Posted on

Continuous Learning

 I’m comfortable with my knowledge base in the tarot. It’s deep. It’s varied. It’s long-studied and long-lived. But it is not, nor will it ever be, infinite. I want to spend time among those who know so much more than me. After all, as the expression goes, if you’re the smartest person in the room, seek another room. For that reason, I am always looking to deepen my knowledge when it comes to the Tarot. Despite having spent almost 40 years(!) exploring the cards, there is always much more to learn. Therefore, finding myself with significantly more time on my hands, I enrolled in a course.

Continue reading → Continuous Learning
Posted on

‘Demystifying the Tarot’ workshop in Erin

On Wednesday, May 25th, from 6:30 – 8:30, I will be leading a 2-hour workshop entitled ‘Demystifying the Tarot’ at Treehaven Natural Foods in downtown Erin. This introductory workshop will provide attendees with a brief overview of the ‘histories’ of the Tarot, its structure, its meanings and its uses.  Its intent is to shed a little light on this ‘mysterious’ little deck. The cost of the workshop is $15 which also includes light refreshments. The cost for the workshop is payable in advance at Treehaven or at the door. Space is limited so please R.S.V.P. at whitesagetarot@gmail.com,  by calling me at 519-217-7243 or by contacting Treehaven at 519-833-9006.

I will also be available for in-person Tarot consultations on Saturday, May 28th and Saturday, June 25th at Treehaven Natural Foods from 12:00 – 6:00 p.m.  To book your consultation in advance, please use the same contact information stated above.

Posted on

BIT and the Guelph Occult Society

Recently, I have joined up with a wonderful and eclectic group of people that meet once a month to discuss all things esoteric. Although I thoroughly enjoy all of the various discussions we have, I am very pleased that several of us are Tarot enthusiasts. There was discussion about exploring the Back in Time Tarot method at an upcoming meeting. Since both my son and my partner are celebrating birthday’s today, I have to miss the February meet-up. I thought I would provide my contribution to the discussion by exploring my recent experience with the Guelph Occult Society using Janet Boyer’s BIT.

Discovery of the group: Ace of Fire – Gaian Tarot: Of all the cards in the Gaian Tarot deck, this one expressed the most potential for me. It symbolizes the passion of a new opportunity and the readiness to send one’s energy out into the world. When I discovered this Meetup group, I was initially filled with creative potential, hoping that this group could be the start of something new.

Apprehension of meeting new people: 5 of Wands – RWS: When two or more people meet, there is always the potential for tension and conflict. When one ventures into a new situation, one often wonders: How will it go? Who will I get  along with? Who will I conflict with? What should I share about myself? What should I not? This five makes me think about wandering out into a new world, regardless of the potential for inner or outer conflict. It underlines the ‘you’ll never know until you try’ mentality.

Can I make it fit into my schedule: 10 of Wands – RWS: Let’s face it, the life of a school principal is hectic enough. And, like everybody else, I have family, friends, loved ones, hobbies and passions that are all deserving of my time. Is there a risk that this once-a-month commitment will be the straw that breaks the camel’s back?  

Excited about ‘New’: Child of Water – Gaian Tarot: Despite the apprehension of meeting new people and the worries about a new time commitment, I find myself like the child in this card, ankle-deep by the shore, eyes fixed on safety yet preparing to explore new waters. Like the ebb and flow of the cool tides at my feet, it is exhilarating!

Community of people in celebration: Three of Cups – RWS: There is a celebratory nature to the 3 of Cups that I have difficulty overlooking. Three women raise their glasses in an unknown toast regardless of differences.  Here’s to the potential for new knowledge, new beginnings and new friendships.

Exploring the mysterious side of life – The Moon – RWS: Rachel Pollack states, in her book “Tarot Wisdom” that our society “has moved… from a solar to a lunar consciousness, from an emphasis on rationalism, clarity and masculine forcefulness to intuition, mystery and subtlety.” Based on the description of the intent of this group, I believe this adequately sums up what I’m looking to explore in our get-togethers.

Enjoying sharing my passion about the Tarot: 6 of Fire – Gaian Tarot: Perhaps because it is a little self-indulgent, I saved this one for the end. I am passionate about the Tarot. In the mainstream, this may be considered as ‘dancing to the beat of my own drummer.’  So be it. Like some, I used to hide my passion for the Tarot in a closed room. Now, I will happily discuss and share all things tarot with anyone open to the idea (and to more than a few people who are not) 🙂  There appears to be a large percentage of people, myself included, interested in learning about the Tarot. That makes this place a safe one to sing my song at the top of my lungs.

Have a wonderful meet-up (whether your there in person or spirit) and feel free to use a new experience as your own BIT exercise. And, if you do, please share!

Posted on

Where’s the Love: A Valentine’s Day-inspired look at the Tarot

Two of Cups - Rider Waite
Two of Cups - Rider Waite

Where’s the love?

Like all other emotions, love has its place in the Tarot. The Lovers, card of choice and, perhaps obviously, card of love, would be a great starting point for a search for love in the Tarot. It is the card where passion and reason come together, where difficult choices need to be made and where the very concept of synergy lives.  

The Two of Cups, representing a covenant or a coming together of two, is another obvious place to find love in the Tarot. Interestingly enough – well… at least interesting for me 🙂 – many couples have their songs and will be listening to them during a romantic moment on Valentine’s Day.  My partner and I have our card… it’s the Two of Cups and it will be on display on the 14th. (We have our songs as well but perhaps I’ll save that for another Valentine’s Day blog.)

