A Great Start to Another Year of Art The card I last completed was The Seven of Mugs (traditionally Cups). I had a pretty ambitious concept for this one that has been stuck in my head for two years, and it ended up taking about seven cards worth of effort to complete. But, for me, it was worth it. It was the project that launched my year and showed me just how far I could go with my art. The Original Concept So, the concept. I had always envisioned that this card would...
Read MoreThe Beauty of an Improvised Life
The central tenant of improv is the phrase, “Yes, and…” I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how this powerful phrase can change our lives, and how well it ties to Tarot. I’m taking my second level of improv classes right now in Portland, at The Brody Theater. (If you don’t know what improv is, it’s a theatrical technique in which people basically make things up as they go, often with hilarious results.) If you’ve ever seen improv theater (think “Whose Line Is It...
Read MoreEmbers of the Heart on a Cold, Wet Winter
Tonight I felt a strong urge to write. I have no art news at this time, and the only deck news I have is that it is now available in several stores, something that will matter little to people from out of town. (But if it does matter to you, I can certainly use some help convincing some of the bigger stores to expand to more outlets, which buying from one of the major retailers here would certainly support. You can still get it online, if you so desire to acquire it.) Even...
Read MoreThe New Deck is Here! (And Other Exciting Things.)
Wow, a lot has happened since my last post. I can’t possibly cover it all in one sitting, but let me touch on the important parts. First of all, if you’ve been here before, you may notice that the site has changed! Life and creative pursuits have been all-consuming, and it was about time that I refreshed the content on the site. I also gave the site a facelift in honor of… The new, 3rd Edition of The Portland Tarot Major Arcana deck! Now, I just did a 2nd...
Read MoreSample 3 Card Bridge Reading Video
I’ve been wanting to put together a 3 card reading video for awhile, but time got away from me with this campaign! For fun I just put something together today, doing a reading for myself about the unfolding direction of my creative path (as regards the project, specifically) post-Indiegogo. Returning to this reading a full day later I see even more information in the cards than I did before. If you have any interpretations you’d like to add, feel free to share...
Read MoreMeet the “Temperance” Card
The Portland Tarot Majors – A Daily Commute Day “14” – Temperance Synthesis, healing, and moderation are all themes of Temperance, and it’s time to take stock of how these concepts could create a better sense of wellness and fulfillment in your life. Are there things you are doing too much of that you would do well to tone down? Is a lack of balance in your eating, exercise, or self-care causing you illness or discomfort? Are there elements of your...
Read MoreMeet the “Death” Card
The Portland Tarot Majors – A Daily Commute Day “13” – Death You’ve turned a corner into a new land. This is the domain of Death and she beckons to you to embrace change. This change may be painful, perhaps it is difficult to engage in the process of re-invention… Ultimately, though, this change is necessary for you to evolve, to become who you are now meant to be. Fight it and it may well feel like dying… Surrender and you may actually be able to...
Read MoreMeet “The Hanged Woman” Card
The Portland Tarot Majors – A Daily Commute Day “12” – The Hanged Woman Sometimes when you think you are ready to ride the train straight to your destination, you are put on pause by the great drawbridge of the universe. Take this opportunity to get a new perspective, you might have missed something! Being blocked on your path can sometimes be a great gift. Just remember that holding intention for a positive outcome—leaning into your faith—is the...
Read MoreMeet the “Justice” Card
The Portland Tarot Majors – A Daily Commute Day “11” – Justice It’s time to take an honest accounting of the situation at hand, but be sure to keep compassion in the mix; not everything in life is a simple matter of black and white—there are shades of gray present in the workings of karma. A weighing is taking place, and it might just be you weighing yourself against your own expectations or faulty perceptions. Understand yourself and how the world...
Read MoreHow a young girl reminded me about the truth of dreams, reality, and love.
Today, I want to tell you a story. It’s a story about yearning, dreaming, making, shamanic journeying, and love. Because, without love, why bother? Once there was a little girl who was a maker. Her interests were deep and wide. She painted, she wrote, she put on plays. Entrepreneurially-minded, she offered neighborhood face-painting events, toy-box “garage” sales, and homemade carnivals. She looked for any excuse to make. And make BIG. She could have settled for...
Read MoreMeet “The Wheel of Fortune” Card
The Portland Tarot Majors – A Daily Commute Day “10” – The Wheel of Fortune Sometimes you’re up, sometimes you’re down… Remember to hold compassion for yourself wherever you are and try to stay in the center of the wheel. And don’t forget: even this world is an illusion. If you are seeing the possibility of an improved fortune through this card, don’t let it go to your head! Appreciate the good times and remember that things...
Read MoreSupport the Campaign and You Could WIN!
This is your chance to help spread the word about The Portland Tarot Indiegogo campaign and win big! I’m giving away a free signed deck, a signed metallic art print, and 3 card reading to one lucky person who helps spread the word! That’s basically $220 worth of free perks! How do you win? You have to either log into or create your own Indiegogo account (the process is fast and easy), and then go to the campaign page (http://j.mp/pdxtarot-igg) and copy the share...
