On Reversals

There are several schools of thought on reversals. One is that the card has a different, almost opposite meaning. If books list reversal meanings, that's usually what you see. And that's one way.

Some people don't use them at all -- they either shuffle in a way that keeps all the cards upright, or flip them before they start reading. One of my tarot teachers uses the Thoth deck, which has no reversals -- each card contains the potential meanings both positive and negative. Like the Devil, often associated with taboo. Which is some cases can get you out of a box that's trapping you, and which in other cases can violate social norms in harmful ways. Which is right? Depends on you, the question, the other cards. So you don't have to read reversals at all -- just know that each card contains all expressions of its energy and decide which feel appropriate.

I have a hybrid approach. I note the overall number of reversed cards (half is average) and if the ratio is more or less, I pay attention. Less reversals can mean an overall clear path, more can mean blockages and obstruction overall.

Next, I note which cards were reversed. I don't read the card's meaning differently, but I do consider if that energy might be being blocked or not coming through as strongly as possible for some reason. Another consideration -- that the card's shadow energy is being expressed. Like the Four of Pentacles, which is about protecting resources. Which is grand -- we should all save up for the rainy day. But if it were reversed, I might consider if there's some selfishness, over-protectiveness, or greed being expressed. So NOT the opposite -- just a different flavor.

Experiment, see what feels right to you. I've had amazing readings using all these methods.

Wrap it! Read it! Love it!

My recommend for the book you should rush out and get combines two of my favorite topics -- mysteries and the tarot. It's The Eight of Pentacles by Eloise Hill, and it's the first in her Eileen McGrath Tarot Mysteries series.

Here's a synopsis to get your appetite whetted:

Eileen McGrath, a 43-year-old disabled nurse and barely employed psychic, is used to visions, but not the recurring nightmares that have crowded her sleep since her client, Laura Neff, was found drowned in Oakland, California's Lake Merritt. When Daniel Burnette, the homicide investigator assigned to the case, rules the death accidental, she realizes it will be up to her to prove what her senses already know—that the teenager was murdered and that the policeman has his own reasons for wanting the case closed. With the help of the Tarot and private investigator, Atticus Spencer, Eileen uncovers a handful of suspects who have reason to want Laura dead—including her ex-boyfriend, an Oaktown rap producer. As she hones in on the killer's identity and places her own life in danger, Eileen is forced to confront her doubts about her intuitive abilities, her feelings for Atticus, and the deadly message hidden in the Eight of Pentacles.

I'm picky about my tarot in pop culture -- if there's anything that makes me cringe, it's the stereotypical fortune teller in gauzy gypsy garb slapping down the Death card as thunder crackles ominously. Bletch.

But Hill is deft with her touch, and much more realistic in her use of the cards as a way to provoke and gather intuitive understanding. If I were a criminal investigator, the tarot would be one of the primary tools in my toolkit. Plus, there's romance. I am a sucker for love and death all tied up together.

So go grab a copy of The Eight of Pentacles and wrap it up nice -- any reader of amateur sleuth crime fiction, especially those who appreciate a little paranormality, will find this book a satisfying read. It's available now on Amazon in both print and Kindle versions.

Getting Creative with Tarot

(This first appeared on Amy Corwin's Fiction Writing and Other Oddities blog -- you can find it here)

Mystery writing is not my only paying gig. I’m also a mother (although the paycheck doesn’t come in dollars), a freelance journalist, and a professional tarot reader. That last one may seem out-of-place, but it’s really the linchpin that holds the other two together, for while reading tarot for strangers enriches the pocket, reading for myself enriches my creative potential. After all, tarot accesses the subconscious wisdom available to each of us, the wellspring of human creativity, and I can’t think of a more necessary — and more versatile — tool in my writer’s toolkit.

Take the daily reading, for example. Among tarot readers, one way to keep in practice with the cards is to pull one card every morning and ponder it for a bit. I find that as I progress through my day, I notice all the little ways that each card’s special energy affects me. If I’m having a rough time writing — say, wrestling a bloated WIP into submission or pondering a particularly tricky plot point — tarot offers the clean lens of a new perspective.

Take the Seven of Cups, for example (pictured here as illustrated in the classic Rider-Waite-Smith deck). The Seven of Cups depicts a situation any writer can relate to — that dreamy voluptuous reverie when the imagination is allowed free rein. Most of the time this card features a rather dumbstruck individual surrounded by clouds of fantastic images. Some of them look enticing: others appear mysterious, even frightening. None of them are real, however — they’re just the swirling, seductive raw material of the human mind.

As any writer will tell you, such expansive free-flowing exploration is a necessary part in the writing process. It primes the pump and stirs the creative juices. It’s also incredibly fun. For my novel The Dangerous Edge of Things, this meant soaking in the ambiance of Atlanta — sipping mojitos in Little Five Points, meandering the galleries of the High Museum, sinking into the supple leather of a Ferrari coupe. All decadent, but utterly necessary.

