Newsletter of The Tarot School
http://TarotSchool.com
ISSN: 1529-0565 
Vol. 2 #12 / June 15, 2010

                                                                  
 In this Issue:
- Welcome
- Tarot Tip: Masculine Archetypes in a Reading
- Tarot Card Showcase: King of Swords
- Upcoming Events
- Best Practices: Taking Charge of Cash Flow Issues
- Featured Tarot Blog: James Ricklef's Tarot Blog

 
Welcome to a new issue of Tarot Tips!!
 And a special welcome to our new members!
 
In this issue, we highlight the masculine
archetypes in tarot. Most decks traditionally show
roles or have titles that can be considered
gender-specific. This issue's tips have images
that are easily related to our collective
experience. Meanings and keywords for these
masculine archetypes are given that could be
relevant to your querent in a reading whether they
are male or female.

As readers, we are often seen as heroes to the
querent when our advice or direction places a
querent at ease or helps in resolving a dilemma.
This issue's Best Practices column offers
strategies for taking charge of cash flow in your
tarot consulting practice, which can make you a
hero to yourself.

The Summer Solstice is drawing near. It is the
high point of the year and a goof time for
refining, cultivating and manifesting one's
desires.

The sun, at it brightest this time of year, is an
important masculine symbol, as are fire and air.
Scientists are expecting intense solar storms that
can be unpredictable and aggressively cutting like
the King of Swords, our showcase card. The King of
Swords, whose elemental counterchange is Fire of
Air, remains surprisingly cool.

 
Guiding you along your tarot journey,
Ruth Ann, Wald & Gina


Tarot Tips is here to help you with the practical side
of your Tarot journey. In order to take the greatest
advantage of this newsletter, please send us your
questions regarding any aspect of your tarot study
or practice and we'll do our best to answer them
in an upcoming issue.

Spread the experience of tarot - share this newsletter
with other Tarot Enthusiasts!



Tarot Tip
MASCULINE ARCHETYPES IN A READING

In tarot, masculine archetypes can help you
understand what may be influencing a querent's
behavior or may be key in explaining to them some
of the emotional aspects of a situation.

Grab your favorite deck or two and compare the
artist's take on these male archetypes:
 

King / Father:

The king is the embodiment of male greatness. He
is an established authority figure. The king is
noble and represents control or the loss of
control. His reasoning is balanced and his
generosity is great. He is virile and embraces his
entire realm.

The father can be depicted as God, a giant, an
emperor, the sun, the bull or a patriarch. The
father is a person whose wisdom, authority, and
self-sacrifice enhances the life of those he cares
about. He is a symbol of strength and discipline.
 

Magician:

The magician can sometimes embody self-potential.
This potential can be used in a positive or
negative way. The Magician can represent the
ability to change moods or attitudes.
 

Hermit:

The hermit is all about independence and learning
to find new levels of responsibility and
self-reliance. He represents discipline of the
mind and emotions. He can be a leader like Moses,
who led a whole people to a different way of life.
 

Knight:

The knight is noble, honorable, restrained, and
humble. He is in service to others or a cause. He
is not afraid to brave great dangers. He is loyal
to God and country, has a soft spot for beauty,
and protects the weak of his realm.


Pope / Teacher / Healer:

He is seen as mystical and spiritual in all these
forms. He can bring completeness, happiness and
relief to people who are suffering or confused. He
is a symbol of transcending. He is the authority
on religious and esoteric teachings.


Trickster /Fool / Harlequin:

Unpredictable and sometimes crazy, the trickster
has a way of finding humor in life. He is
self-absorbed, on the journey of his own
transformation, but until he reaches his
destination, he may be careless, foolish and
unconcerned for others.


Hanged Man / Martyr:

He can be seen as sacrificed or hanged. He is
giving and concerned for others, but he can also
feel used by them. He sometimes takes on more than
he can handle just to feel appreciated.


Lover / Spouse / Husband:

Giving, caring and nurturing. He is a mate, suitor
or love interest.  He represents emotional longing
and satisfaction. He is our connection to others.
He speaks to our secret desires, jealousy and
insecurities.


Devil / Outcast:

He is alienated or abandoned. He is blamed for all
wrongs. He is different from us and makes us
uncomfortable.  He is a shadow, demon and tyrant.
He does not live within the accepted norms of
social behavior. His actions and motives are scary
and unacceptable.

 
 

Tarot Card Showcase

In this section we will feature tidbits on a
specific tarot card. While there are many
systems and decks to choose from in the world
of tarot, here we use the Universal Waite
Tarot images and symbols.
Copyright 1992 U.S Games.
 
 
KING OF SWORDS
 
Esoteric Title: Lord of the Winds and Breezes.
King of the Spirit of Air. King of  the Sylphs.
Astrological Attribution: Aquarius
Elemental Attribution: Fire of Air
 
The King of Swords is a wise and cool ruler.
When he makes a decision to cut off heads, it is
nothing personal. He is unemotional when it comes
to judgments and following the law.

The King of Swords is the elemental lord of the
winds and breezes. He commands the tiny silvery
sylphs with his whirling voice that sounds of
gusting winds. When this card appears in a spread,
it could signify dealings with an authority figure
such as a lawyer, doctor, agent or someone in
uniform, for example a policeman or soldier. The
King of Swords is quick-witted and loves a debate
or philosophical discussion.


Positive Keywords: Stability, control, order,
wisdom, determination, cleverness, courage,
justice, legal  or military matters, learning,
exactness and precision.

Negative Keywords: Struggle, battle, war, tyranny,
cunning, violence; judgmental, unreasonable,
unrealistic, immoral, criminal and fearful.



