This Podcast Episode has been archived.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

long with thousands of other people, I was made homeless due to the Olympics in Sydney on 2000. Landlords were kicking people out and renovating places, so many people like me who didn’t have a lease ended up without anywhere to live. An online pal, a fellow free-ware developer, offered me a room in his place - in Arizona. So I jumped on a plane and set off. Since I wasn’t allowed to work in the US, I decided to work on some pet projects on the web. One was a site on fork bending http://fork-you.com and one was a tarot deck. You can ask Dan Pelletier about the fork bending

Digital graphics were still pretty new, and I’d been playing around with it since the very beginning - I made my first digital tarot deck on dPaint on an Amiga in the early 90’s. I think I had 32 colours to work with, and there was no ‘anti-aliasing’ or ‘feathering’ so it looked pretty much like Lego blocks. Technology had improved in those 10 years or so, and now it was possible to use millions of colours and layering, so digital collage was by then a feasible option.

2000 doesn’t sound that long ago, but I’d be surprised if there were 10% as many decks on the market then, compared to now. Anyway, I had this idea that I wanted a deck that LOOKED like my Visconti Sforza, but that READ like a Rider-Waite. There are probably scores of decks now that would kinda fit that bill, but then, there were none. Even Brian Williams ‘Renaissance Tarot” didn’t look remotely Renaissance - more like a pastel Art-Nouveau fantasy of the Renaissance. Anyway, I had this idea to digitally collage old artworks to created easy to interpret tarot cards. It was as much about my love of International Gothic style art as it was about tarot, and they weren’t heavily collaged. I was working on a tiny little laptop with a touchpad, didn’t even have a mouse, so it was pretty rough. You can still see it on my site http://goldentarot.com

The deck developed quite a following online. I think I’d really struck a chord that a lot of people, like me, liked the feeling of tradition and the heritage of the tarot in the Renaissance without wanting the difficulty of trying to read a deck without illustrated Minors.

About a year after the deck came out, I started getting emails to congratulate me on getting Golden published. It turned out that it had been pirated in Germany, as part of an annual calendar/deck set by a publisher who had previously pirated other artists’ work. My Agents at the time said it ‘wasn’t viable’ to sue the German company, and the German copyright agency said it wasn’t a breach of copyright as the images I’d used was public domain. Of course this is rubbish - collages are NEW works of art, and copyright belongs to the collagist. But I can’t afford to sue someone myself, especially on the other side of the world. So, I was very annoyed but there was little I could do.

Then, unbeknownst to me, a fan in the US took up my case in the forums. Judy Sidone Tillinger had studied medieval and Renaissance art in College and now worked as an editor at a newspaper in New York. She started an email campaign, and I got swamped with hundreds of emails of support, and also requests to publish the deck legally so people could buy copies. I was flattered, but didn’t want to go through that whole rejection-slip process as I had with earlier projects. I sent everyone a polite standard “thanks, but it’s too hard to get published” reply. What I didn’t realize is that people must also have been sending the major tarot publishers similar requests, as both US Games and Llewellyn asked me to submit formal proposals, which I did. USGS very quickly send me a contract, which required that I sign copyright over to them. I’d always sworn as an artist that I’d never give up my copyright, but US Games were insistent, and pointed to the piracy of my work and said they needed to own copyright in order to legally protect against future piracy attempts. I still wasn’t too sure. I went to a great copyright lawyer, who pointed out that the contract also gave them full, exclusive digital rights - so they could technically make me shut down the website that had got me the fan base in the first place.

Then, late at night a few days after I got the contract, I got a call from US Games. A woman said she was just checking the number and that I was home, and that Stuart Kaplan would ring me back shortly. Kaplan took long enough to call me that I was completely freaked out and feeling quite nauseous by the time the phone rang. STUART KAPLAN! CEO of US Games, author of the huge Tarot Encylopedias, father of the modern tarot in many respects. Love him or hate him, tarot owes him a huge debt of gratitude for its current popularity. I heard his voice and didn’t know what to say. I don’t think I was very coherent, but I basically got the message. He liked my deck, and would I sign the contract? I explained about the copyright issue and he said that the contract wouldn’t be changed - I could sign it and be published by US Games, or not. I had a week to decide.

After a sleepless night, I got in contact with Llewellyn, who had been much more communicative throughout this whole Proposal process, and told Barbara Moore about the deadline (I’d say ultimatum, but that’s really too harsh a word). She understood, and offered to rush it through - but said that it was very unlikely with such short notice, that normally their assessment process takes months of market research etc. And as it turned out, she was right - they said no, and so I signed with US Games and they got copyright of the deck.

