The song “World” from Five for Fighting has been my ‘earworm’ for the past few weeks. It has been begging me for a Tarot reading. J Just as an FYI, this song was also used in an episode of the apocalyptic and short-lived series ‘Jericho’ (one of the best modern series in a long time, IMHO).

The chorus to this thought-provoking song is as follows:

“What kind of world do you want?
Think anything
Let’s start at the start
Build a masterpiece
Be careful what you wish for
History starts now…”

As I contemplated this chorus, the song asked me three questions. “What kind of world do you want?” is the obvious one and became the first position in this Saturday morning Tarot spread. “What does ‘Start[ing] at the start’ look like?” quickly followed. The final question focuses on the outcome by asking, “What do we need to know about our ‘masterpiece’? Each question stems from lyrics in the chorus.

I selected the Osho Zen Tarot deck for this reading. My reasons were two-fold. The Zen philosophy of mindfulness in daily practice seemed to lend itself well to such a pressing question. Secondly, the Osho Zen Tarot, as many of my long-term readers will know, is my currently study deck.

Thus, the cards fell.

Transformation

What kind of world do you want?

– Transformation

We want a changed world, one which requires an overhaul. This is transformation with a capital ‘T’. The card in the 13^th position in many other decks is ‘Death’, a card that screams ‘out with the old’.

 

 

Four of Fire - Participation

What does ‘Start[ing] at the start’ look like?

– Four of Fire (Participation)

To “start at the start’ requires action; it is not a passive activity. Contemplation and speculation are actions of the past.

 

 

 

Ten of Clouds - Rebirth

What do we need to know about our ‘masterpiece’?

– Ten of Clouds (Rebirth)

Our chef d’oeuvre will be something totally new, perhaps even outside of our current realm of understanding.  Rebirth is the logical next step after transformation.

Just a reminder that I am hosting  Free Tarot Talk in my space (Orangeville, Ontario area) on Thursday, February 18^th at 7:00 p.m.  Contact me at whitesagetarot@gmail.com for more details.

It doesn’t happen often, but to increase my own Tarot ‘energy’ in preparation for the Readers Studio in April, I am temporarily lowering the cost of a 60 and 90 minute consultation. Please see “About Peter, contact and fees’ tab for more detail.

Page of Water - Understanding

It’s official! My registration is paid, my flight is booked and my room is confirmed. I am heading off to New York for Readers Studio 2010, a weekend ensemble of some of the best Tarot minds around. To say I am excited is an understatement! I am looking forward to a weekend focused exclusively on the Tarot. Kelly and I visited New York last summer with family and it quickly became one of my favourite cities. You can read more about the Tarot School’s readers’ Studio at http://www.tarotschool.com/ReadersStudio.html

In anticipation of my experience at the Readers’ Studio, I drew the Page of Water (Understanding) from my study deck, the Osho Zen Tarot. The card portrays a bird, perched on the open of its cage, ready to soar. The card appears to be an invitation to leave the cage, to set my sights on the open skies ahead and soar!  The RS weekend in NY feels like its full of possibilities.  I can hardly wait!

At a Ministry of Education workshop for “Schools in the Middle” earlier this month, I was reminded of the pedagogy of planning based on the “Big Idea”. This is the notion of using overarching concepts such as social justice, fairness, or inclusion or values and traits such as integrity, courage and honesty during lesson planning to add relevance to lessons for students and include lessons of life in the lessons of school. This led me to think about the idea of the “Big Question” and how it could apply to the Tarot.

This concept isn’t new. Rachel Pollack explores it thoroughly in her book, “The Forest of Souls”. She asks several questions including “What is soul?” and “Did the Tarot exist before creation?”  James Ricklef’s book, “Tarot Tells the Tale”, explores the three-card reading by using fictional characters from film, literature and mythology. The characters ask big questions of relevance to their fictional lives. I’m attending a workshop in early March led by James Wells entitled “Tarot Beyond Ourselves” that, and this is my own assumption based on the description of the workshop, may be exploring the idea of the “Big Question”.

I thought about having a bit of fun with the concept. As an amateur musician (who does have one hell of a home studio set-up, mind you), I was drawn the questions musicians often ask in their work. So I thought, what about using the Tarot to answer some of those questions? Why not answer the Beatles “Do You Want to Know a Secret?” or Five for Fighting’s “What Kind of World Do You Want?” with a Tarot reading.

As a self-proclaimed, life-long learner, I also thought this would be a great way to hone my own Tarot skills in my practice. There are tons of timeless questions asked via the music that enriches our lives every day.  As an exercise, I’ll be exploring these every so often. I might even post them from time to time. If you have any musical questions that are you are dying to see answered , feel free to share.

