Discussion of trends and issues in today’s Tarot Community.

• Certification
• Legitimizing Tarot vs.Reading on the Fringe
• Individual Expression
• Spiritual Elitism
• Tarot Police
• Counseling
• Rephrasing Questions
• Insurance Fraud
• Copyrights & Trademarks
• Fraud
• World Tarot Day
• Intellectual Property

Surgeon Generals Warning for this episode is:

“Chock Full of Ranty Goodness! An opinion in every bite” – Thalassa

Donnaleigh

Radio podcast personality, professional tarot reader & psychic artist with a gentle reading style.

• Donnaleigh.net
• Beyond Worlds
• Our Educational Tarot Podcast: http://TarotTribe.com
• Fridays with Storm Cestavani at http://StormOnAir.com/

Ginny Hunt

Ginny Hunt is a Professional Tarot Reader from Maryland. Her interest in the spiritual and metaphysical has been a lifelong passion. She has been a practicing counselor, both professionally with adolescents and para-professionally as a volunteer with abused women. She offers professional reading services through 78 Notes to Self.

Storm Cestivani

Storm Cestavani is a Celebrity Psychic that has been reading professionally for nearly twenty-five years and has amassed great skill at the divinatory arts, such as Clairvoyance, Clairaudience, Empathy, Astrology, Dreams, Channeling, Numerology, Past Lives, Automatic Writing, and Tarot.

Storm gained international notoriety as the former radio host for syndicated talk show Psychic Friends Live. He appeared in five infomercials for the Psychic Friends Network, reading for star Dionne Warwick on the show, and has been seen on a number of television and radio shows like:

* Jenny Jones * Montel Williams * Rikki Lake * Latifa! *Cinemax * HBO * The Real World * Showtime * CNN * NBC News Style. * E! * Howard Stern * Extra! * Art Bell * Travel Channel * Blind Date* *Oprah*

• Psychic Friends Blog
• Storm Cestavani Show at Blogtalk

Thalassa

Thalassa is the producer of the San Francisco Bay Area Tarot Symposium – the oldest established, permanent floating Tarot Symposium in the world (actually, the longest continuously produced Tarot event) and founder of the Daughters of Divination (DOD). She has been living, working and playing with the Tarot for more than 40 years (she was an infant prodigy).

She is also active in the production of Pagan and Divination events across the country, and her writing has been published in a wide range of publications, including the Llewellyn Tarot Reader almanacs since their inception. She has been involved in standup comedy, choreography, and stage management, and currently teaches improvisation and physical characterization for performers of Renaissance and Victorian festivals.

Her other interests include historical recreation, needlework, and plotting global domination. Thalassa lives in San Francisco with her long-suffering husband, a herd of semi-feral dustbunnies, a sword collection, and more Tarot cards than is safe to assemble in one place. She is working on a book (on Tarot, of all things).

Music Credits

• Opening Music: The Oracle Speaks by William Wilde Zeitler from Elegy for Atlantis
• Closing Music: Transition Music: We Throw Parties, You throw Knives by Los Campesinos! from Music Alley

Play or Download the Episode

You can review the handout from Episode 26 in 2008 for some of the systems of selecting a Significator. In this episode, I talked with an number of tarot readers about what they have chosen for themselves and why.

Excerpt from the Pictorial Key to the Tarot – an ancient celtic method of divination

This mode of divination is the most suitable for obtaining an answer to a definite question. The Diviner first selects a card to represent the person or, matter about which inquiry is made. This card is called the Significator.

Should he wish to ascertain something in connection with himself he takes the one which corresponds to his personal description.

A Knight should be chosen as the Significator if the subject of inquiry is a man of forty years old and upward; a King should be chosen for any male who is under that age a Queen for a woman who is over forty years and a Page for any female of less age.

Fred West

Fred West has over 30 years of experiences as a Tarot Reader. What first started as a childhood hobby has turned into a lifelong passion. Fred’s knowledge and passion for Tarot is like no other, he has read hundreds of books from various famous tarot authors and possess a variety of decks he uses with his clients during readings. Fred’s clientele ranges from Famous actors in Hollywood to the stay-at-home mom in Oregon.

• FPW Consulting
• The Tarot Demographic Survey

Donnaleigh

Radio podcast personality, professional tarot reader & psychic artist with a gentle reading style.

• Donnaleigh.net
• Beyond Worlds
• Our Educational Tarot Podcast: http://TarotTribe.com
• Fridays with Storm Cestavani at http://StormOnAir.com/

Valerie Sherill

Valerie is the assistant manager for Tarot for Life forum. She became interested in the art of Cartomancy around the age of 14 when her aunt taught her how to read with a regular playing deck. Thirteen years later, she discovered Tarot classes were available at a local metaphysical shop in the town she was living in at that time and immediately enrolled for the course’s extensive five month study. “I had tried to learn Tarot on my own when I was 15,” Val says, “but found it too overwhelming and lost interest. That course I found at The Alhambra Institute in Dearborn, MI, was like a gift from the Universe. Alexia was an incredible teacher – I will never forget her.” With the discovery of online Tarot communities in 2000, Val’s love of Tarot quickly blossomed into passion as she learned more about its rich history and endless avenues of Tarot exploration. It’s an adventure she expects to embark upon for the rest of her life.

Sean Tierseron

Sean is a certified & licensed Rainbow Reiki Professional Practitioner II and Usui/Tibetan Reiki Master Teacher who provides deep physical and emotional healing for your life empowerment. He uses the loving energies of Reiki in union with ”Sound Healing” & Crystal work for a more complete and lasting healing. He has also been working with Tarot for 20 years. Sean enhances your Tarot Reading with Reiki to clairvoyantly tune in to your Spirit Guides, Archangels, Angels, and Spirit Animals. He primarily uses Tarot for readings; Angel and Animal Oracle Cards may be used too. Sean works very closely with the Archangels and is able to channel. His Website is SeanHealswithLight.com

Roger Tobin

Roger Tobin is a Professional Tarot Reader from Portland, Oregon. He was introduced to the Tarot in the late 1980s but started serious study and practice in 2002 after encouragement from his family. He is a member of The American Tarot Association and reads for both of their Networks. Roger is also a Mentor for new readers as well as an active community volunteer. He enjoys both studying and teaching of topics in Tarot, and leads the Portland Tarot Study group. You can find out more about his reading practice at his website Sylvan Creek Tarot.

Ginny Hunt

Ginny Hunt is a Professional Tarot Reader from Maryland. Her interest in the spiritual and metaphysical has been a lifelong passion. She has been a practicing counselor, both professionally with adolescents and para-professionally as a volunteer with abused women. She offers professional reading services through 78 Notes to Self.

Thalassa

Thalassa is the producer of the San Francisco Bay Area Tarot Symposium – the oldest established, permanent floating Tarot Symposium in the world (actually, the longest continuously produced Tarot event) and founder of the Daughters of Divination (DOD). She has been living, working and playing with the Tarot for more than 40 years (she was an infant prodigy).

She is also active in the production of Pagan and Divination events across the country, and her writing has been published in a wide range of publications, including the Llewellyn Tarot Reader almanacs since their inception. She has been involved in standup comedy, choreography, and stage management, and currently teaches improvisation and physical characterization for performers of Renaissance and Victorian festivals.

Her other interests include historical recreation, needlework, and plotting global domination. Thalassa lives in San Francisco with her long-suffering husband, a herd of semi-feral dustbunnies, a sword collection, and more Tarot cards than is safe to assemble in one place. She is working on a book (on Tarot, of all things).

Music Credits

• Opening Music: The Oracle Speaks by William Wilde Zeitler from Elegy for Atlantis
• Closing Music: Transition Music: Who the Hell Am I by Albert Lee Fitz from Music Alley

Albert Lee Fizz is a Dutch singer/songwriter, influenced by the 1980′s Brit pop. His music is published by No Tie Generation and some songs are now also available on iTunes. Albert Lee Fizz is a licensed busker in the London Underground and raises money for charity (www.justgiving.com/AlbertLeeFizz)

Play or Download the Episode

This is one of my least liked tarot card trumps. I’m not sure it’s anyone’s favorite given its uncomfortable depiction of torture, but my main beef with this card is not only does it tell me that what I want requires a very long wait, but in the meantime I’m not going to be enjoying that wait. Unlike the Star that also depicts that my goal is afar off, this card says the intervening time is pretty much going to suck for me, though I will learn a lot from it. Bah. Take your life lesson and hang that from a tree, ok?

To even attempt to understand the meaning of this Major Arcana card, one really does need to get the historical perspective. Times have most certainly changed since the creation of Tarot and this card references something that people of the 1500′s would have readily recognized that we in the 21st Century have no current context. Well, we do, but not in this manner. This picture of a man hung upside down by one foot is what was known in Italy as a pittura infamante, a defaming portrait. It was used as a kind of rag publication that showed thieves, traitors, those guilty of bankruptcy or fraud in this punishing position and displayed in centers of public view. Those paintings weren’t literal, in that the depicted victims were not actually hung in this manner but were shamed by the portrait. They were akin to our political cartoons except that they were approved and even requested by the municipal civil authorities as a form of public punishment. They began to lose popularity when they began to be appreciated more as an art form, like the political cartoon, rather than be seen as a form of punishment. The intended effect, shame, was lessened, and the practice diminished. (read the full post)

Ginny Hunt

Ginny Hunt is a Professional Tarot Reader from Maryland. Her interest in the spiritual and metaphysical has been a lifelong passion. She has been a practicing counselor, both professionally with adolescents and para-professionally as a volunteer with abused women. She offers professional reading services through 78 Notes to Self.

Music Credits

• 78 Notes Music: Winter Moon by Rhonda Lorence from Winter Moon (Magnatune)

I know you know at least one. I know you’ve probably even been one at some point, though it may be embarrassing to admit. At least once and probably many more times you have made that proverbial mountain out of a molehill. You Drama King/Queen! It’s ok, really. I have a side that inclines toward the dramatic. Ok, maybe more than a side. A whole flank of my being perhaps. Enough that a friend of mine, who also relishes the fair amount of drama sprinkled through out her life, will call me out, “O! M! G! You’re being so drama!” At least we recognize it in ourselves and can laugh at it when it rears its entertaining head. This fact makes us decidedly not Drama Queens. The true Drama King or Queen does not accept the fact that he or she is being ridiculously melodramatic nor do they seem aware that they are consistently creating situations that result in exhausting drama for themselves and others. So my friend and I were talking last night when she wondered aloud, “Which tarot card would represent drama?” We had been discussing the Moon card and the dramatic side to that card and the question made us both stop, mid-convo, and mentally rifle through the deck. At first we were rather nonplussed. I said the Fool and Moon combination would make me think “drama” but I wasn’t satisfied with my answer. We continued our conversation and somehow the Ten of Swords was mentioned and she interjected, “There is the drama card!” I laughed, “Oh yeah! For sure!” Talk about over the top, that card screams “Woe is meeeeeee!”(read the full post)

Ginny Hunt

Ginny Hunt is a Professional Tarot Reader from Maryland. Her interest in the spiritual and metaphysical has been a lifelong passion. She has been a practicing counselor, both professionally with adolescents and para-professionally as a volunteer with abused women. She offers professional reading services through 78 Notes to Self.

Music Credits

• 78 Notes Music: Winter Moon by Rhonda Lorence from Winter Moon (Magnatune)

So if nine is the finale, why the ten? Because ten is neither the end nor the beginning, but a transition between an ending and a beginning to a higher order of things. See, the number ten is the start of a whole new order of numbers and the culmination of the numbers that come before it.

All the base ten numbering systems in existence from ancient times such as Hebrew and Greek systems use the number ten as this natural transition between the numbers that come before into the numbers that come after. A look at the number values assigned to the Hebrew and Greek letters show that the letters were given values from one to ten, then increasing in tens to 100 then increasing by 100′s and so on. Numbering by tens is natural for us given our ten fingers which are quite useful for adding and subtracting. You have to re-use fingers when you get past ten, so it starts a new “order.” So ten represents “completeness of order.” It symbolizes a cycle has completed and all is where it should be. As such it represents the perfection of divine order. (read the full post)

Ginny Hunt

Ginny Hunt is a Professional Tarot Reader from Maryland. Her interest in the spiritual and metaphysical has been a lifelong passion. She has been a practicing counselor, both professionally with adolescents and para-professionally as a volunteer with abused women. She offers professional reading services through 78 Notes to Self.

Music Credits

• 78 Notes Music: Winter Moon by Rhonda Lorence from Winter Moon (Magnatune)

So then I hear, oh, it was an INTUITIVE reading. There. Now everything’s all better.

Hell not!  (read the full post at 78Notes.blogspot.com)

Ginny Hunt

Ginny Hunt is a Professional Tarot Reader from Maryland. Her interest in the spiritual and metaphysical has been a lifelong passion. She has been a practicing counselor, both professionally with adolescents and para-professionally as a volunteer with abused women. She offers professional reading services through 78 Notes to Self.

Music Credits

• 78 Notes Music: Winter Moon by Rhonda Lorence from Winter Moon (Magnatune)

The symbolism of the Star is curious. Often there is a naked woman portrayed pouring out two jugs of water, one onto the earth and the other into the water. One immediate sense is that of abundance. But as one friend of mine noted, this woman is pouring herself out to a ridiculous degree: “She’s watering the water, for heaven’s sake!” my friend said. When we look at what water symbolizes in tarot, the emotions, we can see a dual meaning here. On the one hand, there is emotional healing going on. She’s pouring out, releasing her emotions, both for their generative qualities and just for the sake of releasing them. Her nakedness suggests both a vulnerability and a healthy sense of self. Being transparent and not hiding one’s feelings is imperative for emotional health and healing. Yet it does leave one vulnerable to further injury, so it takes a good deal of courage to do what this woman is doing. Going back to my friend’s observation, women especially tend to overextend themselves emotionally and give rise to the need for the Star’s emotional down time. Someone represented by the Star in a reading could signify someone who is an emotional giver, sometimes to their own detriment. The advice then is to take some real time for oneself and attend to one’s own emotional waters and dry, parched soul.

The Star is an incredibly peaceful card and brings with it a sense of wholeness. It’s a relief, a breather, on a long arduous journey. It reminds us to slow down because any amount of stressing out about when you’ll get there isn’t going to make the trip go any faster. It quiets those voices in your head that sound like children in the back seat chattering, “Are we there yet?” every five minutes. It answers soothingly, “No, but we will get there at just the right time, now relax and enjoy the scenery.” It’s the kind of card that makes you stop and experience the present moment in all its peaceful beauty and reminds us that the journey IS the destination. (read the full post at 78Notes.blogspot.com)

Ginny Hunt

Ginny Hunt is a Professional Tarot Reader from Maryland. Her interest in the spiritual and metaphysical has been a lifelong passion. She has been a practicing counselor, both professionally with adolescents and para-professionally as a volunteer with abused women. She offers professional reading services through 78 Notes to Self.

Music Credits

• 78 Notes Music: Winter Moon by Rhonda Lorence from Winter Moon (Magnatune)

This card has no problem showing up when a romantic relationship is in question, but doesn’t it make you scratch your head a little when it shows up when you’re doing a reading about something completely non-romantic? You stare at the image of the passionate couple and think…wtf? The fallback meaning is of “choice” and of following one’s heart to make that choice, so at least there is that. (read the full post at 78Notes.blogspot.com)

Ginny Hunt

Ginny Hunt is a Professional Tarot Reader from Maryland. Her interest in the spiritual and metaphysical has been a lifelong passion. She has been a practicing counselor, both professionally with adolescents and para-professionally as a volunteer with abused women. She offers professional reading services through 78 Notes to Self.

Music Credits

• 78 Notes Music: Winter Moon by Rhonda Lorence from Winter Moon (Magnatune)

• Appropriate Number of Cards
• Spread positions should follow a logical or easy to follow order.
• Symmetry
• Interesting relationships between cards that are next to each other

Spreads

1 Card

What do I most need to know about <this> right now.

2 Card Focus by Gail Fairfield from Choice Centered Tarot

1. Major – The What of the Situation
2. Minor – The How of the Situation

The Pro & Con Layout

1. Pro-Whats the best thing about this. What are the benefits.
2. Con – Whats the worst thing about this. What are the costs.

3 Card: by Zoe Matoff

2 – 1 – 3

1. Whats the basic issue here
2. Don’t do this
3. Do this

Deeper Learning Layout by James Wells

1. Larger Deeper Learning for me in this situation.
2. What’s appropriate to release, exit, or leave behind?
3. What’s appropriate to embrace, enter or move towards?

Reality Check Spread by James Wells

1. What am I imagining on the bad side?
2. What am I imagining on the good side?
3. What’s the reality of the situation itself?

4 Card Psychological Spread from Tarot for Dummies

1. Your subconscious or child self (reactive)
2. Your conscious or adult self (intentional)
3. you superconscious or wise self
4. Overall comment

The Spread of Changes by James Rioux

The first card can be drawn at random or intentionally selected based on something you want to focus on and consciously pick a card to represent it. You can pick any of the position’s intentionally.

1-2-3-4-5

1. The past or root cause
2. Your state or attitude or how you thought about yourself before the change
3. The change itself
4. The after change attitude
5. The result of the change or desired outcome

Elenore Greenburg from 2007 Tarot Reader

1. What the client needs to learn about the current situation
2. What he or she needs to learn about how it plays out in their life in general or the bigger picture or pattern revealed by the situation
3. How learning the situation can further their spiritual growth
4. What’s appropriate to leave behind
5. What’s appropriate to move toward

Arthur Rosengarten from Tarot and Psychology

1. Whats’ working for you
2. What’s working against you
3. What you know
4. What you don’t know
5. What’s needed

The Leap Across the Abyss by Rachel Pollack from the Shining Tribe Tarot

1. Where do I start?
2. What is hidden?
3. Who helps me?
4. What do I fear?
5. What must I give up?
6. What must I take with me?
7. What will I experience?
8. What will I find?

