In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the stay at home orders of Spring 2020, I began learning the art of tarot as a way to engage my mind that I also felt was therapeutic. As I was thinking of all the different books that we here at Ooligan Press have published, I realized that many of them carry themes that can be embodied in many of the Major Arcana cards. Take a look and see if your favorite Ooligan title is listed and what your tarot match might be. Chances are there might be a fun message for you from the cards as well!

Faultland: The Tower

The Tower is all about shaking foundations and allowing the things in our lives that are crumbling to crumble and fall away. No one knows what this is like more than the Sparrow family in Faultland. Caught in the wake of an earthquake that lays the city of Portland in waste, the family’s already shaky relationships are put to the test. The beautiful thing about the Tower is, however, that while things fall apart, it has a lovely way of revealing what strong and sure foundations remain.

Cataclysms on the Columbia: Death

Like many tarot cards, there is a nuanced balance of positive and negative energy, and it all depends on the context of the reading. The bestselling Ooligan title, Cataclysms on the Columbia, details the shifting and the forming of the landscape that those native to the river are well familiar with. In the same way, those familiar with the Death card know that it is all about the cycle of life ending, but in every ending there is a new beginning and a continual shifting of energies to keep sustaining life.

The Gifts We Keep: The Wheel of Fortune

In The Gifts We Keep by Katie Grindeland, Emerson is no stranger to sorrow. She deals with loss and healing and plenty of unknowns. Yet, like the Wheel of Fortune, the path that the characters take is bound to flip. What goes up must come down. Through the course of the novel, their fortune does turn out for the best.

Breaking Cadence: Justice

Rosa del Duca’s award-winning and compelling memoir about her journey as a conscientious objector deserves none other than Justice. The Justice card is all about unbiased decisions that are not swayed by anything other than truth when deciding what is fair and just. While del Duca’s path may not be for everyone, this book lays out, in no uncertain terms, why it was the necessary path for her.

Iditarod Nights: The Lovers

The dog-sled romance by Cindy Hiday seems to have an obvious choice: the Lovers. There is no doubting the potential of a relationship between Claire Stanfield and Dillon Cord, who both have complicated and intertwined histories. In spite of competing against each other in the Iditarod races, the two become allies and friends and have the choice of how far they want to take their relationship. Much like the Lovers card beckons, there are choices and sacrifices with the potential for beautiful results.

Odsburg: The Magician

Matt Tompkins’s award-winning allegorical fiction, Odsburg has all the makings of magic and an unveiling of what holds the city of Odsburg together. Woven together with both mystery and humor, Odsburg is nothing short of fantastical. Like the Magician, Tompkins is able to unearth tremendous potential within the citizens and city of Odsburg in order to transform what was once unknown into the known.

Laurel Everywhere: Strength

Erin Moynihan’s protagonist is everything that the Strength card represents. True strength is about the quiet resolution. As Laurel Everywhere‘s protagonist struggles to cope with grief, she taps into the wonder that is human resiliency and the gift of having a good support system. Laurel embodies the old adage: you never know how strong you are until you have to be.

Finding the Vein: The Moon

Like the Moon card, at the core of Jennifer Hanlon Wilde’s mystery, Finding The Vein, is the sense that nothing is what it seems. This whodunit novel gives a home to several notably diverse characters at Heritage Camp and highlights the fact that human beings contain a complexity of multitudes. Whatever illusions we have about those characters is sure to be challenged in brilliant ways in this book.

At Ooligan, we hope that as you read and engage with these incredible books, you will see the greater themes that the Universe is speaking in and through them to their dear readers. Be sure to check out our website
to buy the book that matches your tarot card!