The Post-Conference Rundown, Part I

You know the saying “I left my heart in San Francisco”? Well, I think I left my brain there. The two-day madness of the Bay Area Tarot Symposium (BATS) + my flight back being cancelled the night I arrived left me feeling lost and confused most of the weekend (or at least it seems that way). I’ll let you know when my brain catches up with my body.


I attended wonderful classes at BATS this weekend. On Saturday morning, I ended up attending only a portion of Thalassa’s class “The Shadow Dance and the Crawl Space of the Soul,” due to having to rush upstairs to our hotel room to make arrangements for our trip home. For what I was present for, it was just what I needed, including a reminder of “If this is shadow, then what is throwing off the light?”



Next was Mary K. Greer’s class “Working with Your Tarot Birth and Year Cards.” I hate math, but working through this class was very necessary. Birth and year cards are extremely enlightening in giving you a head’s up with the year ahead of you, and clarity with what has come before in previous years. Mary’s book on this topic is Who Are You in the Tarot?, and if this interests you, you should definitely pick it up! 2012 is going to be a Strength year for me... whether I will need strength or I will have the strength is not certain yet!


After the lunch break, I high-tailed it over to Barbara Moore’s class “Giving a Voice to the Cards.” This was almost a backstage tour of making companion books corresponding to tarot decks, and sometimes even a Little White Book or two! Barbara is one of my favorite tarot people, as she is an extremely grounded and down-to-earth person. Her companion books are great and practical, and her writing seems to be effortless. I can’t wait to read the companion book for the Mystic Dreamer deck, and I eagerly await the arrival of Steampunk Tarot.



Next up was Corrine Kenner’s class “Tarot for Writers” (hmm, now why would THAT I appeal to me?). Corrine loves her handouts, and this class was no exception... all my notes were scribbled furiously on the handout she provided, using the Celtic Cross spread for both character creation, and again for plotting out a story based on the protagonist the group had just created!


Part II tomorrow!

Pre-Conference Madness and Pimpage

I will be furthering my tarot knowledge at the San Francisco Bay Area Tarot Symposium this weekend. People can feel free to keep requesting my tarot services via e-mail but I probably will not be returning e-mails until Monday at the earliest. Like it says on the hand-painted shingle on my door, "foresight is better than hindsight!" I also will not be doing my Card of the Day draw on twitter and facebook for Saturday and Sunday. Friday's Card of the Day will be extra-early for you East Coasters!

I haven’t packed yet and am firmly convinced I can manage with just a carry-on, considering I will be away for only three days. However, I will need to remember that am taking the same carry-on for the trip back, which means limiting my purchasing of new decks. Yes, I have a problem, and thy name is tarot. Considering I was just graced with the Cosmic Tarot (which I've been coveting for years) and the Mystic Dreamer Tarot as prezzies, it's much easier to be good on this trip.


I can't wait for this conference. Readers Studio was the most amazing experience, and I truly was not the same person walking out of it than I was walking in. I anticipate a similar occurrence with SF BATS. I can't wait to see what I learn, and then translate that into better readings for my clients. The continuation of tarot education is something I strive for... I will never stop learning, because there's simply more to learn about tarot than one could manage in several lifetimes of study!


Moving on to the PIMPAGE portion of the blog:
 
WEST COAST PEOPLE: Have you ever had Courtney Weber teach you tarot or read your tarot? Want to know the basics of circle-casting and why it’s done? Are you near Napa (or willing to get your ass there)? Read on. This blog is probably coming too late to those wanting to attend the tarot workshop, but I believe the circle-casting workshop is tomorrow, and Courtney is also available for readings as well. Check out the link for more details. Take advantage of Courtney's wisdom before us New Yorkers selfishly keep her for ourselves!

Right, Wrong, and Tarot: Evaluating Ethics

So, you heard about this tarot reader from a friend. “He/She’s amazing, so accurate, so helpful... you must make an appointment!” Okay, word of mouth praise is a good thing.

So you go to the tarot reader, and what you hear makes your skin crawl. She’s talking about people in your life like they’re snakes in the grass. Lots of talk about what’s going on in their lives... it might even be stuff that you didn’t know; their secrets coming to light.

If you came to me for a reading, I probably wouldn’t be talking too much about other people in your life. After all, we can’t control other people’s actions; we can only control our own. So I would be focused on you. What YOU can do to change your life for the better or handle other people/situations better.

