MATS speakers

Have you heard about the speakers we’ve got lined up for the Minnesota Area Tarot Symposium? I just posted this description to a discussion board on the Living Tarot Meetup site:

• A lot of you have met Julie Cuccia-Watts. She’s driving in from our neighboring state of Wisconsin to talk about the four queens from the Ma’at Tarot deck. Not to brag or anything, but the paintings of those four queens will actually be ON DISPLAY at the conference … because I bought them, and they normally hang in my bedroom! Aaaah! I’ve been looking at them every day for two years now, and I still get excited when I see them! It will be fun to share them with other fans of the deck this July.
• Some of you have met Nancy Antenucci, too. She’s remarkable. She makes her living as a full-time tarot reader in Minneapolis and St. Paul, she leads quarterly Mystery Circles, and she’s currently writing a book for Llewellyn about psychic development with the cards.
• You’ve all met or heard of Jeannette Roth from the Tarot Garden. She’s coming up from Iowa, our neighbor to the south, and she’ll be bringing a selection of interesting and unusual decks. We’ve also tapped her to share her encyclopedic knowledge of the cards, so she’ll be talking about the historical development of the Star card through the years.
• Barbara Moore, the woman who discovered Ciro Marchetti and convinced him to create a tarot deck, lives in St. Paul. She’s also a prolific tarot author: she wrote the companion books for the Gilded Tarot, the Mystic Faerie Tarot, the Mystic Dreamer Tarot, and the Enchanted Oracle. She’ll teach us all how to create tarot-based “life maps.”
• Chuck Boe is a major player on the Twin Cities tarot scene. As a tarot reader, he’s a mainstay at the Eye of Horus bookstore in Minneapolis. His readings are gentle, insightful, and dead-on accurate, because he blends an extensive knowledge of the cards with formal training in human development and healing. He wrote his thesis on tarot counseling, and that’s what he’ll be talking about.
• And I’ll be there to talk about my passion for combining tarot cards with creative writing, based on my book, “Tarot for Writers.”

To register for the Minnesota Area Tarot Symposium, go to minnesotatarot.com.

Tarot for Writers Certification

Tarot certification pushes a lot of buttons. This morning on Facebook, I posted a link to my new Tarot for Writers certification program.

Almost immediately, I heard from Zach Wong, the creator of the Revelations Tarot. We visited about the issues surrounding tarot certification, and he gave me permission to post our conversation here, too.

As you read it, remember that it was just a friendly online chat, and I’ve cut and pasted it with very little editing. Still, I think we covered a lot of ground in just a few minutes!

Zach: stupid question time. why do people want to be certified tarot writers?

Corrine: Hi, Zach! They want a structure for their work. And they want a certificate of accomplishment. Or achievement. And they want someone to whom they can be accountable … Like me!

Zach: ha! in my brief history as an “author” of a tarot deck i’ve received requests from people who review my deck and they say they need to do x-amount of deck reviews and it has to engage the author/creator (ie. interview) i’m baffled as to who out there measures these people’s “Reviewing ability”

Corrine: No one! That’s why there are so many oddball reviews! LOL!

You know, though, you could offer a certification program for your deck! James Wanless does that with Voyager, of course.

Zach: which brings me to the lead on question – is there an association of tarot writers which would monitor these rogue un certified writers? :)

Corrine: Yes. I’ll be the official Tarot for Writers police. LOL! No, seriously, people are very proud when they complete a course and get certified.

Zach: well i’m all for people feeling good about themselves, but it still baffles me that they need to externalise it.

Corrine: For someone who reads with your deck professionally, your certification would be a badge of honor and a marketing tool.

Zach: frankly., if anyone dares to use my deck, they are in for a ride anyways. i’ll be more than happy to certify them clinically insane, or at least questionable :D

Corrine: You should definitely consider it. Not only does it help the people you certify, it’s a good ongoing way to publicize and promote your own work.

