5/ 2 Meeting: Dynamic Capacity with Mellissae Lucia and the Oracle of Initiation

As spring emerges we are awakening to the gifts nurtured in the darkness. With the quickening of the life force we are invited to dance with the liminal spaces between our dualities. Join Mellissae Lucia and The Oracle of Initiation to explore the wild, shape shifting beauty of our holy paradoxes. Oracle decks will be available to use and you will take home your two sacred polarity cards.

Mellissae Lucia is an artist and adventurer, having spent over two decades immersed in Norse, African, and Native American sacred traditions, cross-cultural divination, indigenous dream-work, and archetypal psychology. She is the creator of The Oracle of Initiation divination deck and the accompanying book, Oracle of Initiation: Rainbows in the Dark which includes contributions from twenty-two cutting-edge visionaries including Mary K. Greer, Marcus Katz, Carrie Paris, Joanna Powell Colbert, Lisa De St. Croix, and Luisah Teish. In 2015 she will be presenting at the Women of Wisdom Conference, Northwest Tarot Symposium, and Readers Studio Tarot Conference. She teaches workshops online and in-person, offers readings and Spiritual Initiation Counseling with the Oracle, and sells her decks and prints on her website. She is currently designing a set of creativity cards about the Muses with an accompanying book.

This meeting will have a special suggested fee of $10 that will be going to our out of town presenter to show our gratitude for her making the trip to us!

Regular Time:  Saturday, May 2 at 1pm to 3pm

Regular Place:  Lilly Library in Florence, MA

Want to go deeper? Join Mellissae and Carolyn for a Sunday afternoon on May 3rd for a Crossroads of the Light adventure. Details and registration at Art of Change Tarot. 

Explore more!

• Oracle of Initiation deck: http://www.oracleofinitiation.com
• Blog: http://www.MellissaeLucia.Wordpress.com
• Subscribe to Mellissae’s YouTube Channel for UnOrthOdox Oracle fun: http://www.youtube.com/user/MellissaeLucia?feature=mhee

Mass Tarot Society Meeting – 10/20/13 – Lenormand with Donnaleigh

Donnaleigh’s fascination with The Lenormand and how it differs from tarot has led her to explore its history and current use.  She shared what she has learned thus far, along with some practical reading tips.  Jill Scott shared her newly published Lenormand deck, and some participants used that deck for the meeting.  If you’re interested in handouts for this one, contact Donnaleigh directly through her www.divinewhispers.net website.

If you want to see what the Lenormand is and what it looks like or how it works, you can visit Donnaleigh’s free Lenormand tutorial page at:
http://www.divinewhispers.net/lenormandlessons.htm

Upcoming Meetings:

Upcoming Mass Tarot Meetings:

Saturday, 4/1/23  April’s Fools! With Jill 

Saturday, 5/6/23  The Magical Nature Tarot with Marjorie

Saturday,  6/3/23 The Forest of Souls with Carolyn

All meetings are normally scheduled from 1PM to 3PM  on the first Saturday of each month. Location: Lilly Library, 19 Meadow Street, Florence, Mass. 

Mass Tarot Society Meeting – 8/18/2013 – More Gems from Reader’s Studio

This meeting of the MTS was held Sunday, August 18th from 1pm to 3pm in the Social Room of the Unitarian Society of Northampton and Florence at 220 Main Street in Northampton.  11 attended.

Paris Finley presented a sampling of what he picked up at Readers Studio 2013.

A theory of tarot — based on a conversation at the banquet table
(This includes the following)
–what makes a good reader?
–what can one do to improve?
–deck choice for life (how?)

Robert Place Workshop:
Ideas: elements as states , 5th element
Reading: Why is my path unfolding as it is?
Layout: a 4 card layout — start, share, struggle, sacrifice

Tarot for Spell Work (Hillary Perry)
–spinning (a way to record & reuse readings)
5 layouts (We’ll do one)

Special Event: Rachel Pollack presents on How Does the Tarot Mean?

“How Does the Tarot Mean?” Rachel will lead us through an exploration of the Tarot’s many meaning systems. There will be wisdom and sharing and fun in our usual 1pm to 3pm meeting slot! Socializing will follow.

Date and Time: Saturday, September 21  from 1pm to 3pm followed by refreshments and conversation ending by 4pm

Location: The Social Room of the Unitarian Society of Northampton and Florence at 220 Main Street in Northampton.  Enter through right-hand, side door.  Parking available on street and city lots;  the Round House lot is right behind the UU.