Clarifying Options by Gail Fairfield from Everyday Tarot

Layout 9 cards for each option including an option you having though of. The third card will help identify the new option. Please refer to the book Everyday Tarot for the shape of the spread

1. your reason for considering this option
2. what this option represents for you
3. the true nature of this option
4. the resources that support this option
5. the obstacles that block this option
6. the advantages of pursuing this option
7. the disadvantages of pursing this option
8. what will probably happen if you choose this option
9. the Key Factor with regard to this option.

James’ 10 Card Layout

1. The External Experience of the Situation.
2. The Internal Experience of the Situation.
3. My contribution to it.
4. Other’s contribution to it.
5. What challenges blocks or problems are connected with it
6. What blessings, gifts or resources are connected with it.
7. What does soul have to say about the situation? (Soul: Personal Sacred or Sacred Self)
8. What does spirit have to say about the situation? (Spirit: Transpersonal Sacred or Sacred Other)
9. What’s the wisdom emerge from me from the situation? What can I learn?
10. (Optional) Based on the above information, what is the most likely way this will unfold in the <timeframe>

Freestyle Q&A

Initial question. Pull a card. Dialog. This generates another question. Pull a Card. Continue until it feels complete or resolved.

Custom Design Layouts

• Step 1: Pick a Topic (Subject)
• Step 2: Brainstorm Questions (Quantity)
• Step 3: Refine the Questions & Wording (Quality)
• Step 4: Put the Questions in an order that makes sense and number the Questions (Order)
• Step 5: Draw a Diagram (Shape)

Draw and Layout the Cards. Interpret. Finish with a summary card.

Your first step to a helpful insightful Tarot Session is ask empowering open ended questions such as:

• How?
• What?
• Where in my life?
• In what ways?
• What do I most need to learn about?
• What do I most need to know about at this time?
• What is a more evolved perspective on … ?

Avoid:

• Yes/No Questions
• Negatively worded questions
• Questions about other people’s lives

James Wells

James Wells is a Toronto-based consultant, teacher, and facilitator devoted to merging soul and strategy. Through tools and processes such as Tarot, Reiki, Council Circle, and Journal Writing, he and his clients and students are inspired to become more of who they really are.

Tarot has been a part of James’ life since 1979. His insightful, down-to-earth, proactive style makes him a popular practitioner and workshop presenter at home and abroad. James is a contributor to most of Llewellyn’s Tarot Reader almanacs. In his “me time”, he enjoys writing, reading, music, walking, and good food.

jameswells.wordpress.com

To book private consultations and to set up a workshop in your area, feel free to contact James at (416) 966 – 2685 or at evolutionary_tarot@yahoo.ca

JAMES WELLS — Merging soul and strategy through tarot, Reiki, journal writing, council circle, workshops, & classes.

Music Credits

• Opening Music: The Oracle Speaks by William Wilde Zeitler from Elegy for Atlantis
• Closing Music: The Way by Ishwish from Remember (Magnatune)

Play or Download the Episode

Tarot of the Masters

The Tarot of the Masters is from Tarot author James Ricklef, and is inspired by classical paintings from the old masters such as Rembrandt, Toulouse-Lautrec, Bouguereau, Rubens, and Hieronymus Bosch.

In preparation for creating this deck, James perused hundreds of paintings (and quite a few statues as well) in order to find ones that would suit the 78 cards of the Tarot. The classic works of art found in this process have inspired his own illustrations for the cards. (In a few cases two different paintings were combined.

This deck was drawn in pen and ink and colored on the computer. Each card is color coded by suit and the Majors show astrological attributions. It’s been self-published in a first edition run of 55 decks. The first run deck costs $50 + tax (where applicable — California) and shipping. The deck comes in a satin bag. Companion material will be available for download on the website.

• Tarot of the Masters Intro – with links to the images
• Yahoo Group for Tarot of the Masters
• Contact James

A Few Closeups

James Ricklef

James Ricklef is a Certified Tarot Master — a Tarot reader, lecturer, and writer. He has been a frequent workshop presenter at the annual Los Angeles Tarot Symposium, and he has been a guest presenter at the New York Tarot Reader’s Studio, and the annual San Francisco Bay Area Tarot Symposium. He is also the author of the award-winning book Tarot Tells the Tale as well as Tarot — Get the Whole Story, and his new deck, Tarot of the Masters, is now available. For more information about his books or deck, visit his website:

• Visit James’ Website
• Read his Haiku Poetry
• Cafe Press, Zazzle products and Books (including a poster with the Lovers and the rest of the Major Arcana)
• Tarot Affirmations Booklet
• Author Bio at Llewellyn
• Ways to Practice Reading Tarot Cards by James Ricklef
• Tarot & Your Spiritual Path:The Wheel of Fortune Written by James Ricklef

The Nines by Ginny Hunt

In number symbolism, nine, not ten, means completion. This can be rather confusing in tarot when the suits have a sequence of ten cards. But there are reasons for this and once understood it makes things a little easier. In a base 10 system, where all numbers are represented by ten distinct forms (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9), nine is the final number. It then represents a limit, the end, or an ultimate goal. The last among the seven Pythagorean numbers (three through nine), nine is the limit to which the generative principles of number reach. The ancient mathematical philosophers called nine the “finishing post” and “that which brings completion.”

The Greeks called nine “the horizon,” beyond which the Ennead, or “the nothing” or void lay. We colloquially express this by saying things like “the nth degree” or that a cat has nine lives and “the whole nine yards” to mean the very limit of something. Also we say someone is “on cloud nine” or “dressed to the nines” when they are achieving something high. There are nine magnitudes on the Richter earthquake scale, though one has not yet been recorded to go that high and so is only theoretically possible at this time. As such, nine is the completion of a cycle, symbolic of change and reform. In tarot it represents the end prior to a new beginning. So what’s the ten there for? I’ll get to that in the next post in this series.

Nine is composed of three trinities (3 times 3 equals 9) and represents the principles of the sacred Triad taken to their utmost expression. In fact, the Chaldeans believed nine to be so sacred they kept it apart in their numerology from the other numbers. This practice relates back to the Major Arcana IX, The Hermit, who separates himself from others in the spiritual search of the sacred. The Norse God Odin, ruler of the nine Norse worlds, hung nine days on the world axis or Yggdrasil tree to win the secrets of wisdom for mankind and after the seige of Troy, which lasted for nine years, Odysseus wandered for nine years in trying to return home. The Hermit is often pictured standing on a mountaintop, a pinnacle of sorts, the limit of height. (read the full post)

Music Credits

• Opening Music: The Oracle Speaks by William Wilde Zeitler from Elegy for Atlantis
• 78 Notes Music: Steamy River by Rhonda Lorence from Winter Moon (Magnatune)
• Closing Music: Three Airs from the Dancing Master by Da Camera from A Celtic Celebration (Magnatune)

Play or Download the Episode

• Card Attributions
• Suits & Seasons
• Opening the Key
• The Calendar Spread

Super Project Lab

I was a guest of the Super Project Lab in their series called meet your Futurist.

Once again, truth and fiction collide when special guests from the Portland community share true, unrehearsed recollections from their lives. Their stories serve as inspirational fodder for each evening’s improv.

Friday Sept 21- Meet Your Futurist

The Eights by Ginny Hunt

Eights in Tarot are a mixed bag. They contain the solid sense of four yet without its enclosing, fearful walls. Eights are about moving beyond that structure, but still working within its rules. It takes the growth lessons of all the numbers that came before it and moves still higher, still striving towards the goal. There is the hint of a new beginning with the eight, but it’s more because the old ways weren’t working as well as you’d hoped. There is both building and destruction inherent in the eights, so it may be difficult at times to ascertain the meaning in the card.

Eight is one number beyond perfection and represents the infinity. The mathematical symbol for infinity, the leminscate is, after all, the number eight turned on its side. We see this symbol in various cards in the tarot: The Magician, the Three of Pentacles, but also, auspiciously, in the Major Arcana VIII Strength. More about this in a moment, because as we shall see, Strength fits very neatly into the symbolism of the number eight, with its multifaceted approach to challenges.

Eight was the number of the balance and cosmic order of the universe according to the Egyptians. In Mesopotamia, the eight-leaf rosette was also the emblem of the fertility goddess Ishtar and her planet Venus. This symbolizes the eight’s basic meaning of birth and death and rebirth, or building and destruction and new beginning aspect of the eight. To the early Christians it was the symbol of the new Life, the final Resurrection and the anticipated Resurrection that is baptism. It was also the number of Beatitudes (The Blesseds) of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. The number eight as a symbol of new beginning is seen in the Bible, as when Noah saved eight persons from the flood to start over. Similarly, the Jewish rite of circumcision which marks the beginning of the newborn boy’s relationship with God is performed on the eighth day, and in Leviticus 9:1, the inauguration of the Tabernacle as the new dwelling place for the presence of God took place after seven days of preparation on the eighth. In Jewish Qabbalah, the number is the eighth Sephira, Hod or “Splendour.” The star of Bethlehem is usually shown with eight rays. Also, Easter Sunday, the day when Christ is said to have rose from the dead, was counted as the eighth day after Palm Sunday, the day on which Jesus entered Jerusalem. I know, to us it seems like seven, but the ancients had an inclusive way of counting the day itself plus the following days. (read the full post)

Music Credits

Opening Music: The Oracle Speaks by William Wilde Zeitler from Elegy for Atlantis

78 Notes Music: Steamy River by Rhonda Lorence from Winter Moon (Magnatune)

Closing Music 1: Chiron Beta Prime by Jonathan Coulton

Closing Music 2: Skullcrusher Mountain by Jonathan Coulton

Play or Download the Episode

There are many ways to energize the tarot session in real life such as:

• tangible constructive action
• small doable action
• new personal name
• affirmations
• body posture/movement
• colour
• meditation on the card
• place the card in a special place with a candle & incense
• wear something
• jewelry or talisman to represent the card
• essential oils
• journal writing
• walking a labyrinth
• creativity (sound, clay, paint, etc.)

Reading List

• Geraldine Amaral & Nancy Brady Cunningham. Tarot Celebrations: Honoring the Inner Voice.
• Susan K. Cole. “Dance and Tarot: Personal Symbols Set to Movement”, Wheel of Tarot: A New Revolution, James Wanless & Angeles Arrien, editors, pp. 205 – 213.
• Dori Gombold. “The Psychodynamic Effects of Tarot Symbolism”, Wheel of Tarot: A New Revolution, James Wanless & Angeles Arrien, editors, pp. 187 – 201.
• Mary K. Greer. 21 Ways to Read a Tarot Card (especially the chapter called “The Possible Self”, pp. 231 – 238).
• Mary K Greer. The Essence of Magic: Tarot, Ritual and Aromatherapy.
• Cait Johnson. Tarot for Every Day.
• Robert A. Johnson. Inner Work.
• Corrine Kenner. Tarot Journaling.
• Jill Mellick. The Art of Dreaming.
• Vicki Noble. Rituals and Practices with the Motherpeace Tarot.
• Rachel Pollack. The Shining Tribe Tarot (especially the section on “Ways to Activate a Tarot Card”, pp. 305 – 312).
• Rachel Pollack. Tarot Readings and Meditations.
• Karen Turner. “Transformational Beliefs and Tarot”, Wheel of Tarot: A New Revolution, James Wanless & Angeles Arrien, editors, pp. 180 – 183.
• James Wells. Tarot for Manifestation.
• James Wells. “Walking the Labyrinth”, Llewellyn’s 2005 Tarot Reader, pp. 199 – 204.

James Wells is a Toronto-based Tarot consultant with an international clientele. Since age 12, he has lived, worked and played with the Tarot and its rich symbolism. James is also a Reiki Master, publisher of The Six-Rayed Star, musician, explorer of divination systems, weaver of rituals, and workshop facilitator. His job as a Worker of Oracles is to create sacred space for constructive feedback and soul work – a place where dreams, goals, imagination, intuition and magick, have full sway so that you can enjoy insight, support and healing. James can be reached at workeroforacles@yahoo.ca

Hermit’s Journey with Bonnie Cehovet – Justice and the Hanged Man

Welcome to the Hermit’s Journey. My name is Bonnie Cehovet, and today we will be continuing on our journey through the symbols in the Major Arcana. As I noted in the first Pod Cast of this series, that of the Fool, the imagery and symbolism in the Tarot is what connects us to its archetypal qualities and wisdom. It acts as a gateway between our conscious and our unconscious worlds. Each deck carries with it its own unique brand of imagery and symbols. For the purposes of this discussion, I will be referring to the Waite-Smith Tarot (also known as the Rider-Waite Tarot), as it is a traditional reference, and quite often used for teaching purposes. Interpreting the imagery and symbols is done in two ways: through the intent of the author/illustrator (and here we need to remember that the background for the Rider-Waite deck is that of the Golden Dawn), and how the Seeker sees it through the veil of their own personal life experiences.

Let’s continue our journey through the symbols of Justice and the Hanged Man. The major theme for Justice is that of being just with ourselves, as well as with others. In “The Heart of the Tarot”, Sandra Thomson notes that this is not a blind sense of justice, it is a clear sighted one. Before we act, we need to make sure that we are acting in a way that will insure a balanced outcome. We need to make sure that we are not only acting to bring in that which we desire.

Justice sits with her scales in her left hand, ready to weigh what is presented to her. In her right hand is the sword of reflection, pointing to higher truths, and to victory. It is a double edged sword – it destroys as well as builds in cutting through to the truth. It is her decision as to where the point of balance lies. The scales symbolize, as one might guess, our balance point in life. The pillars to the right and the left of Justice are the pillars of reconciliation, and of mercy. They are connected by the purple veil of higher consciousness.

Justice wears the crown of authority, with its imbedded square jewel of intelligence seated over the third eye, the wisdom and truth seeking chakra. The four sided jewel, along with the three turrets in the crown, add up to seven, the number of Venus. The olive green of her cape reflects the green of nature, and suggests personal growth. Her red dress symbolizes power – the base from which we achieve our growth. Her white slipper indicates purity of thought is at the foundation of her judgment.

The square brooch with the circular pin at her heart chakra symbolizes the “squaring of the circle”, a symbol of wholeness, and of the Self.

In a reading, Justice asks us to take the time to gather our facts, and to look at all viewpoints. It asks us to see the truth about ourselves.

The theme for the Hanged Man is that of releasing false, illusional images and of learning the natural laws of the universe. His being suspended upside down symbolizes his need to take a “fresh look” at his situation. He is letting go of the rules of society that bind him so that he can see clearly.

The Sevens by Ginny Hunt

Sevens in Tarot once again bring conflict and choice, but this go round involves less something from the outside happening to you, but your own actions and impulses create the change, cause the ruckus, because you have some silly notion inside you that prompts this. You are the one agitating here, but not for no reason. Sevens take a stand based on an unseen but strongly felt inner truth.

Seven is historically a mystical number. Its mythological and symbolic use is broad and deep. Many different religions and cultures view seven as spiritual, lucky, and very significant. It is the number of the philosopher, sage, and wisdom seeker. When a seven appears in any fashion, you can understand there is more going on under the surface that involves the spiritual, faith, and esoteric realms. Seven is an enigma and as such is difficult to define. It’s like the faith it symbolizes: you know it when you feel it.

Some of its significance stems from the ancient Sumerian and Babylonian civilizations, which identified seven planets and framed seven days of the week around them. Very early among Middle Eastern peoples, seven became known as a “perfect” number, symbolic of completeness and goodness. Not “perfect” mathematically like the six, but symbolizing perfection and as such is often attributed to God. In the Bible, God rested on the seventh day because his work of creation was complete, entire, perfect. Thus seven represents this perfect completeness and also it represents rest, as in the rest that is taken from work. It is from this same word that the Sabbath, the day of rest comes. In Judaism, every seven years a year of Jubilee is celebrated as well as a Sabbatical year once every seven. The “Counting of the Omer” leading up to the giving of the Torah is expressed as “7 times 7 weeks.” In Christianity, likewise, the number seven continues to be significant. It is the number of churches of Asia to which the “Book of Revelation” is addressed, the number of Deadly Sins and Virtues, the number of terraces of Mount Purgatory (one per deadly sin), the number of sacraments in the Roman Catholic faith, the number of heads of the beast of the Book of Revelation, and the number of seals on The Book of Life. Jesus says to Peter to forgive seventy times seven times indicating an unlimited number of times, but also that it is the spiritual thing to do. (read the full post)

Music Credits

Opening Music: The Oracle Speaks by William Wilde Zeitler from Elegy for Atlantis

Hermits Journey Music: Dark Moon by Suzanne Teng from Enchanted Wind (Magnatune)

78 Notes Music: Steamy River by Rhonda Lorence from Winter Moon (Magnatune)

Closing Music: Mystic Chants by Anne Young (Podsafe Music Network)

Play or Download the Episode

For this version, the elements are assigned to points on the pentagram with Spirit at the top. Then if we go around clockwise, Water, Fire, Earth and Air. This is the arrangement used in Ceremonial Magic Ritual to invoke or banish elements.

It makes interesting relationship between positions and allows a variety of ways to read elemental dignities. There is tension between the Water & Fire cards on the right. The same thing goes for the Air and Earth on the left. Cards that are diagonally across from each other are supportive (Air & Fire) (Earth & Water). Horizontal cards are neutral.

If you start at fire and go counter clockwise around the points, the elements are in the order of the Pentagrammaton.

