The Tarot Your Guide to Tarot Mastery

Edition 17 Spring 2014

This edition’s theme is based on the card called ‘The Star’.

The Latin phrase per ardua ad astra, means,

through adversities to the stars. In the last

few newsletters you’ve faced the dramatic

character called The Devil, and you have

experienced the chaos of The Tower. Now,

you encounter the peaceful card called The

Star, and you get to appreciate the qualities of

renewal, healing, and transformation.

The Star holds two containers of liquid. These

are gifts of life-energy that are linked to the

heavens above, but she offers it to the ground

upon which she stands. The Star brings this

spiritual sustenance to the pool of

consciousness, and to the fertile land of the

everyday world.

In this card the eight-pointed stars are

prominent in the sky. Stars with eight points

are linked to the Babylonian and Sumerian

Goddesses of the Heavens. They are a

symbolic, celestial reward for having

conquered the darkness of the previous cards.

The lesson of The Star is to have gratitude for

the blessings around you. Gratitude is a virtue

which is easily overlooked amongst other

spiritual lessons, but it reinforces the qualities

of respect, tolerance, and humility. Gratitude

is an expression of love. By feeling grateful

for the love of your family and friends, for the

shelter and food keeping you alive, and for

your spiritual blessings, you will find it even

easier to draw all of this into your life.

Tarot Blessings,

Don McLeod

www.MisterTarot.com

Page 1 – Editorial

Page 2 – UK Tarot Conference

Page 3 – UK Tarot Conference (continued)

Page 4 – Tarot Conferences in 2015

Page 5 – 78 Keys to Wisdom

Page 6 – Next Tarot Workshops

Page 7 – Become the Star of your Life!

Page 8 – Doing Readings for Yourself

In 2003 Kim Arnold was responsible for launching the

first serious Tarot Conference of its kind in the UK.

Kim said, “It was time for Tarot to come out of the

shadows and into mainstream respectability.” The

conference has now celebrated 10 years and is still

gathering strength. It is rated as one of the best in the

world. The UK Tarot Conference is highly successful

and draws speakers and attendees from all over the

world. Kim’s passion for Tarot continues to grow as

she works tirelessly to remove the negative image of

Tarot and to enlighten people with the knowledge and

wisdom of this ancient craft.

This year’s conference will be held on 10th & 11th

October. It’s the UKs largest Tarot event and a must for

any Tarot lover who wants to learn more and develop

their skills. It’s your chance to learn from some of the

world’s most respected authors and teachers of Tarot.

The Speakers for 2014 are Mary K Greer, Geraldine

Beskin, Sarah Bartlett, Richard Abbot, Israel Ajose,

Kim Arnold, Dr Maria Antoniou and Dr Les Cross.

At last year’s conference I had the opportunity to

interview Kim about why she began this event and

where it was heading…

Don: What was your vision when you first thought of

organising a Tarot conference?

Kim: At our first conference we only had about 20

people, and we used British people as our speakers. To

be honest it was only meant to be a one-off thing, but

afterwards people contacted me and asked if they could

be speakers at the next conference, so Year Two

happened, and here we are, ten consecutive years later!

Don: And you’ve managed to get some big names here

during those years…

Kim: Yes, we’ve had Rachel Pollack, Mary Greer,

Corrine Kenner, Mark McElroy…a lot of American

speakers, but obviously a lot of British speakers as

well. We’ve done really well, and what’s nice is that in

the early days I was struggling to find people to speak,

because I was an unknown, but now it’s like, do I have

Mary, or do I have Rachel…and I’m not being flippant

about that, but we have grown and have such a

reputation that now we only have to invite people and

they come—and that’s lovely!

Don: Is the plan to continue to do Tarot Conferences

every year?

Kim: Absolutely. Until there’s a reason that I can’t

do them anymore. I see so many friends every year

and I would never let that go. And I’m thinking of

doing a ‘novice’ one in a year or so…that’s something

that’s been on my mind…because obviously this

conference is for people who have experience with

Tarot. When people ring me and say, “I’ve never

picked up a pack of Tarot cards in my life, but I want

to learn,” well, this conference isn’t for them, but

maybe I’ll set one up for them. When I first started

the Tarot conferences, it was because I was thinking,

as a professional reader, where do I go to learn more?

