Back in the seventies when I was teaching out of my candle shop bookstore called the Feminist Wicca, we used to have Tarot Socials as a way to teach women how to read the cards. I discovered those leaflets with my typed Bio on the other side. Thirty-five years later I have decided to revive the event.
Now I have done quite a few. Started in my house; we have taken it to the Goddess Temple in Irvine, to Susun Weed’s place in Woodstock, Karens beautiful Mountain View home with the rose garden and swimming pool, and now just recently to Nevada, JoAnna’s circle of women.
What is it? How are the Tarot Socials different from regular Tarot Readings?
First rule is whatever you hear in the Tarot Social stays confidential.
There is a special kind of relief that comes from being witnessed by your sisters. You belong into the fabric of womanhood. You are not alone with your problems, but you keep your mouth shut about what you heard once the event is over.
Second rule is don’t hold back. When I see that you are very, very upset about something, and I call you on it; feel free to vent. Feel free to cry and sob. We are accustomed to cry in therapy sessions, group or private. Tarot readings are a poor woman’s therapy. It’s faster than normal therapy; it doesn’t take weekly visits to keep you on the healing path. Instead you get folk customs, folk magic homework to do in order to sort through your options, pluck up your self-confidence, and stop the denial of your pleasures.
Third rule is to allow the support and friendships that come from such communal experiences to reach your heart. Life is to short, these sessions with your sisters are rare. As a planetary co-traveler, we need each other, we need the family of women.
So what actually happens?
We begin with holding a circle. We hold each other’s hands. We hum to unify ourselves, to open our psychic eye to the incoming wisdom. The hum opens up our door between the subconscious and conscious minds. We connect our feeling centers with our thinking centers, we become one unit.
A light smudging with white sage elevates our minds and creates a path for our guiding spirits to come through.
I hand you the sacred oil to anoint your hands with before handling the cards, I favor Amber oil. We both inhale this scent, an instant transportation into the temple.
Next I give you the deck to shuffle. The best way to mix the cards is up to you. But a good mix is needed, not just a little changing of the cards positions in the deck. There are 78 images, and ten positions which nuances them, the possibility of variations is infinite.
A good reader is synthesizing the meanings of the cards; filter it through wise woman’s wisdoms. This part is where the person who is the reader plays a major role. How intelligent is she? How well read? Do you know more then the prescribed meanings? How much experience does she have? Is she good at stepping aside and allow the spiritual take center stage? Can she leave her own attitudes aside, and see purely the divine advice? These are the most difficult tasks.
Most people when they meet you, either have a sympathetic vibration form in their brains or not. When I read cards to women, I don’t know them yet, just met them. I ask only three questions.
How old are you? What sign are you? What is your name?
Based on these answers the Tarot is able to pinpoint your planetary being like a GPS guide. This same information is enough for me to satisfy my “attitude” towards the new querrent, and not search for anything personal from me, like do I like this person or not.
Next I take the deck of cards that you have already shuffled, “cooked” and with my left hand towards the left away from me I break it into two piles. While I say, “Wisdom from the Nymph, Wisdom from the Queen, Wisdom from the Crone.” Each time repeating the breaking of the deck, into two piles, with my left hand towards the left away from me then placing the left over pile on top of the new pile. What I have at the end of this is the deck I use to read you.
From the very top of the already created pile is your Significator. I don’t make a Significator by selecting a card based on you being female or male, young or old, as it is often subscribed in Tarot books.
The card I get is far more then that. It already has information about you. The most significant feeling you carry, or situation you are in will show up here right away.
The rest of the lay out is up to the reader. I use the old Celtic Cross, but often I do a single card and pull more as needed. I watch what you hide from yourself, in the root of the cross, and discuss it. I examine the Soul position, how does your sprit feel? Your house. Your hopes and fears.
I often look at the correspondences, the Aces and the Queens, those count an extra card. I look at the numbers coming up, does anything repeat itself, like 3s, or 7s; numerology has things to say about that too.
Readings last as long as they last. I lose track of time when I stepped between the worlds.
In the Tarot Socials, I explain why I have chosen to say what I did, based on what cards, very informative for somebody who wishes to learn this kind of divination.
October is coming, the years end, when we are all between the worlds. Watch for my schedule where I will be doing this kind of community building teaching/counseling. (TarotSocial.com)
If you think you can call together at least 15 women for a Tarot Social, and you would like to host it for me, please let us know.
The Goddess work needs all of us to do our part.
Blessed be,
Z Budapest
www.ZBudapest.com
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