Desert Oracle

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Carrie Paris – Co-founder
carrieparis1@mac.com

Land of Enchantment Tarot Symposium

Santa Fe, New Mexico – The Land of Enchantment Tarot Symposium (LETS) will be held October 29, 30, 31, 2010 in Santa Fe, New Mexico.  It is the first tarot conference in the southwest and promises to be exciting, with Mary Greer as the featured speaker.  Mary is a world renowned authority on the tarot and the author of numerous tarot books. Other speakers will be announced soon.

LETS was co-founded by Carrie Paris, Margaret Letzkus and Robert Hahn as a tool for tarot aficionados, from beginners to advanced, to further their knowledge of the tarot as well as gain spiritual insight through innovative presentations.

This event will be the first of its kind to be simultaneously streamed live through a video webcast platform, allowing people the choice of attending in person or watching and participating in the Symposium from their own computer.  The LETS website will also offer continuing live stream video classes with exciting instructors from across the globe throughout the year.

Additional activities will include the celebration of Día de los Muertos with the tarot, the assemblage of an altar, and a traditional ceremony that honors the departed.  For the chocolate lovers, the cards will be matched with one-of-a-kind chocolate elixirs.

As Santa Fe is know for its art, our Caliente Bazaar will be filled with beautiful tarot related objects.  Raffles will be held for both those present as well as online attendees.

For Additional Information – http://www.meetup.com/LETSGOTAROT/

Where has the summer gone? I spent a fantastic month of vacation in sunny southern California, visiting my partner. We played tourist, sampled new restaurants, and went to the beach and the theatre. Nothing Tarot-related, although I did find a copy of the mass-market edition of Ciro Marchetti’s Tarot of Dreams. Of course I bought it, since this edition has 4 additional cards not included in the first version!

And in three short weeks, I will be heading back to California, to San Francisco this time, to attend the Bay Area Tarot Symposium (BATS)!  This will be my 4^th time attending, and it’s really going to be a stellar weekend. Organized by the Queen of Bats herself, Thalassa, BATS is a 2 day extravaganza of Tarot workshops, shopping, schmoozing, and fun!

Scheduled to appear at this year’s Symposium are Mary Greer, Rachel Pollack, Marcus Katz from Tarosophy, Emily Carding (Transparent Tarot & Transparent Oracle), James Wanless (Voyager Tarot), Diane Wilkes (Jane Austen Tarot, webmistress of Tarot Passages), Pamela Eakins (Tarot of the Spirit), Joseph Martin (Quest Tarot), Leisa Refalo (Tarot Connection), Teressena & Martien Bakens (Fifth Tarot), Ellen Lorenzi-Prince (Tarot of the Crone), Jaymi “innowen” Elford (author), Katrina Wynne (Transformative Tarot Counseling), Arisa Victor (caretaker of Jason Lotterhand’s material), Bill Haigwood (Counterculture Tarot), Carole Pierce, Thena MacArthur (Shamanka Card Oracle), and RWS expert Holly Voley. Whew! What a lineup!

It’s going to be a great weekend. Check out the Daughters of Divination website for registration and hotel information.

When I attended the Tarot School’s annual event, the Readers Studio, last year, I had the great delight to meet author and artist Emily Carding. She is the creator of the wonderful and unique Transparent Tarot. At the Studio, she had a prototype of her new deck, the Transparent Oracle, which looked to be every bit as unique as her Tarot deck.

And now, a year later, the Transparent Oracle has finally been released by Schiffer Books. And it is beautiful!  The box is a vast improvement over that of the Transparent Tarot. The Oracle’s box is a narrow box with magnetic closure & a ribbon loop to pull it open. It has ribbon hinges on the inside. The box is 11.75 x 6 x 1.5 inches. The cards sit in a well on the right side of the box; on the left is the book with the white spread cloth packed underneath.

The cards have a plastic band holding them together, and they fit very well in the box, with no slipping or sliding.  The cards are large, 5 inches in diameter, and there are 70 of them, so it’s quite a handful. Like the Transparent Tarot, the Oracle cards are made of  clear plastic, allowing for them to be read singly or in layers. My cards did not stick together at all as I quickly counted them to make sure none were missing. There was also none of the filmy residue on them like the TT had last year (although the companion book mentions there might be some).