I hope we’re never that conceited that we think we

know it all. So, I felt there was a niche for

intermediate, and advanced, and professional readers,

where we could be together to have people share their

knowledge with us.

Don: Being a ten-year anniversary must be very

special, what have you done to celebrate?

Kim: For this conference

we went on the London Eye

to signify The Wheel of

Fortune (card 10), we’ve

drunk copious amounts of

alcohol, and it’s been

wonderful!

Edition 17 Spring 2014

Kim

Arn

old

Don: And people have come from all over the world to

join in the fun…

Kim: We’ve got people from New Zealand, Australia,

America, Finland, Iceland, France, and Spain…and

who’d have thought this little pack of cards—that little

box of cardboard—connects us all across the

oceans…and that’s exactly what it does.

Don: How many people registered for this year’s

conference?

Kim: We had 87 this year. It has built momentum and

there’s more people every year. We’re known now, and

people look forward to it. For me also, it’s very

important that Tarot comes to a lovely venue. I want it

to have a professional atmosphere. Tarot sometimes has

bad press and if we want to showcase Tarot we have to

show that we mean business.

Don: It’s great that you have sponsorship too…

Kim: We have great sponsorship from Hay House,

Llewellyn, and Lo Scarabeo. They provide us with

Tarot decks and books for the goody bags that we hand

out to our participants.

Don: That was a nice surprise. Apart from coming

along to hear quality speakers and to mix with other

Tarot enthusiasts, you come away with a nice bunch of

goodies…

Kim: Yes, there’s about 40 quids worth of stuff in each

bag!

Don: What final words can you offer to entice people

to come along in 2014?

Kim: It will be an opportunity to improve your Tarot

skills with our amazing line up of guest speakers. We

guarantee that your relationship with the Tarot will

increase tenfold after attending this conference.

Some of the workshop topics for this year’s

conference include: ‘Soulful Enterprise—Five Steps

to a Successful Tarot Business’, ‘Tarot & Intuition:

the Interplay of Creativity and Neuroscience’, and

‘The Symbolism of the Waite-Smith High Priestess

Card’—in which you will explore the depth of this

card’s historic symbolism, and how She has

developed in modern times.

For more info on this wonderful conference, click

here.

“I had a wonderful time at the

conference. Very good group

of people, lively and warm. I

look forward to another

time.” ~ Rachel Pollack

“Thank you so much for

organizing one of the best tarot

event I’ve yet to attend in many

years. The energy of the people

who attended your conference was

blissful and so friendly and open. I

believe this is mainly due to what

you and your amazingly helpful

staff are attracting. Such positive

energy. I told my husband that it is

mandatory that I attend this event

again next year.” ~ Carrie Paris

Edition 17 Spring 2014

The contents of last year’s ‘goody bag’.

2015 Living Tarot Conference

The Tarot Guild of Australia has announced that

another International Tarot Conference will be held

in Melbourne in 2015.

Last year’s event was sensational, so if you are

serious about Tarot, then start planning your

attendance at this event.

It will be held from 7th to 9th August 2015, followed

by 2 days of workshops on 10th and 11th August.

Guest presenters are said to include, Amber Jayanti,

Evelynne Joffe, Caitlin Matthews, and Mark Ryan.

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

The Burning Serpent Oracle a Workshop with

Rachel Pollack & Robert Place

The Burning Serpent Oracle is a Lenormand of the Soul.

Saturday 28th February 2015 Learn directly from the Masters who created this C21st mythic deck inspired by the 160 year old Lenormand fortune-telling cards. The Burning Serpent Oracle is a deck which has appeal for both Lenormand and Tarot readers! Sunday 1st March 2015 Rachel Pollack… Tarot Reading Techniques: the use of techniques and approaches of Lenormand with Tarot. Rachel Pollack is the author of 78 Degrees of Wisdom. The Burning Serpent Oracle is Rachel’s 35th book, of which close to 20 have been on Tarot and divination. Monday 2nd March 2015 Robert Place… The History of the Tarot and Renaissance Symbolism of the Trumps. Robert Place is a gifted illustrator and author. His books and decks include The Alchemical Tarot, Magic and Alchemy, and Shamanism.

