Newsletter of The Tarot School
http://TarotSchool.com
ISSN: 1529-0565 
Vol. 6 #7 / August 1, 2014

                                                                  
 In this Issue:
- Welcome
- Tarot Tip: Personal Card Associations
- Tarot School Aphorism
- Tarot Card Showcase: Five of Swords 
- Best Practices: Dealing with No-Shows or Cancellations 
- Featured Tarot Blog: Sun Goddess Tarot
- Upcoming Events
 
 
Welcome to a new issue of Tarot Tips!
And a warm welcome to our new readers. 
 
If you've been reading for any length of time, 
it's likely that you'll associate certain cards with
personal experiences, and develop idiosyncratic
interpretations that may or may not accord with
standard ways of looking at those cards. In this 
issue, we respond to a Tarot Tips subscriber who 
has asked about the limits of such associations.

There are many cards that contain more than one 
thing or person. With these cards, it is essential to
understand who or what in the card is central to the
theme of a reading. In our Tarot Card Showcase, we
spotlight the 5 of Swords, which is a card like that.

There are three figures in the 5 of Swords. Which one
does the querent identify with? What does that tell you
about their state of mind or situation? Does this give
you any additional information you might not get
otherwise?

And while we're asking questions...
 
Are you frustrated by clients who frequently cancel --
or simply don't show up for their appointments? The
'Best Practices' article shows how you can effectively 
deal with this common business dilemma. 

Last but not least, this month's featured tarot blog's
author may or may not have been inspired by our
newsletter, but her "Tarot Tip Tuesdays" are
well-written and informative. Enjoy! 
          

And one more thing...
 
There's a rumor going around
that Wald has stopped teaching.

IT'S NOT TRUE!!

Granted, we probably weren't
clear enough when we discussed
his plans in our last issue.


SO HERE'S THE REAL SCOOP...

The only thing that's being put on hold for awhile is Teleclasses.

Wald is still:
  • Coaching correspondence course degree students
  • Conducting private coaching/lessons
  • Co-leading the Monday Tarot Salons w/ Ruth Ann
  • Teaching our Summer and Winter Intensives

  • Stopping the Tarot Teleclasses will give him some
    much needed time to work on the Birth Card course.

    If you'd like to stay informed of his progress, we've
    created a special notification list at:
     
    We hope this puts your mind at ease. :)
     
     
    Yours truly on the tarot path,
    Ruth Ann, Wald & Gina


    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
    PERSONAL CARD ASSOCIATIONS
     

    QUESTION:

    I've just finished reading your book, Tarot Tips, which
    I thoroughly enjoyed. There was one question I didn't
    see an answer to.
     
    I've had a few important readings, some that I've
    conducted for myself, where a card was drawn that had
    deep and profound meaning for me and the situation at
    hand. 

    The Lovers card is a good example of this, particularly
    as it appeared on a night before my husband and I had a
    ceremony where we decided to bring ourselves back from
    a near split. Now every time I see The Lovers, I
    presume that the reading is in regard to the work we're
    doing to get stronger as a couple. When it's reversed,
    I immediately associate it with problems with him and
    the scenarios that are still swirling around us causing
    rifts and reversing our progress.
     
    It happens occasionally with other cards, too: the 3 of
    Swords, the 9 of Swords... It's hard not to associate
    these with old scenarios where they popped up and so
    amply described exactly what was going on. 
     
    Is it possible that these are acting as signifier cards
    helping me identify the specific scenario so that I can
    look deeper into what to do next, or do I need to find
    a way of rebooting the card's meaning for me?
     
     
     
    ANSWER:
     
    This is an interesting question, and one that
    occasionally becomes an issue for many readers. 

    There are times in anyone's life when a particular
    concern is of overriding importance and dominates one's
    thoughts and feelings. Using tarot to cast some light
    on this concern is a natural thing to do, and it may
    well be that several readings are needed to get a good
    understanding of the matter.

    When a single card shows up over and over again in
    readings about the same basic question, it's almost
    unavoidable to make a meaningful connection between the
    question and the card. There's no harm in that, and it
    may be helpful.

    But life has a tendency to move on. What was once
    super-important will eventually become less pressing.
    And on any given day, your attention and whatever
    reading you're doing may be on some other matter. 

    When either of these things happen, you will want to
    have more than one option for the meaning of that
    special card. You don't want any card to get hijacked
    by a single issue. You don't want any card to become
    and remain a "one-trick-pony."

    When the card appears in any context other than the one
    that gave it a special meaning, begin again. Let the
    card start fresh, unless you are specifically reading
    about the original issue.  

    Here's a different but related question...

    Can I use my personal card association when 
    reading for someone else?

    If you are reading for someone else when the 
    card in question comes up, there are two important 
    things to keep in mind:

    1) The context of the reading

    In the case you mentioned, The Lovers gave you 
    important information that was relevant at the time, 
    and thus has presumably become significant to you 
    in the matter of your marriage. It is possible that when 
    you now read for a querent in a similar situation, if 
    The Lovers pops up in their spread, you might be 
    able to explain what they are experiencing based on 
    your own prior experience. 

    However, your personal interpretation may not be 
    appropriate for them at all. Or it may be a jumping-off 
    point for a variation on the theme. This is where talking 
    with your querent is crucial. And that's because of this
    next point...