The Cups are the resident suit of our feelings. Many cards in that suit at least hint at Cupid’s emotional realm. The Ace is the seed of love’s potential, the Three is the celebration of a love of company and companionship and the Ten is one’s recognition of the presence of emotional abundance and fulfillment.  Our Queen of Cups, who possesses the never-dormant ear, is an endless source of compassion, is the Tarot’s version of the Kindergarten teacher 🙂 and is another place to find love.

Our other Cup courts are no strangers to love. Our Page is the personification of the Ace and the representation of being in the early stages of love. Our Knight is in the business of love ‘em and leave ‘em. Upon reflection, that might not be how one would define love but don’t tell that to the knight. When he’s in love’em mode, he’d tell you that he’s clearly residing in the realm of Eros, as would the beneficiary of his attention. Our King is the master of love. He is blessed with the ability to both love fully and to keep his love in check as opposed to wearing it for all to see.

The Lovers is not the only place in the Major Arcana where we find love. The Empress represents, among other things, a mother’s unconditional love. As the home of the outwardly Feminine principle, hers is a passionate love.  A little further along the path of the Fool’s Journey, Strength shows us the resultant action of the Empress’ unconditional love.  Looking for one example of this strength-based love in action? Try crossing a lioness when she has her cubs nearby.  I would also argue that we can easily find love in two of the last three majors: The Sun, where our overwhelming optimism and joy includes a love for all things; and the World, where, as the card of completeness, contains all things, love included.

Like it or not, Valentine’s Day is a day where, at least commercially (oops, my bias is showing), we are reminded that love indeed makes the world go ‘round and is a many splendid thing. And I’m sure I’ve just scratched the surface of the presence of love in the Tarot. Do tell… where’s the love for you in the Tarot?

Posted on

Preparing for the New Year with the Tarot… again

I always chuckle a little when I look at my blog stats and see that the post entitled “Preparing for the New Year” is amongst the most popular on my site. It is short on substance and strong on promotion! So, if it’s popularity is due to the amazing offer present, and readers are disappointed to see that it has expired, let me re-iterate that the two-hour ‘New Years’ Spread’ deal is again available and runs until January 31st, 2001. That’s a two-hour 20-card focus on 2011 for $CAD 75!  For more info, visit the ever-popular “Preparing for the New Year with the Tarot” and contact me at whitesagetarot@gmail.com to book your reading in person, via the phone or via Skype.

If you’re looking to work solo and you find working with 20 cards a little daunting , this four-card spread is an excellent way to begin planning your New Years’ resolutions. I call it the ZPD spread, for reasons that will soon become apparent. It’s simple and can be done several times, each time providing specific dialogue and insight into a particular area of new learning for the New Year.

Prepare yourself as you would for any work you do with the Tarot (or, if you’d prefer to work with someone, call or email and book a consultation session, and we can work on it together). Lay the cards from one to four so that the layout in your workspace copies the following structure:

Card Position #1           Card Position #3          Card  Position #4

Card  Position #2

Position #1 – Lesson learned from previous year 

Position #3 – New learning for the upcoming year

Position #4 – New lesson from new learning

Position #2 – Lesson left behind

 Position 1 highlights old learning. This card will help you focus on what you’ve learned in 2010 and are bringing with you into 2011. Position 2 highlights learning left behind. This could be a lesson not yet learned, a missed opportunity or a lesson that you are not yet prepared to begin. Position 3 highlights an area of new learning to watch for in the upcoming year. Position 4 highlights the potential new lesson you might derive from this new learning. Position 4 lends itself well to multiple cards, thus allowing us to explore several options for our new learning. It should also relate back to position 3, since the lesson and the learning are fundamentally linked.  If we are to review the previous year and prepare for the upcoming one, then we need to carefully examine lessons learned, lessons discarded and potential new learning and lessons. 

As a school principal as well as a Tarotist, I found myself thinking about how we learn, deconstructing and reconstructing new knowledge. I relate the use of this spread to Vygotsky’s ‘Zone of Proximal Development’ (a quick ‘Google search of the term or its acronym (ZPD) will provide you with many potential resources), giving me a name for this spread.

ZPD is an educational theory first introduced over seventy years ago  by Lev Vygotsky, a Russian psychologist.  Lately, it has seen a resurgence as educators embrace the idea that learning is as much a social construct as it is an intellectual exercise.  To paraphrase Vygotsky’s theory, there is a zone of potential learning between our cognitive ‘starting point’ and the point at which we become independent problem solvers in a particular area.  We reach the upper limit of this zone when we receive assistance and guidance from a competent ‘other’.  Again we move to the point of independence with the new skill where we can grow even further with skilled assistance.  In this case, we can use the Tarot as both coach and guide and use the ZPD spread as tool and use our own zone of proximal development while we explore the coming lessons of the New Year.

I am also reminded that at times,  as adults, the ZPD is an area where we are uncomfortable. It is a zone where we don’t like to be because we have yet to assimilate the required knowledge and skill to be self-sufficient.  It is in this zone where the phrases ‘I can’t’ and ‘I won’t’ reside. It is a zone where we would rather be saved than left to fend for ourselves. It is a zone in which we require support. And, it is the zone in which new learning takes place.

New learning is awkward. It can put us ill at ease. The ZPD spread helps us shape the landscape that we must travel to go from new learning to new understanding. This journey is crucial to the alteration of old knowledge.  In the end, the new learning leaves us better prepared for what lies ahead. What better way to get ready for the New Year. Vygotsky states that this zone is best traveled with a guide or coach. In our case, the Tarot takes on that role.

Feel free to share your experiences with the ZPD spread. I’d love to hear how you’re doing in your own zone.