Today we’d like to introduce you to Ana Cortez

Hi Ana, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?

What began as a funky side project of my father’s became a life long passion and purpose. I was just a kid when my dad started painting giant portraits of the court cards for a fantastical playing deck of the imagination. I didn’t think much about it at the time. But my dad became obsessed. He eventually painted an original oil for every card in the playing deck and developing unique methods for using them. I got involved more seriously as an adult, and now, decades later, I am still teaching and writing about it. Playing cards are full of secrets and a profound language for personal transformation. Most people don’t realize, they are actually older than Tarot and come from Egypt.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?

Oh goodness no! It has not been smooth in anyway:-) I have had to carve my own niche every step of the way. Some of the biggest struggles have been financial, but also the struggles of finding yourself in a niche with literally no one else in it. People make a lot of assumptions about the work I do, they of course want to categorize me. But my work with cards can’t be compared to anything else, so I am continually trying to educate people.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?

What I am most known for are my books and the decks that accompany them, which are all illustrated by my father. So these are “how to” books for using the 52-card playing deck for card reading, but using all original methods. I am very proud of what we have brought to people, that bring to the fore the amazing correspondences within playing cards that have been overlooked for so long, even within the card reading and metaphysical communities. For instance, most people don’t realize the 52 cards correspond to the 52 weeks of the year, the 4 suits to the 4 seasons, the 13 cards of each suit to the 13 weeks of each season, and so on and so forth. There is so much in playing cards for purposes beyond games, so much waiting for us to recognize and make use of. No one else is doing this work, and so you can see why I am very driven.

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?

Follow your passion relentlessly, and never doubt it is leading you in the direction you need to go. You might be very surprised at what you find.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://anacortez.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anacortezoracles/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anacortezoracles/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/AnaCortez
• Other: https://blackaceacademy.com/