This Month’s Featured Article

Regina Olson is an intuitive tarot and astrology reader who owns Tarot in Thyme in Kent, CT. Tarot cards serve as tools of fortune-telling and self-discovery and are said to offer valuable information about our present, past, and future. Tarot has been around for hundreds of years and was previously tied into various religions, but Regina notes that in the modern world, tarot is non-denominational. 

Prior to reading tarot formally, she studied Nine Star Ki, which is a type of astrology that is often used with Feng Shui and is based on the idea that our lives are influenced by cyclical patterns of energy that change each year. 

Tarot in Thyme shares their space on North Main Street with their sister store, Chestnut Woodworking, which is owned by Regina’s husband, Bob. Prior to moving into the current space, Regina was offering after-hours tarot readings at Chestnut Woodworking’s spot in the Kent Barns. She found herself studying more and more, and when the metaphysical shop in Kent closed, Regina felt that there was a niche she could fill. 

Regina previously studied tarot and astrology with a variety of teachers, but most notably with Sheilaa L. Hite, a world-renowned master tarot consultant, instructor, intuitive, and author. Now, Sheilaa is one of the readers at Tarot in Thyme, bringing their relationship full circle.

Tarot, astrology, and reiki, oh my!

Tarot in Thyme offers not just tarot and astrology readings, but also human design sessions (which are a blend of astrology, the chakra system, and other elements), reiki, naturopathic services, massage, and other special classes and pop-ups. Inside the shop, they also sell consciously made clothing and jewelry, tarot and oracles, and other metaphysical products. The shop also features flooring and antique lumber from Chestnut Woodworking. 

Tarot in Thyme currently employs seven readers, including Regina. “I try to choose very carefully. I want to make sure that I really recommend these readers to my clients, and I’m lucky to have some great people to work with,” she said. 

In addition to doing readings in the shop, Regina also performs readings at the Mayflower Inn in Washington, CT, on Fridays and Saturdays. She also teaches locally at Be Well Community Yoga in North Canaan, CT, and Breathe Peace Wellness in New Milford, CT, along with Bohemian Gypsy in Tarpon Springs, FL. Regina also performs readings via zoom sessions and uploads content to her YouTube channel. 

“I don’t recommend more than one reading per quarter, so I upload free astrology and tarot content on YouTube so that my clients can continue their personal journeys independently without having to spend more money.” 

What does it mean to be a tarot reader?

Regina refers to herself as an intuitive astro tarot reader, because some tarot readers don’t study astrology and vice versa. She also notes that she is not a traditional astrologer. “Traditional astrologers are mathematical, which I am not. I’m intuitive, which means I get more of a feel from people and their charts,” she explained. 

Regina is trained in classic astrology but connects more with her intuition and relies on that much more heavily for readings. But what exactly is intuition? It’s the ability to understand something immediately, without the need for conscious or logical reasoning – aka your “sixth sense” or your “gut feeling.” 

Regina believes that everyone is intuitive to a certain extent, but that some people’s abilities are naturally more sharpened. Regina has always been sensitive to other people’s emotions and vibes, and to her, it felt like a weakness to be so sensitive and feeling. 

“I realized over time that it was actually my strength,” she shared. “It’s important to recognize that we live in a logical world, and intuition is not logical. It’s actually the opposite. It took me a long time to trust what I was feeling because it didn’t make logical sense, but it was always correct despite that.” 

Reading the cards 

A tarot deck is made up of 78 cards. 22 cards are the heavy hitters, commonly known as the major arcana, and include cards such as the Fool, the Hermit, the Tower, the Wheel of Fortune, the Sun, the Moon, Death, and the World. 

The remainder of the cards fall into one of four categories and represent our daily lives: wands (fire energy) represent sparks of creativity that inspire action; cups (water energy) represent emotions and relationships; swords (air energy) represent intellect and logic; and pentacles (earth energy) represent the needs of everyday life and our physical being. 

Regina explained that each card has a yin and yang, a light side and a shadow side. Some tarot readers will read card reversals – or when cards appear upside down – but Regina chooses not to. 

Many of the major arcana cards represent big changes and parts of our lives. Death, in particular, might have a negative, slightly scary connotation to someone who is unfamiliar with the world of tarot. But in reality, the Death card represents transformation or a big change. 

“You can think of the death card as scary, but it’s more about being reborn and shifting out of outdated ideas,” Regina explained. “There has to be death, just like the leaves fall off of the trees. Without those moments of things falling apart or being released, we wouldn’t have any forward movement.” 

