Tarot Card Readings at The Mystic Garden

Story and photos by Leah Morningstar 

Reading tarot cards is a form of spiritual guidance that uses a deck of 78 different cards to gain insight into the past, present, and future. It sounds like “fortune telling,” but that’s really only part of it. A common misconception is that reading tarot is only about predicting the future; it’s really about interpreting the cards to answer questions and provide advice and counsel about all aspects of life. 

Sue Pretty has been reading tarot cards out of the Mystic Garden for just over a year now. She’s been interested in astrology and divination from a very young age, but learning about tarot cards is a more recent development. At first Pretty practiced privately, pulling cards and doing readings for herself. Gradually she moved to pulling cards for her friends and for customers at The Mystic Garden. “While working part time on weekends, I would often pull a card for a customer while they browsed,” she says. “This led me to rent a space upstairs on Sundays for full readings. Before I knew it, an entire year had passed!” 

Sue Pretty

When I visited Pretty at Mystic Garden, she greeted me at the door and led me to the upstairs space she uses on Sundays. The Mystic Garden is an old house converted into a store, so the rooms are small and cosy. I sat across from Pretty and she showed me several decks of tarot cards she’d brought with her. She explained how she has a couple dozen different decks and often switches up what she brings with her on Sundays. She has her favourites, of course, but tries to match different decks with different customers. For instance, during my reading, we used Pretty’s favourite decks, but we also used a deck with a goddess theme (make of that what you will).

Pretty asked me to pull three cards from the first deck we used. The cards I pulled (pictured) were The Magician, 10 of Pentacles, and Justice. Pretty told me what the cards meant to her as the reader, and asked me for my own interpretations. We talked about their application to my life and what they could mean for me. We did this again with the other decks, but only one card instead of three.

I’ve been to other tarot readers in the past and they often instructed me to ask them questions before pulling a card. Pretty does that too sometimes, but says she isn’t solely about answering questions. Sometimes she lets the conversation flow and the reading is more like an easy conversation. “I consider myself to be a spiritual coach of sorts and what I hope to manifest for Sundays with Sue is a laid-back weekend mood while you shop. I aim for insightful conversation, guidance, and maybe even some laughter or tears.”

We definitely had a few laughs; no tears this time though. It was incredibly easy to speak with and spend time with Pretty. She created a friendly and safe space and gifted me with my own little tourmaline gemstone, and homemade cookies to take home. If you’re interested in tarot readings, I would encourage you to turn one of your upcoming Sundays into a Sunday with Sue. Go out for brunch, take a leisurely stroll along the waterfront, then browse the magical and witchy wares at The Mystic Garden before enjoying a peaceful and positive experience with Sue Pretty.

Readings are approximately 45 to 60 minutes long and cost $60. Book directly through the Sundays with Sue page on Instagram or Facebook.