Newsletter of The Tarot School
http://TarotSchool.com
ISSN: 1529-0565 
Vol. 3 #8 / April 15, 2011

                                                                  
 In this Issue:
- Welcome
- Tarot Tip: Q & A with Corinne Kenner
- Tarot Card Showcase: Queen of Wands
- Upcoming Events
- Best Practices: Understanding Tax Deductions: 
                         Meals and Entertainment
- Featured Tarot Blog: Shuffle 

 
Welcome to a new issue of Tarot Tips!
And a special welcome to our new readers.
 
Excitement is in the air as we fly into the homestretch
for the 2011 Readers Studio!  There's still time to get 
in under the wire but the deadline for registration is
April 22nd (Earth Day!). Visit http://ReadersStudio.com
for the details.
 
In this special issue, Readers Studio Master Class teacher 
Corrine Kenner is featured in the tips section with a 
Q & A interview. We are counting the days until this 
grand event and are very happy to give our subscribers 
an opportunity to know Corrine.
 
Readers Studio is known as an event for expanding what
you know about tarot but is also taking its place as a
hub for professional readers. This issue focuses on the
enterprising energy of the fire suit. The showcase card
is the Queen of Wands, a card that represents power and
extraordinary creative energy.
 
It's tax time and the Best Practices column discusses
writing off entertainment costs, travel and meal
expenses. It's never too late to learn something new,
and developing your business skills is just as
important as increasing your knowledge of tarot.
Don't forget to check out the latest tarot blog
featured in this issue.
 
We'll be wrapping up the Readers Studio on May 1st
so our next issue will be on May 15th. In the meantime,
we look forward to seeing many of you in person and
will hold you all in our thoughts as we gather the tribe.
 
Energetically yours on the 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
Q & A WITH CORRINE KENNER
 
Practical application of divination tools is considered
to be Corinne's specialty. This prolific writer has
produced numerous works such as Tarot for Writers, 
Tall Dark Stranger: Tarot for Love and Romance, 
and recently a new tarot deck - Wizards Tarot.
 
Corrine Kenner's interest in tarot began when she
wrote a paper on the subject in college. This interest
grew into a full immersion in the world of tarot and
lead Corrine to become a well-known presence in the
tarot community.
 
A Certified Tarot Master who has studied with The Tarot
School, the Builders of the Adytum and with tarot
greats like James Wanless and Mary K. Greer, Corrine is
an enthusiastic personality who takes a somewhat
natural position as a teacher of tarot topics.
 
Corrine approaches metaphysical interests with a
distinctively conservative and simple style that allows
her to engage with an audience in an accessible manner,
unlocking the secrets and mysteries that surround
esoteric wisdom.
 
Corrine has been busy completing another book that 
we are sure will be a classic in the study of tarot,
excellent for astrologers and tarot enthusiasts alike.
We are so happy she took the time to answers some
questions for our readers. This is what she shared:
 
 
TT: What drew you to tarot?

CK: The artwork. I fell in love with the imagery and
the colors, and then realized that there were layers of
symbolism in every card, too.
 
 
TT: What inspires you to write about tarot?

CK: I've always been a writer. It's how I learn, and
how I communicate best with other people. I wanted to
share my enthusiasm for the cards, and make tarot more
approachable and understandable for a mainstream
audience, too..
 
 
TT: Tell us about your new deck, The Wizards Tarot.

CK: The Wizards Tarot takes readers into a world of
magic, where everyone who uses the deck becomes an
Initiate at Mandrake Academy. The Major Arcana cards
depict professors. The Minor Arcana cards depict students 
in the four schools of magical study: fire, water, air, and 
earth. And the Court Cards depict the elemental creatures 
and guardians at the academy. They are salamanders, 
undines, sylphs, and gnomes.
 
 
TT: How do you balance the creative versus the 
business side of tarot?

CK: I try to ensure that all of my books and decks are
marketable, so they can make their way to as many
people as possible. Sometimes I like to joke that I'm
the Martha Stewart of the tarot world. "Look!" I say,
my hair perfectly coiffed and my lipstick in place.
"You, too, can do tarot readings from objects you
already have in your craft cabinet!"
 
 
TT: In what ways do you feel tarot is expanding?

CK: I think tarot is becoming more and more
professional all the time. I see it becoming a more
serious pursuit, moving beyond the realm of
fortunetelling and fun. Those have their place, too,
but they're just an entryway into a whole other world
of study and contemplation.
 
 
TT: Do you have a favorite tarot technique or spread?

CK: I almost always start with a Celtic Cross as my
foundation spread, and from there I move into
additional cards and configurations as the reading
grows.
 
Thank you so much for sharing Corrine! You can learn
more about Corrine Kenner and her upcoming projects at
 
 

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.
 

