On My Way to the East: The Star in the Tarot

Welcome to the Tarot Blog Hop! I was the wrangler for this hop and proposed a seasonal topic–astrologically, we are in the sign of Aquarius, which is associated with the Star card. So I’d like to share with you a spread I developed based on mythology associated with that card.

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On My Way to the East: The Star in the Tarot

This is a spread that I developed for my Mythologies of the Tarot class. In that class, we explore different ways that mythology and tarot can work together. Here are a variety of examples, mostly based on the Chariot card but showing different ways that stories can be incorporated into the tarot:

A card=a story; example, The Chariot is the myth of Phaeton. Working with the cards this way in reading can often lead to moralistic readings, such as, “be careful to steer the middle course or you’ll end up like Phaeton”
A symbol on the card refers to a myth; example, the Crowley-Harris Thoth Chariot has the symbol of the grail, but the card does not refer overall to the grail story and other symbols on the card refer to other stories.
The card is an image of one detail of a larger story; example, the Marseille Chariot (in particular I was looking at the Jean Noblet Marseille) closely resembles the moment in the story of the Death of Cu Chulainn where the Gray of Macha breaks away from his chariot. Working with cards this way can more often lead to prognostic readings, such as, “right now the person you love the best is abandoning you, but will return to fight at your side.”
A whole suit or a whole deck can incorporate elements of a single myth or grouping of tales about a single character. Examples, themed decks including Arthurian decks, Alice in Wonderland deck, Sacred India deck, etc.

A fifth way of relating myths to tarot is to compare a sequence of cards to a commonly known story. Many people consider the Major Arcana to tell the story of the Fool’s Journey, but by looking at shorter sequences we can get specific stories. The following spread looks at the sequence 14, 15, 16, and 17 (9 got thrown in for good measure) and finds within it the story of Inanna’s descent to the underworld. Following is the spread we used to explore this story in class.

Click this image to download a pdf file of the spread sheet.

On My Way to the East: Tarot Spread Instructions

Card 1: Devil, Duality. In Joseph Campbell’s monomyth, the chapter that corresponds to the Devil card is the Ultimate Boon, which is the incorruptible body, the possibility of immortality. The duality expressed by the Devil is the mistaken conflation of the ephemeral god with the abiding grace of the imperishable miraculous energy-substance. For us, it is the mistake of choosing the temporal, immortality, rather than the eternal gift, illumination. In the story of Inanna, she descends to the underworld to attend the funeral of Erishkigal’s husband, but doesn’t realize how she will be received by her sister.

This position is why you are embarking on this journey–it is the wrong reason, but you do not see that it is wrong.

Card 2: Inanna, Form. Inanna is the Queen of Heaven, the planet Venus, the evening star of love and the morning star of war. Her descent is the transition from one to the other, during her temporary absence from the sky when she is overpowered by the sun. In the story, Inanna’s form changes, from lover to warrior.

This position asks us, what form do I take, what am I presenting to the world?

Card 3: Ereshkigal, Emptiness. Ereshkigal is Inanna’s sister, the Queen of the Underworld, also in some ways the blinding sun that blots out Venus from view periodically. Ereshkigal just lost her husband. She is cruel and dominating to Inanna, who visits to attend the funeral. She pronounces a death sentence on Inanna. Later, she is “moaning with the cries of a woman about to give birth” right before Inanna is rescued.

This position is emptiness, what you have lost, or what cancels you out.

Card 4: Hermit, Descending alone. In Joseph Campbell, the Hermit is The Belly of the Whale, in which the hero is swallowed and appears to have died, a symbol of rebirth from the world womb. Destroying the sense of self or attachment to ego through such devices as being swallowed by the beast, or being dismembered and scattered, requires “self” to be replaced with connection or unity with the Divine, “for his passing and returning demonstrate that through all the contraries of phenomenality the Uncreate-Imperishable remains, and there is nothing to fear.” In the story, Inanna takes this journey alone, without her servant, sons, husband, or any help.

This position gives you insight into what part of this journey is yours alone to achieve, what you must do without help.

Card 5: Relationship between Inanna and Ereshkigal. Inanna enters Ereshkigal’s throne room naked and bowed low, and then is killed by her sister. We see from the quote that life springs forth when form and emptiness are in perfect balance–but this balance is not always present. What is the relationship, or the degree of balance, between Inanna/Form and Erishkigal/Emptiness, or between your own form/understanding of yourself on this journey and that which cancels you out?

This position gives us clues as to which may be stronger: the form you are presenting or the forces that are trying to eclipse you.

Enki, the God of Wisdom. Note the two streams coming from the jug he holds and the similarity to the tarot’s Star.

Card 6: Tower, Divine assistance in the form of water of life and food of life. Joseph Campbell calls this the refusal of the return. It is the identification with the self rather than the realization that the return can renew the whole community. When Inanna doesn’t come back by the appointed time, her faithful servant Ninshubur goes looking for help. Father Enki, the God of Wisdom, is greatly grieved that Inanna has not returned, and forms two beings of clay to enter the underworld and bring the water of life and the food of life to Inanna’s corpse to release her. Although the Tower card is normally associated with destruction, when the hero of the story is already dead, the Tower can represent the electric jolt of resurrection–like a defibrillator, or, more cosmically, like the electric spark that triggers the beginning of life in the primordial ooze.

This position tells you where help will come from, or what you need—or why you need—to continue your journey.

Card 7: Temperance: Perfect balance. In Campbell, Apotheosis. This is one of the four initiations and means being deified or immortalized. It is the recognition of unity with the Divine and within all things; the union of all opposites; this unity with the Divine is the rebirth resulting from the death and dismemberment of the Belly of the Whale. The symbolism of pouring liquid from one cup to another, as illustrated in the Temperance card, is a metaphor for reincarnation: the translation of the soul from one body to the next. The resurrected Inanna is forbidden from ascending from the underworld unless she can provide someone to take her place. Inanna offers her husband Dumuzi to take her place because he did not go into mourning for her while she was gone.

