At Omega with Me…Barbara Moore
This summer, the Omega Institute offered a Masters of Tarot weekend workshop featuring me, Theresa Reed, Sasha Graham, Mary Greer, and Rachel Pollack. One of the signs of a good teacher is that they are always investigating and exploring. Even if you’ve had classes with them before or read their books, they always have something new to offer…or perhaps a new approach to an old favorite topic. It was a wonderful weekend for both us teachers and for the students.
I am probably most well-known for my Steampunk Tarot, Tarot Spreads, and Your Tarot Your Way. As teacher, I like to share some of whatever philosophy, neuroscience, sacred studies, and psychology ideas that are filling my head at the time. No matter what I talk about, I always bolster the class with plenty of hands on activities and practical application.
My workshop at Omega was ostensibly on Significators but the larger, underlying message was how to make sure your tarot practice reflects your beliefs.
You see, I taught about the traditional methods of selecting and using significators. We analyzed them in terms of their strengths and weaknesses. We explored ways to build on the strengths and eliminate the weaknesses. In the end, we were able to create some modern significator selection methods and techniques that were useful and relevant to today’s readers.
The point of the class wasn’t that everyone should use significators. On the contrary, the main point is that whatever you read or learn or “have always done that way” should be analyzed critically, held up to your belief system, and altered or modified to best reflect your needs and beliefs…or discarded if inappropriate.
Too many students take what they read or learn as gospel, when tarot is an ever-evolving art. Just as society and culture is always changing, and especially as human consciousness continue to rise, tarot will change to accommodate our new ways of understanding. Stagnation in anything can be dangerous. Stagnation in anything spiritual never leads anywhere good. Keep your spirit and practice fresh by always trying new things and revisiting your old methods and asking “is this still relevant?”
If you want to learn more about how create a personalized tarot practice, check out my book Your Tarot Your Way, which can be used no matter what deck you read with. If you need a beginner level kit, Tarot Made Easy includes both the book and the Classic Tarot…everything you need to get a solid start to your tarot journey.
