I picked up my first deck of Tarot cards around the age of 13. There was an esoteric shop in the small riverfront town adjacent to mine. The owners were super nice and I think really appreciated my young friends and I interest in the occult. I had saved money from babysitting and got my first deck of tarot. I believe it was a Rider, Waite -Smith although I don’t remember that clearly mostly because my mother found it and burned it within a couple of days…
Even though I had no “rooted “structure in any religion my mom was raised Catholic and taught this was evil. Later I found out while having conversations about the origin of tarot that cards (mostly because of gambling) were outlawed from the church is not actually tarot itself. (I will also state that I am not a tarot history scholar!)  Around this age I actually considered myself a seeker. I was super fascinated by all religions and churches. I attended Protestant, Catholic, Baptist, and pretty much anybody’s family that would let me accompany them to church I went. I should also add here I attended after school Bible study, Wednesday night Awanas, a couple of different Sunday schools and even a missionary softball team. That seeker in me was truly trying to understand all of the spiritual things probably starting from about third grade. That led to a Catholic festival downriver, Saint Aloysius and meeting a precocious young gentleman, James who pulled an ear of corn out of his pocket. This was my introduction to paganism, this pivotal moment blew me out of the box of Christianity and exposed me to so much more!
So with this incredible thirst for knowledge I returned to that small occult store-bought another deck (The Witches Tarot) and with my super Scorpio self proceeded to find an amazing hiding spot.
 I will say over and over again I am not a tarot scholar. This means I have not read all the books. That first deck, I shuffled, I looked at it, I may have picked up a little white book here and there but ever since the beginning, I did my best to actually connect to what this was opening me to. I meditated on the cards and journaled for years. (I still managed to keep a couple of those journals after many moves and a couple states.) Most of my Tarot journey has been experiential. I played with a few different decks then right around the time I graduated high school in amazing that came out the Wheel of Change Tarot! This, the deck that changed my life. There were no people on every card there were modern symbols and new (to me at least) art.
I started to connect with the cards so much deeper than I was ever able to before.  Around this time I graduated from my self-journey into finally being brave enough to read for others. I remember being in my teens getting together with other “eclectic” souls.
Comparing notes and talking about Magick. All of this talk and interest in the occult (OK no really obsession), brought me to New Orleans right around 21… I had a pretty cushy well-paying bar job there so I actually offered to volunteer at a local esoteric shop a few days a week in order to be a part of it and learn more… many great conversations many great classes really got my professional career started In Tarot.
I loved my experience in New Orleans I was there about a year just enough time I feel to learn exactly what I needed to learn. After that experience was through I returned back to Michigan and went to one of my favorite local tarot reading establishments. A good friend of mind at the time was chatting up the beautiful Carol Navarre while I went for my reading.
When I return she said your friend Here says you read tarot why don’t you bring your cards by tomorrow. I had no idea this was an actual interview. Those of you know Carol can hear this in her sly, charming voice.

I returned the next day with my cards and read for Carol she asked me to return for a formal interview at the amazing Boston Tea Room.
I showed up as my brazen self in a form-fitting full-length leopard print skirt. I was Hired! Later our fearless leader Heatherleigh Navarre current owner of Boston tea room let me know it was totally the leopard print skirt that got me hired! I was just a baby… but super excited to serve!
That began my amazing now almost 20 your journey in being a professional Tarot card reader.