Vol. 2 #8 / April 15, 2010
In this Issue:
- Welcome
- Tarot Tip: Before- and After-Reading Meditations
- Tarot Card Showcase: The Hierophant
- Upcoming Events
- Readers Studio 2010: The Study Groups
- Featured Tarot Blog: Adam McLean's Tarot Web Blog
Welcome to a new issue of Tarot Tips!!
And a special welcome to our new members!
We are in the final stretch of our countdown to
Readers Studio 2010! In about a week, our big
annual event will be underway. In this issue we
spotlight a very special part of Readers Studio
- the Study Groups. In addition to the 3 master
classes, the after-hours workshops offer
additional learning about tarot and other
interesting topics. We look forward to seeing
you there!
One good practice to have as a reader is to
meditate before a reading and to ground after a
reading. We have 2 simple meditation exercises
that will help stabilize the mind and the energy
that flows during a reading.
The Readers Studio is more than a weekend seminar.
It allows for greater spiritual understanding, a
chance to find a like-minded community and to
learn from the top teachers in tarot. In honor of
this year's event this issue will spotlight The
Hierophant, the Supreme Teacher.
April 15 marks the beginning of the Celtic Tree
lunar month - Willow. The willow was sacred to
the moon and represents the feminine and
subconscious aspects of our human nature. We
will move into Taurus which teaches us to strive
for spiritual understanding through very practical
experiences.
We have another informative issue to help you on
the tarot path. For alchemy enthusiasts, we have
a great blog for you.
Yours in growth and learning,
Tarot Tips is here to help you with the practical side
of your Tarot journey. In order to take the greatest
advantage of this newsletter, please send us your
questions regarding any aspect of your tarot study
or practice and we'll do our best to answer them
in an upcoming issue.
Spread the experience of tarot - share this newsletter
with other Tarot Enthusiasts!
Tarot Tip BEFORE- AND AFTER-READING MEDITATIONS
It's a good practice to begin and end your
readings with a short meditation. This will help
relax your body, focus your awareness when you
feel "out of it" from a doing reading, or just need
to feel connected to Earth.
Here's a simple, three-step meditation that works
remarkably well, even for people who have
difficulty meditating - Relax... Let Go... Be Still...
First, with your eyes closed, take a couple of
deep breaths.
RE-LAX:
On the inhalation, mentally say the syllable "RE,"
then "LAX" on the exhalation. Repeat this three
times while relaxing the muscles in your body.
Take a deep breath.
LET-GO:
On the inhalation, mentally say the word "LET,"
then "GO" on the exhalation. You can visualize
yourself letting go of an object in outer space
and drifting off, or perhaps imagine yourself as a
drop of water that drips from a leaf into a pool of
water to merge with the pool. Let go of worry,
anxiety and distraction. Repeat this three times.
Take another deep breath.
BE-STILL:
On the inhalation, mentally say the word "BE,"
then "STILL" on the exhalation. Think of a candle
flame that never wavers. Feel the stillness
within yourself. Repeat this three times and then
take a final deep breath before opening your eyes.
If you like, let this carry you into a deeper,
longer meditation.
After A Reading...
Sitting in a chair so that your back is straight
(remove your shoes if you like), take a few deep
breaths. Close your eyes. Become aware of your
body. Focus awareness on your face, your head,
and your neck, and continue on until you are
aware of your torso, legs and feet touching the
floor.
Imagine sunlight above you. Visualize the
sunlight as a ball of light above your crown
chakra. Imagine this ball of light flowing
downward to your feet and then through the
floor, sending threads of light into the earth.
See the pillar pulsing, clearing your body and
connecting you back to the earth. Let go of any
energy that does not register with your own.
Release this energy into the earth and give thanks
to the earth for accepting and transmuting this
energy. Do this until you feel secure in your
heart, mind and body.
Become fully aware of your body and your
surroundings. Take two deep breaths, and
when you are ready, open your eyes.
Welcome back!
Tarot Card Showcase
In this section we will feature tidbits on a
specific tarot card. While there are many
systems and decks to choose from in the world
of tarot, here we use the Universal Waite
Tarot images and symbols.
Copyright 1992 U.S Games.
THE HIEROPHANT
Esoteric Title: The Magus of the Eternal
Astrological Attribution: Taurus
Element: Earth
Hebrew Letter: Vav = Nail or Hook
The Hierophant is often represented as a papal
figure or Pope, a powerful symbol and leader
in the Catholic Church. The word "pope"
derives from the Greek word pappas meaning
"father". The Hierophant as the earthly
representation of Jesus is often depicted holding
the keys of power, passed on from Jesus to the
apostle, Peter.
The Hierophant, as a path on the Tree of Life,
connects Wisdom to Mercy. He is the earthly
authority on spiritual matters. He connects the
inner and outer world, the seen and unseen.
He is the bridge between God and man. He
represents the ideal of spiritual understanding
and aspiration.
In a reading, the card represents an important
spiritual teaching, teacher or guide. This card
may beckon you to expand your knowledge in
general and offer to guide you on your journey
to growth, change and ultimately to being your
own highest authority.
This card may indicate a desire to learn how to
bring traditional spiritual practices and methods
down to a practical level that works for you or
for others you want to teach.
Key Ideas and Divinatory Functions:
He indicates the presence or absence of truth
and honest dealings in any situation, depending
upon whether he is upright or reversed.