Emily has grouped the cards around the seven directions: East, South, West, North, Above, Below, and Within (10 cards for each direction). Each group of the N, S, E & W cards includes a card representing a gateway, weather, element, time of day, landscape, 4 animal guides, and an elemental. The group representing Above includes a gateway, guide, a card for each of the 7 classical planets, and a polarity. Below includes a gateway, 4 guide cards, the Grail hallows and a polarity card. (The polarity cards are different colored dragons). The Within cards include a gateway, dream, touch/taste, hearing, voice, telepathy, empathy, vision, DNA/labyrinth and the web.

The book (nearly 5.75 inches square) is 128 pages in length. There are four chapters: What is the Transparent Oracle?, Card Meanings, Using the Cards, and Spreads (authored by David Rankine). It is illustrated with b&w images of all the cards, and each card has some keywords and a full page description of the card’s meaning, as well as some card combinations. The spreads are Here and Now, Axis Mundi, and a Chakras spread.

Schiffer has done an outstanding job with the production of this set. The quality is excellent, and they are to be congratulated. They have represented Emily’s hard work and vision beautifully.

I did a reading with the Oracle, asking what I can learn from the deck. I randomly chose three cards and layered them, forming a type of mandala. The cards I chose were (from the East) Guide: Eagle, (from Above) Guide: Angel, and (from the South) Landscape: Desert.

The Desert card represents the landscape where I live as well as Desert Oracle (always nice when the cards are so literal). In the guide book, Emily says “When the Desert combines with cards from the East, it may indicate a fresh wave of inspiration…if cards from Above appear, it may be that Desert indicates a test of faith or spiritual struggle” (page 39). This makes sense as I am working on a project, readying it for publication, which has been a struggle for me to stay on task and keep my initial inspiration.

Guide: Angel, for me, suggests that I have support from Above. Emily says “there may be a higher purpose and significance…Angel can also provide powerful protection from negative influences or give answers to the mysteries of life” (page 83). This is a message to pay attention to signs, omens and messages that Spirit is trying to show me.

This is reinforced with the Guide: Eagle card. Eagles are majestic birds, known for their keen sense of sight. According to Emily, “Eagle can help us gain the courage and vision needed to achieve our goals” (page 26).

It seems that the Transparent Oracle is telling me to hold onto my inspiration and when my trust falters, to seek guidance from Above. Angel can help me stay positive and motivated, and Eagle can help me see the bigger picture and keep my goals clearly in mind. A powerful message for me!

I enjoy using oracles from time to time, and with such an uplifting message as this one, the Transparent Oracle will be a deck I will reach for often. I may also see what happens if I use it along with the Transparent Tarot, which Emily herself suggests in the book. And since the deck is made of plastic, they can even be used in the bathtub (she has done it!)…what other deck can say the same?

Images from the Transparent Oracle © 2010 Schiffer Books

The longer I study and work with the Tarot, the more enamored I become with the Waite-Smith deck (RWS).  It is a great deck, with its careful synthesis of many systems of thought: alchemy, astrology, Qaballah, and numerology among others. The systematic research and overlay of these schools of thought by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn is just extraordinary. Many people dislike the inclusion of so many systems of attributions, but I don’t. I have grown to appreciate them more and more, and am fascinated by it all.

My appreciation and study of the RWS deck has been rewarded by the acquisition of my newest deck , a 1920 edition of the RWS deck, specifically the Pam-B.  Researchers K. Frank Jensen and Holly Voley have identified 4 editions of the RWS deck, which they term Pam-A, B, C, and D. These labels do not specify the chronology of which edition came first; the jury is still out on that question.

Jensen and Voley looked at card backs of the early editions, the books that were packaged with the cards, and variations in the line art & printing of certain cards. The one card that shows the most variance is the Sun card.  For example, the Pam-B is the only edition of the four that does not have the extra squiggle line at the top of the sun (see image below).

Pam-A

Jensen, in his detailed book The Story of the Waite-Smith Tarot, describes the variations in the differing editions, and offers a possible explanation of the variations. It is an interesting mystery, since all of the records of the publisher Rider were apparently destroyed during the wars, and none of Pamela Colman Smith’s original artwork has ever been located.