    2) Be careful not to project your experience onto 
        another person

    Even though their scenario may appear similar to yours, 
    and sharing your story *might* be helpful, your querent 
    will have their own experiences and responses, which 
    could be quite different than yours. 

    While it may be tempting to include yourself in the reading, 
    remember to keep the focus on them. Asking a question 
    such as "Does this resonate with you?" will help you know if 
    you're on the right track or if you need to turn to a different 
    interpretation of the card that makes more sense to them.

    This is where having a mix of intuitive interpretations 
    and more "academic" information about the cards, such as 
    various standard meanings and esoteric attributions is 
    especially useful. Breathe, relax, and let your intuition 
    guide you to just the right meaning. Who knows, it may be 
    one you're seeing for the very first time! 
                      
     
       

     Tarot School Aphorism

     
               

                             


    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.
     
     
    FIVE OF SWORDS
     
    Attributions: 
     
    Name: Severity in the World of Formation 
    Astrological Attribution: Venus in Aquarius
    Esoteric Title: Lord of Defeat
     
     
    Traditional Meanings:
     
    Winning against all odds by spirit
    alone. No weapon has been wielded nor
    injury inflicted, but opposition melts
    before the energy of affirmation. 


    Of many voices within, one becomes dominant. Whatever is 
    found useful is appropriated without apology. To the victor 
    go the spoils, though the loser feels cheated and stolen from. 
    Humiliation is the other face of triumph. Victory is short-lived. 
    Stormy weather. 
     
    Resourceful, opportunist, shameless. The opposition is routed but 
    lives to fight another day. Beware retaliation--from within and without.
     
               
    Imagery:

    Jagged Clouds and Waves in Water: Symbols of unrest.
    Graphic references to Aquarius.

    Red and Green Clothing: The colors of life and passion,
    reference to Venus.

    Wind-swept Blond Hair: Symbol of intense awareness and 
    a high state of readiness. 

    Purple Mountains: Symbol of the limits of imagination, 
    reference to Swords. 
              
               
    Excerpted from The Tarot School Correspondence Course
    http://tarotschool.com/Course.html
     
     

     
    Best Practices for Professional Readers
    DEALING WITH NO-SHOWS AND CANCELLATIONS
     
    By Gina Thies
     
     
    Don't you just hate when clients beg for appointments
    at your busiest times, and after you scramble to fit
    them in -- bam! -- they cancel the appointment,
    or worse, just don't show up? Join the club!
     
    This unfortunately is the bane of any service that
    schedules appointments. They're a big headache because
    they are costly in both time and money, and can eventually 
    be harmful to your business. Time for me is extremely 
    precious because I take a lot of "emergency" appointments.
     
    Clients often feel their matters are urgent and want to
    get in ASAP. Most of us are that way. If you feel you
    are coming down with an illness that you want to avoid,
    do you wait to schedule a doctor's appointment several
    weeks away? Most likely you will want the first available 
    appointment. For the most part we want answers now 
    and right at our fingertips, which is why search engines 
    are so busy and successful.
     
    Even though these no-shows do happen and are
    unpreventable, we can reduce their frequency. What can
    you do? You may be the one creating the monster. Do you
    reschedule often or bump clients because you have other
    priorities? This may cause a client to book the rescheduled 
    appointment and feel it's OK to not show up or cancel.
     
    Be direct and post policies on cancellation or
    no-shows. This may be appropriate for a reader with a
    high-volume clientele or for those who work in stores
    or in onsite shop locations. Make sure the policy is
    posted where clients have access to it, or post it
    where they actually schedule their appointments. You
    can also place it in confirmation or reminder emails or
    on receipts.
     
    At the end of your session, give the client an
    opportunity to schedule a follow-up session. Keep in
    mind that the longer the interval, the more potential
    for no-shows to happen. The last thing I want to
    mention is to give your clients two or three times to
    choose from on the days they pick to have their session. 
    If you narrow down the available times, they are more 
    likely to stick to the appointment. Scarcity in this regard 
    may work for you rather than against you. 
              
                               
     


    Featured Tarot Blog
    SUN GODDESS TAROT
     
    Certified Professional Tarot Reader and Singaporean,
    Joanna Ash shares very entertaining tips on her tarot
    experiences, and insights about using her gifts. Anyone
    who has a family and is a professional tarotist will
    certainly be able to relate to her words. Enjoy! 
              
                         
     

     
     Upcoming Events:
     

  • August 4, 11, 18 and 25, 2014
  • Tarot Salon
    Forest Hills, New York
     
    Our popular Monday night Salons are the
    hottest thing in tarot instruction!
     
     
     
     
     
  • August 23-24, 2014
  • San Francisco Bay Area Tarot Symposium
    Double Tree Hotel   San Jose, California
     
    Join Thalassa and the Daughters of Divination
    for the 23rd annual SF BATS!
     
     
     
     
  • August 24, 2014
  • Readers Studio Teleconference -- Free!
     
    Come hang out with us on the phone
    at our monthly informal get-together.
    It's a great chance to catch up with each
    other and brainstorm new ideas.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
       
     
     

     

     
     
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    Directors: Ruth Ann and Wald Amberstone