Two Strength Cards

As soon as I signed the contract, I got to work. I had to start again from scratch to create the deck at high resolution for publication. Given the limitations of working from low-resolution files, it was a difficult task. Many of the original designs were impossible to do at the higher resolution. In addition, I had to make it ‘more Rider Waite’ - a requirement for US Games decks, and also something I wanted to do. After all, making a beautiful but easy-to-read deck was my main intention.

I worked obsessively. Pretty much sixteen hours a day at least, seven days a week for about 4 months to finish the deck. Over 1600 hours in a very short space of time. My friends were worried about me - I’d ignore the phone and glare at them for bothering me and not invite them in when they dropped in to check if I was alright. Luckily I was single and living alone then

It was partly because that’s the way I work best, completely immersing myself in something, but it was also economic necessity - I got one small Advance when I signed the contract, but then no more money until it got published. My credit card held out for awhile, and then my brother helped out with bills and rent.

Finally it was finished and I sent it off, expecting a long, drawn-out editorial process of amending cards. To my surprise, they only asked me to change one card. Then, it was a case of them doing their end of the process. I got on with my life. I enrolled in Art School to get a qualification to teach, met Jasper there, became a VJ (live video performance artist). During that period, I had very little to do with tarot. At Art school, they pretty much look down on anything as commercial and graphic-design related as a tarot deck, so I just didn’t really think of it as part of my life. There was delay after delay with the publication and I think it was coming up to two years before it finally made it to market. After many and varied reasons for delays, the last straw was when it got pulled from pre-order on Amazon because they basically just didn’t believe it was really going to happen any more. I tried to explain to them that it WAS on it’s way, on a train across Northern America… it should have arrived by now…. then I heard that the train had got derailed by an avalanche and that the freight (including my decks) had got cleared off the rails so that other trains could get through…

It ended up seeming more and more like it would never get to market, but finally it did. And it looked WONDERFUL. Probably many of your listeners have seen Golden - the majestic blue box, the deck’s gilded edges. Kaplan had wanted it to be their ‘deluxe’ product and I’d said I wanted an affordable, budget edition made as well, so that everyone could afford a copy if they wanted it. The compromise was what had taken the 2 years - US Games went to great lengths to find a publisher in China who could make such a high quality product at such a budget price. They’d had to experiment a great deal to get the gilded edges not to flake and chip. Usually, a gilt-edged book is only read a few times, but a tarot deck is constantly handled. I don’t know HOW they did it, but it’s a technical triumph. I still can’t believe that they made such a stunning package for RRP of $25 (and I hear you can buy it for as little as $14 in the US). It’s got to be their least profitable product, considering the quality of the production.

I was very worried that it would get written off as a bit of a Show Pony - lovely to look at, but sniffed at by tarot professionals. Although I’d put a huge amount of research into tarot tradition for the deck, I’d also added in extra symbolism of my own so it wasn’t 100% ‘traditional tarot’. I’m not a dedicated tarot expert - I haven’t dedicated my life to tarot the way many people have. I’m really in awe at the mastery of people like Stuart Kaplan, Mary Greer, Rachel Pollack, Dan Pelletier etc, but my interests are too varied to concentrate on becoming an expert in one field. So, I’ve been very surprised by the acceptance of the deck by tarot experts. When I heard that it was one of Mary Greer’s favorite decks (long before I was lucky enough to meet her in person) I was stunned, as her ‘Tarot for Your Self’ was the first time I’d read a book that explained use of the tarot how I’d used it myself since my teens - intuitively, for personal insight and self-awareness.

I’d never read for other people - I don’t think I’d even had my tarot read professionally. That’s not what it was about for me - it was always about archetypes and analyzing the world around you - where you fit, how you affect the things that happen in your own life. A tool to assist personal responsibility, not to surrender it. It still makes me very uncomfortable when someone turns to a tarot reader to ask something like ’should I take this job?’ and wants a ‘yes or no’ answer. They may as well toss a coin, if they’re not willing to consider the complexity of the situation, and face all the additional questions a proper tarot reading may raise. Anyway, I know a lot of your listeners may disagree with me there, so I’ll move on

Golden Tarot finally hit the shelves in 2004. By then, there were already many, many new decks flooding onto the market, including many medieval and Renaissance themed decks. I was thrilled when it was voted one of the ‘Top Ten’ decks on Aeclectic for 2004, and then it happened again in 2005. By the 2006 vote, I was just plain shocked to see it still in the ‘Top Ten of All Time’. There must be hundreds and hundreds of decks on the market now, I find it hard to think that mine is still so popular. My rating on Amazon is still a 5-star average after over 50 reviews (and they’re not all personal friends of mine I guess that goes to show that if you research something well, and put in your own personal passion and vision into it, there are going to be other people who share that passion and vision.

