Taking Tarot Onilne

Everyone is being impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic right now, including tarot readers.  CTS has done its part to encourage social distancing by cancelling scheduled in-person meetings.

But that doesn't mean we can't still enjoy tarot together!  CTS has a new Facebook community (just for registered members - see our how to join page if you're interested in connecting online).  We have also decided to hold our monthly meetings via conference call for the foreseeable future.

We had originally planned an entirely different topic for today's meeting when we thought meetings would continue to be in-person, and when we realized we needed to be socially distancing we thought we would have to cancel today's meeting entirely.  But then one of our newest members jumped to the rescue and came up with an innovative tarot trivia game that could be played over the phone. 

We weren't sure how a conference call would work with so many members, but were willing to try, and it actually went really well!  In fact, we had unusually high turnout because members who live further out, or who have moved out of the area, and have a hard time making it to in-person meetings were able to join. This has inspired us to continue to try to hold meetings by phone until things get back to normal.

You can view our meeting schedule for the rest of the year on our meetings and presentations page.  You will note that the listed schedule is still super tentative as we try to coordinate with scheduled presenters about either converting their presentations to a remote format or, where it would make more sense to hold a particular presentation in person, to postpone their presentations for later in the year and come up with a new, virtual-friendly topic for that month.

In any case, we are thrilled to still get to connect with our tarot buddies during the pandemic.  For many of us CTS has become like family and monthly meetings are a constant in our lives even while other things are up in the air.

Stay tuned for more updates!

Coloring the Tarot!

Those familiar with the traditional Rider Waite Smith tarot deck understand the importance and nuance of color in tarot.  The RWS has been recolored over and over again - from the original cards that came out around the turn of the 20th century, to the Universal Rider Waite, to the Radiant Rider Waite, many have sought to "update" the coloring of the original cards - changing not the hue but the saturation and tone of the hues.  Intellectual property rights to the card images can even hinge on which of these nuanced colors are used.

Color also provides important cues in tarot.  Each of the four minor arcana suits is associated with a different element, and, in turn, we all tend to associate certain colors with each of those elements: bright reds, oranges and yellows with fire (wands); ethereal grays, whites and ice blues with air (swords); deep blues, greens and purples with water (cups); and rich greens and browns with Earth (coins or pentacles).  So tarot deck artists can use color to send important signals to tarot readers about what a card is meant to mean by helping us understand what element to associate it with.  But uses of color certainly don't stop there.

In February, the Capital Tarot Society is thrilled to be hosting special guest speaker Robin Ha at our monthly meeting.  Robin is the author/illustrator of New York Times best selling cookbook Cook Korean, and is also a tarot enthusiast.  She has illustrated a tarot-themed coloring book as well as a number of art prints that appeal to witchier tastes.

At February's meeting, Robin will be leading us through a color-your-own-tarot-card exercise and talking about her inspiration to draw and publish tarot-themed items.  We're all super excited!

Lenormand at CTS

When people think of "reading the cards" they tend to automatically think about the Tarot.  But many people outside of new agey / esoteric circles don't know that there are actually many different kinds of divination deck, and that Tarot is only one branch of reading decks within a much larger family tree of card decks designed for seeking out the wisdom of the universe.

Another type of divination deck that isn't as well known as Tarot among the general population, but that is certainly popular within the esoteric and card-reading (known more formally as cartomancy) community, is the Lenormand.  Named for 17th/18th century French fortune teller Marie Anne Lenormand, this system of divination is based on a 36 card system.  It's very different from Tarot, which uses 78 cards.  And while Tarot readings usually involve selecting a handful of cards out of the deck and rarely use the whole deck, Lenormand readings can frequently involve all 36 cards - though they don't have to.  A 36 card Lenormand reading is called a "Grand Tableau."

Curious to learn more about the Lenormand system of cartomancy and how it differs from Tarot?  Join us at April's CTS meeting this Saturday.  Not a member yet?  Check out our how to join page - Membership is free!

Learn to Read for Romance at Februrary's CTS Meeting

In the past few years it has become a Capital Tarot Society tradition to make February's meeting topic all about romance, in honor of Valentine's Day.

In February 2019, CTS Co-Facilitator Emily - who reads professionally, teaches tarot workshops and offers self-care workshops through her business Woven Psyche (IG: wovenpsyche) - will be sharing a number of tarot spreads she personally designed for getting at the root of romantic questions.

