Newsletter of The Tarot School
http://TarotSchool.com
ISSN: 1529-0565 
Vol. 13 #16 / December 1, 2021

                                                                  
 In this Issue:
- Welcome
- Tarot Tip: Double Winter Solstice Spread
- Tarot School Aphorism
- Meet the Reader: Theresa Reed
- Just For Fun: Tarot Meme
- Diviner's Corner: Water Divination
- Best Practices: Preparing for Tax Season
- Upcoming Events
 
Welcome to a new issue of Tarot Tips!
And a special welcome to our new subscribers.


Gold wreath photo by Jamie Lee from Pexels
 

The month of December is often filled with
contradictory feelings. The holidays can be
a time of joyous celebration. But at the same
time, this month can be especially stressful.
In an attempt to be helpful, I created the
"Help for the Holidays Technique," which
we published a couple of years ago. You'll
find it in the Tarot Tips archives here:
https://tarotschool.com/TarotTips191222.html

Whether you're in a celebratory mood or
just need to take this time for yourself,
we send you our fondest wishes for a
peaceful end to 2021.

A bit about this issue...

This month's Tip describes an unusual type
of spread. Although it was designed to 
work with the "12 Days of Christmas,"
it's actually a versatile technique you can
use at other times as well. Use your creativity! 

Also in this issue, there's a lovely aphorism
from Wald Amberstone, and a really funny
tarot meme. Learn about different forms of
divining with water, meet Theresa Reed ––
The Tarot Lady, and get some end-of-year
tax preparation tips in the Best Practices
column. Enjoy!


  
And one more thing...

The Tarot School's Tarot Salon

This past week, we celebrated the
1st Anniversary of our Tarot Salon!
 

Moving our weekly classes to Zoom
is the only good thing that came out of
the pandemic for us. But we love
connecting with our students, both
local and around the world. We've had
the chance to re-connect with those
we haven't seen in a long time and
meet new ones as well. 

Since we don't follow a set curriculum,
it’s not possible to publish a list of classes
in advance but we do reveal each week's
topic in the notification email we send
out a few days before. Get on the list
at http://tarot.salon

We look forward to seeing you there!



Wishing you health and bright blessings,
Ruth Ann, Wald and 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
DOUBLE WINTER SOLSTICE SPREAD

The Midwinter Solstice is celebrated in many
traditions especially in the West.
Acknowledgement of the season by way of
rituals and festivals dates back to
pre-Christian times and, colored by various
places and customs, became what is simply
Christmas, Christmastide or Solsticetide.  

Christmas is marked as a single day in
December but the season is actually twelve
days long. These 12 days are part of a carol
sung during the season but other than the
gift-giving part, leaves the core meaning of
the celebration lacking.   

This spread incorporates the essence of the
events celebrated from December 25th
(sometimes December 24th) through January
6th. The concept of the double spread is to
look at what has been learned from the past
12 months (Positions 1-12) and visions or
expectations for the upcoming 12 months
(Positions 13-24).  The spread positions
correspond to the customary days for
honoring certain saints but the meanings are
accessible for both Christian and Pagan
traditions. 

The spread presented here is large, so
you’ll need ample desk/table space and your
tarot journal. 

To begin, find a space and time away from
disruptions. Close your eyes and take
several deep breaths to ground and relax.
Once relaxed, open your eyes and grab your
favorite deck and shuffle to begin the
spread. The spread will contain two
“circles” consisting of the twenty-four
positions of one inner circle and one outer
circle. 

Begin laying out the card from the far left
for position one going counter-clockwise
laying out the first 12 cards. 

Starting from the left again, lay out a
second set of twelve cards, also
counter-clockwise. Cards should align so
that there are two set of cards for each or
the twelve positions, a total of 24 cards. 

Positions 1 and 13:
Day 1 (Christmas – Birth of Jesus):  
Beginnings, focus, roots, emergence. 

Positions 2 and 14:
Day 2 (St Stephen – Boxing Day):
Assets, material goods, charity. 

Position 3 and 15:
Day 3 (St. John – Mother's Night):
Communication, writing, contemplation fertility. 