Zach: well i’m of a different school of thought when it comes to my deck. 1) it was never meant to be a public work, so if some one identifies with it, kudos to them. 2) i have never actively gone out and pushed the marketing machine for it, because it’s such a personal piece of work. the last thing I want are the masses to get a hold of it.

Corrine: Ohhh … You’re a one-man secret society!

Zach: i tried to be for many years, till they found me

Corrine: Heh heh heh.

Zach: i didn’t even want to write the book for the companion kit :/:/

segway question -when i studied architecture, they were very precious with the term “Architect” because they didn’t want “builders” or “interior designers” to just use the term, so they for societies for architects, where you have to be registered and do a “Certification” so you are allowed to use the title “architect” now these societies are not governed by the .. government – ie. there’s no law.

if you’re tarot writer certification is doing this – is there a bigger banner for “tarot readers”? and will this alienate others form the craft?

Corrine: Oh, there are ongoing controversies here about tarot certification. I usually hear it compared to social work certification. Some are concerned that it will draw government interference. Others are more frequently worried that it will denigrate tarot readers who aren’t certified. A few people get up in arms when they think that someone will get rich from certification fees. Some insist that tarot reading is too subjective to be certifiable.

Zach: so you’re familiar with the repercussions and possible politics involved – will certifying tarot writing do the same?

Corrine: Sure. I think it might be too big a task to certify “tarot readers” in general. But I think it’s perfectly valid to certify people within one system of tarot. Just like James Wanless has done. I’ve never heard a word of criticism about how he certifies Voyager readers.

Zach: probably because they all love him to bits in the first place

Corrine: Since this is my system, based on my book, I think the parameters are clear. I might have a few kinks to work out as it develops, of course.

Zach: ahh i think that’s what i’m missing

Corrine: How do you mean?

Zach: you see it’s based on your book, but the title sounds more encompassing of “Writing” as a profession

Corrine: Yes. It’s all being channeled through the Tarot for Writers website and group, so it’s closely linked to the book. But you’re hitting on the same reason that no one can certify a “journalist” or a “reporter.”

Zach: well then it’s a case of punctuation for me

Corrine: You think I should put it in quotes? That would look weird.

Zach: “Tarot for Writers” Certification. i know … it does look weird

Corrine: It makes it look sarcastic!

Zach: italics perhaps?

Corrine: I think italics may be the way to go. And if a rogue group of tarot writers does spring up unsupervised or unpoliced, more power to them.

Zach: well if you have a following like Wanless for Voyager, then it should be a great program.

Corrine: That’s my dream!

Zach

stupid question time

why do people want to be certified tarot writers?
11:10amCorrine

Hi, Zach.

They want a structure for their work.
11:10amZach

good morning!
11:10amCorrine

And they want a certificate of accomplishment.

Or achievement.

And they want someone to whom they can be accountable.

Like me!
11:11amZach

ha!

in my brief history as an “author” of a tarot deck

i’ve received requests from people who review my deck

and they say they need to do x-amount of deck reviews and it has to

engage the author/creator (ie. interview)

i’m baffled as to who out there measures these people’s “Reviewing

ability”
11:12amCorrine

No one!

That’s why there are so many oddball reviews! LOL!

You know, though, you could offer a certification program for your

deck!

James Wanless does that with Voyager, of course.
11:13amZach

which brings me to the lead on question – is there an association of tarot

writers which would monitor these rogue un certified writers? :)
11:14amCorrine

Yes. I’ll be the official Tarot for Writers police. LOL!

