KENT, Conn. — The charm of Tarot In Thyme is not to be overlooked.
The store is an inviting, homey boutique space that boasts a natural mix of eco-friendly products and honors and celebrates the metaphysical.
The store marked its fifth anniversary in April, according to owner Regina Olson, an intuitive Tarot reader and astrologer. It opened as a sister store to Chestnut Woodworking & Antique Flooring Co, owned by her husband, Bob Friedman.
“I’m so excited to be here,” said Olson, whose long black hair flowed down her back during the interview at the 31 N. Main St. shop.
Olson’s warm personality and soft energy permeates the store, which features an assortment of items for sale, including clothing, jewelry, with a focus on ethical stones (sourced and produced with consideration for both environmental and social impact), essential oils, tinctures, incense, tea, crystals, skin care, sound healing instruments, as well as oracle, tarot and astrology cards and books.
“I’m basically running out of space,” she quipped, giving a tour of the multi-room shop, whose exterior wrap-around porch is a showstopper at the corner of Main and Lane streets.
Olson described the clothing she carries as “conscious clothing.” For example, some items are made by companies that use recycled materials and have strong company values. It is only in more recent years Olson has expanded the clothing section to include slacks, blouses, skirts, sundresses and more.
“Look at this one, it’s made from an old tablecloth,” she said, lightly touching the soft fabric that had become modern pants.
Some customers are drawn to Tarot In Thyme seeking a greater understanding of themselves through self-reflection via tarot and astrology. Men and women from all walks of life come to Tarot In Thyme for myriad reasons, including a general need to share and an interest in learning more about themselves. Some high-end clients, Olson said, use astrology for business.
Tarot cards are a deck of cards that feature art on one side that is often used as a tool for self-reflection, guidance, and understanding of life experiences. The cards contain symbols for interpretation.
Customer Elizabeth Bernard first discovered the store about a year ago and has been back multiple times for astro/tarot group readings, Tea & Tarot, that are led by Olson and her daughter, Glori Wilder. She said the groups have provided her “such an authentic way to learn about astrology and tarot.”
At first, Bernard attended with a friend. “At the time I had very little knowledge about either topic but have always been interested. Regina creates such a welcoming environment to learn more about yourself and astrology and tarot.”
“Regina is very insightful and professional,” said first-time Tea & Tarot participant Stacey Martin. “The tarot readings were eerily on the mark.”
Olson described the events as a way to “bring people together” in a self-help manner.
“Gina is a main go-to person for me when I need clarity in my work and personal life,” said Deanna Paqua about readings she has had at Tarot In Thyme. “She’s objective, listens deeply and addresses questions thoroughly.”
“Plus, she makes the complex issues happening in the cosmos more understandable and personally applicable in helpful and concrete ways,” Paqua related in an online review.
Photo by Deborah Rose
Olson and her team conduct readings on- and offsite.
They have regularly served the Mayflower Inn & Spa in Washington since 2021, offering Tarot & Tipples, Charting the Stars and individual sessions. Recently, Winvian in Morris brought Olson and her team on board.
Olson said she and her guest readers offer varied reading styles.
Her team consists of Patti Kitson, a spiritual practitioner who has been reading tarot for more than 20 years; Sheilaa L. Hite, a master tarot consultant, instructor, intuitive and author; “The Scottish Psychic” Hilary Macdonald, an intuitive tarot reader who uses psychometry, is clairvoyant, clairsentient and clairaudient, and occasionally brings some mediumship to her readings; Elizabeth Wolff, an intuitive tarot reader with a background in astrology and a love for crystal healing; Mela Rispoli, a fourth-generation clairvoyant liaison with more than 35 years’ experience in spirit communication; and Lisa Marsan, a licensed massage therapist and intuitive who has been working with tarot for more than 40 years.
Mira Peck, who has been a customer since the business opened, praised Olson online as being her favorite reader. “I’m so happy I found her and recommend her to everyone,” she said.
The satisfied customer said she appreciates how Olson “promotes local healers and shares her beautiful space.”
“Astrology is where my heart is,” Olson said of her first love. She incorporates astrology into many of her tarot readings.
Astro and tarot readings are conducted in a room in the back of the shop, where an assortment of metaphysical books are sold. In addition, classes such as craniosacral therapy, herbal consultations, aura photography, holistic solutions, and more are held there.
Olson, who has been pulled toward the metaphysical since her youth, described herself as a student of macrobiotic who studied Kushi in Becket, Mass. She previously worked as Hite’s personal assistant.
She said self-care is important for a reader because many clients come to the table with loss. “You try not to absorb that into one’s own energy field,” she said. Part of her self-care routine is “enhanced through meditation” so she can be free of her “stuff” before taking on another’s.
Olson described the growth and success of her business as “pretty amazing.” She offered drop-in readings when she first opened, but because of the onset of Covid, that quickly halted. She soon shifted gears and began Zoom readings and began to build a loyal YouTube following and launched weekly horoscopes that continue today.
For more information about Tarot In Thyme, located at 31 N. Main St., call (475) 218-3412.
