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Tazama African Tarot, Rotterdam (2025)

30/09/2025

Virtue: I Hold Purity in High Esteem ✨

This card teaches us that purity is more than innocence — it is the essence of truth uncorrupted by fear, shame, or pride. In African wisdom traditions, purity is symbolized by the Akan Adwera sign: sacred, clean, and divinely protected. To honor purity is to remember the child within us who still believes in love, and to protect the children among us who carry ancestral memory fresh from the spiritual realm.

When we lose this virtue, we lose the way back to healing. Exploited innocence and silenced inner children ripple trauma across generations. But when we revere purity — in ourselves and in others — we find the path to clarity, wholeness, and spiritual harmony.

Everyday example:
Think of a moment when bitterness clouds your heart, or when cynicism feels easier than hope. This virtue invites you to pause and return to the untouched part of yourself — to the child who dreamed without fear. Protect that purity, and you protect the divine spark
Within.

23/09/2025

Virtue: I Communicate With Compassion ✨

This card teaches us that true communication is a sacred exchange rooted in listening as much as speaking. Compassion begins not with words, but with the willingness to hear and understand. Our ancestors teach us this through the kudu horn — once used to summon communities, carry secret messages in times of war, and safeguard villages through warning calls. It was never just a tool, but a vessel of survival and connection.

The kudu itself, tall and majestic, models this virtue through its great, attentive ears. It pauses before moving, listening deeply before acting. In the same way, compassionate communication calls us to listen before we speak, to treat words as medicine rather than weapons.

When we turn away from this virtue, we fall into misunderstanding, conflict, and disconnection. We talk over others, miss the meaning beneath their words, or react from pain rather than clarity. Communities fracture when noise replaces listening, and shouting takes the place of understanding.

Everyday example:
Think of a conversation where you feel unheard, or where conflict rises quickly. This virtue invites you to pause, breathe, and listen with the heart of the kudu. By doing so, your words emerge from empathy and clarity, carrying the power to heal and draw people closer — just as the ancient horns once gathered entire villages into unity

18/09/2025

Virtue: I Live In Truth ✨

This card teaches us that to live in truth is to walk in alignment with our divine purpose. Rooted in African ancestral wisdom, this virtue reminds us that truth is not something given by others, but something revealed through deep spiritual knowing. Our ancestors used sacred tools like the Opon Ifá divination board to connect with the unseen and seek guidance, showing us that truth is a lived harmony with one’s higher self and destiny.

When we step away from this alignment, we lose our compass. We may conform to false identities, feel inner conflict, or live a life shaped by fear instead of intention. Truth calls us back into clarity, into the strength of who we are meant to be.

Everyday example:
Think of times when you feel pressured to live up to others’ expectations or wear a mask that hides your true self. This virtue reminds you to pause, return inward, and listen to the wisdom within. By honoring your truth, you unlock clarity, courage, and the freedom to live guided by your soul.

16/09/2025

**Virtue: I Advance Through My Abilities ✨**

This card teaches us that each of us carries a sacred gift — a talent encoded in our spirit. In Igbo cosmology, this is known as *Agwu*, the inner force guiding us toward self-mastery and purpose. To advance is not just to climb in status, but to refine our abilities in a way that brings harmony to ourselves and to others.

**Everyday example:**
Think of moments when you feel out of place or undervalued. This virtue reminds us to return to what we do best — whether creating, teaching, healing, or building. By practicing our gifts with patience and dedication, we align with Ma’at and move forward with true fulfillment.

11/09/2025

✨ Virtue: I Honor My Ancestors ✨

This card teaches us that to honor our ancestors is to root ourselves in memory and strength. It’s about recognizing that we are not alone—we carry the wisdom, resilience, and dreams of those who walked before us. By remembering them, we remember who we truly are.

Everyday example:
When facing doubt or uncertainty, pause and think of those in your lineage who endured hardship yet kept moving forward. Whether it’s a grandmother’s prayer, a father’s labor, or a story passed down, let that memory anchor you. Their strength becomes your compass, reminding you that you, too, can walk with dignity and clarity.