This position indicates the unique and eternal quality that will pervade this and every journey you embark upon.

Card 8: Star: New life that springs forth. In the Hero’s Journey, the Magic Flight, symbolic of return from beyond the veil of death. “If the monomyth is to fulfill its promise, not human failure or superhuman success but human success is what we shall have to be shown. That is the problem of the crisis of the threshold of the return.” Although this is the end of the story of Inanna’s descent, it is not the end of the story–Dumuzi escapes the demons from the underworld. Meanwhile, Inanna and Dumuzi’s little sister Geshtinanna weep bitterly and search everywhere for him as he flees from the pursuing demons. Eventually Inanna and his sister find him. Geshtinanna agrees to split the time in the underworld with her brother–Dumuzi will be there half the year, and she will take the other half the year.

This is the final outcome position, the new situation, now free from the veil of failure, that is brought about as a result of your successful negotiation of the events of this journey.

Refer to Renna Shesso‘s wonderful book, Planets for Pagans, to learn how this story is symbolic of the transition of Venus (Inanna) from evening to morning star and the waxing and waning of the moon (Dumuzi).

I hope you enjoyed the story of Inanna and Erishkigal! Enjoy the rest of the hop!

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Click here to find out more info about my Mythology of the Tarot class. It is offered on the 3rd Tuesdays, May 17-Oct 18, 2016, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Isis Books in Denver. If you’re not in Denver, ask me about a webinar version of this class–I would like to take this class online this year!

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About the Author

Joy Vernon is widely recognized by tarot professionals as an expert tarot teacher and respected community leader. With over twenty years’ experience teaching energetic and esoteric modalities, Joy brings expertise and practiced familiarity to her specialty of esoteric tarot, which layers astrological and qabalistic symbolism onto the traditional tarot structure. Under her leadership, the Denver Tarot Meetup has grown into the most active and one of the largest tarot-specific meetups in the world. Joy works as a reader and teacher at Isis Books. To learn more, please visit JoyVernon.com.

2015 Holiday Casting Sheet

Welcome to the Tarot Blog Hop! Our wrangler Arwen Lynch-Poe of Tarot by Arwen suggested that we have a Tarot Holiday Office Party and gift exchange. The Denver Tarot Meetup Leadership Team came up with the idea of a holiday themed casting sheet to give our members as a gift at our Holiday Party. I decided this was a perfect gift to share!

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From all of us at Denver Tarot Meetup to the Tarot Blog Hop Bloggers and Hoppers, all Denver Tarot Convention participants, and everyone who loves tarot and casting sheets!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Our gift to you is the 2015 Holiday Casting Sheet

Complete with a set of five casting charms.

How to Use Your 2015 Holiday Casting Sheet from the Denver Tarot Meetup

Click on the image of the Holiday Casting Sheet to open the pdf. Print it out for best results.
Print the set of five casting charms. They should be about 3/4 inch diameter each. You can print them on cardstock, or print them on paper and glue them onto cardboard to make them sturdier. Cut them out after you’ve glued them and they have had plenty of time to dry. Instead of the casting charms included here, or in addition to, you can use your usual casting charms, or get a handful of small stones, loose change, pistachio shells, orange pips or whatever is close to hand (ten or twelve items is plenty). Having a variety is a plus.
Concentrate on your question while you shake your charms in your hands.
Release the charms gently onto the casting sheet. If any bounce off, you can re-toss them or read them where they lie.
Use your own knowledge of symbolism and your innate intuition to determine the meanings of each charm and where it lands. Refer to the following suggestions to spark your own creativity.

Meanings of the 2015 DTM Holiday Charms

Christmas Tree—The Christmas Tree represents community and light. Mythologically, the tree is associated with the center axis of the earth. The Christmas Tree brings this symbolism into our communities and homes. People gather around the tree to decorate it, distribute presents around it, and congregate around it with food and drinks. It is the centerpiece of holiday festivities. The Christmas Tree is an evergreen, symbolizing that which never dies. We decorate it with lights as a reminder that even at the darkest time of the year, the sun will always rise to bring light and life. If your charm is face down, your lights are probably out—remember it only takes one burnt out bulb to darken the entire strand!

Snowflake—The Snowflake represents perfected beauty. As beautiful as it is, it is also cold and icy. The Snowflake can represent completion, ending, or loss. Falling snow is associated with stillness and quiet and can signify alone time. The Snowflake’s radial symmetry brings in meanings of meditation and being centered. The Snowflake charm is double sided, showing that the past can be washed clean and you always have a fresh start.

Christmas Stocking – The Christmas Stocking represents receiving. Children hang stockings on Christmas Eve and find them filled with goodies in the morning. The stocking can also represent small gifts (in size, not importance!). As a representative of the foot, the stocking denotes movement or travel. If the charm is face down, be careful you don’t get coal in your stocking! If so, it would probably help to be more grounded.

Holiday Wreath—The Wreath represents protection and victory. Decorative Christmas wreaths are often a welcoming symbol on the front door, announcing protection and security. Their circular shape represents unity or infinity. The circle is also the cycle of release and return, giving the wreath the association of success and victory, although not always without the pain of initiation. Wreaths are often used with candles, embodying warmth and an affectionate embrace. If your wreath is face down, remember that it is better to give than to receive–if you are in special need of the things represented by the Holiday Wreath, start by giving them to others.

Bell—The Bell represents a calling or communication. Bells are tolled to summon people, such as the dinner gong. They mark time, such as school bells or church carillons. Bells are part of festive music, inviting us to dance, sing, and make merry. Bells are loud and clear, so they can indicate being heard or communicating. When the Bell is your charm, ask yourself if you are expressing yourself clearly and joyfully. If the Bell is face down, speak up or you might not be heard.