I get the most amazing fan mail for Golden Tarot. It’s funny, because I feel that what I’m doing, say, with my video art, is more important (that sounds so pretentious! Don’t know how else to put it though), more creative, more innovative. But then, golden really touches a lot of people - enough to get them bothering to email me and say so.

A lot of people have asked me when I was going to make another deck. That always seemed a bit weird because I’m not a collector, and I think that now I’ve created the deck I wanted, why would I bother making another one? And from a financial point of view, it would be crazy. even if it IS a popular, successful deck, I know it’s never going to make me enough money to be worth the hours spent making it. At least, with a traditional publiching model. I make about the same as unemployment benefit from Golden. I’m not complaining - I mean, at least I’m making that much, I don’t starve. And as I mentioned earlier, I doubt it’s a cash-cow for US Games, considering the luxury packaging, gilding etc. But after I read ‘The Long Tail’ I thought there has to be a better way. I have a sizable online following and the most wonderful, dedicated fans - many of whom have been with me since the pre-publication days. Lots of people around the world share my love of tarot and the Renaissance, and I can digitally collage old-master paintings better than anyone (Hmm, come to think of it I might be the only one doing it…). I must be able to make a better living

I’ve been a digital developer for a long time - running free graphics websites like http://retrokat.com/medieval/ since the 90’s and with new media like mobile phone content becoming more widespread, that’s where I should be looking to make my main living. Since I don’t own the digital rights to Golden, I can’t just adapt that for mobiles. Also, that wouldn’t work very well anyway - you need to design completely differently for the small screen. Which gave me the idea for a new deck…

Leave the RWS layouts out of it. If they were so tiny, then it’s just going to be a memory trigger and no more - and I want more than that. I want something that has a chance of connecting with the person, a trigger for reflection and personal insight. And what can possibly do that with so few pixels?…

The human face. It’s the first thing we recognize as babies… and regardless of language, we can read a lot about what someone’s trying to communicate from their expression. And if there’s one thing they did well in the 16th and 17th centuries, it’s painting faces.

So.. it was to be a deck of portraits. Maybe a few symbols here and there, if they didn’t detract too much from the person’s facial expression or body language, but predominantly, faces chosen to communicate the meanings of the card. Faces you can become familiar with, faces you can read. ‘78 friends you can hold in your hand’.

I popped a website up saying that I was considering this new deck, and showed a few draft samples. Behind the scenes, I was trying to get a mobile-content deal. Ack, now there’s a hard market to break into. People started to ask me when the deck would be finished, and I explained that it was on hold unless I could get a deal for it. Then, along came a very generous benefactor who offered to pay me to finish the deck. This person wants to remain anonymous, understandably, as they don’t want to get swamped by requests for money. Fishing for a private benefactor was the furtherest thing from my mind. The person doesn’t want a percentage or anything, just a copy of the deck when and if I can get a deal. Incredible! Like a fairytale. So that’s what I’m working on at the moment.

Cielo Preview

You can see some of the cards on tarotcielo.com - although due to piracy of my work, I can only show a few. At least, until/unless I get a deal

Another market I’ll be looking to with the deck is use of digital images for online and 900 line readers. Some of these readers use digital images of cards, but there are very few public-domain decks, and the commercial deck publishers are very strict about use of images from their published decks. For example, you couldn’t show a client images from Golden Tarot through online chat or by email without paying a usage fee to US Games Systems. And if you’re thinking that some of that will go to the deck creator, that’s not true in my case.

I think if I can create images that work well with online and phone readings, and if the reader knows that a payment (no matter how small) goes to the creator of the cards, then they’d respect that. That’s how the music industry is evolving. I have friends who sell their own tracks, for example through sites like Martian Music, and their fans will happily pay $1 a track rather than pirating the music, because they KNOW that most of that goes to the band. Digital rights are really empowering like that - you can use that more direct connection between artist and consumer to make a more fair deal for both. That’s an exciting for both creatives and consumers.