09/09/2025

✨ Virtue: I Relate in Peace ✨

This card teaches us that to relate in peace is to become a bridge, not a barrier. It’s about listening with the heart, choosing words that heal rather than wound, and carrying a presence that dissolves conflict. In a world of chaos, peace itself becomes an act of sacred rebellion.

Everyday example:
Think of a heated moment — maybe an argument with a loved one, or a stressful email that feels sharp. Instead of reacting quickly, this virtue reminds us to pause, breathe, and answer with calm. By holding steady, we create the space for understanding to grow, instead of fueling division.

26/08/2025

Abusapa—home of Tazama African Tarot—and artist Data Oruwari present Echoes of the Nile, our new oracle. Here’s the thought behind this card. I Invoke Laughter

Laughter is a sacred medicine, a spark of joy that opens the heart and lightens the soul. It is not merely entertainment; it is a spiritual act. In African wisdom, laughter is seen as a powerful force that shifts energy, restores balance, and reminds us of the absurd beauty of being alive. As the Kenyan proverb says, “Laughter is medicine, and whoever makes you laugh is your doctor.”

To invoke laughter is to call in light during darkness. It helps us process hardship with grace, release emotional tension, and find our center again. When we laugh, we loosen the grip of fear. We soften the pain. We remember that we are more than our burdens. Laughter restores our playfulness and reminds us not to take ourselves so seriously. It is an act of rebellion against despair and a portal back to joy. To embody this virtue is to become a healing presence; to laugh at the right time, to lighten heavy spaces, and to know when humor is the doorway to peace.

When imbalanced , we become overly serious, weighed down by heaviness, and disconnected from our inner joy. Without laughter, emotions stagnate. We lose our sense of perspective and forget how to play. This can lead to depression, isolation, and a hardened heart; symptoms of a soul that has forgotten how to exhale.

The imagery shows a portrait of a man who is divinely illuminated by laughter. His smile radiates warmth and wisdom, revealing that even in the face of adversity, joy is a revolutionary force.

20/08/2025

Abusapa—home of Tazama African Tarot—and artist Data Oruwari present Echoes of the Nile, our new oracle. Here’s the thought behind this card.

I Consume My Fair Share

This reflects the virtue of mindful consumption; rooted in compassion, equity, and communal care. To live by this principle is to recognize that taking only what we need creates space for others to thrive. Whether motivated by fear, greed, or profit, overconsumption feeds a cycle of scarcity that disrupts balance, both socially and spiritually.

Today’s world reveals the cost of this imbalance: extreme wealth disparity, famine, environmental degradation, and economic instability. Yet, nature has provided in abundance; what we lack is not supply, but fair and conscious distribution. Greed and excess in some regions mirror a devastating lack in others, creating disharmony where there could be collective nourishment.

The artwork portrays a communal meal of Injera (a sourdough flatbread, primarily eaten in Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisines), shared from a single plate as practiced in many African cultures. This act of eating together with bare hands honors values of generosity, humility, and togetherness. It is a powerful reminder that consumption, when guided by respect for others and the Earth, becomes a sacred act of unity.

19/08/2025

Abusapa—home of Tazama African Tarot—and artist Data Oruwari present Echoes of the Nile, our new oracle. Here’s the thought behind this card.

To speak with sincerity is to let your words rise from a place of truth, not performance. In an age where image often matters more than integrity, sincerity has become rare, but it remains sacred. In African wisdom traditions, the word is not just sound; it is power. Our spoken word reflects the state of our inner being. To speak sincerely is to align heart, mind, and mouth in sacred harmony.

When we are sincere, we speak without hidden agendas, without manipulation, without masks. Like children, whose hearts have not yet learned to deceive, we express what is real, raw, and honest. This is the foundation of trust, and trust is the foundation of community. As the ancestors teach: if your words cannot be trusted, neither can your spirit.

When imbalanced, a lack of sincerity breeds doubt, confusion, and disconnection. Personally, it creates shallow relationships, masked emotions, and inner dissonance. Collectively, it fosters mistrust in families, friendships, leadership, and society at large. When sincerity is lost, words become weapons, and truth becomes a casualty.

The imagery features children playfully chatting, open-hearted and unfiltered. Their innocence reflects how naturally sincerity flows before the world teaches us to lie for acceptance. This scene reminds us that to return to sincerity is to return to our true selves, to speak with the freedom of a heart that has nothing to hide.