1. Pick an element that best describes the subject of the reading.
2. Does the querent with to increase or decrease the element in their life?
3. Select a pentagram to dictate the order and direction the cards will be read.
4. Shuffle, while thinking about the question.
5. Layout the cards around the pentagram. I like to use the opening of the key to get the 4 natural element cards and calculate the spirit card based on adding the numbered cards up and reducing them to a number less than 22. Having a second majors only deck is very helpful for this. You might get a major card twice.
6. Start reading with the card indicated by the pentagram you picked. Continue in the direction indicated.

Examples

How can i improve communication with my spouse?

(Invoking Air) Start with Water, Move towards Air. Water-> Air-> Fire-> Spirit-> Earth

How can I stop obsessing about my application for college.

(Banishing Air) Start with Air, Move towards Water. Air-> Water-> Earth-> Spirit-> Fire.

I spent a couple of weeks trying to come up with a graphic that would help with keeping track of the pentagrams. This is what I came up with.

The colored paths represent the starting paths for each of the elements.

• Red-Fire: Diagonal Line between Spirit & Fire
• Blue-Water: Horizontal line between Air & Water
• Yellow-Air: Horizontal link between Air & Water
• Green-Earth: Diagonal Line between Spirit & Earth
• Light Violet-Active Spirit: Diagonal line between Air & Fire
• Deep Violet-Passive Spirit: Diagonal line between Earth & Water.

Pick your element. Decide if you want to invoke or banish the element. Banishing always starts at the element. Invoking starts away from the element and moves towards it. The first path is the one with the color of the element. The two spirit paths are represented by violet. Since they don’t touch the spirit point, consider the high end of the path to end in spirit to use the diagram. For example, banishing active spirit starts at Air.

Examples

• Invoking Fire: Start at Spirit, move towards Fire. Spirit-> Fire -> Air -> Water -> Earth.
• Banishing Water: Start at Water, move towards Air. Water-> Air -> Fire-> Spirit -> Earth

The Sixes by Ginny Hunt

Sixes in tarot are a welcome relief after the disruptive, conflicting adrenaline-pumping fives. Sixes restore harmony to the chaos, they offer comfort, nurturing, sympathy, and healing to those battered by the losses of the fives as well. Sixes are the kudos you deserve, the solace you need, the balm on your wounds.

Six is the number of the Major Arcana card VI The Lovers and it represents all the qualities of a secure, loving relationship such as harmony, beauty, nurturing, love, marriage, family, responsibility, understanding, sympathy, healing, empathy, perfection, order, duty, comfort, and service. Even its shape is soft and beautiful, its form is a continuous curve without angle, without line. It is almost a spiral, going towards infinity.

Six is both the sum (1 + 2 + 3) and the product (1 x 2 x 3) of the first three numbers. It is therefore considered “perfect.” In mathematics, a perfect number is one that equals the sum of its divisors (excluding itself), and 6 is the first perfect number in this sense because its divisors are 1, 2, and 3.

In alchemy, the upright triangle represents fire, and the upside-down triangle is the symbol for water. Together they symbolize the unity of opposites. The hexagram is seen in the Seal of Solomon, and this symbol is often used in ceremonial magick. It has been adopted as the national symbol of Israel and is a common symbol in Judaism, as there was a 6-pointed star on the shield that David carried to battle Goliath. Another version is the Unicursal Hexagram devised by the Golden Dawn in order to create a six-pointed star symbol in one movement rather than two. Qabbalistically, six represents Tiphareth, or “beauty.” (read the full post)

Hermit’s Journey with Bonnie Cehovet – Tarot and Personal Growth

Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom and The Four Insights: The Wisdom, Power, and Grace of the Earthkeepers

Welcome to the Hermit’s Journey. My name is Bonnie Cehovet, and today we are going to be talking about Tarot and personal growth. I have recently been working with a book by Alberto Villoldo, Ph.D., entitled The Four Insights: The Wisdom, Power, and Grace of the Earthkeepers. Since I have a tendency to mix and match my work tools, I immediately placed the intent of this book on a level with that of Rachel Pollack’s Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom.

In “Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom”, Pollack sets down a solid basis for the interpretations of each of the card groups – the Major Arcana, the Minor Arcana, and the Court Cards. The Major Arcana is further broken down into three distinct areas of life experience: cards 1-7 deal with the main concerns of society (love, social authority, and education); cards 8-14 represent a withdrawal into self-awareness, with a symbolic death and rebirth; while cards 15-21 represent confrontation, followed by a union with the Divine. Working through the path of the Major Arcana can be equated with working through Jung’s process of individuation, the goal being enlightenment. The Major Arcana can also be seen as the fifth element – Spirit.

The four suits of the Minor Arcana are associated with the traditional four elements: Wands with Fire (action, passion, will, career), Cups with Water (intuition, emotions, love, friendship, joy), Swords with Air (conflict, mental activity, wisdom), and Pentacles with Earth (physical world, work, nature, material things), and the unspoken name of God (Yod – Fire, and the creative spark, the energy needed to begin any enterprise); Heh – Water, the actual beginning of the enterprise; Vau – Air, the development of the plan: Heh – Earth, and finished creation). Pollack notes that the Minor Arcana provide the commentary on life in a reading.

The Court Cards are expressive of personality types, defined by their elemental quality. In general, Pollack references Kings as representing social responsibility, power, and success; Queens as representing deep appreciation of the suit, and creativity; Knights as representing action, responsibility to others; and Pages as representing exploration and study.

The Tarot acts as a mirror for our lives, reflecting on many levels the situations we are facing, showing us different ways of looking at them, how we got into our current situation, and what options we have for dealing with it. It is an active tool of transformation, acting as a gateway between our conscious and unconscious selves.

Music Credits

Opening Music: The Oracle Speaks by William Wilde Zeitler from Elegy for Atlantis

78 Notes Music: Steamy River by Rhonda Lorence from Winter Moon (Magnatune)

Hermits Journey Music: Dark Moon by Suzanne Teng from Enchanted Wind (Magnatune)

Closing Music: Above the Clouds Suzanne Teng from Enchanted Wind (Magnatune)

Play or Download the Episode

This Podcast Episode has been archived. It is available for purchase at shop.tarotconnection.net in the Year One Archive mp3 DVD.

People consult Tarot for many different purposes, from business decisions to their personal life, or when faced with difficult decisions or situations. Sometimes recent events in their life may leave them feeling as if they have momentarily lost direction, or cannot see ahead clearly.

Josephine uses Tarot to provide guidance, in order that you, the person receiving the reading, can make better informed decisions and proceed with more confidence. The reading usually reflects what will happen if you proceed upon your existing path depending, to a certain extent, upon how far in motion events already are. If you don’t like where it’s heading then you can take active steps to make changes.

For Josephine Ellershaw, the Tarot has been a constant life companion on a personal journey that now spans three decades. She has provided guidance to others since her teens and professional consultations for more than fourteen years. Professionally she has many years of experience providing readings, healing, and metaphysical guidance to international clientèle.

She lives in North Yorkshire, England with her family and a large menagerie of pets, including waifs, strays and rescues.

Visit her website at: www.learn-tarot-cards.com

Easy Tarot

“You don’t need a special ‘gift’ to read tarot,” insists Josephine Ellershaw. And to prove it, she has boiled down thirty years of experience into a straightforward, easy-to-use tarot guide for beginners. More than just a manual, Easy Tarot is a boxed kit that also includes The Gilded Tarot–a stunningly beautiful and popular deck by the well known Ciro Marchetti.

Ellershaw gently guides novices to become proficient, sensitive, and responsible readers. Suit by suit, she introduces the distinct characteristics of the minor arcana, court cards, and major arcana. You will learn how the cards link to one another and produce insightful relationships as their unique energies merge in the Cross of Truth, the Celtic Cross, and other spreads. There is even a list of card combinations that commonly indicate specific events-such as pregnancy, a wedding, a new job, and more.

A quick guide to card meanings, sample readings, safeguards, ethical guidelines, as well as tips for keeping a tarot diary, are all covered in this well-rounded introduction to tarot.

Life Spread and Anchor

Josie shares a reading using the Life Spread and Anchor from her new book. Use these handouts to follow along. You might want to layout the cards yourself as well.

Life Spread		Anchor
2 of Cups IX The Hermit IV Temperance 9 of Swords 2 of Swords 10 of Swords XVII The Star 2 Pentacles XVIII The Moon Page of Pentacles XVI The Tower XV The Devil 8 of Swords XXI The World Ace of Wands Page of Wands Ace of Cups Queen of Swords 7 of Swords 10 of Wands 5 of Swords		Hanging Man The Star The Chariot Judgement The Magician The Devil The Lover

Tarot by the Numbers: The Fives by Ginny Hunt

Five’s in Tarot are hard. They depict loss, sadness, treachery, arguments, and difficult times. Or do they? See, that’s one of the problems with scenic pips, such as seen in the Rider Waite Smith decks and their generative offspring. Fives are complex and often only a few facets of this number can be illustrated on any given tarot card. The main thing to remember about the fives is this: Change. Sometimes change is difficult, which is why, I think, so many of the fives feature challenging scenes. But five really does encompass so much more than that.

Fives signify adventure, change, freedom, exploration, and expansion. It is the number of the curious, the experienced, the knowledge seeker and the knowledge teacher, the traveler, and the one with grand imagination who is child-like and playful. Huh? Five? Yes. The Major Arcana V is the Hierophant, the knowledge teacher, the experienced one who leads initiates into new experiences and exploration. While we don’t often see him as adventurous, he is the one who ushers fresh new minds and eyes into mysteries. He guides the adventures that bring change and growth. Often we see him as one too entrenched in rules and rigidity to possibly be someone who brings freedom, but he is the one who instructs and disciplines so that the mind and self can be free to explore new things. Think of it this way: if he teaches a person to read, then how much freer to explore is that person who once could not read books? See? There is a whole lot more to fives than you may have thought.

Five is the number of the human being. The human body forms a pentagon when arms and legs are out stretched. The pentagon is endless, sharing the symbolism of perfection and power of the circle. Five is a circular number as it produces itself in its last digit when raised to its own power. The number five symbolizes meditation, religion, and versatility. It represents the five senses (taste, touch, smell, sight, hearing). The five pointed star represents individuality, spiritual aspiration, and education. The planet associated in numerology with five is Mercury, the planet that rules commerce, education and communication. Leo is the natural ruler of the fifth house in astrology which has to do with one’s creative self-expression, pleasure and entertainment. It includes all forms of play, gambling, pastimes, hobbies, romantic relationships, lovers as opposed to partners, and one’s attitude towards having fun. This is where the playful and creative aspect of the number five comes in. This nuance of the five is seen primarily in the Five of Wands, but it can be considered when looking at the other suits as well. (read the full post)

Music Credits

Opening Music: time release by the Droney Tones.

78 Notes Music: Steamy River by Rhonda Lorence from Winter Moon (Magnatune)

Closing Music: Anchor by Flemming

Play or Download the Episode

This Podcast Episode has been archived. It is available for purchase at shop.tarotconnection.net in the Year One Archive mp3 DVD.

One major venue for reading in for other people is events and parties. Ginny Hunt interviews me about doing this. It can be a great environment and you can reach a large number of people this way. There are a few things to consider and workout before you get started.

• How much to charge
• How many people you can read for
• How & When to Accept Payment
• Contracts & Invoices & Deposits
• What you need provided (Tables, Chairs)
• What to Bring

Small Tarot to Go Kit

• Attractive Box
• Tarot Deck
• Aromatherapy
• Tea light and Holder
• Business Cards
• Matches
• Sacred Object
• Post-It
• Pen
• Podcast Promo Card

Large Tarot to Go Kit

• Candles
• Clock
• Tissues
• Lighter
• Red Silk Cloth
• Golden Hand Candle Holder
• Purple Silk Wrap for Tarot Deck
• Tarot Deck
• Red Leather Box with Office Supplies
• Business Cards
• Paper
• Pen
• Aromatherapy
• (Add Water & Goblet)
• (Crystal Ball)

Hermit’s Journey with Bonnie Cehovet – Symbolism of the Hermit and Wheel of Fortune

Welcome to the Hermit’s Journey. My name is Bonnie Cehovet, and today we will be continuing on our journey through the symbols in the Major Arcana. As I noted in the first Pod Cast of this series, that of the Fool, the imagery and symbolism in the Tarot is what connects us to its archetypal qualities and wisdom. It acts as a gateway between our conscious and our unconscious worlds. Each deck carries with it its own unique brand of imagery and symbols. For the purposes of this discussion, I will be referring to the Waite-Smith Tarot (also known as the Rider-Waite Tarot), as it is a traditional reference, and quite often used for teaching purposes. Interpreting the imagery and symbols is done in two ways: through the intent of the author/illustrator (and here we need to remember that the background for the Rider-Waite deck is that of the Golden Dawn), and how the Seeker sees it through the veil of their own personal life experiences.

Let’s continue our journey through the symbols of the Hermit and the Wheel of Fortune. The major theme for the Hermit is that of doing inner work. His is a solitary path … that of self-learning. He represents individual effort, and the knowledge that comes as the result of such effort. The Hermit is the energy that we need to work with when we need to work alone. His tools are contemplation and individual effort.

… The theme for the Wheel of Fortune is that of cycles … universal cycles, and personal life cycles. It represents a life in constant movement, and the lessons learned … or not learned through our life experiences. The sphinx at the top of the wheel acts as the guardian of mysteries, asking us to put our wisdom to best use. It also represents a sense of equilibrium in life.

The snake at the outside edge speaks of kundalini energy, moving up through the chakra system to allow us to express our creative natures. The snake also speaks of renewal.

On the four corners of the wheel are symbols representing the four elements, and the four fixed signs of the Zodiac (Aquarius, symbolized by man; Scorpio, symbolized by an Eagle; Leo, symbolized by a Lion; and Taurus (represented by a Bull). They also represent the four winged Archangels … Raphiel, Gabriel, Michael, and Auriel.

The Terminator by Ginny Hunt

“All but Death, can be Adjusted—
Dynasties repaired—
Systems—settled in their Sockets—
Citadels—dissolved—
Wastes of Lives—resown with Colors
By Succeeding Springs—
Death—unto itself—Exception—
Is exempt from Change—”
-Emily Dickenson

What does that card image say to you? Hi, I’m Death, right? It’s all there, the human skeleton, the scythe, cutting a swath through the remnants of human affairs. The lives of noble and peasant alike laid waste: the artist, the scholar, the kings and queens, the laborer, all meet the same end. The great equalizer: Death. Is there anything in this image suggesting rebirth? Fun things on their way? I don’t see it, do you? Call me a party pooper, but Death means end, finale, termination. “Quoth the Raven, “Nevermore.” This card is from the Classic Tarot deck, a reproduction of a Milanese deck, dated 1835, but it’s a very typical, historically accurate portrayal of death symbolism in art since the early Middle Ages.

So why do so many tarot readers insist this card does not mean what it clearly portrays? That look of terror in a client’s eyes in the middle of a reading is one reason. Nothing can cast a pall over a for-entertainment-purposes-only tarot reading faster than having Joe Black make an appearance. Readers are quick to say, “Oh no, Death doesn’t mean literal death, it’s symbolic, you see, calm down…have a mint.” Soft-peddling death is a natural reaction. We don’t like death. It’s unpleasant. It hurts. It’s scary. However, no matter how you candycoat it, death represents an end. True, that end doesn’t have to be the literal end to someone’s life, but it certainly means an end to an aspect of someone’s life, be it a relationship, a career, a phase or way of life. It’s an ending that cannot be resisted, it’s going to happen, like it or not, and the attending grief likewise cannot be avoided. (read the full post)

Music Credits

Opening Music: time release by the Droney Tones.

Hermits Journey Music: Dark Moon by Suzanne Teng from Enchanted Wind (Magnatune)

78 Notes Music: Steamy River by Rhonda Lorence from Winter Moon (Magnatune)

Closing Music: Monkey Party by The Headroom Project from Cira a Doro (Magnatune)

This Podcast Episode has been archived. It is available for purchase at shop.tarotconnection.net in the Year One Archive mp3 DVD.

Myths, legends… Each myth, each legend had a basis for beginning. To simply say, Ah it’s a legend, don’t believe it’s is a knee-jerk reaction.

It’s a mythtake in my opinion. A blind knee-jerk in the name of rationale.

Stating something is not true because it’s a legend, or a myth, may be as heinous as blindly accepting a myth or legend as fact.

In fact it may be worse.

Debunking myths blindly (Hey I bought my first deck and it didn’t affect me!) does few any favors; students find no wisdom in such lessons. You may very well obstruct growth by imposing your world view upon them as opposed to allowing students to find their own view.

For instance, why SHOULD someone be given his or her first deck? Does it make a difference? Will they be a better reader? Will the deck work better?

Without exploring the root of the myth your syllogism is fallacious. Or as we said as a kid, Are-Oh-En-Gee WRONG.

I really want to see folks stop simply stating, It’s a myth! Don’t believe it!

I used to be one of those folks. And I now know that my prior stance was wrong. I no longer hold those beliefs.

Myths have a root.

Fables and myths are what we use to describe what we don’t comprehend. They are our attempts to make the impossible possible.

Wisdom often lies in the undertones. That’s where we find truth.

Dan Pelletier

Dan Pelletier lives north of Seattle Washington with his wife of 22 years, Jan, his two cats, Spook and Pookha, and 32 rosebushes. He has been reading Tarot for himself and others for over thirty years.

Dan is also co-owner of The Tarot Garden, a highly respected resource for tarot decks and related information on the Internet. He has written articles appearing on the Tarot for Life website newsletter, Seeker’s Journey, and Tarot Passages; and has published interviews with deck creators on the tarotgarden.com website library.