So, who is the “right” tarot reader? Whoever it is that matches your own set of personal ethics. One reader friend of mine says this, tongue firmly in her cheek, “I read your Tarot behind your back.” Some readers don’t even do celebrity predictions. Some readers will not read for someone or on behalf of someone without permission. And some do. Whether it’s right or wrong is completely up to you. What vibes with your personal ethics?

How do you find out about a reader’s code of ethics? Most readers now will have a separate page on their site (if they have one) dealing specifically with ethics. If they don’t, check out their About page, and you should be able to get a good sense of what the reader will and won’t do. If that section doesn’t offer a clue, try looking at a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page if there is one. But don’t hunt too long. If ethics aren’t important to the reader, they won’t have any listed. But then you must ask the question... “Do I want to work with this person?” If ethics ARE important to them, they will be prominently displayed. You won’t have to look for the proverbial needle in the haystack to find them.

The crux of my ethics page (website coming late September!) will always be, “I will never share the details of your reading with anyone else.” Heck, I don’t even remember what I’ve said in a reading if the span of an hour goes by. The info isn’t for me to retain OR repeat. The info is solely for the client, to do with what they wish.


Image: Danilo Rizzuti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net


What ethics do you look for in a reader? Where do you draw a line in the sand? Let’s discuss in the Comments section.

If You Sprinkle When You Tinkle... Leaving Clients Better Than You Found Them

"If you sprinkle when you tinkle
please be neat and wipe the seat"

Variations on this “poem” include the second line being “please be a sweetie and wipe the seatie” instead, but you get the idea...

I saw this in a bathroom recently and I thought about tarot. Weird, right? I know. But most hours of the day I think about tarot, so it’s not so weird to me. Okay, so how did this simple little sign about other people’s urine make me think about tarot?

I’ve been doing a lot of work behind the scenes on my tarot business lately... stuff that y’all will get to see when my website launches at the end of September (and hopefully luuuuuv). It’s been “man behind the curtain” work, involving but not limited to a lot of meta stuff like motivation, how tarot works, how tarot works when I read, my style of reading, how I came to this work, my ethics, confidence issues, and where I’m heading. A lot of stuff that I really never thought about until I starting writing my web copy. And it was HARD. And now I’m coming out the other side of it, and I’m realizing it was hard but WORTH IT.

Back to the “poem”. I would like to make a version of this poem, and hang it about my tarot table (or wherever I choose to read). Why? Because this is a part of my personal ethics, and it boils down to this:
 
I want a person to leave a reading in the same condition (and hopefully better) than the start.

Sometimes a reading is heavy. A lot of shit comes up. Do I let the client just walk away after a reading, covered in that heaviness? Hell no. I clean them up. I buoy them up. I try to find the silver lining. Sometimes it’s really hard to find, but there is ALWAYS a course of action for the client to take, including inaction. There is always a choice to make, and that rests with the client. There is a song by the band Rush called Freewill... “You can choose a ready guide in some celestial voice. If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.” Either way, whatever they decide... It’s the client’s decision. And I want that decision to come from them, and from a position of empowerment.


Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net


What personal ethics do you have that come from an unlikely source? Feel free to describe in the Comments section... I would love to hear them!

Mercury Retrograde: The Down and Dirty (from a few people that know)

Have you had a day from hell today? A day where everyone has misunderstood you, had car trouble, trouble with traffic and people driving like maniacs, and/or computer malfunctions? No, you're not going crazy. It's just Mercury Retrograde.

I'm no astrologer. My talent lies with tarot, so I will let astrologers deal with explaining the fun of when a planet like Mercury goes retrograde.

Here's a post from George Courtney regarding Mercury Retrograde: Back to the Future Mercury! Keep in mind that this was originally written for the Mercury Retrograde that happened at the end of March, but most of what George says here applies to a Mercury Retrograde in general.

Maria Shaw notes in her article Mercury Retrograde: What Is It Good For? what things CAN be accomplished during this time period. Mercury Rx is not a good time to start projects, but it IS a good time for finishing the unfinished ones. Have a knitting project that's been sitting? Time to finish it! Upset with your job? Don't start a new one during this time period, but DO revise your resume. I loved this part of her article:

"Think of any word that has an 're' in front of it. That’s what Mercury Retrograde is good for....re-doing just about anything."

So, let's bring it back to tarot now (after all, this is a tarot blog). What do the cards have to say about this Mercury Retrograde that lasts until August 26th?


Ace of Swords: Know that this is simply a fleeting moment in time. There is definitely a lot of righteous indignation going around. Do not be a part of that majority. That big sword in the Ace of Swords can cut both ways, and both you and your target will be injured in the process. Don't use words as a weapon right now.

