It’s all in the cards
Climb the stairs of the Reed Opera House, until you reach the third floor. There, just past the grand ballroom, is a magical space: No. 303.
Entering this colorful studio with its soaring, nearly floor-to-ceiling windows, and you might imagine you’ve entered a secret world, a mystical haven, filled to the brimming with treasures, artwork and curios. For here is the new studio of Layne Young, Tarot reader.
Young began reading Tarot over 20 years ago, when she received a deck as a gift. A short time later, she made the decision to dedicate herself to the study of the ancient art.
“The whole time I was studying Tarot, going through exercises, it was catching fire for me,” Young said.
She soon began reading cards for the public, in a space above Ma Valise.
“At that time, my business was called Answers Within. It is my conviction that we have answers to the questions of our own lives already within us. My aim with the readings is to help illuminate those answers for people, using the cards as a tool,” she said.
Young primarily uses a Thoth deck for her readings. This deck, known for its lavish illustrations, was created by mystic Aleister Crowley and Lady Freida Harris, and was first published in 1969.
According to Young, there are no “good” or “bad” cards.
“When I do readings, I say that all the cards are our friends, they are only looking for our attention. The cards do not tell us what to do. We are always in choice,” she said. “I won’t tell you anything you don’t know. It’s being told what you DO know that is so valuable.
“Often what we hide from ourselves is what we need to know the most. The cards are good for illuminating this.”
For Young, the cards are only part of a reading.
“There’s a certain psychic knowing when a person comes in. I didn’t study the cards with the idea that I had any psychic ability. But as I began doing readings, I began to understand that I could ‘lift off’ the cards, and read the aura, the energy, what’s surrounding that person,” she explained.
How often should a person get a reading? A few times a year, advised Young.
“A good reading should last 3 to 6 months.”
Young charges $60 for a full reading. For information, call (503) 364-6711.
Sara Wiseman owns Wiseman Creative, a Salem marketing and public relations firm. She may be reached at wiseman@open.org.