How to Read the Charms on the Casting Sheet

Star and Ornaments. If a charm falls on the Star at the top of the tree or on any of the nine large colored Ornaments, use the positional meaning assigned either via the Sticker Method or the Color Symbolism Method, both detailed below. Charms that fall here are the most influential and can possibly represent things beyond our control.
Tree. If a charm falls on the tree but not on the Star or any of the large Ornaments, it is important on a practical level and is something we are ready to take action on.
Presents. If a charm falls on the presents below the tree, it represents something that you will receive during this holiday season. The color of the box or the gift itself when visible may also influence your interpretation of a charm that lands here.
Blue Background. If a charm falls in the blue area around the tree, it represents something that is on the periphery or only tangentially important. It could also represent something you have forgotten and that needs to be included.
Snowflake Border. If a charm falls on the snowflake border around the edge of the casting sheet, it is something you are ready to let go.
Large Gold Edged Snowflakes. If a charm falls on the large snowflakes with the titles “Holiday Casting Sheet” and “DTM 2015” it represents something that needs to be clearly labeled or identified.
Misses the Casting Sheet. If a charm doesn’t land on the casting sheet, you can re-toss it. Or consider that it might be referring to something that is entirely outside of the considerations of your present inquiry.

Generally:

Charms that fall on the top half of the sheet will suggest spiritual or big picture concerns.
Charms that fall on the bottom half of the sheet will raise practical or immediate concerns.
Charms that fall on the left half of the sheet will represent things that benefit from the flow of creativity and imagination, or situations in which you are advised to take your feelings into account. They can also represent the past.
Charms that fall on the right half of the sheet will represent things that need a logical and systematic approach, or careful analysis. They can also represent the future.

The Sticker Method: Denver Tarot Meetup “Guess the Card Mixer”

For the Denver Tarot Meetup Holiday Party, we are doing a mixer in which each person is given upon arrival a sheet of stickers, all the same, of a tarot card. Everyone is encouraged to meet as many people as possible, exchanging stickers until you have at least nine different stickers. For extra fun, we recommend offering a clue and encouraging other people to guess your card before you give them the sticker (so keep them hidden or hold them close!). For instance, if you are the Nine of Pentacles, you might offer the clue, “I live in a beautiful garden.” Don’t be a Scrooge–if they guess wrong, give them a sticker anyway for being a good sport. Remember to get people’s real names too, if you haven’t already met! You can stick all your different stickers onto the tree, placing one on each large ornament, and if you have more, feel free to add them wherever you like.

When using the casting sheet this way, each ornament will have a positional meaning associated with the tarot card sticker.

The Color Symbolism Method: The Qabalistic Christmas Tree

If you aren’t attending the DTM Holiday Party, or miss out on the mixer, or are a wallflower, you can still use your casting sheet! The ornaments are designed to have a positional meaning based on color symbolism. Either use any color symbolism you’re already familiar with, or try out the following suggestions based on the Qabalistic Tree of Life.

Position 1: The Star: Significant Beginnings and Divine Guidance
Although usually white is associated with Kether, the first sphere on the Tree of Life, today the golden star at the top of the tree will substitute quite nicely. Astrologically, Kether is associated with the primum mobile, or the first mover. The first mover causes the heavens to turn. A charm that falls here might represent the beginning of something significant. Kether means Crown and is associated with the Divine. A charm that falls on the Star could point you toward divine guidance.

Position 2: Gray Ornament: The Father
The color gray relates to Chokmah, the zodiac, and the male principle. Chokmah means Wisdom. This position represents the father, the father’s side of the family, or male role models.

Position 3: Black Ornament: The Mother
The color black relates to Binah, the planet Saturn, and the female principle. Binah means Understanding. This position represents the mother, the mother’s side of the family, or female role models.

Position 4: Blue Ornament: Memory
The color blue relates to Chesed, the planet Jupiter, and the faculty of memory. Chesed means Mercy or Love. A charm here reminds us of holidays past, the love of family and friends, and generosity.

Position 5: Red Ornament: Will
The color red corresponds to Geburah, Mars, and the personality function of will. Geburah means Severity or Strength. A charm in this position helps you understand your major motivation or intentions during this holiday season. Alternately, it could give advice on potential conflicts.

Position 6: Yellow Ornament: Ideal Vision
Tiphareth on the Tree of Life is represented by the color yellow and the imagination. Its planet is the Sun. Tiphareth means Beauty. Tiphareth also represents the higher self. A charm here illuminates your ideal vision for the holidays.

Position 7: Green Ornament: Heart’s Desire
In qabalah, the color green is Netzach, which corresponds to Venus and the emotions. Netzach means Victory or Perseverance. A charm that falls in this position represents our heart’s desire for the holidays.

Position 8: Orange Ornament: Logical Considerations
The color orange represents Hod, the planet Mercury, and the intellect. Hod means Splendor or Yielding. A charm that falls here describes the logical considerations that are necessary during this season, or where to direct your thoughts.

Position 9: Purple Ornament: Intuition and Dreams; Editing
The color purple represents Yesod, the Moon, and the astral body. Yesod means Foundation. Whatever lands here will support and be supported by your intuition. Or you might just dream about it! Counterintuitively, Yesod can also be about editing your beautiful but perhaps impractical wishes down to their true essence in order to bring them into complete and final realization at Malkuth.

Position 10: Olive Green Ornament: Manifestation
Olive green is one of the colors associated with Malkuth, which means Kingdom. Malkuth can also be associated with taking action or with something that has already manifested. It’s also associated with the earth and the physical body. If one of your charms lands here, you know you already have it in abundance!

I hope you enjoy your 2015 Holiday Casting Sheet! Happy Holidays from the Denver Tarot Meetup!

