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November 2004
Welcome to Gateway To Tarot.
This newsletter is sent out to subscribers only. If you have received this newsletter in error, please send a blank e-mail to: Gateway To Tarot with "unsubscribe" in the subject line. If you were forwarded this newsletter, and would like to subscribe, please send a blank e-mail to: Gateway To Tarot with "subscribe" in the subject line. Newsletters from January 2003 on are archived on my site, www.TheCrystalGate.com.
My thanks to each of you for continuing to be part of this process.
Mitakuye Oyasin - For All Of Our Relations.
Bonnie Cehovet, TM
Editorial: Tarot Ramblings Tarot Book Reviews:
Tarot Shadow Work Tarot Deck Reviews: Non-Tarot Book Reviews:
Charm Spells Non-Tarot Deck Reviews:
Editorial: Tarot Ramblings As I write this, I am contemplating Arnell Ando and Leslie Cochran's 2004 Tarot Art Calendar. It has given me hope and inspiration this entire year. For October, Arnell has gifted us with an amazing version of The Chariot. Lighter colors on the bottom, darker colors on the top - I was drawn to the top of the page first - where we see a witch gliding along on her broomstick. My eyes then fell to the top center of the card, which shows a wise old owl in flight. The bottom left hand side of the card shows a field of bright yellow flowers blooming next to a road being traveled by a truck/camper. At the bottom of the card we see a fawn playing along a stream. This is not all there is to see in this card - but it certainly opens up what the Chariot can be! From Ellen Lorenzi-Prince on her latest project: "Crone Ways is a spiral bound booklet with a cardstock cover. It's a collaborative collection of over 30 spreads and meditations that are inspired by the Crone. The cost is $13, including shipping." I have had the great good fortune to work with this booklet. The spreads and meditations are definitely beyond what you will find elsewhere. If you want to expand your sense of self, as well as your sense of the Tarot, this book is an excellent choice! For more information, please contact Ellen at: elp@CroneWays.com. Kris Waldherr has a new offering out - the Goddess Tarot Datebook. It is spiral bound, with over fifty illustrations from the Goddess Tarot. It includes holidays from many diverse traditions, including Pagan/Wiccan, Christian, Jewish and Muslim. For more information, please visit www.artandwords.com/datebook.htm. Thanks to Tarot Passages web-mistress Diane Wilkes, we have a heads up on a very exciting project from the illustrious K. Frank Jensen. Mr. Jensen is in the process of bringing up a new Tarot site, www.manteia-online.dk. The current plan is that 30-50% of the site will be devoted to republishing of original Manteia articles and reviews, with plans to add further reviews and articles. Of interest to collector's and wanna be collectors is a section entitled "Collector's Corner", with articles relating to collecting. "Mail Art", will include articles and a description of Mr. Jensen's Tarot based mail art projects. Mr. Jensen will also be including a section on "Catalogs", which will eventually include the limited edition "Mantic Tools Catalog", as well as relevant chapters from his annotated "Bibliography of Books in Spilkammeret". In the future, there may also be inclusion of Mr. Jensen's catalog "The Prophetic Cards", which are non-Tarot cartomantic cards. Having only seen a few of Mr. Jensen's reviews on-line, I am thrilled to see that he is creating this site so that we can see more of his work. A tip of the hat (and my heartfelt thanks!) to Arnell Ando for helping get this site up (and to Diane Wilkes for graciously bringing it to our attention)! This definitely goes into the "keep track of" file! For information on the reprinting of Robert V. O'Neil's seminal work "Tarot Symbolism", please visit http://association.tarotstudies.org/symbolism.html. For information on the 2005 Tarot Symposium in Australia, please visit 2005 Tarot Conference. A downloadable conference pamplet can be found here: Tarot Conference Programme Schedule. We are very, very lucky in that Arnell Ando and Leslie Cochran are creating another great calendar for 2005. For further information, please visit www.arnellart.com/cal-promo.htm. For information on Major Tom's Tarot Lovers Calendar, please visit Tarot Lovers' Calendar 2004 . Kudos to Major Tom for donating a portion of the proceeds to Aeclectic Tarot to keep the show going! See Joanna Powell-Colbert's latest card for her Gaian Tarot: Temperance. (Joanna also has a new column appearing in the Pan Gaia Journal (www.pangaia.com). ) The new Sagewoman 2005 Calendar is out, featuring two Gaian Tarot images, with text by Full Moon Dreams creator Lunaea Weatherstone. You can view/purchase the calendar here: www.amberlotus.com/sagewoman-05-cal.html. The book that we have all been eagerly awaiting has arrived! Llewellyn's Tarot Reader 2005 is now available. To read a review of the book, click Llewellyn Reader 2005.To purchase the book, click Llewellyn's Tarot Reader 2005. For information on the Collector's Edition reprinting of Julie Cuccia-Watts Blue Moon Tarot, please visit www.newmoontradingco.com/trading/bluemoon/bluemoon.htm. Remember - this Collector's Edition reprinting will be funding the printing of Julie's newest project - the MAAT Tarot!
