Supertarot News

It’s coming very soon, a regular feature of the tarot world. The UK Tarot Conference has once again got a strong line-up of speakers.

Rachel Pollack speaks on theatrical fortune-telling, Wisdom readings, games, magical allies, and more.

Kay Stopforth has a workshop applying a parallel approach to tarot, using paradox to enrich and deepen our readings. It will include Intuitive response, Back to Basics, The Paradox, and Putting it all Together.

Jane Struthers explores Astrology in the Tarot

Tim Sullivan explores the Minor Arcana, relating these paths to the big spiritual traditions of our time, i.e. Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism.

In the workshops, Jane Lyle looks at relationship readings and spreads.

Erik Thorell fuses Tarot, Astrology and the I Ching

Once again Kim has done a great job - I predict a great success.

I have only just come across Robert M. Place’s book on the history of tarot. It seems to be very good - at least that is what the enthusiastic reviews say. I did venture on to the tarot elists some years ago with a few comments on the history of Tarot, but it was very clear that everyone was better than me on the subject. Maybe this book will put me on the right track.

There were no plans for a Christmas wishlist - I think I am too old for that, but if somebody would like to have a word with Santa, now you know what would be appreciated.

First of all, this is not a tarot deck. Tarot decks have 78 cards: Major, Minor and Court cards. This has 89 cards that are reversible; that is to say, on one side are aspects of the Angelic Watchtower system, while the other side has a conglomeration of tattva and I Ching symbols. Confused? You bet!

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I received The Grail Tarot in the post this morning, which was a nice surprise. John Matthews has long been associated with the Arthurian myths, so I suppose this unification with the Templars (the subtitle is ‘A Templar Vision’ )is not surprising.

First thing to do is google, and it seems this was published last year, if the comments on Aeclectic Tarot are anything to go by. Certainly, I found a cover image different to this edition.

The artwork is by Giovanni Caselli, and it is in the style of ‘The Middle Ages’ the accompanying book says ‘echoes’, so presumably neither artist nor author are certain. I much prefer the artwork to Caselli’s previous tarot deck. The sequence of Major cards cards creates a frieze that takes the tarot reader on a journey. With each card is a question designed to elicit greater meaning. I suppose this parallels the Christian Stations of the Cross found in Catholic churches and pilgrimages. In the tarot spread at the back, Matthews uses the ground plan of the Templar church in London which apparently has 22 buttresses; for the purposes of the tarot, they correspond to the 22 Grandmasters. Matthews denies any numerological connection, which is surprising since he finds numerical significance in other circumstances. Anyway, I find the pairing of the cards interesting, as this is a significant technique, and takes us to the Atbash method described in supertarot.

Cutting the cards precisely must have been a nightmare to the printers, and in my deck, there is an overlap in some of the cards.

What I find refreshing in the deck is an absence of the Tree of Life and all that baggage. Here, progression is horizontal, through the landscape, as opposed to vertically into the sky. The Hebrew alphabet has also disappeared. And that is where I hit a problem. Ever the pragmatist, anything which makes me stop and wonder what card I am looking at, for me is not good. Apart from the Wheel of Fortune, none of the titles are close to the traditional ones we know, although some can quite easily be guessed at.

The High Priestess is now The Magdelene; the Empress is Sheba - black and comely, as they say. The Lovers becomes The Two Knights of the Temple; brotherly love of course. There has always been a suggestion that this card is more than the lovers, so I do not particularly have a problem with that.

On to the Minor Arcana. The Swords are still Swords, but the Pentacles are now Stones, Wands become Lances, and Cups are Vessels. The Neophyte enters the story, which I find slightly baffling as I thought that was all to do with Freemasonry, which does not appear to the enter the story. For a number of years I have been diligently paring down the divinatory meanings of the Tarot, so the Grail Tarot meanings sail blissfully over my head. I can see that if the journey of the Grail is very important to you, they will come very handy.

