Podcast #23 is hosted by Anastasia, Rose Red, and Andrew (Artemis J, was once again having a case of real life), entering the enchanted world of Amy Zerner and Monte Farber. We had a delightful conversation about their many creations, including books such as their Little Reminder series, decks such as The Enchanted Tarot, and Amy’s gorgeous and wearable fabric art.  Click here to listen!

Voyager Tarot Readers Intensive with James Wanless, PhD, Creator of the Voyager Tarot System

January 24th and 25th, 2009, Fort Mason Center, San Francisco, California

Register at www.TarotMediaCompany.com – see below for full details and a discount available only to Tarot Pathways readers!

In this hands on workshop, you’ll have two full days with James as he guides you through the Voyager Tarot system. An energetic teacher, motivated by his passion for Tarot, James not only tells you about Tarot, he ensures that you experience the Tarot!

In addition to discussions about Tarot and the Voyager system, you’ll have plenty of opportunity to work with the cards, reading for yourself and others in the workshop, guided, encouraged, and inspired by James. No experience with Tarot required!

The workshop material is based on James’ StarTree transformational growth path work. During the course, you gain a thorough understanding of Tarot and symbols, giving you the grounding for using Tarot as your own personal, spiritual growth path.

The Voyager Tarot Intuition Cards are like no other Tarot deck you’ve ever worked with. Truly a Tarot for the 21st century, the Voyager deck draws deeply on your intuitive wisdom to provide inspiration and insight, leading to personal empowerment. James calls it “fortune creation Tarot.” The strategic assessment of possibilities and potential provided by working with the cards, coupled with personal development and self-
awareness, lead to a balanced, whole life—creating the life you truly desire.

We’ll be meeting in the beautiful setting of Fort Mason Center in San Francisco, California. As part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, the Center is nestled among greenery, trees, and water, providing a quiet, open space—an ideal environment for Tarot work. Bring yourself, your notebook, and your Voyager cards! Upon completion of the course, you will receive a certificate signed by James himself attesting
to your status as a Seer of the Voyager Tarot.

The class will be held from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm on January 24th and 25th; directions and details will be included in your registration confirmation.

So that the session can be hands on and focused, class size is strictly limited, and advance registration is required. Register online at www.TarotMediaCompany.com.

The registration fee is only $290, which includes the workbook, lunch, and refreshments both days.  We’re pleased to offer a special pre-registration rate of only $230 for Tarot Pathways readers – a 20% discount! Go to www.TarotMediaCompany.com to register, and use the code “pathways” at checkout.

If you’d like to register and would prefer to pay the fee in three installments, please contact us directly and we can arrange that, too!

The ever-fabulous Joseph Ernest Martin, creator of the Quest Tarot, has created a DVD on the Celtic Cross spread which is sparkly, entertaining, and informative (just like Joseph!).  You can see a preview of it and purchase it directly from Joseph’s website.

I’ve watched it twice, and enjoyed it very much!  If you’ve never had the pleasure of taking a class with Joseph, this is a great way to become acquainted with him.  If you have been in one of Joseph’s workshops, you know how much fun you’re going to have while learning his approach to reading.

The DVD starts from the beginning of a reading, with Joseph outlining how to prepare yourself and your space, clearing your deck, shuffling the cards, and laying them out to start the reading.  Joseph recommends using a second deck of major arcana only to devise two significators for the client – what he terms the “seen” and “unseen” significators.  Even if you don’t usually work with significators, it’s interesting to add this step to a reading to see how the cards tie in and add dimension to the reading. And, by using a second deck, you don’t lose the use of those cards in the reading.

Joseph then does a couple of example readings, explaining the positions of the Celtic Cross spread and the interactions of the cards relative to their positions in the spread.  He also discussees two ways to determine the time element in a reading, even down to the hour of a particular card’s influence.

Joseph also talks about card combinations within the spread, specifically in subgroups – he divides them as cards 1 – 4; cards 5, 6, and 10; cards 7 – 9; and, the significators.  Looking at the relationship of the cards in these subgroups adds another dimension of meaning to the reading.

