Have you ever seen those photo booths at an amusement park, or maybe the county fair? They provide costumes and sets and you can stage a family photo in a wild west saloon—Mom the sexy bar wench, Dad the piano player, pounding out a ragtime tune, and little Jason with the sheriff's badge. Well, sometimes... Continue Reading →
Exercise: Observing the Emperor
I have to admit that I’ve never been a fan of The Emperor. Intellectually speaking, I do appreciate the stability and security he represents, the ability to be assertive and take control, but I’ve never been big on power and authority. Interestingly, after writing this exercise, I felt my feelings for The Emperor shift a... Continue Reading →
Exercise: Observing the Fool
The Fool stands on the edge of a precipice. He has blonde hair past his ears, and a cap with a long red plume. He holds a pole over his right shoulder—it could be a cue stick—on which he has attached a small leather sack. He’s taken care to dress for this journey. He dons... Continue Reading →
Reflection: Temperance, The Morning Card
This morning I give the cards a shuffle and draw Temperance. I consider her for a split second and toss her back into the deck—the middle of the deck where she will be hard to fish back out. Sometimes, when I'm pulling a card for myself, and it doesn't knock the breath out of me... Continue Reading →
Reflection: The Fool Hits a Dead End
The other night I read for a couple at a party. The Fool came up, and when I asked them to describe the card, they both looked at the edge of that cliff and said, "A dead end." Most tarotists think that The Fool is about to take a leap of faith, or that he... Continue Reading →
Reflection: Styles of Collaboration
I pulled these cards this morning and discovered a whole new perspective on the Judgement card. I usually think of Judgement as taking an honest look at oneself, making amends, seeking forgiveness, a calling or awakening, or some kind of "coming out." Today, next to the Three of Pentacles and the Five of Wands, both,... Continue Reading →
Reflection: The Moon
Yesterday I got a chance to catch part of Caroline Casey's radio show, The Visionary Activist, on KPFA. She interviewed Sandra Ingerman about her new book, How to Heal Toxic Thoughts: Simple Tools for Transformation. At the end of the show, Ingerman told the following story, which she includes in her book: A boy says... Continue Reading →
Reflection: The Empress and the Ivy
The other day, my friend Carole and I pulled into a parking space near one of our favorite restaurants, Joy Meadow. When we got out of the car, Carole pointed to a hardy bamboo bush infested with ivy and said, "Look at that! The bamboo and the ivy are at war!" I think of Carole,... Continue Reading →
Reflection: Finding The Star in the Painted Desert
When I was in grad school, my friend Cody and I took a cross-country road trip to deliver our friend, Susan, to Syracuse University, where she would begin her new life. For me, it was a long ride home without her. I was morose and irritable. At the end of a particular 12-hour day... Continue Reading →
Reflection: The Devil and “A Passion for Clothes”
Inspired by The Fairytale Tarot, which illustrates 78 different fairytales from around the world, I revisited my anthologies of Jewish folktales. I found the story, “A Passion for Clothes” by Y.L. Peretz to perfectly reflect the theme of The Devil Card. The Devil card can symbolize playfulness and fun, the appreciation of material and sensual... Continue Reading →
The Fool's Rose Tarot 