On the several times I have met Caitlin (at the launch of her Da Vinci Tarot), I am sure I have gone on to moan (as professional readers do to other professional readers given the chance, on a number of topics) about the pervasive menace of the Celtic Cross spread. I do hate it, and in particular any new ‘versions’ that appear in just about every book on the Tarot. I am pleased to see that John Matthews has avoided it. He has assumed that the reader is familiar with the Tarot, and how to reader the Tarot, which is very refreshing. The spreads are consonant with the theme, and I particularly liked the example reading, apparently for a real person in each case.

A lot of care and thought has gone into the design and production of the book and the cards. It is not a deck for beginners because the traditional names and divinatory meanings are missing. I found it difficult to relate the cards to my own knowledge and understanding, but this may be because I am not familiar with the Grail mythos. However, if you have an interest in the Templars this is the deck for you.

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The BBC Radio Fivelive news program asked me to read the palms of delegates at the Lib Dem conference here in Brighton on Sunday. I figured out a list of signs of political success and acumen, and went round with journalist John Pienaar looking for victims.

First we ‘did’ Chris Huhne, a possible replacement for aging leader Menzies Campbell. John and Chris are old friends, which helped. He clearly had the lines for success, particularly in the next couple of years. His mini-reading went out on air later that evening. A few weeks later of course, Menzies Campbell resigned, and Chris Huhne has thrown his hat into the ring.

I did a few more readings, but they never got transmitted, which was a shame. I encountered none of the deviousness and machinavellian aspects I expected to see. All the politicians I read for were very pleasant, caring, and dedicated. There again, I doubt anyone with skeletons in the cupboard would have consented to a reading, particularly with the BBC recording everything.

I did a bit of historical research, and it seems that palmistry has been used to predict and analyse political success for thousands of years. It would be really interesting to see if the politicians at the Labour and Tory Conferences are similar to the Lib Dems.

I received The Grail Tarot in the post this morning, which was a nice surprise. John Matthews has long been associated with the Arthurian myths, so I suppose this unification with the Templars (the subtitle is ‘A Templar Vision’ )is not surprising.

First thing to do is google, and it seems this was published last year, if the comments on Aeclectic Tarot are anything to go by. Certainly, I found a cover image different to this edition.

The artwork is by Giovanni Caselli, and it is in the style of ‘The Middle Ages’ the accompanying book says ‘echoes’, so presumably neither artist nor author are certain. I much prefer the artwork to Caselli’s previous tarot deck. The sequence of Major cards cards creates a frieze that takes the tarot reader on a journey. With each card is a question designed to elicit greater meaning. I suppose this parallels the Christian Stations of the Cross found in Catholic churches and pilgrimages. In the tarot spread at the back, Matthews uses the ground plan of the Templar church in London which apparently has 22 buttresses; for the purposes of the tarot, they correspond to the 22 Grandmasters. Matthews denies any numerological connection, which is surprising since he finds numerical significance in other circumstances. Anyway, I find the pairing of the cards interesting, as this is a significant technique, and takes us to the Atbash method described in supertarot.

Cutting the cards precisely must have been a nightmare to the printers, and in my deck, there is an overlap in some of the cards.

What I find refreshing in the deck is an absence of the Tree of Life and all that baggage. Here, progression is horizontal, through the landscape, as opposed to vertically into the sky. The Hebrew alphabet has also disappeared. And that is where I hit a problem. Ever the pragmatist, anything which makes me stop and wonder what card I am looking at, for me is not good. Apart from the Wheel of Fortune, none of the titles are close to the traditional ones we know, although some can quite easily be guessed at.

The High Priestess is now The Magdelene; the Empress is Sheba - black and comely, as they say. The Lovers becomes The Two Knights of the Temple; brotherly love of course. There has always been a suggestion that this card is more than the lovers, so I do not particularly have a problem with that.

On to the Minor Arcana. The Swords are still Swords, but the Pentacles are now Stones, Wands become Lances, and Cups are Vessels. The Neophyte enters the story, which I find slightly baffling as I thought that was all to do with Freemasonry, which does not appear to the enter the story. For a number of years I have been diligently paring down the divinatory meanings of the Tarot, so the Grail Tarot meanings sail blissfully over my head. I can see that if the journey of the Grail is very important to you, they will come very handy.

