Red Tarot
with Christopher Marmolejo

Dive deep into the mystical world of tarot with Christopher Marmolejo's enthralling Red Tarot, heralding the approach of World Tarot Day. From 6:00 to 6:30 pm, immerse yourself in a participatory reception where the arcane meets the literary; pull a card from your deck, share its story, and partake in personal discoveries. Delve into Red Tarot and its influences at our book exploration table - a curated selection of related books provided for perusing and borrowing by the Mechanics’ Institute Library. The book talk will begin at 6:30 pm, followed by a Q&A and book signing.

Join us for an evening where the magic of tarot and the allure of literature converge, creating an unforgettable celebration of divination and storytelling.

Special Call to Participants:

To fully participate in this event, we suggest that participants bring their favorite tarot deck! We kindly ask those who can to bring extra tarot decks to share with fellow attendees. Your generosity will ensure that everyone who wishes to participate can do so, making the night even more enjoyable and inclusive.

About the Book

Using the cards to subvert power dynamics, author Christopher Marmolejo applies an anti-racist, feminist, queer, and Indigenous lens to the deck. Red Tarot is a profound act of Native reclamation written by a queer, nonbinary, Mexican-American, Indigenous person. In many ways the publication of this book is historic and will influence the way we approach tarot readings for the better.

Woven into each card’s interpretation are history lessons and personal anecdotes from Marmolejo themself. The book travels through each figure in a standard 78 card tarot deck and brings in cosmologies outside the Hellenistic frame. Teachings from Toni Morrison, bell hooks, José Esteban Muñoz, and others are brought in as guides and Hindu and Aztec goddesses offer new frames for the storied cards. Readers who regularly pull from decks, will enjoy the fact that Red Tarot can be used with any of the wide array of decks currently available. In fact, Marmolejo invites readers to look at who is being represented on each of their deck’s cards and consider what kind of messaging that representation is implying. Marmolejo insists tarot shifts authority into the hands of the people themselves. This is a tarot guidebook free of appropriative spirituality, and it demonstrates tarot as a language for liberation and self-determination.

About the Author

Christopher Marmolejo is a recognized tarot and astrology expert and comfortably draws connections between the two. They regularly host tarot classes, workshops, and consultations. Having a background in traditional teaching as an English teacher, their commitment to making the archaic understandable and accessible is evident in their book.

Instagram: @The.Red.Read | Substack: theredread.substack.com

Cancellation Policy

We reserve the right to cancel at any time and issue a full refund. If you are unable to attend this event, please email [email protected] or call 415-393-0103 by Friday, May 17, 2024, to receive a full refund less any non-refundable ticketing fees which may be applicable. All fees must be paid at the time of registration. After Friday, May 17, 2024, no refunds will be issued.