I was raised in the tradition of skepticism. But science is by habit curious, and that curiosity brought me to Hana Centauri’s table. Without questions and with little preamble, she began her divination. And what she laid out startled me—it was my life, in major and minor cards, with a clear articulation of my ambition and the rock that stood in my path. As they say, it was a profound sign of “confirmation.”
Whether one feels that tarot is a medium by which to talk to spirits or a cunningly designed projection plane, on which one can project the secrets they unconsciously hold from themself, I believe that Centauri is one of our ablest cartomancers. And in spooky Sonoma County, that is no mean trick.
I was subsequently drawn to return to her and learn something about her life story. And I found she had some special insight into retaining one’s sense of magic in hard times.
CH: Hana, you are a divine, and you use the tarot—but you recognize the validity of the hundred-odd historical and cultural systems of divination?
HC: Yes. It’s a beautiful way of saying, “anywhere you look, you can see what the universe is saying.” And the language of the universe is presently active around us in endless forms.
CH: What do you think the universe is saying in all those forms?
HC: We are not alone, that we are seen, that our lives are unique and precious—every one. That’s what’s so magical about readings; it reminds people that they are loved. It’s easy to forget that.
CH: Hana, in the last few years you have been challenged by two health crises. What are your diagnoses?
HC: Thyroid cancer and multiple undiagnosed autoimmune disorders.
CH: And they have brought hormonal and mobility issues. What are they as two tarot cards?
HC: The tower card and the hanged man.
CH: Hana, you received the name “Centauri” years before your health difficulties. You told me that only after did you learn the mythological significance of that brightest and nearest star.
HC: It’s named for Chiron the centaur, who is the archetype of the wounded healer who could heal other people’s wounds but not his own personal wounds.
Help heal the healer. One of Centauri’s many friends has organized a GoFundMe to help with her medical expenses. Follow this link, linktr.ee/hanacentaurilinks, to access that, buy a reading or listen to our full audio interview.