 
QUEEN of WANDS
 
Astrological Attribution: Aries (Cardinal Fire)
Elemental Attribution: Water of Fire 
Esoteric Title: Queen of the Thrones of Flame; 
                       Queen of the Salamanders
  
The Queen of Wands is Specific Water in the world of
Primal Fire. The card shows a woman seated upon a
throne flanked on either side by two lions facing in
opposite directions. She carries the Fire wand in one
hand and a large sunflower in the other.
 
The Queen of Wands is the dominant feminine energy of
the element of Fire. She is not afraid to show her
power nor does she shy away from a challenge. She is a
strong leader and her gaze seems to reflect how focused
she is on her desires, intending to get what she wants.
 
The lions on the screen behind her and the lions on the
throne are connected with the worship of sun gods and
the constellation of Leo, even though the Queen of
Wands is placed in the last decan of Pisces and first
two decans of Aries.
 
The lion on the right overlooks a body of water, part of
the card's Elemental Attribution. The lion on the left is
depicted just above the horizon of an arid desert background. 
Since they lived on the desert margins in Egypt, lions became 
the representation of the eastern (sunrise) and western 
(sunset) horizons. In Egyptian mythology the horizon was 
deified as the god Aker who was described as a narrow strip 
of land with two opposite facing lions. Aker acted as guardian 
to the gates of Underworld opening them to allow the sun
to travel through at night.
 
Lions are symbols of royalty, guardianship and, in
their feminine form, prowess as hunters and mothers.
The lion is associated with wisdom, heroism, pride and
ferociousness. The Queen of Wands is reminiscent of the
Great Mother Goddess Cybele, who is often depicted
seated on a throne with her legs slightly apart, surrounded 
by two lions.
 
The sunflowers on the card with their golden fiery
blooms are solar symbols. The sunflower is able to
change its orientation from east to west, following the
sun. In Greek mythology, the Nereid Clytie was changed
into a sunflower or marigold to forever gaze upon the
sun god Apollo.
 
Another member of the feline family appears on this
card - the black cat. The black cat is an occult
symbol and is associated with magic and sorcery. It
expresses the independent nature of this Queen and her
interest in occult powers and the energy of magic.
 
She is majestically dressed and appears attractive as
she takes center stage. Yet she is ready to pounce with
ferocity. The Queen of Wands can be sweet, warm,
charming; a friendly and likeable individual. But she
can also be deceptive, overbearing, irritable,
righteous and quite the tyrant.
 
When this card appears in a reading, you could be
focusing only on what is important to you. There may be
a need for boldness in your actions. Creative energies
are high and you have a sense of where you want to head
in life. You are a cornucopia of ideas with plenty of
insights to share.
 
The Queen of Wands is a warrior, an intelligent leader
who is a successful mover and shaker. She influences
others through her courage and determination. When the
energy of the sun fizzles for this queen, she can become 
cold, distant, and unpredictable. There is a tendency to 
run hot and cold when this card is not well-aspected.
 
 
Positive Keywords: Helpful, chaste, virtuous, dignified, 
warm, friendly, superior, strong, alert, kind and generous; 
good wife, lady, countrywoman, manager, leader.
 
Negative Keywords: Catty,  insecure, angry, tyrannical,
jealous, cruel, vain; revenge, gossip, infidelity and deceit.
 
 
 

 
Upcoming Events:
 
 
  • April 29 - May 1, 2011
  • The Readers Studio (RS11)
    LaGuardia Marriott Hotel
    Queens, New York
     
    Presenters include: Caitl’n Matthews, Corrine
    Kenner, Barbara Moore, Mary K. Greer, Bev
    Haskins, James Wells, Carolyn Cushing and
    many more!

    DEADLINE FOR REGISTRATION: April 22
     
     
     
  • May 25, 2011
  • World Tarot Day

    On World Tarot Day we celebrate the diversity
    of tarot and bring tarot to the world.


     
  • June 17 - 19, 2011
  • Tarot Southern Symposium
    Bella Rahka Retreat Centre
    Auckland, New Zealand
     
    Presenters include: 
    Fern Mercier, Lynn Howarth-Olds, 
    Jean-Michel David, Annie Dunlop, 
    Diane Thorp and Franchelle Ofsoske-Wyber
     
     
     
  • August 27 - 28, 2011
  • San Francisco Bay Area Tarot Symposium
    (SFBATS)
    Golden Gateway Holiday Inn
    San Francisco, California
     
    Their 20th Anniversary celebration!

     
     

     
    Best Practices for Professional Readers
    UNDERSTANDING TAX DEDUCTIONS:
    MEALS AND ENTERTAINMENT 
     

    One of the most common expenses for a small business
    owner is taking a customer or prospect out for lunch.
    While this is a legitimate business expense, it may not
    necessarily be tax deductible.

    To start, not everything you spend money on can be used
    as a tax deduction. You have to consider whether your
    work with tarot is a hobby or a business. And your tax
    options will be limited even if you earn a profit.

