This is a guest post by one of my awesome Tarot Apprentice contestants, Kareena Nawani.  I’ll be featuring some more guest posts by these talented young tarot readers in the near future.  Be sure to watch for them!

Tarot is a self-realising tool, but after many years of trial and error, I have realized that some guidance is always welcome in the early stages of your tarot journey. I entered the world of tarot when I was just fourteen. I first experienced tarot when my aunt did a reading for me. Since I was always fascinated by astrology and numerology,  I thought this was another esoteric science  that I could learn to do;  predicting the future sounded exciting to me. I borrowed a couple of books from my aunt and bought a tarot deck and I was ready to begin.

Things were great initially. My readings were very accurate and I was growing confident day by day. The only problem that I realized after about a year was that I didn’t know the name of my deck. The deck only had the word ‘Tarot’ written on it. And the other problem I faced (it didn’t seem like a problem at that time since I was in school and we were so used to cramming for exams) was that I literally mugged up the meanings of the cards from the books and was quoting the book like a parrot! And I thought I was a great reader!  Things dawned to me much later on that the meanings of the books were not cast in stone.

The way I looked at the tarot changed dramatically when I finally purchased the Rider Waite deck. That’s when I realized my original deck had eaten up all the symbols and the pip cards specially had no pictures, just 10 swords  or 5 cups placed on the card. Only after I bought the Rider Waite did things start making sense to me. I had heard of this deck, but never bought it because I was so stubborn and hell bent that I was right and that I was an amazing tarot reader that I couldn’t be less bothered about what other people out there were doing. I was just like The Fool, ignorant, and innocent and on my own merry trip. This brings me to the question, ‘’Should one learn tarot on their own or join a class and learn from a teacher?”

In these 12 years, I have always wondered if I would’ve been better off if I had learnt tarot from a professional. Today, when I see the smiling face of my tarot students,  I realize the answer. When I was their age, I was confused but too scared to admit it. When you’re all on your own, you begin to doubt your abilities and I went through a phase where I didn’t believe in myself. When you learn on your own, there are so many tarot decks and books out there that it is difficult to choose the right one. There are so many authors who believe in different things- some do reverses and some don’t, some don’t do readings at night or when they’re sick and some claim to have the best readings when they’re sick and dazed! All this can be confusing to a beginner. Half of these books would scare away an amateur. To learn anything, you must seek the help of a guide because half knowledge is more dangerous than no knowledge.

From my own experience, I feel the first step is very crucial. Initially I was so frustrated that I wanted to give up tarot all together and my deck would gather dust for months. This was all because I was too stubborn to ask for help and thought that I could do it by myself. I eventually managed on my own, but what I learnt in 3 years, I could’ve learnt in 3 months with correct guidance.  Today, I have no regrets but my experience has made me help many tarot beginners. I have also started teaching tarot to stop people from making the same mistakes that I had made. One just needs to know the basics, and then from there the real journey begins, like the Fool’s journey. While learning and exploring the tarot, we explore our inner selves and that cannot be learnt from anywhere. Once you receive the gift, it is up to you how you use it. You could either nurture it and make it grow or you could forget about it and keep it locked in a cupboard. Tarot is simple because it is something we already know, it’s a part of our subconscious and the archetypes are part of the collective subconscious. Once we know that, its so much easier from there and it becomes our best friend.

The tarot teaches us that the innocence of the Fool should be balanced by the wisdom of the Hermit. Only when he shines his bright light upon us, can we be truly enlightened.  The  Hermit guides those who are lost and confused and brings them on the right path and shows them the way.

Kareena Narwani

PS: I’d love to hear your stories about how you learned tarot. Did you have a teacher? Were you self taught?  What were the frustrations in either method?  Post your story in the comment section below!

I consider myself to be a very straightforward woman.  I’m the type that won’t mince words and will tell you if your breath smells like cat litter.  It’s just how I roll.  And I happen to like books that have an honest and no b.s. tone as well.  You’ll find that here in Tarot Dynamics, which I found offers a very straight up approach to tarot reading.

