Tarot-a-Palooza

Kris Waldherr is just the coolest. Now she’s in the Village Voice!

FEELING LUCKY?

Give me a quarter . . . I’ll tell you your fortune

BY ARACELI CRUZ

There’s a quaint studio/gallery residing among the Victorian homes near Brooklyn College that has become a sanctuary of sorts. On a typical day, this is where author and illustrator Kris Waldherr displays her work, conducts workshops, and sells books. However, once a month, visitors flock here to get psychic readings—and tonight, on the eve of Halloween, Waldherr is staying open later than usual for Tarot-a-Palooza. Having transformed her gallery into a mystical haven, she has invited tarot card readers for a night of fortune-telling fun. Food and refreshments will be served, and, as Waldherr tells us, she might have to open a bottle or two of vodka to really make a night of it.

Source: Tarot-a-Palooza – Kris Waldherr – New York – Events

The Mystical Atlantis Bookshop in London

Click here to see my photos from the mystical Atlantis Bookshop in London. It’s a great store, packed with interesting books and displays — as well as the leather chair where Aleister Crowley used to read.

Picasa Web Albums – CorrineKenner – Atlantis Bookshop

The Tarot as a Tool for Writing Your Novel

It looks as though a lot of novelists will be using “Tarot for Writers” this November!

by Chris Gladis

Note from the Editor: November sees the beginning of NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month. Anyone can join the thirty days of literary abandon. WTD will run posts to inspire and encourage you on the way.

By Marelisa Fábrega of Abundance Blog

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) begins in just a few days, on November 1st, and thousands of would-be authors are registering with high hopes of crossing the finish line on November 30th, novel firmly in hand. The objective of writing at least 50,000 words in 30 days doesn’t seem so daunting, until the sobering thought hits that you have absolutely no idea what you’re going to write about. Or perhaps you do have an idea—one that would look great as a blurb on a book jacket cover–but the plot is eluding you, or you can’t see your novel’s characters very clearly. One solution is to prime your creativity pump by turning to the tarot.

Although the tarot is most often used as a tool for divination, tarot cards are also great, practical tools for writing and creative thinking. Corrine Kenner, author of “Tarot for Writers”, explains that well-known writers, such as John Steinbeck and Stephen King, have used tarot cards for inspiration. She adds that Italian novelist Italo Calvino went so far as to call the tarot “a machine for writing stories.”

If you’re thinking of writing a novel, you can apply the imagery and symbolism of the 78 cards of the tarot to help you develop plot, conflict, character profiles, dialogue, and scenery, as well as to introduce unpredictable elements. The cards can even serve as a creativity prompt if you hit a brick wall while you’re writing. With a tarot deck beside you, you won’t be starting out with a blank sheet of paper. Instead, you’ll have a world of imagery as your disposal, which, if you allow your imagination and intuition to step forward, will begin to move, speak, and take action. This article will help you get started in using the tarot to write your novel.

Read more here: The Tarot as a Tool for Writing Your Novel

Picasa Web Albums – London 2009

Dan and I are leaving today for London, for the big UK Tarot Conference this weekend. I’ll be unveiling the Wizards Tarot deck for the first time anywhere – a true world premiere! (The deck will be published in May 2011.)

We’ll stay for a few days after the conference to see the sights and perfect our fake British accents. Pip, pip, cheerio, guv’ner!

I probably won’t be blogging much while we’re walking around and offending our European allies, but I do hope to take a lot of photos. I’ll upload them to the web for safekeeping every night, and I’ve already opened an online album, here: Picasa Web Albums – CorrineKenner – London 2009. Feel free to check back in and take a look.

Character Development

Writer Kait Nolan is using tarot cards – and Tarot for Writers – as she develops a trilogy for young adults!  This is from her blog:

I did a series of tarot readings for my novella hero yesterday.  I’ve been slowly going through and doing lots of my characters.  Marley, Conall, and now Gage.  With Marley and Conall, it was kind of trippy.  The symbolism and such in the cards seemed dead on in an eerie kind of way.  The one for Gage–didn’t seem to fit.  It made me think about how much easier it is to interpret the cards in light of an existing story.  There’s a natural tendency to fit the interpretation to a framework you already know.  With Gage–well, I’m still kind of learning him even though I know his story.  It will be interesting to see when I get down to more detailed plotting on my YA trilogy Totem how the cards work as a plotting tool.  I read a bit about it in Tarot for Writers yesterday, but didn’t really have the time to play with it.  Overall, I”m finding it very interesting, though I still have loads to learn.