Christmas Contest!
I thought that it might be fun to have a Christmas contest, so that is what we are going to do! My problem was - what kind of contest? Tarot spreads for Christmas came to mind, but, as we are all aware, I am not good with the technical side of the Internet, so I would have a hard time both sizing images (I know - I need to get a really good software program!) and getting the format for the spread right.
My next thought was a short story - using the Christmas holiday theme. (You do not have to celebrate Christmas to use it as a theme, folks! I am tired to death of working around the ubiquitous "Holiday Season" with generic wishes etc.) This is what we are going to run with. :)
You may use up to five cards, and they may be from one deck, or from several different decks. (Or the same card from several different decks!) The story can be either in the form of a poem or a short story, and should be under 500 words. The theme needs to be Christmas, and the tone of the poem or story needs to be one that is acceptable to a general audience.
I will print the story in my December newsletter, with all copyrights going to the author. PLEASE BE AWARE THAT ALL OF MY PAGES, ONCE UP, STAY UP. YOUR STORY, COPYRIGHT TO YOU, WILL REMAIN UP ON THE INTERNET.
The winning author will receive a copy (brand new) of Paul Huson's "Mystical Origin's Of The Tarot".
Deadline for entries is December 10th. Please e-mail them to me (in the body of an e-mail) at:
Crystalgate@aol.com.
And yes - as editor, I get to choose the winning entry! Have fun with this, ladies and gentlemen!
My monthly horoscope may be seen at: http://www.horoscope.thecrystalgate.com . I use Tarot for mundane guidance and the Sacred Path cards by Jami Sams for spiritual guidance. I am always looking for feedback here. :)
Interview With Karen Mahony, Alex Ukolov & Anna Hakkarainen I am most definitely a feline fancier - and was thrilled when Karen, Alex and agreed to talk about the Baroque Bohemian Cat's Tarot. This is their story!
BC: How did you and Alex get together to form Baba Studio? KM: We were introduced by a mutual friend, a slightly crazy Tartarian fashion designer who simply decided we should meet. Initially I think Alex and I weren't quite sure what to make of each other, we come from very different backgrounds. But we met again explicitly to talk about contemporary Russian design, and realized how well we got on - on many levels. Within six months we had formed the beginnings of the studio. AS: Unbelievably bizarrely and by chance. BC: What was the decision making process to base the Magic Realist Press in London? KM: In two words, red tape! It takes forever to form a company here in Czech Republic, and the regulations are unfortunately still more or less stuck in the days of communism. We are for example currently (I kid you not) writing letters to give ourselves official permission to work in our own company! The days of Kafka-esque bureaucracy are still alive and kicking. As I already had a company in London it just seemed easier to base everything there, where rules and regulations are much simpler. The only big hiccup was that the original company name "Xymbio" turned out to be owned by a pornography site (the kind of thing we all have to be a bit wary in these days of the internet) - but in some ways it may even have been a blessing in disguise - as it spurred us into very rapidly changing the name of the publication imprint to "The Magic Realist Press" a much better and more explanatory name. BC: The "Baroque Bohemian Cat's Tarot" is an incredible deck! How do you move from a project like the "Tarot of Prague" (which is based on the art and culture of Prague) to a project like this one?
On-line Divination sites: In cruising the Internet I have found several on-line divination sites - both Tarot and non-Tarot, that are both fun and worth spending time with. Some of these sites are for specific Tarot decks - and I have to say the art is stupendous! It makes me feel glad to be alive, and more than happy to be part of the Tarot world. I hope that you enjoy these as much as I am:
Note: The following information is being presented with the permission of Johanna Gargiulo-Sherman, Zoë Matoff, and Rachel Pollack.
