In the morning I rose bright and early for the breakfast roundtable with Nancy Antenucci. I may be getting to the point of VIP stalker status with Nancy. As I sipped my coffee (aka lifeblood) I listened to people tell their “tarot stories”—stories that had an impact. Nancy said before she opened up the floor to other people that the stories of “That was a wonderful experience” or “I’ll never do THAT again” were the best kinds of stories to tell, because in them contained lessons. The stories that people shared ran the gamut of reading tarot in Italy with a translator and clients using their one phone call in lockup to call the reader to tell them they were right. Some stories were sad and some caused laughter to spread across the room, but each one of them made me think.

Next was the master class with Shawn Nacol (“The Roots of Tarot: Elemental Readings”). I’ll admit, most of the class my head was swimming. I likened this class to Corrine Kenner‘s “Tarot and Astrology” class from last year’s Readers Studio. Interestingly enough, these types of classes are the type that really stick with me and make me think about them for months after attending. Why? Because they go deep like brain ninjas and switch my thinking like an intellectual katana.

Then it was time for lunch. I was delighted to dine with these lovely ladies.

Lunching with the ladies of Readers Studio

Then we dove right back in to the final master class with James Wanless. James’s “whole person profile reading” was infinitely helpful, and will definitely be used in future with clients and on my own. It also gave everyone at our table a fit of the giggles when we looked at both our individual “bodies” and then the table’s “body” as a whole.

Then it was time to run back up to the room and gussy myself up for the banquet! And boy how, was I glad I did, because lookie who I ended up having drinks with at the cocktail party?

The lovely Debbie Chapnick, the legendary Mary K. Greer, and me... what awesome alternate universe did I step into?

Yes, that really is THE Mary K. Greer, one of my tarot idols. Though I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t want anyone to be using a THE in front of her name.

During the banquet I had the distinct pleasure of sitting next to Barbara Moore and took Courtney up on her dare to say to her, “Omigod I’m sitting next to Barbara Moore.” A year ago, I would not have been so glib or open to that kind of haranguing.

During the banquet, the conference attendees were treated to several performances… and yes, I documented it.

Ciro Marchetti presents a gift to the Amberstones in celebration of the Readers Studio's 10 year anniversary!

As Nancy Antenucci danced, she shifted into different depictions of tarot cards.

A singing of a song inspired by The Moon card

Point/Counterpoint about (what else?) tarot!

All that revelry, and you would think that my day was done… but oh no, it’s not so. After the banquet, it was off to my night class with Mike Hernandez on “Professional Presentation Skills 101″… and boy, did I learn A LOT! Mike had great handouts, a warm personality, and basically used the presentation to the class as a running example of how to put your best foot forward and keep control while presenting ANYTHING. I was so glad I chose his class out of the many equally interesting topics that were available for that evening.

Learning from Mike (picture taken by Theresa Reed)

After all this learning, I was getting tuckered out, but still managed to find my way to the hotel bar and had a lovely conversation with Innowen, before I decided it was high-time I put myself to bed. The final day of Readers Studio loomed in the A.M., and I wanted to be well-rested before I said my farewells.

Day 3/Part 3 coming soon!

Blessings,
~*~Hilary~*~
www.tarotbyhilary.com

Readers Studio started a little differently for me this year. Last year, my friend Courtney and I were up far too early on the Friday morning to watch the Royal Wedding before heading to the conference, leading us to consume massive amounts of coffee once we arrived in order to stay awake. This year, I drove myself down to the conference from my home about 45 minutes away. I still needed the massive amounts of caffeine, however (some things never change).

When I arrived, I checked in at the conference with the lovely Tarot Diva Sasha Graham and got my goodie bag containing Barbara Moore’s Tarot for Beginners and the Fairy Tarot.

Upon arrival at the conference, Steampunk Tarot was already sold out… and no, I did not arrive late. Readers Studio offers a pre-conference class, and the people that were already there for it got first dibs on the merch tables. I believed that my great idea of having Steampunk Tarot be my deck of the month for May got shot in the face right away.

Sad about me not being able to possess Steampunk Tarot, I walked right over to Ciro Marchetti‘s table and bought the very limited copy of the Gilded Tarot Royale, since they only had 6 copies of that left, and I didn’t want to be foiled a second time on a different deck. Oh, and I bought a few other things, such as a bag and a reading cloth… Don’t judge me.

