The Tarot Your Guide to Tarot Mastery

Edition 13 Spring 2013

This edition’s theme is based

on the card called Death.

“If you realize that all things change,

there is nothing you will try to hold on to.

If you are not afraid of dying,

there is nothing you cannot achieve.”

- Lao Tzu

Is this the Tarot card that you fear the most? Do you dread having it turn up when you

are doing a reading for a client or friend? For

most people this is a card that is difficult to interpret, especially if you want to give an

uplifting reading.

I went to the Tarot Guild’s International

Tarot Conference in August, and the Death card featured in many of the discussions. Tarot author

Rachel Pollack had a fair bit to say about this

card, and she provided some enlightening thoughts, which I’ll share later in this newsletter.

Some of the info in this newsletter is

going to be based on information discovered and

shared at that conference. It was a great opportunity to hear from some of the world’s

most respected Tarot teachers, and it was very

enjoyable to be able to talk about Tarot to everyone and anyone at any hour of the day!

It wasn’t the first Tarot Conference to be

held in Australia, and it definitely won’t be the last, and I strongly recommend attending—no

matter whether you’re a beginner, or an expert.

You’ll be thoroughly entertained and you’ll gain

more Tarot knowledge in one weekend than you’ll find in a year of do-it-yourself tuition.

Tarot Blessings,

Page 1 - Editorial

Page 2 - Verification Cards

Page 3 - International Tarot Conference

Page 4 - Interpretations for Death

Page 5 - Spiritual Lesson of the Death Card

Page 6 - Workshop Options

Page 7 - Rachel Pollack Tarot Talk

Page 8 - The Light Switch

www.MisterTarot.com

Back in 1997 I went to my first International Tarot

Conference and I met someone who changed the way

I used Tarot.

His name was James Wanless—the creator of the

Voyager Tarot. He was one of the guest speakers at

the conference and his approach to Tarot transformed

the way that I did my readings. At that conference I

experienced the energies of the Death card. Through

him I left many of my concepts of Tarot behind and I

awoke to a world of new possibilities.

James had a unique method of using Tarot. To him,

Tarot was not fatalistic; he stressed again and again

that he used Tarot in a pro-active manner. It was from

James that I learned about the use of action cards.

Action cards are ones that are chosen during a reading

when you want to discover how to overcome a

situation. If you don’t like an outcome, you choose an

action card which tells you what you can do to

change your future.

This concept opened my mind to a whole new way of

looking at Tarot, and it has been the basis of every

reading that I have done since then. And now I would

like to share with you an extension of this unique

approach.

The next step is verification cards. When you do a

reading and you see an outcome, or an obstacle that

you want to change, you can choose an action card

and work out an interpretation for it, but how do you

know if your interpretation is correct?

How do you know if the action you choose to

undertake is going to give the result you expect?

The answer is to choose a verification card.

After giving your interpretation for the action card,

ask yourself the following question: If I take this

action, what will be the result? Choose a card from the

remaining ones in the deck. If you have interpreted

the action card correctly, you will see a positive

outcome in the verification card. It will indicate a

successful conclusion to the situation.

In a reading that I did recently, a lady (Miss M) was

having difficulties with her sister-in-law. During the

reading it had become clear that the obstacle

hindering the relationship was the sister-in-law’s

need to be overly protective of the rest of the family.

She was always interfering, even though in her mind

she believed she was being helpful.

An action card was chosen to

work out how to deal with the

sister-in-law. The card was the

Page of Cups. It suggested that

Miss M offer a nurturing

attitude—and when this idea

was brought up, Miss M had the

realisation that the sister-in-law

was acting as a continual care-

giver because of her own need

for love and acceptance.

To test whether this interpretation was correct, a

verification card was drawn. We asked the following

question: “If Miss M is more loving and nurturing to

her sister-in-law, what will be the result?” The card

that was drawn from the rest of the pack was the Ten

of Cups. Did we get it right? Definitely. The

situation had been verified!

Verification Cards

A skull? A trailer full of junk? A work of art? This was seen in Burra, South Australia, July 2013

Edition 13 Spring 2013

When you take 100 Tarot enthusiasts and put them together with some of the world’s most famous Tarot authors and

teachers, you end up with a weekend of new ideas, lively

discussions, and a refreshed sense of awe about this

amazingly adaptable system of divination.

In August I was at the Tarot Guild’s International Tarot

Conference. It was held in Melbourne and people from all over Australia (and some from China) took part in this

brilliant event. Our special guests were Rachel Pollack

(New York), Mary K. Greer (California), Caitlin Matthews (England), Amber Jayanti (New Zealand), Linda Marson

(Australia) and Brian Clark (Australia). A few other local

experts were also chosen to present workshops at this

event.

At the opening ceremony, Australian singer/songwriter

Wendy Rule gave a stunning performance in which she invoked Tarot’s four elements and created a sacred space

for our workshops.