Emily notes that, prior to launching Woven Psyche, she had a different tarot business providing readings online to clients around the world.  She estimates that about 90% of clients had questions about romance.  But with her new business providing in-person readings to clients here in Washington D.C., she finds that the vast majority of questions she receives are about career and personal growth, and clients will sometimes add on a little reading at the end about romance only if there's time.  Sometimes clients who ask for romantic readings seem embarrassed for asking.

Emily finds that this is a fascinating and unusual aspect of being a tarot reader in the Washington Metro area, and is concerned that Washingtonians are under tremendous pressure to put their careers before interpersonal relationships and romantic needs.  She notes that tarot readings can provide a safe space for busy urban professionals and area politicos to let their guard down and get introspective about their feelings and desires for human connection. As tarot readers, we have a unique opportunity to help our clients explore this softer side of their lives that often goes unattended.  Emily looks forward to flexing her romantic reading skills again at February's meeting.

At the meeting members will learn spreads that include a compare-and-contrast style spread for assessing compatibility and choosing between different romantic prospects, a spread for helping us attract and identify the right kind of partner, and a spread for learning about romantic partners we've had in past lives!

Meeting attendees will be given plenty of opportunity to practice what they have learned on willing guinea pigs.

If you are interested in attending February's meeting but are not already a Capital Tarot Society member, check out our how to join page - membership is free!

Free Tarot Reading Program to Expand to Second Location!

We are thrilled to announce that our free reading program at Cheesetique in Ballston has become so popular that the restaurant has asked us to begin providing readings at their Shirlington location as well!  So from now on, one night each month, you can visit two different Cheesetique locations for a short, free tarot reading from one of CTS's gifted volunteer readers.

Ballston
800 N. Glebe Rd.
Arlington, VA 22203
(703) 566-9189
ballston@cheesetique.com


Shirlington
4056 Campbell Ave.
Arlington, VA 22206
(703) 933-8787
shirlington@cheesetique.com



Our next free tarot reading event will be the same night at both locations: Thursday, August 2, 2018 from 6:30 to 8:30.  Readings are available to patrons only and guests will enjoy readings on a first-come-first-served basis.

Free Reading Program to Continue in 2018!

The Capital Tarot Society is pleased to announce that it will continue to provide free readings once a month at Cheesetique in Ballston for all of 2018!

CTS readers will be available at Cheesetique (800 N. Glebe Rd, Arlington VA, not far from the Metro) from 6:30 to 8:30 PM the first Thursday of each month.  If you would like to receive a free, short tarot reading stop by around 6ish, let the host or hostess know you'd like a reading, sit down to grab some wine and delicious cheese, and wait for a member of restaurant staff to come get you for your reading.  It's that easy.

Here are the exact dates:

January 4
February 1
March 1
April 5
May 3
June 7
July 5
August 2
September 6
October 4
November 1
December 6

We look forward to seeing you there!

Interested in getting a longer, paid reading from a CTS tarot reader?  Contact us at capitaltarot@gmail.com and let us know what you're looking for, and we can get you in touch with a reader who is a good fit for you.

Bye Bye 2017

This past Saturday CTS had its annual holiday fete.  We did things a little differently this year!  In the past we've typically held our holiday gathering in a bar or restaurant where we normally gather for meetings, but this year one of our members graciously opened up her beautiful home!  It was so nice and cozy that we're considering having more meetings in member homes going forward.

And since it was in a house and not a restaurant, the event necessitated a potluck - and we outdid ourselves.

This was after we all got to it - you should have seen it before!

However we didn't do away with all our holiday traditions!  The annual gift swap went on as always and, as always, was incredible fun.  Members bring used tarot decks and other items like books, crystals, and mystical accessories, and pack them up in a gift bag or box so nobody can see what they're getting until they choose their gift off the communal gift table.  And this year members came with so many extra gifts that we actually all got to choose two gifts from the table, plus handmade pottery that one of our members kindly brings for us every year.  There were also Christmas crackers (the kind that you pull and that make a popping noise and have a gift inside, not the kind you eat) with paper crowns for everyone, folks in holiday dress and even visits from some feline friends.

Light up Channukah sweater, you know that's right.

Round two of presents

The largest tabby any of us has ever seen.

Several CTS members gathered for tarot discussion over treats.

So, from the whole gang, happy holidays and a joyous new year to anyone who is interested in getting their tarot on with us in 2018.  To join in on our fun holiday parties, upcoming awesome events next year like our new years readings in January, and upcoming presentations on topics like the MBTI personality types and court cards or pattern recognition in the RWS deck, check out our "how to join" page at the top.


Sayonara 2017!