Tarot Moms is a series of interviews with professional tarot readers who are also moms. Hear what they have to say about intuition, parenting advice – and using tarot as a guide for those tough dilemmas many moms face.
Today we are talking with the busiest woman in tarot – deck creator and proud mother of four, Chanel Bayless.
Chanel is a professional tarot consultant who specializes in creating fun, innovative metaphysical tools for exploring complex spiritual topics. She has an insatiable thirst for knowledge that includes serious study of Reiki, Kabbalah, Prophecy, Tarot, Chakras, Numerology and ancient religions. Chanel is deeply involved in advocacy, serving as a community parent leader and board member for Family and Children First. She continually strives to support the brilliance that lives within all women through her writings and informational tools on Tarot and through her professional practice. She is the author of Simply Deep Tarot and A King’s Journey Tarot.
1. How does your motherly intuition serve you?
My children have wonderful stories about my intuition! My 20 year old daughter often talks about how she learned quickly as a young child that there was no point in lying because I always seemed to know when she was hiding something, and what she was hiding. It left her with the inability to lie.
One story I like to share with other Moms in how my intuition (and determination) helped me be able to seek out the proper medical care that my children needed.
When my 17 year old son was 2, I KNEW something was wrong. I knew his cries and behaviors were not a result of bad parenting as one doctor suggested, I knew he didn’t have an infection as another wanted me to believe. There was something very wrong. I allowed myself to be led by my intuition. I let my intuition guide me to a doctor that initiated a discussion about my son having Autism six months after other doctors would deny it. Over the course of 15 years, I have managed to feel the behavior changes, and challenges, in him before they took complete hold of his life. Every time I felt that shift in him, I knew I needed to seek out treatment, and we’ve managed to stay one step ahead of the game. While my son still has a long way to go, he has come so far in his treatment. I definitely attribute it to my ability to listen to what my intuition had to say about what treatment my son needs and what direction to look in order to get that treatment provided. I know that he continually expresses his appreciation, and often thanks me, for my ability to understand what he needs and what he is trying to express, despite his expressive communication disorder and disorganized thoughts.
Another story I’ll share with you happened last year. I kept feeling like something was wrong with my daughter, but nothing seemed to be evident. I kept mentioning it in case anyone would clue in on it. Two months later, we discovered an abnormal mole on my daughter’s scalp. The first doctor didn’t seem to be worried. I took her back to the doctor the next day and asked to see a different doctor and he took it very serious. The next week she saw the surgeon, it was removed. It was starting to process, but thankfully, we caught it quickly and all of it had been removed.
These are a few of the more drastic examples, but on the day to day, I’m able to really open up and talk with my children about their lives. My intuition helps me to understand what is going on with their studies, friends, relationships, etc. This helps me to prepare them for success and teach them how to be proactive in their life rather than letting life be the luck of the draw. I can openly discuss the possibilities that I feel coming in. I’m not brash. I just open up the conversation around issues by asking questions to help them process all the possibilities before them. I’ve also been able to help them understand some of the ‘why’s ‘ in life through what information I pick up around the situation they are going through.
How does it serve me? It allows me to pick up on what is going on in my child’s life that they need help around, but haven’t been able to voice it, whether it is a lack of awareness, or unsure of how to communicate their concern. My intuition receives the signal that I need to pick up on so that I can give the proper guidance or open up the appropriate doorways for my children.
2. How has tarot helped you with your parenting?
There are a couple of different ways tarot has helped me with my parenting that I’d LOVE to share with you.
1. Tarot makes a FANTASTIC storyteller! My youngest daughter used to love ‘story time’ which was a nightly bedtime ritual for a time. She would often use the Zerner-Farber Tarot Deck. She would turn over each card as if it was a page in a book, sharing such vividly imaginative stories with me. Each night was like a new book. On these nights, tarot created an opportunity for us to bond while her creative imagination expanded.
2. In the morning before school, through the tween years, my children enjoyed pulling a card from Tarot Affirmations to use as a positive attitude to help them throughout the day. I also used this to talk about how to turn what they thought was a ‘bad’ energy into a more positive outlook.
3. I used tarot to explain how different people communicate so that my autistic son could understand social interactions. Autistic children use picture cards to communicate. As my son got older and he could speak very well, we weren’t using the cards. But a couple of years ago, I realized how tarot could model a variety of social situations for him. So, when he would tolerate it, I would walk him through the tarot energies and then we’d act it out in real time so he could break through some of his barriers.
4. The way that I understand tarot and use problem-solving reading skills with the cards in regards to the Fool’s Journey archetypes really helped me understand that there is a growth process at work in all our lives. When I saw my children go from tweens to teens and then start making their way into the adulthood, I could see their struggles and joys echoed by the process of the Fool’s Journey. As I began to recognize their pattern, I could understand the ‘stage’ they were going through. Again, this really helped when I needed to explain why they felt the way they did, or what would benefit them at that stage. Tarot helped me feel reassured that whatever stage they are going through, I knew it is that.. just a stage.
5. It opens up discussions on religious history, and what parent doesn’t feel grateful for any teaching tools that we can get our hands on?
6. What I really enjoy with my older children, is the ability to explain symbolism on the cards. They have no interest in learning tarot, but are intrigued by what the symbols mean. How does this help with parenting? Understanding tarot symbols and how symbolism works has really increased their ability to understand symbols at work every day in their environment. They can pick up clues from men, nature, friends, etc. that is likened to carrying their mother’s guidance with them everywhere they go. They no longer need me to point out this and that in their environment. Now, they can pick up on clues and messages at work all around them.
3. What advice would you give new moms?
First off, Congrats for being the wonderful Mother that you are. Remember to always take care of yourself, no matter how busy life gets.
So, What advice would I give a new Mom? Well, My advice to new moms is to always trust that you know what’s best for your child. There is an energetic bond that connects a Mother and child. Through that bond, you can speak without words, feel without touch, and hold tightly in a loving embrace. Your role as a Mom is to help guide your children so they can navigate the different types of energy in the world. Deepening your understanding of Tarot can definitely help you understand how to help them navigate this energy.
My last bit of advice is to bring the philosophy of tarot to your child, even if you never show your child a tarot card in their life. Tarot cards are only a reflection of the world around us. What happens on those cards are the same energies present in our daily lives. Teach your children how to understand those energies so that they can use those energies as an asset rather than leaving those energies to keep them stuck, as so many people struggle with day in and day out. Communication, structure, consistency, and love is the very best foundation in which to branch and grow.
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I’m so grateful that Chanel was able to take time out of her life for this little chat. Learn more about Chanel or get a reading from her at her site.
Blessings!
Theresa
© Theresa Reed | The Tarot Lady
Are you a new mom or expecting your first child? Are you a parent who wants to learn how to use tarot for effective parenting? Tarot can ground & anchor you in your intuitive wisdom, empowering you make the best possible choices for yourself, your partner & your kidlets. Check out my program: Tarot For Brand New Moms – and let’s get your tarot parenting on!
I’m Theresa Reed (aka, The Tarot Lady). I’ve been a full-time tarot reader for 30+ years — which, in my industry, makes me pretty badass.
I’m definitely not your average Tarot expert — I drop the F-bomb, I quote rappers, and I’m obsessed with pop culture + reality TV. Folks come to me for straight-talk + tough-love — without the woo-woo fluff. 
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