    Knowing which common business expenses are deductible
    helps a practitioner reduce taxable income while maintaining 
    cash reserves. For an expense to be deductible, the expense 
    must be "ordinary and necessary," according to the IRS. 
    The IRS defines ordinary and necessary business expenses 
    as expenses that are common and appropriate for the trade or 
    business. Travel and legal fees are examples of ordinary 
    expenses, and you should track and report them.

    Another possible deduction is the cost of continuing
    education, such as Readers Studio or other conferences.
    If you ever attend these events, or have to obtain new
    skills in tarot and other areas to keep abreast of the
    situations affecting your practice, you may be able to
    deduct some or all of these expenses as part of operating 
    your home-based or online business.

    Entertaining

    According to Bonnie Lee, the founder of Taxpertise
    located in Sonoma, CA, there are rules about tax
    deductions. The following pointers are excerpted from
    her article, Five Rules for Writing Off Meals and
    Entertainment Costs, which appeared in the April 7th
    edition of Entrepreneur Magazine:

    Essentially, the rules say: If you're having way too
    much fun, it's not a deductible expense. Here's a primer 
    on when entertainment expenses count as business or 
    pleasure.

    1. Get down to business.
    First, any entertaining you do must be directly related
    to the active conduct of your business, or associated
    with a directly related discussion that preceded or
    followed the meal or entertainment. So if you take me
    to lunch and we don't discuss tax planning strategies,
    sales projections or problems with your general ledger,
    and instead only talk about your 10-year-old's blooming
    soccer career, then you won't be able to write off the
    lunch.
     
    2. Keep your wits about you. 
    The environment must be conducive to conducting business. 
    An overly-boozy brunch, for instance, wouldn't qualify.

    3. Watch your guest list.
    When it comes to writing off party expenses, the guest
    list also matters. You may deduct 100% of your cost if
    the party is either open to the general public or if it's for 
    employees and their spouses.

    - Meal and entertainment costs are only 50% deductible
    in most cases. This includes meals you eat while you're
    out of town on business.

    - No deduction is allowed for meals that are lavish or
    extravagant, which depends on the facts of the
    particular situation. Special limits apply to skyboxes
    at sporting events.

    - No deduction is allowed for the use of an
    entertainment facility, such as a golf club or fishing
    boat, even if you conduct business there (although the
    cost of meals at the facility can be deductible).

    Another Internal Revenue Service rule says
    entertainment can't be "lavish or extravagant."
    Although subjective and a gray area that can be argued
    with an auditor all the way up to tax court, why
    bother? Keep it simple. Make sure the entertainment or
    meal is aligned to your company's budget. If your
    bottom line is small, you won't likely be allowed to
    write off first-class accommodations for potential
    clients in town for your party.

    4. Document your expenses.
    The tax law requires you to substantiate your meal and
    entertainment costs in a particular way. You need:

    - A receipt, canceled check, or bill showing the cost.
    A restaurant receipt should show the name and location
    of the restaurant, the number of people you
    entertained, and date and cost of the meal. Exception:
    You don't have to provide this if the expense is under
    $75.

    - A written record detailing not only the information
    you've already included on the restaurant receipt, but
    also the business purpose of the expense or the
    business benefit that you gained or expect to gain. If
    the expenditure was a meal, you (or your employee) must
    have been present. If the expenditure was for entertainment 
    (such as a sporting event or the theater), you must detail 
    the particulars of the business discussion that took place 
    before or after the entertainment.

    Lastly...
    Meal and entertainment write-offs are a highly litigated 
    area; business owners think their expenses are tax deductible, 
    while the IRS may think otherwise. Be sure to follow all 
    the rules so you can avoid conflicts with the IRS and obtain 
    all the write-offs to which you are entitled. Work with your 
    tax advisor to help you maximize your write-offs in this area.

     
     
    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.
     

     
    Tarot Lovers Welcome Home! 
     

    Join our international event as hundreds of tarot

    readers, teachers, authors and artists gather for three

    extraordinary days of tarot study and play.


    The 2011 Readers Studio ...the place to be for tarot! Click Here!

    THE READERS STUDIO 
    April 29 - May 1, 2011
    LaGuardia Marriott Hotel, New York

    for all the details!
     
     


     
    Featured Tarot Blog
    SHUFFLE
     
    Corrine Kenner's fabulous tarot and astrology blog is 
    loaded with practical and fun information about her two
    favorite subjects (and ours!).

    You can also find events, appearances and all of 
    Corrine's books, decks, classes and even jewelry. Nice!
     
     
     

     
      
     
    Join our 2,980+ fans and join the fun!
    You never know what we'll say next...
     

     

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

     
    © Copyright 2011 The Tarot School - All Rights Reserved
    Directors: Ruth Ann and Wald Amberstone