RWS The Fool

On Thursday, January 7^th, a handful of Tarot enthusiasts assembled to discuss the journey of the Fool through the lens of the Tarot. We explored the Major Arcana through the use of key words, beginning with “tabula rasa” for The Fool and culminating with the World and “acceptance”. We explored several journey stories, in part or in whole, and began to compare the Fool’s Journey to the Hero’s Journey. Participants brought up various examples from religion and mythology. We finished off by assigning significator status (a significator is a card used to represent someone, usually the querent, but in this case,the card represented the fool through his journey)  to the Fool and placing him at various points along the journey as depicted by the cards of the Major Arcana, laid out in ascending order. (My self-gift of an oversized RWS deck came in very handy here!  Willing attendees took up the tale of the Fool from the point of placement. At times the stories were fictional, at other times, semi-autobiographical, but always engaging.

Join us for the next Free Tarot Talk on Thursday, February 18^th, 2010 at 7:00 p.m.  This talk is a beginner’s talk and will overview the history, structure and uses of the Tarot. Contact me at whitesagetarot@gmail.com for more details and directions.

Hanson-Roberts 10 of cups

My daughter and I both received the Hanson-Roberts Tarot deck as a gift over the holidays. We spent a lovely couple of hours looking at McGregor and Vega’s 20-card New Year Spread over the weekend, just before she headed back to her Mom’s. As I’ve mentioned before, my Tarot time with my daughter is most cherished. One of the cards that revealed itself was the 10 of cups. “That looks like a good card, Dad”, she says, “and, I bet it’s still pretty good, even when you turn it over. See, it makes a smiley face.”

Sure enough, I reversed the card and, when you combine the two joined heads and the rainbow of cups, you clearly see her smiley face. Ah, the refreshing wisdom of youth

From a ‘majors’ view, many (and I would include myself in this group – see my previous post) see 2010 as the year of the Empress. She represents fertility and abundance; she is the Wise Woman and Mother. The Empress is passionate and feels deeply. She is the personification of the ‘outward yin’. Not a bad outlook for 2010. For more information on the Empress, see my March 14 and March 21, 2009 posts.

Deviant Moon - Three of Cups

In keeping with White Sage tradition , let’s look at the upcoming year from a ‘minors’ perspective. From the vantage point of the minors, 2010 is about the symbolism of threes (2010 à 2+0+1+0=3). In numerology, threes introduce a new element to twos. Twos are about balance, threes add something new. Pythagoras called three “the One and the Many”, recognizing both the expression of the one and the two. Consider the prevalence of the three in the following: mind, body, spirit; beginning, middle, ending; the Holy Trinity; the family.  Three can represent either cooperation or friction.  Think of a conversation: it usually flows smoothly when two people are involved. The introduction of a third can significantly enhance the experience or derail it.

When new elements are introduced into your life in 2010, how will you deal with them? Will they derail you? Or will you integrate the ‘third’ and create a new experience? What will underlay your decisions, cooperation or friction?

On a personal note, may 2010 bring you balance, abundance and an air of acceptance and cooperation.

Blessings,

Peter

The start of another new year is approaching. What a great time to take stock and plan for 2010. Why not use the Tarot as your planning tool?  White Sage Tarot is offering several great New Year’s incentives!

My New Year’s two-hour consultation uses an adaptation of Trish McGregor and Phyllis Vega’s “New Year’s Spread” and is available as a one-on-one consultation for only $75 CAN! Hurry, this offer and service is only available until January 31^st, 2010. In-person, telephone and Skype consultations are available.  Cash or cheque is accepted or, for your convenience, payment can be made by major credit card via Paypal.

If you’re in the GTA, (I’m in Orangeville – 30 minutes due north of Mississauga), on Saturday, January 23rd, 2010, from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., I’m leading a workshop exploring the same 20-card layout based on MacGregor and Vega’s work. This 6-hour interactive workshop will use the Tarot to have some fun and explore overall goals and monthly foci for 2010. This workshop will be geared to all levels so knowledge of Tarot is not necessary!  The cost of the workshop is only $50 CAN and, since it takes a lot of room to work with 20 cards, space is limited to 8 people. Book soon. Chart paper, writing utensils and cards will be provided for your use but, of course, you’re always free to bring your favorite Tarot deck and materials.

If you’re a Tarot student or enthusiast and love the idea of a chatting with other like-minded people, I am hosting a Free Tarot Talk on Thursday, January 7^th at 7:00 p.m.  The topic for the night is ‘The Fool’s Journey”. It is intended to be interactive so bring your favourite deck. We’ll review various renditions of the Fool’s Journey (bring one if you have one), explore some of the repeating symbols of the Major Arcana and begin the construction of a ‘personal dictionary’ for the Majors. Bring a journal or a laptop, if you can. Of course, anyone who is interested and has not attended previous talks is always more than welcome to attend. Although the talk is always free, I am asking for small donations to cover paper, printing, coffee and tea. Any sum, if you can, is appreciated. Please contact me at whitesagetarot@gmail.com for details and directions.

The Empress - Gilded Tarot

And finally, 2010 is the year of the Empress (2+0+1+0 = 3) so may it bring you abundance and fertility, whether it be of mind, body or spirit!

