space of humility. It's open and wise. It's vulnerable. It's teachable. It's curious.

Try "I don't know" on for size today when comprehension escapes your grasp. Don't try to fill in the gaps. Let someone else do it for you. And if they think you a fool, thats on them. Humility for the win every time. Your guides give you bonus points when they find you here.

Gorgeous card comes from Tazama African Tarot

SINCERITY… To encourage honesty and love with one self no matter how painful it may be. A being offers a burning heart to herself. She handles the heart by a flame, enduring the challenge and pain of a seemingly impossible task.Life isn’t easy by design, but it can be ease filled if you commit to handling your heart with care. When the winds of self-doubt roll in, ground into your intuitive ability to command your heart’s flame and express your deepest truths with gentleness and care. Don’t be surprised when your sincerity and honesty ignite the same within those around you.

Affirmation: “Even my worst day is a sincere blessing and an opportunity to show myself and those around me grace.”

📸 by AJ Hamilton

Mini Sessions tonight!
Love this tarot deck by and

🚨 EDIT: due to delay we will be shipping the deck in January 2023. Everyone who has ordered has received an email!

Here is a sneak peek of our new deck Love Oracle of Eden. Ships and delivers before Christmas! 🎅🏾🎄

LOVE ORACLE OF EDEN 🌿 a sensual and luxurious oracle deck that encourages to seek the ultimate harmony, meaning and joy when loving ourselves and others 🤎

Link in bio to pre-order this limited edition print 🤎

So, for those in the US, we will have a tiny bit of more decks available, you can pre-order from our website, they will be shipped by mid-December 2022! So, if you need some for the holidays, be quick! These will be the last for a while!

Link in bio to shop from our website! ❤️

The image of our King of Swords is Prince Dom Nicolau (1830-1860), prince of the old Kingdom of Kongo. The original image was made on a visit to Portugal, to Queen Maria II, when the prince was not even 20 years old. The evidence of this visit was found in an engraving by a Lisbon artist, whose exact image was used in our King of Swords card.

This king was s the first African leader to protest against colonisation and act against Westernization. His Kongolese name was Misakai Mia Nim. At his birth, the Portuguese had invaded Western Africa and had an advantage in the trade in the area due to a military hold, which made kingdoms like the Kingdom of Kongo very dependent on the Portuguese.

The King received education in Portugal, as it was mandatory for children of the king and his heirs to be educated in Portugal. While he received his education, he also became aware of the serious issues in the relationship between the Portuguese and the people of the Kingdom of Kongo. When his father, King Henry II, died, a conflict arose about who would succeed the throne. When the new king was announced, the new king swore allegiance to the King of Portugal. Prince Dom Nicolau was very displeased, as he saw that the new king was more concerned about his own benefit than the welfare of his own people. The prince’s story did not end well. He wrote letters of protest to the Kings of Portugal and Brazil to express his concerns.

Unfortunately, the news leaked to a local newspaper that falsely tagged him as a traitor. The rumours spread through the kingdom, angering the locals, which resulted in the prince getting killed.

Our 3 of Wands ancestor:
a Kuba, or Bakuba, man from the interior or Congo, wearing traditional dress of the kuba. he is the the general counsil of the king, called the Kimi Kambu.

The Kuba have a rich culture with beautiful expressions of art through dance and masks. The kingdom of Kuba existed from 1625 until 1900 and consisted of 16 different ethnic Bantu speaking groups. The kingdom was a federation of chiefdoms, each ruled by a chief and two or three chief councils that represent the general population and noble clans. All the clans were able to unite because of a common culture, a group feeling, a royal army and a common administration.

The Kuba have 20 different types of masks that are seen as the physical embodiment of spirits. Three of these types are Mwaash Amboy, Bwoom and Ngaady a Mwaash and are property of the royal family. These masks are used during public ceremonies and initiating rituals. The mask wearers would play out the story of creation where the mask Bwoom would represent the nature spirit Ngeesh, Ambooy would be his brother and the two of them would battle for the ownership of Ngaady a Mwaash, which is the wife and sister of Ngeesh. Nature spirits and the spirits of dead kings are the main subjects in Bakuba spirituality.

The Kuba have a rich culture with artistic expressions like the production of tapestries with elaborate Bakuba motives. One particular cloth callesdVelours du Kasaï, or Kasaï velvet, was originally made with beaten wooden bark or Raffia palm and would ideally be made by a weaver who is pregnant.