No, seriously, people are very proud when they complete a course and

get certified.
11:14amZach

well i’m all for people feeling good about themselves, but it still baffles me

that they need to externalise it.
11:15amCorrine

For someone who reads with your deck professionally, your certification

would be a badge of honor and a marketing tool.
11:15amZach

frankly., if anyone dares to use my deck, they are in for a ride anyways

i’ll be more than happy to certify them clinically insane, or at least

questionable :D
11:16amCorrine

You should definitely consider it. Not only does it help the people you

certify, it’s a good ongoing way to publicize and promote your own

work.
11:17amZach

well i’m of a different school of thought when it comes to my deck

1) it was never meant to be a public work, so if some one identifies with

it, kudos to them

2) i have never actively gone out and pushed the marketing machine for

it, because it’s such a personal piece of work. the last thing I want are the

masses to get a hold of it.
11:18amCorrine

Ohhh … You’re a one-man secret society!
11:18amZach

i tried to be for many years, till they found me
11:18amCorrine

Heh heh heh.
11:19amZach

i didn;t even want to write the book for the companion kit :/:/
11:19amCorrine

Your questions are good! Can I post this on my blog?
11:19amZach

sure
11:19amCorrine

Cool! Thanks!
11:19amZach

drop my name if you like :)
11:20amCorrine

I will. And I’ll link to your website so you attract even more followers.

Bwahahaha!
11:20amZach

you have too much time on your idle hands.

actually can i segway you to another related question?
11:21amCorrine

Yes. A husband, four kids, our own software business, three books

underway, a jewelry sideline, too many websites to count, and a dog.

Sure.
11:21amZach

get rid of the dog (i’m a cat person)
11:21amCorrine

No! Not our little Buddy!
11:21amZach

okay, the ugliest child then?
11:21amCorrine

We’ll have to draw straws.
11:22amZach

make them all short.

segway question -

when i studies architecture, they were very precious with the term

“Architect”

because they didn;t want “builders” or “interior designers” to just use the

term, so they for societies for architects, where you have to be registered

and do a “Certification”

so you are allowed to use the title “architect”

now these societies are not governed by the .. government – ie. there’s no

law

if you’re tarot writer certification is doing this – is there a bigger banner

for “tarot readers”? and will this alienate others formt he carft?
11:24amCorrine

Oh, there are ongoing controversies here about tarot certification.

I usually hear it compared to social work certification.

Some are concerned that it will draw government interference.

Others are more frequently worried that it will denigrate tarot readers

who aren’t certified.

A few people get up in arms when they think that someone will get rich

from certification fees.
11:26amZach

so you’re familiar with the reprecussions and possible politics involved -

will certifying tarot writing do the same?
11:26amCorrine

Some insist that tarot reading is too subjective to be certifiable.

Sure.

I think it is too big a task to certify “tarot readers” in general.

But I think it’s perfectly valid to certify people within one system of tarot.

Just like James Wanless has done.

I’ve never heard a word of criticism about how he certifies Voyager

readers.
11:27amZach

probably because they all love him to bits in the first place
11:27amCorrine

Since this is my system, based on my book, I think the parameters are

clear.

I might have a few kinks to work out as it develops, of course.
11:28amZach

ahh i think that’s what i’m missing
11:28amCorrine

How do you mean?
11:28amZach

you see it’s based on your book, but the title sounds more encompassing

of “Writing” as a profession
11:28amCorrine

Yes. It’s all being channeled through the Tarot for Writers website and

group, so it’s closely linked to the book.

But you’re hitting on the same reason that no one can certify a “journalist”

or a “reporter.”
11:29amZach

well then it’s a case of punctuation for me
11:29amCorrine

You think I should put it in quotes?

That would look weird.
11:30amZach

“Tarot for Writers” Certification – would read better to me

i know … it does look weird
11:30amCorrine

It makes it look sarcastic!
11:30amZach

italics perhaps?
11:30amCorrine

LOL

Maybe …

I’ll do some informal polling of our members.

Market research!
11:30amZach

‘Tarot for “Writers” Certification’ looks sarcastic ;)
11:31amCorrine

I do think it’s going to be a great program, though.
11:32amZach

see, fi you put single/double qutoes, id’ never even ask the first question.
11:32amCorrine

It probably wasn’t as clear as it could be, because the Facebook link

didn’t make it obvious that it was all coming from the Tarot for Writers

website.