All workshops will be held at

Beau Monde International, 934 Doncaster Road, Doncaster, Victoria.

For registration information, see www.tarotguild.org.au

or email: president@tarotguild.org.au

Edition 17 Spring 2014

Caitlin Matthews

In Tarot there are 78 cards. That’s…

78 messages about your future. 78 messages about your life right now. 78 messages about your spiritual progress. 78 messages to your inner child. 78 messages about potential romance. 78 messages about your current relationship. 78 messages about your finances. 78 messages about your career. 78 messages about your family life. 78 messages about your dreams. 78 messages of guidance, insight, and awareness for your life!

That’s a lot of messages. The point that I’m trying to make though, is that Tarot isn’t just about fortune-telling. It’s a tool for insight into all areas of your life…past, present and future. It’s a multi-dimensional tool that can be used to tell you about future possibilities, but it’s so much more than that—you can use it for psychological awareness, as a meditation tool, and for knowing the outcomes of various choices you have to make in

daily life.

Edition 17 Spring 2014

The Star - from the Visconti-Sforza Tarot Circa 1450

Advanced Tarot Class

Held at Marie’s Crystal Cave

107 Esplanade, Aldinga Beach

Sunday 5th October

10 am to 4 pm

Featuring…

The role of the Major Arcana in

readings, spiritual growth and

personal enlightenment.

Connecting with a card’s

meaning through its number.

Understanding the role of the

Court cards.

Class size is limited, so book early!

Phone: 8556 5692

New Tarot Workshops with Don McLeod

Session # 1 - Tarot Simplified

Sunday 9th November from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Held at Crystal Wave 677 Grange Road, Grange, SA

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.

6 hours training for only $99

Requirements: Rider-Waite Tarot Deck

Bookings essential: Phone 8235 1817

Followed by…

Session # 2 - Intermediate Tarot

Sunday 16th November from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

@ Crystal Wave

Continue Your Tarot Adventure

Use the Major Arcana in Spreads

Become Familiar with the Suits

Connect with the Cards’ Numbers

Understand the Court Cards

Gain more confidence in

your ability to read the cards.

6 hours training for only $99 Bookings essential: Phone 8235 1817

Edition 17 Spring 2014

“The cards give us a framework for understanding our lives, and a timeline for measuring our growth. The cards make it possible to visualize the past, present, and future—both in theory, and in practice. The cards help us celebrate our successes and understand our disappointments, so we can manage both. The cards help us put our hopes and fears into words—and in the process, Tarot helps us understand ourselves and our place in the world.

“Most importantly, Tarot lets us share our stories with others. We all share the same Fool’s Journey—but when we shuffle the cards, we see our own stories come to life.”

~ Corrine Kenner (from Tarot Masters, edited by Kim Arnold)

Become the Star of your Life!

It used to be that Tarot was seen as a passive

situation. You dealt out the cards to discover what

was going to happen to you, then you sat back and

waited for that future to eventuate. How dull!

What a fatalistic, defeatist attitude! I suggest being

pro-active with your Tarot. Rather than seeing

Tarot as a reflection of what can happen to you,

put your cards to use in your life.

Use Tarot for direction—give yourself

ideas to pursue—and then work out how to

keep on track for the desired outcome.

Use Tarot for warnings—to work out if

there are any challenges you might

encounter along the path you have

chosen—and then use it to discover how

you can overcome those obstacles.

Use Tarot for spiritual insight—

contemplate that new awareness until you

fully understand it—and then integrate that

lesson into your life.

Use Tarot for quick answers to a

dilemma—and then take action.

Use Tarot to make choices—then take the

time to explore the situation in more detail.

Imagine that you are new to town, and you have to

drive through the middle of the city, but there are

no traffic lights, and no street signs. It would be

confusing. It would be frustrating. You wouldn’t

know where your decisions were going to take

you. Life is like that…

Most people make choices without knowing where

that direction will lead and how it will impact them

in the short term and in the long term. They leave

it up to fate. With Tarot, you have a New Age GPS

with a lifetime guarantee of frequently updated

maps!