Ace of Coins: Ground yourself. Seek solace in nature. There is so much prosperity around, but it is the potential of prosperity... it is not ripe for the picking yet. Let it wait; let it mature.


4 of Wands (rev): A call to move creative forces inward. The four wands in this card form a point of light that seems to be shining inside of yourself. It's almost a form of the Hermit card, but lighter. Introspection is needed. Lay low.


Very interesting that two Aces comes up in this reading. I personally like to think of the Aces as the potential of the suit they correspond to, not unlike the concept of "potential energy" vs. "kinetic energy". 


So, lay low, people. Tie up loose ends of projects that you began before Mercury went retrograde. Double-check all travel plans. Pad any plans you make with additional time, just in case. Be crystal clear in your communications, both written and verbal. Keep your eyes wide open while driving. And this Mercury Retrograde period too shall pass...


Has your Merc. Rx period started off with a bang? Let's chat about it in the Comments section!

Ask a Tarot Reader—Card of the Day?

Question: What do you do when all these different tarot readers that you follow pull different cards? Is there a way to use all of them as a guide for your day?

This situation is not dissimilar to using a certain newspaper to check your horoscope. Thanks to the magic of twitter, facebook, and other social-media-centered sites, you can start off your morning by checking what your favorite tarot reader's card of the day is.

What is a card of the day? How is it determined? A card of the day (to me) is the Advice card for the day. A quick little “head’s up” for what might be occurring in your day. How I determine the card of the day: I shuffle the cards and as I’m shuffling, I ask, “What do I and everyone who reads my interpretation need to know for today?” When I think I have shuffled enough, I stop and pull from the top of the deck. Sometimes I’ll fan the cards and pull a card randomly. And other times (rarely) I will flip over the stack of cards to the bottom card of the deck (which is termed the “deep card”). My method of choosing always depends on what my intuition is telling me to do at that moment, but the card of the day is always pulled randomly. Well, as random as tarot (seldom) is.

I will use today as an example. Today’s card of the day for me was the Tower reversed. Here’s what I posted to twitter:

The Tower (rev): You are not seeing the true situation right now; you are unwilling to see it b/c it will destroy what you think you know.

Short, sweet (as sweet as the Tower can be), and to the point. After all, on twitter, you’ve only got 140 characters to get the message out.

Extended interpretation posted to facebook:

Card of the Day—The Tower (rev): You are not seeing the true situation right now; you are unwilling to see it because it will destroy what you think you know. Someone has built their reputation on lies but people don't know it... yet. A shake-up will happen, but now's not the time.

The base message is still there, but more words equals a way to get that message out, using more angles. After all, there are many sides to a story; so too are there many sides to one tarot card.

Okay, let’s get back to the real question at hand, now that you know what a card of the day is and my process of selecting a card. I’m going to throw a wrench in the works here when I say…

…all card of the day pulls and interpretations are valid.

You could approach the situation in a few ways:

a)    If you choose to only follow one reader’s card of the day pulls, I would suggest doing a little journaling about it before making the choice. Follow several readers on twitter, facebook, wherever they leave their card of the day. Keep a log of each reader’s card of the day and interpretations. Then at the end of the day, journal about your day, and retro-fit. What card do you think best described what occurred during that day? Do this over several days so you have enough information to work with. This exercise is not just about card of the day accuracy; it is also about style. Some readers are gentle with their message, some are no-nonsense, and some are in-between. Keep in mind both accuracy and delivery when you choose.

b)    Here’s where the second part of the question comes into play: what if you simply don’t want to choose? Is there a way to integrate all these cards of the day as a guide for the day? I would say so. There’s never just one situation going on in someone’s life. We’re all juggling many different issues in the air at any given time. Who’s to say the card of the day applies to only the most pressing situation? Multiple cards of the day might mean multiple questions are being answered, just by different readers. Try this: Before reading a card of the day, ask a question that you want answering, aloud or in your mind. Then read that person’s card of the day for the answer. Ask a different question. Read the next person’s card of the day. For as many readers you follow in the social media universe, that’s the amount of questions you can ask their cards of the day!

c)    If you want to apply the multiple cards of the day to your day, here’s a variation on the question game (see b): Instead of asking different questions of the different cards of the day, create a spread. Draw it out, or use playing cards as placeholders. Lay it out however you like. Assign a positional meaning to each card, such as Relationships, Advice, You (in your current position), Hopes/Fears, Message from Higher Self, etc. Now assign a reader’s card of the day to its own position, by the reader’s name alone. Now unveil what the cards of the day actually are and their interpretations. How does each card “fit” into its position? How are the cards talking to one another in the layout? Are any of the cards similar in either the card itself or its interpretation? What positions do the similar cards/interpretations land in? Take notice; these might be areas in your life where you need to pay special attention to on this day.