This book is different than the rest in that it combines numerology and Tarot in a way that simplifies yet adds depth to the meanings of the cards.  While that may sound like a contradiction, trust me, the author Anna Burroughs Cook manages to lay a foundation that is solid yet open for interpretation.

The author chooses simple keywords for each card, based on the numbers and the suit, or in the case of the Major Arcana, one word to symbolize that particular card (ex: Hanged Man = Tranquility).  This breaks the tarot down to manageable bites – which is incredibly helpful especially for those who are just beginning to explore the cards. She then adds depth by giving different interpretations for the cards based on whether the reading is negative, positive, reversed, or romantically focused.  She also adds information for what the card could mean if it was surrounded by less reassuring cards.  This gives the reader a lot to work with.

There is a picture of each card from the Universal Tarot but this book is not limited to any one deck.  With Burroughs’ method, you’ll get a solid grip on the tarot that can be used with whichever deck you prefer to work with.

In the final chapters the author covers timing, which I consider one of the most difficult aspects of tarot reading. She once again offers a simplified method (based on astrology) that anyone can use – even if you do not have a background in astrology.   Burroughs then includes a few tarot spreads using her methods as well as sample readings which clearly paint a vivid picture of her techniques in action.  (I only wish she would have had visual images to go along with the samples as I am lazy – but after laying out the cards myself, it brought the impact of her formula to life!)

The thing I enjoyed the most about this book was her section on do’s and don’ts and FAQs.  This part was full of practical advice, written in a manner that felt like my “tarot mom” was giving me the straight talk I needed so that I could avoid the pitfalls and problems that many tarot readers struggle with.  I nodded my head often in agreement and enjoyed her down to earth approach to these issues.

If you are new to tarot or just looking for a new perspective, you cannot go wrong with this book.  I give it Two Swords Up!

Blessings!

Theresa

Learn more about the author Anna Burroughs Cook at her website: http://tarotdynamics.com/

Talkin’ Tarot With is a monthly feature designed to introduce my readers to different tarot readers from our wonderfully diverse community!  Each month, I’ll be asking various tarot readers 3 questions about their tarot philosophy and style, plus pointing you to their websites and blogs so that you can learn more about them!  I like to hand pick tarot readers that I feel are talented and interesting.

My featured guest this month is co-author of “Beyond The Celtic Cross”, Catherine Chapman of Tarot Elements.  This book, as well as her website,  opened my eyes to a whole new way of looking at tarot cards.  Catherine works with Elemental Dignities and Card Counting – two systems that add layers and depth to a tarot reading. I was not familiar with either method but was pleasantly surprised to see that they were easy to implement.  I found these systems work especially well when you get “stuck” during a reading, which can happen to all readers at one time or another.

Catherine is a warm and gracious tarot reader, encouraging her clients with common sense and compassion.  You get the sense from her that she’s “been there too” and really does understand your dilemmas.  Readers like this are rare.  She is never about showing off her tarot ego – Catherine is simply there to help you get back on track.  I feel that this quality is what makes her special.  I’m very honored to know her.

Catherine’s blog, Tarot Elements, is chock full of tarot goodness.  Along with teammates Bonnie Cehovet and Valerie Sylvester, she covers a wide range of subjects such as Elemental Dignities, tarot card meanings, astrology, numerology and more.  Currently, she’s in the process of revamping Tarot Elements and will be adding a live weekly radio show, private mentoring, tarot study courses, ebooks and more. And on top of that, she’s working on a second book: The Tarot And Your Future.  (I predict it will be a success!)  If you are looking for deep readings that will inspire you to transform, you must check out Catherine.  You’ll be glad you did!

Learn more about Catherine:

http://www.tarotelements.com

http://www.tarotelemnts.com/tarotcardmeanings

http://www.facebook.com/tarotelements

http://www.twitter.com/tarotelements

Check out her answers to my questions below:

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1. What is your philosophy about tarot reading?