I think Italics may be the way to go.
11:33amZach

it does, but you know it’s grey and all.
11:33amCorrine

And if a rogue group of tarot writers does spring up unsupervised or

unpoliced, more power to them.
11:33amZach

well if you have a following like Wanless for Voyager, then it should be a

great program.
11:34amCorrine

That’s my dream!
11:34amZach

oh! i have a 3rd question
11:34amCorrine

Okay.
11:34amZach

do all creators who write their companion books get an honourary

certification? bats eyelashes
11:35amCorrine

Wait! I thought you didn’t understand the need!

Actually, hold on. I’m not sure I have a copy of your companion book.
11:35amZach

i don’t, but i’ve already done the wrok, i may as well get a free piece fo

paper :)
11:35amCorrine

If I don’t, you may have to submit it for review!
11:36amZach

i’ll ask the aeclectc forums for some one who has a spare aying around to

send it to you :P

i’m sure there are still some disappointed buyers out there who still have

the deck/book/kit :)
11:36amCorrine

You know what? If you put your TfW certificate on your website, of

course I’ll send you one!

I think I have it. Hold on while I check?
11:37amZach

lol i’m not serious!
11:37amCorrine

Argh. My tarot bookshelf is such a mess.

No, I’ll seriously send it to you if you want. The certificate is electronic,

so it will look like a personalized copy of the Tarot for Writers cover.

Just a little gif file.
11:39amZach

I’ll pass at this stage – but if you need “numbers” sure ;)
11:39amCorrine

Okay. I’m still waiting to see how it all shakes out.

What city are you in, btw?
11:39amZach

melbourne, australia.
11:40amCorrine

Isn’t it the middle of the night there?
11:40amZach

2.40 am, i’m a night owl, it helps with my translucent tan.
11:40amCorrine

Happy Tuesday! It’s almost noon on Monday here in Minneapolis.
11:41amZach

yea, my publisher is in MN
11:41amCorrine

I used to work for Llewellyn as an editor. It’s how I got into tarot.
11:41amZach

ahhh
11:41amCorrine

Sometimes I swing by their office to visit with Carl and the rest of the

crew.

It’s about 20 minutes from my house. Maybe 15. All freeway, so it’s an

easy drive.
11:42amZach

i’ve only dealt with barbara, lary K, chandra and some of the art dept.
11:42amCorrine

Sure. They’re all very nice, in person or by email.
11:42amZach

well yes, what else would they be? US Games? :)
11:43amCorrine

I only quit working there because I met my (now) husband, and he asked

me to do marketing and communications for his software company.

Did you approach US Games, too?

They’re also very nice, believe it or not. They published my Epicurean

Tarot … which made Llewellyn want me as a writer, not just a staffer!
11:43amZach

yeah i got a rejection letter and then a request to include in their

encyclopedia ..
11:43amCorrine

Well, that’s something, I guess.
11:44amZach

strange small industry
11:44amCorrine

Well, I should run.

I have to get a Pendulet ready to send to Australia!

I have to figure out the best shipping method.
11:45amZach

alright, later and thanks for letting me pick your brain.
11:45amCorrine

Which do you prefer for packages from the US?

US mail or Fedex?

Or UPS?
11:45amZach

we have fedex here

and ups

so it’ll be part of an existing network
11:45amCorrine

They seem so much more expensive than US Mail, though … which I

think is pretty reliable.

It’s not like sending packages to South America, where they “disappear.”
11:46amZach

yeah … in the end you have to find out if your product loss outweighs

your sending cost.
11:46amCorrine

As far as I know, standard Australian mail gets to the US just fine, too. I

buy stuff from Australia fairly often on ebay.
11:46amZach

that you will never find out till over a year or so
11:47amCorrine

Sigh. There’s just so much we have to know to do business!

Okay, well, I’ll talk to you later!
11:47amZach

alrighty.
11:47amCorrine

I’ll put some of this on my blog, too. Thanks!

Happy World Tarot Day!

Today is World Tarot Day, a special day set aside to celebrate the cards!

In Minneapolis, we’ll celebrate World Tarot Day tomorrow, at the monthly get-together of the Twin Cities Tarot Meetup Group.