Do you pay attention to card of the day interpretations? Do you follow just one card of the day, or multiples? How do you integrate the multiple cards and interpretations into one day’s worth of advice? Let’s chat about it in the Comments section.

The Tools That Help, The Tools That Hinder

Is the tool above helpful?

I never wear a watch when I do readings. Call it superstition. Call it what you will. But check my wrists the next time I’m reading for you, and they will be void of timepieces. Why?

I think it might stem from my wrist feeling incredibly heavy with the weight of time when I’m doing readings. I don’t want to feel constrained by time when I give a reading. It takes me completely out of the reading. I also don’t want to indulge into giving in to the urge to look at my watch if I am reading for a difficult client (few and far between, but, hey, it happens).

So, I find wearing a watch to be a tool that hinders. It stops me from doing readings to my best ability. Tools that assist a reader and tools that limit a reader I find to be an individual thing. Over time, you come to realize what works and what doesn’t.

What I think helps a reading:

• A candle in a color applicable to the reading.
• Actually, I carved a candle that I only burn during tarot readings. It is purple and anointed with specific oils for the purposes of divination, grounding, and goddesses associated with divination (Brid and Oya). It also is covered in silver glitter. I bet Martha Stewart would be either surprised and/or amused to know that her glitter brand was used for this purpose! I used a “7-Day Pullout” candle for this.
• There’s plenty of books out there about magical correspondences of colors. Do a Google search with the search terms “candle color correspondences” and you’ll find a wealth of information and recommendations of books to read on the subject. When at a loss in choosing, I suggest burning a white candle, since white is an all-purpose color. Also, use your own gut for this. If you get a peaceful calm feeling from burning a black candle, even if the correspondence isn’t “correct” according to a book, do what you feel. Burn that candle!
• If you already know what issue a client is coming to the reading for, burn a candle with the corresponding color for the situation. Or burn a candle to combat the situation, such as burning a light blue candle for peace if the particular situation is full of conflict.
• Always use common sense when burning candles. Keep water close by. Use a candle snuffer when possible.
• Crystals/gemstones.
• I usually keep the stones with whatever deck I’m using the most at the time. I store my cards in a bag, so the stones lay right next to the cards in the bag. I favor clear quartz (all-purpose, energy boost), amethyst (intuition, focus), rose quartz (love, friendship), tiger’s eye (luck), and any clear light blue stone (communication).
• Plenty of books out there about gemstones, too. The Crystal Bible by Judy Hall is a good, comprehensive resource book on the topic.

What I think hinders a reading:

• Caffeine.
• Caffeine causes me to become ungrounded. It is very hard for me to read when I’m not grounded. I feel fuzzy, out of it, and not present for the client. Gauge this for yourself. Me, it’s a personal choice to try to avoid coffee before I read for someone.
• Alcohol.
• I’ll further specify. I think one glass of wine while doing a reading is fine, especially if you’re feeling uptight/nervous about reading at an event. Sip slowly and thoughtfully. Don’t chug.
  I had a glass of white wine while reading at the Tarot of the Boroughs launch party, and I was fully present for my clients, and not wrapped up in my own confidence issues and anxieties. In this case, it helped. But keep it to a minimum. It’s unlikely that someone will be drawn to a reader that’s smashed out of their gourd. Use common sense. There are some readers that will disagree with me on this point, and prefer to avoid alcohol completely when reading the cards. Do what you feel is ethical. Remember to keep your client’s highest good in mind.
• Additionally, avoid reading for someone that’s had too much to drink. Reschedule with them if you can. It will be very hard for their reading to be beneficial if they’re not mentally present for the reading, and they won’t retain any information you give them.

Do you need every item? Nope! After all, some of this paraphernalia can get pretty unwieldy. Take everything I said above and either take it to heart, or chuck it out the window. Use whatever tools you want, but always keep ever mindful of the “why” behind them. Be wary of those tools becoming a crutch. In summation, all you really need is your cards and yourself.

What tools do you use in your tarot practice? Do they hinder or help? Why? Let’s chat about it in the Comments section!