December's Holiday Meeting

CTS received a visit from Father Christmas at December's Meeting.

Every December CTS members get together for a yearly tradition: the holiday gift swap.  Each of us brings a new or gently used tarot-related item (or items!) like a tarot deck, book or deck bag, wraps it up like a present, and we take turns selecting gifts.  It's a great way to work with new decks, get rid of unwanted clutter, and spread cheer without breaking the bank.

Holiday gifts swapped by members

The CTS holiday meeting is an inclusive, non-denominational event, as we are an inclusive, non-denominational crew of folks from all backgrounds and walks of life.  It's always fun to share our traditions with one another, and in particular, to relate the holiday season to our practice of tarot.  Much of the medieval imagery found in traditional tarot decks relates to themes that are prevalent around Christmas, while other elements of tarot are influenced by pre-Christian European traditions that were later integrated into Christmas festivities. Still other traditional elements of tarot enjoy Jewish influence through kaballah and many modern decks and forms of practice have incorporated a plethora of enlightening Eastern spiritual traditions.

Our meeting was extra-cozy this year thanks
to a crackling fire

For the most part, though, our December meetings are all about bonding, sharing, spending time together, and staying cozy and warm.



While CTS meetings normally involve a presenter or moderated discussion, the December meeting is about hanging out, catching up and having fun.  It always enjoys a great turnout and, in the spirit of giving, it has also become a tradition for our members to go above and beyond.  One of our members brought three entire boxes of books for the rest of us to take home and enjoy, while still another member, a gifted potter, has brought beautiful ceramic pieces for everyone in the group several years in a row.

Gorgeous handmade pottery brought to share by
one of our longstanding members

The December holiday traditions of the Capital Tarot Society truly showcase the culture and values of our amazing group and its wonderful people.  We hope to welcome even more new members in the coming year so that they can join us for this great holiday celebration in 2016.

We are also looking forward to January's meeting, another opportunity for longstanding CTS traditions.  We will be conducting readings for the new year and decorating new name tags for the year to come.  It's a great time for new folks to come in and introduce themselves.

Won't you join us?

Happy New Year!

Coming up in December...

We can't believe it's December already!  Coming up at our December 5th meeting well be engaging in a beloved CTS tradition, the holiday gift exchange!

Members are welcome to bring a wrapped gift (or gift bag containing multiple gifts) containing gently used tarot and tarot-related items (used decks, books, deck bags/boxes, reading cloths, crystals, incense, tarot themed jewelry, other divining tools, journals, etc.).  Then, in random order, anyone who brought a gift gets to select a gift brought by someone else.  It's a great way to try out new tarot decks and get rid of clutter without breaking the bank!

Then in January we'll enjoy another annual tradition: new year spreads and the decorating of the name tags!

If you're not already a CTS member but would like to join us for these fun winter activities, check out our How to Join page!  Joining CTS is fast, simple and free.

Next Meeting Sat, Sept 12 with Special Guest Speaker!

September's meeting will be taking place on Saturday, Sept. 12 -  the SECOND Saturday in September to accommodate Labor Day Weekend.

We are pleased to announce that September's meeting will feature a special guest speaker, Rev. Geraldine Amaral of The Spiritual Tarot. Geraldine is the co-author of Tarot Celebrations: Honoring the Inner Voice and creator of the instructional video Tarot 1-2-3.  She also authors a regular column in Pathways Magazine, teaches classes throughout the Washington D.C. area, and is an ordained minister in the United Metaphysical Churches.

At September's meeting, Geraldine will discuss using Tarot Archetypes to explore our soul contracts, also known as sacred contracts, which are agreements made with Divine Guidance prior to incarnation.  These contracts contribute to all aspects of our lives and contribute to the lessons that we have agreed to learn in order to fulfill our Divine potential.

This will be a hands-on presentation and attendees are encouraged to bring their favorite decks with them.  As always, attendance is free.  Please just plan to pay for your own lunch!

If you are interested in attending Capital Tarot Society meetings, please consider joining  (it's free and only takes about 5 minutes).  CTS members are added to a mailing list that sends out a few e-mails per month, including announcements about upcoming meetings, local Tarot events and items of interest to Tarot practitioners.  See our "how to join" page for more details.

Wine, Cheese and Tarot this Sunday!

The Capital Tarot Society is pleased to announce that, following our very successful "Wine, Cheese and Tarot" event at Cheesetique back in June, we will be back again THIS SUNDAY August 16th from 6-8 PM to give free readings to Cheesetique customers.  Readings from our three fabulous volunteer readers will last 5-10 minutes depending on demand.  Definitely grab some wine and cheese while you're there as Cheesetique offers some amazing selections.