Source: PSA, Tarot, and an NPI Update « Shadow and Fang

The “Bewitched” Theme Song

Did you know there are words to the “Bewitched” TV theme song? Yes! You don’t have to keep singing, “Bewitched, Bewitched, Bewitched-Bewitched-Bewitched” over and over again.

Let’s try a few verses together:

Bewitched, bewitched, you’ve got me in your spell.
Bewitched, bewitched, you know your craft so well.
Before I knew what you were doing I looked in your eyes.
That brand of woo that you’ve been brew-in’ took me by surprise.

You witch, you witch, one thing that’s for sure,
That stuff you pitch – just hasn’t got a cure.
My heart was under lock and key – but somehow it got unhitched.
I never thought my heart could be had.
But now I’m caught and I’m kinda glad to be–
Bewitched. Bewitched-witched.

You’ll find even more Bewitched trivia here: Bewitched FAQ Page

BATS 2009 – 100 years of the Waite/Smith Tarot deck « My Sacred Journey

Hooray! Katrina Wynne has filed her report on last weekend’s Bay Area Tarot Symposium:

Where do I begin? The Bay Area Tarot Symposium has been in existence for close to 20 years, mostly as a one-day event. In honor of the 100th anniversary of the Waite/Smith Tarot deck, a second day was added, making this an exciting two-day gathering with an abundance of presentations, products, and fun.

Katrina Wynne & Mary Greer

Key speakers included:
• Mary Greer speaking on “Waite and the Secret Tradition”
• Rachel Pollack exploring “The Hanged Man – Traitor or Hero?”
• Holly Voley’s amazing visual history of 100 years of the Waite/Smith deck, offering us a hands-on opportunity to view many of the first decks printed.
• Melinda Parsons’ revealing expose’ of the Waite deck artist, Pamela Colman Smith, with her contemporary inspirations for imagery.

RWS Panel – Cynthia Giles, Rachel Pollack, Mary Greer, Melinda Parsons, Holly Voley

There were more presentations then I could attend, many four at a time, but I was able to divide my interests by exchanging notes with my Tarot buddy, Jaymi, and audio recording some of the talks. There was truly something for everyone with Tarot art, projects and art therapy, various innovative layouts, special topics on historical figures in Tarot, exciting new decks, such as The Fifth Tarot, and an abundance of Tarot art, books, decks, and accessories.

Thalassa and the Daughters of Divination were hosts extraordinaire, often in costume to help us get into the groove of the early 1900s. It was a time to get reacquainted with old Tarot friends and to make wonderful new friends from all over the US.

Katrina’s BATS 09 booth

At my booth, I had the pleasure of introducing the magnificent work of Dai Leon’s “Origins of the Tarot” to many, selling out within a few hours. This was the first public display of my Tarot History poster outside the New Renaissance Bookshop in Portland, Oregon.

Tarot events such as BATS of San Francisco and the READER’S STUDIO of New York City are inspiring gatherings, a reunion of our Tarot tribe.

Katrina’s original post is here: BATS 2009 – 100 years of the Waite/Smith Tarot deck « My Sacred Journey

Use These 7 Early Warning Signs To Avoid Tarot Reader Burnout

From today’s Tarot Eon:

I’ve experienced Tarot reader burnout several times in my career, and I’ve got to tell you, it’s not fun. At its worst, I’ve looked a client straight in the eyes, reached for my coat, and headed on out the door.

Tarot reader burnout can happen to anyone; whether you’ve been studying the Tarot intensely, or whether you’re a professional Tarot reader, it doesn’t matter. It can affect anyone, at anytime.

If this is left unnoticed, it can take months before you’re able to look at a Tarot spread with any kind of interest.

The longer it has a grip on you, the harder it is to rejuvenate your passion for Tarot. Below are the 7 early warning signs of Tarot reader burnout.

The complete post is here: Use These 7 Early Warning Signs To Avoid Tarot Reader Burnout

The “Tarot” Horror Film

TAROT • Full Trailer • Marian Rivera • AUG 26 Theaters Nationwide

Yikes! Tarot cards in the Phillipines are a LOT scarier than tarot cards here in the U.S.!

All kidding aside, I would actually like to see this movie. It’s completely over the top, but it seems like a good, old-fashioned horror film.

Tower of Gold

Tamara at Anima Tarot posted this vintage image today. Isn’t it fun?

She explains:

In this antiquated ad for a firecracker, a Tarot-like stricken tower erupts money. Is this the home of the King of Coins?