This “Gaian Soul Chat” is one in a series of interviews with interesting people I know whose life work is intrinsically involved with Nature, Creativity and Spirituality. And, quite often, the Tarot.
My good friend and Tarot cohort James Wells will be leading a teleseminar discussion on the Gaian Teacher card for the Gaian Tarot Circle on October 19th. It’s sure to be a good one! James always asks the most intriguing questions.
What do you love most about the Tarot?
What I love most about the tarot (I prefer a lower case T because I don’t want the cards to become another “holy book” or “ism”) is its adaptability. It can be used for psychological insight, personal growth, a prompt for journal writing, a springboard for composing poetry, a device for playing games, a set of visual icons for an altar, a way to plan and carry out ceremony, a set of Qabalistic flashcards, an inspiration for recipes (really!), a pictorial storybook, and so much more. It also fits into almost any spiritual, religious, philosophical, or scientific paradigm. It think that it’s so adaptable because, at our core, we are adaptable. Without adaptation, we (or any life form) would die. Without adaptation, the tarot would die.
Chills of “Wow!” shivered through me as I excitedly said, “She’s a tracker. A tracker! We’re getting affirmation that our work is to help people track their own way within the Greater Way.
Tell us a story about one of your experiences with the Gaian Tarot.
There are many! One that stands out involves the mastermind circle of which I am a member. Five of us self-employed agents of change get together once a month to get inspiration for our work. At one gathering, a member said that she was aware that all of our work involved assisting people to track their own way within the Greater Way. I was asked to pull a card from the Gaian Tarot to see what we needed to know before closing the meeting. The Explorer of Earth turned up. Chills of “Wow!” shivered through me as I excitedly said, “She’s a tracker. A tracker! We’re getting affirmation that our work is to help people track their own way within the Greater Way. It’s about really being present to the sounds, textures, and sights in the moment and noticing their guidance.” Appreciative smiles and a chorus of “Mmm!” passed around the circle.
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This is the first in a series of interviews with interesting people I know whose life work is intrinsically involved with Nature, Creativity and Spirituality. And quite often, the Tarot!
Joanna and Bev at the Readers Studio 2010. Bev dressed up for the costume banquet as the Gaian Empress card!
My first guest is Bev Haskins. I met Bev when she visited my island home with our mutual friend James Wells a few years ago. Bev offers workshops, classes and retreats at Bev’s Lakeside Retreats, her home on beautiful Lake Ontario, Canada. She will be a guest teacher tomorrow night (Tuesday October 5th) on a teleseminar for the Gaian Tarot Circle. Read more about Bev at the end of the interview.
Bev and James will be the hosts of a “Gaian Tarot Weekend Retreat” in October 2011 at a beautiful retreat centre in Ontario. I can’t tell you how excited I am about this event! More details coming soon.
Tarot . . . . . . .
What do you love most about the Tarot?
What I love most about Tarot in general is its capacity for richness and depth of response when asking for important guidance about our lives. What I love most about the Gaian Tarot is the contemporary artwork that clients relate to instantly (as do I), its beauty, its connection to nature, its (sometimes) alternative and expanding way of looking at the traditional meaning of a card.
Tell us a story about one of your experiences with the Gaian Tarot.
I find that a lot of people relate to something in their life instantly with the Gaian cards. Before I can get a question or a word out, they tell me what the card means in relation to their question. I was working with a young woman who was on maternity leave. The company she worked for was in the process of moving many employees to another country, although a few would be left here to “hold the fort.” She was concerned that there would be no job for her when she returned, as she wasn’t prepared to move. One of her cards was the Elder of Water. She took one look and said “oh my goodness, as I move forward I’m looking backward and the boat (job) is out there waiting for me. But I’m ignoring it and I better go and be proactive with the company and tell them exactly what I want and not wait for my leave to be over.” It’s not really what this card is about, but it was what she needed to see in it that mattered.
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