Vol. 2 #14 / July 15, 2010
In this Issue:
- Welcome
- Tarot Tip: How to Use the Blank Cards in a Reading
- Tarot Card Showcase: Ace of Wands
- Upcoming Events
- Best Practices: Energizing Client Retention Strategies
- Featured Tarot Blog: Tarot Love by Gina Jean
Welcome to a new issue of Tarot Tips!!
And a special welcome to our new members!
There's nothing like opening a new tarot deck,
right? There is a bit of excitement in the
"clean slate" feeling of a crisp new deck to
break in with a careful shuffle. There's something
magical about seeing the art and symbolism of
tarot through the inspired eyes of the artist.
But not all cards have symbols to interpret or
landscapes to explore. Have you ever wondered why
there are blank cards in some deck packaging? Have
you ever flipped over cards only to get the blank
card you forgot to remove before starting a
reading? This issue's tip will give you some
creative ways to use those blank cards that may
have come with your deck.
The focus of this issue of Tarot Tips is on fire
energy. Budding potential, communication, impulses
and flashes of creativity are all found within the
energy of the Root of the Powers of Fire - the
Ace of Wands, our showcase card.
In keeping with this theme, we have a great
article on how to retain clients and fire up your
business.
We love to hear from you. If there is something we
can answer about any tarot related study or
practice, please send us an email.
Yours in light on the tarot path,
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
HOW TO USE THE BLANK CARDS
IN A READING
Most tarot decks have 78 cards, but they are
almost always printed on paper stock that is
large enough for 80 cards. Although this is purely
a practical matter, it can be interesting to wonder
if there might be two "missing" cards.
According to Onno and Rob Docters van Leeuwen,
the missing trumps are Jupiter (Truth) and Juno
(Intuition). In their book, The Complete New Tarot,
they claim that the authentic order of the cards has
been obscured for centuries. The authors state that
after these two trumps were concealed, or in essence
made blank, the order of the Major Arcana could not
work properly. These restorations make the tarot
"complete" and open up new philosophical possibilities
in interpretation.
Incorporating the two blank cards in your deck
and giving them the titles of Jupiter (Truth) and
Juno (Intuition) might be an interesting way to read
the cards. Intuition and truth play a huge part in any
divination system, so why not include them?
Here are some suggestions:
Juno: Associated with Isis, Astarte, Freya and
Mary Magdalene. Counseling, hunches, intuitive
insights, truth that comes from within, an inner voice.
Jupiter: Associated with Osiris, Baal, Wodan and
God the Father. The naked truth, seeing truth
"in a flash." Authentic, real, good and right.
Blank Card Spread
Leave aside your blank cards. Shuffle and
concentrate on querent's question.
Pull a card from the deck and place in Position 1.
Position 1:
The Focus or Environment
(Uses any random card)
Position 2:
Blank card - 1. (Intuition)
What is the highest intuitive wisdom?
Position 3:
Blank card - 2. (Truth)
Show me the light or truth in this matter.
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.
ACE OF WANDS
Esoteric Title: Root of the Powers of Fire
Element: Fire
Direction: South
Season: Summer
Since ancient times, the wand, rod, scepter or
staff has been used to show dominion and
authority. It is the symbol of leadership and
greatness. The scepter or staff is almost always
depicted as part of royal regalia.
In biblical stories, the rods of Moses and Aaron
were symbols of authority over the Israelites and
possessed magical power even when it was not
physically in the hands of its owner.
A wand is used to focus and direct the will.
In tales of magic and wonder, it is a powerful tool
used by every magician from Merlin to Harry Potter.
The wand is both a symbol and the practical
extension of the will. The Suit of Wands is
associated with the element of fire, and the ace
is considered the source of all manifestation.
We experience fire as energy - heat or light.
Fire as light is the prime symbol of
self-awareness and truth, and it awakens
reverence. Fire as heat has the capacity to warm,
burn, boil and transform. Fire is the spark of
life, the passion in our souls, and can purify,
cleanse and renew.
Creativity is associated with the Suit of Wands.
The wand becomes the tool of the artist as pen,
brush, hammer, chisel or the baton of a conductor.
A flash of inspiration or surge of imaginative
flow can be seen in the Ace of Wands.
