I am a secular Tarot reader. I have found Tarot to be hugely helpful as a way to organise my thoughts, and to recognise what I am feeling. I am Autistic, and like many others, I have something called Alexithymia, which is a difficulty or inability to recognise emotions. If you have this, you may notice physical symptoms rather than emotional- for example only being able to identify feeling ‘hot’ when you’re angry. However it can also mean that you just don’t process your emotions for a long time. You might go through a traumatic experience and not feel it for months afterwards.
I was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome aged 24, and then two years later I was also diagnosed with Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia, and Dysgraphia. I have also got a lot of experience with mental health difficulties (not to be confused with neurological health which is conditions such as autism, ADHD etc). But I think because of my experiences I can use Tarot to not only help Autistic people, but also anyone who has experienced struggles with their emotions, whether mentally or neurologically.
I subscribe to the social model of disability. This means I will primarily use terms such as ‘Autistic person’ rather than ‘person with autism’. Not everyone identifies with this terminology, but from being part of various neurodiverse communities on the internet, this is the most common preference for language.
Like everyone, I am still learning. Please let me know if I get anything wrong, or if you have any requests for a topic I could cover.
If you would like to support me:
Ko-fi– £3 donation
Etsy– selling Tarot readings and other fun items
Patreon– subscription-based donation platform
Iona Tarot 