“The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind.” William James

Knowledge is power. By consulting with a divine tool like the tarot, you are looking at your options, karma, fate and things currently unknown to you. By shining a light on them you are gaining knowledge about your situation and life, and have empowered yourself through your consultation. You now have the power to make a fully informed decision about which direction you should take. Even when life is coming hard and there seems no place to hide, you can still shine a light in dark corners and find that one piece of information, that one ray of hope, the missing piece of the jigsaw that can help you turn the corner to liberation.

Life is about choices, cause and effect, and whether or not you are living the effect of your own doing or someone elses, consulting the tarot gives you the power to make a difference. It may only be a small one, but it may be enough. You can’t always change direction, you can’t always stop something coming to you, but you can shine the light and see it coming – you can arm yourself with enough knowledge to minimize the effect – that is true empowerment.

Tarot gives you knowledge, of yourself, of your situation. It’s not always pleasant reading but it always has the power to be life-changing. My philosophy of tarot is simple: it’s your life – empower it. Empower it through knowledge and right choices. Empower it through consulting the tarot.

2. How do you feel a client might get the most out of a reading with you?

In any kind of exploratory work, you will always get the best out of it if you’re open and receptive to the process. I’m first and foremost, a predictive tarot reader. I’ll tell you what’s coming, what you may avoid, what you need to prepare for. I will also help you see into yourself, if that is the overwhelming message from the tarot, or the type of reading you are seeking. It’s not always a case of knowing what you want from a reading, but mainly, in my experience, those that are really listening, openly, who get the best from their readings. As a reader, you may not always see the penny drop with a client, you might nor be there for their epiphany, but if they were receptive to their reading, you can be sure they will experience it.

There’s a lot of negative things said about predictive reading, that it dis-empowers the client – what utter nonsense! I believe this comes from a fundamental misunderstanding of the nature of predictive tarot readings. If the Gypsy Rosalie looks into her crystal ball and tells you of a tall handsome stranger, then I would take that with a pinch of salt, however nice it may sound… chances are I will at some point encounter a handsome stranger, and being only 5’2″, it’s likely he’ll be taller than me…I believe most predictive tarot readers will agree that this type of reading is alien to them, that the type of predictive reading they do isn’t so different from those who state they don’t do predictive readings at all.

To shine that light on your client’s life, at their asking, is to enlighten them. To help them find the best solution, is to empower them, through their own seeking and the tarot. That is the kind of tarot reading that I aspire to give and its one that my client’s can expect from me. I’m there to serve them in the best way I can, for their best interests, to help them solve their problems, to give them advice and yes, to also give them a glimpse into their future, because in my experience – that’s what they really want.

3.  What is your best piece of advice for an aspiring tarot reader?

Don’t think you have to know everything all at once. There’s a lot to learn and it will take time. Take one step at a time and don’t rush or push yourself – this should be an enjoyable experience, not a pressure to get it right or get it all straight away. Tarot is a life long journey and you will never stop learning, there will always be something to discover about a card, or a new spread will come along, or a reading technique. That’s the beauty of tarot, it’s so rich and diverse with many systems that are overlaid to enrich it further that you could spend your life time learning it. How exciting! So throw away your need to have to get this right, ignore that little imp on your shoulder that says you’ll never get this down – take your time and have fun!

Making friends in tarot is also a great way to help you develop your skills and confidence. There are very active and friendly tarot lovers on Twitter and Facebook, find them and interact with them – us! Find a local group if you can for support, fun and friendship. If not, find an online group or the Pages of Tarot Authors and readers on Facebook, there’s a great community spirit on all of them. Tarot is a journey, but you don’t have to travel it alone, and neither should you

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Hugs and fist bumps to Catherine for taking the time out of her uber-busy life to chat with me.  Be sure to visit Tarot Elements to purchase a reading with Catherine and then give your tarot brain a work out by purchasing her book, Beyond The Celtic Cross.  And Catherine will be my first guest of the season in January for my Tarot Lady Blog Talk Radio Show.  Watch for the dates soon!

Blessings!

Theresa

Learning the tarot can be a tricky and intimidating affair. Although there are many good books on the market, there is nothing like one-on-one guidance from someone who has experience. Getting help from a mentor can make the journey smoother – especially if you desire to turn your passion for tarot into more than just a hobby.