Yes, so I made a major purchase before the conference even began… and as soon as my tarot mentor, Theresa Reed, saw this, she dubbed me “the Keith Richards of tarot”, because I wear my tarot addiction proudly and out in the open. Honestly, I was a little surprised that she didn’t know this about me by now, since she worked with me for a year!

So, Readers Studio kicked off with the Opening Session of meeting the Master Class instructors, welcoming all first-timers to the conference, and the opening ritual.

Opening ritual of Readers Studio 2012

The firing squad... whoops, I mean, the first-timers to Readers Studio.

Then we got down to the nitty-gritty and partnered up to do Foundation Readings. The Foundation Reading is done at the start of Readers Studio. You partner with someone and exchange readings the best way you know how at the time. Whatever spread you want; whatever you deem appropriate. You take notes on everything: what cards come out where, and everything that’s said. Why? Because you come back to the same person at the END of Readers Studio and revisit the Foundation Reading, applying all of the information you absorbed over the course of the weekend. For this Readers Studio I partnered up with Beth Palladino, who gave me a wonderful reading, and I hope she received likewise.

Then it was lunchtime and a break for people to check into their rooms. I filled up my belly with grub and grabbed my bags from the car to check in to my room and chill out.

Next was the master class with James Wells. His class was on the Sharing Process and the Stages of Grieving, and the ways that tarot can help with these processes. It was intense. Honestly, I was glad that this class was first, because it took me most of the weekend to absorb and be grateful. I also was able to partner up with Ellen Lorenzi-Prince, which was really cool considering I had taken her class at BATS in August, “Discover Your Tarot Genius”.

By the time class had ended, it was around 6pm, and I had a few hours to kill before my night class. A lot of it was spent in the main ballroom area and the lobby, chatting with people and waiting for my roomie for the weekend, Courtney Weber, to arrive. Once she did, we hightailed it over to the hotel’s restaurant to eat some grub and have a glass of merlot before she ran off to teach her class for the evening “A Tarot Deck Journey: How to Start—and Finish—Your Own Tarot Deck” and before I ran off to attend Jude Alexander‘s session “Tarot Game Night: A Divine Play Session”. I had sworn to Jude after BATS that I would return to play her amazing game “for real” this time. The evening class with her afforded me just such an opportunity.

The game…. in a word: empowering. When was the last time you played a board game and came away with the feeling of genuine empowerment? Yeah, probably a limited amount, I would guess. Aside from gaining a lot more insight into the questions I asked, I also won a tiara!

Making new friends and playing The Tarot Game

After class, I regrouped at the bar and commiserated with other attendees, sharing what I learned. But alas, it was getting late, and I needed a good night’s rest if I intended on attending the breakfast roundtable in the morning.

Day 2/Part 2 coming soon!

Blessings,
~*~Hilary~*~
www.tarotbyhilary.com

The topic for this round of the TarotBlogHop is “Beltane: The fire tends to all”. For more information about the TarotBlogHop, see Donnaleigh’s great explanation at http://www.donnaleigh.com/tarotbloghop.htm.

The Bonfire

When I think of Beltane, I think of a roaring bonfire. Not that I’ve ever been present for a Beltane ritual that included a bonfire (Hey, I’m a suburban witch, and my coven is located in NYC. If we ever were to have a bonfire, we’d need a permit for it). I should have the immediate connection of the maypole, since I HAVE attended rituals where it was used. But nope, when I think of Beltane, fire it is. Fire is what I think of.

According to the site Earthwitchery.com, “The bonfire, or need-fire, is one of the oldest Beltane traditions . . . Ashes from the balefire can be scattered in the fields as a fertility charm. Women wishing to conceive can tie a bag of the ashes around their necks. Traditionally, cattle and other animals were driven between two fires for protection, healing, and purification. Modern pagans can ritually purify tools or other things in the balefire. Jump the dying embers of the fire for summer blessings.”

Now, I’m not one to let my witchiness and my tarot co-mingle . . . I’m of the opinion that tarot transcends religion, and I never want my clients to think that I can’t/won’t read for them simply because we don’t share the same religion. However, I want to address the concept of fire as an element of purification and healing. Normally, people think of fire as “ow, hot, hurt, don’t touch”. Obviously, I’m not telling people to stick their hand in a roaring open flame. But something I heard during the master class with Shawn Nacol (“The Roots of Tarot: Elemental Readings”) at Readers Studio this past weekend really stuck with me… this concept of fire as a purifier. Not a new concept, but certainly something that I really hadn’t thought about in depth before this weekend. And this concept also made me realize that, yes, the concept of purification can hurt (like the flames of a fire) . . . but just because it is painful, does that mean that we stop ourselves from that purification?

