Welcome to Cast Iron! A weekly newsletter that talks fitness, tarot and current events that hits inboxes every Monday. Each issue features a workout based on a tarot card, a tarot pull related to current events and, sometimes, a blog post or journal prompt. You’ll also find a list of my current favs at the end of each email, so be sure to check those out if you’re low on inspiration or energy. If you like my work, connect with me on Instagram and Twitter @byAlissaSmith or visit my website.
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The Magician represents resourcefulness. They say that you have everything you need to get started and achieve your goals. As such, this workout is meant to use what you already have. This is a stair workout but if you’d prefer to avoid stairs, use a jump rope or try out short sprints.
Please keep any injuries or health issues in mind when attempting this workout. Sharp pain means stop, dizziness means stop, feeling lightheaded means stop. And, when in doubt, check with your doctor before starting any new workout program.
This workout will (probably) take you outside, so plan ahead and make sure to check the weather report before diving in. Ready?
Fit Tip:
After you’re done, you may want to lounge around for a bit but you’ll actually decrease muscle soreness if you keep moving, so remember to stretch and hydrate!
Reading (the) Room
And now onto even tougher lifts.
I’m not sure how versed you are in the world of tarot but you can find out more about how I approach the cards here. I don’t believe in fate or in the cards foretelling a concrete future — though it would be nice if they did. I believe tarot is a way to gain insight and understanding.
TW: This week’s reading involves violence against Black women.
This reading is about Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old Black ER tech who was killed by white Louisville police officers in March.
Taylor and her boyfriend were awoken just before 1 a.m. on March 13 by banging on their apartment door. Minutes later, officers barged inside as part of a drug investigation connected to someone who didn’t live there, according to news outlets. Confused and scared, Taylor’s boyfriend said he fired a warning shot.
Attorney General Daniel Cameron, Kentucky’s first Black attorney general, said Taylor’s boyfriend wounded one of the officers, leading police to return fire. Cameron said last week that an investigation determined the officer wasn’t wounded by friendly fire but a Sunday Louisville Courier Journal report said Cameron’s claim isn’t supported by a Kentucky State Police ballistics report.
Of the three involved officers, one was fired several months after the shooting. He was charged last week with multiple counts of wanton endangerment in the March shooting for firing into a nearby apartment that had people inside; The charges — and lack thereof — have reinvigorated nationwide protests calling for an end to police brutality and officers’ apparent immunity from true consequence. The FBI is investigating, according to news outlets.
If you’ve ever had a tarot reading, you probably know that cards that fly out of the deck are given special consideration. When attempting to pull a card representative of Taylor’s shooting and death, the reversed Six of Coins and Ace of Swords flipped onto the table.
The reversed Six of Coins is a minor arcana card that represents scams, extortion and abuse of power. After reading the above paragraphs describing what happened, I’m sure you understand exactly how this encapsulates the situation. The reversed Ace of Swords often represents confusion and misinformation. Combined, these two cards speak to an abuse of power and the subsequent obfuscation of that abuse.
I believe in action-oriented readings, so I often close readings by asking what we can do to move forward or what we can expect to see next. I pulled the reversed Eight of Swords, a beautiful minor arcana card that leads to freedom. In the Rider-Waite-Smith version of this card, we see a blindfolded and bound woman standing in a circle of swords. The swords represent our mind and intellect, both of which seem to hold the woman hostage. But if she could peek around her blindfold, she’d notice the swords are spaced far enough apart that she could squeeze between them and escape. By analyzing each sword — what they represent, who put them there, what purpose and impact they have — we learn how to step outside of these limitations.
This is not an issue that can be solved by a single person. I believe this card speaks to how the U.S. as a whole can move forward. If we can tear down these swords, then we will move into the King of Wands, a minor arcana court card. This card traditionally represents an altruistic leader who lifts others up and often forgets their own inherent power and worth in the process. The card in this deck features a phoenix, a mythological bird that burns down the old to make way for the new, showing us that our possible future is illuminated by a creature of fire and rebirth.
What I’m loving this week:
This is a beach read or, more accurately for most of us, a lounge in the bath to hide from the outside world read. If you’re looking for an easy distraction and a story about witches in 20th century France, look no further.
Look, I missed this the first time around. I don’t have a good excuse (I was two months old) but I have finally started watching it and I love it.
Can't Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation by Anne Helen Petersen
If you loved Anne’s 2019 article on the same topic, you’ll dig this book that dives even deeper into why most of us are chronically burned out from chasing an ever-shrinking promise of security.
This podcast tells the tale of a fundamentalist, polygamous Mormon community on the Utah/Arizona border. Trust me. You’ll want to listen to this.
Trader Joe's Apple Fruit Snacks Mango Jalapeño
I wish I could link you to these so you could see that the name of this snack is just as convoluted as it appears but we all know how TJ’s is when it comes to selling things online.
A subscriber’s suggestion to name the current event reading section, “Reading (the) Room.” Thanks, @policyKate! She would love it if you could take a moment to check out She Should Run, a nonprofit that wants to see more women running for political offices.
This week’s deck is Tarot of the Divine by Yoshi Yoshitani
I haven’t been able to put this deck down since I got it. Each card represents a different myth from around the world; I’m so in love with the care and detail put into each card that I ended up ordering Yoshitani’s companion book that delves into the myth chosen for each card.
How can you support Cast Iron?
Share this newsletter and leave a comment below! Tell me what you liked, didn’t like, want to see, etc. I want to know how to make this newsletter the best thing about Mondays. If you have a story or topic idea, drop me a line at Hello@AlissaSmith.red.
How can you support me?
Hire me for freelance writing gigs. You can find some of my clips here.
Schedule remote tarot readings and/or personal training sessions with me.
Buy a copy of COVENTRY, a secular witchcraft zine run by me and my friend, Megan Castro, an Atlanta-based artist. Our newest issue talks about problematic ideas (e.g. The Secret) perpetuated in Western witchcraft circles.