Hermit’s Journey with Bonnie Cehovet – Symbolism of the Chariot and Strength

Welcome to the Hermit’s Journey. My name is Bonnie Cehovet, and today we will be continuing on our journey through the symbols in the Major Arcana. As I noted in the first Pod Cast of this series, that of the Fool, the imagery and symbolism in the Tarot is what connects us to its archetypal qualities and wisdom. It acts as a gateway between our conscious and our unconscious worlds. Each deck carries with it its own unique brand of imagery and symbols. For the purposes of this discussion, I will be referring to the Waite-Smith Tarot (also known as the Rider-Waite Tarot), as it is a
traditional reference, and quite often used for teaching purposes. Interpreting the imagery and symbols is done in two ways: through the intent of the author/illustrator (and here we need to remember that the background for the Rider-Waite deck is that of the Golden Dawn), and how the Seeker sees it through the veil of their own personal life experiences.

Let’s continue our journey through the symbols of the Chariot and Strength. The major theme for the Chariot is that of independence and self-sufficiency. As the Charioteer, each of us attempts mental control over our emotional and physical selves. This is a card of challenge, of confidence, and of being prepared, of developing our innate skills. The Chariot is the final card in the first series of seven Trump cards, and indicates that the Fool, the one taking the journey, has emerged from this phase a victor.

In Tarot Symbolism, Robert V. O’Neill places the Chariot as symbolic of the body, the horses as symbols of human instincts, and the Charioteer as symbolic of the mind. The horses pulling in different directions indicate that duality is still present.

In The Tarot – History, Symbolism, and Divination, Robert M. Place notes that the chariot is the cubic stone, and the Charioteer is the spirit emerging from the stone.

In The Heart of the Tarot, Sandra Thomson speaks of the Charioteer’s shield, with the symbols of yoni and lingam (tantric sexual symbols) below the winged sun, showing that he has the power to move energy from the base chakra to the crown chakra at will. The Egyptian winged solar disc itself represents aspiration.

… From the Chariot, and the ending of the first third of the Fool’s journey, we move on to Strength, and the beginning of the second third of the journey. Strength is where we begin to refine our personalities. The theme of Strength
is that of dealing with contradictory emotions – of acknowledging them, and then either resolving them, or bringing them into some sense of balance. We exert control over our world by using the right form of strength at the right time.

The female figure in this card represents feminine spiritual energy. Her purpose is to tame the masculine energy of basic instincts and brute force.

Tarot by the Numbers: The Four’s by Ginny Hunt

I’ve always liked the number four. Not sure why, but I do. Fours have a certain nice sound to them and they’re orderly and you can pair it off into two two’s. It’s just a nice number. And it’s true that fours represent stability, orderliness, practicality, patience, responsibility and all those nice things, so it’s no wonder our dear Mr. Emperor of the Major Arcana is the supreme IV of Tarot. Fours are very solid and dependable, like a square. In fact, the word, “square” has come to mean things like “fair, proper, honest, and straightforward.” We say we got a “square deal” if it was an honest exchange, a “square meal” is a proper one and if you’ve won something, I hope you won it “fair and square.” (read the full post)

Music Credits

Opening Music: time release by the Droney Tones.

Hermits Journey Music: Dark Moon by Suzanne Teng from Enchanted Wind (Magnatune)

78 Notes Music: Steamy River by Rhonda Lorence from Winter Moon (Magnatune)

Closing Music: Only Begun by Artemis from Gravity (Magnatune)

Play or Download the Episode

This Podcast Episode has been archived. It is available for purchase at shop.tarotconnection.net in the Year One Archive mp3 DVD.

Ellen Lorenzi-Prince led a Portland Tarot Study Group session on creating Tarots and the Creative Process. Ellen Lorenzi-Prince has been a reader and teacher of Tarot for over 15 years. She is the artist and designer of the Tarot of the Crone, a sold-out, limited-edition deck, which will be coming back into print in 2007. She writes tarot-related articles, poetry, short stories and meditations for herself and for several online study groups, as well as for printed newsletters. Her latest tarot is Pandora’s Tarot, which can also be seen on her site.

Recommended Greek Sites

• theoi.com
• Perseus Project

Creating Life Spread by Ellen Lorenzi-Prince

This spread was presented at the San Francisco Bay Area Tarot Symposium, October 2002.

First focus on a creative work of yours. This work might be a tarot deck, a book, a relationship, or an identity.

1. The Calling

2. The Spirit 3. The Form

4. My Doubts 5. My Faith

6. Finding Depth 7. Adding Breadth

8. Inner Obstacle 9. Outer Obstacle

10. Starting Over

11. Inner Gift 12. Outer Gift

13. The Last Word

1. The Calling – What is your motivation? What is calling you, pushing you, pulling you to manifest this particular vision?

2. The Spirit – What is the spirit, the vision? What helps you connect with spirit, the genie behind the work? What desires or requires expression?

3. The Form – What is the form best suited to your vision? How might the spirit best be made manifest? What is the labor required?

4. My Doubts – What makes you doubt your vision? What denies you the right to your work and the rewards of your work?

5. My Faith – What makes you trust your vision? What helps you believe in yourself? How do you maintain flow through completion of the work?

6. Finding Depth – How much of yourself can you put into this work? How much emotion? What events of your past might illuminate your work?

7. Adding Breadth – How much of the world can you put into this work? Where can you find resources and inspiration outside of yourself?

8. Outer Obstacle – What are the habits and responsibilities that keep you from your work? How might they be overcome? How might they be changed?

9. Inner Obstacle – What shadows might rear their ugly heads during this work? What attitudes and emotions should you beware?

10. Starting Over – What needs rethinking? Where are you straying from your vision? Where might you need to abandon your vision?

11. Inner Gift – What strength and knowledge will you find upon completion of this work? How will continuing your work change you for the better?

12. Outer Gift – What rewards can you look forward to? How will continuing your work change your circumstance for the better?

13. The Last Word – Just what it says.

Tarot by the Numbers: The Three’s by Ginny Hunt

For some reason, three’s seem a little hard to grasp in Tarot. From the delightful Three of Cups to the painful Three of Swords, what do they have in common? It helps me to imagine a three-legged stool. From the tenuous decision-making and pondering of the two’s, something begins to manifest in the three’s. While a two-legged chair wouldn’t support one’s weight without tipping over, the addition of that third leg allows the seat to support something as solid as your posterior. While the type of manifestation is dependent upon the suit, what is common among the three’s is that first manifestation of something real, supportive, and true.

The Major Arcana each of the three’s echo is The Empress. This is related to her procreativity and abundance. She is the generative force behind bringing life and creation to fruition and the three’s each show a manifestation of that creative energy by the coming together of various elements in due measure. Astrologically, Jupiter and Venus are represented by the number three and Venus is the planet of The Empress as well. Venus rules our feminine side as well as relationships and the things we desire. Three’s also represent manifesting that which we desire through working with others, bringing things into relationship with one another to produce and create something. (read the full post)

Hermit’s Journey with Bonnie Cehovet – Comparative Tarot

Welcome to the Hermit’s Journey. My name is Bonnie Cehovet, and today we are going to be taking a look at reading with the Comparative Tarot technique. This technique was defined and made popular by Tarotist Valerie Sim, who was the founder the e-group Comparative Tarot, and the guiding light behind its companion site of the same name.

For those of you who might wish to join the Comparative Tarot e-group, it is currently under the ownership of Tarotist Teresa Michelson, and can be found a yahoogroups.com/group/comparativetarot. The Comparative Tarot can be found at www.comparativetarot.com.

Valerie also has a book out that discusses the Comparative Tarot method, entitled “Tarot Outside The Box” (ISBN #0738702773). This part of Llewellyn Publications “Special Topics In Tarot” series. (Slightly off topic – if anyone can tell me why they now have both ten digit and thirteen digit ISBN numbers – for the same product – I would really appreciate it!)

I am going to take a moment to talk a little bit about what the Comparative Tarot technique is, and then we are going to examine a three card reading, comparing the “Rider-Waite Tarot”, the “Gaian Tarot”, and the “Tarot of Dreams”.

Music Credits

Opening Music: time release by the Droney Tones.

78 Notes Music: Steamy River by Rhonda Lorence from Winter Moon (Magnatune)

Hermits Journey Music: Dark Moon by Suzanne Teng from Enchanted Wind (Magnatune)

Closing Music: Sunflower by Yongen from Moonrise. (Magnatune)

Play or Download the Episode

Download audio file (TarotConnectionEpisode45.mp3)

This Podcast Episode has been archived. It is available for purchase at shop.tarotconnection.net in the Year One Archive mp3 DVD.

Ginny Hunt is a Professional Tarot Reader from Virginia. Her interest in the spiritual and metaphysical has been a lifelong passion. She has been a practicing counselor, both professionally with adolescents and para-professionally as a volunteer with abused women. She offers professional reading services through 78 Notes to Self and reads professionally through Kasamba.com.

Jeanette Roth of the Tarot Garden

Jeannette Roth has been collecting and studying tarot decks for over 20 years, and has presented lectures on topics related to tarot evolution and imagery around the midwestern U.S. for nearly 15 years. She is the co-owner of The Tarot Garden, which maintains the largest publicly-accessible database of 20th and 21st century tarot and cartomantic decks in the world.

Abysmal Tarot

22 Major Arcana based on the theme of the Prince of Darkness. 10 Artist contributed using a variety of techniques. The first edition was published by Collection Palestrina June 6, 2006 in a limited luxury edition of 333 copies. Images from the Abysmal Tarot are used with permission. (Abysmal Tarot at the Tarot Garden)

Vanessa Tarot

Taking their inspiration from pop culture, the sassy but sage characters of Vanessa Tarot playfully reinterpret traditional female roles as they share all their arcane secrets. Presented in a keepsake tin, Vanessa Tarot includes 78 cards with 30-page instruction booklet. Cards measure 2″ x 3.5″. (Vanessa Tarot at the Tarot Garden)

Love Tarot

(50 Ways to Divine Love by Liz Dean)

In “The Love Tarot”, Liz Dean shows how this ancient system of divination can be used to explore and predict love. The card pack and colour book draw upon the traditional division of the cards at card X, The Wheel of Fortune. Choose from cards 0 to IX to divine the nature of your lover. By choosing from the higher-numbered cards you divine your past, present, or future situation. The cards present 50 ways to receive true guidance in matters of the heart. This kit includes 1 96-page paperback book and 25 cards. (Love Tarot at the Tarot Garden)

Hermit’s Journey with Bonnie Cehovet – Symbolism of the Hierophant and Lovers

Welcome to the Hermit’s Journey. My name is Bonnie Cehovet, and today we will be continuing on our journey through the symbols in the Major Arcana. As I noted in the first Pod Cast of this series, that of the Fool, the imagery and symbolism in the Tarot is what connects us to its archetypal qualities and wisdom. It acts as a gateway between our conscious and our unconscious worlds. Each deck carries with it its own unique brand of imagery and symbols. For the purposes of this discussion, I will be referring to the Waite-Smith Tarot (also known as the Rider-Waite Tarot), as it is a traditional reference, and quite often used for teaching purposes. Interpreting the imagery and symbols is done in two ways: through the intent of the author/illustrator (and here we need to remember that the background for the Rider-Waite deck is that of the Golden Dawn), and how the Seeker sees it through the veil of their own personal life experiences.

Let’s continue our journey through the symbols of the Hierophant and the Lovers. The major theme for the Hierophant is that of the inner teacher, that part of ourselves that questions authority, makes us think, and helps us to develop our own core beliefs, the beliefs that act as the foundation for our lives.

In many ways, the Hierophant, through the auspices of formal religion, helps us to place the teachings of the Emperor into our lives. Where the High Priestess represents the esoteric and the hidden, or mysterious, the Hierophant represents the antithesis of this, the exoteric, ritualistic side of life experiences.

Music Credits

Opening Music: time release by the Droney Tones.

Hermits Journey Music: Dark Moon by Suzanne Teng from Enchanted Wind (Magnatune)

Closing Music: Acceptance by Jeff Wahl from Meditative Guitar (Magnatune)

This Podcast Episode has been archived.

It is available for purchase at shop.tarotconnection.net in the Year One Archive mp3 DVD.

My guest is Mary Carter who’s latest book Accidentally Engaged protagonist Clare Ivers is a psychic tarot reader. Clare ignores her intuition which is telling her to decline reading for a woman who is getting cold feet about her upcoming wedding. Clare is asked to give a phony reading in favor of the wedding (by the sister-in-law) and to break the engagement (by the future bride). Clare obliges her customer and comes into possession of a 3 carat wedding ring that needs returning.

Accidentally Engaged

By Mary Carter
PROLOGUE

It all started that fateful evening when I allowed myself to turn over the first card. It was from the Major Arcana, Trumps Zero, The Fool.

He’s the grinning idiot, the class clown, the one who eats oysters despite the Red Tide warning, the guy who lowers his car for increased speed and agility, despite the fact that it’s a Saturn.

Most Tarot card decks show The Fool standing at the edge of a cliff, not watching what he’s doing. He’s daydreaming, he’s staring off into the sky, he’s mentally composing his grocery list. In other words, he’s terminally out of milk.

He’s also one step away from plunging thousands of feet to his death.

And it’s not like anyone didn’t warn him. (Hence, his name.)

If a non-foolish man were carefully and strategically walking down a path and suddenly plunged to his death due to large foliage, overgrown trees, or poor city planning, we’d all feel sorry for the guy, maybe even drop a bundle of flowers or light an outdoor-only non flammable candle at the accident site. Maybe even shed a few tears. We’re reasonable people. And even if we didn’t go that far, we certainly wouldn’t blame the guy for dying.

But if there were clues pointing to the impending disaster scattered along the way, such as small forest animals running at top speed in the opposite direction, a strange, stale feeling of doom hovering about the suddenly stilled air, or a large, neon sign blinking Danger! This path ends in a perilous cliff!, we probably wouldn’t be so sympathetic when The Fool blindly forged ahead and plummeted off the face of the earth. Most likely we’d say, I told you so.

In my defense (because a fool always has one), at the time I thought I was doing the reading for someone else. It’s only now as I stand at the edge of the cliff, one step away from taking the fatal plunge myself, that I can see everything so clearly.

Mary Carter

Mary Carter is a freelance writer and certified sign language interpreter. She’s a graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (NYC) and Rochester Institute of Technology/NTID. Her first novel, SHE’LL TAKE IT, will be re-published by Headline Books/Little Black Dress in the UK in November 2006. Her second novel, ACCIDENTALLY ENGAGED, a comedy about a tarot card reader who messes up the engagement of a very prominent bachelor, will be released in March of 2007 by both Kensington Books and Little Black Dress. Mary currently lives in Manhattan where she is busy writing her third novel.

• Mary Carter Books (Visit Mary’s Website)

Hermit’s Journey with Bonnie Cehovet – Ritual and the Aces

Welcome to the Hermit’s Journey. This is Bonnie Cehovet, and today we will be talking about ritual and the Aces. Webster defines ritual as something done in accordance with religious law, social custom, or normal protocol. That is a pretty wide range of thought! I personally see ritual as something that can be either formal or informal something that marks the passage of time, and the important events in our lives. Ritual is a marker that we use to make sense of life.

For me, an important, if informal, ritual is my morning coffee. When the weather is nice, I sit on my porch and gaze into the back yard, which is filled with all kinds of plant and animal life. In bad weather, the ritual takes place indoors, but the result is the same … I have connected with my soul, and with the life that surrounds me.

The Aces represent a world of opportunity. They are unexplored elemental energy waiting to be manifested, waiting to be put into use. What do you wish to manifest in your life? Which Ace, or combination of Aces, will assist you on your path?

Caution: do not listen to this episode in situations requiring alertness such as driving a car or operating machinery. Journey work is designed to put you in to a state of relaxation and an altered state of consciousness.

Tarot by the Numbers: The Twos by Ginny Hunt

I have a very conflicted relationship with numbers. I’m hopeless with math but I can do symbolism. That may seem a contradictory statement, for what are numbers but abstract symbols themselves? I can grasp the conceptual meaning of the symbols easily, but for some reason I will add 2 + 2 and come up with 5. Hey, that’s just me thinking outside the box, ok? Numbers and their symbolism inform a great deal about the meaning of tarot, and there is very little, if any, mathematical skill necessary to understand them. While the suits each have their attributes, so do each number.

There’s a whole field of spiritual and divinatory study called Numerology that goes well beyond the realm of tarot. However, tarot numerology differs in some ways from what has been developed in Numerology numerology. In Tarot, we primarily keep the symbolic meanings of the numbers in mind as a reference to sorting out the meaning of the cards. Understanding these symbolic numerical associations becomes more critical when working with non-scenic pip decks, such as the Marseilles-based decks, where pictured on the card may simply be 4 cups or 7 swords and not much else to go on.

The Major Arcana is numbered 0-21 and the Minor Arcana is numbered 1 (or Ace)-10 in each of the four suits. Each of the Minor numbers are associated with a Major. For example, as we take a look at the Two’s in Tarot, they all connect in some way to the Major Arcana II — The High Priestess. Each number also has a planetary association, so there’s some crossover with Astrology here as well.

The number two first and foremost represents dualism which is the existence of two fundamental principles, concepts, things or energies, that are in opposition to each other. It is where thought begins to actually take form. Human minds are geared towards seeing the relationships between two things, usually opposite things. We often express ourselves in this way, using opposing concepts to get at what we mean. We say something is good/bad, light/dark, male/female, sweet/sour. It is said we could not know happiness if not for having experienced its opposite, sadness. So, in that way two’s represent that dichotomy of thought that allows coherent expression of the initial idea begun in the Aces. (read the full post)

Music Credits

Opening Music: time release by the Droney Tones.

Hermits Journey Music: Dark Moon by Suzanne Teng from Enchanted Wind (Magnatune)

78 Notes Music: Steamy River by Rhonda Lorence from Winter Moon (Magnatune)

Closing Music: Happy Accident from Mystery Repeats Itself by Michael Masley

This Podcast Episode has been archived. It is available for purchase at shop.tarotconnection.net in the Year One Archive mp3 DVD.