If the weather holds out (fingers crossed!), we’ll have a tarot labyrinth walk at the Eye of Horus bookstore. Most people who walk by the store don’t realize that there’s a beautiful secret garden behind the front wall of the building, complete with a landscaped labyrinth path. I’ll get to the Meetup an hour early, and hide tarot cards all around the garden for people to find like Easter eggs.

If you’re in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, please join us!

Technical Support

Julia, my seven-year-old technical support specialist, has gone through my new Pendulets website, checking links and ensuring that all of the graphics come up on every page.

Yes, I felt a little crazy at first, asking a first-grader to review my work — but if you think about it, who’s more qualified than someone whose first words were “dot com?”

It’s true! When Julia was a year old, she used to watch the Disney channel — probably more than she should have. She would toddle around the house, asking what sounded like, “Got gum? Got gum?” We were dumbfounded. How did she know about gum, and why did she want some? I think my dad — good old Grandpa Wayne — even offered her a stick, but she blew past him. One day, during a commercial for Disney.com, she started jumping up and down, pointing at the TV and chanting, “got com!” At last, we got it!

So anyway, the Pendulets website has received a thorough review from young Julia, who pronounced it sound and whole.

In the process, she was also astounded by the selection of gift certificates.

“Whoa!,” she blurted from the kids’ computer in the kitchen. “You can get a gift certificate for ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS!”

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(This entry has also been cross-posted at my new Pendulets blog, http://pendulets.wordpress.com.)

Meet and Greet the Media

When I was at the Readers Studio tarot conference in New Jersey last week, I spent some time with the beautiful Sasha Graham — a publicity-savvy tarot reader from New York City. We traded tarot readings, and she told me that I really need to be more proactively available to the media.

A part of me dreads media relations, despite the fact that I was a newspaper reporter and media relations consultant myself, for a long time. Being media is easy — but being the focus of media attention makes everyone feel self-conscious. Especially when one is afraid of one’s double chin being exposed for the whole world to see.

I took her advice, though. I agreed that I would give it a try. And when I got home, I stumbled across a posting for a “Meet and Greet the Media” cocktail event at the Mall of America, three miles from my house.

Tonight, I was all over that cocktail party, in a new outfit from the discount rack at Macy’s, passing out my ginormous photo business cards, and …

Well, I don’t know what will come of it. I actually had fun, though. I met a few PR people, and I met a few media types, and I came home with a purse full of business cards. Tomorrow I’ll send some follow-up emails and see what happens.

I’ll do that after I finish a 5 a.m. radio interview that also rolled in unexpectedly this week.

This is what happens when you agree to cooperate with Sasha Graham and a few tarot cards.

My ABCs

This is making the rounds on Facebook, so I thought I’d play.

A – Age: 44

B – Bed size: Extended Queen (It’s a weird Select Comfort size. Bigger than a queen, but not as big as a king.)

C – Chore you hate: Washing silverware

D – Dog’s name: Buddy

E – Essential start your day item: The Internet and a Tassimo latte

F – Favorite color: Green

G – Gold or Silver: Silver

H – Height: 5′ 5

I – Instruments you play(ed): piano, badly

J – Job title: Writer, author, VP/Communications

K – Kid(s): Katherine (or Kate), Emily, and Julia, and stepdaughter Coyla

L – Living arrangements: Husband, children, pet dog

M – Mom’s name: Carolyn

N- Nicknames: Queen of Arbitrary Decisions

O – Overnight hospital stay(s) I was in overnight for the births of child 1, child 2, and child 3. Also, I stayed with my husband when he had bypass surgery, my youngest when she was a newborn with an unexplained fever, and my oldest when she had mono.

P – Pet Peeve: Liars

Q – Quote from a movie: I’ll think of one later.

R – Right or left handed: Right

S – Siblings: Claudine and Cari

T – Time you wake up: 5 or 6 a.m.

U- Underwear: Generic

V – Vegetable you dislike: Kale and radishes

W – Ways you run late: Waiting for my kids and husband to get ready.

