Tarot is like a drag queen. It’s great for a laugh, will read you ’cause the library is always open, and sometimes it will snatch your wig. Thanks to shifting attitudes and the sheer number of the LGBTQ community in the entertainment industry, drag queens are (seemingly) now mainstream and no longer on the fringe.
Here’s the truth though. Drag queens will always be on the edge (of glory – song break!) of society. Why? The tough answer is fear. But once the life is greater than the fear the answer is because they create society. They define culture. Drag queens are the future.
Just like a drag queen, tarot will always be on the fringe of society.
Is Tarot Mainstream or On The Fringe?
There’s a ton of posts about tarot becoming more mainstream. So many podcasts heralding its arrival to the masses. Too many jokes on twitter about reading cards and “those are just pictures of me.”
The mainstreaming of tarot is just like a CIS hetero pulling together bad drag for Halloween. It’s fun to play at and it’s one night only (how many dance breaks do we need in this post?).
Tarot readers who are dedicated to their craft will always remain on the fringe. Because its popularity waxes and wanes. Because there are nuances and crevices to explore. Just like a drag queen.
The Unexplained Why
Once the popularity is gone, the newness has waned, and the fad has faded into the background, tarot readers are still going to be working a new deck, geeking out over the next new spread, and learning from each other. Drag translation: new dress, new contacts, and “get a lace front!”
When tarot is no longer popular on the runway, tarot readers will still be ready for those who need to know the why and the how and the what. Especially the unexplained why.
When you’ve been edging that future state, can’t get answers from anyone else and only the ethereal will do, you go to the quiet little shop or house that is unassuming and welcoming. You find the friendly face who is connected to more than what we can see in front of our faces.
For a short while you may find yourself going to a friend who tosses cards because you’re in class or you work together. You may even download an app that gives you generic advice. But eventually the call of the tarot reader who sits on the outskirts of society will be stronger.
Then you’re over the borderline. (Ha! I knew I could get another song in there…)
Why The Fringe Is Impossible to Ignore
Why tarot will always be on the fringe comes down to the arcana and the esoteric. There are very few who are going to go far enough to understand the ancient rites and why they matter. There are not many who are willing to read a library of tarot books to discover a kernel of truth. And there are even less who view the work as art. Transforming a parlor game into a life changing experience.
There’s just something about a tarot reader that survives. They have a glint in their eye that seems to be the truth. They have a confidence in the unknown. And they are willing to take their clientele through the shadow and bring them back to the light.
Now if that doesn’t sound like every drag bar I’ve ever visited, I don’t know how else to describe one to you.