"TAROT: UNIFYING THE PSYCHIC AND WISDOM TRADITIONS" We have scheduled this two-day intensive around Halloween -- when information from the psychic realms is most accessible to us -- in the hopes that all of you -- no matter what your level of expertise, from neophyte to grand master -- will consider joining us or letting others know about the innovative work that Rachel Pollack (Shining Tribe Tarot) and Johanna Gargiulo-Sherman (Sacred Rose Tarot) are planning in uniting the work of those who approach and work with the Tarot psychically and those who work interpretatively (read "intuitively"). Why must it be one OR the other? We know that both avenues are more or less open to all of us. Now, through having what we call the Wisdom tradition and the Psychic tradition actually dialogue with each other in a reading, you can amaze yourself with your ability to call up skills you never thought you had, in a tradition you may never have explored, using the stuff you are already made of! That's why we say this workshop is open to all levels. If you have any questions, or would like a brochure with reservation slip sent to you, please contact Zoe at: zoëmaat@hvc.rr.com. We hope to hear of your interest and encourage you to sign up for the two-day intensive to get the full benefit of the exercises and illustrations. We do recommend enrollment by the September 23 date to insure a reservation. Seating is limited to 55 at each workshop. We cannot reserve a place in the workshop without payment in full. However, we will place your name on a list to contact should there be remaining seats available.
Review: Tarot Art Calendar 2005 Throughout the year 2004 I have had the great good luck to have the 2004 Tarot Art Calendar (by the extraordinary artists Arnell Ando and Leslie Cochran) in plain view when I look up from my computer. It has given me inspiration, solace, and a "safe place" to go when things are not going well. I very much look forward to moving gently into 2005 with that same "safe place". The calendar is 8 1/2" by 11" - made from sturdy, high gloss, quality cardstock (this is not called a Collectors Edition Calendar for nothing!). (Note: The graphic above shows a black outline that is not there in real-life - the cover is white, with black lettering, featuring a collage of illustrations - and stamps - from the calendar.) I have calendars from past years (non-Tarot themes) that sit in drawers, waiting for a purpose. My Tarot Art Calendars are going to be displayed, so that they can continue to bring joy. :) Each year Arnell and Leslie include wonderful surprises for those that pre-order. (Unfortunately, it is too late to pre-order for the 2005 calendar. Make a note on your calendar for next year!) This years surprises included post cards of the images from the calendar, and a set of stamps using images from the calendar (on sticky paper, so they can be used - along with regular postage, not instead of!). Each artist has done 6 of the 12 illustrations, and written the text that accompanies it. The "look" for this years calendar is one that is dear to me - one of nostalgia, of reflecting back to the past - mixing elements to bring a touch of fantasy and a sense of timelessness to our lives. Below are samples from each of the artists. I am sure that you will all agree, this is a "Magickal" work!
Article: Samhain I find the last three months of the year incredibly powerful - they hold more energy for me than the entire rest of the year. Born the end of December, I am definitely winter's child! I am always happy to start decorating for any holiday, but All Hallows Eve (Samhain, Halloween) is certainly a favorite. I got a head start this year - I decorated on the last day of September. I must have needed to do that, because it certainly gave me a jolt of energy and improved my outlook on life! I love everything about Samhain - from decorating, to putting little bags of candy together to hand out to kids of all ages (if you are in costume, you can get candy at my house no matter how old you are!), to carving the pumpkin (done the day before, with much ceremony and no pomp - just lots of love, joy and laughter). The history behind those lit pumpkins is an interesting one too - and may make you look at them in a little different manner. Samhain is celebrated as one of the four Pagan/Wiccan Sabbats. It honors the Pagan/Wiccan New Year, but it is also the one night of the year when the veil between the physical and spiritual world is the thinnest. We can access the other side with great ease - and our ancestors can cross the veil to spend time celebrating with us. In olden times, lit pumpkins were carried by people who were out and about on Samhain Eve (All Hallow's Eve, Halloween) not only as a source of light, but as a source of protection from faeries and other spirits. Enjoy your pumpkins, but honor them also for the protection that they give you and your household. Samhain is the most powerful night of the year for meditation and ritual, becasue the veil between the worlds is at its thinnest. What are you planning for this years celebration? What do you have to be thankful for? What are you looking to release from your life? What do you wish to bring into your next year? In what direction is your creativity taking you? How can you nurture that creativity? What are your fears? How can you come to terms with those fears? What messages would you like to hear from your ancestors? What messages would you like to hear from your guides? What astral work would you like to do on this night? May this Samhain bring you laughter, joy, peace ... and an understanding of self. Blessed Be - So Mote It Be.
