Tarot, I know. Astrology, I don't.

So, I may know a bit about tarot, but I know very little about astrology (all I know I know about Aries, my sign). Thankfully, George Courtney, co-creator of Tarot of the Boroughs, has started a blog on astrology. Please check out his blog!

Tarot Review: Tarot of the Boroughs

Deck: Tarot of the Boroughs
Created by: Courtney Weber and George Courtney
Date of Publication: August 2010
Published by: Self-Published

I count myself fortunate that I know the creators of this deck, Courtney and George. This is a marvelous tarot deck set in New York City and cast with the most eclectic personalities to represent all the variety of inhabitants in the five boroughs.

I have noticed a minority of photographic decks in the tarot world. Maybe it is because people think photographs detract from the mystery of the cards. In this deck, the photography is its strength, as is the models that were used. And "models" is the wrong word in this case . . . the people in this deck are the most accurate depiction of that rare race of people known as "New Yorkers," and were carefully selected as representative of the card they are featured in.

This deck I feel would be an excellent starter deck for even the most inexperienced reader. The photography makes tarot feel very accessible. It is not an ethereal thing. It is real and grounded. Because of this grounded perception, I feel more people would be willing to read the cards for themselves and not feel strange about it.

What makes this deck so strong is the Minor Arcana. Even a person that has read tarot for years can still struggle over the Minor Arcana cards. In this deck, each Suit carries a storyline running through it, and keeps the cast of models of each Suit the same throughout it. The two couples that may have been fighting in the beginning of the Cups suit are at peace by the time the Ten of Cups arrives. The inkling of a creative idea that is present in the Ace of Wands, represented as a paintbrush here, has blossomed to fruition by the Nine of Wands.

The little book that comes with the deck is not something to lean on, nor is it the intention of the creators of this deck for anyone to do so. In fact, it is encouraged for the reader to come up with their own interpretations for these cards, as only a basic meaning of each card is given.

However, the rich imagery of the cards invites any reader to dive right in. The strength of these images is summed up in one word: familiarity. We know these stories, because these stories are our own. Struggling with the photocopier, a symbol of the minor annoyances of office life, is on display in the Three of Coins card. The meaning here is obvious, but straight from the little book that comes with the deck . . ."Shit fucks up." Brilliant. Going to yoga class to regain balance (Temperance) . . . a dancer exhausted after a rehearsal, but happily wiping the sweat from her brow (6 of Wands) . . . the ex that you know is bad for you (The Devil) . . . the tentative first breakfast with a new love (3 of Cups) . . .

Tarot of the Boroughs is available in select stores and online at www.tarotoftheboroughs.com. Autographed decks are available at Whimsies Incognito.

October Tarrytown Third Friday!

Hello, everybody! Yes, I know, long time, no post.

I will be doing readings at Whimsies Incognito for this Friday, October 15th, in honor of Third Friday.

Where:
Whimsies Incognito
35 S. Broadway
Tarrytown, NY 10591

When:
Friday, October 15, from 6 to 9p.m.

My friends at Whimsies will be offering their standard 10% discount for all purchases made during the Third Friday event, and if you come in costume, an additional 10%! That's something to be very excited about!

Hope to see a bunch of people for Third Friday!

Tarot of the Boroughs Launch Party!

I will be doing readings with the new deck, Tarot of the Boroughs, at its launch party this Thursday, August 26th, from 8pm–9:30pm.

Located at:

the Bowery Poetry Club

308 Bowery btw Bleecker and Houston (F train to 2nd Ave, 6 to Bleecker)

New York, NY

For more information about the launch party, please check out the facebook page here.

For more information about the deck, please go to the Tarot of the Boroughs Web site.

Why Three-Card Spreads Get a Bad Rep

I am always surprised by people, sometimes by their generosity, sometimes by their out-and-out rudeness, and sometimes by their kindness. What really surprised me the other month, however, was a potential client's negative reaction to the three-card spread that I usually do at events.

"How much information can someone really get from a three-card spread?" she complained to me.

Hence the title and impetus for this post.

In my experience, three-card spreads are some of the most difficult readings to do. I only offer them during short events, such as carnivals, fairs, etc. because it allows me to read for more people and not have people waiting for a reading for too long. When I do a Celtic Cross spread for someone, they are usually sitting with me for forty-five minutes to an hour. Not an ideal time frame when at a carnival! Three-card spreads are difficult for me because you're reading for someone with a very limited amount of cards. There's only three cards... so intuiting a situation and its possible outcomes becomes more of a challenge when there are only three positions in the spread: past, present, and future. Some tarot readers do three-card readings with no positions defined as well, making the reading that much more challenging, in my opinion!

I liken to calling a three-card spread a "snapshot" spread—a very good reading to have to know if your life patterns are on the "right" track, so to speak.

So, some of you might be wondering what my answer was to this woman who asked, "How much information can you get from three cards?" My answer: "a heck of a lot!" My unsaid answer: "It's just a lot more work for the reader!"

I think different spreads have different uses, depending on the situation. All I know is three-card spreads work for me in a carnival setting... and I've never had a complaint until last month after doing them for five years at carnivals! I say to each their own.

This Friday, May 21

This Friday I will be doing short tarot readings at Whimsies in celebration of Third Friday. Weather-permitting, I will be outside giving readings. Hope to see you then!

The Heart of Faerie Oracle

I figured it was high time that I posted another blog, this time about my newly acquired deck, The Heart of the Faerie Oracle. It's not exactly a traditional tarot deck, but it has beautiful artwork, it is an oracle deck, and I figured it would be of interest to anyone who knows about tarot!

Karen got me this deck for my birthday, and had it signed by Wendy and Brian Froud, creators of the deck. You may have heard of Brian Froud before, he was the artistic director for the movie Labyrinth, and his artwork is centered around the world of faerie. The book is signed, and two of the cards in the deck are signed, too! Therefore, I have finally found my own personal deck to use on myself. I figured I would let people know about it. If you have a love of the faerie realms, then you definitely want to pick up a copy of either the Faerie Oracle, or The Heart of Faerie Oracle (which focuses on relationships).

One of my favorite parts of this deck is there are "wild cards" in the deck, with no name, explanation, or interpretation to look up within the book. The interpretation must come from the person looking at the card alone. I love the idea of this. Think about how many "wild cards" come up within our own lives out of nowhere. I think a measure of what's in someone's soul is how they deal with surprise situations. I think wild cards within a relationship deck is completely appropriate!