I had a friend read my tarot cards in college once, and it’s something I’ll never forget. Performing some ritual I’ll probably never understand, she told a tale of love and loss—one that ultimately came to be: Within a month, I had met my future husband and lost my father.
I remember being in awe and fearful of the cards after that, like my relatively unremarkable, pretty much standard life stuff was happening. I knew better than to think something can predict the future, but, still, the thought of how it all unfolded could send a shiver up my spine.
Spiritually, there’s credibility to why people love visiting their psychics for weekly readings, whether or not tarot cards are the medium of choice. These meetings can give someone guidance, give them hope, something to hold onto. But as I read more about the practice of tarot card reading, it’s actually pretty cool, and there’s nothing paranormal about it at all.
The cards aren’t meant for predicting the future, I am learning, rather, they’re a tool with which we can navigate our lives, all 78 in a deck showing the lessons we must learn to be our ultimate bests. “It’s like holding up a mirror to yourself so that you can access your subconscious mind,” says a statement on biddytarot.com, a website I never once envisioned myself visiting (don’t put me down for psychic abilities).
It’s from this website that I am learning what each card represents, and I’m finding that they’re an excellent representation of our hopes and dreams, and yet another talisman for when times are tough—like now. It’s almost as if they should be preserved in gold, our dearest to be worn close to our hearts.
Good thing someone did that.
Designer Sofia Ajram, who notably creates pieces with an air of mysticism under her brand Sofia Zakia, brings us the Tarot Cards collection, a line of 19 individual cards in 14k yellow gold (the paper cards are available on the jeweler’s website too).
My personal favorite—and one that many can likely relate to at the moment—is the Nine of Cups, said to encourage wish fulfillment and comfort, signifying contentment, satisfaction, and gratitude when in its upright position. (If the card were to be drawn in reversed position, it signifies inner happiness, materialism, dissatisfaction, and indulgence, in case you were wondering.)
But there are plenty of others to suit your innermost necessities. There’s the Moon, representing fear, anxiety, subconscious, and intuition, encouraging celestial dreams and a the trust of one’s instincts. The Magician, a key to awakening a spiritual determination, to inspire action. Fulfillment encourages success and harmony, the Lovers, a conquest of pure love and fortune. Um, I think I might genuinely be interested in learning a lot more about tarot cards now.
As we spend more time at home, probably stressing, definitely yearning for new things to do, some might find that getting in touch with themselves provides a comfort through the unknown. I love that this collection is an unexpected (at least to me) catalyst for that. It probably helps that it’s beautifully made, engraved, and hand-oxidized, lending an old-world look to a remarkably old concept (the oldest surviving tarot cards are reportedly from the mid-15th century). The designs from this collection combine original drawings from the jeweler with classical tarot decks by Jean Francois Alliette and Brian Williams.
It’s important to note that while Sofia Zakia is still accepting orders through its website and via its stockists, all pending and future orders are at the mercy of the current lockdown in its home city of Montreal (as is the case with many jewelers around the world). For more information, visit sofiazakia.com.
Top: Moon tarot card pendant in 14k yellow gold, $520
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