Recent CTS goings on

CTS is happy to note that we had not one but two very successful events in September.  First, on the 7th, some of our members had the super fun (and yummy) opportunity to provide free tarot readings at our monthly event at Cheesetique Ballston.  These events are part of our outreach program, which is designed to help those interested in tarot find our group and also to educate the greater public about tarot and overcome some of the spookier misconceptions about what tarot is.  These are also great opportunities for CTS members to practice reading for new people, which can be a great confidence booster and very rewarding when we see how happy folks are with their readings.

If you're interested in attending one of our free tarot events, the next one will be on October 12th beginning at 6:30.



The second event of the month was our regular meeting for CTS members.  This month's activity was more hands-on than usual, as we got crafty and made our own tarot journals.  But it was more than just a crafting session.  Members were encouraged to think carefully about their tarot goals and what uses a designated journal might have in helping them achieve those goals and delve deeper into their tarot practice.  Members considered the use of tabs and organization, what decorative elements actually promoted mindfulness and visually reaffirmed their tarot principles, and the potential uses for inserts and pockets to hold on to notes and ephemera collected along the way.

Our next CTS meeting will take place on Saturday, October 7th.  We'll be learning how to perform our own wisdom readings using free writing (possibly in our new tarot journals!).  This is also our last presentation of the year, as November's meeting is our annual member craft fair and jumble sale, and December's meeting is our always-much-anticipated holiday gift swap.


If you're interested in attending future CTS meetings or other CTS events, click the link in the menu bar above to visit our "how to join" page.

Free Monthly Tarot Reading Events Through End of 2017

The Capital Tarot Society is thrilled to announce that, since our past free reading events at Cheesetique have been so well-received, Cheesetique has offered to host free reading events every month!  We're thrilled to have this great opportunity to bring the joy of tarot to the greater community in a way that is fun, casual, and pressure-free.

If you're interested in coming to an event, stop by Cheesetique's Ballston location, which is located at 800 N. Glebe Rd. right by the Ballston Metro station, on one of the following Thursdays between 6:30 and 8:30 PM:

September 7
October 12
November 2
December 7

Since our past "Wine, Cheese and Tarot" events have been popular, we expect that there may be a wait to receive readings.  So we suggest that you plan to come in, sit down, order some wine or have a nibble, and make a leisurely evening of it.  And definitely bring friends!

Free Readings at Cheesetique this Thursday 6/8!

This Thursday, June 8, we will be holding another of our much-anticipated "Wine, Cheese and Tarot" events at Cheesetique, Ballston!

Readers from Capital Tarot Society will be at Cheesetique on Thursday from 6 to 8 PM giving free readings to restaurant patrons.  Sit down, have some wine, peruse the menu of cheesy options, pick up some groceries to go, and enjoy interacting with Cheesetique's incredibly pleasant staff before enjoying a free tarot reading from one of our friendly and gifted members.

Cheesetique, Ballston is located at 800 N. Glebe Rd. in Arlington, VA.

See you there!

Upcoming Events: Past Life Readings, Feng Shui

At our next CTS meeting, on May 6, Emily will be discussing how to perform past life readings.

Since Emily's approach to tarot has always been highly practical rather than theoretical or spiritual, she plans to focus on practice tips gained from experience, the pros and cons of performing past life readings as compared to present life readings, and learning by doing through in-meeting reading practice.  In particular, Emily plans to demonstrate the important role that court cards have come to play in her own past life readings, and to discuss the function of tarot cards as a storytelling device and how they take on this function when reading about past lives.

Additionally, CTS has received a very kind offer from a local tarot reader who is also an avid practitioner of feng shui, the ancient Chinese art of harmonizing humans with their surroundings, to take a tour of her home.  The home tour will give CTS members an opportunity to see how she has arranged her home according to the principles of feng shui and how this has created an ideal energetic space in which to practice tarot.  We will then have an opportunity to practice readings and chat informally.  

While the feng shui home tour event is still in its early planning stages and remains tentative, we hope to finalize these plans and have more information about date and time soon.

Next Meeting Feb 4 with a Valentines Theme!

In February CTS will be returning to its exciting new location that we debuted in January!  Want to know where exactly we're talking about?  Apply to join (it's free!) using the link in the menu bar above!

Since Valentines Day is coming up, the group's facilitators will be providing a joint presentation this month on "the sexy side of tarot."  So be prepared for a more risque discussion than you may be used to and definitely leave any impressionable kiddos at home!

See you soon.

Special Guest Presenter Geraldine Amaral This Month!

Because of the holiday last weekend this month's meeting is taking place tomorrow instead of the usual first Saturday of the month.

But that's not the only reason this month's meeting is special!  We will be welcoming guest presenter Geraldine Amaral, local tarot reading and teaching guru, to provide helpful information and pointers about tarot for entertainment purposes - i.e., how to read at parties and other festivities!

Geraldine's talk promises to be informative and hands-on.  She will be covering how to prepare for an event, best spreads to use, what to bring, how to charge for an event, various dos and don'ts, and ways to ensure that your presence at an event is a success.  Plus, attendees will have a chance to practice fast-paced mini readings.

This presentation is an updated repeat of a talk Geraldine gave to the group several years ago.  The discussion topic was so well-received and so helpful that we have no doubt it will be a helpful even to those members who were at the first presentation of this topic.

See you there!

CTS's Living Tarot Spread

The March 2016 meeting of the Capital Tarot Society featured one of our more lighthearted activities: impersonating the cards!

Members signed up to personify specific cards from the major arcana, while other members took turns asking questions to obtain their advice, given in character.

We encouraged members to dress in line with their major arcana characters, or to bring a prop showing what card they had selected.  We didn't expect members to go all out and show up in full costume!

From left to right, back to front: Hermit, Hierophant, Devil, Star, Magician, High Priestess, Moon, Death, Temperance, Sun, and Empress

The meeting was, overall, fun and successful - even if we did seriously confuse our wait staff.

Meanwhile, April's meeting featured a discussion and exercises on the concept of 1,254 cards in the deck - essentially, how two cards paired together (1,254 possible combinations) can lend themselves to a meaning greater than the sum of their parts.

May's meeting, taking place TOMORROW, May 7, will feature a group discussion of the actual mechanisms that make tarot work, enlivened through a fun game of group jeopardy.