I have had the pleasure to make internet friends with a lovely woman named Tara. We shared some mutual loves: tarot and Bob Marley!She is a tarot reader living in Kingston, Jamaica and I got to thinking of what her experience is living in the Caribbean reading tarot. It definitely would be an interesting perspective to explore! So lets dig in:
Resident in Jamaica, Tara Nikita is an intuitive consultant and Tarot reader. She helps people to access the wisdom of their own higher minds in daily living and decision-making. Her work ranges from teachings on planetary consciousness evolution, energetics and spiritual awakening, to one-on-
one Tarot consultations.
How did you get into tarot?
I’m still wondering about this myself! I literally got up one day and said, “I’m going to do Tarot now”, and that was it. Within two months I was giving readings. I did, however, have some signposts along the way, and I think my Higher Mind was giving me clues which I was yet to really understand until
much later. When I moved to London to do my Masters (in postcolonial studies and global public policy), the first thing I did was buy a Tarot deck from the Waterstones in Piccadilly (as well as book on state politics in Africa!). I had absolutely NO time to work with the cards or study because a full-time masters is SO demanding. I COMPLETELY forgot about Tarot and went on to do other things. Then, when my masters finished, and after the dissolution of a particularly important relationship, as well as a very significant psychic-intuitive-soul reading from my counsellor and mentor, things kind of came full circle for me. The tarot came back into my life to give me a platform and a vehicle to express my talents, and to be my authentic self. It became part of my awakening to who I really was.
How did you start your spiritual practice?
I don’t know. I think I was always “spiritual” in the sense of being attuned with and aware of intangibles, and being deeply drawn to spiritual-esoteric literature. But I did go through a very intense period of awakening where I realized that I had been living a life which muted my authenticity. I did have friends and a decent social life, but I always had this sense of not really being
totally comfortable. Something didn’t feel quite right. In more than one sense I was covering who I was – and my friendships and relationships reflected that. So my spiritual practice is very much connected to coming out of the closet with who I am, and having the courage to do that. And my work with the Tarot is very much a part of that.
Did you have any spiritual teachers that helped you along the way?
Certainly. Physical and non-physical! There are so many bodies of knowledge from “spiritual teachers” that have helped me. For example, connecting with the energy and teachings of a collective of beings from the Pleiades has helped me tremendously to be “spiritually intrepid”. To dare to determine what I am available for in my own reality and experience of life. This is what I try to bring across to my Tarot clients – that they are the master weavers of their realities. There’s also so much channeled material available that has enriched my journey – Bashar’s material through Darryl Anka, the Hathor material through Tom Kenyon, the collectives who come through in
Micheila Sheldan’s work. Regressionist Mira Kelly’s work is another example of material that has really helped me. So I’d call these people and entities “spiritual teachers.” My own guides have also been present ushering me through my unfolding. There’s also my own psychic-intuitive mentor and
counsellor, Jody Staley, who has been instrumental in giving me the clues to awaken to my soul, and has passed on her knowledge of the Tarot to me. There are also the people in my life who brought me to my knees, and brought out the strength in the core of me that perhaps I never knew I had. I’d consider these people spiritual teachers who have helped me awaken to my purpose, and who (perhaps indirectly) brought me to my current work with the Tarot.
Living in a country that boosts as having one of the biggest Christian populations, how are you being received locally and do you get any push back with your spiritual practices?
Great question, and such a loaded one! Well, the first thing is that I don’t go waving a flag with my “spiritual practices.” These are personal, and I’m not here to proselytize or convert. So in my day to day life, I’m not experiencing a lot of push back. I’m aware that a lot of people around me (including
family and friends) have different belief systems, and that’s okay – people choose the beliefs they want, and I choose mine. My day to day interactions with people in Jamaica are just about us being Jamaicans, and doing the things that Jamaicans do (such as using delightfully colourful language).