Positions 4 and 16:
Day 4 (The Feast of the Holy Innocents –
Childremass):
Family, children, home, childhood memories. 

Positions 5 and 17:
Day 5 (St Thomas Becket – Feast of Fools):
Sacrifice, creativity, entertainment, courage,
emotion, challenge to authority. 

Positions 6 and 18:
Day 6 (St Egwin of Worcester –
Bringing in the Boar):
Prosperity, work, service, farming, gaming, justice. 

Positions 7 and 19:
Day 7 (New Year’s Eve – Hogmanay):
Agreements, assessment, cleansing, purification,
tying up loose ends or unfinished business. 

Positions 8 and 20:
Day 8 (New Year’s Day – Kalends of January –
Mary, Mother of Jesus):
Festivities, gathering, endings and beginnings,
transformation. 

Positions 9 and 21:
Day 9 (St. Basil & St. Gregory – Evergreen Day):
Philosophy, asceticism, religion, legal affairs, travel.

Positions 10 and 22:
Day 10 (Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus –
St. Distaff’s Day):
Duties, careers, professions, honor, fame and
social status. 

Positions 11 and 23:
Day 11 (St. Elizabeth Ann Seton – Three Kings’ Day):
Group activity. Congregation, associations, wishes,
hopes, aspirations. 

Positions 12 and 24: Day 12 (Epiphany –
Twelfth Night): Endings, undoings, completion,
triumph, achievements. 


Although this spread is holiday-specific, the
technique is one you can use in any context
where a look back and a look ahead is useful.
For example, a review of the past year and
a peek at the 12 months to come can be done
in December or at any other yearly cycle
such as a birthday. 

If you're feeling creative, come up with
your own spread positions to be used
with any number of cards you choose!


 


 Tarot School Aphorism
 
 
            Every Major Arcana card  describes a specific way  that human beings interact with  each other and the world around them. Each of these ways is unique.  Each is important.  Each is present in all of us. - Wald Amberstone

           
            
 


Meet The Reader
THERESA REED

By Sharonah Rapseik, Ph.D., CMAP



Theresa Reed
             

Theresa Reed is a world-renowned Tarot
reader and expert, who has been reading
Tarot and teaching Tarot to students for
over 30 years. She is the author of The
Tarot Coloring Book, Astrology for Real
Life, Tarot: No Questions Asked
, and the 
co-author of Tarot For Troubled Times.
She is also the creator of “Tarot for Kids,”
a deck created for ages 8 and up.

Theresa is a popular speaker at Tarot
conferences and workshops. She runs a
popular website and blog, where she
dishes out advice, inspiration, and tips
for Tarot and Astrology lovers of all
experience levels. She also hosts two
podcasts: Tarot Bytes and Astrology Bytes.

Theresa believes that the purpose of Tarot
and Astrology is to help you identify
creative solutions to life’s many challenges,
make wiser decisions, and lead a happier life.
For Theresa Reed, the mystical arts are tools
for self-empowerment, reminding you that
you are always in charge of your destiny...

The cards tell a story, but you write the
ending.



Sharonah Rapseik:
Theresa, what makes your tarot practice unique
and how do you express it?

Theresa Reed:
I’m not sure if my practice is unique, but
I love using Tarot (and Astrology) for
business. I find it an amazing tool for
exploring trends, guiding clients, making
decisions, and creative brainstorming.

I’ve been using the metaphysical arts in
my own business for a long time and
they’ve helped my business thrive, even
during recessions and other challenges.
Sometimes it has been uncanny in its
accuracy about the outcomes of changes
I wanted or needed to make. I guess
I shouldn’t be surprised, but after forty
years, I’m still in awe at how useful and
accurate Tarot is for me and for the
people I’ve served.


Sharonah Rapseik:
Thank you Theresa, it’s been a pleasure to meet you!