Join the Denver Tarot Meetup today to learn all about our regular meetups, special events, parties, and the 2016 Ten Year Anniversary! We also have some great handouts, spreads, and handy charts in the Files Section! Click the image to visit our site and join!

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About the Author

Joy Vernon has been studying and teaching energetic and esoteric modalities for more than twenty years. She is the organizer of the Denver Tarot Geeks, Denver Tarot Meetup and Denver Traditional Reiki Meetup, and she served on the faculty of Avalon Center for Druidic Studies. She is one of the psychics at Isis Books and has been featured at SpiritWays, the Mercury Café and psychic fairs throughout the Denver Metro and Northern Colorado. She is a Certified Professional Tarot Reader and a member of the American Tarot Association and Tarosophy Tarot Association. Joy also teaches Traditional Japanese Reiki. For information on upcoming classes or to schedule an appointment, please visit JoyVernon.com.

Finding the Perfect Tower

Welcome to the Tarot Blog Hop! Our wrangler Maureen Aisling Duffy-Boose of Tarot Witchery asked us to create a tarot card. She was inspired by the concept of the Maninni Tarot Deck. “Maninni” means “many little hands” and it is popular for tarot decks to be created by groups of artists, tarot workers, and photographers, each individual contributing one or several cards to the project. Morgan Drake Eckstein, Tarot Blog Hop Administrator and Denver Tarot Convention attendee, shares his Tower image from the Tarot Field Trip event that was part of TarotCon Denver.

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Finding the Perfect Tower

“The Tower” By Morgan Drake Eckstein. Photo (c) June 2015. Used by permission.

Hi everyone! I am Mad Uncle Morgan; and for the next three minutes, I get to bore you. (What?! Oh. I see.) I have just been informed that this post is supposed to be witty and educational. Uh…no, that’s not going to happen.

Earlier this year, I attended the Denver Tarot Convention. I went just so I could shake Lon Duquette’s hand, and max out my credit card. (What?! Oh. I see.) Umm, I went to convention to learn stuff. And to network. And to become more enlightened. (Is that better? Well, I don’t care if it is not better. Who is telling this story? Me or you? Yes, just give me a facepalm and move on.)

When I arrived at the convention, the person at the sign-in table handed me the convention program, and had me draw a Tarot card out of a pile. I drew the Tower. “Gee, I hope that this is not an omen for tonight.” Yes, I said that; I had an Open Full Moon ritual to conduct that night, and I really did not want things to go sideways there. Then I stuck the card in my bag. I assume that it amused the door attendant that I failed to ask the proper question.

Yes, that is exactly how much thought I initially gave the card. I never said that I was the sharpest tool in the shed, or capable of deep thought. The card sat in my bag for two days, unthought of, unloved.

It was at the dinner Saturday night that I finally learned what the card was for. One of the organizers was talking about the Tarot field trip where convention attendees would be set loose with cameras to take photos that represented Tarot cards. And I had to raise my hand and say, “Gee, I am stupid. How do we know what card we are hunting for?” Ok, maybe I did not say the first part of that out loud; it is always hard to remember what actually comes out of my mouth, and what only happens in my head.

The organizer managed not to roll her eyes at how totally clueless I was. We have to give her points for that. After all, I was the only person who did not ask what the purpose of the card was when it was given to me. “It is the card that you drew when you signed the sign-in sheet.” To which I responded, “Oh!” which translated as “Oh. Failure to ask proper question—ten points for appearing confident, minus several million for not plugging your brain in. And what card did I draw again?!” This was followed by me digging fanatically though my bag to find the card, hoping that my cat had not walked off with it the night before.

The field trip was divided in three groups. One was going to visit the zoo; another group was going to the Botanic Gardens; and the final group was going to go downtown. Given the card I drew, I knew exactly what group I needed to go with. I imagine that their hearts were filled with overwhelming joy at the prospect of having me in their group. The Black Death probably would have been more welcome.

Not only did I know what group I needed to go with, I also knew the exact place that I needed to go. For a decade I worked downtown, followed by a decade of riding the light-rail to the local college. Therefore, I knew exactly what building I wanted to take a picture of. After all, when you see it twice a day, five days of the week for twenty years, even someone of my questionable intelligence can realize the perfect building to represent the Tower card.

While there were other options, in my mind, the Holy Ghost Catholic Church built on the triangular block of California, Broadway and Nineteenth was the perfect building to take a picture of for the image of the Tower card. Started in 1924, designed by architect J. B. Benedict, the church was only one third finished until the 1940s when Helen G. Bonfils donated the money to complete the church in memory of her parents.

The Daniels & Fisher Tower, located at the intersection of Arapahoe Street and the 16th Street Mall in Denver, Colorado. Photo by David Shankbone licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.

Now, I can hear you thinking, “Ho hum, a church, churches are a dime a dozen. Surely, you could have found a more interesting choice for the Tower card.” Well, I will admit that if it was just a church, you would be right. My second choice for the Tower card was the Daniels and Fisher Tower, which was built in 1910 as part of the Daniels and Fisher Department Store. The interesting part about Daniels and Fisher Tower is that when the department store was demolished in 1971, they chose to save and renovate the tower.

In a world, where we tear down the old to make way for the new, often the historical buildings that remain are the most interesting, being reminders of what once was. In my mind, this ties into the standard image of the Lightning Blasted Tower, typically with only part of the Tower being destroyed, leaving the foundation intact.

So what makes a church that has never been torn down a better choice? Well, the very fact that it wasn’t torn down. In the 1980s, another building was built on the same block as the Holy Ghost Catholic Church. A forty-six storied skyscraper, designed and completed by Curtis W. Fentress, the building is the fifth tallest in Denver. Today, it houses offices of a petroleum company, a consulting firm, a phone company, and part of the Internal Revenue Service.

Read view of the church, showing the columns of the skyscraper enclosing it. Photo (c) June 2015 by Morgan Drake Eckstein. Used by permission.