Robert M. Place is an internationally known visionary artist and illustrator, whose award winning works, in painting, sculpture, and jewelry, have been displayed in galleries and museums in America, Europe, and Japan and graced the covers and pages of numerous books and publications. He is the designer, illustrator, and co-author, with Rosemary Ellen Guiley, of: “The Alchemical Tarot” and “The Angels Tarot”, which are both published by HarperCollins and have received international acclaim particularly for their skillful and illuminating graphics. He is the designer, illustrator, and author of “The Tarot of the Saints” and “The Buddha Tarot”. And, he is the author of “The Tarot: History, Symbolism, and Divination”, which Booklist has said, “may be the best book ever written on that deck of cards decorated with mysterious images called the tarot.” He is currently working on the “Vampire Tarot”, which will be published by St. Martins Press in 2007.

Robert is recognized as an expert on Western Mysticism, the history of the Tarot, and as a gifted teacher of divination. He has taught and lectured at the New York Open Center, Omega Institute, The New York Tarot School, and the World Tarot Congress. He and his work have appeared on Discovery, The Learning Channel, and A&E. He has been a guest on numerous radio shows including The Woodstock Roundtable on WDST-FM, People are Talking on WKZE-FM , and Mystic Musings on KKUP FM.

Together with his wife Rose Ann, he has been creating hand crafted jewelry for over twenty-five years. Their work has been exhibited in the White House, in the American Craft Museum, The New York State Museum, The Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Delaware Art Museum, The Montclair Art Museum, The Irish American Heritage Museum, the International Wilhelm Muller Competition, (which toured Museums in Germany), Birmingham Institute of Art & Design, England, and in numerous galleries in the United States, Ireland, Britain, and Japan.

The Vampire Tarot

I started on this deck after creating The Alchemical Tarot. I saw that the Vampire myth was the shadow version of the Alchemical quest. Instead of looking for immortality by transforming the psyche and identifying with all of creation verses a limited ego and mortal body, the vampire looks for immortality in the body and ego and creates a horror story. – Robert M. Place

The Vampire Tarot Copyright 2007 Robert Place

• Visit the Alchemical Egg
• Schedule a Reading
• See the Vampire Tarot
• See the Tarot of the 7 fold Mystery
  

To receive The Restored Temple of Hermes, the free newsletter of the Alchemical Egg, with articles, a question and answer section, and news about up-coming lectures and workshops, e-mailed every other month, send an e-mail to Robert with The Restored Temple of Hermes in the subject line. Also, please let include know what state or country you live in.

Vampires and the Tarot

April 27th 2007: A Two-Hour (+) Lecture with Robert M. Place, Creator of The Vampire Tarot

Although the Vampire of modern literature and film is a blood-sucking monster, he or she is also the focus of sexual desire. This is exemplified by the fact that although Bela Lugosi made his reputation playing Dracula, the most famous vampire fiend, women all over the world swooned for him and he received hundreds of proposals of marriage. This paradox illuminates the fact that the modern Vampire of pop culture, particularly Dracula, is in reality an ancient mythological figure who has covertly entered a culture that is consciously attempting to cut itself off from myth. This mythological Vampire is also related to the Tarot trumps! Like the Tarot, the Vampire myth also seems to relate to the alchemical quest for the red elixir, called the philosopher’s stone, which may also be portrayed as a liquid. Like blood to a Vampire, the red elixir was said to prolong life indefinitely.

Stoker’s biographer, Barbara Belford, points out that Dracula author Bram Stoker was aware of the Tarot and seems to have based many of the characters in Dracula on Tarot trumps. In this lecture we will explore how and why this is so and find out why Pamela Colman Smith and Stoker were friends, who influenced who, and whether Stoker was a member of the Golden Dawn.

Alchemy and the Tarot: A One-Day Workship with Robert M. Place

April 28th 2007

In the summer of 1987 while studying an alchemical image, I had an epiphany. In a flash of insight, I realized that the esoteric symbolism of alchemy was interchangeable with the symbols contained in the Tarot trumps. If this is true, I asked myself, then isn’t it also true that the Tarot is an expression of the same spiritual quest? The answer came to me as a revelation of the alchemical message in the Tarot, and although it lasted only minutes, it led me on an eight-year journey that culminated in the creation of the Alchemical Tarot.

In this workshop I will illuminate that revelation, examine the alchemical process as it evolved from the ancient Hermetic philosophy of Alexandria to become incorporated into the world view of the early Renaissance, and explain in detail the alchemical process outlined by the Tarot. Making use of number symbolism to make alchemical concepts accessible, the underlying pattern of the hero’s quest will be illustrated from the single unity of the Monad to the cycle of twelve operations and back again.

The class will continue with advanced Tarot reading practice designed to make alchemical transformation relevant in one’s life.

In Love with Love by Ginny Hunt

You know these two. You may have even been these two at one time. Maybe you’re even part of this pair now, but if you’re not it’s all you can do to not say,”Get a room.” With fluttering eyelashes and deep gazes that invisibles everyone else from the stratosphere, the Two of Cups is a budding romance in its first flushes of engagement. No, not engagement engagement, unless they’re crazy, but that first meeting, that first date, the initial contact where both parties are twitterpated. “Whatever,” I say, with dismissive gesturing.

Wot? Not romantic? Moi? Sure I can be, but you know, this is the stuff of infatuation that those rogue Knights are so fond of, particularly that Knight of Cups and we all know how dependable they can be [insert derisive snort]. Oh sure, it’s sweet, it’s cute, and I can’t help but smile when I see a couple so obviously smitten, but I suppose I’ve had a few too many kicks from the back end of that horse that I look with slightly jaded (yes, I said slightly) eye on this card. Sure, it’s nice and all, but hello, it’s just a two. They’re being swept along by the rush of the Ace of Cups and while that’s a heady cup of spirits there, I say watch for the hangover sure to come ohhh around say, the Four of Cups, if it lasts that long.

Maybe I should have posted this on Valentine’s Day, but I have an internal boycott on V-Day that has nothing to do with whether I’ve personally been involved with someone when that day rolls around. It’s cheesy and forced and my knee jerk reaction to anyone telling me I gotta luuurve someone on February 14 is, again, “Whatever,” with dismissive hand gestures. Maybe that’s the root of my problem with the Two of Cups. I’m far too much a Queen of Swords to admit to any twitterpating on my part, however that underlying water element belies a romantic heart that cries at love stories and whose favorite movie is Ever After.

I say I’m realistic. Lovers don’t care. They don’t give a damn about reality and I don’t blame them at all. It’s all very nice in that pink bubble with hearts and glitter floating about. Because this is the card all the hopefuls want to see who come to a tarot reading asking, “Will I meet someone?” or “Does he like me that way?” So when I see this card for a sitter, I smile and say, “Yes. For sure. Yeah he does.” And that’s really nice. But get this, falling in love is a lot like drug addiction and temporary insanity, at least chemically speaking. (read the full post)

Hermit’s Journey with Bonnie Cehovet – Symbolism of the Emperor

Welcome to the Hermit’s Journey. My name is Bonnie Cehovet, and in this Pod Cast we will continue on our journey through the symbols in the Major Arcana. As I noted in the first Pod Cast of this series, that of the Fool, the imagery and symbolism in the Tarot is what connects us to its archetypal qualities and wisdom. It acts as a gateway between our conscious and our unconscious worlds. Each deck carries with it its own unique brand of imagery and symbols. For the purposes of this discussion, I will be referring to the Waite-Smith Tarot (also known as the Rider-Waite Tarot), as it is a traditional reference, and quite often used for teaching purposes. Interpreting the imagery and symbols is done in two ways: through the intent of the author/illustrator (and here we need to remember that the background for the Rider-Waite deck is that of the Golden Dawn), and how the Seeker sees it through the veil of their own personal life experiences.

Let’s continue our journey through the symbols for the Emperor. The major theme of the Emperor is that of authority. He teaches self- control and discipline in making decisions and taking action.

In a reading, the Emperor indicates a time of decision making for the Seeker. It also indicates that the issue or situation revolves around male authority, or male authority figures. Organizational ability is also part of the Emperor’s energy.

Which of the symbols attract the attention of the Seeker, and how does he or she feel about them? Are they anxious? Are they afraid? Do they feel supported? What part of their situation or issues do they see the Emperor as representing? Is this energy that they need to bring in, or is it energy that they need to release?

Music Credits

Opening Music: time release by the Droney Tones.

78 Notes Music: Steamy River by Rhonda Lorence from Winter Moon (Magnatune)

Hermits Journey Music: Dark Moon by Suzanne Teng from Enchanted Wind (Magnatune)

Closing Music: Vampires by Briareus from the Podsafe Music Network.

Play or Download the Episode

This Podcast Episode has been archived. It is available for purchase at shop.tarotconnection.net in the Year One Archive mp3 DVD.

On Halloween 2006, I did a reading for a friend who was considering a career change. I’m sharing part of this reading including a yes/no spread, an 3 card exploration reading and a journey into the High Priestess.

Hermit’s Journey with Bonnie Cehovet – Right Speech

Welcome to the Hermit’s Journey. I am Bonnie Cehovet, and today I am going to be discussing the concepts of Right Speech, Right Action, and Right Livelihood. This topic came out of conversations that Leisa and I have been having about the many things that are going on within the Tarot world, and about the responsibilities that we each carry, to ourselves and to our clients.

This is reflected in the Code of Ethics that each reader is encouraged to develop, but it goes far beyond this code.

The concepts of Right Speech, Right Action, and Right Livelihood come from the essence of Buddha’s teaching. They are part of what is termed the Noble Eightfold Path: (1) Right View, (2) Right Intention, (3) Right Speech, (4) Right Action, (5) Right Livelihood, (6) Right Effort, (7) Right Mindfulness, (8) Right Concentration.

Right View and Right Intention are considered to be part of the discipline of Wisdom; Right Speech, Right Action, and Right Livelihood are considered part of the discipline of moral/ethical conduct; while Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration are considered to be part of the discipline of Mental Development. Together, they act as a foundation to allow the individual to free themselves from attachments and delusions, and to lead them to an understanding of the basic truth about all things.

What place does this serve in the professional world of Tarot? The same place that it serves in all worlds, and that is to act as a tool to guide the individual in making decisions and taking actions that are right for themselves, without causing harm to themselves, or those around them. It is living in harmony with our environment, and all that comprises that environment.

Tarot Realizations – from Bill Vincent

Knowing When to Take a Break…

Tarot can be challenging. Everything from doing readings, to studying the symbolism, to finding the proper balance in your life for Tarot can be challenging. I am what I would consider an Intermediate Tarot student. I feel I have come a long way in my intellectual understanding of the cards. I have read and studied several of the classic books on the topic. I have worked with the cards doing readings and flexing my intuitive muscles. But, over the course of time I have been working with them, there have been times when I felt the need to take a break from them, in order to be able to process all of the input that the cards themselves and their study present to me.

The first time this happened I had let myself get mentally over stimulated to the point where I put everything out of sight for a few weeks. At that time I felt a sense of frustration and failure at my inability to handle all of the information that was coming my way. I needed a vacation from the intellectual study of Tarot, and I took one. When I finally returned to my cards, books, and thoughts on Tarot, I was much better prepared to understand my limits, and how much I could do without overload. (read the full post)

Strange Bedfellows by Ginny Hunt

Christianity and tarot make very odd bedfellows indeed. One might even say they need separate bedrooms at the very least. That opinion is held not only by many Christians but also by many Pagans and neo-pagans who reject the Christian symbolism in the cards and claim the symbology to be corrupted forms of earlier pagan symbolism. While they have a valid point, I think it’s interesting that both Christian and Pagan belief systems reject the Christian historical roots of tarot.

The Church took offense with the deck almost immediately. Card playing had associations with gambling ever since playing cards had been introduced to Europe and various laws and decrees were enacted to discourage that. However, the earliest known disparagement of tarot cards specifically comes from an anonymously penned sermon, known as “The Steele Sermon” or “Sermones de Ludo cum Aliis,” c. 1480. This sermon detailed the Trumps of tarot and asserts that the Trumps were invented and named by the Devil and as such hotly discourages their use. The blasphemous depiction of The Pope, the inclusion of a female Popesse, the imagery of The Devil, The Tower and so forth created objections and banning by the Church. But it likely wasn’t just the pictures that caused such a ruckus. The politics of the time were more than probably the driving force behind the opposition.

The characters in the tarot “triumph” or trumps were seen in the many Roman Catholic pageantry processions, not too unlike what we see preceding Lent at Mardis Gras and Carnival. These pageants were evangelistic devices of the Church designed to convert. Indeed, the Church has used various forms of earlier pagan imagery in its quest to convert the heathen, so the imagery these pageants used were designed to place the Christian story in a pagan context. As the Reformation took hold in Europe, these pageants disappeared from France, Italy, and England. All religious plays were banned in France in the mid 1500′s and with them went much of the historical truth about what those original tarot trumps actually represented. A very sad loss, indeed. (read the full post)

Music Credits

Opening Music: time release by the Droney Tones.

Hermits Journey Music: Dark Moon by Suzanne Teng from Enchanted Wind (Magnatune)

78 Notes Music: Steamy River by Rhonda Lorence from Winter Moon (Magnatune)

Closing Music: Dolphins from Restrung by Reza Manzoori

This Podcast Episode has been archived. It is available for purchase at shop.tarotconnection.net in the Year One Archive mp3 DVD.

Hermit’s Journey with Bonnie Cehovet – 900 line readings

Welcome to the Hermit’s Journey. Is 900 line reading a viable option for Tarot readers? I think so, and I speak with an insiders voice, having read for them for over twelve year. Over the past few years great strides have been made in the Tarot 900 line business. The Miss Cleo’s of the 900 line world have faded away, leaving behind lessons learned. Some of the smaller companies that were not built on solid foundations have fallen away, leaving those that had better vision, combined with solid business basics. Most lines now have an Internet presence, and offer multiple services, along with value-added items such as short articles and free horoscopes to help attract clients.

There are many reasons for considering 900 line reading as a career option. The primary reason is often the fact that you are working from home, with a close second the ability to arrange your own schedule. Finances are also something that you may want to consider: you do not have to pay for advertising, or for work space, and you will be drawing a clientele from a larger area (this is especially important if you live in a small town, or a rural area, and the potential client base is limited).

My interview guest this week is Amanda who shares with us her insights and experiences of a professional phone reader. The handout contains three of her favorite spreads.

Amanda is a healer, artist, spoken word poet, and professional tarot reader. Her primary reading deck is the Osho Zen Tarot. As a reader for the public, her goal is to inspire healing, assist with personal-growth work, and to encourage individuals to take a keen interest in who they are beyond their conditioning. Born and raised in Kentucky, she now resides in Northern California with her partner Chris and their 4 cats. She is currently in the development and design process of creating her first tarot deck.

Her website is: www.EmpathicAmanda.com

Papermoon by Ginny Hunt

The Moon. Mother of mysteries, forever linked to dark forces; natural, untamable forces, the feminine, the tides, and unstable currents, moods, and times. The myths surrounding her cannot be shaken loose, though statistics, science and rational thought have debunked the notions that homicide rates, birth rates, menstrual cycles, earthquakes and lunacy are effected by the moon’s gravitational pull. Nevermind science and rational thought. What have they to do with the moon anyway? We humans are a funny lot and we will persist in what we feel to be true regardless.

The only one out of my four babies’ births I predicted correctly, against the doctor’s little wheel-chart thingy which gave a date entirely too early, I calculated by counting lunar cycles. He gave me a due date of November 26 and I sat eating Thanksgiving dinner with the bun still in the oven. I knew, however, that moonwise she was more likely to make her grand entrance sometime around December 5. She hesitated but two days and birthed herself on December 7. So don’t get me started on science. (read the full post)

Music Credits

Opening Music: time release by the Droney Tones.

Hermits Journey Music: Dark Moon by Suzanne Teng from Enchanted Wind (Magnatune)

78 Notes Music: Steamy River by Rhonda Lorence from Winter Moon (Magnatune)

Closing Music: Sarah Calling by Nezecus (podsafe music)

This Podcast Episode has been archived. It is available for purchase at shop.tarotconnection.net in the Year One Archive mp3 DVD.

Dena DeCastro joins me to do a Zodiac Houses reading for listener Brad Jacobson. This is based on the second operation of the Opening of the Key.

The mode of performing the Divination called “The Opening of the Key” is by five consecutive operations of laying out the cards, they having been previously well shuffled, and, in addition in the first and fourth cases, having been cut as well, and in a certain manner. These five operations answer respectively, the first to the Dominion of the Four Knaves under the presidency of the Four Aces; the Second to that of the Kings, Queens and Knights, referred to the Twelve Houses; the Third to that of the Twelve Keys attributed to the Signs; the Fourth to that of the smaller cards answering to the 36 Decanates; and the Fifth and last to the rule of the Sephiroth in the Celestial Heavens. – The Complete Golden Dawn System of Magic by Israel Regardie

The cards are shuffled and not cut. Starting with the first house (ASC.) the cards are dealt out in order around the wheel (counter-clockwise). This is where I depart from the Opening of the Key. We interpreted the top cards of each stack in relationship to the houses.

