Tell It Like It Is!

Fair warning … this is a rant! If you don’t like rants, then move along. The rest of you can stay. In blogs and in chat rooms, I have been seeing more and more readers expounding on – and bragging about – the fact that they “tell it like it is”. No sugar-coating to their readings! Their clients get the absolute, unvarnished truth! Woo hoo!

From my point of view, a Tarot reading – or any other type of divinatory reading, is meant to be empowering to the Seeker. They are meant to gain insight into their issue(s), and walk away with a clear understanding of what their options are, and what the best way to proceed might be.  Whatever system is used for the reading, it should be able to mirror the energy in the Seeker’s life, and tell their story.

I had the lovely opportunity this weekend to see “truth in action” reading, and I walked away very sad … and very disturbed. The reader told their client that the person they were asking about  just needed to be let go, and for them to move on with their life. To bluntly announce this,  which was clearly hurtful to the person asking the question, and to then immediately move on to the next caller was inexcusable. It got worse – congratulations were in order because the readings were moving along so quickly … all due to the reader giving the callers the “truth” in such a blunt manner.

A good reader will see the truth of a situation, and this truth is what their client needs to hear. You don’t have to sugar-coat anything, but you can deliver your message in such a manner that your client feels supported. Send them away with action steps that they can take to do the moving on, or at least give them things to review so that they can at least think about doing so. (None of us make changes until the time is ready.)

Rant over. I am sure that those readers that choose to read in this manner will continue to do so. Please advertise your intentions loudly, so that I do not inadvertently come to you for a reading.

(c) February 2011 Bonnie Cehovet

Tarot Birth Cards – Justice/High Priestess

Over the next year I am going to be writing about Tarot Birth Cards, what they mean and how we can work with them. I use the system of Tarot Birth Cards developed by Ruth Ann and Wald Amberstone of the Tarot School (www.tarotschool.com). Using the Seeker’s birth data (month, day and year), pairs of birth cards are defined. (For more information, and to calculate your own Birth Cards, go to http://tarotschool.com/Calculator.html.)

Please note: I have a book being published by Schiffer Books in fall of 2011 – , “Keys To Empowerment”, incorporating images from Karyn’s Easton’s “Tarot Lovers Tarot”. This was to have been a joint project (book and deck published together), but the decision was made to publish both separately, which I find very exciting! Karyn has a Birth Card calculator up on her site, where you can also view her incredible deck (it really is!) –http://paranormality.com/tarot-birth-card-calculator.shtml.

A special thanks to Leisa ReFalo www.tarotconnection.net, who developed the Birth Card Calculator, and graciously gave us permission to use it.

Our second pair of Birth Cards are Justice (Key 11) and the High Priestess (Key 2). Some of the associations for these cards are:

Justice -
Astrological Sign: Libra
Keywords: Need to bring balance, past lessons, debts paid, success in legal matters, refusal to see need for balancing, past debts not addressed.

The High Priestess -
Astrological Sign: The Moon
Keywords: Intuition, knowledge, in tune with inner self, connection with feminine mysteries, anima (female sense of self), psychic ability, connection with dreamtime, lacking intuition, blocking information, negative nature, coldness, insincerity.

The theme for this lifetime is bringing a sense of balance to life through the analyzing and synthesizing of ideas. You learn to trust in yourself, your intuition and your psychic abilities. Through the lens of synthesis and analysis, the Seeker comes to understand both the opportunities and challenges of this lifetime.

We can choose to do personal work with our own Birth Cards, we can use Birth Cards in conjunction with a reading for a client (place their birth cards, drawn from a deck other than the one you are reading with, above the spread(s) laid out for them). The spread(s) are then read through the lens of perception of the Seeker’s Birth Cards. As added value, a reader could give their client scans of their Birth Cards, along with a short write-up about them. Readers can also use the Birth Card system to better understand other people in their own lives (family, co-workers, friends etc.).

The key to bringing balance to any lifetime is that of understanding how and where your Birth Cards are operating in your life. Justice is all about harmony and understanding others. It is a literal balancing of the scales – a need to nurture self, as well as to help others. The journey that Justice leads us on is an outer journey. Justice is active by nature.

