I uploaded a YouTube video — How the Opening of the Key Spread was derived from the Golden Dawn http://youtu.be/1VBpRlTZjck?a
Tarot workshop at TABI in July 2010
I will be speaking and giving a workshop at the TABI Conference this summer. This will be a great opportunity to talk about my new book co-written with Catherine Chapman, Beyond the Celtic Cross. I will talk about the powerful divination techniques of Card Counting and Elemental Dignities, and how they played their part in the creation of Beyond the Celtic Cross.
I will also discuss a very interesting thread that runs between this and my earlier book, Tarot and the Magus, whereby the use of the divination techniques results in spiritual development and insight.
Way back in 2004 I spoke at the TABI conference in Birmingham, and I had a great time, and I am sure I will again. Looking forward to seeing you all again.
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Reviews of “Beyond the Celtic Cross”
Book cover of Beyond the Celtic Cross
It is still early days since Beyond the Celtic Cross was published in December 2009, so not many reviews to comment on.
Amazon 5 star
This review also appears on Lori Green’s blog. I think the interesting point Lori makes is that she did a reading using the Celtic Cross, and then read the cards using the techniques Catherine and I describe, and she found that:
“The Celtic Cross spread that I laid out was OK but a bit ambiguous in places and I didn’t gain much insight from the interpretation. I then re-did the reading using the card counting technique and the reading came to life and made absolute sense – I was amazed and so pleased that it actually “worked” for me.”
Clearly the proof is in the pudding.
If you have come across a review, or you have written one yourself, please let me know.
Rider-Waite 100th Anniversary talk
Image via Wikipedia
At last the day arrived. Held at the Devereux Pub just around the corner from Temple in London, where so many esoteric talks have taken place. Mary Greer spoke eloquently on the spiritual and religious dimensions that Waite incorporated into his tarot deck, and interpreted by Pamela Coleman Smith.
Mary demonstrated how the Minor suits closely followed Masonic rituals, particularly the murder of Hiram Abiff for the Swords. After my talk on the influences of the Golden Dawn on Waite, we cut a beautiful cake featuring the Magician. Mary then spoke on synesthesia, the ability to experience senses in a different way, and how Pamela Coleman Smith was able to use this ability in her art. Mary led us through an exercise to ’step inside’ a tarot card to gain extra insights, probably the way Pixie Smith did it.
The evening was for socialising. I was surprised how many people had seen me speak before, and it was great to catch up with everyone. Any more anniversaries coming up?
Photographs of the 100th Anniversary of the Rider-Waite deck in London
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Meeting Catherine Chapman
Catherine and I wrote “Beyond the Celtic Cross” via email. It was nearly six months after she contacted me about her tarot reading that we finally met on a wet, wintry, windy day on Brighton seafront – it was the longest day of the year – but the few hours in her company flew by.
Since then she has gone on to bigger and better things, in particular her tarot blog which I thoroughly recommend. When the book finally came out in December 2009, Catherine was having all kinds of problems with her computer and internet connection, and other circumstances, while there were all kinds of delays to the book launch. These things are sent to try us. Writing a book on tarot means that suddenly people are interested in booking me for speaking engagements, and I was very pleased to accept an invitation from TABI to do a workshop on Beyond the Celtic Cross at their conference in July this year in Birmingham. I suggested a Facebook page for the conference would be a good idea, which now exists as you can see. Catherine has been in TABI for many years, and I am very pleased to see she is an administrator for the conference. This will only be our second face to face meeting in two years. We will have a lot to talk about.