I noticed that there was a shortage of private mentoring for aspiring tarot readers – and for those who want to go pro, there is almost nothing to help them navigate the business world.  Face it, a tarot business is not like a regular business. We deal with many things that many other entrepreneurs don’t:  burn out, crazy clients, laws against fortune telling, etc.. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a seasoned tarot pro help you to get your business running smoothly?

I’ve launched my new venture, Tarot Mentor, to help you become the tarot reader you were meant to be.  Whether you are looking to get your tarot business up and running, remove your blocks or simply learn to read, I’m here to help you succeed.  I will be offering private mentoring and group workshops as well as a home study course “How To Create A Sustainable Tarot Business” for those of you who want to get your business rolling on your own.

In the private mentoring, you get me.  You will not be ignored, tossed off to some forum or handed off to an assistant.  I take a lot of time to work with you and make everything individualized to suit your needs.  I tune into your goals and help you find a way to reach them as effortlessly as possible.

If you are ready to make tarot work for you, visit my site at http://www.tarotmentor.com.  And while you are there, be sure to sign up for my FREE monthly newsletter where I will share tips to help your tarot world rock!

Blessings!

Theresa

Even though I have been reading tarot for many years, I still read a lot of tarot books.  And you may be surprised to hear that I read plenty of beginner’s books.  The reason why is this – each author has a different take or method for learning tarot and I am always finding new ways to understand the cards.  A beginner’s book often will be written clearly without some heady esoteric mumbo jumbo (which I enjoy on occasion) and this lends to clear, practical insights.

Barbara Moore has delivered such a book with her newest offering, Tarot For Beginners.  The writing is crisp and easy to follow – there is no arcane murky language here to contend with, making this book ideal for anyone who wants to delve into tarot but felt intimidated.

She sets a great foundation by covering all the basics without hard and fast tarot “rules”.  This creates an energy that allows the reader to have a strong base but still room to be an individual with their own unique voice.  Moore offers interpretations for each card along with a “core concept”  – which is a short, pithy statement  that defines the core meaning of the card.  This is a great idea and gives a beginner a simple easy to remember sentence, which makes it simpler to grasp and retain the basic interpretation.  I love the extended interpretations as well but the core concept is a brilliant idea – and ideal for budding tarot readers.

Moore also lovingly covers all the basics – numbers, Major Arcana, Minor Arcana, suits, elements, Court cards, spreads, history, different readings styles and more.  This is a lot of information to digest, but once again, her friendly relaxed tone makes it easy to understand.

My only critique: There are three different decks featured in the book – Rider Waite, Shadowscapes,  and Legacy of the Divine.  Some readers will appreciate it (especially those who do not read with the Rider Waite deck) but I felt this was a bit unnecessary and somewhat distracting for me (my brain prefers to focus on one thing at a time – too many things to look at makes me a bit dizzy).  However, this is simply a matter of taste and not a major issue.

I do a lot of  teaching and I especially like working with beginners. I am going to heartily recommend this to all of my students.  It makes a great manual!   But even old hats like me will find something useful here.  So don’t let the “beginner” title hold you back from grabbing a copy.

I give this book 2 Swords Up.  Get it, devour it and start shuffling!

Blessings!

Theresa

If you are in my life for any extended period, sooner or later you’ll discover a little secret: my routines are not dictated by me. In fact, my life often marches to the beat of a furry pulse. Or like I prefer to say: “it is ruled by two cats with iron paws”. They are both quite expressive and efficient at letting me know what they want or need at any given moment. I’ve learned to tune in and follow their lead.

My current buddies: TaoZen and Monkey

Many other pet owners can attest to the same connection. Our four legged friends link to our hearts and find ways to communicate with us as effortlessly as we do with fellow humans. (And in some cases, better!)

The tarot can be an effective tool for ferreting out more information about our animal companions and often my clients will come in specifically to ask about them. Questions can range from “will we get a dog” to health concerns or messages from deceased pets. I find that using the tarot in this manner can help the pet owner to make better decisions or to find peace in any situation.