Joseph is always encouraging and focusing on the positive in his workshops, and he’s equally so on his DVD.  He reminds the viewer that nothing about a reading is carved in stone, regardless of what the cards seem to indicate, stating his philosophy that “We are self-determined, not predetermined.”

In addition to creating all of the material on the DVD, Joseph also did the editing, which includes some very splashy visual effects! The graphics help to emphasize the points Joseph makes during the narrative, and are also great fun to watch.  Joseph’s attention to detail and passion for perfection really come through on so many levels on this project.

This is a great DVD for any Tarot reader, whether beginner or advanced, and will give you a new appreciation for the power and usability of the Celtic Cross spread – and for Joseph!

Last week on the Reader Studio conference call, one of things that came up was traveling with Tarot cards, books, etc., specifically focusing on returning home with all the goodies acquired from the vendors at a conference. At Ruth Ann’s request, I’ve distilled the conversation and suggestions offered. I’ve also posted this on the Readers Studio NING.

1. Extra packing capacity: If you know you’re going to acquire more objects than will fit in the one suitcase you’ve packed, bring a second bag for the new acquisitions. Be sure to check with your airline about size and weight limits (both carry on and checked bags) and checked bag fees.

2. Carry on valuables: Try to fit your decks and books in your carry on bag. Unless you have packed them with sufficient padding (dirty laundry suddenly has a use) so that they cannot move around in the suitcase, and unless you have a hard-sided container for them inside the suitcase, they will sustain some damage (bent corners, crushed boxes, etc.) when traveling in a checked bag. A hard-sided heavy plastic or metal box (such as a sturdy lunch box) will absorb the travel trauma and help preserve the physical integrity of your goods. Proper packing is key; the items cannot have any room to move around inside the box, and the box cannot have any room to move around inside your suitcase. If you have more than you can carry on, carry on the precious items (impossible to replace, out of print, extraordinarily expensive, and so forth), and put the easily replaced items in your checked bag.

3. The vendor ships: Ask the vendor if they can ship for you. Yes, you might pay a bit more for the service, but a responsible vendor is experienced at shipping their wares and can pack properly for safe shipping. It also saves you the hassle of packaging and arranging for a pick up by the carrier. And, if the carrier does do something creative with your package, the vendor often has an account rep who can help them sort out the issue, instead of you having to call an 800 number to deal with with someone who hasn’t the slightest idea of or interest in what happened to your box.

4. Use shipping services: Check out shipping options. UPS, FedEx, and DHL will allow individuals to open personal shipping accounts. You give them your credit card number, they give you a shipper account number, and every time you ship, they charge it to your card.

The advantage to having your own shipper number is that you can send a package from anywhere without having to go to the post office, UPS office, etc. You can drop the package in any collection box, or arrange a pick up from your hotel (if the hotel doesn’t have a regular pick up by that carrier). You can check with the hotel ahead of time to find out if they have a regular pick up, and whether they offer shipping services in their business center. If they do offer service, you really, really want your own shipper account – much like the mark ups on phone calls made from your hotel room, the mark ups to ship packages on their shipper account are breathtaking.

You can also ship via regular mail in whatever country you’re in, but check carefully for export costs, fuel surcharges, trackability, and insurability. You’ll also pay import duty and taxes on those items once they enter your home country. (See #6 for more detail.)

5. What to ship if you are doing the shipping: If you decide to ship items home from the conference, I recommend shipping your clothes and non-essential items, and carry / check in the items you want to keep track of. This alleviates concerns about packing the box correctly – clothes are pretty hard to damage in transit (unless the delivery truck explodes, which is uncommon). Since you’re going home anyway, you probably have other clothes to wear, another toothbrush to use, and so forth, until the box arrives from the conference.