With the Tarot, a lot of what happens is that a lot of people don’t know what it is. (Someone asked me recently, if it was “palm reading”). And yes, because of the architecture of Christian-based values that underpins life in Jamaica, some people are reticent about Tarot. Much of this has to do with not knowing what it is, and not understanding that is a metaphysical tool for healing and connecting with one’s own inner wisdom. So it’s a constant process of educating people about the applications of the Tarot. Having said that however, there are a lot of people here who “get it” and who want to
connect with spiritual guidance, and these people find me. Thankfully!
Do you feel like your formal education adds to you practice?
Definitely. I think academic training helps me to dissect the information that a client gives me. It also gives me the tools to get the heart of what they are asking. The Page of Swords always comes to mind for me here – the ability to use the intellect and analytical mind to cut through the brush and get to the kernel of truth that a client needs. Sorting through the load of information that a client sometimes gives, and understanding what is relevant to their questions is assisted by my academic training. A client comes in, all ‘5 of Wands’, with a lot of different things going on at once. Part of the
practice of tarot is to get to a more ‘Ace of Swords’ kind of place, so that we can start the reading with a semblance of a clear question or inquiry.
What is your philosophy on Tarot?
Essentially – that the Tarot is a tool to communicate with one’s own inner wisdom, to communicate with one’s own Inner Being and Higher Mind – that part of ourselves that can give us guidelines for right action because it knows why we are here, and what we are here to do; it has the mountain top view. It knows the blueprint of our soul. The Tarot provides portal access to that part of ourselves. So even though a client comes to me, my philosophy is that I am not the one giving advice. Essentially I am helping to facilitate a dialogue between their conscious minds and their Inner Being.
What do you want people to most get out of your readings?
The single thing I want people to get is a sense of feeling empowered to influence their experience of their lives with the quality of their thoughts. I want people to understand and feel that they are not powerless, and at the mercy of external conditions, but they can be bold enough to choose what
they are available for.
I want to thank Tara Nikita for sharing some insight into her world.
Here is where you can find her on the web!
Website: www.taranikita.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TaraNikitaBlake
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tara.nikita.311
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tara.nikita/
Resident in Jamaica, Tara Nikita is an intuitive consultant and Tarot reader. She helps people to access the wisdom of their own higher minds in daily living and decision-making. Her work ranges from teachings on planetary consciousness evolution, energetics and spiritual awakening, to one-on-
one Tarot consultations.
How did you get into tarot?
I’m still wondering about this myself! I literally got up one day and said, “I’m going to do Tarot now”, and that was it. Within two months I was giving readings. I did, however, have some signposts along the way, and I think my Higher Mind was giving me clues which I was yet to really understand until
much later. When I moved to London to do my Masters (in postcolonial studies and global public policy), the first thing I did was buy a Tarot deck from the Waterstones in Piccadilly (as well as book on state politics in Africa!). I had absolutely NO time to work with the cards or study because a full-time masters is SO demanding. I COMPLETELY forgot about Tarot and went on to do other things. Then, when my masters finished, and after the dissolution of a particularly important relationship, as well as a very significant psychic-intuitive-soul reading from my counsellor and mentor, things kind of came full circle for me. The tarot came back into my life to give me a platform and a vehicle to express my talents, and to be my authentic self. It became part of my awakening to who I really was.
How did you start your spiritual practice?
I don’t know. I think I was always “spiritual” in the sense of being attuned with and aware of intangibles, and being deeply drawn to spiritual-esoteric literature. But I did go through a very intense period of awakening where I realized that I had been living a life which muted my authenticity. I did have friends and a decent social life, but I always had this sense of not really being
totally comfortable. Something didn’t feel quite right. In more than one sense I was covering who I was – and my friendships and relationships reflected that. So my spiritual practice is very much connected to coming out of the closet with who I am, and having the courage to do that. And my work with the Tarot is very much a part of that.
Did you have any spiritual teachers that helped you along the way?