Read MoreMeet “The Hermit” Card
The Portland Tarot Majors – A Daily Commute Day “9” – The Hermit Maybe it’s time to take a retreat from the world to pursue more spiritual wisdom and insight. The wilderness may beckon you toward a search that is more subtle, slowly unfolding, and timeless in nature; it’s the antithesis to the hurried, forced motions of modern life. When the Hermit card appears, it is a call to evaluate your level of social interaction, as well as the connection you...
Read MoreProof that the Universe does make personal phone calls.
I never knew just how much magic could be packed into a phone call—from a stranger, no less—until Jamie Morris’ Florida number appeared on my cell phone one Saturday evening in June. But that call was packed with enough sparks to prove that sometimes the Universe does respond to ultimatums. Earlier that day, my beloved women’s circle had gathered. When it was my turn to share, I found myself confessing my feelings about my recent Kickstarter project’s lack of...
Read MoreMeet the “Strength” Card
The Portland Tarot Majors – A Daily Commute Day “8” – Strength It’s time to tame your animal nature in the interest of your spiritual journey… or to submit your spiritual drive to the needs of your “animal” body. Spirit and body mingle through the field of emotion to create the compass for our life experience, and to deny either is to invite dysfunction and ill health. As long as your feelings and bodily impressions are in service to your...
Read MoreMeet “The Chariot” Card
The Portland Tarot Majors – A Daily Commute Day “7” – The Chariot You’re feeling in the flow and catching some of the Universe’s wind in your sails. With a little faith and a little will, you are riding a rushing wave to your goals. Instead of questioning or controlling the process, you do your very best to keep up with the wild ride you’re on. You understand if you concentrate too hard you might “fall off the board”—so you just do your job of...
Read MoreMeet “The Lovers” Card
The Portland Tarot Majors – A Daily Commute Day “6” – The Lovers You are at a crossroads. You have to choose one direction, or find a way to merge multiple paths into one ideal. There is no place that this is more challenging than in love and relationships; often we find ourselves in a position where me must make a choice about love, or in the name of love. Remember that communication is a key to finding your way to the right path; let your heart...
Read MoreMeet “The House of the Seeker” Card
The Portland Tarot Majors – A Daily Commute Day “5” – The House of the Seeker You are on the path of the seeker; it’s time to expand your studies. Whether you do this through education, scientific exploration, or a personal unfolding of experience, you are relating your personal path and experience to the world around you—asking questions, comparing perspectives, making hypotheses, and seeking tutelage from the appropriate masters. Be careful in your...
Read MoreMeet “The Emperor” Card
The Portland Tarot Majors – A Daily Commute Day “4” – The Emperor It’s time to stand in your power and create the world you want to live in. Don’t be satisfied with any barrier to your success; you have the power to achieve your visions, your dreams. You might have to be single-minded in your quest, to gather immense resources, to stand tall against many challenges, but if you keep the goal in sight you can get it done. Don’t ask others for...
Read MoreMeet “The Empress” Card
The Portland Tarot Majors – A Daily Commute Day “3” – The Empress Creative mojo and life force! You’ve got a seed sprouting in your second chakra — maybe it’s a project, a mission, a young’un, a story… and you have the power to give it life. You are ready to “mother” something or someone, to take on the responsibility of carrying a specialness into the world, to nurture it, and others, through the giving of your gifts! Tenderness and patient tending...
Read MoreBridge to a creative life?
Yee-ow, this has been a busy year. One brand-new website, 23 pieces of original art, two art shows, one unfunded Kickstarter, one (kick-ass) booth at World Domination Summit, one hundred First Edition Major Arcana decks in happy homes, and one magnificent workshop later, here I am: preparing to release a new and improved edition of The Portland Tarot Major Arcana deck and launching an Indiegogo campaign to raise the moolah to print it! Make no bones about it: I want this...
Read MoreMeet “The High Priestess” Card
The Portland Tarot Majors – A Daily Commute Day “2” – The High Priestess Feel and embody the mysteries of the universe. Let them flow through and become part of you, to strengthen your intuition. When your special, secret knowing arrives, it’s a powerful moment—you realize that it’s your own blessed duty to burn this singular fire. Share the beautiful heat of your knowingness/ beingness with your tribe, while honoring that they, too, hold their...
Read More“The Portland Tarot” Mentioned in The Oregonian for World Tarot Day
I am so excited to have been included in an interview for World Tarot Day, in tandem with some exciting news from Tarot.com. They were recently bought up by a great company that shares their passion for divination. They wanted to spread the word, and to show people how wonderful a daily tool for insight, meditation, and relaxation that Tarot can be. I was honored when they offered me up as a reader reference! And even more honored when the journalist decided to do a call...
Read MoreThe Portland Tarot at The World Domination Summit
I am excited to announce that I have been invited to participate in the World Domination Summit this July 5-7 in Portland! It is a sold out 3,000-people event. This is how it is described on the site: “It’s all about unconventional, remarkable people coming together for a weekend of adventure.” Sounds like my kind of party! It’s held at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert hall and hosts some incredible speakers. I have been invited to do Tarot readings from The Portland...
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