In particular, I think tarot people are concerned about fairness, karma etc. eg, ebay sellers email me to ask my permission before they list copies of the pirated German pre-US Games version of Golden Tarot. And if anyone tries to sell pirated versions or unapproved products related to Golden, immediately someone will recognize it and email me from my website. That sort of dedication and direct relationship with my fans has been there right since the beginning with Golden. I’m sorry if any of your listeners have emailed me and not got a reply. I always mean to, but there just aren’t enough hours in the day!

Hermit’s Journey with Bonnie Cehovet - Gold & Gilded Tarots

Welcome to the Hermit’s Journey. This is Bonnie Cehovet, and today I am going to be talking about a specific type of Tarot deck - those that fall into what I call the “Gold” or “Gilded” category. Sometimes these are viewed as art decks, sometimes as collectors items, and sometimes they are published as Special Editions of a regular Tarot deck. They all have one thing in common - they feature the color gold. This can be done through using the color to highlight different parts of a card, or it can be done through the application of gold foil. I adore the gold foil decks - but I absolutely dare someone to get a decent scan with them!

One of the decks that is unique unto itself in this category is the Golden Tarot, by Kat Black (U.S. Games Systems, Inc.). The imagery is a collage of artwork from the late Middle Ages and Early Renaissance, featuring the color gold prominently, along with the use of a gold border and a gold back to the cards. The most stunning feature of this deck, however, is the gilt card edges - when you take the top off of the box (which is one of the most elegant - and sturdy - Tarot boxes that I have ever seen!) the gilt edging transfixes you - it is so incredibly mesmerizing, you just want to sit there and look at it! Bravo Kat!

Gold Leaf Tarot Decks

	Golden Tarot of Klimt Golden Tarot of Klimt at Aeclectic Tarot
	Golden Tarots of the Pyramids The Tarot Garden Database: General Search
	Golden Tarot of the Renaissance Golden Tarot of the Renaissance at Aeclectic Tarot
	Golden Tarot of the Tzar Golden Tarot of the Tsar at Aeclectic Tarot
	Mantegna Tarot (silver foil) Mantegna Tarot at Aeclectic Tarot
	Nefertari’s Tarot Nefertari’s Tarot at Aeclectic Tarot
	Tarot of the Visconti Grand Trumps Tarot of Visconti Grand Trumps at Aeclectic Tarot
	Basara Gold Tarot The Tarot Garden Database: General Search
	Golden Botticelli Tarot The Tarot Garden: Upcoming Releases / Preorders
	I Tarochi Egizi (delux gold edition) The Tarot Garden Database: General Search
	Visconti Tarot Visconti Tarot at Aeclectic Tarot

Gold Editions

	Baroque Bohemian Cats Tarot The Baroque Bohemian Cats’ Tarot Gold Edition
	Golden Man Tarot The Tarot Garden Database: General Search
	Golden Rider Tarot Golden Rider Tarot at Aeclectic Tarot
	Golden Tarot Deck Golden Tarot of Deck at Aeclectic Tarot
	Medieval Scapini Medieval Scapini Tarot at Aeclectic Tarot
	New Century Tarot deck New Century Tarot at Aeclectic Tarot
	Stairs of Gold Tarot (aka Tavaglione Tarot) Stairs of Gold Tarot at Aeclectic Tarot
	Victorian Romantic Tarot (Gold Edition) The Victorian Romantic Tarot

William Wilde Zeitler

William Zeitler is a composer and professional musician. He has numerous published and commissioned works to his credit. A classically trained pianist, he earned his music degree from the California Institute of the Arts.

The Glass Armonica is the musical instrument invented by Benjamin Franklin in 1761. Said to be the invention that pleased him the most, Franklin’s Glass Armonica is a series of glass bowls mounted on a horizontal rod. Tapering in size, they are played like wine glasses as they spin.

William’s instrument is custom built and was a year in the making. It contains 44 glass bowls mounted on a hand crafted stand of cherry and oak.

4 Full album are available at www.williamzeitler.com

You can download the mp3s free of charge (click to play, right-click to save) with no copy-protection. If you like the albums you can purchase them or make a donation.

Music Credits

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

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.

Fairy Decks with Jeanette Roth

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.