As we tend to other people’s inner fires, we too are kindled. But this fire is different than the Imbolc ember of one small light. By the time we get to Beltane, that ember is a raging bonfire giving off such light that you can see it from surrounding hillsides. When we are aflame, we are beacons, showing the passion of our dreams is alive and well in us. It is so bright that in the face of such heat, following your bliss is no longer a choice but a calling.

So, I created a spread I like to call the Bonfire Spread. However, this one you’ll have to figure out how to use for yourself. Suggestion: I think of the bottom 4 cards as “kindling”. I would love to see what you come up with!

The Bonfire Spread

Tend to the kindling, and watch your inner fire roar!

Blessings,
~*~Hilary~*~
www.tarotbyhilary.com

Fire Photograph: Image: Danilo Rizzuti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

—Keep hoppin’… read all the wonderful posts by my fellow tarot bloggers, and stay tuned for the next round!—

It's entirely possible that this is how many bags I'll have by the end of the weekend.

It’s been a wild and wacky year of tarot, business, networking, and self-reflection. This weekend the Wheel (of Fortune) comes full circle, and I will be attending Readers Studio for the second time. I will not be on pins and needles this weekend, waiting for the results of the Tarot Apprentice contest. I will not be the shy new wallflower, hanging back and not making a peep, afraid to voice my opinions because I am a young(er) tarot reader. I will be full-throttle Hilary.

I will also be doing quite a bit of shopping this weekend. Readers Studio is the candy store of a tarotist’s world, with vendors encircling the main conference area. Here’s my shopping list (which I’m sure I will add to while I’m there):

• Steampunk Tarot
• The Tarot Game (travel-sized AND full-sized, perhaps!)
• Osho Zen Tarot (if available)
• The Gilded Tarot Anniversary Edition

Looking forward to hanging with my tarot tribe,
~*~Hilary~*~
www.tarotbyhilary.com

Image: photostock / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I may be jumping the gun or tempting fate by posting this before I have the ring on my finger, but I couldn’t wait to kick off a series of posts about how I may or may not have ruined my chances of a marriage proposal in the future. I love my boyfriend… I love him even more that he puts up with an abnormal girlfriend prone to listening to her gut and reading for other people! The fallout of doing so many readings is my psychism increases in other ways, with or without the cards. Therefore my boyfriend (the poor guy) can’t get away with anything. It also is very hard for him to make any surprise plans for me. If I sense anything is amiss, my telepathy/psychism goes into overdrive to determine what’s going on.

Without further ado, here’s what happened:

Boyfriend (BF) and I were talking about the football pool he was in. It was one of these football pools where you make a guess about which team will win each game, and you couldn’t choose the same team more than once. If you guessed and the team lost, you only got two passes. Two wrong guesses, and you are eliminated from the pool. There could only be one winner at the end of the season, and that person won all the buy-ins for the pool. If BF won the pool, he would win $3,000.

By around the middle of the football season, BF was still in the running and had not had any wrong guesses. It was no secret at that point that if he won the pool, he would be putting his winnings towards the purchase of an engagement ring.

As we were discussing the fact that he was still in the running, I quipped, “You better win; I want my ring.” We both started laughing, and then I had a flash… a picture in my head of BF proposing to me at my favorite restaurant (and also the place where we had our first dinner date). It was so strong that I had to grab the railing next to me because I got dizzy and nearly fell. BF grabbed my shoulder and asked me if I was okay, and I said, “I’m fine, don’t worry about it.” He kept pressing me, because he knew I was not saying everything. We had discussed a long time ago that if I “saw” or “heard” things, including surprises from him and/or reading his mind, I was to keep it to myself. Mostly because it upset BF that he couldn’t express himself in his own way when I continued to fish his thoughts out of his head. I agreed to this, so when he kept asking if I was okay and what I saw, I replied, “You don’t want me to tell you, remember?”

He finally prodded me enough that I turned on him and said, “You’re going to propose to me at [name of restaurant].” He looked dumbfounded, and then he started laughing.

“See? I told you you didn’t want to know.”

His response: “Damn it. Now I have to do something else.”

This caused me to start yelling, “Nooooooooo!” (Because it’s my favorite restaurant for both sentimental reasons AND I love the food.)

Results? Proposal Plan #1 destroyed. Kaput. Finito.