X – X-rays you’ve had: Ankle, teeth, head, and hand

Y – Yummy food you make: Beer-cheese soup — but it’s deadly — nothing but cheese, beer, and spices, really — so I don’t make it anymore.

Z – Zoo favorite: Como Zoo, where I went on a field trip when I was 5.

Mother’s Day Photos

I’m never disappointed on Mother’s Day (or Christmas or my birthday, either), because I always pick out my own gift. Oh, I know it’s crass and possibly in violation of the spirit of the day — but I’m happy with the arrangement. My husband is even happier. I give him full credit for giving me the choice!

This year, for Mother’s Day, I picked this “Photo Studio in a Box.” It includes a light box, two lights, and a tripod. It’s really pretty slick.  I’ve wanted one for two years, to make it easier to shoot photos for my blog and website projects. Yesterday, I found it at a camera store that had been bought out — so it was just $40.

Oh, and since prices at the store were slashed, I threw in three new cameras, too: one for me, one for my 16-year-old Emily, and one for my seven-year-old Julia — who promises to take her camera everywhere, to document everything she sees. I felt a little too impulsive, but the prices really were low: My camera had been cut from $600 to $100. Emily’s was reduced from $200 to $35. And Julia’s was marked down from $70 to $15.

To justify all the extravagance, I really do have to post more pictures now.

Twitter Giveaway: Follow Me and Win!

Are you on Twitter? If not, you should be — because when you sign up to follow me on Twitter, you could win a free copy of my latest book, Tarot for Writers!

Simply visit http://twitter.com/corrinekenner and click the big “Join Today” button. If you’re already on Twitter, click the “Follow” button that shows up under my picture.

I’ll choose a winner randomly from all my followers, and announce the winner on Monday, May 11.

Readers Studio 09: Day One

I haven’t taken any pictures yet here at the Readers Studio tarot conference … which seems strange to me, because it’s such a visual experience. Today I’ll have to remind myself to pull my camera out of my overpacked tote and start snapping.

Yesterday was the first official day of the conference. Because registration takes place from 9:30 to 11, it doesn’t really get going until practically lunchtime. Everything kicks off with brief interviews of the three featured speakers: Geraldine Amaral, author of “Tarot Celebrations,” James Wanless of the Voyager Tarot, and Rachel Pollack, author of “78 Degrees of Wisdom.”

All three had interesting things to say. Geraldine talked briefly about the tarot groups she’s been organizing for 15 years in Washington DC. That was important for me to hear, as the organizer of the Twin Cities Tarot Meetup. James, who’s basically an inspirational speaker, is eminently quotable. Here are some of the remarks I noted in mhy notebook.

• “Tarot is a adelicious way of fulfilling your own prophecy.”
• “Trust the synchronicity of the moment.”
• “Relish the uncertain.”
• “Trust the mystery.”

And Rachel described the reading she had done for the group, in which she envisioned doorways, and gateways, and levels of meaning that flowed deeper and deeper … It was very poetic. She also promised to enroll us in Dr. Apoloo’s School of Cheap Theatrical Fortunetelling, just to lighten the mood.

After the speakers were introduced, we all paired off to take part in one of the conference’s most important events — the Foundation Readings, during which we read cards for a partner in our usual style. After we hear all three speakers, we’ll repeat those readings tomorrow, with all the new tips and techniques we’ll have picked up througout the weekend.

We finished our foundation readings and broke for lunch — which happened to be a buffet set up outside the conference room. It was a GREAT lunch. I’m pretty food-motivated, and I was happy to find two kinds of potato salad, chicken marsala, fish, green salad, pasta salad, cookies, and apples.

As we ate, Garnet — known for her crystal and bead-embellished magic wands — gave us all a brief “Lunch and Learn” session on the connection between tarot reading and belly dancing. Just now, as I wrote that, I realized how funny it sounds — but Garnet’s presentation was undulating and smooth, and made perfect sense! She also had recruited a surprising number of belly dancers from the group. There must have been 8 or 10 familiar faces from the crowd who mysteriously appeared in belly dancing costumes and ear-to-ear grins, performing in unison as Garnet talked and showed images from one of Ciro Marchetti’s tarot decks. Garnet even managed to teach a 15-second dance to a few volunteers from the audience.