Things in June went really well.  Some people who had never received a tarot reading before, or hadn't received one in years, sat down with our readers and discovered a new or renewed interested in tarot.  More seasoned tarot enthusiasts came in as well specifically to get their cards read.  Our volunteer readers found the experience energizing and incredibly helpful, as it was an opportunity to practice on people they had never met before and this provided all kinds of positive reinforcement about their tarot abilities.  The staff at Cheesetique was a delight to work with, and for those of us who had not been there before it was a wonderful new local discovery as the environment is very warm and the culinary offerings are top notch.

This time we are anticipating an even greater turnout, so we plan on having a sign-up sheet at the front of the store for anyone who is interested.  Definitely arrive on time to make sure you're able to get a reading - then kick back, relax, and enjoy some good wine and a free reading!

Address:

Cheesetique

4056 Campbell Ave.

Arlington, VA 22206

Sunday, August 16
6-8 PM

June Tarot Events!

The Capital Tarot Society is proud to announce not one but two tarot events for the public this month.


First, we are sponsoring Divination, Fortunetelling and Lenormand with Rana George.  Rana has over 30 years of experience in the psychic arts.

The class will take place at Sacred Circle in Old Town Alexandria on Friday, June 19th at 7 PM.  It is $45 to attend if you register more than 2 days in advance, and after that it is $55.

~~~~

Secondly, we are super excited to announce our first ever Tea and Tarot Event, only we're titling this one Wine, Cheese and Tarot because it is going to be hosted at Cheesetique, a highly acclaimed specialty cheese shop and wine bar in Shirlington the evening of Sunday, June 21st from 6-8 PM.

Three talented CTS tarot readers will be at Cheesetique that evening offering complimentary 5-10 minute tarot readings.  So stop by for a full dinner, a glass of wine, or a quick bite of cheesy goodness and get your cards read for free!  They have gourmet mac n cheese, people.  Note that the 21st is father's day, so this event also offers a fun, unusual and affordable way to treat Dad.

~~~~

Finally, a quick note on events for CTS  members : Our June meeting is Saturday the 6th and the presentation will be on tarot and professional ethics.  We are also having a Solstice Picnic on Saturday the 20th at Lake Accotink Park in Springfield.

Want to come to our members-only events?  Join CTS!  It's free!

Tea and Tarot Initiative Kicking Off!

The Capital Tarot Society is proud to announce a new public education and outreach initiative titled "Tea and Tarot."  We will be reaching out to DC area businesses open to hosting a free Tea and Tarot event for their customers. 

During a Tea and Tarot event, a handful of CTS tarot readers will visit a local business, like a tea and coffee shop, and provide short readings free of charge to paying customers.  Businesses can advertise the event to their mailing lists and via their Facebook pages in order to draw customers.  We benefit because this is an opportunity to attract new CTS members as well as to educate the public about what tarot is really all about and correct some of the spookier misconceptions surrounding this fun, practical and uplifting practice.

If you are a DC area business owner or manager interested in hosting Tea and Tarot, please reach out to us at capitaltarot@gmail.com.

If you are a member of the public interested in attending a Tea and Tarot event, continue to follow this site as we will be posting announcements about upcoming Tea and Tarot times and locations, or you can check in directly at capitaltarot@gmail.com.

Minimalist Tarot - a Clutter-Free Approach to Reading the Cards

CTS's own Anthony, author of Minimalist Tarot, has had his guest post titled "Minimalist Tarot - a Clutter-Free Approach to Reading the Cards" published on Little Red Tarot.  It's a great read about eliminating clutter from our tarot readings and not getting distracted by unnecessary bells and whistles.

CTS Now offering Reader Referrals

From time to time CTS receives a request from someone looking to hire a tarot reader, whether for a personal reading or an event.  Not all of our members provide paid tarot services on a professional level, but many do.  We have therefore decided to begin offering a referral service to match tarot clients with a professional tarot reader.

If you are a client seeking to hire a tarot reader, you can contact us at capitaltarot@gmail.com. Provide any relevant information about what you are looking for - for instance a specific kind of reading, someone to read at an event, an in-home visit, readings within a certain budget or price range - and we will do our best to match you with a reader who is right for you.  You can also check out our find a reader page for links to websites run by CTS members.

If you are a CTS member, please also contact capitaltarot@gmail.com and mention you'd like to be added to the "reader for hire" list.  We'll get back to you with a few questions about your experience level, rates and services. You can also request to have your website added to our find a reader page.

If you are a tarot reader, but are not currently a CTS member, and would like to accept client referrals from CTS, consider joining!  Joining CTS is fairly easy, and it doesn't cost you anything.  You can learn more at our how to join page.

Happy reading!

*Note that CTS does not accept liability or responsibility for, nor do we guarantee, services provided to you by the CTS reader to whom you have been referred.  The readers listed in CTS's reader directory are not employees of CTS.  CTS does not accept payment on behalf of readers, nor can CTS process payments or refunds.  All payments, reading arrangements and refund requests should be made directly with your reader.*

Next Meeting this Saturday January 10!

We will be having our next meeting the second Saturday of the month this month because of New Years, and at our new location!  Our January meeting will feature nametag making and New Years readings.

See you soon!