Esalen Workshop & the yikes of Occult

"Occult". Yikes is right...

I have to admit, I cringe at this word. Please, I always, think, bucket Tarot under "anthropology", "psychology" or "entertainment". Anything else can send me into a silent tailspin of worries about purpose...and even identity. I place "occult" things in the realm of the creepy. From the doorless buildings on the Yale campus to Waco, TX compounds. I just reside too much in the mainstream to skip over the "occult" without pause.

All that said, I'm excited to share that I'll be attending a February workshop in Big Sur, CA at Esalen, taught by Mitch Horowitz and Erik Davis: "The Occult in America: An Adventure in Arcane History". This workshop offers an intellectual study of the role of folklore and ritual in American life. It is a comprehensive survey of the role of "Spiritualism, mind-power, Freemasonry and hoodoo" as well as the twentieth and twenty-first century popularity of "New Age and Aquarian ideas and practice", all of which is measured in an American and historical context.

After mastering the traditional divination method offered by the Tarot, I've found that I'm most drawn to how folklore, traditional healing, ritual and paganism have empowered or offered comfort to marginalized groups throughout history. (These traditions have also been utilized by non-marginalized groups, I'm just more intrigued by the former.)

I'm hoping this workshop will give me a solid intellectual foundation for my interests and possibly open up ideas for how I pursue them further...as well as help me relax a bit about things labeled "occult". Much like my travels, it will undoubtedly inform my Tarot practice and increase the clarity, purpose and depth of my readings.

I'll post an update after the workshop. Hope you are all enjoying 2010!

Day of the Dead Altar

My Day of the Dead Altar

I've never set up a Day of the Dead Altar all of my own, but I felt like this year was a good one to try that out. All Soul's Day wasn't really part of my childhood experience with faith, religion and ritual. But it's a celebration I've been drawn to in my adult years. I bought the candle for this year's altar at Fiesta, a grocery store in Houston, where I grew up. They have a special section of items used in traditional rituals.

The overall intent of my altar this year is to honor my ancestors, friends and pets that have passed on. I've also welcomed one new soul into my close community this year!

A little about select altar items:
-Compass. This was a gift from my paternal grandfather, John William Allen, for my 6th birthday. I feel a connection to my grandfather and father whenever I see this compass. Both men were/are nature lovers and loved hiking, camping and exploring. But they were Boy Scouts, and in all aspects of their lives they were and are always prepared. I'm grateful to them for giving me a sense of direction, teaching me to be grounded, and empowering me with tools--both real and abstract-- that always help me find my way. On the back of the compass is a yellowed label in my mother's handwriting: "Elise Allen". I took it to show-and-tell in 1981 and she didn't want me to lose it.
-Historic Texas Cemetery Dedication Announcement for the Allen Cemetery. The Allen Cemetery is located in Haslet, Texas, near Fort Worth. In the late 1860s the burial ground was established for Isaac Sumner Allen's death in infancy. "Also buried here are relatives, descendants, and neighbors, including two confederate veterans." I've included this announcement to remind myself that my ancestors also honored their ancestors, that my spirit has been in America for a long time, and that I shouldn't forget the intentions--both good and bad--set by my family.
-How to Solve Problems in General Chemistry. This text book belonged to my maternal Grandfather (Grandpa) Benjamin Franklin Davis. It was published in 1941. My Grandpa was a successful chemist who worked mainly for Champion Chemical. He traveled to the Middle East and worked in Iran and Iraq before the "shah fell". I can still remember sitting in his lap and learning words like "AbuDabi" and "Sawdi". He always drank a vodkatonic and greeted people with "Howdy". I almost majored in Chemistry in school and I think he was a little sad when I chose Biology instead. This book reminds me that school is important and that if you get stuck, you can often read or research your way out of a problem. I chose to come home for a week to be with him while he was dying and I spoke at his funeral in 1999.
-Unicorn Box. One of my earliest memories is retrieving quarters from this box when I went to visit my Grandpa and my Grandmother, Jane Barton Davis. She died suddenly, when I was six. It was my first experience with death and often informs my creative writing. I have vivid memories of her home and specific memories of her both alive and happy, and sick and sad. She treated me like her treasure. This box reminds me not to take gifts for granted, but to always trust that those who care about you leave things behind with no one in mind except you. If someone thinks you are special, don't take it for granted.
-Photo of Meme. My paternal grandmother, Ellen Frances Allen, (we call her Meme) died in 2005. She was an amazing genealogist and a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (which means I'm eligible too, although I haven't followed up with that yet) . I'm just beginning to benefit from the rewards of her tremendous efforts traveling the country to visit graveyards, churches, and distant relatives. Ellen and I shared a knack for overwhelming anxiety, but also a desire to build connections and families and a longing for a sense of place. She and my grandfather survived the Great Depression and had were very conservative with all resources; a lifestyle I've tried to repeat as much as possible. They longed to spend more time with me during my childhood, but circumstances didn't allow for it. I'm grateful they believed so fervently (if not fundamentally) in an after life. It is easy for me to imagine them as spirits I can speak with frankly and directly, even though they have passed on.
May all those who came before me rest in peace and may I continue to value the lessons and wisdom they imparted in the time I had with them