Again, you say, “Ho hum.” And you would be right, if it wasn’t for a design decision made by Fentress. Instead of tearing down Holy Ghost Catholic Church, Fentress designed his skyscraper in a V shape, with a bowl at the back of the building to accommodate the church. Part of the skyscraper is built on pillars placed right next to the back section of the church, and overhangs above the roof of the church.

From the time I first laid eyes on these two buildings, I have been fascinated by this design decision. Here the old and the new are cheek to jowl, the religious to the secular, the combined work of two architects who lived and worked in different eras. I have walked around these two buildings on a couple of occasions, admiring how they have been fitted together, separate but yet a single unit.

Without this knowledge, the picture that I took loses some of its impact. Fortunately, the Tarot Gods smiled on me the morning of the Tarot fieldtrip to make up for the loss. My timing was just right, and I managed not only to capture the image of the two buildings with the new towering over the old, but to also capture the sun with its beams creating (what I consider to be) a very nice effect.

Having done the artwork for a few different versions of the Tower card, I must admit that this is my favorite version that I have created. Not bad for a lad that completely forgot to be concerned about the Tarot card that he was tasked with finding.

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About the Author

Morgan Drake Eckstein is a novelist and occult writer living in Denver, Colorado. He writes everything from science fiction and urban fantasy to erotica. He graduated from the University of Colorado with two Bachelor degrees (History and Literary Studies). Besides writing, Morgan does photography, book cover and Tarot art, and cartooning. In his spare time, he is an officer of Bast Temple, a small local Golden Dawn lodge in Denver, Colorado (BIORC in the Inner), and writes a monthly newsletter column for the Hearthstone Community Church (“The Open Full Moon People”). Check out his blog at Gleamings from the Golden Dawn where he sometimes even makes sense.

Mercury in Virgo Tarot Spread

Welcome to the Tarot Blog Hop! Our wrangler Joanne Sprott of Cosmic Whispers Tarot suggested that we share our take on the influence of the Sun and/or Mercury in the Tarot. In honor of Mercury entering Virgo yesterday afternoon, I have created the Mercury in Virgo Tarot Spread.

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Mercury in Virgo Tarot Spread

Yesterday afternoon Mercury, the planet associated with such qualities as wit, communication, and swiftness moved into the sign of Virgo, known for its perfectionism and attention to detail. Mercury is both in its domicile and exaltation in Virgo, making it very much at home there–and very productive. Any projects of a mercurial nature–writing, editing, speaking, sales, data entry, accounting–will be excellent undertakings during the next three weeks while Mercury transits this sign (it moves into the next sign, Libra, on August 28). Virgo provides the focus that Mercury needs to excel, and this transit can offer you a chance to apply these strengths to any current or upcoming projects.

The Magician and The Hermit from the Quest Tarot by Joseph Ernest Martin, published by Llewellyn.

In the tarot, Mercury is the Magician, and Virgo is the Hermit. The contrast between these two cards is rendered starkly in Joseph Ernest Martin’s Quest Tarot, shown here, with the bright, open, center stage Magician contrasted against the shadowy, intently focused, distant Hermit. And yet, both are engaged in a similar working of energetic magic.

The Magician, comfortable in the spotlight, uses his wand to direct the infinite energy of the universe into the particular tools of his trade, while also moving that energy from the outer to inner, bringing it from the vastness of space to the interior space of his throne room, his personal space of authority.

The Hermit on the other hand, out in the wilderness, alone except for animal companions, vulnerable in his nakedness to spiders and other threats, creates a ball of energy from his own hand, which expands until it begins to shoot off sparks in all directions. His power begins within and expands outward.

The Ten of Stones from the Quest Tarot by Joseph Ernest Martin published by Llewellyn.

Together, Mercury in Virgo is expressed in the tarot as the Ten of Pentacles, or here in the Quest Tarot, the Ten of Stones. The exaltation of Mercury is shown by the caduceus at the height of the orbs, higher than the orb of Mercury itself, almost blinded by the rays of the successful sun. The caduceus is the wand of Mercury, symbol of the balanced working of polarities towards a higher goal; it is the symbol of the medical field. The snakes wrapped around the wand in the caduceus is also reminiscent of the biblical story of Moses, often associated with the Hermit, whose staff turned into a snake. The spires of the island castle show the height of attainment possible with the focused productivity of Mercury in Virgo. The rainbow and foregrounded irises (Iris is the goddess of the rainbow), show both the bridge that represents Mercury’s travel between the worlds as well as the static completion of the successful endeavor–not to mention the wealth that is the title of the card.

The Mercury in Virgo tarot spread has three positions, represented by our three cards: The Magician, The Hermit, and the Ten of Stones.

Prep your deck as you normally do for a reading and draw three cards randomly for these three positions. Interpret them in relationship to the cards we discussed earlier and to the positional meanings provided.

Position 1: The Magician/Mercury

The project you are engaged in. What you bring inward from the expanse of the universe.

Position 2: The Hermit/Virgo

The most important details of your project. What you project outward from your own power.

Position 3: The Ten of Stones/Mercury in Virgo

The ultimate success of your project. The highest aspirations of your project which are within reach.

Have fun and abundant success during this Mercury in Virgo transit!

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About the Author

The History of the Denver Tarot Meetup

Tom and Joy at the old Isis Books for a DTM meetup August 24, 2006.

The Denver Tarot Meetup was founded in July 2006 by Scott Womack. The group met weekly (unheard of for a meetup at that time; most met monthly) in the small conference room of a great little coffee shop on Lincoln and 7th called Scooter Joe’s. Scott recounts that the first meeting was just him and one other person; by the second meeting, he had filled that room and they had to spill out into the café.