The High Priestess is associated with the moon, intuition, the unconscious, psychic ability and dreamtime. The journey that she takes us on is an inner journey. She connects us with our creative center, and with spirit. The High Priestess is more about reacting than acting. She is passive by nature. With the High Priestess we need to look at where we are in the cycles of our life, and co-ordinate this with the ongoing cycles of the moon.

An 11/2 (Justice/High Priestess) individual empowers themselves by finding their own voice – discovering how they best communicate with their world within and with their outer world. They learn how to make their own wishes known, and not become overwhelmed by the wishes/needs of those around them. Empowerment comes through integration with both local and global communities (thank you, Internet!). Empowerment for this individual comes through understanding that they have the power to manifest the life that they wish.

We are what we tell ourselves we are. When we understand why we make the decisions that we do, we can look at the decisions that are not bringing us happiness, and rethink them. If our decisions are not taking us where we want to go, we have a disconnect in our life. An 11/2 lifetime is all about making the right decisions, and honoring where they take us.

Images from the “Tarot Lovers Tarot”, Karyn Easton, 2008, paranormality.com

© February 2011 Bonnie Cehovet

Psychic Tarot

Psychic Tarot -

Using Your Natural Psychic Abilities to Read the Cards

Author: Nancy Antenucci with Melanie Howard
Llewellyn Publications
2011
ISBN #978-0-7387-1975-7

“Psychic Tarot” focuses on learning to read the Tarot using psychic skills. The method used in this book is very specific, but can be used with any deck the reader chooses to read with. Throughout the deck creative exercises are provided to help he reader become familiar with their cards. At the end of the book sample spreads and readings are provided, to help the reader “see” the cards in action.

At the same time, the reader is presented with a variety of original intuitive exercises that help the reader discover and develop their own psychic abilities.

Antenucci notes that to properly experience this book the reader needs to have a creative mind, an adventurous spirit and an open heart. “Psychic Tarot” is seen as an exploration of the readers personal spirit and journey, as well as an exploration of their cards. Through this process, the reader will find their own voice. She goes on to rename creativity as “psychic”, and sees this as the first step in the process of nurturing mindful intuition. She refers to it as “Sight” (the ability to see into the invisible), and uses the terms “Sight” and “psychic” interchangeably.

There is a strong recommendation that the reader begin trusting t heir own Creative Authority. To develop that trust, the reader is asked not to study card definitions. The reader is asked to explore their own perceptions, with their own Sight, It is also recommended that the reader start a Tarot journal, which acts as a compilation of the reader’s own card definitions, as well as their own first impressions. Antenucci sees this process as expanding in the light of the moon, as opposed to the brighter light of the sun. In the soft light of the moon, the reader senses, rather than knows, and learns to trust that sensing.

Acknowledging Creative Authority (psychic ability) is addressed in the beginning of the book as a possible block. Self-knowledge becomes Creative Authority. She addresses using the Tarot and Sight to facilitate making choices that move the reader towards healthy personal growth. She addresses death and the Death card, and the thought that the cards have fixed meanings. Her suggestion is to approach the cards as friends that the reader does not know yet. She advises the reader to have faith in their own strength and goodness, and to own their own courage.

Antenucci discusses the basics of Tarot, such as what to store decks in (bags, boxes, silk cloths etc.), to interact with their cards when the reader is in a curious or hopeful state, and to not attempt to study Tarot definitions when developing an intuitive reading style. The thought here is that the reader should growth their own interpretations before seeding their Tarot garden with other people’s ideas.

The Minor Arcana (Ace through Ten of each suit) are seen as the First Family. The four elements are seen as the four foundations of the Tarot system. They each relate to specific seasons and cardinal directions. Wands are associated with creativity and the element of Fire. Cups are associated with emotions and the element of Water. Swords are associated with mental abilities and the element of Air. Pentacles are associated with sensations, boundaries, form and the element of Earth. The Essence Spread Part 1,and the Light and Shadow reading are included in this chapter.

The Court Cards are known as the Second Family. They represent humanity – the people in the Seeker’s life, as well as te various “faces” of the Seeker. Antenucci sees the court cards as actors in the various roles the Seeker enacts in the script of their destiny. The court cards are seen as mirrors for the Seeker to better understand themselves. It is recommended that the court cards are viewed in three layers, or perspectives: The first, basic layer is that they represent people and relationships in the Seeker’s life. The second layer is their archetypal energy. The third layer is that the court cards represent different kinds of energy. Part 2 of he Essence Spread is presented in this chapter.