Cost: $20. Pre-registration and pre-payment are required. We do not have infinite slots so register early.

How to register: The preferred payment method is Pay Pal. Send the fee to carolyn [at] artofchangetarot [dot] com. Checks may also be sent to: Carolyn Cushing, 1 Cottage St., Box 33, Easthampton, MA 01027. (They will be held until closer to the workshop date). [Payment Policy: If you have to cancel before August 15th, we can refund a check in full and a PayPal payment minus any fees fee. After that date, you can check in with me about refund, but it might not be possible.]

For more information / Questions: Call Carolyn at 413-529-9759 or e-mail her at carolyn [at] artofchangetarot [dot] com.

More about our presenter: Rachel Pollack is considered one of the World’s foremost authorities on the modern interpretation of the Tarot. She is also a poet, an award-winning novelist, and a Tarot card and comic book artist. Her numerous Tarot publications include 78 Degrees of Wisdom (Thorsons, 1998), considered a modern classic and the Bible of Tarot reading; Tarot Wisdom (Llewellyn, 2008), a rich compendium of her 30 years of Tarot experience; and The Shining Tribe Tarot Deck (Llewellyn, 2001). Her ability to marry common sense, wide-ranging knowledge, and esoteric awareness has inspired many tens of thousands of readers worldwide to a deeper knowledge of the Tarot.

On Sunday, Rachel will be leading a full day workshop with Carolyn Cushing of Art of Change Tarot; you can get all of the details on that event here.

Creating One’s own Calling Card Using Collage

Calling Cards –  facilitator: Barbara St Jacques
Subject: Creating One’s own Calling Card Using Collage
(Collage: word origin, French.  A piece of art made by sticking paper or fabric onto a backing.)

During this meeting, we will be using magazine pictures, glue, and scissors to create one’s own “calling card”.  All materials will be provided; however, if you want to include your own magazines that you favor, which may have more personal choice of images, please feel free to bring them with you.  The calling cards will be collaged onto an 8″ x 5″ piece of mat board.  I will joyfull demonstrate the process and assist those who request help.

Exploring Past Lives with Tarot

This month we will be exploring the theme of reincarnation within the tarot.   We will look at Rachel Pollock’s view of death and the after-life in the tarot. We will also use Mary K. Greer’s method to define karma. Finally,  we will do an extensive past life spread created by me!  So bring your favorite deck and an open mind and lets see where we came from and where we can go together.

Rachel Pollack is coming to Western MA for a weekend of events

***  Due to illness and death, events for the weekend are POSTPONED.  We will have an open agenda Mass Tarot meeting on Saturday at the Elks Club from 1pm to 3pm. ****

On November 17^th and 18^th Rachel will be visiting Western Massachusetts and participating in 2 special events:  a Massachusetts Tarot Society Presentation and a Tarot Retreat with Carolyn Cushing

DEADLINE TO REGISTER FOR THESE EVENTS IS NOVEMBER 12TH

Massachusetts Tarot Society Presentation on Saturday, 11/17

“How does the Tarot mean?” with Rachel Pollack.  Rachel will lead us through an exploration of the Tarot’s many meaning systems.  There will be wisdom and sharing and fun in our usual 1pm to 3pm meeting slot!  A reception will follow.

• Date and Time:  Saturday, November 17^th.  Session from 1pm to 3pm followed by a reception from 3pm to 4pm.
• Location: Elks Lodge at 17 Spring St. in Florence, MA
• Cost: $20.  Pre-registration and pre-payment are required.  We do not have infinite slots so register early.
• How to register:  Sending a check is preferred. Make it out to Carolyn Cushing and mail to 143 Main St., Easthampton, MA01027. Pay pal payment possible by sending fee to carolyn [at] artofchangetarot [dot] com.  [Payment Policy:  If you have to cancel before October 17^th, we can refund a check in full and a PayPal payment minus the fee.  After that date, you can check in with me about refund, but it might not be possible.]
• For more information / Questions:  Call Carolyn at 413-529-9759 or e-mail her at carolyn [at] artofchangetarot [dot] com.
• More about our presenter:  Rachel Pollack is considered one of the World’s foremost authorities on the modern interpretation of the Tarot. She is also a poet, an award-winning novelist, and a Tarot card and comic book artist. Her numerous Tarot publications include 78 Degrees of Wisdom (Thorsons, 1998), considered a modern classic and the Bible of Tarot reading; Tarot Wisdom (Llewellyn, 2008), a rich compendium of her 30 years of Tarot experience; and The Shining Tribe Tarot Deck (Llewellyn, 2001). Her ability to marry common sense, wide-ranging knowledge, and esoteric awareness have inspired many tens of thousands of readers worldwide to a deeper knowledge of the Tarot.