From the beginning, Scott was dedicated to making the group open, accessible, and relevant to all levels of readers—we would have professional readers and brand-new just-got-my-first-deck readers in the same group, working on the same material. So Scott was a master of planning events that all participants could learn from. Scott was also uncompromising in his vision of advancing group members to the position of presenter. Regular members back then included Joy Vernon, Cheryl Pershey, and Arwen Lynch and we, and others, contributed presentations for the group.

Kat and Scott at the old Isis Books for a DTM meetup August 24, 2006.

DTM’s first spin-off group was the Denver Tarot Geeks, started by Joy Vernon in May 2007.

DTM continued to grow by leaps and bounds and moved to Gypsy House Café, where the large basement room was big enough for groups of 20 or more.

Scott was dedicated to creating partnerships—he had the vision to create joint meetups with the Denver Tarot Geeks. He also mentored Fredda Laurel, a DTM member and presenter, when she was inspired to start a metaphysics meetup—her Introduction to Metaphysics Meetup is now one of the largest metaphysics meetups in the world.

Martien & Teressena Bakens, Creators of The Fifth Tarot at Gypsy House Cafe for a DTM special event, August 11, 2010.

Scott developed tarot games like Tarot Tunnel, Guess the Deck, and Tarot Detectives. He hosted tarot movie nights and tarot poetry. He always insisted on setting aside time after the meetup to share readings so that participants would have the chance to receive readings as well as practice giving them. He initiated the tarot socials in early 2009. Scott brought in nationally recognized tarot names like Martien & Teressena Bakens, creators of The Fifth Tarot.

Scott from the beginning never saw himself as the ongoing leader of DTM. He wanted it to mature into its own self-sustaining group, not dependent on a single person. He worked with a number of assistant organizers and would periodically hand the group off to an especially active member for a period of time.

Eventually, in January 2011 Scott handed the group off to Joy Vernon. Joy invited his assistant organizers to continue working in their same capacity in the group and John Michael Allen took her up on the offer, becoming the group’s first co-organizer.

Sherry Shone and Sherry Padilla at the DTM booth at Celebration Fair September 5, 2014.

Under Joy’s leadership, the group continued to grow. We are now the second largest tarot meetup in the world. We found our current home at Living Earth where we meet twice a month. This year we merged with Renna Shesso’s “Totally Tarot” to add 1st Tuesday Tarot, which encourages group members to step into the experience of presenting a topic. We expanded the tarot socials to four a month plus a Lenormand social, for a total of eight regular meetups every month. We also continue to bring in well-known names including Barbara Moore, James Wanless, Katrina Wynne, Shaheen Miro, Beth Seilonen, Erik Dunne, Toney Brooks, and Vicki Noble.

Grace Padilla and Mary K. Greer at Fort Greene for The Fountain Tarot Launch Event June 25, 2015.

Co-organizer Sherry Padilla brought DTM to Celebration Fair for the first time in 2014—people commented that they had never seen a meetup with an info booth at a big fair like that.

Additional DTM spin-off groups include Castle Rock Tarot, Metaphysics With A Twist (MWAT), and the Fort Collins Tarot Meetup, to name just a few.

What started out as two people having a tête-à-tête about tarot over coffee at Scooter Joe’s Café has grown beyond all expectations into a leading group in the field of tarot and a vast network of connected tarot communities. It seemed a natural next step to partner with Tarosophy Tarot Association of Keswick, England to produce TarotCon Denver. Scott’s vision of community, camaraderie, education, partnership and leadership has guided us this far—where else will it take us as we celebrate our 10th anniversary in 2016?

See photos of all the DTM past events on Meetup.com.

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Joy will be speaking on “Unlock Your Transformation with the Empyrean Key” at TarotCon Denver 2015. Visit our Speakers page for the full line-up of presentations and workshops.

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About the Author

Joy Vernon has been studying and teaching energetic and esoteric modalities for more than twenty years. She is the organizer of the Denver Tarot Geeks, Denver Tarot Meetup and Denver Traditional Reiki Meetup, and she served on the faculty of Avalon Center for Druidic Studies. She is one of the psychics at Isis Books and is a Certified Professional Tarot Reader and a member of the American Tarot Association and Tarosophy Tarot Association. Joy also teaches Traditional Japanese Reiki. For information on upcoming classes or to schedule an appointment, please visitJoyVernon.com.

Reflecting on The Fool

Welcome to the Tarot Blog Hop! Our wrangler Alison Cross of Tarot Thrones asked us to share something about a favorite Major Arcana card. Denver Tarot Convention speaker Mo Abdelbaki offered up his original artwork for The Fool.

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The Fool

Gazing in his mirror,
squeezing shut his eyes,
The Fool became The Hearer
and instantly was wise.

Every petal, every blade,
every leaf by Nature made,
is meant to wilt, its colors fade.

With leaps of joy, The Fool did cry,
“Time is Precious! So am I!
Colors, textures, earth and sky,
air will freeze and streams run dry.
All of this must surely pass!”

Dare you use his looking glass?

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Mo will be speaking on “Decoding the Magic in the Thoth Tarot” at TarotCon Denver 2015. Visit our Speakers page for the full line-up of presentations and workshops.

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About the Author

Of Egyptian heritage, Mo Abdelbaki has been a student of the mysteries for over fifty years and has been a professional consultant for over thirty. His intensive studies have encompassed Tarot, Vedic Astrology, I-Ching, Hermetic Qabalism, Runes and numerous other spiritual systems. Mo’s lifelong quest into all things metaphysical has provided him with a powerful intuition and accurate tools with which he has guided thousands of clients worldwide.

As a teacher, Mo has taught thousands in the proper use of Tarot, astrology and other divination methods. Mo currently hosts a weekly radio show on 12Radio called, “Out of Mo’s Mind” and writes a column of the same name in “Mark’s Power Peek.” He rarely makes public appearances but has recently come out of his cave to share with those who seek. Like any awakening bear, he can be a bit testy at times.

