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.

Join us in February to Learn About Spreadless Readings!

Thanks to our wonderful member Paula January's name-tag decorating and new year spreads were amazing fun, as always.

In February, the presentation will focus on reading without a spread!

Reading without a spread can be either incredibly straightforward or incredibly in-depth; the difference between the two depends on how the reader approaches it.

This style of reading requires a significant reliance on the images of the cards themselves, regardless of whether they are pictorial or simple pips, and is an incredibly versatile method of reading.  It allows you to develop your intuition and stretch your understanding of the cards and how they interact.

Reading without a spread requires you to synthesize your knowledge of traditional card meanings, your intuition, and various elements of the tarot.  Using a variety of tools when you read can help you delve into the depth of the reading; these tools can also be applied to readings with spreads.

In this session, you will enjoy ample opportunity to practice using these tools in spreadless readings.

Please bring an interesting tarot deck to the meeting so that everyone will have a unique deck to read with.

If you would like to join us for our February 6 presentation on reading without a spread, but are not already a member, check out our How to Join page.  It's free!

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