Tarot as a Technology

Abstract

In this paper, I situate Tarot at the worldmaking juncture where anti-oppression meets technological innovation among social justice activist communities in the United States. The adoption, appropriation, and adaptation of Tarot and other delegitimized technologies by and for marginalized communities to cultivate imaginations informed by ancestral wisdoms demonstrates the resilience and resourcefulness of social justice activism. In light of these innovations, I propose Tarot as a technology, extending the meaning of Tarot into a technology of care, for art educators to consider. My aim is to draw attention to common assumptions we make about technologies, what we choose to name as technologies, and assumptions technologies make about us, particularly in the field of art education. Art educators can use Tarot to begin an exploration of justice, where the card decks serve as tools and the reading strategies serve as techniques that constitute a practice of justice-oriented worldmaking.