Blessings,

Peter

In a previous post, I mentioned that my partner gave me the ‘Osho Zen Tarot’ for my birthday. I am still using this deck for my morning card ‘draw’, although, I have to admit that this month work has caused my morning Tarot routine to, more often than not, take a back seat. This morning, since I am at the start of a two-week respite from my main working world, I took a few moments to reflect on the cards I have drawn over the past few weeks.

Prior to my free Tarot Talk on November 26^th, I drew the 3 of Water (Celebrations) and the 6 of Fire (Success). The night was definitely one of success and celebration. From this point on, the cards shift focus and, since December 1^st, the cards I’ve drawn are as follows: the Seven (Stress) and Eight (Travelling) of Fire, the Two (Moment to Moment) and Knight (Slowing Down) of Rainbows, the Five (Clinging to the Past), King (Healing) and Queen (Receptivity) of Water and the fourth card from the Major Arcana (The Rebel). I can trace and reflect my month so far by looking back. I don’t dwell; I just look.

If you work with the Tarot, take some time to review the recurring themes over a week or a month. If you’re interested in studying the Tarot, this is a great way to familiarize yourself with the Tarot or to learn a new deck. Look and see if any cards repeat themselves. See if the cards link to any major themes that have occurred over a particular period of time. For example, I look back and see that the idea of taking time to enjoy the moment was prevalent in my morning cards. Upon reflection, I could have taken more time to enjoy the ‘busy-ness’ for what it was instead of ‘stressing about the stress’.

After you look back, note your observations, take a little time to celebrate and embrace the experiences you’ve had and then, in the words of the Osho Zen’s Eight of Water, begin ‘Letting Go’.

Future talks: I’m looking at holding a ‘free’ Tarot night on Thursday, January 7th, 2010 from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. The topic for the night is ‘The Fool’s Journey”. It is intended to be interactive so bring your favourite deck. We’ll review various renditions of the Fool’s Journey (bring one if you have one), explore some of the repeating symbols of the Major Arcana and begin the construction of a ‘personal dictionary’ for the Majors. Bring a journal or a laptop to help with your dictionary. Of course, anyone who is interested and has not attended previous talks is still more than welcome to attend. Although the talk is always free, I am asking for small donations to cover paper, printing, coffee and tea. Or, bring a treat!
        Also, if you know anyone who would be interested in attending a free Tarot talk for beginners, the next one is scheduled for Thursday, February 18th, 2010. This beginner’s overview of the Tarot will look at its history and the basic structure of the deck. Contact me at 519-217-7243 or whitesagetarot@gmail.com.
 
Gift Certificates: A few people have asked about gift certificates. I now have them available. I’m new to the gift certificate ’scene’ so, as an ‘incentive’, buy a gift certificate for someone for an hour consultation for $65 and take advantage of a $20 discount if you book a reading for yourself at the same time. The total cost for your gift certificate and consultation is $105.  I have Paypal for your payment convenience.
 
The first seminar of 2010: On Saturday, January 23rd, 2010, from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., I’m hosting a workshop exploring a 20-card layout based on Trish MacGregor and Phyllis Vega’s “New Year’s Spread” in my space in Orangeville, Ontario. This 6-hour intensive will use the Tarot to have some fun and explore goals for 2010. The cost of the workshop is $50 and, since it takes a lot of room to work with 20 cards , space is limited to 8 people; book soon. Look for a one-day workshop on ‘Read, Write and Play with the Tarot’ sometime in April, 2010.
 
Please feel free to forward this information to anyone you think would be interested. Or, better yet, tell them about my blog.

Last night, I hosted a dozen people in my space for a Tarot talk. It was a quick, beginner’s level walk through the history and structure of the Tarot. We looked at the elemental associations of each suit and linked a series of verbs to the ‘pips’ of the minor arcana. We also ‘Met the Courts’ and briefly looked at the Fool’s Journey through the first few cards of the major arcana. Afterwards, there was a tremendous buzz as people explored a variety of decks, asked questions and met new people. Even though the talk was schedule to end at 8:30, people were still hanging about chatting until after 9:00. I felt blessed to share my space with them.

So, in the spirit of the system introduced last night, I drew a card this morning, asking the question: “Last night’s talk was successful. What do I need to know about the next step in this process?” I used the Gilded Tarot (to get a glimpse of the Empress, as all in attendance last night would understand) and drew the 4 of Wands. Fours are about consolidating and making solid. The wands are associated with the element ‘fire’, which is active, vital and enthusiastic. The next step seems to point in the direction of consolidating the enthusiasm brought forward from last night’s talk. I see this as an invitation for more talks in the future, solidifying Tarot knowledge while at the same time moving it forward, so… look for an upcoming Tarot talk in January, topic to be determined, and another beginner’s talk in January as well. Rest assured, there will still be coffee, tea and maybe I can convince Kelly to make some more amazing cookies. After all, isn’t it all about the nourishment? (I had to get the Empress in there somehow.)