Month: June 2014

A Tarot Reading Technique: The Eta Method

On By benebellIn cartomancy, professional tarot, tarot4 Comments

The Eta Method - 00

I refer to the following tarot reading technique as The Eta Method. It’s not a spread exactly, but rather a process, a method for divinatory reading. “Eta” refers to revelation. It is believed that the decoded esoteric meaning of the Greek letter H (Eta) is that of revelation. Read more here. It fits with my understanding, my intentions, and the purpose of this reading procedure. Hence, The Eta Method.

In a nutshell, The Eta Method is this:

(1) selecting a signifier,

(2) performing a modern (and my personal) adaptation of the First Operation,

(3) reading and interpreting cards in certain positions in the First Operation,

(4) considering the degrees and thus numerology, and

(5) considering the elements.

The following explanation of the method may imply that it’s exhaustive, but I swear to you it is not. Granted, while it is not impossible to do it in 15 minutes, it will come across as rushed and I wouldn’t recommend it. However, it is absolutely doable within 30, so long as the practitioner limits the seeker’s questions and personal stories to the very end of the reading (because you know how that goes). The best practice for The Eta Method is for 1 hour sessions, but again, suitable for 20-30 minutes. It’s most definitely not like The Opening of the Key.

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Professional Tarot and Tax

On By benebellIn professional tarot, tarot21 Comments

tarot_tax

If this isn’t your first rodeo in the tarot business, then everything provided here is going to be familiar to you. However, newbies might be able to get some pointers from this post, so I write this for you, dear professional tarot newbies.

Once you decide to go professional as a tarot reader, even if it’s a side business you do a couple hours every other day, it’s still a business. You’ll want to decide on the form of that business, whether it is a sole proprietorship, limited liability company, partnership, or corporation. I talk about that a bit in a chapter of my forthcoming book Holistic Tarot (due out January, 2015, though you can pre-order it now, here from Random House or here from Amazon or here from B&N; what, you didn’t think there’d be a shameless self-promoting plug somewhere in here?).

The following info would generally apply no matter what business form you take. Even if you’re doing your tarot business as you and are just filing a Schedule C with your personal tax returns, this information here will apply.

This post will cover your NAICS code (and what that is, if your mind is already drawing a blank), an overview of your deductible expenses as a tarot professional, and record-keeping. Oh, and it applies only to tarot professionals working in the U.S.

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Hey Tarot Reader, What’s In Your Bag?

On By benebellIn personal, tarot9 Comments

1 Handbag

I’m an avid follower of fashion and beauty blogs, and those bloggers frequently post a glimpse into their handbags du jour. Certain fashion magazines include a feature where they photograph the contents of handbags belonging to celebrities. Don’t people care about what’s in the bags of tarot readers? Specifically, do tarot readers carry tarot paraphernalia around with them wherever they go? Or no, that’s crazy talk?

The above is the bag I carry. It’s by an independent handbag designer who I know personally and adore. He hand-weaves each of these bags! Well, not he himself, but his team. He’s the head designer now. Fancy. His name is Sydney and his label is SD Marvel. Definitely check his bags out. I cannot recommend them more highly. I rave about them to anyone who will listen.

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