BUBBLE TEA is a tarot reading club that emphasizes tarot card’s ability to connect with people’s emotions, contrary to preconceptions about it being a tool for divination. The Yonsei Annals interviewed Bubble Tea president Ko Ji-ho (Jr., Dept. of Economics) and vice-president Jeong Eun-kyu (Soph., Dept. of Education) to learn more about the club and what tarot reading means to them.

   Annals: Can you briefly introduce Bubble Tea?

   Ko: Bubble Tea is Yonsei University’s only tarot counseling club. Our activities range from studying tarot cards to consulting and counseling work for our peers, so I recommend people who are interested in counseling to try our club out. Our members provide a safe environment where everyone can share their stories. For anyone interested or knowledgeable in tarot cards, and for novices to tarot reading, we can help with tarot reading skill development.

   Annals: Is there a special reason the tarot counseling club was founded?

   Jeong: It has been about two years since the club was created. Since our current club president is not one of the founding members, I contacted the early club president separately about this question. They told me that the initial recruitment was a bit disheartening since only a few people had personal interests in tarot. Subsequently, he tried to gather people with no prior knowledge on tarot so that he could teach them and demonstrate how fascinating the cards are. That is actually how the two of us joined, and now we are working as president and vice president.

   Ko: You would be surprised to hear that even I, the current president of this club, never really believed in tarot nor was interested in learning about it. But, after entering the club and gaining insight on the counseling aspect of tarot reading, I realized that tarot is not used just as a tool for fortune telling, but it can also be a counseling tool.

   Annals: How are you managing Bubble Tea?

   Jeong: Our club conducts official meetings and activities separately, consisting of regular tarot card study sessions and intermittent unofficial club activities. For the study sessions, new recruits learn about tarot cards for a semester, while existing members share their different cases to compare each other’s counseling interpretations and know-hows. Senior members focus on online peer counseling at the Everytime[1] bulletin board and offline tarot busking. The Everytime peer counseling is conducted anonymously, and it usually lasts from an hour to two hours through KakaoTalk messaging. We had organized offline busking for a while before COVID-19. Students would schedule their sessions through Everytime, and we would meet them at cafes in Sinchon or other places. We plan to resume these activities after the pandemic calms down.

   Annals: How does one learn how to read tarot cards?

   Jeong: Learning how to read tarot is similar to studying an academic subject. In fact, there are many books and learning resources on the Internet, but we can confidently tell you that we provide the most detailed curriculum than any other educational material on the market. It takes time for students to become accustomed to the various illustrations on the cards that combine myths, history, and symbols. Members first learn the meaning of each tarot card, then they interpret and relay the meaning of the cards’ detailed drawings. In our club, members need to be adept at linking the abstract meaning of tarot cards to specific situations. Going even further, the club leaders, including myself, conduct mock counseling sessions for new members to learn the study of cards through close observance. The members will practice and become familiar with the formal tarot card interpretation, but also engender a distinct interpretation system based on their own inspiration, values, or intuition.

   Annals: What are common stereotypes or misconceptions associated with tarot, and how does the club deal with them?

   Jeong: Common stereotypes surrounding tarot is its association with divination. In fact, we get asked a lot of questions regarding how tarot is a form of pseudoscience. So, the first lesson that we teach our incoming members is that tarot cannot be used to tell one’s fortune and future. It is very important that members are aware that we see tarot cards as a tool for counseling, not as a way to predict the future. Ultimately, they are only supplementary to delivering our consultations more effectively. 

   Annals: What kind of questions do the members receive when reading tarot for university students?

   Ko: Although we cannot disclose the specifics, we get a lot of questions that range from trivial concerns to serious family matters. Since Everytime is an online community for college students, we usually receive questions regarding future careers, interpersonal relationships, romantic relationships, as well as university exams or job interviews. Due to the pandemic, there have been many consultations on how to meet new friends at university.

   Annals: As tarot counselors, what do you think counselees can get out of tarot? 

   Jeong: It is hard to say that someone can gain something exclusively from a tarot reading. However, the readings help people realize the kind of mentality or direction in life they could adopt for a desired result. Communicating with Bubble Tea members, counselees can relieve their anxiety for the time being. We have also seen many counselees pulling themselves together and figure out what problems are inhibiting them during the session. It is after having a successful consultation when we feel the most rewarded, especially when counselees realize their deepest concerns that they were not aware of before coming to us.

   Annals: What sets Bubble Tea apart from other clubs?

   Ko: I think the flexibility of our activities really shined through since the pandemic. Most notably, we conducted tarot counseling via KakaoTalk for fellow Yonsei students who have applied using the Everytime app bulletin board. The fact that the club’s outreach is minimally affected by pandemic constraints has been overall very advantageous. 

   Annals: Is there anything you look for when recruiting members for Bubble Tea?

   Ko: Sincerity is the most important quality as I hope the incoming members become active, contributing representatives of our club. To evaluate their sincerity, I look at how much effort they put into the cover letter they hand in. I also consider whether applicants can later work as leading members of the club. I would appreciate it if applicants showed great interest in tarot counseling.

   Jeong: As the education team head, I look for their passion for tarot cards in particular. If they are not passionate about tarot cards, new members are less likely to actively participate during our study sessions. Also, since we are a counseling club, I would like applicants to feel empathetic towards counselees who are going through difficult times. If so, we welcome everyone, even first-timers at tarot reading.

   Annals: What do tarot cards mean to you?

   Ko: I see tarot cards as a kind of “hint.” The interpretation of cards depends on the predicaments we face, and the cards give us a hint on how to relieve such concerns. By allowing a third party to oversee a personal situation, tarot cards can give a fresh perspective toward other people’s concerns.

   Jeong: Tarot cards do not particularly have a significant meaning for me. I only consider them as a tool that makes our advice sound more appealing to others. Although I would recognize what the card means, at the end of the day, those who come to us for help can never really share the same understanding I have about the cards. Simply put, the attractive pictures on the cards and their seemingly meaningful symbols allow people to understand the message that I, as a tarot counselor, want to convey more effectively.

[1] Everytime: An app that university students use to communicate and post content