Opening to Our Wild Selves: The Archetype of the Dog in Tarot with Sarah Vrba

So, what does the tarot have to do with dogs?? In today’s episode, I am joined by intuitive tarot and astrology expert, and fellow mystic dog mama, Sarah Vrba. Honestly, connecting with Sarah in this conversation was like meeting with a kindred spirit, I enjoyed it so much. I’ve been following Sarah’s work on her YouTube channel for a good few years now where she has created a beautiful and permission-giving space for the sensitive ones among us to reconnect to ourselves, and embrace the wild nature within us. So, what do dogs and the tarot have to do with one another? If you’ve never worked with the tarot before, it is a system of cards that uses imagery and symbolism to describe the archetypal “fool’s journey” or “hero’s journey” that we are all on as humans. In this chat, Sarah and I talk about how the archetype of the dog appears in key moments of The Fool’s journey throughout the Rider Waite Smith tarot deck, inviting us to be present to what is truly available to us, and beckoning to embrace our wild nature.  We get into all kinds of juicy topics, from becoming ok with being a work in process publicly, to deconstructing cultural conditioning, and learning to claim our needs -  lessons we have both learned from our dogs. We also talk about how dogs invite us to explore and embrace our wild selves with abandon, and how Chihuahua time is a real thing! Sarah has such a warm and inviting energy, and I just know you’re going to love connecting with her. If you want to learn more about Sarah and her work, I have left links below. If you are enjoying this podcast, I would be so grateful if you could like, subscribe, rate it, and leave a review! All of these things are so important for helping other mystic dog mamas find the podcast, and get the support they are looking for to best nourish their dogs - and themselves - mind, body, and soul. And, as always, let me know what topics you’d like me to cover in upcoming episodes, or questions you have around nourishing your dog (or yourself!)! This really is a community space, so if there’s something you want to bring up for discussion, I’m all ears! Again, just reach out to me on Instagram @mysticdogmama Sarah’s YouTube Channel https://youtube.com/@sarahvrba Sarah’s Patreon https://patreon.com/sarahvrba Sarah’s website https://sarahvrba.com Sarah’s Instagram https://instagram.com/sarahvrba This episode is supported by Aspirationery, which, in full transparency, is another project of mine where we create books, notebooks, and stationery to help you become all you aspire to be! If you are looking for a safe space to explore and embrace your wild self, our moon magic and shadow work journals and workbooks might be a useful support for you. You can take a peek at them on our Aspirationery instagram account, https://instagram.com/aspirationery. TIMESTAMPS 00:20 Intro 05:15 How tarot and astrology have shaped Sarah’s journey, and helped her get back to the wild river of life 06:55 Tarot and astrology to reclaim your personal power and embrace the deep, dark places within ourselves 11:18 What is the mystical path for Sarah? 12:40 Deconstructing the conditioning - across cultures 16:30 Allowing things to be messy 19:00 Negotiating identity 21:00 Productivity culture 22:20 The archetype of the dog in tarot and what it is teaching us about our wild selves 28:35 Sarah and I talk shadow work with our dogs 31:55 The will of the world, surrendering to a greater plan 37:20 When your deepest fears are really your greatest friends - lessons from our dogs 43:45 How dogs change our relationship to nature and our own needs 49:15 Dogs lead us through the veil, and return us to ourselves 53:30 Chihuahuas have their own time and the biggest energy field 55:30 Questions that Sarah offers you to explore your own path 1:04:00 What Sarah’s dog has taught her about what it means to be human DISCLAIMER: This is not a substitute for medical advice or other relevant professional advice.