Let me demonstrate a few different examples so that you can see how your tarot reading could shed light on any animal related question.

Sometimes a family may be considering getting a pet for the household. For a simple yes or no, I look for cards that may suggest a “green light” such as the Ace of Cups. This would be a good sign that the time is right for welcoming a pet into the family. If they are needing more details about what kind of pet, I’ll look for the animals present in the cards – such as the dog at the heels of the Fool or the black cat sitting by the Queen of Wands. This may give a clue as to what kind would be best for the family. Court cards can also give an idea of personalities (Page of Swords for example could be a highly intelligent puppy) so the prospective pet owner can be aware of what type of temperament they may encounter. Knowing what you are getting into could prevent issues due to personality conflicts. These creative examples are a great way to help the querent make informed decisions for the best results.

If a client wants to know about a pet’s needs, I read for the pet in the same way I would read for a human. I feel that animals have feelings and needs just like us so I see little difference when I read the cards. Here’s a sample so you can see how this works. I asked tarot “what does my cat, TaoZen, need the most right now?”

The card I pulled was the King of Pentacles. This serious card reflects TaoZen’s stoic and noble personality quite well. I have often considered him to be rather mature and dignified in his mannerisms. TaoZen also likes to be in command of his fiefdom, much like a king. This card suggests to me that he wants to feel “in control” and needs to be treated with a lot of respect. The King of Pentacles is quite well dressed and seems to be living lavishly – an indicator that TaoZen likes the good life so perhaps I need to keep those treats coming and continue to give him praise, comfort and high quality items. Apparently, my cat is a yuppie. Hmmmm……

This same rule of reading tarot as if you are reading for a human can be applied to deceased pets. I believe that spirits can communicate with us. So why not the spirit of a beloved pet? Why should this be limited to humans?

To show you how well this can work, I pulled a card to ask tarot if my dear Sparkle had any messages for me from the other side. The card I picked was the 2 of Cups. This is a beautiful image of two people bringing their cups together as if in a toast. The caduceus symbol sits between them with a winged lion figure above. This card speaks of love and healing. To me, this is a sure sign that Sparkle is sending his love and letting me know that we are still connected in spirit. I always like to say that if there was ever a true soul mate in my life, it was that cat. He understood me like no other and was my fiercest protector. He didn’t like to share me with anyone and we had a bond unlike any I have ever had with any other pet. He’s been gone for 2 years and I still think of him all the time. This was the perfect card to symbolize our relationship.

I hope these creative examples can give you an idea of how you can also use tarot to find out more about your four legged or winged pals. Look beyond the package that we come in and you may see that these animal companions are no different than us. We share the same ability to love, to feel and to understand.

‘It often happens that a man is more humanely related to a cat or dog than to any human being.’  ~Henry David Thoreau

Blessings!
Theresa

I’d love to hear your insights about using tarot to read for animals. Please post your stories in the comments section below!

PS If you’d like to see an example of a reading I did about a horse’s health, please check out this link for more.

My beloved Sparkle

I dedicate this post to my late animal companion and best bud, Sparkle.  Still miss ya, Botz.

One of the hardest things about working in the tarot field is the isolation that some of us feel.  Often times we find ourselves without peers – especially those who may live in a rural area.  It’s not easy to connect but thanks to the advent of the internet and social media in particular, the game has begun to change.  Many of my fellow tarot readers have been delighted to find each other through this medium – and it has made our world a little more inclusive and a lot less lonely.

Recently, a new site launched that has stepped it up a notch and created a true community for us tarot lovers.  It’s called “Tarot Town” and is the brainchild of Marcus Katz and Tali Goodwin of Tarot Professionals .  Tarot Town is fun but don’t be fooled by the light tone – there is some SERIOUS tarot stuff going on here – classes, forums, discussions, groups and more!  Not only can you connect and make friends here – you can improve your skills, ask questions, learn about events and more.  If there was ever a Tarot Nirvana for us tarot freaks, I think I have found it here!