The Major Arcana are seen as the Third Family. Antenucci sees them as symbolizing various forces of nature, great spiritual lessons and the various faces of the Divine. It is here that the reader’s Creative Authority will be most required. She sees each card as challenging the reader to embrace the mystery beyond this life so that they can embrace the mystery within this life. Several exercises, including the Fool’s Journey, are presented in this chapter. In the Fool’s Journey the reader is asked a question by each of the cards that they encounter.

On the psychic side of things, information is presented on reading energy, seeing the unseen, and working with psychic selves, as well as trusting the Sight.The Six Principles are presented as a system for working with any form of divination. The principles are: Grounding, Intent, Form, Synchronicity, Closure and Integration. Setting boundaries is also addressed. .

There are two appendices: black and white scans from the Lo Scarabeo “Universal Tarot”, followed by a self-study guide.

The material in this book is written in a very straight-forward manner, easily understood and worked with by any level of Tarot student. Exercises and examples are included throughout the book to bring the information into ”real life”. I would recommend this book to all levels of readers that are interested in developing their intuitive reading skills.

© February 2011 Bonnie Cehovet

Comfort Cottage Citchen Craftbook

Comfort Cottage Citchen Craftbook –
Tarot in the garden

Author: dr Sophera
Comfort Cottage Chronicle
2011
ISBN #978-0-578-07907-3

Comfort Cottage

I hear the wind

I feel the sun

I drink the rain

I walk the earth …

In a garden where every flower blossoms in its own time.

(from the back cover)

What a wonderful gift to the Tarot world from my friend Debbie Rossignol! This book is all about life, loving life, and living life fully. It is a lovely tossed salad of Tarot information, seasonal meditations, garden moments, astrology, charkas, crystals, creatures associated with the elements (earth, air, water and fire), dreams, flowers and herbs, moon cycles, numbers, shapes, tinctures and oils, smudge sticks, and recipes.

Jumbled together in no particular order, this is a warm fuzzy – a nice, quiet moment, sitting in a comfortable chair with a cup of cocoa in your hand. Bits and pieces of life wander through your thoughts, and you reminisce about the things that have sustained you.

The book starts out with a beautifully written poem – “Hidden Gem”, and a meditation entitled “Tree” (The Realm of Elemental Enchantment). Great respect shown for the journey this book takes the reader on. This is followed by meditations on the four seasons, starting with Winter. Associations are given for each of the full moons in each season, including name, astrological sign, astrological time period, crystal, element, Tarot cards and quality. At the end of each season’s information is a blank page to make notes on your journey through that time period.

Each of the twelve astrological signs is noted by date, positive or negative orientation, keyword, orientation (cardinal/fixed/mutable), and ruler. There are notes on crystals, with associations for color, body part, astrological sign, musical key, crystal, and positive and negative qualities.

The associations continue for Days of the Week (keywords), Dreams (symbols and keyword), Elements (color, keywords, season, creature and Angel), and flowers and herbs (quality and use). At the end of this section is a blank page to make notes on.

Numbers 1-9 are listed, with their quality and keywords. The Major Arcana are listed, along with their archetypal quality, astrological sign and positive and negative qualities. The five major shapes (circle, square, triangle, cross and spiral) are listed, along with their qualities, along with several different types of trees, and their qualities. The Reiki prayer is included to represent Reiki. At the end of this section is another blank page to make notes on.

The next section list garden flowers, berries and herbs, for use in teas, crafting, medicine and potpourri. What a magickal section! Debbie talks about drying and preserving berries and herbs, making flavored sugars and then moves on to concocting tinctures and oils. (Hint: smudge sticks come up in this section!) Also include is the making of puppets for use with long distance Reiki healing.