According to Jensen, the Pam-B edition was published with the “New Edition” of the  book The Key to the Tarot in 1920. Another printing gives a copyright date of 1931. My book however, has no copyright date at all, although in all other respects, it matches perfectly with the other details given by Jensen about the Pam-B version of the book. So, my deck can safely be dated between 1920 and 1931. Truly a piece of Tarot history. It is a complete set, with the two part maroon box, the deck with the marbled back pattern, and all the details mentioned in the book about the Pam-B.

When the deck arrived in the mail, my hands were shaking as I opened the package. Although I had seen pictures of the deck before purchasing it, I was not sure how I would react to actually having an 80-90 year old RWS deck in my possession (however, when I attended the 2009 BATS, I was fortunate enough to hold one of the early editions that Holly Voley brought to show us as part of her presentation). For its age, my set is in remarkably  good condition. The box shows a bit of wear, but is completely intact. The hardcover book is the same size as the deck itself and also in great shape. But the deck itself has only a slight musty smell to give away its age. The colors are wonderfully vibrant, even after all these years, and the cards appear to be almost perfect. This was a deck that was not used much or mishandled in any way.

Cards from my Pam-B

Pam-B set w/box and book

According to the seller, when I asked about where the deck came from, “I got it from a scoutmaster whose mother it belonged to. He sold it on ebay to raise money for his group of boy scouts (they need a new scout-hut). He sold really very cheaply because it was so old that no-one would want it – after all, it was just stuffed in his mum’s drawer….So it had a history of being kept in one family although I am not sure how used it was – it’s in such good condition.” I was so pleased to hear this story!

I am thrilled beyond belief to be able to add such an important piece of Tarot history to my collection. It is, without doubt, the crown jewel of my 600-odd deck collection, and something I will treasure always. It has also inspired me to continue my study and research on this amazing deck.

The only deck I am really looking forward to receiving is the limited edition, 78-card Gaian Tarot, which, according to its creator is very much on track for an early March delivery. There are a few others decks I have been considering, and some I have my eyes on.

But when I was approached to read at a Valentine’s Day dinner/dance next weekend, I thought I would like to get a special deck to use at the event. I own Kris Waldherr’s stunning Lover’s Path but I have not taken the time to learn all of the legends and stories which illustrate the Major Arcana. Each card depicts a pair of lovers, such as Arthur and Guinevere, Isis and Osiris, Penelope and Odysseus, Romeo and Juliet, and Dante and Beatrice. But, the reality of reading at a large party means that the readings will be short, with no time to go into the stories that may appear.

So, I decided to take a chance on a new deck, The Heart Tarot, published by Lo Scarabeo, and illustrated by Maria Distefano. The artist has also illustrated the Circle of Life Tarot, which I also own. What is unique about the Heart Tarot is the fact that the deck is heart shaped! And is packaged in a beautiful two piece heart shaped box, along with a, you guessed it, a heart shaped LWB!

The deck is large as well, measuring 5 1/4 inches at its widest, and nearly 4 3/4 inches tall. The images are framed within a thin red border, with the titles in six languages. The artwork is quite lovely, and the details are easy to see. I like the people who inhabit the cards, their facial expressions, postures, clothes and situations…they are quite real to me. The deck depicts various aspects and stages of love, making it a perfect deck to read with on Valentine’s Day.

I am very glad I took the chance and ordered this deck. It is a unique addition to my collection, and will be a great deck to use for relationship readings.

I pulled a card, asking the deck what kind of relationship I will have with it. The answer was the 8 of Pentacles, which shows a young woman, eyes closed,  against a starry sky, as a huge wave breaks over her. The wave is full of small stones  and eight larger ones. I think the message is that our relationship will be multi-faceted, and that the deck will reveal many aspects of love and relationships, if I simply close my eyes and listen to the stories it wants to tell. The wave also resembles a road or path, signifying for me that love and relationships are journeys to be taken and to be re-lived in memories later on. We’re going to get along just fine.

Image from the Heart Tarot © Lo Scarabeo

It’s the morning of Christmas Eve, and I have decided to look ahead at the New Year. The year 2010 will be an Empress year (2+0+1+0=3); adding in my birth day & month (10/1) gives me a Hierophant year (2+0+1+0+1+0+1=5), underscored by the Empress. So, more teaching and learning to come, in a more relaxed and creative form, much like the PDR exercise has been this year. I can’t believe I actually created a blog and have posted at least once a month for an entire year!

