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December 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 Deck Reviews: Non-Tarot Book Reviews:
Celebrating The Seasons Of Life - Beltane To Mabon Non-Tarot Deck Reviews:
The Phoenix Cards
Editorial: Tarot Ramblings Ciro Marchetti has a marvelous gift for the Tarot world - a delightful preview of desktop wallpaper from his "Tarot of Dreams" project (done in conjunction with Lee Bursten). To see more of Ciro's work, go to: www.ciromarchetti.com/t_dreams/t_dreams_home.html. "The Australian Association For Tarot Studies" puts out a very interesting monthly newsletter. For November, the main article discusses the basic structure of Tarot - and it is far from boring! To read the newsletter online, click http://association.tarotstudies.org/news23.html. Trionfi.com has several updates. (BTW - Trionfi has the "honor" of appearing on Jess Karlin's "Tarot Map" (www.jktarot.com/tarotmap.html) - while the map is a parody, the contributions of the Trionfi crew are worth seeing.)
http://trionfi.com/0/n - This is the link to the October 2004 newsletter. Kris Waldherr (Lover's Path Tarot - www.artandwords.com) has some excellent news for us. Two of her out of print books, The Book of Goddesses and Perephone and the Pomegranite, will hopefully be back in print soon. The Book Of Goddesses has been expanded to include new art and new goddesses, and been completely redesigned as a collector's item. Certainly something to watch for in the (hopefully) not too distant future! Mark McElroy will have a new release coming out from Llewellyn in January of 2005. Taking The Tarot To Heart deals with brainstorming for better relationships. Mark has a free preview (including the introduction to the book) online at www.tarottools.com/ttth/index.htm. In March of 2005 Mark will have his Bright Idea deck and companion book coming out (also by Llewellyn).
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: And yes - as editor, I get to choose the winning entry! Have fun with this, ladies and gentlemen! P.S. I have no entries to date - so it won't be too hard to win this contest! ;-)
Interview: Joanna Powell Colbert (The Gaian Tarot) I followed this deck from the time that I found out about it. Everything about it is incredibly powerful - which is exactly what our connection with Gaia (Mother Earth) should be! Every card carries potent magick - of this world, the Otherworld, and the world "in-between". Gaia and all of her inhabitants are honored in a very humble manner. Every voice speaks clearly - the standing people, the fur people, the feathered people, the finned people and the plant world - all are honored, each through their own voice. Look closely at each card, and see the levels of meaning that come shining through. Each level supports another, and all are crafted to work together. These are voices of harmony - which, if paid attention to, will bring harmony to those that honor and respect them. I am not forgetting the Goddesses, for they play a very important part in this deck. Their voices, and their energy, come through in harmony with the voices and energy of their respective ally's. I have babbled on enough - it is time to let Joanna, who has graciously agreed to talk to us, tell her story.
BC: When did you decide to craft a deck of your own, and how did this particular theme come into being? JPC: I first started to think about creating a deck of my own in the early 90's when I was immersed in teaching Goddess studies and Tarot classes in the Northwest. I loved the worldview and counsel of the Motherpeace deck but had a hard time with the style of the artwork. Since I was already doing Goddess/Pagan art, I was of course intrigued by the idea of doing a deck. But I was daunted by the scope of it. At the time I was volunteering the equivalent of a full time job for the Beltane Papers magazine on top of working for a living, so I wasn't able to put the necessary time in to create a deck. I did start making files of ideas, though. Around 1998 I was burned out on teaching and volunteer work, and just stopped doing both. I also went on an "oracle fast" at this time. I gave away most of my Tarot decks and stopped my astrological studies. Letting go of teaching and the divinatory arts opened up a lot of new space and energy in my life. Two important things in my development happened during this time. I discovered colored pencils as an art medium, and made the transition from pen-and-ink to colored pencils. It was my good fortune that the top colored pencil portrait artist and teacher in the country, Ann Kullberg, lives in the Seattle area and I was able to study with her. I learned her techniques and applied them to my own style and subject matter. I still take advanced classes from Ann whenever I can. (www.annkullberg.com) The second thing that happened was more philosophical. I have always loved nature -- it's one of the reasons I self-identify as a Pagan -- but I had an awakening regarding my relationship with the natural world. I realized that I, like many modern Pagans, was clueless about the real natural world around me. I knew a lot about the symbolism and mythology of all kinds of plants and animals but very little about the woods, birds and animals where I lived. I read Chas Clifton's article "Nature Religion for Real" in Gnosis Magazine (www.chasclifton.com/papers/forreal.html) and it hit me like the proverbial ton of bricks. A short time later a "chance" conversation led me to the Wilderness Awareness School (www.wildernessawareness.org) and I enrolled in their correspondence course. I didn't finish the course but switched instead to studying with a local school, Wolf Camp. (www.wolfcamp.com) This led to a few years of intense immersion in nature journaling and the study of the Place where I live, which continues to this day. My interaction with the natural world is now the keystone of my spiritual practice.
