Newsletter of The Tarot School
http://TarotSchool.com
ISSN: 1529-0565 
Vol. 3 #6 / March 15, 2011

                                                                  
 In this Issue:
- Welcome
- Tarot Tip: The Message in The Title Card
- Tarot Card Showcase: 6 of Cups
- Upcoming Events
- Best Practices: Reading For The Younger Set
- Featured Tarot Blog: Tarot Hermeneutics 

 
Welcome to a new issue of Tarot Tips!
And a special welcome to our new readers.
 
This issue features two Readers Studio 2011 Study Group
leaders, Alec Satin and Theresa Reed. Alec shows how
you can really learn something new about the title card
in a deck with a refreshing tarot technique in the
tarot tip, and Theresa has written excellent advice on
reading professionally for minors in this issue's
'Best Practices' column. The focus is on childhood
and responsibility to others. The 6 of Cups, the card
that represents responsibility, growing, nostalgia,
learning and development will be showcased this issue.
 
The study groups held at The Readers Studio provide 
a rare opportunity to learn from 12 tarot experts adding
another dimension to tarot learning. It has been an
increasingly popular feature of The Readers Studio, and
we have an exceptional roster of teachers this year.
 
If RS11 is your destination this April, include a study
group as part of your plans. The choice is yours! 
Tuition is only $35, payable directly to the instructor. 
(Study groups are only available to Studio attendees.)
 
This year's leaders are:
 
FRIDAY, APRIL 29
   Stage Cards - Sasha Graham
   Finding Fortune - Shawn Nacol
   Cocoamancy: A Delectable Spread - Carrie Paris
   Tarot Clusters - Maribeth Pittman
   Social Media for Tarot Readers - Theresa Reed
   Meet the Seeker - Shari Smith
 
SATURDAY, APRIL 30
   Metaphysical Tarot - Geraldine Amaral
   The Lenormand Oracle - Melissa Hill
   Majors Only Readings - Rachel Pollack
   Learn to Play the Game of Tarot - Alec Satin
   Fool To Fortune: Life and  Master Reading - James Wanless
   Reading the Minor Arcana - James Wells
 
For more details, go to
Come join us and find out what makes The Readers Studio 
such a special event!
 
(IMPORTANT NOTE: Our group rate at the hotel
expires on March 31st -- so be sure to register now.)
 
Yours 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
THE MESSAGE IN THE TITLE CARD
by Alec Satin
 
Not long ago a client came for a reading. He had
recently retired and was curious about what was coming
next. The reading showed clearly that he had completed
what he had contracted to do. The future card was
blank. Literally blank - it was the title card.
 
As your tarot practice grows, it's easy to fall into
a humdrum pattern of reading that takes the magic out.
Great tarot is a mix of skill, art and something more.
Your relationship with this something more is what will
keep your readings continually fresh.
 
 
Making Space
 
Have you ever been in a relationship with someone who
truly listened to you? When you create places in your
tarot readings for the something more to speak, you are
that partner who treasures every word of your beloved.
 
 
Protecting
 
Good intentions alone are not always enough to protect
a client. Some people who come to you have been badly
treated by other readers. Two thousand years ago the
great scientist Ptolemy wrote guidelines so astrologers
would know when not to speak. In your practice, have
you thought about the things you won't say? As a
professional reader, an ounce of prevention is worth
more to your clients than a pound of cure.
 
 
The Blank Card Method
 
Here's an automatic way to add extra communication
with that something more. It's easy to do, requires
no study and always works.
 
Most tarot decks come with a title card. You may be in
the habit of removing it before you do your readings.
Try this experiment. For the next few weeks, leave this
card in the deck. If it appears, treat it as if it were
perfectly blank.
 
A regular client had been betrayed by her lover. She
was longing for revenge. The future for her lover was
revealed to be the blank card.
 
When the blank card appears, you are being tapped on
the shoulder and pulled out of your reading. There is
always a reason for this. Take your foot off the gas
pedal until you know what's coming around the curve.
 