But as with a GPS you have to know how to use it

so you can get the right directions. With a normal

GPS, you have to enter your position and the

correct address of your intended destination. The

GPS will tell you how to get there, how long it will

take, and it might give some warnings too.

Edition 17 Spring 2014

Our Tarot GPS is very similar. It’s nice to know

your starting point. It’s good to have the

awareness to be able to say, “I am at this point in

my life, and I’m frustrated.” Or, “I am at this

point in my life and I see what I want to achieve,

I just need to know how to get there.”

In our Tarot GPS, we also have to enter a

destination. In this case, it’s our question. With a

normal GPS it’s no good saying, “I want to go to

Norwood for a coffee, or maybe to the city for

some shopping, or maybe I’ll go to the beach.

How do I get there?” Your GPS will say, “Enter

one destination please....”

So here’s a big tip for Tarot readers: If you are

not getting clear answers with your Tarot, you are

probably not asking the right question. Keep it

simple, look at one issue at a time, and give your

Tarot GPS a chance to guide you.

When it comes to doing a reading, the possibility

of seeing a bad outcome worries many people. I

can understand that—no one wants bad news—

especially if they feel that it’s unavoidable. But

Tarot isn’t about discovering a future outcome

that is locked into place by the universe. The

future is fluid. The future is adjustable.

The future is like a giant pinball machine. You

could put your money in the slot and pull back the

spring and send the metal ball to the top of the

game and then stand back and cross your arms

and watch it rattle down to the trap at the bottom

and say, ‘Oh well, that’s life!” Or, you can stand

at the pin ball machine and hit those paddles on

the side of the machine and flick that ball back

into play for as long as you have the skill and

concentration and stamina.

Tarot shows you the trajectory of the ball. It

shows you where it’s heading if you settle back

and allow life to carry on without any extra effort

on your part. It shows you where the traps and the

bonus points are and you can then direct yourself

into that zone!

Tarot is an active form of divination. Make your

choices and play the game!

www.MisterTarot.com

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

“And above all, watch with

glittering eyes the whole

world around you because

the greatest secrets are

always hidden in the most

unlikely places. Those who

don't believe in magic will

never find it.”

~ Roald Dahl

If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter,

simply send an email to: MisterTarot@yahoo.com.au

with the word ‘unsubscribe’ in the subject area.

Copyright on all articles in this newsletter belong

to Don McLeod unless specifically stated otherwise.

The bird in the background of The Star is an ibis, a symbol of the Egyptian God Thoth. This god represents energies of wisdom, magic and rebirth. Traditionally, the card called The Star represents hope, guidance from the universe, and an increase in good fortune. It is all of this, but it is also about being divinely inspired, because Thoth is a god of creativity.

Doing Tarot Readings for Yourself

In a recent article on my Mister Tarot website, I wrote about Linda Marson’s workshop: Doing Readings

for Yourself. Linda has now produced a webinar recording of the workshop—and it’s worth downloading!

Some people don’t believe you should do readings for yourself, but the reality is that we all do it—and

it’s a great way to start learning the cards.

This recording comes with a comprehensive handout: extracts from Linda Marson’s book, Ticket,

Passport and Tarot Cards, which is all about reading the cards for yourself. It contains a copy of the

Self Reflection spread and a guide to questions to ask yourself for each of the Major Arcana cards.

The webinar is available as a recording you watch online. Alternatively, you can purchase it as a DVD,

which is suitable for viewing on a computer screen. If you can watch YouTube video clips without any

trouble, your broadband speed is sufficient to watch webinar recordings.

After purchasing access to the recording, you can view the recording

online as many times as you wish.

The cost of online recording is $22

The DVD is $25+ packaging and postage ($3 Australia and New

Zealand: $6.50 all other destinations)

Payment is made online through PayPal using a credit or debit card.

Click here to discover more about this worthwhile addition to your

Tarot library.

Edition 17 Spring 2014

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