Tarot University ArkLetters: Announcements and Calendar

Tarot ArkLetter - http://www.tarotarkletters.com
By Christine Payne-Towler
ArkLetter 115, October 23, 2014

Announcements and Calendar

Crowdfunding Coming Soon!

Dear readers and lovers of Tarot, I am about to launch a funding campaign, and I'd really love to hear some feedback from my subscribers, Facebook friends, and whoever is out there reading this.

Many of you know me as a renegade, whether my work is estimated as the fly in the ointment, or as a refreshing voice from the ignored margins. Both views are true, and both point back to the same underlying reality. My stance is that the Tarot community as a whole has been over-focused on modern developments and standout personalities, so much so that we find it hard to see behind the glamor of contemporary phenomena to the broader context that precedes and supports our "wicked pack of cards". As a result I have expended my effort and attention over the years on looking below and behind the ripples visible on the surface of Tarot, following those clues to reveal forces at work behind the scenes.

The positive response we have gotten from producing the Tarot of the Holy Light indicates that the Tarot public is increasingly eager to peer beyond the conceptual wall that so stubbornly blocks the view of Tarot history before Etteilla. I am thrilled to find our Art at this juncture, and I am also emboldened to ask for those who are with me in this endeavor to 'vote with their feet' so to speak. For all of you who have suspected that "there is more" to the early Tarot, but they can't get anybody to talk about it, I want to be your champion. For those who have had objections to the closed-minded attitudes they encounter in the public Tarot presentations, but who haven't wanted to speak up lest they be wounded by the hostile rejection such ideas receive, let me carry the torch for you! I volunteer to serve as proxy for your well-founded hunches that the 78-card pack of Tarot possesses a deeper esoteric identity, starting in the late Renaissance when it first received the numbers on the faces of the Trumps. All those who believe, as I do, that Tarot has always been more than simply a game or a plaything can count on me to continue driving this message home with all the resources I can muster.

I have two immediate goals, as follows:

The short term goal is to finance the second printing of the Tarot of the Holy Light, alongside a hardbound, full color copy of the book about the deck. We also dearly want to pay our helpers, who have so far volunteered hundreds of professional hours motivated by love and the desire to see this project come to fruition. The last few years, we have been crawling along on our individual motivation, doing as best we can with our limited resources, meanwhile riding out the bucking bronco of our individual lives But now we need a helping hand to carry us across the finish line. The print-on-demand volumes are proceeding apace, since they don't require the up-front expense of a giant offset press spitting out a thousand or more copies at one whack. But the reprinting of the deck, alongside the making of a serious and beautiful hardback book worthy of the subject, requires a huge outlay upfront, and that is what we would be looking for help with in the short run.

The medium-term goal is more extensive, involving a major overhaul of this website and the conversion of the most deserving of my past articles into volumes covering the range of topics I have been writing about since 2005. Finally, it is the proper time to update these research projects and make them more accessible. For example, isn't it time we get the whole suite of articles on the Masonic, Martinist, and Rosicrucian contribution to Tarot esotericism gathered together in one volume? Shouldn't there be a workbook outlining all the traditional, inner-school workings that become available when using the historical Continental Tarot correspondences? What about a deeper investigation of the contribution of Jewish-Christian converts, and the post-Crusades Arabic esotericism, to the European Tarot scene? We have a lot yet to recover from the dustbin of history, and the historical resources for this learning are finally appearing in the public domain. I would love to update my web presence, expand my library and produce more of what I do best. Ultimately I would love to see all of the volumes we assemble come into hardback, full-color productions.

What do you say to this, lovers of old Tarots? Would you support these ideas with your personal contributions? Would you be happy with a THL-themed mug, a t-shirt, or a varying-length session with me as prizes for your contribution? Is there some advice you have for me, any requests or objections? I have very little fear at this point in my life, and even less shame, so I'm happy to make myself open to whatever feedback you have to give me. If this sounds like a stupid idea, or a great idea, or you have a favorite crowdfunding platform to recommend, please feel free to tell me. I promise to take your insights into consideration. My e-mail is [email protected].

Upcoming Events where I will be teaching this Fall and late Winter:

The first event is the Northwest Astrology and Tarot Salon, which is happening this coming November 10 - 13 at Breitenbush Hot Springs outside of Detroit, Oregon. Information about this event can be found at www.nwsalon.com. This is the event to attend if you enjoy a relaxed, natural environment with plenty of hang-time, including non-conference activities like hiking, massage and hot tubbing. The stunning setting, nestled in the western slopes of Oregon's Cascade Mountains, provides visual feasts that will inspire our thoughts and conversations. Participants will get to meet, study with and have readings from a range of practitioners, some of whom have served the Pacific Northwest "metapysical scene" for decades already. Best to enroll right now, as the last of the cabins reserved for our group are going fast.

The second event is the Northwest Tarot Symposium (NW Tarot Symposium), which will be happening March 6 - 8 at the Monarch Hotel in Portland, OR. You can find out all about this conference at http://nwtarotsymposium.com/ This is the event to attend if you have ever wanted to check out Oregon's only true megopolis, with its many bridges, famous gardens, signature brewries and restaurants, and of course the ultimate mecca of bibliophiles, Powell's City of Books. People from out of state will get a chance to experience a slice of Oregon's fabulous extended spring season, which actually starts in late winter and continues right through to early summer. Whether it rains or shines on that weekend, Portland is truly Oregon's Emerald City, of which the state is justly proud. Come and experience your own slice of Portlandia, in the company of your favorite Tarot writers, readers and creators!

In the meantime, I send the blessings of Holy Light to all! May your dearest dreams come true during the incoming Fall, with the help of the two Eclipses we will be enjoying this month.

Christine Payne-Towler

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blessings,

Christine