Let's imagine you have the very details your querent
is seeking. You know they are going to get the job. You
feel obligated to tell them because they are paying
you. Do you tell them? To paraphrase Hebrew National,
you answer to a Higher Authority.
 
Put the title card back in your deck. Get ready to be
wowed.
 
 
Alec Satin is a reader for readers. A big part of his
professional practice is supporting and refreshing
those who serve. His passion is learning to be an ever
better instrument for the Divine.
 
RS11 Study Group
You may know all the mysteries of tarot, but can you
play the game? Tarot has been played continuously in
Europe for 600 years because it's fun. Kick off your
shoes, relax and get ready to learn tarot for two at
RS11 with Alec.
 
Friend on Facebook: http://facebook.com/alec.satin
 
 
 

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.
 

 
6 of CUPS
 
Astrological Attribution: Sun in Scorpio
Qabalistic Attribution: Tiphereth in Briah 
             (Beauty in the World of Creation)
Esoteric Title: Lord of Pleasure
  
The Six of Cups suggests a very important connection 
to the past. It represents a nostalgic sense of people,
places and objects. While this card is said to represent 
the past, it also has been interpreted as the start or 
beginning of a new and steady pleasure.
 
The Six of Cups is attributed to the Sun in Scorpio.
Scorpio is a sign of strong feelings and determination,
and has a natural ability to sting and inject venom.
However, the Sun stimulates Scorpio's intense
energies in a positive direction, causing a stirring up
of pleasure, harmony and goodness.
 
The castle and courtyard relates to security, protection, 
and physical living quarters. The guard is the protector 
of all within this environment but is not in particular 
control of everything that happens within the walls of 
the castle and courtyard.
 
The two children represent innocence and possibility,
and are the archetypal representation of the son and
the daughter in the familial structure. They are also
the Son and Daughter of the Tetragrammaton.
 
They are surrounded by a luxurious garden, a
self-contained world of beauty and peace.  Each of 
the six cups hold a star-shaped white flower of purity 
or virginal qualities. There is a shield with a cross
behind the male figure. This tilted cross is a
Rosicrucian reference.
 
The challenges of the Six of Cups are immaturity,
resistance to change, and clinging to outdated beliefs.
Reversed, this card can indicate childhood physical or
emotional wounding. It can also point to a past life
connection.
 
Positive Keywords: Reflection, Memories, happiness,
bliss, wonderment, childhood, sincerity, pleasure,
contentment, resurrection of the past.
 
Negative Keywords: Complication, ignorance, quarrel,
discord, emotional complication.
 
 
 

 
Upcoming Events:
 
 
  • April 29 - May 1, 2011
  • The Readers Studio (RS11)
    LaGuardia Marriott Hotel
    Queens, New York
     
    Presenters include: Caitl’n Matthews, Corrine
    Kenner, Barbara Moore, Mary K. Greer, Bev
    Haskins, James Wells, Carolyn Cushing and
    many more!
     
     
     
  • August 27 - 28, 2011
  • San Francisco Bay Area Tarot Symposium
    (SFBATS)
    Golden Gateway Holiday Inn
    San Francisco, California
     
    Their 20th Anniversary celebration!

     
     

     
    Best Practices for Professional Readers
    READING FOR THE YOUNGER SET
    by Theresa Reed 
     
    As a parent, I have found tarot to be an extremely
    helpful tool. When my children were growing up, often
    they would have issues that seemed to need a deep,
    spiritual answer that only tarot could provide.
     
    In my work as a professional tarot reader, I have found
    children to be very curious and open to tarot. In some
    ways, they are easier to read than adults because their
    mindset has not been colored by life experiences -- and
    they seem to have more fun with the process. That being
    said, one must take great care when reading for a young
    person as they can be vulnerable, may take things too
    literally or in some cases may only hear what they want
    to hear.
     