For information, please visit MoAbdelbaki.com.

Magic and the Tarot

There are a many things in life that I really enjoy. Two of which are the tarot and magic! I have been using and studying the tarot for decades now and magic, well magic is something I have practiced longer than I have been working with the cards. It only seems natural to me to combine the powers of both systems.

I believe that all knowledge is good. I have learned and studied, in varying degrees, several magical systems. Some I would never use. They just do not resonate with me. But some I do.

For anyone who may be interested in learning how to preform a spell or two with their tarot cards I present this blog post. And I encourage you to come and see my presentation on Sunday at the Denver TarotCon. There you will join me and others in a group ritual for prosperity.

To begin your spell work you must first decide what it is you want to draw into your life. This is very important. Take your time in deciding. Is it money or possessions you need? Maybe you need to get something done or moving. Is your need mental; do you have a decision to make or is there something you would like to know?

Now adding your knowledge of the tarot, does your desire fall into the realm of disks, wands, swords, or cups? Or is it a combination of the suits. Choose any cards you feel would facilitate the accomplishment of your goals. For example maybe you are looking for love. What kind of love are you looking for? A love represented by the Lovers card and the ten of cups? Or maybe you are after an Empress and Princess of Disks kind of love; you want a baby. These cards represent your goal. Choose one to five cards to represent your goal.

To bring things to you magically one might also choose to utilize the four directions. The cards that represent the ‘root of each suit’ are the ones that I choose to use; the aces of each suit.

The elements may also be represented during a magical act. Which cards would you use to represent earth, air, fire and water? Maybe you would like to include spirit as well. For instance the Knight of Wands might be used to represent the element of fire.

Place the cards you have chosen for your purpose face up on a flat surface. Arrange the cards you have chosen to represent the four directions and the elements around the purpose cards, however you feel called to do so. Embellish the altar with any other items you wish such as; personal items you would like to wear afterword, incense, candles, etc.

Now focus your intent on the cards you placed in the center to represent your goals. Speak your intention out loud and in a commanding voice. See it in your mind’s eye. Visualize it; picture yourself already living your goal. Repeat your work on a regular basis until you achieve your goal.

Using the tarot to cast a spell requires only a deck of cards and your mind and voice; two of the most powerful magical tools you will ever possess.

There is an old adage that is taught to beginning Craft students which seems pertinent to share here; be careful what you wish for you just might get it!

Great success to all of your workings!

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Rev. Ivy will be leading “Casting a Spell with the Tarot” at TarotCon Denver 2015. Visit our Speakers page for the full line-up of presentations and workshops.

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About the Author

Ivy is a Wiccan Reverend and High Priestess of Grove of the Morning Star Wiccan Church – ATC. The Grove hosts the Aurora Witches Meetup which meets on Wednesday evenings. You can find Grove of the Morning Star on Facebook.

Ivy is the Proprietress of Better Hags & Gargoyles. You can view more about Ivy and the services she provides at BetterHagsandGargoyles.com.

How to Keep a Tarot Visual Journal

Imagine using tarot cards to create an art piece that depicts a visual story of your life. Who might you be in the tarot and which cards relate to the important people around you? By selecting cards from different decks, cutting and pasting cut out tarot figures on a landscape or scene gleaned from magazines or painted by you, you can create a world that tells your story. Looking at it you might be inspired to write your feelings or add voice bubbles. Tarot visual journaling will open a new way of understanding about your archetypal journey using the creative process.

I have been keeping visual journals since I was a child; diaries filled with drawings, collages and my written musings. At any point in time I have several of these going; one for dreams, one for travels and adventures, a gardening journal, a book of shadows filled with wishes and gratitude. I use all sorts of art materials, experimenting with different techniques. These visual journals become a container for my hopes, experiences and feelings.

When I began painting Tarot de St. Croix in 2009 I kept a visual journal where I would sketch my ideas and record the synchronicities and experiences that influenced the card I was working on as well as adding notes from tarot books on the meaning of the card. Eventually I would add a photo copy of the finished painting. I hope one day to publish this as a workbook to inspire others in creating their own tarot visual journal.

The process is fun and easy, I suggest using a sturdy multi-media sketch book or a binder that you can add paper to. Look around your house and assemble any art supplies you might have: scissors, glue sticks, your favorite pens, paint if you have it, crayons or colored pencils. Start a collection of images torn from magazines and tarot decks that are missing a card or maybe that you don’t use for readings. Do you have some decorative paper or tissue paper you can add? It is best if you have table or desk where you can lay out your supplies and leave them out to use, if not find a box to keep it all handy. Now you are ready. Your first piece can be an introduction – it can be the cover or the first page. You could use your birth or year card; or maybe describe your first encounter with tarot. You can use a rubber stamp alphabet or letters cut out of magazines for your name, date and title. Express your inner self, your journey has begun…

Creative writing is a way to process readings; sometimes try using your non-dominant hand to get a fresh point of view. Tarot is such a visual language; it makes sense to use images of the cards to remember meaningful spreads. One way is to take a quick photo with your phone and send it to a computer and print it out. Your tarot visual journal is a place where you can record readings of clients and will be useful to refer to when they returns. Your journal is also a place to keep handouts from tarot conferences, or notes jotted down as well as a collection place for useful information. It will be a source book you can use for a life-time.

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Lisa will be leading “Tarot Visual Journaling” and also representing Tarot de St. Croix on the Deck Creators Panel at TarotCon Denver 2015. Visit our Speakers page for the full line-up of presentations and workshops.