Of course, I had to ask Marcus and Tali about the creation and inspiration behind Tarot Town and this is what they had to say to me:

We were inspired to create Tarot Town by listening to the members of Tarot Professionals. We had been asked to provide a service to allow our members to network and socialise outside of the focused studies of Tarot such as Gated Spreads, the Diploma Course, Tarot Houses and other projects. When we looked at our existing forum we realised that it did not fulfil this purpose, although it is where we will continue to hold our Tarot course discussions.

We have exciting plans already in pre-production for Tarot Town. We will be integrating our existing WIZIQ Learning Environment from Tarot Professionals into the Town Hekademia very soon for online courses in the Town. We are already well advanced in a 3d-Avatar environment for Tarot Conferences, Rituals, Discussions and Socialising! If you watch our promo video, you’ll see a sneak preview of the 3D world which will be ready by 2011.

Marcus Katz is the author of Tarosophy: Tarot to Engage Life, Not Escape It (pub. Salamander & Sons, August 2010) and the founder of Tarot Professionals. He is an MBA graduate, M.A. holder (Western Esotericism, University of Exeter) and currently 3-years into a 6-year PhD Thesis on the Teachings of Occult groups in the Western Esoteric Tradition. He is a therapist and trainer.

Tali Goodwin is the Marketing Director of Tarot Professionals and a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing. Her career has also involved healthcare and occupational therapy. She has also practised Reiki healing.

No matter if you are a tarot professional, a newbie, or just curious, I’d invite you to stop by and take a look around.  You can find me as what else?  The Tarot Lady.  Hope to meet you there!

Blessings!

Theresa

Image property of Tarot Town

I’m always on the hunt for new ways of looking at the tarot.  You’ll always find a tarot book on my reading table but I have discovered that some of the best tarot writing actually exists on the web.  There are some fantastic blogs that I visit on a regular basis because they never fail to enlighten me and expand my own abilities.

Here are my top ten recommended tarot blogs:

1.  Mary Greer’s Blog – no list would be complete without Mary’s blog.  This brilliant tarot scholar engages her readers with a wide array of subjects from tarot history to different spreads to tarot references in pop culture.  It is obvious that Mary is constantly learning and we are lucky that she is sharing her knowledge with us!

2.  Tarot Eon – this smart blog is written by Douglas Gibb and I can honestly say that his writing has changed my view on tarot more than any other writer out there.  He is deep, philosophical and playful.  Whenever my tarot brain gets too lazy, all I need to do is hop over to his site and in no time, I am thinking deeper than I have ever before.

3. Tarot Elements – I’ve been consistently impressed by Catherine Chapman’s stellar blog. Excellent tarot writing and delightful guest bloggers (I even got the honor of writing a post here!) round out this blog wonderfully.  There is a cornucopia of knowledge here and I’m always discovering new things!

4.  Tarot Pathways – This is a blog at Llewellyn, new age publishers, written by tarot expert Barbara Moore.  Witty writing, deep insights and so many different ways of working with tarot – it seems as if Barbara is an endless well of ideas and concepts!  One of the things I really enjoy about her writing is her conversational tone – I feel as if I am sneaking a peek at someone’s tarot diary and getting the “real dirt” on what tarot is all about!

5.  Bonnie Cehovet – Bonnie is a prolific writer and deck reviewer.  She takes great care to provide detailed reviews of tarot decks and books and this is the place I go to before I buy a deck.  I know I’ll always get an honest and thorough opinion without any hidden agendas.  Before you plunk down your hard earned dollars on your next deck, be sure to look here!

6.  Corrine Kenner’s Shuffle – This popular blog has it all – deck and book reviews, spreads, and get this – American Idol predictions!  I LOVE this!  Corrine is also a well known tarot author and has written one of my all time favorite tarot books:  Tarot Journaling.  Make sure you stop by here and see what she’s up to.  It’s always entertaining!

