How to Retire a Tarot Deck
Worn. Warped. Dog-eared. Sticky. After heavy use, a deck eventually succumbs to age and grows too damaged to read with. But an elder deck sometimes seems too wise with too many years of experience to just toss aside for a…
Sol in the Small Cards
Welcome to the Tarot Blog Hop! An international group of tarotists (check out the master list) are all writing on the same topic and then linking to each other so that the reader can hop from one blog to the…
The Hopscotch Spread
The Hopscotch Spread is a fun, qabalistically based tarot spread that can provide insight and guidance in working towards a particular goal. Hopscotch Spread Instructions Focus on a question or issue. Shuffle and lay out 10 cards face down according to the pattern…
Ten Steps that Will Guarantee a Great Tarot Reading, Part 2
6. Be open and curious. Don’t close yourself down energetically or physically. Turning away from your reader, crossing your arms and legs, or looking down or away are all common ways people close themselves off from their reader using their physical…
The Hierophant
Welcome to the Tarot Blog Hop! An international group of tarotists (check out the master list) are all writing on the same topic and then linking to each other so that the reader can hop from one blog to the…
Joy’s Lecture on Insurance for Tarot Readers and Reiki Practitioners
If you have questions about insurance for tarot and Reiki, here are some recommendations and resources. I also share which company I currently use! I updated this article in July 2023, editing for clarity, optimizing for Google search, modernizing, and…
Ten Steps that Will Guarantee a Great Tarot Reading, Part 1
1. Take it seriously. Tarot readings really aren’t for entertainment only. In some states, it’s legally required that tarot readers use the disclaimer “For entertainment purposes only.” Even readers who are located where such disclaimers are not compulsory often put…
Q&A with Joy: The Questionless Querent
A colleague of mine who is a tarot reader emailed me with a couple questions recently. “What do you do about a client who just asks a general ‘what do I need to know?’” “What about someone you read for but…
Dealing the Distasteful
Welcome to the Tarot Blog Hop! An international group of tarotists (check out the master list) are all writing on the same topic and then linking to each other so that the reader can hop from one blog to the…
The Top Five Reasons TarotCon Denver is Going to be Awesome!
5. A Gorgeous Spiritual Center, not a Fluorescent Convention Center. TarotCon Denver will be held at the Althea Center for Engaged Spirituality. This amazing historic building was built in 1898 as a church of Divine Science, one of the denominations…
Is Tarot Ancient?
I presented this paper to the Denver Tarot Meetup a couple years ago. I started thinking about it yesterday, and even though it’s not my best scholarly work, and the topic could be expanded considerably, I think it’s interesting and…
Riker’s Journey: A Story of Change and Transformation
Riker Saw Himself as if Dead Guinan was wrong. After making extensive repairs, the Enterprise headed towards Wolf 359 to re-engage the Borg after it had assimilated Captain Picard. While they raced to the battle, Guinan confronted Riker in the…
Q&A with Joy: Reading About Other People
The following is a transcript, edited for clarity, of a discussion we had in my Magician’s Tools Intermediate Tarot Class this week. One class participant asked about reading about other people. Here’s her question and the discussion that followed: Class Participant: Can you do a tarot…
Spring Fling: Discard
Welcome to the Tarot Blog Hop! An international group of tarotists (check out the master list) are all writing on the same topic and then linking to each other so that the reader can hop from one blog to the…
Q&A with Joy: Is the Drama Queen Ready for Reiki?
A colleague of mine who is a Reiki teacher contacted me with a conundrum. Here’s a distilled version of the question: “I have a potential student who invites a lot of drama into her life (and tries to include me…
Where Do Answers Come From? As Dreamed by Mercury in Pisces Lorded over by Jupiter in Leo
I’m currently taking a class on The Lyric Essay at Lighthouse Writers Workshop. This is the first draft of my essay, which was workshopped in class on Monday (I made only a few small edits since then). I will re-write it and…
Oracular Anomalies
Welcome to the Tarot Blog Hop! An international group of tarotists (check out the master list) are all writing on the same topic and then linking to each other so that the reader can hop from one blog to the…
The Three Diamonds: A Reiki Approach to Experiencing Oneness
The Japanese term for birth is U-MU, consisting of the kototama U, “Being” and MU, “Nothingness.” That is, life springs forth when Form and Emptiness are in perfect balance.— Morihei Ueshiba, Aikido Founder In the previous article, I wrote about…
Spirit is our Shield: Taking on the Energy of Others in Reiki
At a recent meetup the topic of taking on the energy of others came up. A woman told a story about doing a healing on a friend who had pain in her hip. The next day, the healer woke up…
Diamond Pane Window Tarot Bag
Peek-a-boo Bag! Every tarot deck needs a bag. But how do you know which deck is in which bag? Shed some light on the matter with a window tarot bag! This bag features an eyelet lattice pattern reminiscent of a…