For my PDR (Primary Deck Reflection) exercise, I used the beautiful Fifth Tarot by Martien and Teressena Bakens.  I met the authors in January 2008 as they were touring the country promoting their just published deck.  They gave an amazing lecture on the history and development of the deck, and as I watched the slide show of the deck’s art, I knew it was a deck for me. The Bakens later returned and presented their interactive workshop for a select group of us, and we had the opportunity to work with the essential oils that Martien created for the Majors. We also worked with Teressena’s beautiful original artwork for the deck!  As I made the decision to blog my PDR exercise, it was obvious that the Fifth Tarot was the deck to use.

And here we are, twelve months later, as I bring to a close the PDR exercise. I have learned a great deal from the Fifth Tarot. Not only is it a deck for the 21^st century, with an amazing energy, five suits instead of the traditional four with a goal of raising our consciousness in a time of transition, it is also a great reading deck.  Other people who have used the deck have said it is not good for reading on mundane issues; I think my blog entries show that is not the case, at least for me.

So, to take a sneak peek at 2010, I decided to use a three-card spread (I have quite a collection of New Year spreads, some using as many as 24 cards).  But as the year 2010 reduces to the number three, it seemed fitting to use three cards. The spread I created asks three questions: What can I look forward to in 2010? What must I leave behind from 2009? and What must I carry over from 2009 that is not yet complete?

Here are the results:

1. What can I look forward to in 2010? – The Chariot: It seems that 2010 will carry me forward on my path. This is one of a few Chariot cards that is depicted moving through water. The journey will help me rise above emotion and allow my ideas to lead me to success. A skeleton reaches from the water to draw me back into the emotional drama, but I ignore it and move forward. The charioteer is naked, completely open to all things yet to come. He also carries the Egyptian ankh, which glows with vibrant light and energy. 2010 will be a year of movement, of development, of growth, and a leaving behind of emotional upheaval. An auspicious first card indeed!

2. What must I leave behind from 2009? – 5 of Shells (Release): As the Chariot rises above and moves through the waters of emotion, the 5 of Shells tells me that I must truly let go of any emotional attachments that have not been productive for me.  The starfish, sand dollars and shells have all been left high and dry as the waters have receded. The Fifth Tarot says “You are strong, resourceful and accumulate new information fast…(y)our emotional life is at peace with what seems unknown, trusting that all is in divine order…” (page 139). It is important that I release what holds me back in order to be able to move forward with drive and purpose.

3. What must I carry over from 2009 that is not yet complete?  — One of Fire (Creativity): The One of Fire “signals a time of creativity and passion…so be sure to find positive ways to give it expression…(it) asks you to use it to inspire and create” (page 97). Having attended the 2009 Readers Studio and SF BATS, I became inspired to write a Tarot book based on exercises I created for my Tarot Circle. Several people offered encouragement after I had discussed the idea with them. So I have been working on it, polishing the rough edges, working with an editor to bring it to life. I have permission to use a wonderful deck to illustrate the book, too, so part of my 2010 journey will be to use my creative inspiration and complete the book. And once it is done, who knows where it will lead me next…

I want to thank Martien and Teressena and The Fifth Tarot for inspiring me to do the PDR exercise and to create Desert Oracle. This is by no means an ending…simply a transition.

Happiest of holidays and a joyous New Year to all!

Images from the Fifth Tarot © 2008 by Blue Dolphin — Used by permission

I have just finished an amazing book, Matrix Energetics:The Science and Art of Transformation, by Richard Bartlett, DC, NC.  I have been discussing the book and the “system” on a discussion forum, as I am a Reiki practitioner, and Matrix Energetics (ME) is an energetic healing technique.

ME draws upon the field of quantum physics, and uses an easy to learn technique called the Two Point to locate and heal physical and emotional issues, among others. Dr. Bartlett will be in town to teach the first two levels of ME in late January, and I am considering attending. I have watched some You Tube videos of Dr. Bartlett in action, and his seminars look like a lot of fun. He is a dynamic presenter who incorporates humor, laughter and irreverence into his lectures. I like his style!