After lunch, it was time for the first master class with Geraldine. She focused on the intuitive voice of tarot, and led us in exercises to develop our clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairsentience, and claircognicence. Clear seeing, clear hearing, clear feeling (or sensing), and clear knowing. She offered her own step-by-step technique for us to practice, and actually had us write out a reading for a partner — which was nice, because it meant that we all walked away with a keepsake.

Just one kind of embarassing thing happened. Monica Cleo Saki was sitting across the table from me, and she started to zone out a little. She asked, “Is this confusing, or is it just me?” I laughed and whispered, “It’s just you.” But then I felt bad, so I got up to move to her side of the table and help her out for a minute. As I moved, everyone broke up into pairs, and the woman who had been sitting next to me looked so hurt — because it seemed as though I had deliberately snubbed her. I’m a Tarot Ambassador, you know — one of the volunteers here whose job it is to welcome newcomers and answer questions throughout the weekend. It’s bad protocol for ambassadors to snub our neighbors. But there sat this poor lady, suddenly dumped at her own table … she had to wander off to the next table in search of someone to practice with. Afterward, I told her what happened, and she seemed relieved. But really … the whole diplomatic faux pas was just awkward.

After the master class there was a fabulous cocktail party in the atrium. I didn’t drink much. One glass of wine was really enough.

I did a few readings during the party, and afterward in the bar. That’s where I ran into Dan Pelletier, one of the proprieters of the Tarot Garden. He was giving palm readings, so of course I queued up. Later I’ll have to tell you about the reading he gave my husband Dan — which was amazing.

But now, speaking of Dan Pelletier, it’s time to head down to the breakfast roundtable, where he’ll be talking about the World card.

Readers Studio 09: Day 0

Editor’s note: I’ll apologize in advance for this post, along with any other posts I write this weekend. Like Blaise Pascal once said, I would have written a shorter letter, but I did not have the time.”

My husband Dan and I flew from Minneapolis to New Jersey yesterday for the annual Readers Studio tarot conference. We’ve been coming every year for the last … how long? Eight years, I think. It normally runs over the course of a long weekend — Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Over the last few years, however, it’s grown, to the point where it includes a pre-conference workshop on Thursday, and socializing that starts as early as Monday and Tuesday. A lot of tarot readers think of it as an annual vacation … or an annual pilgramage, depending on how serious we are about the cards.

Someday, maybe every tarot devotee will be required to make the journey to Newark at least once during their lifetimes, to circle a sacred deck of cards!

At any rate, Dan and I left Minneapolis yesterday, along with Nancy Antenucci and Barbara Moore. One other member of the Twin Cities Tarot contingent, Melani, didn’t want to fly — so she took the train.

The flight left on time and landed early, so we were off to an auspicious start.

We decided to take a cab to the hotel, rather than the shuttle, because we’re very fancy people and we didn’t want to travel with the hoi polloi. Of course, the cabbie ripped us off. Every cabbie I’ve ever had in New Jersey — all three of them — have been ripoff artists. The woman at the airport taxi stand told us the ride would be $22. She handed us a little receipt with the price. But when we got to the hotel, the cabbie grunted, “$32.” We said, “Hey, hey, hey, the dispatcher said the ride would be $22.” And the cabbie replied, “Yeah. $22 for the ride, and $10 for me.”

Sigh. Fancy people can’t be bothered. We paid the little troll and sprinted into the hotel lobby.

The first person I met was Cynthia Tedesco, a Tarot for Writers writer that I see online almost every Saturday! She was registering at the front desk, too. Hooray! Another auspicious omen!