In a reading, the Ace of Wands could signify the
start of a new business or creative project. It is
the spark that ignites action and increases
personal growth. The Ace of Wands as a phallic
symbol represents sexual energy and virility. It
relates to a person's family tree, the Tree of Life,
and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
Positive Keywords: Initiation, fortune, abundance,
work, communication, renewal, life, power, fresh
starts, enterprise, creation, vigor, originality,
strength, supremacy.
Negative Keywords: Emptiness, vexation,
decline, lack of energy, errors, calamity, falsehood,
misfortune, downfall, devastation, barrenness,
burn-out.
Upcoming Events:
STARTS TONIGHT!
Secrets of the King of Pentacles
Tarot School Telecourse
3 Thursdays: July 15. 22 and 29
9-11 pm Eastern time
Tuition: $60 for the series
(includes .mp3 recordings)
Earns 6 Degree credits
July 24-25
TABI Tarot Conference 2010
(Tarot Association of the British Isles)
Aston Business Centre
Birmingham, England
Presenters include: Barbara Moore,
Paul Hughes Barlow, Emily Carding,
and Mick Frankel
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!
September 11-12
Tarosophy Conference
Keswick, England
Guest speaker Lon Milo DuQuette, best-selling
author on Aleister Crowley, Magick and Tarot (in
his only UK visit in 2010) will be joined by other
expert speakers on Kabbalah, Tarot & Astrology,
Marcus Katz (Tarosophy, pub. Salamander & Sons,
Summer 2010), Mick Frankel and Kim Huggens (Tarot
101, pub. Llewellyn, Summer 2010).
http://www.tarotprofessionals.com/conference.html
Best Practices for Professional Readers
ENERGIZING CLIENT RETENTION STRATEGIES
You can please some of the people all of the time,
you can please all of the people some of the time,
but you can't please all of the people all of the time.
- John Lydgate, Poet
If you make customers unhappy in the physical
world, they might each tell 6 friends. If you make
customers unhappy on the Internet, they can each
tell 6,000 friends.
- Jeff Bezos, founder/CEO of Amazon.com
We all know there are clients we are not in tune
with, or we simply aren't capable of giving them
what they need. On the other hand you may
give them exactly what they need and BOOM,
you don't hear from them or they miss or cancel
appointments.
Disappearing or "no-return" clients happen in
every business. Customer loyalty and retention
are major advertising and marketing goals. Why
do clients seem to disappear or decide to be
no-shows for readings? It could range from financial
hardship to no longer needing guidance. It could be
something you said that hit a raw nerve. Imagine that!
Professional psychotherapists and counselors have
clients who drop out of therapy all the time, so as
a tarot practitioner you are bound to experience
drop-outs, too.
That brings me to the point of this article, which
is really about energizing your client retention
strategies. Successfully implementing these into
your ad copy, sales letters, blogs or any other
marketing tools can help turn the existing people
on your list into free walking advertisements.
1. "First to Know"
Give current clients special previews or first looks
at upcoming services, discounts or products.
2. Psychological Desires
Solve their problems, give them an advantage
in life, or help them along their spiritual path.
Include these psychological desires in your
ad copy to keep clients interested.
3. Change Your Ads Regularly
Prospects usually need to see an ad at least
7 times before they purchase, but they can
get bored seeing the same ad all the time.
Fresh copy or graphics will help grab their
attention.
4. Shared Interests
People love having connections. Build a
community among your clients.
5. Celebrate Achievements
Mention your clients' successes by including
them in your newsletter or ads.
6. Build Excitement
If you are excited about what you are doing, it is
more likely they will be too.
7. Partnerships
Partner with your clients in a marketing effort,
workshop, or special event. The more opportunities
you have to spend with your clients, the more you
will connect on a personal basis.
8. Ask Questions
What do your clients need from you? What types
of problems are they trying to solve? Surveys and
forum discussions are perfect ways to get the buzz
going and discover what direction you need to take
in growing your business.
It's important to evaluate what you do on a
regular basis. Applying strong and consistent
energy to your business builds success. Returning
to basics such as these, and reenergizing your
strategies really works!
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.
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Featured Tarot Blog / Newsletter
TAROT LOVE by Gina Jean
This is a photographic journey of tarot through the
eyes of a creative tarot enthusiast and fabulous
New Yorker, Gina Jean. Gina is a Tarot School and
Readers Studio alumna, and regularly reads tarot at
events and fairs. This blog features interesting photos
of cards, readers and Gina's unique view of tarot.
Join our 2,000+ fans and join the fun!
You never know what we'll say next...
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