I decided to do a three card spread to look at the issues around my going to the seminar. I used the Majors-only Gaian Tarot (soon to be issued as a 78 card limited edition next March, and in a mass market edition by Llewellyn in 2011). I used the spread on the Gaian Tarot website, and here are the results:

Card 1– The Opportunity : Gaia, the World. Attending the seminar will open up a whole new world for me. I know very little about quantum physics, other than what I read in the book, but it is fascinating. I enjoy learning new healing techniques, and ME seems as though it will work beautifully with Reiki. One of my online friends says it is even easier than Reiki! It appears that I will be offered an opportunity to heal my issues in addition to be able to help others. The seminar will give me the opportunity to embrace the energy work that I enjoy, both old and new, and may be very transformative for me.

Card 2—The Challenge: Awakening (Judgment). This is a card that calls me to wake up and become conscious. From my reading, ME is best approached in a spirit of laughter, light-heartedness and playfulness, not with logic and analysis. This will be a definite challenge for me, as I like to know the ins and outs of something, how it works. Even Dr. Bartlett freely acknowledges that he does not know how ME works, only that it does. He uses the words of Yoda, “You either do, or do not, there is no try” (Bartlett, 2007, p.78).  Conscious attention is not is needed, simply the intent, and then a letting go of any attachment to outcome (much like Reiki). I feel that attending the live seminar will help me to awaken to a new consciousness and to learn to put aside any skepticism or question and simply experience the work.

Card 3—The Resolution: The Canoe (The Chariot). This is a card of being focused on the path. Much like ME, this card is telling me to set my intention to attend the seminar. I have taken my first steps by reading the book, and will continue to move forward to learn and grow. The orcas in the background suggest the playful outlook that I will need to adopt in order to take full advantage of the opportunity being offered, in balance with the eagle, whose keen sight is one of its greatest assets.

This was an amazing reading, showing me that this is an opportunity not to be missed, one that will have far-reaching effects on me, not to mention three days of fun, laughter and learning. I look forward to experiencing this new healing modality and to meeting Dr. Bartlett and his team.

Images from the Gaian Tarot © 2004 by Joanna Powell Colbert

As we approach the season of Samhain/Halloween, I have just received the new All Hallows Tarot, created by Robyn Tisch Hollister and published by Leisa ReFalo of the Tarot Connection. It is a delightful look at the denizens of this dark time, a great treat for the eyes!

The deck arrived wrapped in orange and black tissue paper, and comes with a silk embroidered bag. This was packed in a plastic bag decorated with pumpkins, which contained some candy, a spider ring, a pencil eraser, and an All Hallows talisman. This is a glass rune-type of stone with a single image…mine is Candy Corn.

The deck has 80 cards, the 78 cards of the Tarot, a title card and a Happy Squirrel card , which a few other decks also contain. Measuring  2 5/8 by 3 5/8, the deck has a very nice matte finish and is very easy to shuffle and handle. The card stock seems durable, and the reversible backs features the image from the Moon card.

Since the All Hallows tarot arrived in time for the holidays, I decided to use Aulruna’s Trick or Treat spread to see how it reads. Here are the results:

1. Costume – What you’re wearing to the party (the current situation) = Hanged Man. He is suspended from the branches of a tree whose leaves are changing colors as Fall takes hold. It is beginning to get cold here, winter is making an appearance (we had some snow showers this morning). Fall/winter is the time where I go into my hibernation mode. I stay home more often to read, watch movies, play with Tarot, and curl up in my warmest blanket. This is exactly how I was feeling today, in addition to feeling a bit under the weather. It was hard being at work today.

2. Trick – The unexpected = The Devil. The card shows a leather-clad young man with a red Mohawk, accompanied by a girl blindfolded and gagged. Given the nature of some recent, unpleasant work-related interactions, I know exactly who the devil is, and I (and my colleagues) are the ones blindfolded and gagged, not wanting to see what is happening, and not willing to speak out and risk the devil’s wrath. The unexpected part of the devil’s appearance was the ‘devil’s’ apology to one of my colleagues who was on the receiving end of the devil’s wrath for the past couple of weeks. Maybe things are changing…I certainly hope so!