On the several times I have met Caitlin (at the launch of her Da Vinci Tarot), I am sure I have gone on to moan (as professional readers do to other professional readers given the chance, on a number of topics) about the pervasive menace of the Celtic Cross spread. I do hate it, and in particular any new ‘versions’ that appear in just about every book on the Tarot. I am pleased to see that John Matthews has avoided it. He has assumed that the reader is familiar with the Tarot, and how to reader the Tarot, which is very refreshing. The spreads are consonant with the theme, and I particularly liked the example reading, apparently for a real person in each case.

A lot of care and thought has gone into the design and production of the book and the cards. It is not a deck for beginners because the traditional names and divinatory meanings are missing. I found it difficult to relate the cards to my own knowledge and understanding, but this may be because I am not familiar with the Grail mythos. However, if you have an interest in the Templars this is the deck for you.

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Commissioned by Prince Charles, John Tavener has written a piece on the 99 Beautiful Names of Allah. The premier is this evening at Westminster Cathedral in London. The 99 Beautiful Names are found in the Koran, and their recitation is part of Sufi dhikr or zikr, for reaching higher states of consciousness.

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Our police in Brighton really are enlightened. They have discovered a correlation between the full moon and pay day. When the two events coincide, the likelihood of violence and disorder is increased. As a result, more officers will be on duty during this time.

While this is news to the constabulary, it is not news to astrologers and clairvoyants. The day before and after a full moon is the most dangerous.

You may have got the impression from news reports that the police are above all this, but of course they are human, and as susceptible to the lunar influences as anyone else, so good citizens everywhere, watch out for irrational and aggressive behaviour from law enforcement officers around the full moon. You have been warned.

Here is a compilation of some of the many questions I get asked about the tarot.

I heard it is better for someone to give me a tarot deck rather than purchase it myself. Is this true?

This is an old wives tale. I would still be waiting after over twenty years of reading the tarot if I did not purchase my deck. If you want someone to get a deck for you, go ahead and ask. In the UK tarot cards are tax deductible for professional readers, so gifts are not much use.

What is the best Beginners deck?

Go for a standard Rider-Waite deck as that is what most decent tarot books use. Avoid gimmicky decks if you can. My preference is the Thoth Tarot for the beautiful artwork and depth of meaning and interest. Clients really love these cards.

What is the best way to shuffle the cards?
Avoid the Casino Riffle - it damages the cards. Don’t force the cards either. Some people swirl the cards around the table, which really jumbles them up. Long shuffles do not necessarily make a better reading.

Can I reverse some of the cards when I shuffle?
Reversing the cards brings greater choice and diversity to a reading. Some tarot readers cannot cope with this however. If your tarot reader has problems with this simple idea, find another reader. I am very happy with my clients reversing some of the cards when they shuffle.

What do I do when some cards ‘jump out’ when I shuffle?
Pick them up, put them with the rest of the cards and continue shuffling.

Why does my Tarot reader want me to cut the cards with my left hand?
This idea is based in gypsy superstition. Ask your tarot reader why this is necessary, and see what mumbo-jumbo answer you get.

Does a reversed card have the opposite divinatory meaning?
If there is only one card on a position, it is possible that the opposite meaning applies, but this is too simplistic. Some cards like the 10 Swords are negative, so does that mean it has a positive meaning? What would that be? Before deciding on the meaning of a reversed card, look at it in the context of all the other cards.

Some tarot readers insist that it is not moral to charge for a reading.
They obviously have a rich partner, or they do not have to work for a living. They are not lean and hungry for the tarot. Paying for a reading is an energy exchange. Tarot readers have to pay for goods and services just like everybody else, and they have to pay rent for the office, electricity, taxes, etc. I value my knowledge. I have spent years and years developing my skills, and I know that what I have to say in the tarot reading has the potential to transform lives. On this basis, I should charge more. I do not know about you, but most people are happier working (and it is work) when they know they are getting recompense for their time. When I make myself available for tarot readings I cannot be doing other things.

