Fire Horse, Forward: Lori Dylan on Working With Spring’s Momentum
On accessible tarot, grounded rituals for spring and the heat of Fire Horse energy
By: The Lace Ledger Staff
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lori Dylan
Spring arrives with forward motion, and Lori Dylan meets it without any theatrics. Her approach to tarot resists over-the-top spectacle and is, instead, grounded in clarity, framing the cards as conversation.
Raised with Indigenous lineage and mentored by a witch, she speaks about ritual the way others speak about productive habits or discipline—something lived, repeated and refined over time.
In our conversation, this Lunar calendar’s Fire Horse energy is framed as a current of momentum that asks for our participation. As the season turns (finally!), she offers grounded ways to work with energy, allowing ritual to exist in ordinary life in an accessible, intentional way.
1. While your work is rooted in ancient wisdom, your communication style is unmistakably modern, accessible and relevant to culture today. You've mentioned that you have Indigenous lineage and were mentored by a witch; how did these foundations shape your relationship to astrology and spirituality overall? And then, how do you marry those roots with your modern approach to ritual and tarot?
I always want the work that I do (whether it’s tarot, ritual, or anything else) to be accessible to everyone. That’s why my approach, which I often describe as “woo-woo without the cuckoo,” is meant to let anyone in. I don’t want there to be barriers to entry.
My Indigenous lineage plays a role in this through my deep attunement to seasonal cycles, nature, storytelling, and the importance of tradition and ritual. Being mentored by a witch was also foundational. I learned everything I know about tarot from her, and I learned it through an oral tradition. There was no internet, so I sat and listened, asked questions, and absorbed tarot through conversation, which is also very aligned with Indigenous ways of passing down knowledge. She had a playful, funny approach to life and her work. She took tarot seriously but never took herself too seriously, and she wasn’t precious or gate-keepy about it at all. That spirit very much informs how I present my work today through a modern, accessible lens.
2. How did tarot first enter your life, and how do you personally describe what tarot is — especially for readers who may only associate it with mysticism rather than self-inquiry or guidance?
Tarot first entered my life through Erica, the witch who mentored me. She worked with many different modalities (crystal balls, palmistry, astrology, etc), but tarot was the one that absolutely captivated me from day one.
I got my first deck through her and learned directly from her. I often describe tarot as a conversation with your soul. As the tarot reader, I’m the interpreter, and what you choose to do with the information is entirely up to you (free will is always part of the equation). Tarot is a powerful tool for self-discovery and self-help. It helps you connect to yourself, your community, and something greater than yourself. It helps you understand your place in the world and how the world works.
There is certainly a mystical quality to it, but at the end of the day, these are images printed on paper. They’re not magic in and of themselves, yet because they tap into archetypes humanity has been living through since the beginning of time, the experience can feel incredibly magical.
People often tell me in readings that what I’m saying sounds like something they recently discussed with their therapist, or that it reminds them of a modern self-help tool. I always say that every challenge, opportunity, or lesson can be guided by tarot because it taps into patterns we’ve been working with forever.
3. Your monthly tarotscopes have become a touchstone for so many people (our staff included!!). For those who aren't familiar, what exactly is a tarotscope, and how should readers engage with them for the most insight or alignment?
A tarotscope is essentially a tarot reading for a collective, usually based on zodiac signs, and it offers insight into the themes, opportunities, and lessons of the month ahead. I always encourage people to engage with them intuitively and reflectively, rather than predictively.
One of the most powerful ways to work with a tarotscope is to revisit it at the end of the month and reflect on how the message actually showed up in your life. That reflection can bring a lot of clarity and insight, and it also helps you prepare for what’s ahead. I also recommend reading for your sun, rising, and moon signs, since all three are covered.Together, they give a fuller, more nuanced picture of the month’s energy.
4. Do you have a tarot deck you return to again and again? What is it about that deck — imagery, symbolism, energy — that makes it feel like a trusted companion?
Yes: the Rider-Waite-Smith deck is absolutely my deck. It was the first deck I ever received, the deck I learned on with Erica, and the deck that has held every reading I’ve ever done. I’ve honestly never considered switching decks, even though there are many beautiful ones out there and I do own a few oracle decks. This is my ride-or-die deck. It’s the enduring relationship and ongoing dialogue I’ve developed with these cards that keeps me coming back to them (I talk about my deck the way Moira Rose talks about her wigs on Schitt’s Creek!).
These cards are everything to me. I dedicated my book, Big Deck Energy, to my tarot deck because it quite literally gave me the life I have now. That said, if I had to use another deck tomorrow, I absolutely could and my readings would still be strong. It’s just that there’s history here and I like to honour that by using this deck exclusively.
5. Your latest book, Big Deck Energy, brings tarot into the self-help conversation in a hyper-accessible way. What inspired you to write it and what do you hope readers walk away with after reading?
Thank you for that — I love that the book came across as bringing tarot into the self-help conversation in a hyper-accessible way. That was exactly my intention.
What inspired me to write Big Deck Energy was that a lot of Tarot 101 material can feel dry, overly prescribed, and very rooted in the early 1900s, when much of the traditional structure was formalized. It often doesn’t feel applicable to modern life. The way I read tarot is contemporary and personal, and I wanted to put that approach into book form so people could see that their relationship with their deck can be whatever they want it to be. That’s the whole point.
Big Deck Energy shows how I’ve developed my own dialogue with the cards over time, sometimes rooted in traditional meanings, sometimes expanding them or taking them in an entirely new direction, and encourages readers to develop that same kind of relationship themselves.
6. We’ve just entered the Year of the Fire Horse alongside the Spring Equinox — two powerful moments of movement and renewal. What do these shifts mean energetically, and how can people work with this momentum?
I’m genuinely excited about this year. The frisky, forward-moving energy of the spring equinox combined with the inspired, passionate action of the Fire Horse feels incredibly potent. It makes me excited to see what’s possible—and just as importantly, to continue releasing anything that could be impeding that forward momentum or getting in the way of what wants to emerge.
7. For someone craving an energetic reset right now, what is one simple ritual they can practice at home to clear stagnant energy and consciously step into a new season?
Write down one thing you’re ready to stop carrying—an obligation, a belief, a pattern. Don’t overthink it. Then tear the paper up and throw it away. No fire required. What matters isn’t the action—it’s the decision. The body responds when you make something concrete. This creates a psychological and energetic boundary that says, I’m done engaging with this. It’s simple, effective and grounded.
8. Are there any key energetic dates we should be aware of over the spring and summer? How might someone thoughtfully incorporate these moments into their personal, spiritual or ritual planning?
One thing I’d add is that Big Deck Energy goes deeper into how to work with these seasonal signposts (like equinoxes and solstices) in a way that’s simple and grounded.
Ritual doesn’t have to be elaborate. Even something as basic as going for a walk in nature and foraging a few items to create a small seasonal altar at home can be incredibly powerful: a pinecone in the fall, fresh grass clippings in the spring, a stone in the winter. Anything that brings the season indoors can act as an invitation for presence, mindfulness, reflection, and solitude.
You don’t need fancy tools or expensive gear to bring meaningful ritual into your life. Sometimes the simplest practices are the most powerful. Intention is everything.
If spring signals movement, Dylan reminds us that movement is most powerful when directed. In her hands, becomes a tool about awareness, helping us tap into our inner selves to harness the forward momentum of the Fire Horse.
To follow Lori’s ongoing work and check out next month’s tarotscope, visit @tarot.lori, and subscribe below to receive our free monthly digital issue, where conversations like this continue to unfold.
