Sarah O'Connor

A few weeks ago I bought a notebook at a local witch store. I’d admired it online for awhile but could never bring myself to buy it because the shop is in the U.K. which meant I’d have to deal with exchange rates and shipping. The cover of the notebook shows a brown rabbit circled with stars with it’s paw on an open pomegranate, “The Empress” written below it. It was part of the company, Fable England’s, Tarot Tales collection which was illustrated by Jessica Roux, an artist I admire and who’s oracle deck I already own. So when the witch store near me got it in stock I naturally bought it, convincing myself that I was saving money because I didn’t have to pay an exchange rate or shipping.

I don’t really know what drew me to the notebook. Roux’s illustrations are always stunning, but when it comes to the Major Arcana I’ve always felt more drawn to the Strength card than any other. Roux had even illustrated a Strength design, but it didn’t hold my attention like The Empress did. While I’m happy to see rabbits hopping along on lawns, munching on grass now that the weather is getting nicer I don’t have a kinship to them. I like drinking pomegranate juice and the symbolism it has to Persephone, but otherwise I can’t think of any reason I’d be drawn to it this time when I never have before. When I bought the notebook I also bought a mystery pack, and in the mystery pack I received a tarot pin, also of the Empress.

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