A Day in the Tarot with Rachel Pollack and Carolyn Cushing

“Speak the things that must be spoken.  Leave nothing out.”  The Speakers of the Shining Tribe

These words, woven from the poems of the Speakers of Stones and Fire in the Shining Tribe deck, define what we do as Tarot readers. We speak what we see in the cards, we tell the stories they reveal to us—stories of our (and querents’) lives, stories of imagination, stories of the Tarot’s wisdom and its deep traditions. Today we will explore how the cards reveal their stories and inspire our own. We will begin by examining the Tarot as shape shifters, exploring the many forms the cards can take, with such starting points as the Fool’s Journey, the Tree of Life (as in the famous ten points of Kabbalah, but as a living flowering tree as well), and Circles that guide us to integrate all parts of ourselves to step toward Wholeness. We will seek the life energy within these forms, the energy that enables us to speak and be heard.

We will each use the cards to discover our own path and intention for the day within these various possibilities. Using the cards we will also explore the secret history of the Emperor (part of a series Rachel is doing to discover the lives and hidden tales of the Major Arcana). We will seek out the Tarot’s mysteries and travel to its hidden worlds to ask the essential questions that “must be spoken.” “Who am I? What is my purpose?”

Come join us for a thrilling event.

• Date and Time:  Sunday, November 18 from 10am to 4:30pm
• Location:  Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary, 127 Combs Road, Easthampton, MA (perhaps you’ll even have time to listen a little to the Sanctuary’s wonderful wild stories)
• Cost:  $95 also includes a lunch made from local ingredients (vegan and gluten free friendly).
• Facilitators:  Rachel Pollack and Carolyn Cushing
• To register:  Sending a check is preferred.  Make it out to Carolyn Cushing and mail to 143 Main St., Easthampton, MA01027.  Pay pal payment possible by sending fee to carolyn [at] artofchangetarot [dot] com.
• For more information / Questions:  Call Carolyn at 413-529-9759 or e-mail her at carolyn [at] artofchangetarot [dot] com.

More details at Art of Change Tarot.

 

Tarot Brainstorming with Jill Scott – Saturday, October 20th

This month we will be exploring writing that lends itself to the wisdom and philosophy of the tarot, though not originally intended for that purpose. We will cross the boundaries of myth, religion, non-fiction and more, in order to expand on our existing knowledge of card meanings to make deeper connections. Sharing our diverse interpretations and wisdom as a group in a some fun activities will take our understanding even further. This session will combine inspiration with intuition and hopefully bring us all closer to finding our own, personal, tarot tradition.

“I can not teach anybody anything; I can only make them think” -Socrates

Tarot as Reading, Process, and Practice with Carolyn Cushing – Sat., September 15th

Carolyn Cushing of Art of Change Tarot will present on an expansive way of thinking about and working with the Tarot as a support for change making, spiritual development, creative inspiration and practical action. Here is what she has to say about this model:

“Lately, I’ve been pondering how to talk about new ways that I and some of my Tarot peers are using the cards. I have a propensity to see things in 3s so offer these categories to describe Tarot work: readings, process, and practice. Rather than discreet parts, they are overlapping circles that flow into each other.

Readings – Snapshot and Gateway: We pause in the present moment to assess and seek out greater understanding of patterns. Those patterns might be past, present, and future, or the how, what, who of a situation.

Process – Movement and Testing: In Tarot process, we accept the invitation of the reading to act and be in ways guided by wisdom and expressed through intuition. We move forward, using Tarot images as helpers along the way and guides for doing deeper. As I developed the Major Arcana meditations for Journey into the Tarot, for example, I created activities that included interactive processes for further work with the card and its archetypes. Most started with consciously choosing cards and working with them from varied perspectives for greater understanding of the past as it impacts current reality

Practice – Pilgrimage and Spiral: Practice can be modified by so many words: spiritual practice, business practice, musical practice, yoga practice. I love the humble dailiness that the word implies, and, yet, this simple action is the foundation for the transcendent: the music that transport you, the session – in meditation or with a client – that moves you into a feeling of flow, or the images in the cards coming together into an epiphany of deep knowing. This doesn’t happen every day, but integrating practice into your life opens up the space for these miracles to occur when the time is right. The more practice, the more space is opened up.”

The session will be an interactive exploration of these 3 areas and will include some time spent dipping our toes into a Tarot process activity.