7.  Supertarot - If you want to learn  more about the Golden Dawn system as well as get more familiar with the Thoth Deck, then Paul Hughes Barlow is your man and this is the site you want to visit.  I am really new to the concepts he presents here and one thing I can tell you – Paul explains these methods in such a clear and concise manner that even my stubborn brain can ‘get it’.

8.  Melissa Tarot – you know what I really like about this blog?  Melissa has a great sense of humor and an excellent way with words.  She explores cards in depth and melds philosophy with wit for a fun yet serious look at the tarot.  I’m looking forward to watching this blog continue to grow.  Good stuff so far….

9.  Musings On Tarot – Arwen Lynch has one of the freshest tarot voices on the web.  She makes me laugh out loud some times, she makes me think and she makes me hungry.  What you ask?  Well, she sometimes writes about tarot and food!  I love her recipes and for me, this is the Holy Grail because there is nothing I love more than food – imagine reading about a tarot card and getting a recipe for guacamole! Fun!  Don’t let that make you assume the blog is silly – there is some super intense tarot interpretations too!

10.  Donnaleigh – This is a fun page with a potpourri of information and a tongue in cheek attitude at times.  Donnaleigh’s colorful blog is never boring! She writes about her own experiences with tarot and she’s never afraid to take it to places I would never dream of!  And if you’re too lazy to read (I know plenty of people who claim to be), she also includes an audio file “Tarot Minute”.  Listen in and learn!

While this list is big, it is by no means complete.  Be sure to check out these other blogs: Auracana, Big Tarot, Tarot Dame, 78 Notes To Self, Cat ‘N Owl and up and coming awesome tarot blogger Mike Hernandez

I also hope you check out the other blog I contribute to with my good pals Astrogrrl, Starcana and TaurusRising: Astrocreeps and Tarot Freaks.

Keep learning and keep reading!

Blessings!

Theresa

I am currently back home after an eventful week at the Reader’s Studio.  What a week it was!  New faces, old friends, lessons…so much to digest.  I am sure it will take me  while to process this life changing conference!  Even the last day had plenty to do.  I started out my morning attending Donnaleigh’s Breakfast Roundtable.  She gave a lively lecture about “tarot bridges” and explained how the cards can connect with each other to provide insights.  This did not disappoint – she had a lot of information to pack in an hour but seemed to do it seamlessly.  (I must confess that I really enjoyed the Roundtable events – both Donnaleigh and Paul Quinn had a lot to share!)

Donnaleigh teaching about tarot bridges

Afterwards, we met up with our original partners for the “Foundation Reading” to revisit the original reading we did for each other and see how the new insights we learned at the conference enhanced our interpretations.  I was pleasantly surprised to see that what I had learned from these different teachers did indeed add a lot of depth to my reading!  Wow.  That was a powerful revelation to me.  Although I have been reading for many years, this was an eye opener.  It clearly pointed out that tarot has many layers and one can never learn enough!  (I was also happily surprised to discover that Andy and I had the same penchant for industrial music which helped me to see him as a kindred spirit in addition to being a reader that I respected!)

Myself with my tarot partner, Andy Matzner

The day finished with a ceremony to hand out certificates and prizes.  Ironically, I won a membership into a tarot organization which was the universe’s way of winking at me.  I am not affiliated with any tarot organizations as I am a lone wolf and have no intention of joining any group.  So, I had to laugh out loud at this turn of events.  What kind of cosmic joke was this to my anarchist nature?  Hmmm……I think I’ll have to ponder that a bit before I come to a conclusion.

After saying my goodbyes, it was time to head to the airport and get home to a very needy (and messy) household.  Although I am glad to be home, I am grateful for all the things I learned at the conference.  Here’s my epiphanies:

Mary Greer, Robert Place, Dr. Elinor Greenberg, Ruth Ann Amberstone

1.  You can teach an old dog new tricks. I’ve been at the tarot game for almost 3 decades and have never had any formal training.  While I do believe I know the tarot pretty well, these classes all gave me new tools.  The class with the Amberstones revealed symbols and subtleties that I took for granted.  Dr. Elinor Greenberg pushed me outside my comfort zone with a therapy technique that challenged my beliefs (although it was not my cup of tea, I will be first in line to buy her book “Tarot Counseling” when it is published next year as I now realize that what she is teaching is groundbreaking and invaluable).  Robert Place humbled me with his vast knowledge and is making me rethink some of my assumptions about chakras.  And Mary Greer is a delight.  I have read Mary’s books in the past and thought her interactive method of tarot reading was too different from my “style” to incorporate into my work.  Lo and behold, this wise woman taught in a surprisingly effective manner and I may never look at tarot the same way again.  She’s amazing and now I can’t wait for my next opportunity to learn from her!