Should I pay before or after a reading?
I do not insist, but payment before the reading starts is better.

Can my friend/relative be with me for the reading?
Tarot readings are private. They are an opportunity for you to discuss personal details about you that colleagues/friends/family do not necessarily know. People say they know everything about each other. We all have secrets. Even if they do know everything this is not a good reason for being there.

Can my friend/relative come with me? She does not want a reading…
This is an ever better reason for not having them with you. The tarot reader does not know how much people really know about each other. The presence of an extra person means that I will say less, not more, so you lose out.

Do you tape the reading?
No. People who have their reading taped invariably ’switch off’ during the reading, as they intend to listen to it later. This means that they are not fully in the present when the reading takes place, which is a waste. Tarot readings are confidential, as confidential as a Catholic Confessional. I do not go around discussing your personal details with other people afterwards. Properly conducted, a tarot reading will have very personal details that you would not want other people to hear. This is why people have a reading - they want to discuss their life with someone who is not part of their work and social circles. I have no control over who hears the tape, and nor do you. What happens several years later when your circumstances change, you have a new partner, or you did something that nobody knows about, but is on that tape? Would you want anyone to hear it? Think of the trouble it could cause.

I don’t want to hear bad news…
Define bad news. Bad news is as different for everyone as good news. What you think is bad news may turn out to be good news. I do not necessarily know what is bad news for you. My experience is that people who are worried about bad news generally do not have any bad news coming up.

My friend tells me I should not give anything away during a reading
I would doubt that this person is your friend. A tarot reading is a brilliant opportunity to talk about your life in confidence. You are not there to test the tarot reader, you are there to find out about your life. My regular clients start the reading by telling me what happened since we last met. They are not interested about the past; they want to know about the future or the solution to a particular problem.

Can I ask questions?
Please ask questions. I would much rather talk about what you are interested in. Questions from you help to clarify some aspects of the reading that are not necessarily clear to the reader. It is better to ask one or two questions rather than a long list.

The future is fixed. We cannot change our fate.
The future is most definitely not fixed. Fate can be changed. We usually define our fate as those aspects that we cannot change. Concerns such as this show a passive approach to life. “What is going to happen to me?” is the classic question which signifies a fatalistic viewpoint. If you look at your life, you will probably find that ‘what happens to you’ is usually not good, and you lose your confidence over a period of time. On the other hand, if you make things happen, things usually improve. Changing your outlook and attitude to life often brings about change to the future. A good tarot reading will offer a choice of directions and possible outcomes.

My first ever reading was amazing! Brilliant! However I was not so impressed with subsequent readings. What went wrong?
Nothing. If you were not impressed the first time it is doubtful that you would go back for another reading. Now you know that tarot readings work, use subsequent readings to gain greater knowledge about your life. Empower your life. Have a dialogue with your tarot reader - you could be amazed about what you learn.

How do I become a professional tarot reader?
Charge for readings. If you charge for readings people will think you must be good. People do not respect free readings, but that will not stop them taking advantage of you, pestering for readings all the time.

How much should I charge?
Find out what other tarot readers are charging in your area and make sure you are just above the minimum fee.

Where can I start doing readings?
Again, this depends on your location. If you are on very good terms with a professional tarot reader they may allow you to sit in their place for a few hours to get some experience. That is how I started. You could hire a stall at a Psychic Fayre. Do not tell your clients that this is your first time.

What is the law on tarot readings?
There is no law against reading the tarot or divination in the UK. Unless you make outrageous claims about your abilities Trading Standards Officers are unlikely to pay you a visit. Caveat Emptor or buyer beware is the guide. If you are unsure, ask your local tarot readers or your local council for guidance.

You may fall foul of the Fraudulent Mediums Act if claim to be a spiritualist when you are not, but very few people have been prosecuted.

Are all these free tarot readings on the internet worth it?
No. Tarot readings require a real human being talking to a real human being. Free tarot readings from a computer are soul-less. Computer programs are not much better.

What about those phone readings advertised in the papers?
A very good friend of mine works on the tarot phone lines and he does an excellent job. I cannot speak for the rest.