Anne Shotter (the original president of the Tarot Guild) then gave a presentation describing how the Tarot Guild

came about, and we heard about the first conference that

they put together in 1997. The slideshow of images from that event brought back some great memories.

The workshops over the next 3 days were varied in their approach and subject matter, but all were entertaining and

rich in substance. Some of the highlights were...

Linda Marson (from Global Spiritual Studies) presented a seminar called ‘Reading for Yourself’. It

provided a couple of great spreads which I’ll share in

future workshops that I’ll be running next year.

Mary K. Greer gave a wonderful presentation that

explained the history and uses of the latest Tarot fad, which is called The Lenormand. We learnt however,

that the Lenormand cards are not Tarot as such, but

many card readers like to use them because there are

many similarities between the two forms of divination. More info will appear on the Mister Tarot

website about these cards in the near future.

Mary K. Greer also gave another informative talk

called, ‘The Secret Tradition and the Symbolism of

Waite’s High Priestess Card’. For lovers of

symbolism (like myself) this was a great experience.

Brian Clark’s talk called ‘Soul and the Tarot’ provided a great concept...he said, ‘Look through

the cards and the one you like least of all is your

soul card.’

Caitlin Matthew did a whole workshop devoted to

noticing the way that the character in the card is

facing in a spread. Clarification cards can then be placed in front of the characters to ‘see’ what they

are looking at. It’s an intriguing concept that I’m

going to make use of from now on.

And Rachel Pollack’s talks were enlightening—as

always! One of the key concepts discussed was

how we need to acknowledge the energy of difficult cards such as Death. She said, “It’s too

easy to call it simply ‘death of the old self’, or

‘transformation’. The idea of something dying, of loss, of pain, needs to be addressed.”

The closing ceremony was also performed by Wendy

Rule and it turned into an energetic conga line which

joyfully ended a fantastic long weekend.

Now I’m off to the UK Tarot Conference, and I’ll have

much more to report after that experience!

Edition 13 Spring 2013

Edition 13 Spring 2013

New beginnings are often

disguised as painful endings.

- Lao Tzu

Rachel Pollack, Evelynne Joffe, Linda Marson, Caitlin Matthews, Mary Greer

Edition 13 Spring 2013

Edition 13 Spring 2013

UK Tarot

Conference

10th - 12th October 2013

This Tarot gathering is celebrating its

10th

anniversary in London!

Presenters include Caitlin Matthews and the

talented deck creator Ciro Marchetti.

www.tarotconference.co.uk

Learn how to combine Tarot and Palmistry in an innovative, five week course, held once a week at Hahndorf, S. A. Only $190 Email Trev: witchabilia@hotmail.com

Free Tarot Readings

Some of the students from my Tarot

Workshops would like to do free

readings in exchange for feedback.

If you’d like to be added to the list

as a reader, or if you would like a

free Tarot reading from someone

who is hoping to gain confidence

through experience, send me an

email and I’ll put you in touch.

MisterTarot@yahoo.com.au

Tarot Quiz

Q: Which card mirrors the pose

of Death, in the Death card?

Edition 13 Spring 2013

Edition 13 Spring 2013

Review of ‘Real Tarot’

by Mary

Don McLeod, or Mister Tarot, has spent

the last 25 years making the Tarot accessible to all

by cutting through the myths that surround the 78

pieces of cardboard that constitute a deck. Real

Tarot is his latest contribution in this ongoing

struggle.

The first part of Real Tarot is all about

getting the big picture and realizing that one

already has the tools necessary to “read the cards”.

After all, daily, we all deal with symbols of one

kind or another. Just imagine navigating our

modern world if every instruction had to be spelled

out!

In a chatty, fireside tone,

and many judicious examples

from the classical Rider-Waite

Tarot deck, Don demonstrates

how easy it is to make meaning

from the illustrations found on

these cards. He then takes the

time to explain that the future is

not engraved in stone and that

one of the uses of Tarot is to see

trends, to play the game of “What

if?” As he states, the use for

Tarot is limited only by the

imagination of the user.

When one consults the Tarot, the most

difficult part is actually formulating a question that

will yield the most accurate result and Don

painstakingly shows the reader how this can be

done.

The second part of Real Tarot is all about

mastering the details that were outlined in the

previous section. Through many questions and

exercises based on the “theory” presented, the

reader feels immersed in a one-on-one workshop.

What this book makes the reader realize, is

that the Tarot is all about tapping into the universal

symbols that humanity has always understood. But

what really impressed me was the amount of

research and passion that went into the very

readable chapter: The History of Tarot and the

charts in the Summary section. Well done, Don!