Myself with tarot author Mary Greer

2.  Resistance limits you.  I’ll admit that I am rather set in my ways.  In fact, I am rather fond of my own opinions.  The RS10 challenged me to rethink some of my own beliefs.  That doesn’t mean I am going to abandon my ideals but I am certainly going to open my mind to new insights.

3.  Twitter is a great place to make friends. One of the coolest things about RS10 was meeting many of the friends I have met through Twitter.  Yup, lots of tarot peeps like to tweet.  How cool it was to finally put faces to the names!  I had always been skeptical about meeting people online but this whole experience taught me that there are super people out there and it is worth venturing out of my cave to connect!

4.  Ruth Ann and Wald Amberstone are the bomb! I can’t believe what a major effort these two put into this conference.  The Amberstones were a joy to be around – they are approachable, knowledgeable, friendly and really know how to make you feel welcome.  I have the utmost respect for them and intend on learning more with them.  How nice to finally find some mentors that I can look up to!

5.  Room service rocks! For the last four years of my life, I have been busy with care taking.  This was the first time I have ever been in a hotel that had room service as I tend to go the uber cheap route when I travel.  As lame as it sounds, having someone wait on me for a change was a joy.  As the waiter said to me when he brought up my requested glass of wine “You deserve this.”  That was the biggest revelation of all – I do deserve to hang out with cool peers, learn from the best, enjoy my life and be treated well.  This conference has changed me in more ways than one.  I definitely plan on making this an annual retreat.

But now….back to my regular life and my needy cats, my hungry husband, my messy house and my awesome clients.  After the conference, the laundry so to speak.

Blessings!

Theresa

www.thetarotlady.com

Friday was the official start of the conference and all attendees were finishing checking in and gearing up for an action packed weekend.  We started off by picking a partner for a “Foundation Reading”.  This is a very cool idea – we were to give our partner a reading and make notes.  At the end of the conference, we’re going to check back with our study buddy and see what our new insights are!  I had a very nice partner named Andy, who was a sensitive and gifted reader.  I really enjoyed his reading.

We then were treated to a delightful banquet lunch and a presentation by Dan Pelletier of Tarot Garden.  He’s a pretty funny guy and it was a nice light break in the day.  The Merchant Faire was open and many of us were spending dough with the vendors and chatting about their products.  Some great stuff was there including a few highlights:

Joanna Powell Colbert, author of Gaian Tarot

Alchemical Deck author Robert Place

After lunch, it was time for a Master Class with Dr. Elinor Greenberg.  She uses the tarot in her counseling practice and was going to show us methods for turning ‘bad cards’ into a positive experience for our clients.  Her methods were intriguing enough but not my cup of tea.  The second exercise had us using tarot in a Gestalt therapy manner and this was beyond my comfort zone.  The idea of doing personal therapy with a stranger was not an experience that fit with me – but luckily I got saved by the bell as my brother called with an issue regarding Dad’s estate that only I could answer (I’m the executor of the estate) so I had to take the call.  And then I decided it was a sign so I bailed on the rest of the class and headed into NYC to visit an old friend.  This was a wise choice for me as I got to spend quality time with a loved one and hang out on my old stomping grounds.  This certainly made up for my screw up on Wednesday and I was thrilled to be walking around old familiar places, chatting about politics, family and other stuff.  After all, one can only take so much tarot talk!

Once back at the hotel, I grabbed a glass of wine and hit my room for a chilled night.  The next day would be a busy one with two Master classes and the banquet!