Coronado author, teacher, and tarot muse, Tania Pryputniewicz, is set to release her book Heart’s Compass Tarot this Valentine’s Day. Tania began to explore tarot cards during her undergrad years at UC Davis. She delved in women’s studies and poetry, then found herself connecting to the set of cards in the house. Tania shares, “I was having a hard time in love,” laughing as she adds, “as we all do!” She continues, “The tarot cards helped me come out of my own head and focus on the art on the cards. As a writer, I would journal about what I felt. Having that quiet time took me out of my stress.” Tania sums it up as a very joyful experience for her.
Now, she is releasing her own book driven by the fun she has working with her students. Tania designed the book to be “accessible to everyone; it’s a gentle introduction. People who work with tarot cards for a long time might want to take on a new deck. Others who love poetry, art, or tarot, might find inspiration.” As I read the book, I felt seen right off the bat. The introduction to Heart’s Compass addresses both skeptics and advocates, “Whether you are tarot curious, tarot savvy, or somewhere in-between, I welcome you to Heart’s Compass Tarot, an approach to using tarot as a life compass and a mirror of the soul.”
Heart’s Compass is a connection to many heart subjects. For one, Tania explains, “it gets people thinking ‘what is my relationship to love?'” When using the tarot cards interpersonally, Tania describes, “when it starts a conversation with one another, you can start to heal. Something magical happens in a group setting. You watch how others respond and get insight. You blossom with others.”
One of the questions in the activity section asks, “when have you experienced ecstasy or personal bliss? In your childhood were you heart-connected to a sibling? Did a playmate’s kindness and love take you by surprise or heal you? When, where, and by whom were the roots of your childhood watered?” Reading Heart’s Compass, I felt connected in the language of this book. It guided me to reflect on the choices I’ve made and consider why. Life isn’t just happening and moving on but getting into the heart of it.
Other activities described in the book weave tarot into every day life. It doesn’t have to be an activity to start and finish but rather one you can think about throughout your days, for instance, “Choose a question or focus for the card before you go to sleep. How do your dreams answer? Respond in your tarot journal,” the book encourages.
If you have interest in diving deeper into tarot, Heart’s Compass Tarot provides tarot resources about a good deck for you and other basics such as how to take care of your deck, and ideas on how to journal. The book includes a material list and walks through how to make your own cards. Written are ideas, examples, and treasure hunt challenges which make the process seem less intimidating to someone getting their feet wet (i.e. Me!). The examples show there is no right or wrong way, the only thing standing in the way is yourself, let creativity flow.
The artwork in the book is intentional and vulnerable. Tania shares, “my Fool card is the cover. I felt like an idiot in love over and over again. Through cycles of heartbreak, I took my time to heal. I am still willing to love again and that’s beautiful.” For the compass component, Tania references “the directions the heart pulls us in.”
Learn more about Tania, her classes and other books at taniapryputniewicz.com.
Heart’s Compass Tarot can be purchased locally at Bay Books and online.
