296. The Cultural Roots of Tarot with Sanyu Estelle

296. The Cultural Roots of Tarot with Sanyu Estelle

Author: Lindsay Mack, founder of Tarot for the Wild Soul August 15, 2025 Duration: 1:07:43

Wow, what a gift to share this conversation with the legendary Sanyu Estelle, aka The Word Witch! Sanyu is writing an incredible book called "The Cultural Origins of Tarot," and needs our help and support to truly be able to dive in and do the extent of research on it that the book deserves! 

Click here to support Sanyu's Indiegogo campaign for the book (which ends on August 18th!) 

PS, if you're listening to this after the deadline to contribute to the campaign, no worries! There are other ways of sending support to Sanyu, and they are linked below in the show notes!


About Sanyu: 

Sanyu Estelle is a Soothsayer, artist and writer who has been published by The New York Times, Row House Publishing, and Red Wheel/Weiser. Her work revolves around the subjects of ontology, sociology, history, and criminology as she explores the intersection of culture, politics, and spirituality. With 11+ years as a professional reader and existential advisor, she is known for giving clients "the reading they need, not (necessarily) the reading they want."

Currently completing her first full-length book, "The Cultural Roots of Tarot" (Red Wheel/Weiser, Fall 2026), Sanyu examines the deck's multicultural origins through rigorous and groundbreaking historical research. Known as "The Word Witch" due to her profound love for etymology and philology, she combines 15+ years of Daoist practice and 10+ years in Ifa tradition with academic grounding to offer perspectives that honor ancestral wisdom, cosmic coherence and that challenge colonial narratives.


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Transcript can be found on Spotify!


SANYU'S LINKS:

Website: https://www.sanyuestelle.com  

Tarot Research Campaign: https://bit.ly/TarotsRoots  

Instagram/Threads/TikTok/YouTube: @sanyuestelle  


Ways to contribute to Sanyu outside of the Indiegogo campaign:

Venmo: @Sanyu-Estelle

Square: $Sanyu 

PayPal: sanyu@sanyuestelle.com 

Zelle: sennagenda@gmail.com

LINDSAY'S LINKS:

Book an August/September Reading with Lindsay here!

Got Q's for Lindsay to answer on the podcast and beyond? Ask them here: https://www.tarotforthewildsoul.com/ask-lindsay


—

PODCAST EDITOR: Chase Voorhees

PODCAST ART: Rachelle Sartini Garner


Honoring and acknowledging that this podcast episode was recorded on the unceded land of The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, currently called Portland, OR, with the deepest respect to the Kalapuya Tribe, Cowlitz Tribe, and Atfalati Tribe.


Lindsay Mack, founder of Tarot for the Wild Soul, guides this unique audio space where the ancient wisdom of the Tarot meets a deeply grounded, modern heart. Tarot for the Wild Soul with Lindsay Mack moves far beyond fortune-telling, instead using the cards as a mirror for our inner landscapes-a tool for understanding our patterns, healing, and personal growth. Each episode is built on an inclusive, trauma-informed perspective that prioritizes compassion and critical thinking over prediction. You’ll find the conversations here are practical, rooted in common sense, and designed to make the archetypal lessons of the Tarot accessible to everyday life. Listeners join a growing community, evidenced by millions of downloads, for regular deep dives into specific cards, insightful lessons on weaving Tarot into a spiritual practice, and monthly channeled messages that offer reflective nourishment. This podcast serves as a gentle, powerful companion for anyone seeking to explore their own wild soul with more kindness and clarity, using the Tarot as a map rather than a crystal ball.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 50

Tarot for the Wild Soul with Lindsay Mack
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