3. Treat – Opportunities = 5 of Wands. Five musicians wield their instruments but don’t seem to be in the mood to play. I am one of them…I have to attend a training on Friday evening and all day on Halloween!! While the workshop will be interesting and beneficial, scheduling it on Halloween certainly conflicts with many people’s plans (including mine). To try and salvage some of the spirit of the day, I am encouraging my friends to dress in costume on Saturday. (The organizers suggested having a Fall/Halloween hat contest…oh, NO!! A hat just will not do on Halloween!). I’m even thinking of bring a Tarot deck and do readings for anyone who wants one.

4. The Candy Bag – What you can take home (the outcome) = 9 of Wands. A vampire hunter holds 2 wands in the shape of a cross in front of him. I might take a few hits in my zeal of saving Halloween but I will be strong and resolute in celebrating this sacred time of year. (And I might need to slay a few creatures along the way). I do have a group of friends who have my back and are planning to have fun with me.  The card also cautions me to seek/create protection for myself, since I plan to do my tarot reading later that night to contact those who have passed on, and who might want to make contact. I have attended and led a supper for the dead celebration for the past few years, but it will not happen this year. I will do my own ritual/reading/contact after the workshop is over.

The All Hallows Tarot is a quirky, themed deck that reads very well. While it could be used throughout the year, it has a special quality that makes it just perfect for Halloween. While it has some darker images, the deck has quite a sense of humor as well. It is a deck to be used alongside its darker cousins, such as the Bohemian Gothic, the Deviant Moon, the Dark Grimoire, the Necronomicon, and the classic Halloween tarot. Many thanks to Robyn and Leisa for getting it into print just in time!

Images © 2009 by Robyn Tisch Hollister & the Tarot Connection

I have returned from the San Francisco Bay Area Tarot Symposium (BATS), and it was excellent! According to its producer, Thalassa Queen of BATS, this year’s Symposium was the biggest and best yet. Ninety-odd people attended, including Solandia, owner of the Aeclectic Tarot Forum, all the way from Australia!

Two full days of Tarot lectures and workshops, socializing, and shopping filled our schedule. On Saturday, I attended the following presentations:

• The Lovers Weave Spread (Joseph Ernest Martin, the Quest Tarot) – a fun relationship spread incorporating Tarot origami (no cards were injured in this spread)

• Natural Divination: The Way of the Tarot of the Nine Paths (Dr. Art Rosengarten, Tarot and Psychology) – Art introduced us to his new Majors –only deck, the Tarot of the Nine Paths, explained his rationale of adding 5 new Majors, and talked about reading from a nondual perspective.

• The Hanged Man: Traitor or Hero? (Rachel Pollack) – an exploration of different perspectives on the Hanged Man, its various meanings and lessons.

• Rider Waite Smith Kissing Cousins (Holly Voley) – a look at various Rider Waite “clones” and the alarming trend (to Holly) of new deck creators to simply copy the imagery of the RWS deck as if it were the ultimate Tarot authority

• An Exploration of W. B. Yeats’ Poems of the Tarot (Carole Pierce) – College Lit 201 deconstruction of some of Yeats’ poetry and its Tarot imagery

The “BATS in the Belfry” cocktail party brought Saturday to a close. Along with socializing, attendees were treated to a guest appearance by “A. E. Waite” and “Pixie Smith”, who mingled with the guests. A nice piece of theatre!

Sunday was the more ‘academic’ part of BATS – the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the RWS deck and the work of Pamela Colman Smith.  The presentations were:

• 100 Years of the RWS Deck and Its Descendants (Holly Voley) – Holly led us through the publication history of the RWS deck and its variations, Pam A, B, C & D decks, as well as the various editions of Waite’s (Pictorial) Key to the Tarot. Holly brought her collection of historical decks (I got to hold a 1909 RWS Pam A deck!) and some pieces of Pamela Colman Smith’s artwork.