Free Thursday Readings at the Berkeley Marina Doubletree, 6-9pm!

I'm very fortunate to have been invited to do free Tarot Readings for guests of the Bay Lounge at the Berkeley Marina Doubletree. I'm there every Thursday in October from 6-9 pm. Readings are free, but tips are welcome! Two amazing readers will be subbing for me at Mama Buzz on Mondays in October. Hope to see you at the Doubletree!

Halloween is Almost Here!

I love reading at Halloween parties. It's a big part of why I started reading Tarot for the public. My first Halloween reading was in 2004--when some friends had a Halloween party in the Richmond and asked me to step in when the tarot reader didn't show up. I've been hooked on Halloween ever since. I even have a Halloween-themed tarot deck--featuring pumpkins and ghosts, instead of disks and cups...very cute and fun. Believe it or not, I've been booking for Halloween since early September, but many days are still open. Don't delay if you're looking for a tarot reader--book now for your best chance! Happy Halloween!

Elderflower Womenspirit Festival

Hello!
Hope everyone is enjoying what's left of this lovely summer. I'm off to Elderflower in a few weekends. This year is my second...and this retreat is a great place for me to interact with other women who work as healers, tarot readers and with the women's spirituality movement. For the rest of the year, my spiritual life is pretty solo. Occasionally people ask what my story is and the best I can say is that I feel very connected to nature and to the importance of religion and ritual in our lives. I'm vaguely pagan, but that may not be a fair statement when I consider the devoted pagan practices of some of my friends and acquaintances. I'm also committed to "free or cheap" Tarot reading for the community that's drawn to Mama Buzz Cafe in Oakland. I'm there every Monday night from 7-9pm (for four years now!).

I grew up in the Methodist church, and I realize that many of my fundamental values and the core of my spirituality comes from that experience. Forgiveness and acceptance were two big principles I picked up there. I was bookish as a teenager, and was unusually devoted to a 5-person girls' bible study throughout high school. So I know the protestant bible pretty well. I've remained in touch with these five women, to varying degrees. A lot is thanks to Facebook. But we've gone on to live very different lives. One of the women I see each year, at Christmas. She's a Methodist minister at Oak Lawn United Methodist Church in Dallas. She's been an amazing friend throughout the years and I always enjoy laughing with her and her husband and kids. I lived in Dallas for about 4 years...it was a very hard time, and the only time in my life when I found no use for faith of any sort. In many ways, I was simply absent. But Kerry was always there for me as a patient and generous friend.

I'd like to think my spirituality moves along everyday, but I know that my travels and the time I spend outdoors and doing yoga are the most ... enlightening. I always return from trips with a new perspective on life, humanity and the world. My tarot practice flourishes, I make new plans to grow my daily life. Things are good.