 

Follow Theresa Reed here:

https://www.thetarotlady.com
 
https://www.patreon.com/thetarotlady
 
https://twitter.com/thetarotlady
 
https://www.instagram.com/thetarotlady/
 
https://www.facebook.com/thetarotlady
 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/thetarotlady/
 
 
You can learn more about and purchase
Theresa Reed’s books at:
 
https://www.thetarotlady.com/tarot-books/

     
About Sharonah:

Sharonah Rapseik 

Sharonah Rapseik is an Artist / Designer,
Author, Tarot Reader, Radio Host and
Producer for Psychic Talk Radio.

Visit her at:

https://psychictalk.net/sharonah/

 
 
                                   Just For Fun


When my friend comes to me for a relationship reading for the 8th time...  (Photo shows the cards laid out to spell the words DUMP HIM.)

                  

 
 
Diviner's Corner
WATER DIVINATION 


Hydromancy


Water is life, and life has much to offer.
For centuries it has been believed that
water can carry messages from beyond.
In more recent history, it has been implied
that water can respond to consciousness,
according to the research of Dr. Masaru
Emoto, who for over 20 years studied and
photographed the scientific evidence of how
the molecular structure in water transforms
when it is exposed to human words, thoughts,
sounds and intentions.  

Diviners used what was available and nearby
to use as a tool to aid in forecasting. Anything
found in the natural world from the elements
to animals became necessity to the toolbox
of shamans, teachers and practitioners.

Hydromancy involves gazing into a pool of
water for psychic messages. Reading the
motion or patterns in moving water such as
ripples were also used for insight.  

Scyphomancy, which is associated with
hydromancy, uses a goblet, cup or urn
filled with water for forecasting. 
Practitioners tap the container or drop
something into the water and watch for
ripples in order to derive a prediction. 
Debris or particles in the water can
also be used to read signs and omens.  



Resources:

Dr. Masaru Emoto's Water Experiments
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Moz82i89JAw

The Hidden Messages in Water
https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Messages-Water-Masaru-Emoto/dp/0743289803

Hydromancy for Scrying
https://thewitchesbox.com/hydromancy-for-scrying/




We’d love your suggestion or submissions
for this column! If you have an idea or would
like to contribute, please contact us at
tarot@tarotschool.com.


 
Best Practices for Professional Readers
PREPARING FOR TAX SEASON

By Gina Thies
www.tarotadvisor.com  / www.facebook.com/tarotreaders 
www.tarotcoupling.com / www.oraclesoup.org


The year is coming to a close and you know
what that means – tax prep season!

Hopefully, you have a great expert to help
you with your filing and financial needs.
Finding a qualified expert can be daunting
given all the designations and abbreviations
listed on their businesses. 

If you are a new business professional
filing for the first time, what you’ll need
to file can be discussed before you meet
with your advisor. If you have a return that
is basic and easy, you might be able to
enlist the help of regular tax preparer but
if you have more complex expenses such as
dealing with inventory or an enrolled agent,
a certified public accountant is recommended.

TIP: Search on "Tax preparation services" 
to find people who are available in your area.
 

Here are some of the items you may need to
have handy when filing:
 

• home office square footage 
• supply receipts 
• travel expenses 
• mileage 
• expenses related to education 
• advertising expenses 
• phone and communication 
• utilities

TIP: Consider making upgrades or capital
improvements near the end of the year to
increase your tax deductions. By spending
more on deductible items, you can reduce
your overall income. If you were waiting
on that new computer system, you may
want to buy it now!


Resources:

 

Upcoming Events:
 

The Tarot School's Tarot Salon on Zoom!


• Monday, December 3, 13 and 20, 2021
  (There is no class on the 27th.)

• Monday, January 10, 17, 24 and 31, 2022
  (There is no class on the 3rd – Happy New Year!)


Tarot Salon on Zoom!
7:00 - 9:00 pm EDT

Our popular Monday night classes are
now online so you can attend no matter
where you live!

Get on the notification list to see
what we'll be teaching each week.
Find the form and register here:
 
http://tarot.salon


 

Readings with Ruth Ann:

Running The Tarot School with Wald keeps
me pretty busy, but I still love giving readings!
If you would like to book a private reading
with me over Zoom, send an email to
tarot@tarotschool.com and we'll discuss it.

          
 

 
 
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