Bread is very much a comfort food for me, with memories of my mother and grandmother making bread. The breads in this book are all “home” breads – very real, nothing fancy. “Easy Cheesy Garlic Bread”, “Flower Pot Bread”, “Friendship Bread”, “Garbage Bread” – it’s all good! The “Friendship Bread” especially struck a cord with me – when I was a young teenager, my Aunt made this bread, and gifted it to my mother. The recipe is for a starter bread. You work it for twenty-seven days. On the twenty-eighth day you divide the bread into quarters, and give three of the loaves away, with the instructions for keeping it going. That bread made the rounds and then some, and everyone involved was filled with joy and a sense of connection. We need more “Friendship Bread”! (BTW – There are recipes for dip to go with the bread!)

There are many more recipes – jellies (Dandelion Honey, Rose and Elderberry, to name a few), Meal In A Muffin, Mint Ice Cream, Rhubarb Muffins (I make these quite often!), pizza’s, soups, cookies… even Garbage Candy, and herbal drops!

Debbie writes about many things in this book, including Tarot. She writes about the everyday things that make life work, how our physical gardens sustain our inner gardens. As she herself would say “Have an “ahha” kind of day!

“Comfort Cottage Citchen Craftbook” can be purchased here – http://tinyurl.com/67yg2lf.

© February 2011 Bonnie Cehovet

Out & About – 2/21/11

Bonnie is out and about! She did a show yesterday on the Tarot Guild’s Tarot Today blog talk radio program. Under discussion – theme Tarot decks. The show can be seen in the Tarot Today archives here – http://www.blogtalkradio.com/tarottoday/2011/02/20/bonnie-cehovet–themed-decks-1.

My friend Mary Nale gave me the heads up to the Ten Best Decks of all time link on Aeclectic Tarot – http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/topten.shtml#alltime.  Mary is communications director for the Tarot Guild (http://www.tarotguild.com/), and she posts marvelous links on a daily basis to the Tarot-Blog-Go-Round discussion group that she started on the Tarot Guild.

Membership to the Tarot Guild is free – unless you choose premium membership, which has many extras included with it, including classes. Check us out – we are a combination of fun, teaching, and learning. Often all at the same time! http://www.tarotguild.com/

I am going to do a blatant promo here for my book of Tarot reviews – this is a compilation of my older reviews, almost all of which are available on Aeclectic Tarot. The benefit to the book is that all the reviews are in one place, broken down by theme. The book is available in print and e-book format.  http://www.bonniecehovet.com/?page_id=45

Helen Howell and Zanna Starr co-author a marvelous Tarot blog called Tarot Notes: Major and Minor ( http://tarotnotes-majorandminor.blogspot.com/). Both ladies are gifted Tarotists, gifted writers, and share a sense of imagination and humor! Quite the blog!

Card for this week, from Emily Carding’s “Tarot of the Sidhe”- the Maker Three (Three of Pentacles) -Labour’s Fruit. Great card for this very busy week!

Blessings,

Bonnie

(c) February 2011 Bonnie Cehovet

The Tarot Game

The Tarot Game

Creator: Jude Alexander
Schiffer Books
2010
ISBN #978-0764334481

“The Tarot Game”, by Jude Alexander, is essentially a board game based on the Tarot. It comes packaged in a sturdy, magnetic lid, lift top box. The same style box was used for Jordan Hoggard’s “Tarot in the Land of the Mystereum”, and I am totally impressed with it (especially for this game, which has a multitude of small cards and loose pieces). The top of the box shows the very colorful game board, set against a night sky. Fanned in the right hand corner are one card each from the Major Arcana and the four suits.

Uses for the game are listed on the top of the box as:

· Teaches intuitive card reading to experienced and novice readers.
· Can be used as a meditation tool.
· Includes a 78 card keyword deck for those learning the Tarot.
· Allows you to use your own Tarot decks.

The focus of this game is to embark on a personal journey of transformation, using the Tarot as a guide. Each time you play the game you gain a better understanding of the cards –you come to know them on a deeper level. Playing the game builds a story for each player – their own personal story. The players are basically having a good time while doing a reading for themselves.