Their society would also have wooden sculptures, an “Ndop”, of their King carrying a weapon in his left hand. The sculpture would carry the kings royal charm. If anything happened to the king during battle, a similar wound would be found on the Ndop sculpture. The Ndop was kept in the woman's storage and when one of the women of the kings harem was giving birth, it was placed next to her to help her have a safe delivery. After the kings death it would house the king’s life force. The Ndop would then be replaced to a storage room and would only be exhibited on occasions.

Six of Swords.
Change.
Journey.
Moving.
Taking a trip.
New beginnings.
Travel.
New horizons.
Safety.
Hope.
Security.
You’re being guided down this path of change…moving and traveling could be figuratively or literally.
Either way, this card reminds you that you’re loved and supported as you make your way to your destination. As you journey, know you’re not alone.
Cards by
Art by

Knight of Wands 🏇🏾

The mighty knight on his horse is the horseman of the guard of the ruler of the Djerma states in what is currently South-West Niger. Many people of the Djerma are also found in neighbouring Nigeria and Benin. The knight’s armor and that of his horse are beautifully quilted.

The Djerma are referred to as Zerma, Zaberma, Djerma, Jerma, but Zarma is the term that the people use for themselves. A lot of information about their origins stem from Islamic historic documentation after the 8th century. The Arabs already traded with the Zarma before the 8th century and this profitable trade was a motivation to colonize this area. As the Zarma people converted to the Islam this caused the trade with North African muslims to increase, adding to the wealth of the Zarma and their chiefs. In general the Zarma have a less strict practice of Islam and have in many ways resisted the full conversion experience.

Although 80% of the Zarma consider themselves to be muslim, and 2% Christian, traditional African spiritual systems serve as an unrecognized grounding belief for all Zarma. One of the African Traditions is the ritual of the naming day ceremony of children where prayers are bestowed upon the newborn after 7 days of birth.

A Zerma horse is also a national symbol of pride. They are smaller in size but very fast runners and have a good temperament. They are considered a sign of wealth and are therefore adorned in beautiful fabrics, fringes and braids. Colours often used are royal colors of red, burgundy, purple and blue.

📸 Knight of Wands
📸 Zerma knights on an independence day parade in Niger

                                       

The original King of Wands was in real life the most inspirational and iconic woman. One of the greatest female activists and politicians from Lagos, Nigeria. Her name was Alimotu Pelewura, born in 1865, of Yoruba descent, from a wealthy polygamous Muslim family in Lagos.

Like her mother, she became a fish seller on the market, and quite a successful one at that. Although she was illiterate and not formally educated she founded the Lagos Market Women’s Association in the mid 1920’s and served as their president until her death in 1951. The association pushed for women’s rights and helped to spread a sense of nationalism in a time colonized by the British.

In the 1930’s the government has decided to move the Ereko Market. In protest, Pelewura and local women physically blocked this relocation which led her to get arrested. The market women rallied in her support and got her and others detainees released. In 1939 she became a member of the Nigerian Union of Young Democrats and spoke publicly during rallies of the Nigerian National Democratic Party. From then on Pelemura contributed a great deal fighting against market women’s taxation & unfair price regulation.

Pelewura was given the honorary title of “Erelu of the Common People” in 1947 by Falolu, the Oba (King) of Lagos, for radically representing and fighting for the interests of women. “Erelu” is a chieftancy exclusively for women, the highest position for a women to achieve in Nigeria. Some might even say she's one of the greatest women in the history of Nigeria.

On March 10, 1951, close to 10,000 people showed up for her funeral. On Lagos Island, a market was named after Pelewura in 1981.

📸 King of Wands by
📸 Original Vintage image of Alimotu Pelemura

                               

🌞 The Sun - History Post

Our beautiful little baby riding the white horse is Madeleine de La Martinique. A baby girl with vitiligo from the West Indies island of Martinique. In the original painting, baby Madaleine is basking in the spotlight, the centre piece of both her mother and the viewers gaze. The mother interacting with her infant radiate such innocence and peaceful joy. An energy that matches that of the Sun tarot card.

Painted in 1782 by French painter Marius-Pierre Le Masurier. This painter was known for painting people of the island of Martinique, 1000km South-East of the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean. The painters works are a seen as a catalog of the everyday life of the island’s inhabitants and represented the descendants of enslaved Africans, French colonials, people of mixed race and natives. But it is not only about just depicting people on an island. The artist focussed on showing the mixing of ethnicities and what that would look like on Martinique. Slide to see images of other works by Le Masurier.

📸 The Sun
📸 Original painting of Le Masurier “Madeleine de la Martinique” from 1782
📸 “Famille Métisse” (mixed family) Le Masurier 1775
📸”Esclaves noirs a martinique ” (Black enslaved in Martinique) Le Masurier 1775
📸 The market of St. Pierre in Martinique, 1775

                                 

Reveal! See earlier post.
Left-Queen of Cups. Intuitive, introspective and wise. This card is aligned with inner guidance, trusting your soul, listening to your heart and being expressive. The queen of cups is loving, nurturing and sensitive.

