The Heart & Hands Tarot is a black and white deck by artist Liz Blackbird, and while it was first released as an indie deck crowd-funded via Kickstarter, it gained such buzz that now it’s been picked up by U.S. Games for the mass market.
This deck reminds me a bit of the Wandering Moon Tarot, which I reviewed recently, but the two feature very distinct and different art styles. Where Wandering Moon utilized pointillism evocative of stardust and galaxy matter with maybe the slightest trace of a Shel Silverstein vibe, Blackbird’s Heart & Hands is in a bold, dramatic Art Nouveau style of illustration.
This morning a white truck pulled up next to our house. Our decks have arrived!
The order was for “curb side delivery,” meaning the truckers were only obligated to drop those boxes on those wooden pallets (which apparently we had to pay for) off literally “curb side.” But they were so sweet and moved each pallet into our garage for us!
And now we begin the laborious process of unpacking from those pallets and moving those boxes inside. We don’t want to leave them in the garage, so today and tomorrow, we are literally doing heavy lifting to get what you see there into the house, one box at a time. Eeps. I better have toned arms after this!
The Cathar Tarot: The Secret Wisdom of the Perfecti by John Matthews and illustrated by Wil Kinghan was published back in 2016, designed to be a living “Book of Images” premised on Cathar and Gnostic principles. From there, the Keys of this remarkable tarot deck follow the Journey of the Grail.
The golden-toned card back design features the Cathar seal, also called the Cathar Cross, and an iconic symbol throughout the Languedoc region of France.
The Cathars were first recognized around the 11th century in northern Italy and western Germany, then later concentrated around southern France. After remaining active through the 12th century, they were pretty much wiped out of existence during the Albigensian Crusades of 1209 to 1229, as they were considered heretical.
Michael is the broker dude. I was at the office when James texted me the above. 4:21 pm today, Oct. 4, 2021. So there you have it. We will receive delivery of the shipment some time between Wednesday and Friday. At the rate of my luck right now, let’s just say it’s gonna be Friday. =)
Note: photo taken late at night; bad interior lighting
First, the important but dry status update report. There are none. Sigh. The container that my decks are in finally made it to the warehouse on Friday, October 1. Delivery of the shipment to my front doorstep will happen next week.
When exactly next week, I asked? The reply I got was “some time next week.” Can we narrow that projection? Some time next week. Like are we talking Monday to Wednesday or are we talking about Wednesday to Friday? :: radio silence :: Sigh. Welp. :: hands up and a shrug :: There ya go. Some time next week is when I will get the decks and next-next week is when we will start shipping them out. Assuming everything I’ve said above is accurate. Another sigh.
November 6, 2021
10 am – 5 pm
1 hr. break for lunch
Alchemical Tarot by Robert M. Place
I’m so excited to be conducting an all-day workshop at the Cal. Institute of Integral Studies. More than that, the admission rates go to support an incredible educational program. The Cal. Institute of Integral Studies does so much for the community, and gives sanctuary to brilliant, peculiar minds who otherwise have felt like they don’t belong anywhere else.
You can be a total tarot beginner or a seasoned practitioner. That’s because at the heart of it, this workshop is about where tarot card meanings come from, and the source of archetypes, instinct, and intuition. And yet tarot is very much an empirical, learned knowledge that asks for your focused study.
Terra Volatile Tarot by Credo quia Absurdum
This course is about both mysticism and philosophy. A semiotic study of the tarot means embodying both the mystic and the philosopher, and that’s what we’ll do through a series of collaborative reading exercises.
After an overview of history and the development of different tarot designs, along with a brief introduction to reading mechanics, we’ll explore techniques for cultivating transformative personal spirituality, from divinatory readings for yourself to birth cards and pathworking.
You’ll team up with classmates to workshop your personal readings. You’ll also be reading for each other, to hone professional cartomancy skills. I’ll share my insights and insider tips, acquired from two decades of experiences in reading tarot for others. Explore your role as a channel for guiding others toward attaining wisdom and an improved quality of life.
Zoomed in view of The Empress card in the Spirit Keeper’s Tarot (Revelation Ed. 2021)
Here’s a tentative rundown of the day’s schedule:
MORNING SESSION
10:00 am
A Beginner’s Introduction to the Tarot
10:30 am
History and Origins of the Cards
11:00 am
Differing Tarot Designs and Systems
11:20 am
Break – 10 minutes of guided relaxation (Video Clip)
11:30 am
Sources and Evolution of Card Meanings
12:00 pm
Philosophy, Psychology, and Mysticism
1:00 pm
Lunch Break (1 hour)
1:30 pm
Casual Tarot Chit-Chat (optional, if you prefer a 30 min. lunch)
AFTERNOON SESSION
2:00 pm
The Mechanics of a Tarot Reading
2:30 pm
Breakout Sessions
3:30 pm
Break – 10 minutes of guided relaxation (Video Clip)
benebell wen 