The Spiritual Lesson of the Death Card

On the physical level, the lesson of this card is to recognise death as a natural part of the cycle of existence. When you can accept this reality, you will have taken another step towards the release of the ego. When you let go of your fear of death, you can taste life with greater gusto! A Buddhist teaching states, ‘So the world is afflicted by death and decay, therefore the wise do not grieve, knowing the terms of the world.’ If you look at this process with fear, then you could easily decide life is without meaning. But when you accept endings as an essential aspect of existence, you learn to treasure every moment of daily life. You make your life meaningful by choosing to live it in spiritual fulfilment. Confronting yourself regarding any fears about your physical death can free you from a lifetime of insecurity. Accepting your mortality enables you to live with an open heart and an unburdened mind. By facing your physical death, you can truly live. And by shedding the facade of your old self, your spirit can be free.

‘Real Tarot’ is

available from

www.MisterTarot.com

Don McLeod s

Tarot Workshops 2014

Want to get serious about learning Tarot?

Next year I am running a series of workshops to help you become a more confident and

proficient Tarot reader.

All will be held in the workshop rooms of Cosmic Pages Bookshop from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.

All of these workshops are only $75 each.

If you ve already been to one of my Tarot Simplified classes, or if you have a good

understanding of the basics of Tarot, then

you re welcome at these workshops.

January 19

The Major Arcana

Gain an understanding of the role of the Major Arcana in Tarot readings. Discover the meanings of the Major Arcana Realise the significance of the Major Arcana as a model for spiritual growth and personal enlightenment.

Do spreads using only the Major Arcana.

April 13

The Court Cards

June 15

The Minor Arcana

August 24

Tarot Spreads

October 19

Tarot Spirituality

December 7

Tarot Readings

Bookings are already open... Phone 8231 9105 to reserve your place.

Edition 13 Spring 2013

Edition 13 Spring 2013

TTaarroott SSiimmpplliiffiieedd a workshop with Don McLeod

Sunday 10th November 2013 from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Held at Cosmic Pages Bookshop 338 - 340 King William Street, Adelaide

How Tarot Works Demystifying Tarot Insightful Tarot Spreads

Learn Easy Interpretations Practical & Spiritual Uses

By the end of this workshop you will feel comfortable using Tarot cards and you will have a better understanding of their meanings.

hours training for only $65

Requirements: Rider-Waite Tarot Deck Bookings essential: Phone 8231 9105

EElliittee TTaarroott CCooaacchhiinngg

One o one sessions are available for personalised, professional Tarot coaching with

Don McLeod.

Each elite coaching session goes for two hours and provides tips and techniques to give you

confidence in doing readings and making interpretations.

Email: MisterTarot yahoo.com.au The coaching fee is $99

PPeerrssoonnaalliisseedd CCllaasssseess

Want to learn Tarot with your friends?

Get a group together and I’ll come to you!

Email: MisterTarot@yahoo.com.au

Rachel Pollack Tarot Talk

Here are some more notes from a talk given by Tarot author Rachel Pollack in Adelaide, 2008. This

segment was at the start of her talk, where she explained the origins of her Shining Tribe Tarot Deck.

Rachel said, “The Shining Tribe Deck is a deck that I made. I drew all the pictures. It was first

called Shining Woman, then I changed it to Shining Tribe. Part of the idea of it is I created a myth of the

Tarot’s origin which is that there were spirit beings, which were the constellations and the planets, and

they were the Shining Tribe, the tribe of spiritual beings.

To communicate their understanding and to connect to human beings, they created the Tarot cards

and gave them to human diviners. The human diviners were also the Shining Tribe. Anybody that does

divination is a member of the Shining Tribe Diviners, and whatever cards you use, or dice, or runes—or

any other technique you use—you are connecting to the spirits who gave divination to humanity.”

The recording of Rachel’s talk is 45 minutes in length and it’s full of interesting

information about Tarot, given by one of the world’s most famous Tarot authors.

It’s available for $9.99

Click here and you can get an immediate download.

You’ll be able to listen to it through your computer, or have it on

your iPod while jogging, or learn about Tarot while you are driving your car!

www.MisterTarot.com

Edition 13 Spring 2013

Edition 13 Spring 2013

Mister Tarot is on Facebook! Visit here and click “Like” to get all the latest Tarot news.

Free Book of Tarot Spreads

Have you downloaded your free e-book of

Tarot spreads yet?

It’s fully illustrated and lots of example readings are given.

Many of the spreads are originals that have never been published before. And all of the spreads are designed with

simplicity and usefulness in mind.

To download a free copy of this book of

Tarot Spreads, follow these simple steps…

1) If you have a Facebook account, sign in! 2) Find Mister Tarot’s Facebook page

(here’s the link)

3) Click “Like” 4) Return to this newsletter and click here

to download.

Feedback: “Thanks so much for the book on Tarot Spreads.

To date I have only had time to employ the Soul Card Spread on

myself and two close family members, but have been blown

away by the uncanny resonance in each case.” - Kay Dickin

“I touch you knowing

we weren’t born tomorrow,

and somehow, each of us

will help the other live,

and somewhere, each of us

must help the other die.”

- Adrienne Rich,

Twenty One Love Poems