6. Consider import duty and taxes: If you are traveling internationally, you definitely want to ship your clothes and carry home your new goodies because of import taxes. Hand-carried purchases up to your country’s personal exemption amount are free of import duty and tax. Be sure you know what that amount is; keep your purchase receipts available in your carry on bag in case the Customs officer wants to see them; and always, always be honest on your customs form about the total number and value of items purchased abroad.
Items purchased and shipped are subject to duty and tax, regardless of the amount, which will be clearly listed on the shipping paperwork seen by the Customs agent. Your clothes and other items which you owned prior to the trip are personal property being returned home and are not subject to duty and tax. Be sure the shipping documents clearly state that the box does not contain any new, untaxed purchases..

7. Make friends with people who travel: The first component of this is traveling with a friend who doesn’t shop as much as you – they might have room in their carry on bag or suitcase for some of your purchases.
The second component covers those items you want which are available only in another country. Make friends with someone who is scheduled to visit that country or who lives there and is planning a trip to your country. Once they’ve safely arrived, order your object of desire to be shipped to them at their hotel (or wherever they are staying). Or, if it’s someone who lives there, order the item and have it shipped to them to arrive at least a week prior to their departure for your country. They can then put the item in their checked bag for safe transport, since it’s already packaged for shipping! If they’re not visiting your city on their trip, you can give them your shipper account number (see #4 above) and ship it to you from whatever part of your country they’re visiting. Again, the item is already packaged for shipping, so all they need to do is put a new label on the box and either drop it at the carrier or arrange for a pick up from where they’re staying.

If you have other suggestions, please chime in!

The Readers Studio conference call for November was great – a lot of new people on the call, some of whom had been to the conference, and others who hadn’t.  We (once again!) went over time, but it was time well spent!  Hosted by Ruth Ann Amberstone of the Tarot School (Wald was unable to be with us) and Mary Collin, we covered a lot of territory!

In the latest news about the Readers Studio, the Amberstones are expecting a very special first time guest – Solandia, the owner, editor, and webmaster for Aeclectic Tarot!  We’re all delighted with the idea of spending three days with her!

In addition to talking about the Readers Studio 2009 and all the fabulous plans for it, we managed to work in all of the following (and some others that I didn’t manage to write down!):

We oohed and aahed over Emily Carding‘s amazing and unique Transparent Tarot, available from Schiffer Books in the US and Bushwood Books in the UK and Europe.  (We just recorded a podcast with Emily, which will be available soon!)

The Mysterium Tarot by Jordan Hoggard – fabulous and colorful, and available directly from Jordan on his website.

Mountain Dream Tarot by Bea Nettles – the original 1970s vintage deck, re-issued!

The Symbolon Tarot by Ingrid Zinnel, Peter Orban, and Thea Weller – check it out on Aecletic.net. Available from The Tarot Garden and from your local independent bookseller.

Podcast #22 is hosted by Anastasia, Rose Red, and Andrew (Artemis J, was once again having a case of real life), Voyager-ing through the Tarot universe with our favorite navigator, James Wanless, Ph.D, Captain Pick-A-Card himself!  James talks about upcoming events, including his Voyager Certification Intensive in San Francisco in January 2009, and his travels – his annual Hawaii retreat in March 2009, followed by his Greek Odyssey (also in March!), as well as his appearance at the Readers Studio in May 2009. Click here to listen!

Podcast #21 is hosted by Anastasia, Rose Red, and Andrew, (Artemis J, was once again having a case of real life), having a grand time with the one and only Joseph Ernest Martin, creator of the Quest Tarot and all around wonderful person.  Joseph gives us an advance look at his Celtic Cross Spread DVD, currently available through his website, and being released next spring by Llewellyn Worldwide. Click here to listen!

Not being jetlagged at a conference (for once!), I arrived at Saturday’s events in good time, and settled down at a table close enough to the speakers to see what was going on – and far enough away to see what was going on.  (Anyone over the age of 40 knows what I’m talking about!)

Kim Arnold welcomed us, and especially the overseas visitors. This year, the “Farthest Distance Traveled” award went to – not me!  It went to a lovely woman named Lina (not her real name, at her request) from South America – who happened to be sitting next to me, and was a delightful and creative partner for the various reading exercises throughout the day. We even had lunch together, which was fabulous for me (more later).

