Taking back Tarot

I have been wondering a lot of late about the Tarot and what it is that we as readers do. Yes I know,we shuffle and interpret the cards,but that's just the physical part what about the spiritual and emotional part?How do we do that?

Lets think about what the "World" thinks when it hears the term "Tarot Reader".First thing they imagine is Gypsy Rose in her caravan,with her bangles,crystal ball and incense. Gypsy Rose who takes a look at their cards and gasps "there take your money,there is no reading for you", or Gypsy Rose who looks into their future and see the essential Tall Dark and Handsome man.Somewhere during the reading Gypsy Rose will whip from between her ample boobies a small Vail of something or the other to help you remove that unlucky star you were born under,or give you good luck.But Gypsy Rose has held my Tarot hostage for long enough.It is time that we liberate the Tarot,time to break free from the caravan and its bead curtain.Call me the TLL Tarot Liberation League!

The first thing I'm taking back is the costume!As an art student I have seen this so many times,these fresh face innocents descend on their place of higher learning,and with a week, half of then are wearing Bohemian,Gothic or Stoner chic. The thinking is the weirder or more eccentric you look, the more you embody the role of artiste. Sadly it is the farthest from the truth,because for them being an artist is a role they play.This is the sad truth of many Tarot readers too,the thinking here is the more crystals and sacred jewelery you have hanging on you the more you will project the imagine of Tarot reader.They tend to get lost in the drama,and it starts to overshadow their gift. I know its not true of all my funky friends out there,but lets be honest we all know a few of these guys!

When you have to start acting in a certain fashion to bring your point across you are detracting from your gift.And at the end of the day is our gift and the gift we give to our clients/querents not the most important?

So what does the new face of Tarot look like? To me it has nothing to do with what you wear or are not wearing.Its all about how comfortable you feel in yourself and with your gift than anything else. Your intent shines through,as does your experience.Many readers have studied and read for years,some others have just picked up a deck. When it comes down to it should we not share our experiences for the bigger and greater good of all Tarot readers?I'm breaking down the wall of territorialism ,why is everybody so afraid of sharing what they know? Why are they so freaking aggressive and judgmental when it comes to new readers? I feel we should share and learn together.Its only fair and right that when you use someone else's intellectual property you give them the credit they deserve, stealing is wrong!

Lets try and stand together as readers and grow our precious Tarot,lets take it back from the stigma of Gypsy Rose and give it legitimacy. How will we do it? With communication and support, learning and teaching. It is up to each of us to take on this duty,in ou own way with our own special skills. No-one will do it for us,we'll have to do it ourselves!

How and why.

"... the cards do influence me - they influence me to stop clamping down on parts of myself and give them room to speak, so that I can make an integrated, more whole choice without denying important aspects of my own role in that choice."~ le fey

Its been a while since my last post-life has been happening!Very interesting things have demanded a lot of my time-which I have given to it freely.So that it may grow and develop,finding its own way to where it must.A new history is being written as we speak!

There are as many stories about the beginning of The Tarot as there are readers of the Tarot.The History alone of how the Tarot developed is something that can keep this blog going for months,but thats a story for another day.I often sit and wonder what it was that lead to the first realization the the cards can be used as a way of divination.Who thought of that?Then I ask myself,what was it about the Tarot that drew me to it,was it the colorful imagery,that spoke to the artist in me. Was it the lure of the unknown or unknowable? I have always been drawn to the Tarot,for as long as I can remember.I was in my early twenties when I touched my first Tarot card-Tarot Marseilles.And I must admit it scared the be jeepers out of me.Not because they were evil-and by association I was now going to burn in the everlasting fires-but because I was too young,lacked life experience and didn't know enough.Not like that has ever stopped me for long!I am proudly self taught!

I remember a conversation I had with a dear friend of mine when I was 18,he asked me what I'd like to be when I left school.True as bob,I said I wanted to be a witch-not in the broom riding spell casting sense,but in the healing and helping sense. Unknowingly I sensed early on that that was where my life should head,but ignoring that little voice happens to be very easy. I trained as a gold smith and enjoyed being one,until I nearly died,and due to lung damage,could not do my beloved art anymore.Its been twelve years and I still miss that part of my life.