You would think I would learn from my mistake, but in the coming months, I have Parts 2, 3, and 4 to come of this series. Because, as so many of my friends have said, I can’t just keep my mouth shut.

~*~Hilary~*~
www.tarotbyhilary.com

Image: Surachai / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

~*~Hilary~*~
www.tarotbyhilary.com

The topic for this round of the TarotBlogHop is “Ostara: Paint a journey with new life”. For more information about the TarotBlogHop, see Donnaleigh’s great explanation at http://www.donnaleigh.com/tarotbloghop.htm.

Tarot Is My Medium/Muse

I am a crappy visual artist. I remember very distinctly my attempts in capturing stark winter trees against the backdrop of a stunning sunset, and failing miserably. My teenage self blamed my tools. My shitty colored pencils wren’t good enough; the paper I used as a canvas wasn’t thick enough… maybe if I had the fancy art set complete with Cray-Pas® and watercolors, I could do the sunset I saw out of my picture window justice. Surely my talent wasn’t matched with my cruddy tools.

It is only now that I realize as my adult self that quality of the tools has very little to do with artistic expression. If truly you are an artist, that fact will shine through regardless of the tools at your disposal. And really, don’t we have a little streak of artist in all of us? After all, we are creating our own lives. If you can create something, well then, you’re an artist.

If you want to look to the tarot for artistic inspiration, there are a few great examples:

• The Queen of Wands—the artiste: creativity and passion
• The Empress—giving birth to a project
• The Magician—the will and the grace of change
• The Star—hope and striving for a goal with optimism
• The World—completion and wholeness
• The Hanged Man—using a different perspective/vision

Best Picture:

The Artist | The Descendants | Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close | The Help | Hugo | Midnight in Paris | Moneyball |
The Tree of Life | War Horse

Why: The sheer novelty of a silent film being up for best picture might just be what it takes to nab that award… also, I loved the film. (See? I’m biased.)

Directing:

The Artist 
Michel Hazanavicius
The Descendants
Alexander Payne
Hugo
Martin Scorsese
Midnight in Paris
Woody Allen
The Tree of Life
Terrence Malick

Why: Again, totally biased. The Artist was an amazing movie, and the director had a lot to do with it.

Actor in a Leading Role:

Demián Bichir for A Better Life | George Clooney for The Descendants | Jean Dujardin for The Artist |
Gary Oldman for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy | Brad Pitt for Moneyball

Why: Jean Dujardin was a stand-out performance and said nothing at all… amazing. But I would not be surprised if Demián Bichir or Gary Oldman won. And Brad Pitt is certainly not out of the running either.

Actress in a Leading Role:

Glenn Close for Albert Nobbs | Viola Davis for The Help | Rooney Mara for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo |
Meryl Streep for The Iron Lady | Michelle Williams for My Week With Marilyn

Why: I really want to say Glenn Close will win for her amazing performance in Albert Nobbs, but a lot of people are rooting for Viola Davis. So, I’m betting she will win.

Actor in a Supporting Role:

Kenneth Branagh for My Week With Marilyn | Jonah Hill for Moneyball | Nick Nolte for Warrior |
Christopher Plummer for Beginners | Max von Sydow for Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Why: If the Golden Globes are a good indiction of Oscar gold, then Christopher Plummer is getting this one. However, I’ve heard wonderful things about Jonah Hill’s performance in Moneyball, so I’d be delighted if Jonah Hill won this.

Actress in a Supporting Role:

Bérénice Bejo for The Artist | Jessica Chastain for The Help | Melissa McCarthy for Bridesmaids |
Janet McTeer for Albert Nobbs | Octavia Spencer for The Help

Why: For the same reason as Viola Davis. There is a definite expectation that Octavia will win this. Melissa McCarthy winning will be a complete upset. Bérénice Bejo was splendid in The Artist.

Happy Oscar viewing, everyone!
~*~Hilary~*~
www.tarotbyhilary.com 

Image: David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Just think, we have been together now for 15 years. How the time has flown by, but I still remember our first meeting like it was yesterday! You came to me in the guise of the Tarot Nova, and you evolved as I loved you new deck by new deck. I evolved too.

You have all the qualities I look for in a relationship. You hold my interest, you have a wicked sense of humor, and you continually surprise me. You’re not too bad to look at, either.

We have formed our own little secret language together, that’s how close we are. And no matter if we have a fight or how I sometimes put you on the shelf, I can’t stay away from you. One might call it obsession, but obsession is never a two-way street, so this must be love.