The meaning also depends on the sequence in which cards come out. For example, if a whole bunch of cards about coupling and relationships come out prior to the Death card, then the card can simply be symbolic of passion and deep emotion. 

“People might think life is going to be roses, and it’s not. It’s all hardship that we have to learn through. It doesn’t have to be as extreme if we can be aware.” 

Clearing your energy

One of the most significant challenges that Regina encounters is clearing her energy after a day of readings. She notes that she has a lot of water in her chart – water signs include cancer, scorpio, and pisces – so she naturally is very empathetic and emotional. As such, she tends to absorb the emotions of others during readings. 

Because of this, it’s important for her to have a routine to clear her energy. Because she has a lot of water signs in her chart, she tends to use water to clear. Some methods can include taking a shower, a bath, or sitting in a hot tub, but Regina notes that she feels the best when she can swim and physically release the pent up energy. 

She also clears the reading room after each reading by burning sage and wiping down surfaces with a special Puerto Rican rum recipe. 

“A lot of times, the readings are light and fun, but other times, you’re hitting on some heavy information. Old emotions and trauma come to the surface – such as grief over a loss or an old breakup – and at first, you might not know exactly what you’ve hit on until the client starts crying,” Regina explained. “I have to be careful not to absorb people’s feelings when situations like that happen.” 

For others, she recommends finding ways to clear your energy that match up with your astrological chart. For example, if you have a lot of air in your chart, she recommends taking a walk to get some fresh air or turning on a fan. For fire signs, lighting a candle or burning sage can be beneficial for cleansing your space. For earth signs, spending time outside in nature or in the garden can be beneficial. And finally, for water signs like Regina, spending time decompressing in a body of water can be the best way to cleanse your energy. 

Making tarot and astrology accessible

Regina recognizes that tarot and astrology have previously been portrayed in a dark, heavy, and occasionally negative light. Because of that, she wants to ensure that she comes across in a “white, neutral light” to her clients so that tarot can be viewed as something that is approachable instead of intimidating. 

“Especially through the pandemic, I had a ton of people making appointments who had never had a reading before. I think making it more approachable and less scary has been a vital element of my business plan.” 

While Regina can see negative vibes during her readings, she does not do death predictions. However, she noted that if she sees something potentially negative in the future of a client, she tries to advise them to avoid it. 

“Sheilaa taught me that if you see a bus barreling down the road and you know what’s going to happen, you advise the client to take some time off and go to the country, metaphorically speaking,” she explained. “If I see something that feels negative, I advise them a different way or to a different environment.” 

Regina also finds it easier to do readings for people she doesn’t know because she has no prior knowledge or opinions about their lives. Whenever possible, she refers people that she knows to other readers. 

How does Regina combat the skepticism regarding what she does? Well, for the most part, the skeptics aren’t her clients. 

“I’m not trying to prove anything. If someone isn’t one hundred percent sure about why they’ve come to me for a reading or if they feel a little uncomfortable, I ask them what they want to talk about,” she explained. “I just ask people to be open-minded.” 

For Regina, the most rewarding part of her job is when clients return and she can see that something has shifted for them. “A lot of people come back to me, so it’s nice to watch people grow. Each client is also teaching me more about astrology, so I’m learning at the same time, too.” 

Guest readers and pop-up events

In addition to private, one-on-one readings, Tarot in Thyme also offers group readings. On Saturday, October 19, Regina is hosting “Tea and Astro Tarot,” a small group tarot and astrology reading session. No experience is necessary to attend and decks and tea are provided, but space is limited. Regina also frequently hosts group readings at Be Well Community Yoga at Canaan, CT, and at Breathe Peace Wellness in New Milford, CT. 

In addition to group readings, Tarot in Thyme also frequently hosts guest readers. On Saturday, October 5, reader Carol Hackett will be doing a tarot reading session with a twist of human design from 12-5pm. Sessions are available in-person and via zoom. On November 9, Hilary MacDonald, dubbed “The Scottish Psychic,” will be making a guest appearance at Tarot in Thyme, with sessions available in-person and on zoom. 

She also has expansion ideas in mind, including creating more of a wellness center and expanding the clothing options in the shop. Going forward, Regina is planning on hosting more classes and events both at Tarot in Thyme and other locations. •

For more information about upcoming events, classes, and pop-ups, visit Tarot in Thyme at their shop at 31 N Main Street, Kent, CT, or visit their website to book an appointment at tarotinthyme.com.