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About the Author

Lisa de St. Croix was born in South Africa. After moving to New York she received her BFA from the School of Visual Arts. Lisa’s paintings have been exhibited internationally and hang in many private and public collections. Tarot de St. Croix was self-published in 2014 assisted by Devera. Lisa has presented lectures and workshops on her deck, tarot and art at the International Tarot Conference in Portugal, TarotCon in Dallas, Spiritual Path of Tarot Telesummit, Living Tarot Oracle in Durango, numerous Tarot Meetups at Santa Fe Public Library and in her Santa Fe studio. An article written by Lisa was published and her Empress was featured on the cover of The Magician, Journal of the Tarot Guild of Australia. Tarot de St. Croix won a Pecto award and was voted a top fifty essential deck by Tarot Professionals Association. Tarot de St. Croix is in the Museo Dei Tarocchi collection in Italy. Visit Lisa’s website and blog to find out about Tarot Visual Journaling classes or to view her deck.

Invoking the Spirit of the Tarot

Detail from Primavera by Sandro Botticelli.

For over 25 years, tarot has been a huge part of my life. I love the tarot for so many reasons. It functions perfectly in so many ways, as a system of divination, as a way of getting in touch with both the higher self and the divine, as a source of creative inspiration, as a portal for meditation, as a portable set of ritual tools, as a focus for spellwork and manifestation and the list goes on, perhaps endlessly. Any time I have asked the question “I wonder if the tarot can be used for. . .?” the answer has always been a resounding yes. From ritual work to class planning tool to cake-decorating inspiration, the tarot always come through as a source of profoundly meaningful assistance.

Often, the tarot is used as a gateway for getting in touch with something else, like the root of an issue or the interpersonal dynamics at play in a situation. But the longer I have worked with the tarot, the more I have become both aware of and enchanted by what I call the Spirit of the Tarot. It seems to me that this Spirit is a living, active dynamic presence and it has come to be one of my most trusted spiritual guides. For me, the Spirit of the Tarot can show up in any time or place with a message for me. Sometimes this Spirit will appear as a particular card, maybe the Fool or the High Priestess or the three celebrants from the Three of Cups, but at other times the Spirit does not seem to take a specific form. Regardless of its appearance, I always recognize its voice. I first started noticing this Spirit when it would pop into my meditations to bring me a message, frequently when the focus of the meditation was decidedly non-tarot in nature. That didn’t seem to stop the Spirit and the more I paid attention, the more the Spirit of the Tarot seemed to be around.

I suspect that a great many tarot lovers out there are already on intimate terms with this valuable and trustworthy guide. In my experience, just being open to the presence of this energy is enough to invite it in. If, however, you have not yet noticed the Spirit of the Tarot at work in your life, here is an invocation to assist you in issuing an invitation. Find some time and create some sacred space, perhaps by setting up a tarot altar, then light a candle, speak the invocation out loud and prepare to begin your own magickal relationship with the Spirit of the Tarot.

Tarot Invocation

Spirit of the Tarot, I invite you into my life,
I seek your wise guidance in joy and in strife,
Come Arcanas, Major and Minor, bringing all your energy and power,
I open myself to you in this magical hour,

Come, Fool, who inspires me to take the leap of faith,

Come, Magician of Mysteries, bold and bright,
Come, High Priestess of Moon and Magick, gifted with sight,
Come, Empress, Abundant Mother, thou radiant queen,
Come Emperor, Horned Father, from your forest green,

Come Hierophant with your wise teaching voice,
Come Lovers who call me to make a choice,
Come Chariot that I may learn to chart my own course,
Come Strength who teaches me to access my source,

Come Hermit who leads me to the light within,

Come Wheel of Fortune with your ever cycling tales,
Come Justice with your perfectly balanced scales,
Come Hanged man to show me a different point of view,
Come Death with your transformation that creates anew,
Come Temperance with all the alchemical magick you blend,
Come Devil who encourages me to embrace my shadow as friend,
Come Tower tearing false foundations away,
Come Star who appears like hope to guide the way,
Come Moon mysterious beauty who graces the night,
Come Sun who radiates warmth and light,
Come Judgment with your final resounding call,
Come World that I might celebrate my connection to all,

Come Suit of Swords with your gifts of clear insight and the ability to know,
Come Suit of Wands with the fiery passion, courage and energized will you bestow,
Come Suit of Cups to open my heart and intuition to your ever abundant flow,
Come Suit of Pentacles with the power to help my dreams manifest and grow,

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Emily will be leading “Devotional Tarot” atTarotCon Denver 2015. Visit our Speakers page for the full line-up of presentations and workshops.

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About the Author

A self-proclaimed Tarot fanatic who has been in a fulfilling relationship with the Tarot for 25 years, Emily is an eclectic Wiccan High Priestess who works closely with the Tarot, shamanic journeying, and the Egyptian pantheon. She is always looking for new ideas, events, and practices to inform her spiritual journey. She works at Full Moon Books & Event Center where she also teaches classes on Tarot, witchcraft, moon magick and stone magick.

Smart A$$ Tarot

Sherry Shones Smart A$$ Tarot by Slidely Slideshow

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Sherry will be speaking on “Portal Cartomancy Coaching – Using Tarot to Receive Messages from Self” at TarotCon Denver 2015. Visit our Speakers page for the full line-up of presentations and workshops.

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About the Author

I come from a family of intuitives – those driven by a sense of “knowing”.

I have learned from amazing coaches and mentors how to use this sense to make my life everything I ever wanted and I can’t wait to show you how too!

Life can be shiny again – brand new and full of the gloss that true enjoyment of a good life can bring. Yes there may be trials and complexities and it doesn’t all get solved with just happy thoughts and sunshine. It takes daily reminders, enlightened thinking and listening to your own intuition.

I specialize in helping to inform my clients of options that may assist them in all aspects of life within their personal belief systems. My modalities include intuitive readings, Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), Seraphim Angel healing, blessings/clearings, Portal Coaching, and meditations and visualizations.

Shop around on my site and I look forward to giving you a “Shiny Shot” soon.

Learn more at Sherry Shone, Intuitive Coach.

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