Rachel Pollack started the day with a workshop on “Rescuing the Tarot from Psychology”.  Rachel spoke about the tradition of using Tarot for divination and – gasp! – fortune telling, which has become discredited and somewhat outre in the modern psychological approach to Tarot.  Rachel led us in an entertaining exercise to create an alter ego fortune teller, complete with exotic name (I chose Duchess Zsa Zsa), intriguing background (descendant of a long line of psychics, and everyone’s father had been the seventh son of the seventh son), story about how you received your first deck (family tradition!), and your clientele (all the nobles and wealthy in the French Napoleonic court).  Then we paired off and introduced ourselves, and did readings in our new persona.  Lina read for me, and she had concocted a delightful persona (which I can’t tell you about, again at her request.)  It was one of the most fun and interesting readings I’ve ever had!  I then read for her, and she agreed that it was a fun way to approach the reading.  Rachel gave us some time to share, and Emily Carding jumped up and shared her whole persona, including history, likes, and dislikes (vampires), and it was one of the best pieces of impromptu theatre I’ve seen.

After a break for coffee and sweets, Kay Stopforth, creator of the Quantum Tarot (along with illustrator Chris Butler), shared her gorgeous deck and talked about quantum physics and the Tarot, and doing readings with her deck.  Kay is quite good at making the physics easily comprehensible, and the beautiful cards from her deck really help make the ideas clear.

Then it was time for lunch, featuring a shorter workshop with Jane Lyle, followed by one with Erik Thorsen. However, I decided a quick perusal of Geraldine Beskin‘s offerings from the Atlantis Bookshop was in order beforehand.  And then – oh my! – all thoughts of lunch vanished.  Emily Carding was showing Geraldine the advance release copy of her Transparent Tarot, soon to be published by Schiffer Books, and graciously included me in the demonstration.  And then Emily let me play with it!  Mary Collin also joined in the fun.  (Separate review – and podcast – finally posted!) I finally – reluctantly – gave the deck back to Emily.  I then realized only 30 minutes remained before the afternoon sessions began!  Not wanting to brave the masses at a local sandwich shop, I opted for the hotel restaurant.  Lina had similarly been distracted by the shopping, so we ordered the prix fixe lunch specials and visited.  I’m afraid I kept her talking rather a lot, so we ended up having to almost inhale our food and race back (literally!) to the room for the afternoon workshops.

Having arrived in London three days prior to the conference – and cashed in a bucket of frequent flier miles to fly first class on British Airways so I could sleep the entire flight to London – I was actually rested and localized time-wise for this year’s UK Tarot Conference, organized by Kim Arnold of the Psychic Cafe.

The conference began on Friday night with a master class taught by Rachel Pollack at the Swedenborgian Centre in the lovely Bloomsbury district of London. (I swear there’s something in the air that makes one feel much smarter and more clever just walking through Bloomsbury Square!)

Rachel took us on a delightful two hour adventure through the history of Tarot, and the various uses throughout history. She shared readings she’s created, and discussed ways to create our own readings.  She also discussed her newest book, Tarot Wisdom, which she described as “78 Degrees of Wisdom after 40 years of reading Tarot.”  The book wasn’t yet available at the time of the conference. (Update Nov. 5, 2008: I’ve acquired a copy! I’ll put up a link to a review as soon as I’ve re-read it.)

After the class, many of us adjourned to the Atlantis Bookshop a few blocks away for a festive cocktail party. I spent time chatting with many delightful people about our favorite topic, and then suddenly it was much later than it should have been!  Having made a great deal of effort to overcome jet lag this time, I didn’t want to end up exhausted before the main day of the conference, and headed back to my hotel to dream Tarot dreams.

Tarot-To-Go will have a booth at The Castro Street Fair this Sunday, October 5, 2008.  The fair officially opens at 10:00 am, but since it’s a street fair, it opens when the booths are set up!  Stop by, say hello, and have a reading!

See you there!