1. First House (Aries) – House of Self: Self-Awareness, Self-Expression, Individuality, Personality, Outward Appearances & Stimuli.
2. Second House (Taurus) – House of Possession: Sustenance, Resources, Money, Self-Worth, Wealth, Values, Luxury, Talents.
3. Third House (Gemini) – House of Communication: Logic, Mental & Spiritual Development, Curiosity, Hobbies, Short Journeys, Siblings.
4. Fourth House (Cancer) – House of Family & Home: Domestic Scenes, Environment, Roots, Security, Comfort, Tradition.
5. Fifth House (Leo) -House of Pleasure: Beauty, Creative Expression, Romance, Social Activities, Recreation, Children.
6. Sixth House (Virgo) – House of Health: Work, Duty, Responsibility & Personal Growth, Employment, Service.
7. Seventh House (Libra) – House of Partnership: Marriage, Friendships, Business Relationships, Karma, Compromise, Contracts.
8. Eighth House (Scorpio) – House of Sex: Sex, Death & Rebirth. Shared Resources, Inheritance, Support From Another, Regeneration.
9. Ninth House (Sagittarius) – House of Philosophy: Expanding Inner & Outer Selves Through Travel, Education, & Spirituality.
10. Tenth House (Capricorn) – House of Social Status: Career, Society, Public Reputation, Place In Community.
11. Eleventh House (Aquarius) – House of Friendships: Friends, Society, Philanthropy, Aspirations, Free Time, Ideals & Goals.
12. Twelveth House (Pisces) – House of Subconscious: Psychological Health, Emotional Experiences, Unconscious Memories, Seclusion, Secrets.

Handouts

Cafe Press Shop

And Justice For All by Ginny Hunt

When we think of what is “just” we often equate it with what is “fair.” However, what seems fair to one person is often not how another would envision it. Enter, Justice. She is the embodiment of the moral virtue that would not be swayed by personal interest, nor an individual sense of fairness, but an overarching global, cosmic sense of what is “right” because in the end of it all it is just and fair.
No idea in Western civilization has been more consistently linked to ethics and morality than the idea of justice. From The Republic, written by the ancient Greek philosopher Plato, to A Theory of Justice, written by the late Harvard philosopher John Rawls, every major work on ethics has held that justice is part of the central core of morality. So where does the concept originate? Social justice is likely as old as the first humans as they structured their communities and fought among themselves for their own conflicting interests. Without the cooperation and equity justice provides, we would quickly extinguish our own species. Egyptians knew her as Maat, the one who weighed the hearts of men. Greeks knew her as Themis, goddess of order and oracle at Delphi who was the mother of Dike, goddess of justice. Romans knew her as Justitia. It wasn’t until the 16th century that images of justice showed her blindfolded to represent impartiality, but the sword and scales have shown up in her various incarnations over the ages. (read the full post)

Tarot Realizations – from Bill Vincent

Tarot is a somewhat remarkable thing. I find myself marveling at it’s beauty, and entrenched in it’s symbolism. But Tarot has also given me something else, too. It has made me really understand that there is a unique quality to Tarot that goes beyond the 78 cards. It has given me a sense of hope that someday we will better understand the energy behind it.

In my experience, Tarot is the most interesting and powerful of all divinatory arts. Through it I have discovered that there is indeed a unique power that plays between myself and the cards, a power of synchronicity which cannot be explained away. It does not have every answer, and does not control my life. Yet, it provides the closest thing to tangible proof in my eyes that there is truly an unseen intelligence that plays a part in our existence. (read the full post)

Hermit’s Journey with Bonnie Cehovet – Symbolism of the High Priestess

Welcome to the Hermit’s Journey. My name is Bonnie Cehovet, and in this Pod Cast we will continue on our journey through the symbols in the Major Arcana. As I noted in the first Pod Cast of this series, that of the Fool, the imagery and symbolism in the Tarot is what connects us to its archetypal qualities and wisdom. It acts as a gateway between our conscious and our unconscious worlds. Each deck carries with it its own unique brand of imagery and symbols.

For the purposes of this discussion, I will be referring to the Waite-Smith Tarot (also known as the Rider-Waite Tarot), as it is a traditional reference, and quite often used for teaching purposes. Interpreting the imagery and symbols is done in two ways: through the intent of the author/illustrator (and here we need to remember that the background for the Rider-Waite deck is that of the Golden Dawn), and how the Seeker sees it through the veil of their own personal life experiences.

Let’s continue our journey through the symbols of the High Priestess. Here we see represented the feminine mystique, higher wisdom, and a connection to the Moon and our unconscious selves.

The wisdom that the High Priestess represents is universal wisdom that we connect with by accessing our inner self, our unconscious self. This is the wisdom that helps us to develop the potential inherent within the skills and abilities of the Magician.

In a reading, the symbols within the card of the High Priestess address the spiritual nature in our life. We are being told that before we can find a solution to our issues, we need to look deeply into them, and deeply into ourselves.

Music Credits

Opening Music: time release by the Droney Tones.

78 Notes Music: Steamy River by Rhonda Lorence from Winter Moon (Magnatune)

Hermits Journey Music: Dark Moon by Suzanne Teng from Enchanted Wind (Magnatune)

Closing Music: Eastern Sky-Touching Grace from eastern grooves by DJ Cary

This Podcast Episode has been archived. It is available for purchase at shop.tarotconnection.net in the Year One Archive mp3 DVD.

My guest this week is Regina LaRocca who uses Tarot in her work with homeless youth and wards of the State of Oregon in Portland. She works for Fuego which offers educational and therapeutic experiences to multicultural, underprivileged young people who have cognitive, emotional, behavioral/attitudinal and socio-cultural issues. To learn more about Fuego please visit the website www.gofuego.com

At the end of the interview, Regina leads a guided meditation that can be used with any card. We used the 9 of Swords from the Tarot of the Sephiroth. Do not listen to this episode or segment while driving or other times where your attention is needed.

Caution: do not listen to this episode in situations requiring alertness such as driving a car or operating machinery. Journey work is designed to put you in to a state of relaxation and an altered state of consciousness.

Tarot of the Sephiroth is created and illustrated by Dan Staroff. Illustrations from the Tarot of the Sephiroth are reproduced by permission of U.S. Games Systems, Inc., Stamford, CT 06902 USA. Copyright 2000 by U.S. Games Systems, Inc. Further reproduction prohibited.

Hermit’s Journey with Bonnie Cehovet – Reviews of Tarot of the Sephiroth & the Heart of the Tarot

Welcome to the Hermit’s Journey! My name is Bonnie Cehovet, and today I am going to be reviewing two recent entries into my life – the “Tarot of the Sephiroth” (deck by Dan Staroff, text by Josephine Mori and Jill Stockwell), and “The Heart of the Tarot”, by someone that I truly admire, Sandra A. Thomson (co-authored by Robert E. Mueller, Ph.D. and Signe E. Echols, M.S.).

Tarot of the Sephiorth by Dan Staroff
In a card accompanying this deck, creator Dan Staroff notes that this deck was created from a desire to present a more unified and comprehensive portrayal of the Tarot. His wish was two fold: to interpret the traditional Tarot images for a new era, and to highlight the connection between Tarot and the Qabalah. In doing so, use was made of the Tree of Life, its spheres and paths, and associated colors.

The LWB (Little White Book) that accompanies the deck notes that the images on the Tarot cards act as links to connect elements of the human condition and the universal (archetypal) forces that affect all of us. The “Tarot of the Sephiroth” brings the Tarot/Qabalah connection to life through the laying out of the cards as they are associated with the spheres and paths of the Tree of Life. The LWB contains graphics that show the spheres, their numbers, and their associated colors.

The Major Arcana are represented according to their color correspondences. The Minor Arcana represent the energies of the ten spheres, and are shown with circular borders in their respective corresponding colors. The biggest change that this represents for the reader is that when multiples of the same number appear in a reading, it is very easy to see that they are associated, and the energy that they carry. In an overlay of the two’s, three’s, sixes and tens, the borders of these cards will align with the appropriate sphere formed by the joining of the Court Cards in their respective spheres. (read the review at aeclectic)

The Heart of Tarot by Sandra Thompson

Sandra Thompson, author/teacher/lecturer/mentor, is one of my favorite people in the Tarot world. In “The Heart of Tarot”, Sandra and her co-authors bring a background in psychology into the archetypal world of the Tarot. And they do so in the most gentle of manners – the emphasis is on the Tarot, and how to best put it to use, and not on the psychology of Tarot.

The format of this book is focused on the theme of each card – the energy that it carries, and how it fits into a reading. Rather than working with upright or reversed keywords/meanings, we learn to work with the theme of the card. In defining and exploring the different themes, Sandra and her co-authors work with the Rider-Waite Tarot and the Robin Wood Tarot. The “Rider-Waite Tarot” is used because it is a traditional deck, and because it is often used in teaching and in reference books. The “Robin Wood Tarot” is used because of its updated imagery and vibrant colors.

The backbone of this book is the two card reading – symbolically representing the first two cards from the traditional Celtic Cross spread. The first card drawn represents the Situation, while the second card drawn (which is placed crossing the first card) represents the Challenge. (Read the review at aeclectic) “The Heart of the Tarot” is a book that I cannot recommend highly enough! Sandra and her co-authors have done a marvelous job of promoting the two-card reading as an in-depth Tarot tool. The focus of this book is on the theme of each card, and not on upright or reversed meanings. (I should note here that each of the authors has a background in psychology, and the voice of the book is a gentle one that focuses on the connection between the reader and the Seeker.)

This technique was developed by adapting the first two cards from the traditional Celtic Cross spread. An interesting analogy is done between the traditional imagery of the “Rider-Waite” deck, and the more updated “Robin Wood Tarot”. Scans are included from both decks for all of the cards. The first card drawn is represents the Situation, while the second cards drawn represents the Challenge, and is placed across the first card.

Nine steps are presented in developing a reading:

1. Choose a situation that asks for information beyond a “yes” or “no” answer.
2. Acknowledge the Tarot deck as an oracle, and thank it for its help.
3. With your question in mind, shuffle and cut the cards in whatever style is comfortable for you.
4. Turn over the top card, placing it in the Situation position.
5. Consider what it tells you about your situation or issue and jot that down on a piece of paper or in a notebook of readings, if you keep one.
6. Turn over the second card, and place it in the Challenge position.
7. Decide what it tells you about the kinds of tasks or actions you might consider to resolve your situation. Enter that information in your notes.
8. Briefly summarize the two cards.
9. Finally, if you have not answered it already, ask yourself, “What do these two cards tell me about the lesson I need to focus on for maximum growth with respect to my issue?” Enter your insights in your notes.

Sample Reading using the Two Card Spread from the Heart of Tarot

I thought that it might be interesting to do a reading using the “Tarot of the Sephiroth” and the technique from “The Heart of the Tarot”. The question that I asked was: “What do I need to know about my finances?” The cards drawn were the Ace of Disks (Situation) and the Five of Cups (Challenge).

What do i need to know about my finances?

Situation	Challenge

Celtic Cross Storymaker v.3.0 by Ginny Hunt

When I began reading tarot, I learned, as many tarot newbies do, to use the Celtic Cross spread. It’s a 10-card spread that has been a staple of tarot reading at least since Arthur Waite published it, but he claimed it had been used among tarot readers long before he brought it to the masses. The spread is fairly general, but useful, and gives a lot of information, even some you may not need. A lot of people have difficulty with the Celtic Cross Spread. Some say it has too many cards, others say it’s too general and doesn’t answer the questions specifically enough. I understand those objections and there’s no reason to use the spread if you can’t seem to get it to work for you. However, I’ve found a way to read it that helps me, and maybe you, too.

The Celtic Cross Spread is like a story. It has literary elements like a protagonist, antagonist, conflict, climax, and denouement. It also reveals hidden forces at work, for better or for worse, and gives advice to the protagonist on how best to complete his mission. Tarot is story-telling with pictures and this spread lends itself quite well to that method of reading. (read the full post)

Music Credits

Opening Music: time release by the Droney Tones.

Hermits Journey Music: Dark Moon by Suzanne Teng from Enchanted Wind (Magnatune)

78 Notes Music: Steamy River by Rhonda Lorence from Winter Moon (Magnatune)

Closing Music: Eastern Sky-Touching Grace from eastern grooves by DJ Cary

This Podcast Episode has been archived. It is available for purchase at shop.tarotconnection.net in the Year One Archive mp3 DVD.

Professional Readings

Continuing the discussion on professional readings, James Wells and I explore the following topics:

• Why Read Professionally?
• How do you know you are ready?
• Ideas for Places to Read.
• How much to Charge?
• What is your mission statement?

James suggests that every reader explores the following questions:

• Who are you as a person?
• As a tarot reader what do you do?
• What is your mission statement as a tarot professional?
• What benefits do/can people derive from a session with you?
• Who would benefit from your tarot services?

Recommended Resources:

• Business Mastery : A Guide for Creating a Fulfilling, Thriving Business and Keeping It Successful by Cherie M Sohnen-Moe
• Making a Living without a Job by Barbara Winter
• The Medicine Woman’s Guide to Being in Business for yourself by Carol Bridges

James Wells is a Toronto-based Tarot consultant with an international clientele. Since age 12, he has lived, worked and played with the Tarot and its rich symbolism. James is also a Reiki Master, publisher of The Six-Rayed Star, musician, explorer of divination systems, weaver of rituals, and workshop facilitator. His job as a Worker of Oracles is to create sacred space for constructive feedback and soul work – a place where dreams, goals, imagination, intuition and magick, have full sway so that you can enjoy insight, support and healing. James can be reached at workeroforacles@yahoo.ca

Matter of Time Mix by Ginny Hunt

It’s only natural. We want to know “When?” You’re waiting on that call, that answer, your life feels in limbo until you hear about that job, that decision. Will the house sell? When? Will they accept my proposal? When? Will he call? When? When will I know so I can make my decision? We really hate being held captive by someone else’s actions or decisions. It makes us feel a loss of control in our lives and if there’s something human beings have a really hard time with, it’s lack of control in their own environment. So we turn to the cards for clues and we hope they can tell us something, anything, about when an event we’ve been waiting for is likely to occur. However, the cards aren’t imprinted with times and dates on them. They speak in symbols and analogies and time, being a manmade construct, is a rather limited box to try and shove allegorical symbols into. Predicting when something will happen with tarot is not impossible, but it’s difficult, and there isn’t one, particular way to do it. (read the full post) (read part 2)

Hermit’s Journey with Bonnie Cehovet – Value Added Tarot

Welcome to the Hermit’s Journey. Today we will be discussing Tarot as a business, and the place of value-added incentives in that business. As in any other business, Tarot taken to the professional level is dependent on bringing in new business, encouraging repeat business, and creating a recognizable style that lends itself to “branding” – name recognition that encourages word-of-mouth clients.

One of the ways to accomplish all of the above is the use of value-added incentives. What this means is that you client receives something that they perceive as having added value, some service or physical thing, without having to pay more for it. The really great thing here is that value-added incentives do not have to cost you anything, in terms of either time or materials.

What each individual practitioner chooses to offer as an value-added incentive depends on the nature of their business, on the community environment (what is deemed to be acceptable within their own community), and on the tools that they feel comfortable working with.

Value-added incentives create a win/win environment. The client gets something for free, and the practitioner gets good press for their business. New clients come in, existing clients become repeat clients, and word-of-mouth becomes a very magickal thing! An interesting thing happens along the way. As each Tarot professional begins to define in what manner they want to create a brand for themselves, they take a close look at their Tarot work, and often expand their understanding of “where” Tarot can go, and what other tools can be easily and comfortable associated with it.

Music Credits

Opening Music: time release by the Droney Tones.

78 Notes Music: Steamy River by Rhonda Lorence from Winter Moon (Magnatune)

Hermits Journey Music: Dark Moon by Suzanne Teng from Enchanted Wind (www.magnatune.com)

Closing & Transition Music: Dharma by Will Grega from Breath of Being (podsafe music)

This Podcast Episode has been archived. It is available for purchase at shop.tarotconnection.net in the Year One Archive mp3 DVD.

Gate Cards: Tarot Realizations by Bill Vincent

I am always intrigued by the concept of gate cards. Gate cards, as they are referred to in Rachael Pollack’s book Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom are cards that lend themselves more easily than others to the process of active visualization, or entering the card in your mind. This type of exercise can provide deeper levels of meaning within the cards, and your relationship to them. My initial impressions of Tarot was that every card is a gate card, and I still believe that is true. However, some cards do make this easier with their stunning scenes and multiple levels of meaning. To quote Rachael in 78 degrees, They all share certain characteristics: complex, often contradictory meanings, and a myth-like strangeness which no allegorical interpretation can completely penetrate. Rachael talks about several specific cards being gate cards. (read full post)

Professional Tarot Practice

James Wells joins me to explore what it means to be a tarot reader including the following topics:

• What is a tarot professional?
• What is professionalism
• ethical considerations

This is part one of a two part series.

James Wells is a Toronto-based Tarot consultant with an international clientele. Since age 12, he has lived, worked and played with the Tarot and its rich symbolism. James is also a Reiki Master, publisher of The Six-Rayed Star, musician, explorer of divination systems, weaver of rituals, and workshop facilitator. His job as a Worker of Oracles is to create sacred space for constructive feedback and soul work – a place where dreams, goals, imagination, intuition and magick, have full sway so that you can enjoy insight, support and healing. James can be reached at workeroforacles@yahoo.ca

Tarot Dancing by Ginny Hunt

Carol gave me the Three of Cups yesterday because I was such a mess on Friday. And then do you know what happened? I went dancing! I received an invitation last night to go out and see my favorite local band and danced my booty off. This is one of the things I really love about tarot, the layers of meanings in the cards, from the literal to the metaphorical. While Carol’s intention of giving me that card was clearly a way of expressing her friendship and support to me, little did she (or I, for that matter) know that it was a literal prediction, or prescription perhaps, to remedy my state of mind.
There is a dance we do among the meanings when we look at a card, a mental and emotional dance that, as a tarot beginner, feels awkward and out-of synch at first, but which becomes easier and more fluid the longer we work with the cards. I remember becoming very frustrated with the dance when I first started learning the card meanings because there seemed to be so many different choices, how was I to know which one to choose? I could look at the Three of Cups and see, literally, a get-together with women friends, or metaphorically a supportive environment, feeling at one with humanity, friendship, or caring. As I stumbled through the dance steps of tarot reading, I would become frustrated and wonder how I was ever going to actually read these cards. This was a new dance and I felt so out of step with the music. In fact, I couldn’t even hear the music at first. (read the full post)

Hermit’s Journey with Bonnie Cehovet – Relationship Resources

Welcome to the Hermit’s Journey! This is Bonnie Cehovet, and I would like to thank each of you for joining me on my journey. Relationship and finances are two of the biggest areas that readers receive queries about. I can tend to roll my eyes and shake my head when I get too many relationship readings in a row. In thinking about this, I realized that there are some wonderful resources out there that readers can use to recharge their batteries when it comes to love and romance. Today I am going to be talking about a few of the resources available- books, decks, and perhaps a spread or two that specifically address the areas of love, romance, and relationship.