The package includes:

· Game Board
· Instructions
· Major Arcana Questions
· Reading Sheets
· Keyword Deck
· 36 Activity Cards
· Treasury of 90 Blessing Coins
· 9 Game Pieces
· 3 Dice

The game can be played alone as a meditation tool, or with 3-9 players as a story telling device. The game board shows a spiral snake, starting at the Fool and ending at the World, with segments in between for Major Arcana cards, activity cards and the infinity symbol. The players roll the dice in turn, which drives the movement of their game piece around the board. Actions are taken depending on the segment of the snake on the game board that is landed on. The Tarot cards that are encountered as play goes on are noted on the reading sheet, including comments and ideas from other players.

The game ends with a players arrival at the Universe (interestingly, an exact count is not needed to land there), or upon completion of their reading sheet (which may include traveling back towards the starting point).

A novice player is considered to be someone who has had limited to no exposure to the Tarot. An enthusiast is defined as someone who owns one or more Tarot decks, goes for professional readings, or does readings at home for themselves. An adept is defined as an experienced or professional reader. It is recommended that at least one player be a knowledgeable Tarot enthusiast.

The Novice reading sheet asks the player to define one theme in their life that needs attention or clarification, and to write a question or statement on that theme on their card. The first three Tarot cards encountered during play are written on the card, along with comments.

The Enthusiast reading sheet also asks the player to define a theme, and then ask a question or make a statement about it. Their reading sheet shows four positions: square (Body), oval (Mind), heart (Heart) and triangle (Spirit).

The Adept reading sheet asks the player to define a theme in their life, and then ask a question of make a statement about it. The Adept card shows the phases of the moon, defined as initiation, fuel, growth, realization, change, and release. The name of the Tarot card encountered and any comments are written on the reading sheet.

The Major Arcana Questions sheet lists five questions for each of the 22 MajorArcana cards. For example:

O Fool

1. When do you remember being Foolish?
2. Who is the adventurous one in your life, and why?
3. In what area of your life do you need to free yourself?
4. What new path are you taking?
5. Tell of a time that you displayed fearlessness.

The game is set up by dividing the Tarot deck to be used into six piles: Major Arcana, Court Cards, and the four suits. Place them in order in the designated place on the game board. Place the activity cards (Spiral, Star and Question Mark) in their designated place on the game board.  (The Major Arcana are purple, Wands red, Cups light blue, Swords yellow and Pentacles green. Each card contains three keywords, but no imagery.)

Note: activities for the Spiral include selecting the 6 of Pentacles from the Pentacles pile, noting its imagery, and then telling a story of a time the player gave generously that which was required at the time it was needed. The card is then recorded on the reading sheet. Activities for the Star include using the full deck, shuffling and drawing a card. The player then tells the group what the number means to them. If there is no number, then the player relates to the imagery. This information is then recorded on the reading sheet. Activities for the Question Mark include the player testing their psychic ability by drawing a card from each suit, and mixing them in a pile, and guessing which one you will pick. This is then recorded on the reading sheet.

Each player selects a game piece, and places it near the Fool. Each player receives a reading sheet, according to experience level. Each player receives five blessing coins from the treasury. Sacred space is then created by having on layer read aloud the grounding meditation in the game manual.

Suggestions are included for acting as a facilitator, as well as for holding a Tarot party.

I found the game to be well thought out, and fun to play. (Please note: to date, I have only played it as a meditation, which worked quite well.) I only have two quibbles with this game: (1) the name and (2) the lack of a Tarot deck with it. The trick playing game of tarocchi has long been associated with Tarot cards, and is generally thought of, and referred to, as the game of Tarot. The current 78 card deck that accompanies the game board could have been presented with images on one side, and keywords on the other. For those individuals that currently do not own a deck, to purchase one to be used with this game board is an unnecessary expense.

I would recommend this game for people like me who like to play board games. I appreciate that it can be played as a meditation if no other players are available, and that it encourages story telling – which is really what the Tarot is all about!

© February 2011 Bonnie Cehovet

Full Moon In Leo

 

This full moon is in the very last degrees of Leo, indicating that we are finishing up lessons connected with this sign. Time to get all of our ducks in a row, as we are coming to a completion in some area of our life. We are going to be seeing ourselves in a different light … expressing ideas that are basically new to us, about projects that are new to us. Creative ventures that started with the last new moon are going to move quickly now.

