Ch.1 Wild Woman
Mary-El tarot workshop, learn this deck by combining tarot with literature. “Women Who Run With The Wolves”
Resurrecting the Wild Woman: A Tarot Reflection on Chapter 1 of Women Who Run With the Wolves
In the opening chapter of Women Who Run With the Wolves, titled The Howl: Resurrection of the Wild Woman, Clarissa Pinkola Estés invites us to remember what we have forgotten. She calls us to listen for the soul’s howl, that ancient, emotional cry that rises from the deepest parts of us. This is not a gentle awakening. It is the kind of resurrection that requires us to crawl into the underworld, gather the bones of who we used to be, and sing ourselves back to life.
I pulled three cards from the Mary El Tarot. Their messages aligned perfectly with Estés’ (the author) mythic and emotional terrain.
The Moon was the first card, and it captured the entire essence of the chapter. In the Mary El, it depicts a blue vulture and a gaping-mouthed woman. It is raw, guttural, and wild. The Moon represents the mystery of the unconscious, the parts of ourselves that we hide, deny, or lose over time. Estés writes that every woman has a Wild Woman within her, but she has been exiled, buried beneath layers of social conditioning and silence. The Moon guides us into this buried terrain. It is not about light. It is about instinct. Grief. Emotion. And remembering. Like the vulture who feeds on what is dead to bring new life, the Moon signals that the path forward requires us to face what has been lost and forgotten.
Supporting this theme was The World. In the Mary El, this card asks us how our story ends. It speaks of afterlife, integration, and movement with the flow of the universe. La Loba, the mythic figure introduced in Chapter 1, does not simply collect bones for the sake of it. She gathers them to bring something whole and holy back to life. This is the message of The World. That the end of this journey is not chaos, but completion. If we can survive the descent, if we can howl through our pain, we return to ourselves in full. The World reminds us that healing is possible. Wholeness is real. It is not something we create. It is something we recover.
The final card was the Two of disks, a woman with two coins over her eyes. In Greek mythology, coins were placed on the eyes of the dead as payment for crossing the river into the underworld. This card carries that energy. It is the moment before the journey begins. A choice / A threshold /A price.
Transformation always asks something of us. The Two also symbolizes duality, the tension between the life we live and the life we long for. It speaks of the many roles women are forced to juggle, the perspectives we must hold, and the cost of not seeing ourselves clearly. To resurrect the Wild Woman, we must be willing to see with new eyes. We must be willing to pay the price of truth.
Together, these three cards tell the same story that the author does. First, we hear the howl and feel the stirrings of the forgotten self (The Moon). Then we remember that resurrection is possible if we commit to the journey (The World). Finally, we accept the cost of transformation and prepare to cross the threshold (Two of disks).
This chapter is not just a beginning. It is a summons. A reckoning. A return.
And if you listen closely, you might hear your own bones calling you back.
Mary-El Tarot WorkShop
Introduction: A month long immersive tarot journey with the Mary-El deck! Pairing cards with fragrance, music, books, and film to deepen intuition and explore archetypes through art and storytelling.
Mary-El Tarot: 30-Day Deep Dive Workshop
This month, I’m doing a deep, immersive dive into the Mary-El Tarot! A new addition to my collection that I’ve never worked with before. Instead of memorizing the guidebook, I like to get to know a deck by combining it with other art forms: fragrance, music, literature, and film. It helps me explore the deck intuitively and creatively.
Mary-El Tarot Deck: https://a.co/d/j2pwsJG
Fragrance: Poltergeist by Heretic
To begin, I anointed the deck with a sample of Poltergeist by Heretic Parfum. While it’s too intense for me to wear personally, I love the scent! Herbaceous, smoky, and deeply mysterious. It smells like a damp forest at dusk, which fits the energy of the Mary-El perfectly. Now, whenever I open the deck box, I’m instantly transported into a dark, mythic underworld.
Scent is an essential part of my tarot practice. It adds a sensory layer that deepens the emotional and spiritual experience.
Poltergeist Perfume (anointing scent) https://hereticparfum.com/products/po...
Poltergeist
Part smoke, part wood, and all wild magic. Poltergeist is a blend of sexy galbanum, wormwood, rich ambers, and scorched birch tar for an otherworldly fragrance
Music Playlist
I’ve also curated a playlist of songs that match the vibe of the Mary-El artwork. I spent time researching artists whose music captures the emotional, primal energy of this deck. You can listen along on Spotify or Apple Music, links are included below.
Apple Music: / mary-el-tarot
Companion Reading
For this journey, I’ll be reading a book alongside the deck; something thematically or archetypally aligned.
Women Who Run With The Wolves Book: https://a.co/d/38DR7n5
Women Who Run with the Wolves
As I read, I’ll occasionally pull cards, reflect on the imagery, and take notes on any connections or ideas that surface. This is not about academic study…. it’s a slow, intuitive process of letting the cards enrich the story and vice versa. I’ll reference the guidebook, but only as needed.
Weekly Films + Character Spread
Each week, I’ll also be watching a film that resonates with the deck’s energy. Before the movie, I’ll pull a Character Spread (which I’ll explain in the next entry). The goal is to intuitively read the character or themes in the film ahead of time, then watch the movie and reflect afterward. What did I get right? What did I miss? What new insight did the film bring to the reading?
Using the same spread each week helps me see how the deck’s artwork communicates across different stories.
Final Thoughts
Over the next 30 days, I’ll continue pulling cards, reading, reflecting, and watching films. It’s a relaxed, artistic way to bond with a new tarot deck…and I’ll be documenting the process as I go.
If you’d like to join me, you can grab a copy of the Mary-El Tarot (it’s mass-market and widely available). Links are below. I’d love to share this journey with you.
Checklist
Workshop Check list
Mary-El Workshop Checklist
Week 1: Introduction & First Impressions
Introduce your deck
☐ Anoint the deck with a fragrance of your choosing
☐ Intuitively introduce yourself to the deck
Art & Music Immersion
☐ Listen to the curated playlist
☐ Admire the artwork card-by-card
☐ Sort the cards into piles (like/dislike, understand/don’t understand)
☐ Journal your first impressions and emotional reactions
Start the Book
☐ Begin reading Women Who Run With the Wolves
☐ Pull 3 cards while reading and write down your reflections
Film #1 Viewing
☐ Do the Character Spread before watching the film
☐ Watch Film #1 (Pan’s Labyrinth)
☐ Reflect afterward: what did you get right? what surprised you?
Week 2: Deepening Connection
Book + Tarot Integration
☐ Continue reading the book
☐ Pull cards and take notes on themes, connections, and imagery
Film #2 Viewing
☐ Do the Character Spread before watching
☐ Watch Film #2 (November)
☐ Reflect on the accuracy and symbolism of your reading
Midpoint Spread
☐ Do the “What Does This Deck Have to Teach Me?” spread
☐ Journal your interpretation and how the deck is evolving in meaning
Week 3: Integration & Closing
Complete the Book
☐ Pull any final reflection cards and take closing notes
Film #3 Viewing
☐ Do the Character Spread before watching
☐ Watch Film #3 (The Shape of Water)
☐ Reflect and journal: how does the film echo the deck’s messages?
Closing Ritual
☐ Do the Conclusion Spread
☐ Write your closing thoughts: What did this journey awaken?
☐ Optional: Create a final art piece, altar, or ritual for integration