Certainly. Physical and non-physical! There are so many bodies of knowledge from “spiritual teachers” that have helped me. For example, connecting with the energy and teachings of a collective of beings from the Pleiades has helped me tremendously to be “spiritually intrepid”. To dare to determine what I am available for in my own reality and experience of life. This is what I try to bring across to my Tarot clients – that they are the master weavers of their realities. There’s also so much channeled material available that has enriched my journey – Bashar’s material through Darryl Anka, the Hathor material through Tom Kenyon, the collectives who come through in
Micheila Sheldan’s work. Regressionist Mira Kelly’s work is another example of material that has really helped me. So I’d call these people and entities “spiritual teachers.” My own guides have also been present ushering me through my unfolding. There’s also my own psychic-intuitive mentor and
counsellor, Jody Staley, who has been instrumental in giving me the clues to awaken to my soul, and has passed on her knowledge of the Tarot to me. There are also the people in my life who brought me to my knees, and brought out the strength in the core of me that perhaps I never knew I had. I’d consider these people spiritual teachers who have helped me awaken to my purpose, and who (perhaps indirectly) brought me to my current work with the Tarot.
Living in a country that boosts as having one of the biggest Christian populations, how are you being received locally and do you get any push back with your spiritual practices?
Great question, and such a loaded one! Well, the first thing is that I don’t go waving a flag with my “spiritual practices.” These are personal, and I’m not here to proselytize or convert. So in my day to day life, I’m not experiencing a lot of push back. I’m aware that a lot of people around me (including
family and friends) have different belief systems, and that’s okay – people choose the beliefs they want, and I choose mine. My day to day interactions with people in Jamaica are just about us being Jamaicans, and doing the things that Jamaicans do (such as using delightfully colourful language).
With the Tarot, a lot of what happens is that a lot of people don’t know what it is. (Someone asked me recently, if it was “palm reading”). And yes, because of the architecture of Christian-based values that underpins life in Jamaica, some people are reticent about Tarot. Much of this has to do with not knowing what it is, and not understanding that is a metaphysical tool for healing and connecting with one’s own inner wisdom. So it’s a constant process of educating people about the applications of the Tarot. Having said that however, there are a lot of people here who “get it” and who want to
connect with spiritual guidance, and these people find me. Thankfully!
Do you feel like your formal education adds to you practice?
Definitely. I think academic training helps me to dissect the information that a client gives me. It also gives me the tools to get the heart of what they are asking. The Page of Swords always comes to mind for me here – the ability to use the intellect and analytical mind to cut through the brush and get to the kernel of truth that a client needs. Sorting through the load of information that a client sometimes gives, and understanding what is relevant to their questions is assisted by my academic training. A client comes in, all ‘5 of Wands’, with a lot of different things going on at once. Part of the
practice of tarot is to get to a more ‘Ace of Swords’ kind of place, so that we can start the reading with a semblance of a clear question or inquiry.
What is your philosophy on Tarot?
Essentially – that the Tarot is a tool to communicate with one’s own inner wisdom, to communicate with one’s own Inner Being and Higher Mind – that part of ourselves that can give us guidelines for right action because it knows why we are here, and what we are here to do; it has the mountain top view. It knows the blueprint of our soul. The Tarot provides portal access to that part of ourselves. So even though a client comes to me, my philosophy is that I am not the one giving advice. Essentially I am helping to facilitate a dialogue between their conscious minds and their Inner Being.
What do you want people to most get out of your readings?
The single thing I want people to get is a sense of feeling empowered to influence their experience of their lives with the quality of their thoughts. I want people to understand and feel that they are not powerless, and at the mercy of external conditions, but they can be bold enough to choose what
they are available for.
I want to thank Tara Nikita for sharing some insight into her world.
Here is where you can find her on the web!
Website: www.taranikita.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TaraNikitaBlake
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tara.nikita.311
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tara.nikita/