… As readers, we can open up the scope of our readings, and offer our clients tools for healing, and tools for empowering themselves and their relationships. Scans and reviews of the following decks and books can be found on Aeclectic Tarot

Books:

• Daniels, Kooch N. & Victor Daniels. “Tarot D’Amour“. Weiser Books. 2003. ISBN #1-57863-292-7.
• Fairchild, Gail. “Choice Centered Relating and the Tarot“. Samuel Weiser, Inc. 2000. ISBN # 1-57863-143-2.
• Jette, Christine. “Tarot For The Healing Heart“. Llewellyn Publications. 2001. ISBN #0-7387-004306. Visit Finding the Muse
• McElroy, Mark. “Taking The Tarot to Heart“. Llewellyn Publications. 2005, ISBN #0-7387-053605. Visit Made by Mark
• Waldherr, Kris. “The Lovers Path”. Henry M. Abrams.2005. ISBN #0-8109-5785-6. Visit Art & Words

Decks:

• Ma Padma Diva. “The Osho Zen Tarot“. St. Martins Press. ISBN #0312117337. Osho Zen On-Line Readings
• Mahony, Karen & Alex Ukolov. “The Baroque Bohemian Cats Tarot“. Magic Realist Press. ISBN #0954500725. Bohemian Cats Website
• Sweikhardt, Karen. “Tarot of a Moon Garden“. U.S. Games Systems. ISBN #1572810955
• Waldherr, Kris. “The Lovers Path Tarot“. U.S. Games Systems. ISBN #1572814683. Lovers Path On-Line Reading
• Zerner, Amy & Monte Farber. “The Enchanted Tarot“. St. Martin’s Press. ISBN #0312050798 Visit the Enchanted World

Music Credits

Opening Music: time release by the Droney Tones.

Hermits Journey Music: Dark Moon by Suzanne Teng from Enchanted Wind (www.magnatune.com)

Tranistion Music: Lunarsheen by Clair Fitch from Ambiancellist (www.magnatune.com)

Closing Music: Ambiancellist by Clair Fitch from Ambiancellist (www.magnatune.com)

This Podcast Episode has been archived. It is available for purchase at shop.tarotconnection.net in the Year One Archive mp3 DVD.

Relationship Readings

A relationship reading is the most requested type of reading. My Guest James Ricklef proposes that as a reader we must know one’s self to be able to provide the most helpful reading possible.

There are many ways of approaching a relationships reading. Two really interesting aspects to ponder are “what does love mean to me” and “what is the foundation of my relationship”.

James Ricklef is a Certified Tarot Master — a Tarot reader, lecturer, and writer. For many years now, he has been a recurring workshop presenter at the annual Los Angeles Tarot Symposium (LATS). He has also been a featured speaker at the New York Tarot Reader’s Studio (an annual three-day event) and at the annual San Francisco Bay Area Tarot Symposium (BATS). James is the author of the award-winning book “Tarot Tells the Tale” and of a book about Tarot spreads titled “Tarot — Get the Whole Story”.

• Visit James’ Website
• Read his Haiku Poetry
• Café Press, Zazzle products and Books (including a poster with the Lovers and the rest of the Major Arcana)
• Tarot Affirmations Booklet
• Author Bio at Llewellyn
• Review of Tarot Tells the Tale at Tainted Tarot
  
• Ways to Practice Reading Tarot Cards by James Ricklef
• Tarot & Your Spiritual Path:The Wheel of Fortune Written by James Ricklef

El Diablo by Ginny Hunt

We are each our own devil, and we make this world our hell ~Oscar Wilde

There are three Major Arcana cards that routinely tend to provoke quite the freakout: Death (dun dun dun!), The Tower (a rather unwelcome shock), and The Devil. He’s usually depicted in very grotesque form and it’s a natural response to recoil from such nasties. Case in point, here is an image from a very early deck, the Visconti-Sforza, the first “official” tarot card deck made in the mid-fifteenth century. It’s pretty typical devil symbolism what with the goat horns and bat wings, dragon-scaled belly, malevolent face, etc., but what is more disturbing about this card are the children. Good God, will someone not save the children? Actually, I don’t think they’re both supposed to be children, per se, as the female figure has breasts, but the male figure is clearly a boy. And they’ve spouted horns, so apparently they’re becoming that which both lures and repels them. Tied loosely, they seem captivated, willing slaves. The young woman looks freakishly like a Stepford Wife and the devil is obviously the Puppet Master. These kinds of images make one wonder what could possibly be so appealing about the gruesome dude that one would stay, willingly, bound.

Tarot Realizations by Bill Vincent

I’d like to take a few moments to talk about my favorite aspect of Tarot, the one thing that keeps me completely dedicated to the cards. Yes, they can be used for divination and can be used lightheartedly or seriously, depending on the situation. They are fun to work with, and fun to collect. But really, the most fascinating thing about Tarot, to me, has to be the symbolism. We are surrounded every day with symbols. You can’t even escape them if you were to move far away from our modern world, because symbols appear in nature as well as in our materialistic world. Symbols captivate us, they catch our eye and we subconsciously notice them, sometimes without even being aware that they are impacting us. Even colors by themselves are symbols that have multiple associations and meanings. (read full post)

Hermit’s Journey with Bonnie Cehovet – Symbolism of the Magician

Let’s continue our journey through the symbols of the Magician. There are two sides to every card. To paraphrase Sandra Thomson from “The Heart of the Tarot”, the Magician can be a sacred magician, or he can mesmerize us with illusion and then disappear (in a puff of smoke). The extensive imagery in this card tells us a lot about this gentleman.

This is a very powerful card to have appear in a reading. It indicates that the Seeker has these tools at his or her command, and needs to make best use of them. It is very important to dialogue with the Seeker when giving a reading, to get their impression of the multitude of symbols within this card … to see what draws their eye, and what place this might have in their life.

Music Credits

• Opening Music: time release by the Droney Tones.
• 78 Notes Music: Steamy River by Rhonda Lorence from Winter Moon (Magnatune)
• Hermits Journey: Dark Moon by Suzanne Teng from Enchanted Wind (Magnatune)
• Transition Music: Toccata No 6 in F major by Jeni Melia from the Lost Art of Wooing (Magnatune)
• Closing Music: I’m in Love by Yongen from Moonrise (Magnatune)

This Podcast Episode has been archived.

It is available for purchase at shop.tarotconnection.net in the Year One Archive mp3 DVD.

Tarot Realizations by Bill Vincent

My personal use of Tarot tends to fall mainly within the self-development category. I’m always studying the symbolism from my various decks, looking for new insights. One day I discovered an exercise that inspired me so much that I wanted to share it, and I hope you find as much value in it as I did.

Recently I had a particularly challenging week at work, and by the time Friday came I was pretty beaten down, my energy was low and I needed some inspiration to finish the week on a good note. So while having my morning coffee, I decided to go through my deck face-up, looking for cards that inspired me. After picking a handful of cards, I placed them on the table and just let their positive symbols soak in. Within a few minutes I began to feel better, so much better that I knew I had discovered something really wonderful. By picking cards with symbols that were uplifting to me and meditating on them, I had redirected my thoughts. My focused attention on them caused a real change in how I felt, and as a result I had a boost of energy and good feelings which lasted my entire day.

Like anything that makes you feel good, it’s possible to do it so much that it loses it’s potency, so this may not be something you want to do every day. But, if you’re in a pattern of negative thinking or really need to recharge your batteries, doing this exercise can produce a real change in the way you feel. Good luck, and may the happiest cards be yours

Yes or No? by Ginny Hunt

In the comments section of my Confessions post, Roswila brought up yet another controversial topic in tarot: Yes/No Readings. Should we even do them? Some say that tarot just isn’t the right tool for the job, that the cards are not suited to simple, flat answers like Yes or No. They are archetypes and tell stories and dig up subconscious mysteries, so asking them a simple Yes/No question usually ends up with the cards giving you all kinds of information then leaving it up to you to decide yes or no. Still others say that the oracle is fine for asking Yes/No questions of and it can and will yield an answer and even tell you why it’s so.

TJ McKeown’s Yes/No Approach

My system for Yes/No questions (I’m not sure if you would call it a spread) requires knowledge of the Major Arcana and their order. After shuffling the deck you answer the question by dealing the cards in a pile as you count the cards.

• Aces are Yes
• Tens are No

If you do not get an Ace or a Ten within 22 cards then the Answer is unavailable or the Question was incorrect. As you deal the cards and count you remember which card it was when an Ace or Ten is laid. You stop dealing and Take into consideration which number it was and the suit.

The yes or no is answered by the number (Ace or 10). The Suit gives more information as does the number 1, 2, 3, … , 22). Match the number to the Major Arcana it represents and this too gives more information. So instead of just a yes or No you get a little background being the answer, perhaps a Why or Why not.

I have been using this system for a while and it has proven to be pretty accurate. I have also used it at psychic fairs.

Hermit’s Journey with Bonnie Cehovet – Symbolism of the Fool

Welcome to all of our listeners. This Pod Cast is going to be devoted to the symbolism of the Fool. The imagery and symbolism in the Tarot is what connects us to its archetypal qualities and wisdom. It acts as a gateway between our conscious and our unconscious worlds. Each deck carries with it its own unique brand of imagery and symbols. For the purposes of this discussion, I will be referring to the Waite-Smith Tarot (also known as the Rider-Waite Tarot), as it is a traditional reference, and quite often used for teaching purposes. Interpreting the imagery and symbols is done in two ways: through the intent of the author/illustrator (and here we need to remember that the background for the Rider-Waite deck is that of the Golden Dawn), and how the Seeker sees it through the veil of their own personal life experiences.”

Music Credits

• Opening Music: time release by the Droney Tones.
• 78 Notes Music: Winter Moon by Rhonda Lorence from Winter Moon (Magnatune)
• Hermits Journey: Dark Moon by Suzanne Teng from Enchanted Wind (Magnatune)
• Closing Music: Floating Bamboo by Suzanne Teng from Enchanted Wind (Magnatune)

Play or Download the Episode

This Podcast Episode has been archived. It is available for purchase at shop.tarotconnection.net in the Year One Archive mp3 DVD.

The Tarot Court Series: Kings by Ginny Hunt

It’s said that ‘power corrupts’, but actually it’s more true that power attracts the corruptible. The sane are usually attracted by other things than power. When they do act, they think of it as service, which has limits. The tyrant, though, seeks mastery, for which he is insatiable, implacable. – David Brin,The Postman

All-powerful monarchs whose power was said to be a divine right, appointed by God and given free reign over the land and its subjects is, thankfully, a relic of the distant past. For as the above quote references, it seems quite true that power does corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. History as well as current events show that men don’t seem to do well without limits. (more …)

Individual Posts: The Tarot Kings The King of Swords, The King of Cups, The King of Wands, The King of Pentacles

Hermit’s Journey with Bonnie Cehovet – Esoteric Tarot Decks

Welcome to all of our listeners. This Pod Cast is going to be devoted to Esoteric decks – a category that includes decks based on Alchemy, Ceremonial Magick, Hermeticism and the Western Mystery Tradition. I love to walk this part of the Tarot deck path – doors are opened with the greatest of ease, and the wonders within allow one to, for a short time, live in very magickal world!

Those who are drawn to esoteric decks are often drawn to working with meditation, pathworking, ritual work, and ceremonial magick. A truism here would be that it is best to have at least a basic background in the Mysteries and Esoteric Symbolism before working in any way with these decks. Honor the decks – honor yourself.

Read Bonnie’s Newsletter

Old Greek Stories by James Baldwin. Read by Rob Sheehe

(From the Preface)

Perhaps no other stories have ever been told so often or listened to with so much pleasure as the classic tales of ancient Greece. For many ages they have been a source of delight to young people and old, to the ignorant and the learned, to all who love to hear about and contemplate things mysterious, beautiful, and grand. They have become so incorporated into our language and thought, and so interwoven with our literature, that we could not do away with them now if we would. They are a portion of our heritage from the distant past, and they form perhaps as important a part of our intellectual life as they did of that of the people among whom they originated.

• The Story of Prometheus – II. HOW DISEASES AND CARES CAME AMONG MEN.
• III. HOW THE FRIEND OF MEN WAS PUNISHED.
• The Flood

Music Credits

• Opening Music: time release by the Droney Tones.
• 78 Notes to Self: Winter Moon by Rhonda Lorence from Winter Moon (Magnatune)
• Hermits Journey: Dark Moon by Suzanne Teng from Enchanted Wind (Magnatune)
• Old Greek Stories: Calliopeia – kithara (Ancient Greek) by Tim Rayborn from Qadim (Magnatune)
• Closing Music: Father and Son by Paul Avgerinos from Muse of the Round Sky. (Magnatune)

Play or Download the Episode

]]> http://tarotconnection.net/episode-27/feed/ 1 http://tarotconnection.net/episode-26/ http://tarotconnection.net/episode-26/#comments Sun, 14 Jan 2007 15:04:20 +0000 leisa http://tarotconnection.net/episode-26/ Archived

This Podcast Episode has been archived. It is available for purchase at shop.tarotconnection.net in the Year One Archive mp3 DVD.

A significator is a card selected to represent the querent (or object) of the reading. It is very common to select a significator from the court cards. In this episode, Dena Decastro joins me to explore ways to select a significator.

Excerpt from the Pictorial Key to the Tarot – an ancient celtic method of divination

This mode of divination is the most suitable for obtaining an answer to a definite question. The Diviner first selects a card to represent the person or, matter about which inquiry is made. This card is called the Significator. Should he wish to ascertain something in connexion with himself he takes the one which corresponds to his personal description.

A Knight should be chosen as the Significator if the subject of inquiry is a man of forty years old and upward; a King should be chosen for any male who is under that age a Queen for a woman who is over forty years and a Page for any female of less age.

Confessions by Ginny Hunt

I am a naughty tarot reader. I break the rules. Oh, I know, there are no real tarot rules. Technically. However, there are some rather strong suggestions regarding tarot usage and I am here to say I’ve disregarded those, too. I say this with neither shame nor pride, but simply to say we each must forge our own way with this tarot reading thing and whatever works for you, both functionally and ethically, is what is best. (more …)

Music Credits

• Opening Music: time release by the Droney Tones.
• 78 Notes Music: Steamy River by Rhonda Lorence from Winter Moon (Magnatune)
• Closing Music: Shades of Blue by Hans Christian from the Surrender (Magnatune)

This Podcast Episode has been archived. It is available for purchase at shop.tarotconnection.net in the Year One Archive mp3 DVD.

Nicole Mohr, CYT
www.nicolesyoga.com

I teach Yoga and have been a little adventurous by using a deck called Tree Magick. I sometimes let the class draw a card before we start so that during the class they have meditative focus, teaching and visualization. I will also offer a card after class. I instruct them to feel and pick a card with their left hand and they may decide to ask a question or simply let it have astonishing comparisons to the cards they draw and the events or themes in their life. Sometimes I pull out a deck of animal cards for my classes and this is wonderful. Many yoga poses are named after animals and I love the symbolism.

In general have found that the study of Tarot has giving me more symbols to work with in yogic philosophy. For example I work a lot with Masculine and Feminine in yoga (yin/yang, sun/moon) This restores the balance through the body, mind, breath and soul. In yoga we would say the balance through the upper body (prana/ masculine) and the lower body (apana/ feminine.) I am have learned to trust my own awareness and deepen what is true and real.

Hermit’s Journey with Bonnie Cehovet – Deck Reviews

The Baroque Bohemian Cats’ Tarot

The Baroque Bohemian Cats’ Tarot takes one straight into the Baroque world – the Baroque feline world! This is one of the finest decks featuring cats that I have come across, one that I will treasure not only because the ever present feline “catattude” has been so lovingly expressed, but because of the stunning world that was created for them. One may wonder why I felt the need to give credit to the costume designer for this deck – the reason is simple – she did an outstanding job of dressing these adorable creatures in intricate Baroque style costumes that to me express exactly what this world means to the felines that inhabit it. (read the review)

The Tarot of Dreams

Tarot of Dreams grew from the work that Ciro Marchetti did with his first (gorgeous!) deck, the Gilded Tarot. This project, from the start, was very “high voltage”, and it definitely shows in the end product! I can proudly say that I was able to be there from the beginning, following the progress of this stunning deck and CD as Ciro shared scans of his work, as well as his thoughts.