Site Review: www.TarotAffirmations.com www.TarotAffirmations.com is the site of Sally Hill, Ph.D., author of the Tarot Affirmations Tarot deck. Her intro tells it all: "78 cards for positive growth and change". Using the imagery of Pamela Coleman Smith and Mary Hanson Roberts (using the Rider-Waite deck drawn by Pamela Coleman Smith and recolored by Mary Hanson Roberts), Dr. Hill has gifted us with a stunning visual tool of personal empowerment. There are several card examples shown on the site. On the left hand side of the card we see the Tarot card image, while on the right hand side we see the accompanying affirmation. What wonderful cards for reading, meditation and ritual - and what a gift for story telling! The text from the Empress card reads:
I am unconditional love; I cherish and nurture people and projects, providing a sound foundation for their continuing growth. I am passion; I have experienced the power of emotion and sensation; I courageously embrace life's pleasure and pain. I know the joy of giving and receiving; my love is a source of healing and renewal for myself and others. I love wisely; I have learned to encourage growth without dominating or over-protecting the people in my care." There is a very unique feature on this site that I had a great deal of fun with, and that was the software program for choosing an affirmation. On this page, there is a graphic of cards shuffling (as in many other Tarot software programs). In this instance, when you click on the cards to draw for yourself, the card that you are gifted with has a Tarot image AND a stunning affirmation. I was impressed to the point of including this on my list of free Tarot readings! (I might add - the first card that I drew was the Hermit, which is a birth card for me. And, at this point in my life, the was a message that I needed to hear!) Dr. Hill also provides a live link to an article on how to put the affirmation that you have drawn to use in your life. Well done! Dr. Hill has shared her thoughts on the Tarot through a series of well done articles that are available on site, including: "Decipher The Image"; "the Power of Projection"; "Creating With Collage"; "Working With Words"; "Cosmic Conversation"; and "Path of the Page". She has also shared her thoughts on Tarot and Dreamwork (another of my favorite venues for personal work!) through a series of articles on the site, including: "Explore A Dream With Tarot"; "Write A Tarot Dream Haiku"; "Create A Tarot Dream Mandala"; and "Create A Tarot Dream Spread". Dr. Hill also presents meditations for select cards based on her affirmations. The meditations currently up are The Fool, The Magician, and The High Priestess. There are two newsletters connected with this site that visitor's may sign up for: one that advises when new articles are up, and one that will allow the visitor to receive additional card meditations by e-mail. Yes - I signed up for both! Sigh - now I have another "must have" deck on my wish list! This site is a wonderful "time-out" in the hectic chaos of reality. Well worth the time spent, in my humble opinion.
Interview: Johanna Gargiulo-Sherman & Rachel Pollack In my e-mail recently was an astounding announcement: Johanna Gargiulo-Sherman and Rachel Pollack would be giving a two-part workshop on unifying two basic Tarot traditions - The Psychic Tradition and the Wisdom Tradition. And they would be doing this the last two weekends in October - directly before All Hallows Eve, when it is easiest to lift the veil and work with psychic energy! I was almost in tears - the ladies live on the wrong coast! There was no way that I was going to be able to attend! ["The following information was sent to me by Zoë, and she has agreed to allow me to share it here. I find this to be a compelling workshop - compelling enough that I am trying to entice the ladies to bring it out West to Sedona next year. I would like to add to this that the classes are being held at 44 E 32nd Street 11th Floor, in New York City. The cost is $275 for both days, $150 for one day. Please send requests as soon as possible to hold your place for this unique class. Checks are to be made out to: Judith Matoff. The Mailing address is: Judith Matoff, 3297 Rt9G, Rhinebeck, NY 12572-3519. If you are sending a request for a single day, please indicate which day you wish to attend. "] In all seriousness, the topic did hit at gut level with me, and I am sure that it does with many readers. I have learned to not talk about the psychic part of my readings, especially on the Internet, as there will be someone there, I assure you, that will inform you that what you are doing is "not" Tarot reading, that it is a "psychic" reading, even if you are using Tarot cards! My personal progress in developing my skills as a Tarot reader were that I laid down a solid foundation by getting to know the cards. Then I studied the symbolism within the cards, and became adept at allowing my readings to flow on an intuitive level. Then the psychic flashes began to come - and they are flashes, and do not occur in every reading that I do. For me, they happen when I am highly attuned to the person that I am reading for (which is easier said than done, as I read over the phone, for the most part). It is a recognizable part of my path, and I am working to develop those abilities. Because I felt so strongly about this work, I took a chance and contacted Zoë Matoff, biz manager extraordinaire, about doing a personal interview. Goddess smiled, and I had a lovely (and exciting!) phone conversation with Johanna and Rachel. Thank you many times over to Johanna for taping this conversation for me. Enough from me - let's hear from the ladies!