So my next few years was spent wandering,searching for my new "identity",until one day.I found my first deck quite by "accident".Now I realize that it was by greater design and not accident that I found those cards.They became my new destiny,my new life,the one I was supposed the live.The realisation wasn't as simple as that,as I still spent years trying to "find" myself-not knowing that I already have!

I now know that my gifts came to fore and I found greater inner peace when I became a full time Tarot practitioner.I have fulfilled that need that I felt nearly 17 years ago.I now help heal and guide people in need,the Tarot has become my souls medium of choice.

That being said,I have recently joined forces with a great friend of mine to start something new,something great,not just for us but for everyone who lives,practices and loves the Tarot.When we embarked on this journey,I asked the universe/God to guide us and help us achieve what we are aiming for-well I was posed another question by the "Voice".I was in the shower pondering this pondersome ponder,when a voice spoke to me clear as day.It asked me "Are you willing to go where this will lead you?".Without a moments hesitation I answered "yes".

So hold on to your socks folks,there is a change a comin'!

Stepping out the closet.

I have been a Tarot Reader for abt twelve years,I've been a professional reader for the last 6/7 of those. Although I love being a reader,I've felt like I have to do it "under the table"for the longest time.

A gay friend of mine described it as being in the Tarot Closet,and that is honestly the closest I've come to being able to explain it.My husband has been my biggest supporter-although he has no clue what his Wife does,all he cares about is that it makes me happy.That's enough for him (I love that man).My Family eased into it slowly,winning my Mom over was the hardest.My Mom is a great Afrikaans Mom,she was worried what effect the Tarot would have on my soul.It's not an ungrounded fear as she was raised in a good protestant Dutch Reformed home-as I was. Eventually I explained that what I do has nothing to do with calling up the dead,in fact it has everything to do with the living and being able to help them. I regard my gift as a gift from God,and believe that He guided my way to the Tarot.We are all His instruments,we all play a different tune,but in the Big Orchestra we all fit in and make heavenly music!

My family is so well schooled by now that when I read when I'm there and the Death Card pops up they are quick to chime that it just means change!Got to love them!I can't wait to see my Mom's reaction to the CLF,she's going to enjoy it so much!

Stepping out the Tarot Closet took guts,to stand up and say " Yes I read the Tarot,and I am Fabulous" to strangers was scary. Most readers I've spoken to felt afraid of being judged,being deemed a flake or just crazy.There may even be a residual witch hunt fear in us,waiting for the pitch forks and torches to come out!We don't want to be judged,and what we care for and believe in questioned and belittled.

I have found that most folks are very inquisitive and it give me a great opportunity to dispel so misconceptions abt the Tarot. Now a days when asked what my occupation is,I say Tarot Consultant,and I say it with pride!

Learning when to shut up and listen.

I'm a Gemini by star sign,and I also have a lots of other planetary influences-so I talk.I talk a lot,its my thing.Although being great at talking does not mean that I'm a great listener.Or better yet it wasn't always so.

Reading the Tarot has taught me when to speak and when to be quiet and listen.Not just to what my client is saying-but more importantly to what they aren't saying.We open a door for our clients,we give them a safe space to speak out,its our duty to listen. I like to say that we do soul counselling,and many times we are privy to the most inner thoughts and feelings of clients. I regard that as a sacred privilege.

My friend Michele shared a profound insight regarding Tarot Readers and our role with me today and it has made me think. What do we as reader leave our clients with,what seeds do we plant in their souls?I know that I would like my clients -irrespective of the outcome of their readings- leave feeling hopeful,their load having been lightened somehow.

Being humble is our great lesson,learning to pay attention to the needs of others,and helping them from a pure and honest place deep within our souls. When it comes down to it for a brief period we get so see into their souls,their lives,and our soul connects with theirs.Its a sacred and profound act.

Now to something lighter,I never gamble,its just not my style.This past Saterday however I took a gamble and it paid off in spades!I went to Wizards,not looking for anything in particular.Soraya and me were having our normal chat,when something in the display case caught my eye.There was a Tarot deck in a black velveteen pouch,it was sealed in plastic.It had no name or any other identifier on it,even Soraya didn't know what it was.But it was R180 ,and that is a good price-if its a nice deck,if not its a hell of a lot to pay for a minger!!I know that once you open a deck at Wizards you buy it.So I gambled,and I bought it.

