Vol. 3 #10 / October 1, 2011
In this Issue:
- Welcome
- Tarot Tip: Elemental Energy and Tarot
- Tarot Card Showcase: Seven of Pentacles
- Upcoming Events
- Best Practices: Cultivating Success in Times of Obstacles
- Featured Tarot Blog: The Tarot Reader Blog
Welcome to a new issue of Tarot Tips!
And a special welcome to our new readers.
It's been awhile since we visited your inbox, and we're
happy to be back! Ruth Ann is mostly recovered from
her fall, Gina is mostly finished with her travels (she's
still in Italy on a fabulous Tarot Tour), and Wald is
cooking up some great new classes.
We are all working on major projects -- there seems to
be a lot of that going around lately -- so we're planning
to publish once a month, with occasional additional
emails to keep you up to date with Tarot School activities.
We hope you'll stay with us, but if you decide you'd
rather not hear from us anymore, simply use the
unsubscribe link at the bottom of the page.
That said, let's get started...
Understanding elemental energies is an important part of
working with tarot and with magical practice as a whole.
To work with the energies of life is fundamental to learning
our own nature and helps to recognize subtle nuances in
others. The eventual goal is to become like the Magician
and be able to master and harmonize all aspects of the
elements.
In this issue, the topic is the four magical elements. The
tip discusses working with the elemental forces through
the tarot aces and gives a brief description of the elemental
Nature Spirits and their kingdoms.
The showcase card is the Seven of Pentacles, a card that
represents utilizing lots of energy and drive to achieve
one's ambitions, often coupled with a strange mix of
encouragement and loss of faith. It speaks to the saying
"hurry up and wait."
We have a new and fantastic tarot blog for you and the Best
Practices column talks about dealing with obstacles in
growing your business and has suggestions on cultivating
success when you feel stuck.
Yours on the tarot journey,
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
ELEMENTAL ENERGY AND TAROT
Swords, Wands, Cups and Pentacles are traditionally used to
describe the four suits in the RWS deck. The suits are
symbols of "magical" tools, which provide the cards with
energy represented by four primary principles.
The four suits are analogous to the four cardinal points,
the four corners of creation, the four Qabalastic worlds and
the four elements. Among the main divisions of the elements
exist four kingdoms of nature spirits or "elementals."
According to Western tradition, elementals known as sylphs,
gnomes, nymphs and salamanders occupy the four elemental
ethers. These magical beings are behind the "laws of nature"
and are often part of the storyline of many folk tales and
literature.
In tarot the workings of these etheric intelligences are
perceived in the Aces and the Court cards, which carry the
forces of the elements and express them in various ways. The
following gives a brief overview of the distinction in each:
Salamanders
The Salamanders are called the Spirits of Fire. Fire cannot
be ignited without their help. Salamanders or Salamandrines
are just as varied as humans with different sizes and
appearances. They dwell in the South and are ruled by the
Fire King Djin. They are described as lizard-like or
sometimes serpentine in appearance. The Salamanders define
energy that is active, quick, sudden, warm, fierce and
terrible.
The Sylphs
The sages of old say that the sylphs live in an ethereal
substance rather than the natural atmosphere of the earth.
They are the Spirits of Air and reside in the Eastern corner
of creation. Sylphs are described as having the highest
vibratory rate and are lead by King Paralda. These beings
are the energy of a sudden thought and the first beginnings
of ideas. The sylphs have a nature that is ever-changing and
swift.
The Undines
This is the title given to the Spirits of Water. Undines are
described as resembling water sprites or mermaids.
Generally, they are depicted as human females embodying
water as the feminine element. They are found near flowing
rivers, rushing waterfalls or in mists above the oceans.
Undines live in the Western quadrant and are led by King
Niksa. Sensitivity, intuition, grace and beauty are
qualities found in this class of elementals. The undines are
often represented by fish or dolphins, and exist in everything
containing water.
Gnomes
Gnomes are possibly the best known of the elementals. They
are the Spirits of Earth and are sometimes called little men
of the woods. The garden gnome that is popular today - the
little man with the long white beard and pointed red hat is
a common representation of a typical gnome. The gnomes are
the caretakers of the earth. They have power over trees,
rocks and anything earthy or growing from the earth. They
reside in the Northern corner and are ruled by King Gob.
Gnomes have an enormous appetite. They are described as
having a gloomy temperament, but they are steady, sturdy
workers. Their energy is one of growth and production.
During tarot readings, special attention should be placed on
the effects the elements have on each other. According to
the principles of combination called Elemental Dignities,
some elements are comfortable with other, while others
interact by intensifying or hindering each other's effect.
Wands and Cups - Slow
Swords and Pentacles - Slow
Wands and Swords - Intense
Pentacles and Cups - Intense
Swords and Cups - Work Together
Wands and Pentacles - Work Together
Try placing 2 or 3 cards in a single line and notice how the
energy flows and feels in a spread.