We checked into our large and spacious room (it really is very nice) overlooking the pyramid-like atrium. changed clothes, and headed back down to the lobby to pass out Ambassador buttons. Nancy A. and I are in charge of the Tarot Ambassadors, a new group of people who are committed to welcoming all the tarot newbies at the conference. Over the years, the conference has grown in length and size. We used to be a very intimate group of 78 or (like the number of cards in a deck), but this weekend, 200 people will be here.

Everyone was in the bar, of course. We saw Ferol Humphrey from the Dallas Tarot Meetup, event organizers Wald and Ruth Ann Amberstone from the Tarot School, Julie Cuccia-Watts of Ma’at Tarot fame, my Facebook friend Carole Volcy, John (who goes by Ezekiel), the infamous Thalassa from San Francisco, and more.

After a delicious plate of calamari and a couple of refreshing ice teas, we went back up to the room so I could change my shirt. Yeah, I dripped calamari dipping sauce all over myself. What of it? I’m on vacation!

Then we headed back down, where we delivered 100 tiny bridal veils to the registration table. Nancy and I spent a Martha Stewart afternoon a few weeks ago, sewing the veil pins that will identify all the newbie “tarot virgins” this weekend. I hope never to have to sew another veil again in my life. Tulle is really, really hard to work with. In single layers, it’s almost invisible. And when you gather it, it tends to rip. But you know what? I think our tarot virgins are worth it. Like so much else in my life, I don’t regret it. I just don’t want to do it again.

We did a little shopping in the conference room, where vendors have set up their tables all around the perimeter. Dan bought me Ciro Marchetti’s new deck — the Legacy of the Divine Tarot. It’s gorgeous.

I found my friend Cheryl Sigler from Delaware, and she came bearing many, many gifts. She was thinning out her collection, so she gave me three or four really neat decks that I didn’t have yet — mostly astrological, which will fill a gap in my collection and my knowledge.

At 5:30, Wald and Ruth Ann started their pre-conference workshop on “The Power of Silence.” Oddly enough, they talked about it for almost three hours. Hah! An obvious “silence” joke. Actually, they introduced a couple of concepts that were totally new to me: Movement as a form of silent listening, for example. Elinor Greenberg, the psychotherapist who wrote the forward to my book “Tarot Journaling,” led us in some Tai Chi exercises to help us figure it out. Since I’m a reserved Midwestern clutz, I felt awkward, but I was pretty proud of the fact that I didn’t fall over and start a domino chain reaction that would have toppled everyone else in the conference room, too. Wald and Ruth Ann spent most of the session describing some interesting techniques for getting messages from any inanimate object — not just tarot cards. We all experimented, and while most of us couldn’t decide if we were projecting or engaging in something truly mystical, it was a lot of fun. I tried to get a message from my eyeglass case. My eyeglass case, as it turns out, is fairly witty and wry. It told me, “I am as plain as the nose on your face.” Yeah! It holds glasses — just like my nose! It is plain, too. It’s the freebie case that came with my new glasses, so it’s red and has a big obnoxious, “Target Optical” logo plastered all over the front. It’s hardly the fashion accessory that a very fancy person should bring on a trip to the East Coast, but it was in my purse, so there you go. It certainly had more personality than my Tide pen, though.

After the workshop, we had dinner in the hotel restaurant, with a table full of fun people: Elinor sat across from me, Cheryl on my left …

I’m running out of time before I have to shower and get downstairs for today’s event. I’ll just let you know that after dinner we sat in the lobby and drank wine and looked at tarot cards and jewelry until 2 a.m. Jordan, everyone’s favorite Ning personality, sat on my right, and he had nothing but good things to say about the Wizards Tarot prototype deck I brought along. I have to say, I like anyone who likes my work! He went on and on, to the point where it was almost embarassing … but I managed to put up with the praise, and now, he can sit next to me anytime!

Okay. I have to figure out what I’m going to wear and how I’ll fix my hair. Psych! I’m going as my usual self today — although I hear that quite a few people are going to dress up like gypsies for lunch. If only I had followed more closely on the Internet, I could have brought my fortune-teller’s costume. Ah, well. I’ll throw on a scarf to fit in, and then take pictures.