The Tarot Channel

2008 Tarot Professional's Appointment Book

Have you ever wished for a Tarot-themed day planner? Have I got good news for you!

The publishers of Tarot World Magazine (set to debut in January 2008) are also producing a 2008 Tarot Professional's Appointment Book which you can pre-order here. They describe it like this:

A thick 232 pages, this 8 1/2 by 11 Appointment Book has all the room a professional reader needs.

It is staple bound to lay flat when opened, and includes 40 articles on all Major Arcana articles and holidays, as well 10 original spreads. Packed with useful information, the 2008 TPAB also features Monthly Tax Record information and Holidays from five religions and four countries.

They and the artwork in this annual piece make it a collector's item worth treasuring.

On a personal note, my husband Ron hand-painted the cover art (pictured above), which is imbedded with Tarot symbolism. The 8 x 10 acrylic painting is now for sale (serious inquiries can be made via email).

Also, I wrote two articles for the 2008 TPAB on The Chariot and The Hanged Man.

To insure that you get your 2008 Tarot Professional's Appointment before January, you can pre-order directly from the TWM site.

-- Janet Boyer

Tarot Tiles

With the Rider-Waite deck as her inspiration, artist Amy Hanks of Mudpuppy Clay Studio combines tumbled Botticino marble tiles and special inks for her lustrous Tarot Tiles.

The tiles can be used for any water application, as well as backsplashes, coasters or other decorative pieces. Tarot images are available in 6" x 6", 4" x 4" and  2" x 2", with the  4" x 4" tiles featuring an easel back as well as a wall hanger and the 2" x 2" fashioned as ceramic magnets.

For more information and to see the Major Arcana displayed in tile, click here.

-- Janet Boyer

Tarot Boxes and Plaques by Ron Boyer

Hi all,

I just wanted to let you know about the Tarot boxes and Tarot-themed plaques created by my very talented (and sweet!) husband. His highly-detailed woodburns are truly exquisite, as are his acrylic paintings.

Both the boxes and plaques are basswood, and custom motifs can either be woodburned onto the surface or painted with acrylics. For artwork based on the Tarot, you can choose a Rider-Waite-Smith inspired image of your liking or commission Ron to create a special illustration based on your experience and interpretation of a specific card or other Tarot-related idea.

Or, if you'd prefer, Ron can customize your Tarot box (they come in two sizes) with other themes such as:

• Power Animals/Animal Totems
• Archetypes and Symbols (Warrior, Magician, Writer, Artist, Teacher, Shaman, etc.)
• Glyphs (For example, planetary, elemental or alchemical glyphs)
• Elemental themes (Water, Fire, Air, Earth)
• Outdoor scenes (Ocean, lighthouses, trees, rocks, forests, etc.)
• Water creatures (Dolphins, starfish, seahorses, turtles, etc.)
• Space motifs (Sun, Moon, constellations, and other planets)
• Mythological/Fantastical creatures (Green Man, Mermaids, Faeries, etc.)

In the near future, he'll also be adding finished boxes to our site for individuals to purchase outright. (Any nominations for his next Tarot box? The Fool? The Moon? Strength? The Star? Something else?)

For more information and to see some of Ron's art, including a plaque he made for me based on The Hermit, click here.

-- Janet Boyer

Tarot Reading Special for May 2007

Hi all!

I just wanted to let you know of a special I'm running on Tarot readings. For any of the following $25 readings, if you put "Tarot Channel Coupon" in the Comments section of your order (via PayPal), I'll refund you $5!

• Relationship Reading
• Makeover Reading
• Career/Vocation Reading
• Parenting Reading
• Decision Reading
• Heart of the Matter Reading

If you have multiple concerns spanning various life areas, I have a special for my Whole Enchilada Reading, too! Regularly $65, if you put "Tarot Channel Coupon" in the Comments section of your order, I'll refund you $20! If you forget the note, no worries! Just email me with the message you forgot to include in the Comments section.

You can take a look at the Readings I offer by clicking here. This special offer expires May 31st 2007 at Midnight EST.

-- Janet Boyer

What to Wear

Did anyone else find the Tarot Reading Couture post on February 16, 2007 interesting? My mind went in three different directions at once while reading it.

1. What do I wear for readings? My normal clothes, which as a lover of fashion, clothes, shoes, and jewelry, tend to be as fashionable as I can afford. They are nice and attractive, but basically business clothes.

2. What do I wish I wore? Well, if I were younger, thinner, taller, and richer, I'd be acquiring a wardrobe of mostly Gypsy Moon clothes. And, I was excited to see that they have a new line of Faeryware inspired by Amy Brown. Heck, I'd love to dress like that all day, everyday, not just for readings. 

3. Is there an upside to dressing "the part"? Which also includes the question "what does 'the part' look like?" That question should probably be a seperate discussion. But pretending you have an idea about what most people's stereotype of a fortuneteller looks like, is there any benefit to dressing as such? When I was in college (that's when I started reading tarot), a friend was over for a study session. Another friend stopped by for a reading. I did the reading, as I always have and still do...with no hocus pocus or mysticism, just very plain reading. When the querent left, my study partner, who did not believe in anything mystic, said that I should add some hocus pocus or mystical elements to my reading style. Surprised, I asked why. His explanation seemed sensible: People come for reading wanting something bigger than the everyday. They are seeking a connection with the divine. If you add something mystical, you make it easier for them to accept you and the reading as a liminal experience, as a doorway that does connect to the divine.

While I always thought his idea made sense, I still, after all these years, have not included anything particularly mystical in my reading style.

Health Readings: How Far Do You Go?

The Salvador Dali Museum recently celebrated its 25th anniversary, and the museum's marketing director pointed out that Dali's wife, Gala, read the Tarot.

At DaliFest, there was a Tarot Reader on hand to read the cards. According to this article, the reader predicted cancer with one of the atendees:

Surrounded by images of Dali's work, Monica Hilbert, a tarot reader, warned one client about a pending bout with cancer, but assured that the illness would quickly pass.

How do YOU approach health readings, if at all? What are your thoughts about a "reading" like this one given at DaliFest?

Me--I believe in the power of suggestion and self-fulfilling prophecy...so I steer WAY clear of anything that smacks of a medical reading.

-- Janet Boyer

The Changing Face of Online Readings

YouTube user Ca8Amy8 borrows spreads from Aeclectic.net (and, nicely, gives them credit), then posts short videos of her readings to the world's most popular website for video sharing. In the comments, she notes she'll be happy to perform the same reading for other YouTube users.

Her approach is decidedly low-tech -- card position labels are scrawled on scraps of paper, and some wild cam-swinging can make the video tough to watch -- but it's sincere.

If you're a Tarot reader looking to build your business by reading online, you might consider picking up an inexpensive web cam, getting yourself a reliable internet connection, and offering your clients video readings. You could take questions via email, take payments via PayPal, upload your readings to YouTube, and send your clients links to their reading ... all from the comfort of your home.