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.
SEVEN OF PENTACLES
Astrological Attribution: Saturn in Taurus
Qabalistic Attribution: Netzach in Assiah
Esoteric Title: Lord of Success Unfulfilled
The Seven of Pentacles shows a young farmer watching discs
that are growing on a vine. It is difficult to tell whether
he is disappointed or pleased with the growth of this plant.
He leans on a gardening tool for support while quietly
contemplating his next move.
The Seven of Pentacles card is the epitome of what it is to
have patience. It encourages the querent to be persistent
and to know that only things that are properly tended to
bear fruit.
It encourages one to assess the progress made in an
endeavor. It can be a card of challenges and tests.
Sometimes it is not about the immediately tangible but more
about defining what is worthwhile in life.
Hard or manual labor is often present with the Seven of
Pentacles; it could signify farming, horticulture or
landscaping tasks. Time and effort spent on a project may
yield only more work, and demands even more of your
resources.
In a reading, this card may mean that profits are made but
the increase may only be slight. It may be time to clear the
way for the new and let go of the old. It is a strong
indicator of financial gain. Wealth and riches may be
pursued allowing no room for anything else. It may be time
to stop and smell the roses.
Positive Keywords: Money, wealth, profit, payoff, progress,
gains, rewards, partial success, patience, perseverance,
determination; agriculture, farming, gardening, business,
and harvest.
Negative Keywords: Setbacks, delays, bad crops, weeds,
waste, complications.
Upcoming Events:
Starting this week!
CARD STUDY COMPLETE: DEATH - THE TOWER
Death, Temperance, The Devil and The Tower -- twilight,
reflected light, torchlight, lightning -- four kinds of
dark illumination that connects spirit to nature.
Here lies drama, here lies occult knowledge and power,
here lies temptation, here lies the way across the void of
the unconscious.
This 4-class series looks into the "dark heart" of the
Major Arcana continuum. We invite you to join us for the
adventure!
10/06 - Death
10/13 - Temperance
10/20 - The Devil
10/27 - The Tower
4 Thursdays: October 6, 13, 20 and 27
9-11 pm Eastern time
Tuition: $80 for the series -- includes .mp3 recordings!
Earns 8 Degree credits
You'll receive the mp3 recordings even if you can't attend
the classes.
October 14 - 15, 2011
The UK Tarot Conference Thistle Barbican Hotel
Central Street, London EC1V 8DS
Speakers include: Sasha Fenton, Gaynor Thompson,
Philip Carr-Gomm, Adele Nozedar, John Matthews,
Mark Ryan, Anna Franklin and Trudy Ashplant
Best Practices for Professional Readers
CULTIVATING SUCCESS IN TIMES OF
OBSTACLES
Obstacles happen all the time especially in trying to grow
any business. From mental blocks to personal interruptions,
family issues, plain procrastination, or just being distracted,
I personally get really frustrated when trying to maintain
momentum.
Obstacles also come in the form of financial setbacks, low
sales, no sales, meeting deadlines, or trying to do too many
things at once. Does this sound like you, or am I alone
here?
Your business depends on staying focused and proficient, and
dealing with obstacles when they arise. I know, it is easier
said than done. Procrastination is one of the main obstacles
that hinders growth for entrepreneurs. (Guilty!) A strategy
favored by business and marketing coaches for overcoming
this obstacle is to make a list of the top five things that
are really important to accomplish over a set amount of
time. It helps to categorize tasks by the urgency with which
they need to be addressed.
Cultivate success by tapping into the elementals or spirit
of your business. This can be done by what you do best - a
reading. Create a spread that will give you insight into
where your attention needs to be for success.
Be honest about where you are, and if growing your business
takes too much of your personal energy and attention, this
could lead to spreading yourself too thin. If this is the
case, consider hiring an assistant, or better yet, a mentor
who will help you put things in perspective.
Reaching your goals for business growth takes time.
Activities such as list building and networking are all
about planting seeds for the future. Networking brings the
perspective of other business associates that will spark
ideas that get you out of a rut when you feel stuck.
Tarot Affirmation:
Success comes to me through determined effort,
strong focus and patience.
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.
Join our international event as hundreds of tarot
readers, teachers, authors and artists gather for three
extraordinary days of tarot study and play.
THE READERS STUDIO
April 27 - 29, 2012
LaGuardia Marriott Hotel, New York
for all the details!
Featured Tarot Blog
THE TAROT READER BLOG
Stella Luna is a professional tarot reader in Australia.
This blog is for anyone interested in all things tarot.
Stella believes tarot is a road map for life and she is one
of many guides. She is a member of the Tarot Guild of
Australia and Tarosophy. Be sure and stop by this blog and
become connected to the global tarot community.
Join our 3,440+ 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 2011 The Tarot School - All Rights Reserved
Directors: Ruth Ann and Wald Amberstone
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