    Here are a few things to keep in mind if you are
    considering reading tarot for children:
     
    1. Have a parent present if they are under 18. 
    Never do a reading without the parent's permission. 
    Some parents may not be comfortable with tarot and 
    you do not want to cross that line. I prefer to have the
    parent in the room so that they can actually hear what
    I am really saying rather than getting their child's
    interpretation of my reading. Be clear on your age
    requirements as well -- for example, I do not like
    reading for anyone under 14 as I feel that they begin
    to ask better questions once they enter the teen years.
    Set a limit that feels right for you.
     
    2. Set the tone with a light-hearted attitude. 
    Some children may feel fearful about tarot cards and 
    may be worried that they'll get a "bad fortune." I
    always start off with a silly joke such as: "You are
    not allowed to ask questions about Justin Beiber" and
    that seems to lift the mood.
     
    3. Don't use a "scary" deck. 
    This is not the time to pull out anything with creepy 
    imagery. In fact, I recommend getting the most 
    innocuous deck you can find. Good choices are 
    The Connolly Deck, Whimsical Tarot, or Hanson Roberts. 
    You also may want to avoid any deck with nudity as 
    that may make them (or the parents!) uncomfortable.
     
    4. Use lingo that they can understand. 
    Talking in arcane, esoteric terms will be boring and 
    they will quickly lose interest. On the other hand, 
    don't talk down to them either. Young people deserve 
    as much respect as adults. Repeat things as needed and 
    get feedback from them to make sure that they understand
    what you are talking about.
     
    5. Refrain from acting like the parent. 
    In other words, don't lecture, admonish or act judgmental. 
    Your role is a trusted advisor and friend. I've had many
    clients over the years who have started coming to me as
    a teenager -- one of the reasons they continue to see me
    is because I have never tried to parent them through my
    readings.
     
    6. Be sensitive. 
    A young person may have issues that seem silly to you 
    but may be very important to them. A good rule of thumb: 
    remember what it was like to be that age.
     
    7. Always end on a positive note. 
    Don't let them walk away feeling hopeless. If the reading 
    is negatively slanted, be sure to offer positive advice and 
    look for options. And be very careful about giving a 
    prediction that may become a self-fulfilling prophecy. 
    (For example: I've heard a horror story with tragic
    results about a reader telling a young person that they 
    would become an alcoholic.). Provide encouragement 
    and let them know that they have the key to create any 
    future that they desire.
     
     
    A reading with you may be the first exposure that a
    child has to the tarot. Take it seriously but keep your
    vibe playful and sensitive.
     
    "Children are like wet cement. Whatever falls on them
    makes an impression." ~ Dr. Haim Ginott
     
     
    Theresa Reed aka The Tarot Lady has been reading tarot
    for thirty years and working as a professional tarot
    reader for two decades. She is an intuitive tarot
    reader and is known for her practical, strategic and
    no-nonsense approach. In addition to reading tarot, she
    is an avid blogger, tarot mentor, yoga teacher, social
    media geek and wannabe chef.
     
     
     
    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.
     

     
    Tarot Lovers Welcome Home! 
     

    Join our international event as hundreds of tarot

    readers, teachers, authors and artists gather for three

    extraordinary days of tarot study and play.


    The 2011 Readers Studio ...the place to be for tarot! Click Here!

    THE READERS STUDIO 
    April 29 - May 1, 2011
    LaGuardia Marriott Hotel, New York

    for all the details!
     
     


     
    Featured Tarot Blog
    TAROT HERMENEUTICS
     
    Paul Nagy casts a fascinating eye on tarot with 
    his personal approach to tarot study with Tarot
    Hermeneutics. 
     
    Tarot Hermeneutics explores how we create meaning 
    in tarot readings. Paul utilizes tarot to study and 
    analyze various literary and sacred texts such as
    the "Promethea" series by Alan Moore. 
     
    Here you can find links to various workshops and 
    links to interviews and discussions with Paul. 
    Paul is also a nondenominational minister who offers 
    spiritual direction through his Spiritual Friendship 
    ministry.This blog is truly unique and special!
     
     
     

     
      
     
    Join our 2,900+ 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,
    events and more, go to www.TarotSchool.com

     
    © Copyright 2011 The Tarot School - All Rights Reserved
    Directors: Ruth Ann and Wald Amberstone