I wake up to you every morning, and you give me advice about my day. Sometimes you are generous to my friends, and help them as well. Moreover you are kind to strangers. I should call you a hussy, because strangers have rifled through you more times than I have, but I forgive you. Because I love you.

You have been with me through the good, the bad, and the indifferent. I can only hope we stay so close for the rest of my lifetime. I will never leave you. Please never leave me.

With much love and respect, I remain forever yours,
~*~Hilary~*~
www.tarotbyhilary.com 

Image: ponsuwan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

—

My first interview is with the coauthor of Psychic Tarot, Nancy Antenucci. Now, I’ll admit, I was intrigued by the prospect of reading her book, but also taken aback by the title. The title itself is a bold assertion. Honestly, I wasn’t even sure I wanted to read it. Then at SF BATS, I saw Nancy and her mini-troupe perform a vignette about what a psychic tarot reading looks like. It was enjoyable, with Nancy cast as the little psychic voice that the reader listened to and relayed to the querent. Nancy held up signs, and there was one sign about moss that struck me: If I’m remembering correctly, it was “the smell of moss”. This little tidbit of information made me scratch that itch to buy Psychic Tarot immediately after the performance. Clearly, this is a woman who gets it.

I devoured Psychic Tarot. There is simply no other way to put it. Its slender spine is deceiving… this book is chock full of information and exercises! But without further delay, here is a bit of information about Nancy and her interview.

Nancy Antenucci (Between The Worlds LLC) is a seasoned tarot reader as well as a teacher of intuitive and creative strategies. Her book “Psychic Tarot – Using Your Natural Abilities to Read the Cards”  is a compilation of 25 years of hard-earned wisdom, practical know-how and unending passion of the creative unknown to her clients, students and colleagues. The Twin Cities Metro Magazine named her one of the Twin Cities’ best psychics.
She leads the “Twin Cities Tarot Collective” which acts as a monthly meetup that explores the combination of tarot and natural psychic abilities as well as hosts the annual Star of the North tarot conference every February. She also is the creator of Pagan Babies Productions, which brings mythological and archetypal stories to life theatrically. She is also the co-director of Theater and Ritual of the Reader’s Studio held every Spring in New York.

Nancy’s website is www.betweenworlds.us. Her email is nucc50@gmail.com.

1) You mention in the beginning of your book about how you were surprised that most tarot readers didn’t consider themselves to be psychic. What is it about the P word that makes both sides of the reading table on edge?

First I would like to address the sitter at the table. For the most part, the common trait in most of my sitters is the need and desire to change something. They are open to having a dialogue with mystery, the Creative Unknown, their destiny if you will.  Magic and mystery actually take the edge off of their hopelessness or limitations.  Their real life is what has them on edge…not our pretend talk with invisible giants that somehow will bring a ton of new creative perspectives and vibrant energy. Recently I have been telling clients to start pretending that they have psychic powers, almost everything I accomplished in this life has been due to thinking that it is possible (pretending).

When you ask why a reader would be resistant to claiming, calling or using psychic skills, my first reaction is still disbelief. At my very first Readers Studio during a breakfast roundtable, Rachel Pollack asked if we thought we were psychic. We went around the table and everyone denied it but also wished for it. I was dumbfounded. I thought it just came with the territory. If you are using magical symbols, delving into magical scenes, and sensing a world besides our own…how could you NOT call that psychic? Johanna  Garguilo-Sherman picked up on my shock. She asked me what my last name was. After I told her “Antenucci”, she smiled and said “ psychic – Italian – same thing”.  That was truly a turning point for me. I needed to be true to my path.

Now years later I have a few ideas why nowadays psychic is often referred to as the “p” word (which by the way that term always brings something else to mind). There is an internal pressure to be respected, right, and rationale. I understand the need to raise our profession above the fray of swindlers and snake oil doctors to gain the respect and money we deserve. The price however may be the loss of magic and mystery. It’s a fine line, we  need to let the world know the powerful tool of Tarot but we can’t sell our soul in the exchange.

There is absolutely nothing wrong in reading only the cards with little or no divine connection. There is a problem however when one refuses to acknowledge when that energy is present or cleans it up so that you “appear” a certain way. Let Love have her way with you!

2) What is your take on the Little White Book (LWB)? Helpful or hindrance?