13/08/2025

I Do The Best I Can

There is quiet power in doing the best we can with what we have. This virtue calls us to meet life with resilience, patience, and integrity; especially in moments when the journey feels uphill. To strive, even when the outcome is uncertain, is to show devotion to life itself.

When we abandon this virtue, either by giving up too easily or being overly self-critical, we create internal dissonance. We may fall into despair, feel disconnected from our purpose, or compare ourselves to others unrealistically. Collectively, the absence of this virtue can lead to a culture that idolizes perfection, while shaming honest effort. It can foster helplessness in the face of injustice, and discourage communities from rising together through shared struggle and contribution.

To do the best you can is not about perfection; it is about presence, intention, and honest labor. It is about offering your part to the whole, even if your hands are trembling. In a world that asks for constant performance, this virtue brings us back to sincerity and grounded effort.

The imagery shown here is a woman carrying heavy logs of wood on her back from a far distance; symbolizing the hard work and dedication needed to sustain any effort. Her body aches, yet she continues; because the task must be done, and because others depend on her. Her perseverance is not for glory, but survival. It is a reminder that consistent effort in the face of difficulty is sacred.

12/08/2025

I Keep My Own Counsel

To keep one’s own counsel is to know when silence is sacred. Not every thought must be spoken, not every journey shared. There is power in privacy, in honoring the unseen processes of becoming. Just as a seed must germinate in the quiet of darkness before breaking through the soil, so too must our ideas, visions, and experiences be given time to root within us before being exposed to the world.

This virtue teaches discernment; when to speak and when to stay silent, when to seek counsel and when to trust your inner voice. Some paths are meant to be walked alone. Some wisdoms, whispered by spirit, are meant only for your ears. And sometimes, withholding your opinion; especially when unsolicited; is a deeper act of wisdom than offering it.

When imbalanced, we see the effects in our hyper-sharing culture. Social media has blurred the line between personal and public, encouraging us to spill what should be sacred, and to comment on what is not our concern. In this state, we often sabotage our own creative process; sharing dreams too early, exposing thoughts before they’ve fully formed, and in so doing, weakening their power.

The artwork shows a woman with her finger gently pressed to her lips, signaling silence; not as suppression, but as protection. From her inner stillness, a lush garden blossoms, representing the fertile richness of ideas, thoughts, and visions that are nurtured in discretion.

New oracle deck Echoes of the Nile

Tazama African Tarot

10/08/2025

I LISTEN TO OPPOSING OPINION

This virtue is a sacrMa’atactice of humility and balance. In a time where polarization is amplified; where cancel culture, spiritual elitism, and ideological warfare are commonplace; this virtue asks us to listen not to win, but to witness. It is an invitation to hear the other without erasing ourselves, to make space for discomfort without abandoning discernment.

In the teachings of Ma’at and African cosmologies at large, truth is not singular or linear; it is layered, relational, and often emerges through dialogue and tension. Just as the universe holdMa’ath light and darkness, opposing opinions mirror the cosmic dance of duality and unity. To listen to what challenges us is to participate in the sacred work of balance.

This virtue reminds us that disagreement is not a threat; it’s a threshold. It is where the ego dissolves and compassion grows. Where fear softens into cMa’atity. Where ancestral ways of sitting in council and deep listening become tools for reconciliation and transformation.

Practicing this virtue in today’s climate; one marked by spiritual appropriation, culture wars, intergenerational trauma, and identity-based exclusion; is revolutionary. It is the act of choosing curiosity over control, and connection over coercion. It is how we honor the divine spark within all beings; even those we disagree with.

The visual expression draws on sacred geometry as a metaphor for cosmic balance. Two traditional African masks, symbolizing opposing tribal identities, are placed at a 180° angle, representing their tension. Yet they meet eye to eye, aligned in vision. At their point of intersection, a golden Vesica Pisces emerges, symbolizing the sacred spark born when dualities meet. This is the heart of Ma’at; not sameness, but harmony through difference

Tazama African Tarot

30/09/2025

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18/09/2025

16/09/2025

11/09/2025

09/09/2025

26/08/2025

20/08/2025

19/08/2025

13/08/2025

12/08/2025

10/08/2025

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