• Waite and the Secret Tradition (Mary Greer) – Mary discussed some of the themes & stories that Waite felt expressed an underlying truth behind the Symbolism of the Major & Minor Arcana

• Female Knights & Feminist Desire: Coding in Pamela Colman Smith’s Tarot (Melinda Parsons) – Melinda examined selected cards for likely coded meanings related to PCS’ feminism. Her slide show allowed us to see how PCS might have painted portraits of her friends and contemporaries into some of the cards. For example, it could be argued that the famous actress Ellen Terry appears as the Queen of Wands. An absolutely fascinating presentation

• Panel Discussion on the RWS Tarot (Cynthia Giles, Rachel Pollack. Mary Greer, Melinda Parsons & Holly Voley) – The panelists shared some personal memories of their first experiences with the RWS deck, and answered audience questions about the deck’s artwork, history, and publication.

(L to R) C. Giles, R. Pollack, M. Greer, M. Parsons, H. Voley

This was my third time attending BATS, and it was a great symposium! So much to learn, so many people to meet, so much shopping to do, made this a very memorable weekend. I snagged a few choice items from some of the vendors, yet only bought one deck (Rosengarten’s Tarot of the Nine Paths)!

2009 was a banner year for me as far as Tarot events go. I helped to found the Albuquerque Tarot Meetup group, and was lucky enough to attend both the Readers Studio in NYC and BATS in San Francisco! I am still energized and anxious to share some of the weekend with the Meetup group and our local Tarot Circle. I hope to be able to attend both events again next year.

I will be attending the Bay Area Tarot Symposium in San Francisco on October 3^rd and 4^th.  The theme is a celebration of the Waite-Smith Tarot, which celebrates its 100^th anniversary this year. This will be my 3^rd BATS, a wonderful weekend of Tarot produced by the amazing Thalassa and the Daughters of Divination. Presenters this year include Mary Greer, Rachel Pollack, Pamela Eakins, Arnell Ando, Joseph Martin, Art Rosengarten, Holly Voley, Cynthia Giles, and the Fifth Tarot’s Teressena Bakens! What a lineup!

In anticipation of BATS, I decided to use the “Three Caskets” spread (based on Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice) from the Shakespeare Oracle. Here are the results:

Gold casket: What you desire (from BATS) – The Elementor of Shells tells me that I desire to dive into the symposium, to experience its magic to the fullest, and to rise up with a pearl of knowledge to bring home with me. I also desire to make full use of my own knowledge and intuition during the weekend. The Fifth Tarot says that the Elementor is “grace, love and light, peace and joy, all at once…the full embodiment of all that the suit represents” (p. 272). There will be much joy, pleasure, wisdom-gaining and magic to be experienced, exactly what I would wish for at BATS.

Silver casket: What you deserve (from BATS) – The Two of Feathers (Truth) depicts two crossed pipes, representing our “deep connection to spirit and truth” (p. 161).  There will be a variety of speakers and presentations, each reflecting the truth as seen and experienced by the presenters. We as attendees deserve nothing less than a connection to spirit and a search for our own truth. A quote from Mahatma Gandhi in the Fifth Tarot reminds us “Where there is no Truth, there can be no true knowledge…” (p. 162).  And we must also speak our own truth in our discussions and interactions with each other as we seek wisdom and guidance. This card is an indication that I must “share my knowledge of truth with others, because it is time. This card is one of an active mind that is guided by spirit… (p. 163). As much as I love San Francisco and could easily become distracted by its beauty, I deserve to focus my attention fully in each session at BATS, in order to share and learn as much as possible.

Lead casket: What you get (from BATS) – The Initiate of Lotus depicts the feet of a Master, where we must “sit humbly…surrendering to the wisdom and trusting in the universe, ready to receive the blessings of the ethers on our path to self-realization” (p. 302). The suit of Lotus offers us gifts that we are use selflessly. In this regard, we may all be considered “masters”, sharing our gifts and knowledge with each other. The Fifth Tarot says “you will be initiated into the realm of illuminated truth and experience the bliss and joy of…unconditional love” (p. 304).

From this spread, it seems that I will be in the right place at the right time! The advice of the cards is to keep focused, eyes wide open, seek the truth that others want to impart, and to speak my own truth…in this way will I be gifted with blessings and knowledge as I walk my path. I am so looking forward to BATS this year, I wasn’t sure if scheduling and finances would allow me to attend, but I put it out to the universe, and everything simply fell into place. It is going to be an amazing weekend!

Images from the Fifth Tarot © 2008 by Blue Dolphin — Used by permission