This is a masterful project, well executed by artist Ciro Marchetti, the highly knowledgeable author/artist Lee Bursten, and the extremely talented Carlos Andres Rodriguez. It consists of an 80 card deck (the traditional 78 cards from the Tarot, a stunning graphic of the Tree of Life, and a front card that is signed and numbered by Ciro himself), along with a CD that is worth much more than its weight in gold. This project is being independently produced, and is not a limited edition. However, each deck will be signed and numbered by Ciro. (read the review on aeclectic)

• Download free ToD reading program for PC
• Download free ToD reading program for Mac
• Purchase the Tarot of Dreams

The Tarot Court Series: Queens by Ginny Hunt

What exactly did a Queen do? Was her role merely as a consort to a King or did she have other specific duties? Well, the answers to those questions depends on the Queen. History is a mixed bag where queens are concerned with some serving as adornment and makers of heirs while others held power and authority at full throttle. Most were the ultimate diplomats and served as negotiators between conflicting lands. (more …)

Individual Posts: The Tarot Queens, The Queen of Swords, The Queen of Cups, The Queen of Wands, The Queen of Pentacles

Music Credits

• Opening Music: time release by the Droney Tones.
• Hermits Journey: Dark Moon by Suzanne Teng from Enchanted Wind (Magnatune)
• 78 Notes to Self: Steamy River by Rhonda Lorence from Winter Moon (Magnatune)
• Closing Music: Queen’s Goodnight by Four Temperaments from Phantasm (Magnatune)

This Podcast Episode has been archived. It is available for purchase at shop.tarotconnection.net in the Year One Archive mp3 DVD.

Strategic, open-ended questions,
whether in tarot or in life,
act as gateways to greater wisdom.
— James Wells

James Wells is a Toronto-based Tarot consultant with an international clientele. Since age 12, he has lived, worked and played with the Tarot and its rich symbolism. James is also a Reiki Master, publisher of The Six-Rayed Star, musician, explorer of divination systems, weaver of rituals, and workshop facilitator. His job as a Worker of Oracles is to create sacred space for constructive feedback and soul work – a place where dreams, goals, imagination, intuition and magick, have full sway so that you can enjoy insight, support and healing. James can be reached at workeroforacles@yahoo.ca
Articles on the Internet

• www.theworldcafe.com/askingbig.pdf
• www.crabgrass.org/site/strategic_1.html
• www.javeriana.edu.co/decisiones/PowerfulQuestions.PDF

Hey! Teacher! Leave Those Kids Alone! by Ginny Hunt

There are few aficionados of tarot that don’t struggle some with this guy. The Pope. Later decks dubbed him The Hierophant in order to jazz him up and make him less Roman Catholic-centered and more esoteric, associating him more with the Greek mystery religions as one who guides initiates in sacred mysteries. However, in many of the later decks where he’s The Hierophant there’s no mistaking it, this guy is The Pope. The Holy See. Hence the common kneejerk flinching many experience when this card appears. Some of the more New Age tarot decks have tried to soften this character and have renamed him and redesigned him, often smiling and less severe, to counter these reactions, but…sigh…he’s still so terribly rigid, I think I may always respond with a bit of ambivalence with this one. (more …)

Hermit’s Journey with Bonnie Cehovet – Symbols

What constitutes a symbol and what part do symbols play in our lives? We are surrounded by symbols on a daily basis. The stop sign at the corner, team logos (ardent NBA fan here), corporate logos, symbols for the signs of the zodiac that accompany the horoscopes in the daily paper, even the food that we eat. Comfort food exists in all cultures. Symbols are a way of communicating. They are a way of expressing an idea or representing an object. Symbols can be historic in nature in that they remind us of a certain time period. Or they can be archetypal in nature in that people from different cultures will see the symbol as the same thing. …

Music Credits

Opening Music: time release by the Droney Tones.

Hermits Journey Music: Dark Moon by Suzanne Teng from Enchanted Wind (Magnatune)

Closing Music: Clouds across the Darkness by Suzanne Teng from Mystic Journey (www.magnatune.com)

This Podcast Episode has been archived. It is available for purchase at shop.tarotconnection.net in the Year One Archive mp3 DVD.

Roger Tobin discusses reversals in Tarot, which is a topic open to a great amount of interpretation. Going from historical usage through modern interpretations, There are a number of ways to use and look at reversals, coupled with a number of questions for readers to consider in order to develop their own philosophy for using reversals.

Roger Tobin is a Professional Tarot Reader from Portland, Oregon. He was introduced to the Tarot in the late 1980s but started serious study and practice in 2002 after encouragement from his family. He is a member of The American Tarot Association and reads for both of their Networks. Roger is also a Mentor for new readers as well as an active community volunteer. He enjoys both studying and teaching of topics in Tarot, and helps lead the Portland Tarot Study group. You can find out more about his reading practice at his website Sylvan Creek Tarot.

Reversals Class with Teresa Michelsen (Portland, OR 2005)

• Seeing the good, bad, and neutral attributes of every card
• A survey of ways to use reversals, from traditional to modern to highly individual
• Obstacles and challenges
• Unhelpful influences (special discussion of court cards here)
• Hidden, deceptive, and unrealized factors
• Extreme or unbalanced energies
• Internal vs. external Special or assigned meanings
• Entire reversed readings

Teresa Michelsen is a tarot reader and instructor with more than 25 years of experience reading tarot. She is well-known on the tarot e-mail lists under her reading name of Thrysse, and has published many articles on tarot on the worldwide web and in ATA publications. Teresa is the author of Designing Your Own Tarot Spreads and the Complete Tarot Reader.

• Teresa’s Website Tarot Moon
• Reversals Class Information – January 2007
• CompTarot
• CompTarot Yahoo Group

Shake Rattle and Roll by Ginny Hunt

… The main thing about the Tower is it signals the disruption and even destruction of things that you thought were solid. The more comfortable we become in our castles, the more complacent we become, the less connected we are from others and from what is really important in our lives. We begin to believe the illusions of safety and security that we’ve built and start taking some very valuable things for granted. A Tower moment, though rarely welcome, unless it’s happening to someone you dislike very much, brings into sharp and sudden focus those things we thought indestructible and safe, and subsequently presumed too much upon. … Read the Entire Post

Music Credits

• Opening Music: time release by the Droney Tones.
• 78 Notes Music: A Life Worth Living by Royalty Free Music
• Closing Music: Chanter voel par grant amour by Joglaresa from the album Magdalena (www.magnatune.com)

This Podcast Episode has been archived. It is available for purchase at shop.tarotconnection.net in the Year One Archive mp3 DVD.

The Gaian Tarot celebrates the living Earth and those who seek to live in harmony with Her.

It is an evocative and powerful tool for accessing inner guidance. The imagery of the deck combines multicultural Goddesses and other numinous beings with the mysteries of the natural world. Each image features birds, animals, plants, trees, rocks, constellations and other aspects of nature that amplify the meaning of the card.

With its structure rooted in Tarot tradition, the Gaian Tarot is the perfect deck for those who honor Gaia, the earth, as a living, sentient being and who practice an earth-centered spirituality. (from GaianTarot.com)

My guest is Pacific North West artist and author Joanna Powell Colbert. Her art has appeared in print publications for 20 years. She has published essays on mythology and nature spirituality. Joanna also has a web design business called JPC Web Design.

• Gaian Tarot Artist’s Journal
• 3 Card Reading with the Gaian Tarot
• The Creative Process – How the Cards Are Created

Download the Gaian Tarot Spread (by James Wells)

Hermit’s Journey with Bonnie Cehovet: Gaian Tarot Review

The Gaian Tarot is an earth-honoring deck in progress. It was created for pagans and others who honor Gaia, the earth, as a living being and who practice an earth-centered spirituality.Available as a majors-only set while the minors are being completed.

• Deck Review at Aeclectic
• Interview with Joanna by Bonnie
• Comparative Tarot Site
  

The Tarot Court: Be Thou a Knight by Ginny Hunt

Part three of a five part series exploring the tarot court.

… Knights, like all court cards, are not necessarily literally young 20-something men. They can be male or female, young or old. It is this exuberant, youthful, get-there-or-die-trying characteristic that is found in all of us, given the right circumstances, that the knights are portraying. Though their energy is admirable, they tend to have that egocentric tendency that younger men have, complete with a distinct sense of invincibility. This makes them short sighted and impulsive, and a bit too sure that they are right. They also possess, with the exception of the Knight of Pentacles, a distinct lack of “sticktoitiveness.” (The Knight of Pentacles has a bit too much of that, he’s not easily swayed from anything he sets his mind to, which can be a problem at times, too.) You can depend on the Knights for the short term, but rarely for the long term. Their immaturity is displayed by their bravado and rash tempers, their lack of thinking things through, and an inability to pace themselves in a realistic fashion… (more …) Individual Posts: Knight of Swords, Knight of Cups, Knight of Wands, Knight of Pentacles.

Music Credits

• Opening Music: time release by the Droney Tones.
• 78 Notes to Self: Steamy River by Rhonda Lorence from the album Winter Moon (Magnatune)
• Hermit’s Journey: Dark Moon by Suzanne Teng from the album Enchanted Wind (Magnatune)
• Closing Music: Gaia by Justin Bianco from the album Forge (Magnatune)

This Podcast Episode has been archived. It is available for purchase at shop.tarotconnection.net in the Year One Archive mp3 DVD.

Hermit’s Journey with Bonnie Cehovet – Major Arcana Pod Cast

The Major Arcana act together to form a journey of individuation. This journey can be seen as one of individual archetypes, with the Fool interacting with each of the archetypes. Another way of viewing this journey is to see it as a Triumphal procession, with a natural division at the Wheel of Fortune into an 11/11 sequence. We can also choose to view this journey as a progression, with each card building on the cards before it, and containing the wisdom gained from all of these experiences. The Fool, representing the individual taking the journey, stands above the cards. Cards I-VII represent consciousness and the growth of personality; cards VIII-XIV represent our subconscious, and a very inward search; cards XV-XXI represent our superconscious, and the development of spiritual awareness.

The Tarot Court Series: Pages by Ginny Hunt

Part two of a five part series exploring the tarot court. To understand the meaning of the Pages in tarot, I think a little smattering of history is in order. Tarot cards were created in the middle ages when everyone understood what was meant when someone was a “Page.”A castle Page was a boy of a nobleman or a vassal who, if he did not already reside in the castle, was sent to his lord’s castle to live for the duration of his training. That is, until he became a knight. Lest the romance of it all soften this image, the knight was a soldier. He was trained for war. Thus, very young children were conscripted into training away from their families into a program so comprehensive that as they grew into young men, they would be fully prepared to serve their lord unto death, no questions. (more …) Individual Posts: The Tarot Pages, The Page of Swords, The Page of Cups, The Page of Wands, The Page of Pentacles

Old Greek Stories by James Baldwin. Read by Rob Sheehe

(From the Preface)

Perhaps no other stories have ever been told so often or listened to with so much pleasure as the classic tales of ancient Greece. For many ages they have been a source of delight to young people and old, to the ignorant and the learned, to all who love to hear about and contemplate things mysterious, beautiful, and grand. They have become so incorporated into our language and thought, and so interwoven with our literature, that we could not do away with them now if we would. They are a portion of our heritage from the distant past, and they form perhaps as important a part of our intellectual life as they did of that of the people among whom they originated.

• Persons and Places Mentioned
• Jupiter and His Mighty Company
• The Golden Age
• The Story of Prometheus

Music Credits

• Opening Music: time release by the Droney Tones.
• Hermits Journey Music: Dark Moon by Suzanne Teng from Enchanted Wind (Magnatune)
• 78 Notes Music: Steamy River by Rhonda Lorence from Winter Moon (Magnatune)
• Old Greek Stories Music: Calliopeia – kithara (Ancient Greek) by Tim Rayborn from Qadim (Magnatune)
• Closing Music: Dark Moon by Suzanne Teng from Enchanted Wind (Magnatune)

This Podcast Episode has been archived. It is available for purchase at shop.tarotconnection.net in the Year One Archive mp3 DVD.

Leslie Zemenek

The following paragraph is from Leslie’s Kabbalah class description:

“Meaning received wisdom, Kabbalah is the core of Jewish mysticism. Often referred to as the Yoga of the West, it has inspired and enlightened people from all walks of life. At its center is the Tree of Life, a cosmic blueprint of the universe which serves as a powerful and unique tool for understanding the self and the world.”

Qabalah is the spelling generally used to indicate the use of Kabbalah as an occult and practical magical system. This episode begins a conversation on what Qabalah is and why a tarot reader might be interested in learning more about the tree of life.

Download a Tree of Life Diagram

Leslie Zemenek is a psychic counselor, using Palmistry, Astrology, Tarot and other divinatory arts. She is an ordained minister and has her Moon in Pisces in the ninth house and several markings of psychic giftedness on both hands. She has spent many years studying archetypal mythology, Qabalah, the mind-body connection and the mystical traditions of various cultures.

Leslie specializes in helping people at the crossroad, encouraging them to embrace their gifts and lead authentic lives.

Her websites are:

• astropalmistry.com
  
• karmicknowledge.com
• mixedmediacafe.com

You may want to read the post called Student ID at karmicknowledge.com to see what is imprinted in your finger prints. The patterns on your fingerprints indicate which “School of Life” you are enrolled in. Is it the School of Service, Love, Wisdom or Peace?

Crazy Talking Cards by Ginny Hunt

While there are many basic, how-to manuals on tarot reading and classes you can take, and while I’m not devaluing those at all, I have to say they just never worked so well for me. Mind you, I have entire shelf devoted to tarot books and they’ve all helped me understand various facets of tarot, but how I came to know tarot was simply by developing a relationship with the cards themselves. I say “simply” but it really isn’t all that simple. Just like any good relationship it takes time and effort and listening. It takes remembering the details and asking questions. It takes devotion and interaction on a daily basis. Read the Entire Post

Music Credits

Opening Music: time release by the Droney Tones.

Closing Music: O meu Fad (My Fate) by Anamar from the Album Transfado

This Podcast Episode has been archived. It is available for purchase at shop.tarotconnection.net in the Year One Archive mp3 DVD.

Robyn Tisch-Hollister & the Tarot of the Midnight Masquerade

Once upon a time, Fortuna, also known as Lady Luck, threw a masked ball for all the people she knew. Something wonderful and magical and mysterious will happen when the clock strikes Midnight.

Robyn created her first tarot at the young age of 11 and started reading professionally at 14. Robyn is a Freelance Artist, Actress, Writer, Designer, Psychic and Tarot Reader. She loves costume and theater and has been know to dress as a pirate. Robyn has created a number of Tarot Decks and Oracles including:

• Robyn’s Website
• Tarot of the Midnight Masquerade
• The Minute Deck
• All Hallows Tarot
• Dreamstones Oracle

They all have very interesting stories which Robyn shares with us. The Minute Deck was born from a creative block while working on the Tarot of the Midnight Masquerade. Each card was drawn and colored in under 5 minutes. I’m impressed with how much Tarot Iconography Robyn has assimilated.

The theme of the Tarot of the Midnight Masquerade deck comes from her love of Mardi Gras and Carnival. She has been a costumer, mask-maker and puppet-maker for over 15 years. Each card depicts a scene of guests arriving, or other things that are happening during the course of the evening, leading up to Midnight.

You can read more about these decks at Aeclectic Tarot. (All Hallows) (Minute Tarot) (Midnight Masquerade Majors) (Midnight Masquerade Minors)

The Blues in Tarot by Ginny Hunt

Tarot encompasses the wide range of human experience and emotion, and as such there are a number of cards where the blues are depicted, but the one I feel most singularly represents the emotional landscape of the blues is the Five of Cups. … To tell people to stop feeling their pain is insensitive at best. To try and move them along to a place where you would feel more comfortable being with them is usually the disguised motivation. Why don’t we just tell those slaves of long ago who first sang the blues to just look on the bright side, then? As I’ve said before, you can’t run from grief. It dogs your every step until you sit with it. It commands your attention, your full attention, for a time. A funny thing happens when we finally sit down with our grief, or the grief of someone you know. It passes more quickly than if we attempt to push it away too soon. There is a time for sad songs and an appreciation of the emotions that create those melodies. Read the Entire Post

Music Credits

Opening Music: time release by the Droney Tones.

Closing Music: Breton Dance Suite by Panacea from Songs and Dance Music of Europe East and West.

This Podcast Episode has been archived. It is available for purchase at shop.tarotconnection.net in the Year One Archive mp3 DVD.

Tarot is a great decision making tool. Tarot outshines out other methods of divination or readings in this arena. I like to think of it as working more or less like a flight simulator, you can explore an idea or course of action, look at the cards and see if you like where it’s going. I’m sharing my favorite method of decisions spreads. Next there will be a sample reading that is followed by some closing comments including a way to work double blind.

The Tarot Aces Series

Ginny Hunt from 78 Notes to Self presents a four card series on the aces. Be sure to visit her blog for a wealth of illustrations and interesting links.

Aces in Tarot are, they say, gifts from heaven. When you get an Ace in a reading, the inclination is to feel like it’s a few days before Christmas and you just know a gift is coming. What is it?

Music Credits

Opening Music: time release by the Droney Tones.

Closing Music: Mythos by Briareus from the Podsafe Music Network.

This Podcast Episode has been archived. It is available for purchase at shop.tarotconnection.net in the Year One Archive mp3 DVD.

Sophia from 78 Notes to Self will be a regular contributor to the Tarot Connection. This episode features an introductory interview and 2 segments of 78 Notes to Self.

MapQuest Doesn’t Help

Tell a man whose house is on fire to give a moderate alarm; tell the mother to gradually extricate her babe from the fire into which it has fallen; but urge me not to use moderation. – William Lyon Phelps

Interview with Sophia

Sophia is a Professional Tarot Reader from Virginia. Her interest in the spiritual and metaphysical has been a lifelong passion. She has been a practicing counselor, both professionally with adolescents and para-professionally as a volunteer with abused women. She offers professional reading services through 78 Notes to Self and reads professionally through Kasamba.com.

Coming Out

I just love it when people come out of the tarot closet. Over at Tales From The Reading Room a lecturer in French Lit decided to come clean with a 15 year tarot habit.

Music Credits

• Opening Music: time release by the Droney Tones.
• 78 Notes Music: My Personal Moon by Madison Park
• Closing Music: Follow Your Bliss from Gnosis by Paul Avgerinos. Follow Your Bliss was provided by Magnatune.