How do I learn the Tarot?
The free lessons on Supertarot are a very good start. Avoid any course that does variations on “A card a day…”. The best way to learn the tarot is to do readings. Tarot readings are as much about the intereactions between people as the cards.

I have problems remembering the meanings of the cards
So do I. In over twenty years of reading the tarot I have never got through a reading without having problems remembering the meanings of some of the cards. Focus on the cards that you do know, and as you work through the reading you may well find that the answers will come into your head. Tarot readings are not about memorising cards, so do not worry about it.

If your question is not here, please contact me

That Tarot is greater than the sum of its parts is self-evident, so why give
further thought to the concept? Liber 777 is proof of the length, breadth and
depth of the association of the tarot cards with just about every spiritual,
magical and divination system. So why do we not embrace this principle? Part of
the problem is that while the associations between the cards and the systems
are so vast, tarot readers are struggling to extend the vocabulary of the
divinatory meanings of each card. Extending the vocabulary is a pointless
exercise because the mind can only hold about 7-10 pieces of information at any
one time, and since there are invariably 7 to 12 cards in a spread, that ability
to retain all those details is spread rather thinly. The problem is
exacerbated by the need to remember the attributes of each position. Remembering
all those divinatory meanings is thereby doomed. This will not of course
prevent more books and decks being published purporting to extend the
definitions of every card. Still, authors and publishers are entitled to make a
buck.

The problem is the belief that professionalism in reading the tarot is
demonstrated by being Mr or Mrs Memory. Have you seen these people who can
instantly recall facts about football seasons going back one hundred years? Do
they have a personality? Is there anything interesting beyond the morbid
curiosity in trying to catch them out by asking totally obscure questions
that are of interest to nobody? Furthermore, memorisation is a task related to the
past — it has nothing to do with the present or the future. By now you will be
throwing your hands in horror. What can be done? Is there any point in
memorisation? Yes there is, but only as a generalisation. I have got by for
years as a tarot reader with only a few words or phrases for each of the cards,
and I am sure that if you asked me right now the meaning for a card, I would
probably struggle to give a satisfactory answer. I would fail just about every
examination one can take on these tarot courses — I would fail with flying
colours, and I would be very proud!

As my clients testify, I am an expert and talented tarot reader, so how can this be if I only have the faintest notion of the meaning of
the cards? Clearly, the divinatory meanings are not very important. Nor do I
have time for tarot spreads, except for the Opening of the Key Spread, which
does not have any attributions for the positions.

The answer resides in synergy, a concept that has not been fully explored
before in tarot. While I was researching and experimenting on how to
successfully read the tarot using the Opening of the Key spread, I came across
the notion of the Hegelian Dialectic, of thesis, antithesis and synthesis,
whereby the cards either side would modify the centre card using the very
simple (and easy to remember!) rules of Elemental Dignities. The combination of
the Hegelian Dialectic and Elemental Dignities creates a powerful and
sophisticated system for analysing each card in relationship to its neighbours.
The synergy comes in when the reader takes into account the dialectic and ED
for every card, since every card is influenced to a greater or lesser extent by
all the other cards in the string. Beginners have to mechanically go through
the combinations, counting and pairing, but with practice, like any skill,
short cuts are discovered.

Hardwiring the brain frees creativity and insight

The synergistic power of the techniques and short cuts that becomes
hard-wired into the brain free the conscious levels of the mind to access
deeper levels, so that the reader has greater rapport with the querent, who
should be after all, the focus of the reading, not the tarot. Freed from the
pressure of trying to remember past meanings of the cards, which are not in any
case necessarily relevant to the current situation, there is an extraordinary
release of energy and creativity in the reading that benefits both the reader
and the querent.

This explosion of energy, knowledge and wisdom is a powerful problem solving
tool that transcends the situation, liberating the querent and reader. Here is
the crux of the situation. By trying to remember old knowledge, we suppress the
very vitality that will give us new solutions, new knowledge and new
opportunities.