The Faeries Oracle

Faries Oracle by Brian Froud © 2000 Simon & Schuster

Using the enchanted art of Brian Froud as your guide, enter into the wise and wonderful world of the faeries. The Faeries’ Oracle calls on sylphs, pans, gnomes — and, of course, faeries — to lead you on a delightful journey of adventure, discovery, and enlightenment that will illuminate the future and heal the heart and soul. This beautifully designed divination set contains everything you will need to explore this mysterious realm, including:

A complete deck of 66 radiant cards by Brian Froud featuring goblins, moon dancers, pixies, boggarts, and other faery folk we first met in Good Faeries/Bad Faeries

Mystic Faerie Tarot

Mystic Faerie Tarot by Barbara Moore & Linda Ravenscroft © 2007 LlewellynStep inside the enchanting world of the fey. Rich watercolor images by renowned artist Linda Ravenscroft capture the vibrancy and grace of faeries, sprites, elves, and nymphs in their lush gardens.Each suit tells a faerie tale as the nature spirits embark on magical adventures. A water nymph and wood elf learn that love is a gift not to be taken lightly, while a foolish faerie queen and her kingdom are nearly overtaken by a magical blue rose. These stories offer lessons and fresh insights in all matters of life, while remaining true to tarot archetypes.The Mystic Faerie Tarot kit includes a 288-page book that introduces tarot and describes the major and minor arcana in detail. Perfect for beginners, you’ll also find faerie-themed spreads to use, along with sample readings and a quick reference guide to the cards.

• Mystic Faerie Tarot (Deck Website)
• Linda Ravenscroft (Artist’s Website)
  
• Barbara Moore (Author’s Website)

Fairy Tarot

Fairy Tarot by Antonio Lupatelli © 2000 Lo Scarabeo
Distant relatives of the gnomes, the fairies are very playful beings who carry out naughty jokes at times. The fairies, however, also like to help humans in very practical ways like through these cards.The Fairy Tarot is actually enchanted: it allows reality to be confronted using a positive attitude, it helps play down all kinds of trouble and easily overcomes problems objectively. The suits reflect the Fairy lifestyle (Acorns, Hearts, Leaves, and Bells).

Fey Tarot

Fey Tarot by Laura Taun © 2002 Lo Scarabeo

The universe of the fey is seen here in powerful colours, expressing joy and happiness that grows card after card. With great attention given to the symbols and the divinatory structure, the fey move freely through cultures and mythology to bring life to an extraordinary world that enchants and fascinates.

Spirit of Flowers Tarot

Spirit of Flowers Tarot by Laura Taun © 2003 Lo Scarabeo

Fairies and little magicians peer out from the cards in this deck that pay homage to the celebrated Anglo-Saxon tradition of the “spirit children”. The charming illustrations combine the meaning of each flower with that of the arcana, the classical iconography of which is underlined by the floral choice.

Tarot of the Lepidopteran People

Tarot of the Lepidopteran People by Lynyrd Narcisco © 2005

The artists says this is a reflection of his personal interest in insects. Lepidopterans are butterflies and moths. It was created in the spirit of Tarot of the Cat People and those Faerie Decks. This is a 23 card deck. The extra card is unnumbered and titled “Lepidoptera”.

Interview with Barbara Moore

The tarot has been a part of Barbara Moore’s personal and professional lives for over a decade. She is the tarot specialist for Llewellyn Publications. She is a Certified Tarot Reader through the American Tarot Association and has spoken at tarot conferences around the United States. Barbara’s articles on the tarot have appeared in several tarot publications and in Llewellyn Publications New Worlds of Mind and Spirit magazine.

She has also sat on the Tarot Journal editorial board. Barbara’s own education in the tarot has been and continues to be broad and enlightening. She has studied under renowned tarot scholars Mary K. Greer and Rachel Pollack, and she has taught the tarot to all manner of would-be tarot readers.

RJ Stewart

Robert John (R J) Stewart was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. He is known today as a composer, author, and teacher, with 40 books in publication, translated into many languages worldwide. R J Stewart’s series of books on the Underworld and Faery traditions (which he has restored and presented to the public almost single-handed over the last 20 years) have encouraged many people worldwide to work with these ancestral land-oriented spiritual paths. The Well of Light: From Faery Healing to Earth Healing contains a wealth of meditations, visions and ceremonies on earth-based spirituality, including unique material never before published.

Music Credits

Opening Music: time release by the Droney Tones.

Transition Music: The Fairy Rownde by Heringman from Holburns Passion (Magnatune)

Closing Music: The Fairy Queen by Da Camera from A Celtic Celebration (Magnatune)

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.

