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

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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.

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