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. :)
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:
Article: Thanksgiving 2004 Thanksgiving - literally, the giving of thanks. I carry warm memories of the importance of this celebration in both school and home - of the skits that we did, of how history became so very personalized, of family gathered around a huge turkey dinner. The abundance was on the table, but it was also in our hearts. The turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, pumpkin pie ... this was only part of the abundance. The was also an abundance of family feeling, of togetherness, of joy and laughter. At this time of year we celebrate, as our ancestors did before us, the autumn harvest. The abundance that mother earth has provided for us to carry us through the winter months. How very important that was for the pilgrims and that first harsh winter that they had to survive! IN 1863 President Abraham Lincoln declared the last Thursday of November as Thanksgiving. In 1941 Congress sanctioned Thanksgiving as a national holiday, to be celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November each year. This is the time of year that we need to focus on where t he abundance in our lives is, and on how we want to honor it. There are many ways that we can show our thanks: through ritual, ceremony, meditations, actions and intentions, to name a few. For those of us in the Tarot world, we address these areas not only with ourselves in mind, but also the thought of what we can do for our clients to help them at this time of year. Ritual is something that can be as formal as a religious service, or as informal as setting out decorations, or preparing a meal. These things become ritual when we consciously focus on the purpose behind out actions. When through our intent we honor the world around us, and recognize our place in it. When we show respect and humbleness, and each of our acts becomes a form a prayer. Ceremony also can be as simple, or complex, as one wants it to be. It can be a solo effort, or it can be done within a family or group setting. Decorating for the holidays can be a form of ceremony. Preparing the holiday dinner can be a form of ceremony. Serving in a food line for the homeless can be a form of ceremony. What will you do to recognize the abundance in your life this year? Meditation is a key ingredient in the Tarot world. Through the archetypes of the Tarot we can access all sides of ourselves, we can give thanks and honor all of life. Whether you are doing a meditation or spread for yourself, or helping a client to create one, this can be a big part of the giving of thanks. Through the Tarot we can see what we are consciously giving thanks for, what we are not aware of but need to give thanks for, and the best way to do both. We can release what is holding us back, giving thanks for the lessons that we have learned. In opening up the ways in which we do our work, we deepen our connections with ourselves, our community, and with mother earth. On this Thanksgiving, give yourself permission to honor all that is in your life. Allow yourself to walk with the Fool, to discover your personal Magician, and to hear the graceful notes of the High Priestess. May the Empress and the Emperor be life's bookends, and may you find joy and peace.
Spread: Thanksgiving Spread (Giving Thanks)
Each year I try to come up with a new spread for the holidays. Here in the US, we will soon be celebrating Thanksgiving. This is a literal time of giving thanks for the abundance around us - the abundance on our tables, and the abundance in our lives. May each of you walk into this Thanksgiving with a profound sense of personal peace and joy. The following spread is based on the Elemental Spread, which I chose to use as a way of honoring each of the Elements as they appear in our lives. If your version of the placement of the elements differs from mine, try using the following position definitions with your elemental placement preferences - it will work well. :)
10 11 12
7 8 9 4 5 6 East/Fire/Spirit
1. What do I need to release in my spiritual/creative life? South/Earth/Physical
1. What do I need to release in my physical (environmental) life? West/Water/Intuitive
1. What do I need to release in my emotional/intuitive/relationship life? North/Air/Mental
1. What do I need to release in my mental life? S - This is the final card drawn and represents the Seeker. This card relates to each of the other cards drawn.
Site Review: Tarot of Dreams www.ciromarchetti.com/ciro/t_dreams/t_dreams_home.html is the home of the latest Tarot project from graphic designer and Tarot aficionado Ciro Marchetti (Gilded Tarot). This is much more than a new deck - it is an absolutely amazing project! It will include a 78 card, fully illustrated deck, with support material that fully explains each card and the symbolism used. A multi-media CD will be included with this package. It will include:
Assisting Ciro with this project will be Lee Bursten (Gay Tarot), a well known, well respected reviewer from the Tarot Passages site. Lee will be providing reference material, advice, and feedback, as well as writing the text for the companion material. Scans of the deck may be seen at: www.ciromarchetti.com/ciro/t_dreams/t_dreams_home.html Preview scans can be seen here. I certainly will be keeping track of this project!
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? 11/01/04 A bringer of messages, my energy is youthful and vibrant. I wish to do well, and make those around me proud. This person is the Page of Pentacles. Who am I? 12/01/04 Walk with me. I lead with authority, power and reason. 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. :)
Receive e-mail updates to Aeclectic Tarot (www.Aeclectic.net/Tarot) from Solandia at: www.aeclectic.net/tarot/join.html 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)
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
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.
Ruth Ann and Wald Amberstone of The Tarot School (www.tarotschool.com) edit the long running newsletter Tarot Tips (www.yahoogroups.com/group/tarottips). This newsletter is a wealth of information based on their personal work and the work done with their classes. If you want to know about Tarot - it is here!
Gigi Miner 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.
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
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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