He indicates the presence or absence of moral
standards and social conventions.
He indicates marriage and other rites of
passage, such taking oaths, vows, or sacraments,
and entering or graduating from a course of study.
He initiates novices into mysteries, secret
orders or elite groups, like the Freemasons, or
the police force, or a fraternity.
He gives or withholds blessings in a situation.
Key Esoteric Ideas and Functions:
He is the archetype of the Father (Pope), the
grand spiritual father figure. A purely masculine
path of force (Chochma to Chesed). A hierophant
is someone, especially a priest in ancient Greece,
who interprets sacred mysteries or esoteric
principles.
He binds Above to Below, our higher to our
lower selves. Without his influence, we would not
even know we have a higher self.
He joins the outer to the inner mysteries, and
gives the teachings and rituals of initiation. He
presides over the activities of ritual esoteric
work.
Upcoming Events:
The 2010 Readers Studio!
The Omega Tarot Conference
w/ Mary K. Greer, Rachel Pollack, Lon Milo DuQuette,
Juliet Sharman-Burke, and Ruth Ann & Wald Amberstone
The Readers Studio - A Word on Study Groups
By Gina Thies - http://www.facebook.com/tarotreaders
Many religious practices teach that to achieve
salvation, one must overcome the deadly and sinful
nature of flesh. Others, however, consider the body
to be a temple which serves as a connection between
the human and the Divine. The human body and its
behaviors can communicate in a variety of ways.
In addition to the solid facts of flesh, blood, muscle
and bones, the human body provides symbolic
messages to us through observation. We create
meanings for our bodies as part of the way we
experience the world surrounding us. Unlike lower
order animals, humans have the ability to "see"
their bodies, which then become objects of a
meaningful existence.
For a few years now, the Readers Studio has added
an extensive after-hours curriculum of study groups
to the master classes taught by the honored presenters.
The offering of study groups has grown from just one
class when it was first started, to the standard of 10
that will be presented again this year.
This is an awesome opportunity to learn from up-
and-coming tarot experts that may not be so well
known, but deserve to be. You can choose from
non-tarot topics like crystal ball scrying and rune
casting, or add to what you know about tarot by
learning additional uses and skills.
Here is the line-up:
FRIDAY, APRIL 23
The Fifth Tarot: Expanding into the Ethers
- Teressena & Martien Bakens
Dilemmas & Pitfalls of Relationship Readings
- Gina Thies
From Dreams to Tarot and Back Again
- Paula Chaffee Scardamalia
The Many Faces of Group Members
- Bev Haskins
Crystal Ball Scrying
- Marilyn Shannon
SATURDAY, APRIL 24
Introduction to the Gaian Tarot
- Joanna Powell Colbert
Tarot, Feng Shui & Floor Plans
- Jordan Hoggard & Stephanie Lockemann
Tarot and the Body: Get Physical!
- Carolyn R. Guss
Enhancing Your Design of Tarot Workshops
- Paul Nagy
Rune Casting
- Morwenna Morasch
These workshops are held on Friday and
Saturday nights after the master classes,
from 9pm to 11pm. For $35, you'll get
2 hours of additional training or resources
that you won't get in your own backyard.
If you are a night owl, this will just add to
your fun!
Why attend a study group? The energy of
The Readers Studio is very exhilarating and
you'll want to keep learning even after the
master classes are done for the day.
You'll get to interact with other tarot experts
that have been especially selected by the
Amberstones and Readers Studio committee,
so you can trust that its worthwhile. If you are
curious about a topic being offered, and don't
think you'll find a class on it in your area, the
study group is for you.
Are you an up and coming tarot rock star and
think you may want to present a study group
at a future Readers Studio? Then attending a
study group will give you a chance to see
how it's done.
Yes, this is a bit of shameless self-promotion,
but I am sure the other presenters will also
appreciate a little attention. We have worked
hard to make this Readers Studio the best one
yet and some of us are sacrificing our "bar" time
in order to teach what we love. We would be
happy to have your support!
Questions arise when developing or transitioning
to professional Tarot Reading status to earn
income. These can range from "How can I make
money with Tarot?" and "How do I get started?"
to more complex technical and business questions.
You may already be up and running and have
questions about how to enhance or ramp up your
business. We would love to hear from you. Send any
questions, or interest in a future class on the
Business of Tarot, to tarot@tarotschool.com.
Do you want to learn more about tarot but don't
have time or the resources to attend a class?
The Tarot School Correspondence Course was
created just for you!
Study at your own pace and get one-on-one
Featured Tarot Blog / Newsletter
ADAM McLEAN'S TAROT WEB BLOG
Attention all hermeticists, alchemists, and tarot art
fans! The blog has so much information it will
take a while to explore but it is well worth the
time.
Adam McLean is well known as a researcher
into alchemy and an expert on emblematic symbolism
as well as an accomplished artist. Adam has
worked as an editor and publisher of over 40 books
on alchemical and Hermetic ideas. Based in the UK,
he has been writing and researching alchemical and
hermetic literature for many years.
http://www.alchemywebsite.com/tarot/tarot_weblog.html
Join our 1,670+ fans and join the fun!
You never know what we'll say next...
Do you have a question or comment on anything
tarot? Suggestions for future topics?
Contact tarot@tarotschool.com
For information on tarot classes, courses,
© Copyright 2010 The Tarot School - All Rights Reserved
Directors: Ruth Ann and Wald Amberstone
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