Anything that transforms us will take precedence at this time, whether it is a book, a class, a speaker, a new way of doing something … whatever moves us out of ourselves and into a new space will come in full force right now. Two things come to mind for me – on a global level, the radically changing political landscape in Egypt, and on a personal level, I just received an e-mail about new software that is going to allow me to present classes over the Internet with handouts, discussions, the ability for participants to take notes – the whole nine yards!

Our core beliefs are going to come into the light. We will be looking at things like our ability to live an authentic life, our ability to take risks, to follow our passions, our ability to have the confidence to shape our own lives.

Things to watch out for: tempers flaring, leading to some very heated discussions!

I drew a card from the “Shadowscapes Tarot” for this full moon: the Queen of Pentacles. We need to nurture and care for ourselves and our environment, for projects that are coming in, and for building financial security.

Image from the “Shadowscapes Tarot”, Stephanie Pui-Mun Law and Barbara Moore, Llewellyn Publications, 2010.

© February 2011 Bonnie Cehovet

Around The Tarot World – 2/15/11

What a great start to this week! My efforts are paying off on my new project – much to my amazement! In the mail – my latest order from Mondazzi (including Joan Bunning’s “Learning Tarot Spreads”) – purrs to Buddy! And some lovely cards from Roxi Sim – a large note card of the Emperor, post cards of the Ace of Cups, along with two gorgeous Caribbean themed cards, and a magnet with the High Priestess on it! Roxi – many thanks! You can connect with Roxi through these links: http://www.tarotguild.com/group/roxisim, http://www.tarotprofessionals.com
, http://www.tarotprofessionals.com/pearls
.

Blatant self promotion: Take My Hand – The Hermit

From Anna Burroughs Cook – What Falls To The Floor Comes To The Door!

From Jordan Hoggard – Video – Exploring The Potential of The Aces.

Incredible book available for pre-order from the ATS – check out Emily E. Auger (editor) – “Tarot In Culture” – -http://association.tarotstudies.org/tarotinculture.html.

“Southern Tarot Symposium” – Meeting of Australian and New Zealand Tarot lovers – http://www.tarot-art.com/news.html. Presenters include Fern Mercier, Lyn Howarth-Olds, Jean-Michel David, Annie Dunlop, Danae Thorp and Franchelle Ofsoske-Wyber.

ATS 2011 Tarot convention –http://association.tarotstudies.org/2011convention.html.

(c) February 2011 Bonnie Cehovet

Be My Valentine

Today is Valentine’s Day. Rather than doing a reading on personal relationship, I decided to do one on my relationship to a project that I just began, outside of the Tarot field.  My question was: “What do I need to do to make this work successful?” I did a three card reading, with undefined positions … I simply let the story unfold.

The Nine of Cups shows flow and movement – In the LWB, Law notes that fish are associated with health, prosperity and good fortune. There is also a highly emotional charge to this card, as there was to my taking on this project. In a word – it made me happy! And … it came to me, I did not seek it out.

At the very beginning of this project, when I was experiencing my highest joy, I also experienced my deepest sorrow. It literally hurt my heart. I allowed that hurt to be a learning experience. made a couple of decisions based on it,and moved on.

The Queen of Cups is all about creativity, as is the project that I am working on. I need to follow my intuition, and my heart. I have followed my passion, now I need to follow my intuitive instincts and allow myself to soar!

Images from the “Shadowscapes Tarot”, Stephanie Pui-Mun Law and Barbara Moore, Llewellyn Publications, 2010.

(c) February 2011 Bonnie Cehovet

 

Quandry

I am in a quandary. Okay – two quandaries. Both are in regard to something that is totally out of my control. In the first instance, an organisation that I belong to is espousing views that don’t reflect my own. This is a professional organisation, so the question that comes to my mind is am I out of step, or are they? I very well could be – I make no bones about clinging to old values. The issue is not black and white, because in many ways this organisation has and continues to provide service for its members. However, when I have an opinion on a core issue that differs wildly from that of the organisation, I have to wonder if this is where I want to place my time and attention. I will think about this for awhile.

My second quandary is this – What do you do when you place an article that is definitely Tarot oriented on a site, and you find it under a category that some bot has obviously decided it belongs in – and is nowhere near the field of Tarot! That just happened to me, and I am still shaking my head.

 

(c) February 2011 Bonnie Cehovet