Let's Get Political

Can the Divide Be Bridged?

In 2017, when hubby and I were brainstorming images for our Coffee Tarot deck, I felt that portraying the American political divide was the perfect portrayal of the 2 of Swords.

Ron, on the other hand, was far from enthused. In the Artist’s Notes about this card which we renamed Two of Air), he wrote:

Of all the images in this deck, this one, by far, was the most difficult to finish—mostly because of my aversion to anything political. When Janet proposed clashing ideologies as the theme for this card, I had to admit that it made perfect sense…but I really got stuck creatively. I dragged my feet for weeks, maybe longer, but then finally forced myself to to just sit down and finish the image. I added the swords made of steam, and turbulent background, to reinforce the concept of conflict and rigid thinking.

Thing is, I wasn't thrilled about the idea of putting a political card in our deck, either—especially the animal symbols of the Democrat and Republican parties. (Honestly, I’m even more disgusted by the symbols now in 2025 as the corruption of both parties becomes increasingly evident).

Hard truths are rarely palatable.

Page from the Coffee Tarot Companion Book

Sometimes, artists—painters, writers, sculptors, filmmakers, deck creators—have to make difficult decisions portraying uncomfortable ideas. This tension connects to the 2 of Swords card, as well. Two is two Ones facing each other (II), either in coupling or opposition.

Attraction—or repulsion. Just like the two poles of a magnet.

With the inauguration of 45 (soon to be 47) looming, it seems fitting to bring the 2 of Swords into focus. If the winter holidays didn't bring raised voices or arguments, the next few weeks will likely do so.

But a political slant to the 2 of Swords card isn't relegated to American ideologies, of course: it can apply to any clashing (and subsequent divide) between dueling belief systems.

Of course, some people (like writer Hugh Howey, the viral author behind the Wool/Silo series) chose to completely cut off previously close familial relations (like his father) the first time around. Many have done so since, and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

Unless a detente occurs.

Is this possible? Can Tarot help? I’d like to think so.

As I wrote in the Personal Growth section for the 2 of Air in the Coffee Tarot companion book:

Can two ideologies—two differing opinions—both be true…at the same time? Well, if the concepts of right and wrong are black and white—rather than shades of gray—the answer is no. But, what if—as the Gandhi quote above posits—truth is just a matter of the “angle of vision”? Just like a cut diamond can have many facets, reflecting varied glints of light and color depending on its position, so, too, can a “truth”. Your challenge, when this card comes up (should you choose to accept it), is to find the “truth” in another’s viewpoint—including, and especially, one that you disagree with.

To help you accept the challenge (cue the Mission Impossible theme), I’ve created a 6-card Bridging the Divide Tarot Spread for you to try:

1. How is this relationship being affected by our difference of opinion?

2. What point of debate is most important to me?

3. What do I need to know about their most important point?

4. How are both points similar?

5. How can I best understand where they are coming from?

6. The way forward

If you’ve followed my work, you know that I’m a huge proponent of conscious (rather than random) Tarot draws—so consider looking through your deck face up, and then select the cards that seem to resonate best for each position.

Journaling your selected cards and your thoughts/reactions will also be of help.

Do you think bridging a political divide is possible, dear reader? If not, try the spread with your favorite Tarot deck and see if you change your mind (or gain some valuable insights into why it's impossible for you).

I’ll leave you with an image of the 10 Mental card from our Snowland Deck:

If you’d like our Coffee Tarot (hand-drawn art, colored with watercolor pencils) by hubby or our Snowland Deck (hand-drawn images, painted with acrylics), please visit our ChezBoyer Etsy Shop here. Our neurodivergent son sews all bags by hand (free with every deck). The companion books to both decks are available at ChezBoyer, too (look for the deck/book bundle discount option).