My entire path as a psychic reader started with the absence of the LWB with my first tarot deck. Some guy in an assembly line birthed a powerful seer the day they goofed up. It never dawned on me that each had a specific definition. I just took it into my own hands and asked each card what they were all about. This was a time before internet when you only had about 2 – 3 decks to choose from and even less literature if you lived in a small town.

For years I have told students to put these little buggers out of sight until they have gotten to know the deck first. My goal as a teacher is to surface my student’s creative authority. They need to know what they actually see, feel, and sense before relying on another’s filter. Again, I go back to the human need to be right, rationale and respectable. We want to know that we are doing it right. The only flaw in that desire is that Tarot is a view of the world in its entirety, not just ways that makes you feel good or comfortable. If that is the experience you desire, put the deck down. Reading is a form of layering our consciousness onto the cards. I strongly feel that the first layer should be your own organic reality. The next layer can be the LWB. The third layer might be traditional studies that go well beyond the LWB.

3) How do you receive psychic information?

I usually get movies or stories. Sometimes there is merely a still image like a sepia photograph. I hear, smell, sense, hear and feel stuff all the time during a reading.  I’ve always had an inclination towards invisible beings. Tarot gave me the environment to actually converse with them. I developed my psychic skills with imagination and creativity despite the traditional viewpoint of deep study of Chakras and the Clairs ( Clairsentience, Clairadience, Clairvoyance, Clairalience).  In my experience, all the Clairs have usually restricted or limited more folks than liberated them.

4) Talk to me about the idea of the spiritual committee… and how did you originally meet yours?

At one point it seemed like everyone had one guide and knew their name. I was curious about mine. Deep in meditation I asked if I could meet The One. The answer given was “What costume do you want me to wear? Love is the one source. We can take on any role that will help you understand that you came from Love and will return to it.” Bingo, the Divine Committee was born.

I decided that on my team I would like Jesus, Bridgid, a white stag, a few rabbits and Krishna. This committee varies according to the experiences of life. For the sitters and students in my life, I often sense that their Divine committee includes loved ones that parted, ancestors and past life selves.

We are spirits having a human adventure. As soon as you incarnate, you are given two gifts, gravity and death. Most of us forget the whole spirit thing with these two “gifts”.  The committee is a structure representing the one source that keeps you engaged, vital and remembering that you are the one playing the role of human.

5) What is your favorite tarot deck?

I cannot pick one deck over the others. My most cherished deck however will be the Rider Waite deck given to me when I was 10 years old. Its colors and texture are beautiful and old. I use it in rare magic ceremonies  such as burying the ashes of my beloved Siamese cat Kiki with the Queen of Wands.

6) When and how did you realize you needed or wanted a co-author (Melanie Howard) for this book?

A few years ago Lisa Finander spoke to me after attending a tarot workshop that I presented at a nearby Spiritual conference. She was extremely enthusiastic and encouraging about my work being put into book form for others. I tried to write a manual outlining the 20 years of my teachings. It was grueling and hard because the process is opposite of my work. I like gathering huge ideas and concepts and condensing them into a few sentences. I find a creative challenge in doing so. Writing felt like the exact opposite…expanding ideas. It felt weird.

When Barbara Moore asked if I would be interested in writing a Psychic Tarot book, my immediate response was NO! She offered a ghost writer as a solution. I realized that the student that I had been teaching once a week for nearly a year was a writer – thus Melanie became the co-writer.

The journey itself could be quite confusing as we tried to figure out our relationship to each other and to the writing itself. In hindsight, I wished I was far more clear in my intent to have my student become the scribe.  I regret the pain that I caused Melanie in my not having crystal clear intent of our teacher-student relationship. I’ve got to say though that we are both so proud of the tone of the book. It has the teacher-student voice threading throughout the whole book. It would have been that much sweeter if blood wasn’t shed for it. She and I are doing well but it was in a fragile state shortly before the book was published.

7) What is your favorite or most utilized exercise in your book?

The Essence Spread is my favorite exercise. It is an organic structure that allows for one to explore the different families of Tarot in their own time and rhythm. I love introducing new students to the four elemental tools with visualization.

My hope is to produce a workbook that will not only act as a companion for this book but with additional exercises and visualizations as well. I started my own Meetup – The Twin Cities Tarot Collective Meetup on Yahoo so that I could experiment different exercises to include in the book.

——-

Thank you to Nancy for taking the time to answer my questions, and if you don’t have Psychic Tarot… what the hell are you waiting for? After all, it was my pick for best tarot book of 2011!

Blessings,
~*~Hilary~*~
www.tarotbyhilary.com