Synergy is a powerful tool for transforming health, spiritual, social, work,
and political situations that is only beginning to become understood in recent
years. Understanding synergy in terms of the potential uses in tarot creates a
new paradigm for tarot readers that I believe will elevate the status of tarot
itself.

So what is synergy?

Synergy means that the whole is greater than the
sum of its parts. It means that the relationship which the parts have to each
other is a part in and of itself. It is not only a part but the most catalytic,
most empowering, the most unifying, the most exciting part.

Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly
Effective People

This definition is perfect for describing the techniques of Elemental
Dignities and the Hegelian Dialectic when applied to the Opening of the Key
Spread. One thing readers are surprised to hear me say is that I have no
idea where a reading will go — shouldn’t I know? Having a blank slate at the
start of a reading is actually a powerful technique for bringing out the power
of synergy. Beginner readers may have the same experience, but they fear
it, for they feel they have lost control — will they be able to remember the
meanings of the cards? This fear brings them out of any settled state of the
mind necessary for clear divination. Stephen Covey brilliantly provides the
solution in the next paragraph:

The creative process is also the most terrifying
part because you don’t know exactly what’s going to happen or where it is going
to lead. You don’t know what new dangers and challenges you’ll find. It takes
an enormous amount of internal security to being with the spirit of adventure,
the spirit of discovery, the spirit of creativity. Without doubt, you have to
leave the comfort zone of base camp and confront an entirely new and unknown
wilderness. You become a trailblazer, a pathfinder. You open new possibilities,
new territories, new continents, so that others can follow.

Stephen R. Covey, ibid.

The comfort zone Stephen Covey describes is clearly the divinatory meanings
and tarot spreads for tarot readers. The wilderness in this context is the
querent, the stranger before the tarot reader, and it is the purpose of the
reader to bring new opportunities, new possibilities, and new places for
the querent to explore. With synergy, 1+1 equals not two, but three, or as many
as you like. The wonderful thing is that we are always blessed with synergy —
we just have to recognise it in each reading. Every reading is a powerful
opportunity to go into the unknown.

Synergy changes the relationship a tarot reader has with the
client. In the past, when life was short, and brutal, when travel several miles
to the next village was a rare event, when everybody knew their place, and
social mobility was a non-existent possibility for just about everyone,
fatalism was rampant. You married early, probably the first person you kissed,
you had children and you died early. If you had a reading from a gypsy, you
paid your money, you sat there, she gave you the prognostication, and then you
left. The concept of any alternatives was given short shrift. I still get
people who sit there, grim faced, arms folded so nothing is given away, and
they want to know what will happen to them. Unless I can find a way of getting
them to understand that fatalism is an outmoded concept, and that the way
forward is about what they do with their life, not what life throws at them;
they will get what I consider to be a very unsatisfactory reading. Tarot
readings are about opening opportunities, not stifling them.

Breaking through to the other side

The new paradigm (well, actually, something I have been
practising for many, many years) is co-operation. The querent does not have to
volunteer information, but there needs to be a dialogue so that new
possibilities can be explored. It may well be that the querent is as blank
about the future as the tarot reader, which is why synergetic techniques of
tarot are vital to break through into new and productive areas so that the
querent can move forward. My regular clients invariably tell me what has
happened since the last reading, and then they tell me what they want me to
look at. This is a Win/Win situation satisfactory to both reader and querent.

Tarot has potential for new possibilities, but
until these new possibilities are accessed, they will remain forever dormant.
The key is to use the tarot synergistically by opening up your heart and your
mind. The new principle is that the reader and the querent will both gain
greater insight, with mutual learning that will result in more insights and
growth. The defensive postures seen in querents brought up in the traditional
mode of reading, arms folded, expressionless, giving away nothing comes in part
from family and work life, where people cannot be trusted.

Synergetic moments in life are few and far between, perhaps
experienced in moments of crisis where everyone has to pull together to
survive. Synergetic tarot readings open the possibility of unlimited creativity
and potential on demand. Something very interesting happens when the
tarot reader works synergistically with the tarot — the brain becomes hardwired
to work in a synergistic manner in more and situations creating new opportunities for creativity and success.