Right-5 of Wands.
This card is connected with a struggle, fight or conflict. Consider all options, align with what feels right and true to you. Don’t give up on your goals and dreams….fight for what you KNOW is right. Work together for a greater good. Stand up for what you believe in.

Cards from

Left or Right? Let your intuition guide you with these wonderful African Tarot cards.
Reveal posted later.
Cards by

The Moon.
Things seem dark, daunting and scary. This is a time where you may feel lost, alone and facing an uphill battle.
This card reminds us that even in the darkness there is light. Let yourself follow that light, the good. Honor your intuition…it’s pulling you in the direction that best serves you. It won’t be dark forever. Things change, shift. Everything goes through phases. Change is necessary and natural…keep looking forward, keep looking up.

Cards by

Thank you for sharing Ethereal Healing ❤️

Four Of Cups.
This card is aligned with receiving gifts and blessings. Do not give up hope, your prayers are in the middle of being answered. Continue to expect blessings and prepare your energy and life in order to receive gifts from the universe. This card asks that you remain hopeful and optimistic and work hard on silencing any doubt that creeps in. Focusing on what is not going right, on what you don’t have only shines more light on that and heightens that vibration in your life. Focus instead, and be steadfast, on cultivating gratification for blessings already in front of you and all that are on their way.
Cards by

Who can you trust?

This is the question that comes from the Nine of Wands I pulled from . Kinda obsessed with this deck lately.

You learn so much about people in your life when you're at your lowest. This past week has been so illuminating. I had one friend tell me "I hope your mood improves," after I cancelled our lunch to take care of my mental health...I even shared I was going into trauma therapy. Another wrote back "sending love." Look, none of us do s**t perfectly. I get it. But it was kinda the straw that broke this camel's back. The phrase that comes up for me? "Thank you for showing me who you are."

When I learn someone is in distress, even people here that I've never met in person, I go out of my way to make them feel seen and heard. I make sure that they know they're not alone. I usually share some of my own messiness so they don't feel alone on vulnerable island.

I'm starting to realize that part of my depression is letting people into my life who recreate my toxic childhood. They give me crumbs. They keep it surface. And not because they are as****es, but because that's all they have to give. This has been an enormous wake-up call.

Taking a huge inventory of my life and the people in it. My part is definitely people-pleasing. I let people think things are ok. "I'm fine!" My depression right now is like "Bitch you are not fine and these 'friends' suck."

I don't know what the future brings but I'm like this dude. I've been beaten up but not beaten down. I'm taking some time to rest and recuperate. Practicing what I preach: self-care.

And I'm also starting to realize why this community is so solid. I think most of you are like me: deeply empathic, a Healer, wanting to help others and feeling a lil like an alien in your hometown. Do that resonate?

Tag someone in this community or someone you met in the last year online who lit up your life. Who made you feel seen? Who reminded you of the magical unicorn that you are?

And btw, while I appreciate the sentiment please do not tag me. Lol. This is me truly wanting you guys to honor one another.

Love you so much.

The generous man in our Temperance card was a model named Joseph. He lived in France in the late 17th and early 18th century has modeled for many French painters. The image was from a painting by Adolhpe Brune called “Joseph, Le Negre” or “ Joseph, the Negro”. The name has been changed in 2019 though, to “Joseph the Moor” as a collective of historians and curators called for the replacement of offensive words and racial slurs from Museum lingo.

Joseph was a famous muse and model for the arts and also a charismatic friend of many in the art world. He was born in 1793 in Santo Domingo, present day Haiti, and moved to France as a teenager. He started in Marseille and then ended up in Paris with a group of Acrobats. During an acrobat show he was discovered and asked to become a model. He had a special aura that appealed too many painters and their followers. Joseph was privileged enough to have a career as a full time model, something that was, at that time, only an extra activity for black and even white models. between 1832 and 1835 he was the permanent model for the École Des Beaux Arts in Paris and worked as a successful model until his death.

Like the meaning of the card, sometimes you just have to go with the flow and take the middle path and let things take its natural course. Joseph just happened to be an acrobat before he was discovered to do the thing that would impact the rest of his life. The middle way leads to success, with angelic support on your side.

📸 Temperance card
📸 "Joseph the Moor" Adolphe Brune, 1865
📸 "Study of a Negro" Théodore Chassériau, 1836
📸 "The Raft of Medusa" Théodore Géricault, 1819
📸 "Study of a Man" Théodore Géricault, 1819