Sarah Potter | Because Reading, Baby, Are The Hottest Things Since Sliced Bread

At any given moment, Sarah Potter can be found surrounded by 78 intricately designed tarot cards and a little orb of magic. Full of life and sporting a new hair color that closely resembles a light pink carnation, the self-proclaimed Professional Witch doesn’t have the typical nine-to-five. While writing for multiple outlets like Cosmopolitan, Shondaland, and Refinery29, plus teaching intention setting, most of her days are full of tarot card readings with clients of all ages—many searching for answers to the world’s greatest questions. “I just support people and receive the messages that they need,” Potter says, “or to find a new perspective, or to feel empowered to do what they need to do. I believe we all deserve to have the life we want. We just have to go out and create it.”

Potter found her destiny after purchasing her very first deck of tarot cards at a Jersey Shore mall. From staying connected with family that has passed on, to the occasional love spell, the young witch began her journey of connection with the greater universe. “It felt so comforting to get messages from my beloved grandfather, who I missed so much,” Potter smiles with remembrance. “Even though he wasn’t physically here, he was with me always and he let me know... I always thought about how not everyone believes in magic. Some people think I am probably totally bananas. But when you believe in this, and you see magic, you see these moments, and it’s real. It makes life so much more exciting. To me, it makes things make sense... I feel like all of this allows us to have greater acceptance for ourselves.”

Recently, Potter teamed up with the feminist art collective Hilma’s Ghost for the 2021 Armory Show in New York City. She wandered the art fair offering readings, using tarot cards adorned with handmade abstract gouache, ink, and colored pencil paintings, inspired by the work of Swedish artist Hilma af Klint, who was born in the mid-19th century. After fostering, and receiving, an open and accepting community at the fair, Potter shares that the medium had never felt so supported and respected—overwhelmed with a love for magic.

Potter’s favorite magic, however, is color magic where each color garners a different intention, frequency, and emotional response. Unlike other magical practices, color is easily accessible to any individual, which makes it so special. “What I love about the magic of color is you’re already working with it,” Potter explains. “We all think about what our favorite color is, or our least favorite color. When you get dressed in the morning, you’re like, ‘What feels good?’ A lot of that has to do with the color. There’s something really nice about practical magic that anyone can harness. I think we all deserve to feel magical and feel empowered, and know our own personal magic.”

With her own tarot deck releasing soon, a preview of which can be seen here, Potter’s unseen artistry will now be viewable and actionable. “The occult is hidden,” she concludes, “and when we peel back the curtain and get more comfortable with it, it’s not so intimidating, or scary, or inaccessible. What I love about tarot is it helps us connect to the greater universe, but also our own inner wisdom—to have that confidence in that voice. I feel like there’s been more unknown than ever before, so if we can have something that can help us get the answers—why not?” And with that, Potter draws on behalf of Flaunt: temperance, seven of swords reversed, knight of cups, six of pentacles reversed, page of pentacles, the moon, king of cups— and proceeds to give her first ever reading to a non-human entity¹ ... then quickly disappears out the door.

¹ Flaunt Magazine, my darling, it is time to think about your priorities. You have a great sense of yourself and your creative vision. Look at all you have accomplished thus far! You have blazed your own trail in this industry and you achieve your goals within your own timeline. Remember that you create your own luck. This year, you will continue to break the mold as to who or what you “should” be. Let your imagination run wild and don’t hold back. That is your true strength. Go with the flow and see where it leads you. Listen to your heart and let your intuition continue to guide you on this path. You know all of those goals for yourself that you have been fantasizing about for years? Let’s finally make those dreams a reality. The time is now! Prioritize pursuits of altruism, beauty, the arts, and romance because these are the keys to staying wildly inspired. Give generously of your time and energy (remember that acts of kindness are never wasted!). Leaning into charitable work you believe in will continue to keep you inspired and feeling connected to your community. There are so many possibilities and potential to look forward to in all you are going to create this year, so don’t procrastinate! Start now! Learn from your past mistakes in order to bring your new intentions to fruition. This is the most important part: Don’t be afraid, even when the path isn’t totally clear. You always know your way. Connect to your own magic and continue to enchant all who cross your path.