In April I went to Japan. We visited Tokyo and Kyoto...and Hiroshima. I haven't been able to write about this visit much. I was hoping to see my parents, who had been living there, but they had left by the time we arrived. Japan was an intense and wonderful experience, but at times lonely and alienating. The museum in Hiroshima was very well done...and seemingly with no agenda, apart from stopping nuclear arms proliferation. It was difficult to see what my country had done to another...up close and personal. The A-bomb exploded about 800 feet above an administrative building. What's left of the building still remains, untouched. I stood in front of it and was surprised at how something could seem so ordinary and horrific at the same time.

A good friend stopped by yesterday, Leila Jo, and we talked about my soul card (The Chariot) and my card for the year (The Emperor). I think of the Emperor as the perfect sort of leader...someone who is firm, but...
benevolent. Someone who knows the true nature of those he's leading. But he values order, structure and rules. He asks me to think about how systems and absolutes can work, in certain situations. He protects himself and his family. He protects his home. I've found myself standing up for myself, my home, my family, my friends...a lot this year. It's been hard, in a lot of respects. I've felt the need to stand my ground, and then struggled with feeling stubborn or unfair. I've "battled" a horrible landlord, worked to take some authority with my writing... and finally realized investing in my home will bring me some peace. Leila Jo pointed out that my Virgo nature can be at odds with the stringent face of the Emperor...it was a good talk.

I'm excited to be off to Elderflower. As I get older, I realize that events that mark the year can be very grounding and offer me perspective on where I was and how I've progressed. The Festival is open to everyone, all women, of any faith and interest. Workshops fill the weekend, or you can just wander through redwoods. There are rituals, but no pressure to participate if you're not inclined. I did a lot of sewing last year (ha! My Empress year :) and I hope to come out of my shell and talk more this year. The food is amazing, the company is great and the land is beautiful...the festival founders set things up so that the weekend could be affordable to most women, so it's within reach...and I believe there are work/study options.

I'll be at Mama Buzz throughout the rest of August. Please stop in and say hello!

Is it Halloween Yet?

Not quite...but here's to pretending. I'm having some nasty luck as of late and an astrologer friend (or did I read it in WeMoon?) any how, someone told me that Virgos were going to have a tough time for a while, possibly until October. Sheesh.

As most of you know, I'm a sworn skeptic, but it's times like these when retrogrades and conjunctions and all that jazz seem to speak the truth.

In addition to wishing my tough patch of cruel fate would pass, I also really love the fall. The darkness gently nudging it's way back in...the leaves changing...thin veils, that sort of thing. And it's a good time for Tarot Readers! Suddenly, we make a ton of sense to almost everyone. Oh yes, let's include a fortune teller in our plans!

So...What can I know about wishing it was October? The 9 of wands.

Hmm...Looks like I'm being asked to endure this for a reason. I've become a lot more defensive in all parts of my life as these issues have unfolded. I've always prided myself of picking my battles...many things just aren't worth overexplaining or confrontations...life is short. I know who I am and I don't need to go around explaining myself to everyone else, even if they've stepped on my toes. Right?

Well...maybe that's not always true. I've done some thinking about what one can gain from defending your work, home or your sense of pride. Sometimes respect is part of that. And confidence.

But it sure doesn't make things any easier!

Good luck to all those Virgos out there and anyone else who is having a tough time with the economy, housing or anything else.

And yes, for those of you interested, I'm already booking for Halloween parties! Email me or call 510-393-1737 to book your party now.

Happy Summer!
Elise

Half Way Through Class! & Wed. Readings at the Mystic Dream

Making the Tarot Your Business

There's still one more class left in my two-part Tarot series. I'm teaching it this Saturday, June 20, from 2 - 4 pm. It will focus on the business side of reading Tarot cards. How to give your clients the best reading at good prices and how to promote your business.

I had a great time last week, introducing some great folks to the basics of the Tarot and hopefully giving them enough resources and advice for next steps so they can find a learning method that works for them.

Come by for the last class--don't be afraid to drop in!

Wednesday Tarot Readings at The Mystic Dream

For the next few weeks (at least)! in June and July, I'll be reading at The Mystic Dream in Walnut Creek, on Wednesdays from 11:30 - 5:00 pm. There's also a Rune Reader, Stefn Thorsman, who is a local favorite and a comedian to boot. Stop by, say hello and get a reading!