 
Upcoming Events:
 
  • June 24, July 1, 8
  • Secrets of the King of Pentacles
    Tarot School Telecourse
     
    Court Cards are the powers of their suits. The
    secrets of a tarot court are the mysteries of its
    world. In our upcoming series of teleclasses, we
    will study the powers and secrets of the King of
    Pentacles and the first mysteries of the World of
    Manifestation.

    Do you care? We hope so. Is it too much? We hope
    not. If you are one of our regular students, we
    want you to know that these classes will be
    another step forward in the evolution of the
    series. If you are new to the telecourse that we
    call Tarot at the Edge of Experience, we can
    promise you an adventure.

    Either way, join us. This is tarot at the edge of
    what we teach.

    3 Thursdays: June 24, July 1 and 8
    9-11 pm Eastern time
    Tuition: $60 for the series
    (includes .mp3 recordings)
    Earns 6 Degree credits

     
     
     
  • August 20-22
  • Minnesota Area Tarot Symposium
    Dakota Ridge Hotel, Eagan, MN
     
    Presenters include: Nancy Antenucci, Thraicie
    Hawkner,  Rhonda Lund, JoAnne Makela,
    Jeannette Roth, Melani Weber
     
     
     
  • August 28-29
  • Bay Area Tarot Symposium (SF BATS)
    First Unitarian Universalist Centre, San Francisco
     
    Speakers include: Mary Greer, Rachel Pollack,
    James Wanless, Marcus Katz, Teressena Bakens,
    Pamela Eakins, Diane Wilkes, Leisa ReFalo, Joseph
    Ernest Martin, Ellen Lorenzi-Prince, Jaymi Elford,
    Katrina Wynne, Arisa Victor, Rabbit McMatthews,
    and more be announced soon!
     
     
     
     

     
    Best Practices for Professional Readers
    TAKING CHARGE OF CASH FLOW ISSUES
     
    Many tarot entrepreneurs make the fundamental
    error of thinking that by charging a lower rate
    than their competitors, they will increase their
    bottom line. This is incorrect. What usually
    happens instead is that you just attract less
    affluent customers.

    Underpricing can be a real mistake. It can
    negatively affect your cash flow like nothing
    else. Feeling embarrassed or guilty about money
    issues is also a big reason for charging too
    little for what you do.

    Of course, there are other factors that can affect
    your cash flow. Just like the housing market,
    there are economic trends in our business, too.
    When making improvements to your business so that
    you show greater gains, take into account lags in
    the industry and slumps in the economy. Sometimes
    there is a wave of prosperity, but training your
    clients to pay you what you're worth is a wave you
    can create on your own.

    Bad money habits and negative thinking plague many
    of us, especially those who are new in business or
    have only a few clients. I still cringe when
    asked, "How much do you charge for a reading?"
    but I feel the fear and tell them anyway. More
    often than not, they book the reading.

    Julie Murphy Casserly, author of The Emotion
    Behind Money: Building Wealth From the Inside Out
    ,
    says women in particular often undercharge because
    they feel they aren't good enough, or they work
    from other negative beliefs impressed on them by
    their parents. I think that includes men, too.
    I've seen my brother, a paint contractor for
    over 30 years, really struggle to charge what he
    is worth.

    Here are some tips for increasing cash flow and
    getting past pricing woes:

    1.  Increase Desirability. Add a little more to
    what you offer without giving away the store.
    Everyone likes personalized services, such as a
    nice thank you card or email after their
    appointment.

    2.  Offer Specials. The goal here is to create a
    relationship with your client.

    3.  Don't Underestimate. Don't think you
    know what your clients will or won't pay for.
    They may have budgeted for exactly what you offer.
    If your offer satisfies a need, they will spare no
    expense!

    4.  Offer a Variety of Pricing Options.
    Include a service for the budget client.

    Consulting or counseling in any industry is tough,
    and many feel undervalued. It's no secret that
    if you advertise yourself as the best and charge a
    high price, customers expect the best. Take charge
    of your business and use strategies that bring you
    what you want. Remember also that just because a
    client isn't willing to pay a certain price
    doesn't mean the price is wrong. In any given
    care, there are factors other than price that can
    affect a client's decision to work with you. The
    idea is to take charge of your emotions and
    thinking about what you have to offer and what you
    are worth.
     

    Questions arise when developing or transitioning
    to professional Tarot Reading status to earn
    income. These can range from "How can I make
    money with Tarot?" and "How do I get started?"
    to more complex technical and business questions.
    You may already be up and running and have
    questions about how to enhance or ramp up your
    business. We would love to hear from you. Send any
    questions, or interest in a future class on the
    Business of Tarot, to tarot@tarotschool.com.
     

     

     
     
    Do you want to learn more about tarot but don't
    have time or the resources to attend a class?
    The Tarot School Correspondence Course was
    created just for you!
     
    Study at your own pace and get one-on-one
    coaching from Grandmaster Wald Amberstone.

    For details, click
    http://tarotschool.com/Course.html

     


     
    Featured Tarot Blog / Newsletter
    JAMES RICKLEF'S TAROT BLOG

    James Ricklef is a wonderful and prolific writer,
    and his tarot blog is well- written and informative.
    He is the author of the award-winning book,
    Tarot Tells the Tale and the follow-up book,
    Tarot -- Get the Whole Story.  He is also the
    creator of the Tarot of the Masters deck. This
    blog features articles, events, tarot reviews and
    more. Very interesting and enjoyable!

    http://jamesricklef.wordpress.com/
     


     
      
     
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    Do you have a question or comment on anything tarot?
    Suggestions for future topics?
    Contact tarot@tarotschool.com
     
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    events and more, go to www.TarotSchool.com

     
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    Directors: Ruth Ann and Wald Amberstone