It turned out to be the Renaissance Tarot by Brian Williams.It is gorgeous,it is a nice tall deck and it has a lovely old gold look to it.The energy is phenomenal,and its so elegant,we are going to be great friends!As I said to Michele this morning this deck is choc-a-block full of symbols,Cabala and Astro signs,I love it!

Finding true love.

Its part of my nature to acquire,I used to call myself a collector,but now I know I'm a helpless addict.As a kid it started with erasers,my sister and I collected them together-because that way we could have a greater variety and number!So it went,erasers,writing paper,teddy bears,tea cups/coffee mugs and then it happened! I found the Tarot,if I thought I had a "collection issue" before,it all paled compared to what I found now.

At first it was a quest to find the right deck,the one who spoke right into my soul.I thought I had it with my first 1JJ Swiss Tarot,and then with my Etteilla deck,and then again with my Shakespeare Tarot.I did most of my learning and initial training with my Shakespeare,and she was a loyal,hard working deck-until I screwed her up. In my inexperience I read for the wrong person for the wrong reasons and subsequently paid the toll with my deck. I couldn't read with her any more,its like she just shut me out,I tried everything.Cleansing,crystal cleansing,sage smudging everything,but the connection was broken.

I learnt very valuable lessons from that,First that your cards are "alive",so treasure them; Second not to read for people you don't want to,and to NEVER EVER LIE using your cards!I still feel guilty when I touch her for the betrayal of trust. (And right here is where you start shaking your head thinking-poor thing she's cracked!)

After that incident,I was without cards for a long while,searching-until I saw what was to become my beloved in a tarot hand book. The book did a variety of spreads using different decks,and my eyes caught sight of Mary. Mary Hanson-Roberts,became my obsession,I had to have her.I was new to Cape Town so I didn't know where to start my quest,and a quest it was.I read,ate,slept Hanson-Roberts,I searched high and low,until by chance my husband had a company action cricket game in Claremont. There in the complex I found Wizards and Mary Hanson-Roberts.I made a high pitched squeely sound and nearly did my victory dance in the shop.I walked out of the shop with joy,contentment and satisfaction.I still don't know what happened at the cricket,but that night I had eyes for Mary Hanson-Roberts.A heck of a lot of decks later Mary is still one of my favourites( I can type it but not say it-it makes the other decks very jealous!).

I have had two of the H-R decks my first and most beloved passed away at the teeth of my Rottweiller puppy.There was nearly murder and mayhem that night!I felt physically sick when I saw what she had done to my deck.Bella survived,only because my husband drove all the way to Claremont to buy me a replacement deck early the following morning-before I got up!It was touch and go that night.I still don't know how she got my Tarot box open,but it now has a lock-just in case.

The quest still continue,and will go one for as long as there are gorgeous deck out there.To this I say:"My name is Hannette Olivier and I am a Tarot deck addict."

Living the Tarot life fantastic!

Tarot readers are by nature solitary folk,many of us are self taught and have learnt and developed on our own.
I had been a solitary Tarot reader for nearly 9 years before I discovered a proper Tarot Association.I wasn't quite sure what expect when I attended my first meeting,but I was awestruck by the number of fellow Tarot enthusiasts.It felt like coming home,here was a space where I could share my Tarot life and learn form others and meet great people.Its been three years since that first meet and I'm happy to say that it stuck!

What amased me from the first moment was the variety of decks that were used by the members,they came in every shape and size-much like the readers!;-)Some decks were well worn old friends,others were still stiff and new,some were traditional and some were just funky. I love decks,some may say I have a small obsession,but owning 68 decks aren't that many,in my humble opinion. What I found interesting was how every one related to their decks,every one was very reverent and respected their decks.The decks were kept in rose wood boxes,silk or organza bags,special tins wrapped in special cloths or hand made boxes,but every deck was loved.

It was then that I realized how much love goes into our lives with Tarot.Not only do you love the instruments you use,you learn to love your clients-even if they are just once offs.You feel their pain,you share their joy and you see their deepest secrets.We as readers are very privileged , we get to have a very intimate look at the lives of those we read for.As I recently said to a great friend of mine,we read because we love,we help because sometimes we're the only ones who can.