Tarot Update - Issue #11

Back to Basics
We all have to start somewhere. For beginners just browsing the tarot section of their local bookstore, the sheer number of options can be bewildering. Although it's awesome that there is such variety, sometimes a beginner would rather have a simple foundation from someone they can trust.

We have just the ticket. The Tarot Kit for Beginners includes a basic but beautiful tarot deck and a black organdy bag to keep your cards in. It also includes a book by Janet Berres, erstwhile founder and president of the International Tarot Society. She brings over thirty years of reading and teaching experience to this project.

Janet gives you everything you need to start reading right away - from the very basic questions of "how do you shuffle a deck?" to "how do you make sense of a reading?" She provides clear explanations of the cards and a variety of useful spreads.

If you are a beginner or want to introduce someone you know to the Tarot, the Tarot Kit for Beginners is a great way to start.

Ideas in Box - to help you think outside the box!
Many people use Tarot to solve problems, come up with ideas, or look at situations differently. Mark McElroy has done something really fascinating. Not only has he refined, expanded, and popularized the use of Tarot for creative brainstorming (for love in Taking the Tarot to Heart and for careers in Putting the Tarot to Work), he has created a new sort of Tarot deck designed specifically for brainstorming.

The Bright Idea Deck gives you instant visual inspiration while the companion guide leads you through the process of brainstorming. Soon, strategies, perspectives, opportunities, motivations, goals, actions, and answers will be just a shuffle away.

Mark adapts the traditional tarot deck structure to modern brainstorming needs:
- Trump cards suggest broad themes and major influences
- Suit cards remind users to see questions from a variety of perspectives.
- Sixteen court cards take on the new job of "approach cards" suggesting specific problem-solving strategies
- Contemporary settings featuring modern men and women from a variety of cultures make it easier for people to "see themselves" in the cards
- Keywords on each card to spark new ideas and associations
- Suitable for use anytime, anywhere, with audiences of any age

May Day Getaway
What are you doing May 6 - 8, 2005? Nothing special? Good. Then go here now and sign up for an event that can change your life (or at least make you a far better Tarot reader, provide lots of fun, and maybe even some new friends)

The third annual Readers Studio promises to be just as exciting as its predecessors. Maybe even more so, as we'll be celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Tarot School. This year's teachers are Corrine Kenner, James Ricklef, and Teresa Michelsen. They've got some amazing things planned. Join us. You'll be glad you did.

Publisher's ear
What book do you wish Llewellyn would publish? What subjects do you think are overdone? Let me know your thoughts and ideas at barbaram@llewellyn.com!