This journey is part of Episode 45 and has been released separately for your listening convenience.

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.

Music Credits

• Music: by Hans Christian from World Loops 1 (Magnatune)

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

Michael W. Ford began a path to Luciferian Witchcraft at an early age. Having resonated with the dark aspects of life and found a psychological interest in the ideologies of Nietzsche and Darwin, Mr. Ford began a practice of Satanism. Soon finding a deep spiritual connection with the spiritual aspects of the Adversary, Michael soon explored various Satanic Orders and the practice of Vampirism. In 1999, Mr. Ford, having practiced what is “Chaos Magic” began Book of the Witch Moon which was published in 2005-2006. Michael has studied at length the works of Austin Osman Spare, specifically his “Ugly Ecstasy” era illustrations and relates much of his initiation via artwork.

Mr. Ford is also a musician who has worked with numerous known bands, Black Funeral, Hexentanz, valefor, Psychonaut 75 and Ordo Tyrannus. Michael has produced ritual music albums and numerous other venues in music as well.

Michael resides near Houston, Texas with his fiancee, Hope Marie, who is his business manager and they are co-owners of Succubus Productions, the current publishing house and e-commerce operators of two websites. Mr. Ford is also presiding Magister of The Order of the Phosphorus and THE BLACK ORDER OF THE DRAGON.

Michael W. Ford is currently publishing THE LUCIFERIAN TAROT and Book, designed by him and painted by renowned artist Nico Claux. Mr. Ford is also continuing the path with numerous Luciferian works, including several on Vampirism and horror fiction as well as a Satanic Medieval Tarot.

• Succubus Productions at LuLu
• LuciferianWitchcraft.com
• Yahoo Group for Luciferian, Sorcery and News
• Luciferian Apotheca on Myspace

The Luciferian Tarot

78 Card Deck by Michael W. Ford and Nico Claux

A full 78 card deck, a beautiful and articulate expression of the Spirit of the Adversary from a trans-cultural perspective. This is the first Left Hand Path tarot deck published. Full color with a focus on the shadow or dark side of the feminine and masculine within the mysteries of the Luciferian Witchcraft gnosis.

THE FIRST BOOK OF LUCIFERIAN TAROT is the first published tarot based on Left Hand Path or Luciferian topics. This tarot book defines the practice and study of the Luciferian path of initiation, divination and the hidden or shadow aspects of the mind.

The First Book of Luciferian Tarot presents the Adversary Samael as the spirit of self-liberation, wisdom and power. The Adversary in the form of Lilith, the dark feminine instinct and motivation for humanity. Forecasting the future is only one possible use with the deck: a full grimoire of initiation is presented with this deck. You will find full descriptions, symbolism and methodology behind the Luciferian Tarot. You will find the Watchers and Grigori, the fallen angels who taught mankind the art of Witchcraft. The Various forms of the Adversary and the importance of balance with darkness and light. The daemonic feminine of Lilith, Hecate and Kali may be found here, how they relate to the Tarot and the associated Qlippothic Shadow forms corresponding to the deck.

Beautifully designed by Michael W. Ford and painted by Nico Claux, The Book of Luciferian Tarot gives full descriptions of the path of tarot. Descriptions of Major and Minor arcana, definitions and many tarot spreads makes THE FIRST BOOK OF LUCIFERIAN TAROT essential to any occult enthusiast and a darksome gift from the powers of the Adversary.

Cult of Zir

cult of zir is the primary auditory endeavour of portland-based artist nolon ashley, a performer whose applications and affiliations span a diverse spectrum, ranging from the accessible to the ineffible.

cult of zir’s sound depends heavily on abstract electronic soundscapes and textures countered with resonant melodic sequences, attempting a balance between intensity and sensitivity. a game-rule of intent is held in high priority, applied to a sonic medium often deliberately undisciplined.

in the barbarous tongue of the angels, “zir” translates to “i am.” such is described by dr. john dee and sir edward kelly, who pioneered the territory of enochian magick, a system of communication with spirit representatives of the divine.

• Cult of Zir Website
• Cult of Zir Myspace

Music Credits

Opening Music: time release by the Droney Tones.

Closing Music: Requiem from the Cult of Zir. (a reflection on the loss inherent in refinement, in sacrificial discipline of yama. a goodbye kiss to attachments and aversions proven no longer useful.)

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.