(These beginning comments were made after I had mentioned - OK, complained - about being informed that I was "not" reading Tarot if psychic information was a part of my readings.) RP: On the one hand, you have the general public, who think that Tarot reading is nothing but psychic fortune telling. On the other hand, you have these sort of "Tarot police" type who say that if you do do anything of this type that it is not a Tarot reading. BC: But you know, it is interesting because the same people have no problem accepting me as a legitimate Tarot reader for a 900 line, because that's what I do for a living. They don't seem to want to tell me that I do bad things because I work for a 900 line, but when I happen to mention that I use both traditions then all of a sudden I am not a Tarot reader. I think that if that has happened to me, that that has happened to other readers out there, and some of them are not going to get beyond the harshness, the response that they get, and they will only use the Wisdom Tradition. That is what they will go back to, and they won't develop the Psychic Tradition within themselves. JG-S: I feel that there is some type of "elitism" of people who are into an historical mode, and see the Tarot as one thing, compared to people who have developed their psychic abilities. I was one of the first Americans to do a deck for U.S. Games Systems, Inc. I always saw the Tarot as a psychic tool. I never saw it any other way until I got online and realized that there was a whole group of people, whom I greatly respected, who just didn't understand where psychic ability and Tarot joined forces.
Who am I? Each month I am going to have one card from the Tarot talk to my readers. The card will in some way tell you something about itself and what it stands for. I would like to have you the reader send in which card you think is speaking, and a short explanation of why you choose that card. In some instances, you may feel that more than one card is being represented. In the following months newsletter, I will present all of my readers opinions, as well as a new card for that month. In this manner, in real time, we can see the power (energy) behind the cards, and perhaps get a feel for how to use them in our lives. Who am I? 10/01/04 I am here to walk with you when your concern is your home environment, your family and financial security. I will help you take action to bring about positive change. This person is the Knight of Pentacles. Who am I? 11/01/04 A bringer of messages, my energy is youthful and vibrant. I wish to do well, and make those around me proud. Note: In next months newsletter I will publish who my readers feel this description refers to. If you wish to remain anonymous please let me know, and I will honor that request. Give me the reasoning behind your thought - I think we will see that there can be more than one answer here. Perhaps this small exercise can be used to open us all to new ways of communicating with the Tarot. :)
Tarot Tidbits: DancingWorld, launched in January 2001, brings a monthly offering of high-quality articles, reviews, guest essays, readers' letters, and resources of interest to the international Tarot, psychic, spiritual, and creative communities. The periodic "Inquiring Minds" feature solicits querent questions for a special reading by DW'seditor/writer Eva Yaa Asantewaa--sort of a Tarot-based Dear Abby column! DW's StarWeb networking section includes free listings of special events, workshops, services, products, and Web sites. Sign up now for your free subscription to DW at www.yahoogroups.com/group/DancingWorld(where you can also explore past issues in our archive of messages). Send inquiries to DancingWorld-owner@yahoogroups.com and books or other Tarot, psychic, spirituality, or creativity-related products for review to:
Eva Yaa Asantewaa, Radical Magick,
Receive e-mail updates to Aeclectic Tarot (www.Aeclectic.net/Tarot) from Solandia at: www.aeclectic.net/tarot/join.html.
The World Tarot Network (www.worldtarotnetwork.com) puts out a wonderful newsletter (edited by Deni Richter, TS), filled with all kinds of information - from Tarot, to Astrology and Numerology, to Feng Shui and Chakra's ... and more! To sign up, visit: WorldTarot@aol.com.
Geraldine Amaral edits a Tarot print magazine, Celebrating The Tarot , that comes out on a yearly basis. For more information, see: Tarot Journal (www.tarotcelebrations.com/ order%20Tarot%20Journal.htm)
Gigi Minor edits an absolutely wonderful e-newsletter entitled Veritas. To sign up for the newsletter, e-mail Gigi at: LadyFogg@twncy.rr.com with "newsletter" in the subject line.
Robert M. Place, artist and visionary, gifts us with a newsletter entitled The Restored Temple of Hermes. The newsletter will be coming out every other month, and will include articles and a question and answer section. To subscribe, please e-mail Robert Place at: rmp@juno.com, with The Restored Temple of Hermes in the subject line.
Thank all of you who are joining me on this wonderful journey. Please contact me at: Crystalgate@aol.com with any comments, criticisms or suggestions for future articles.
No part of this newsletter may be reprinted without my express permission, in any venue, on line or off.
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