Of course, the Seven of Cups sometimes warns that you’re indulging in too much of a good thing. When this card shows up reversed — that is, upside down — I have to consider that it might be time to put down the highball glass and pull up the word processor. Inspiration can only take you so far — the rest requires good old-fashioned perspiration.

Sometimes if my morning card is particularly relevant, I’ll keep it displayed on my desk, as a reminder. One card that always inspires me is The Star (pictured here from Thalia Took’s tarot illustrations, which you can find here). A card of hope, optimism and rejuvenation, The Star reminds me to keep my eyes on the horizon. It reassures me that while corrupted files and writer’s block and recalcitrant protagonists are certainly frustrating, this writing life also promises joy. Head up and eyes forward, says this card. And breathe. Breathing would be nice.

For me, tarot isn’t fortunetelling — it is, however, an excellent way to keep me on a productive and fulfilling creative path. The tarot’s symbols and images give my subconscious something to play with, and in return, it rewards me with knowledge that I didn’t know I possessed.

Try tarot for yourself. You don’t have to be a professional to reap the benefits; you just have to be open to your own intuition.

FREE Intuitive Tarot Workshop

What: FREE Intuitive Tarot Workshop
When: Saturday, April 17 from 10-12
Where: Elementals (in Woodland Square next to Talbots)
Who: Anybody, but tarot beginners especially.

In preparation for my WomenSpirit debut, I'm offering a free workshop on intuitive tarot this Saturday, April 17, from 10-12 am at Elementals. Tea and snacks provided. And it's all free. You can bring a favorite deck or borrow one of mine (first come first served) plus we do have some nice ones for purchase (not required, by the way, I'm just saying).

Intuitive tarot is for people who've always been intrigued by tarot cards, but who don't have the time to spend learning how to read for themselves. This approach is much more about understanding your own personal symbology than memorizing a book of prescribed meanings.

Intuitive Tarot isn't fortune-telling -- it's learning how to use the cards as a channel for your own inner wisdom and insight, and anyone can learn how to do it in less than two hours, no previous experience required. In this workshop we'll be partnering hands-on with a tarot deck, learning both its traditional organizational structure and the techniques needed to apply your own personal symbols. We'll also learn how to ask useful questions and create spreads that explore the answers.

Need a Fresh Start?

For March I'm offering 25% off the Spring Equinox Reading -- a chance to explore what needs cleaning out of your life so that you can create space for whatever is blossoming and growing stronger. The equinox is about balance, and this reading helps you decide which energies to nurture and which to release. Like The Fool, it helps you get a fresh start, to make whatever leap of faith is calling you.

Celebrating Love

During the month of February, I'm offering Couple's Readings for 25% off (a couple's reading costs the same as a one-person reading -- no extra charge). It's an excellent way to explore who you are both as an individual and as a partner in a relationshop.

A two-person spread works in much the same way as a one-person -- you ask a question or bring forward a specific concern or you just open yourself to whatever the Universe would like to share (my favorite approach). It won't reveal the future gift-wrapped and ready to open, but it will give you a good idea of the energies that each person is bringing to the relationship, as well as show you how the relationship itself is combining them.

You'll learn a lot about yourself, and your partner. I guarantee. Call, come by the shop, or drop me and e-mail. And celebrate hearts in a real and lasting way this Valentine's Day.

Deck Recommendations

If you've signed up for one of my workshops, you'll need a tarot deck. Now some people say that you should never buy your first deck, but that it should be given to you as a gift. I think this is a great idea in theory -- and I have used it as an excuse to buy many friends their first decks -- but I'd still be tarot-less were I relying on my friends and family, who don't know an Aquarian from a Zoroastrian deck. Plus, buying your own deck enables you to choose one with images and symbols that appeal to you. I mean, some people like cats in Baroque costumes; other likes Gummi bears. One woman's trash is another woman's tarot.

But if you're just starting out, the blizzard of options can be blinding. So here's my choices of good basic decks that won't let you down or weird you out. Some might even become your favorite (because truthfully, I have purchased many decks since that first, but the Morgan-Greer remains one of my favorite working decks). All are pictoral decks, meaning that each cards has images to help you remember the card's meaning, not just four wands sitting there for you to puzzle out.

The Classics:
The Rider-Waite-Smith (the King James of tarot decks)
The Morgan Greer deck (Portrait-style, with no borders, and vibrant colors)
The Connolly deck (with images like stained glass)
The Aquarian deck (Art Deco and eclectic)
The Golden Tarot (Medieval and glorious, like an afternoon in the Lourve)

Other Interesting Decks
The World Spirit Tarot (woodcuts with imagery and characters from around the world)
The Llewellyn Tarot (watercolors with major arcana based on the Welsh Mabinogion)
The New Palladini deck (like the Aquarian, only more Art, less Deco)