This morning started off a bit on the wonky side. Discovered our room shower puts out very little hot water, so instead of enjoying a soothing shower, I had a shivering one. But I was not going to let this change the mood I’ve been in for con. I meandered down and ate a protein-rich breakfast in preparation for a day of tarot readings, blood donations, the workshop I was looking forward to, and whatever else the day brought.
As soon as the vending room opened I had my first reading customer. I love reading the cards for clients. I love the variety of questions they ask me. I love how courageous they are when the cards give them the space to open up and really get to the core of what is going on in their world. And I love how adventurous people are when I get creative with the cards on their behalf.
Alas, my reading hour was up faster than I wanted. The second thing I did today was fulfill my blood donation appointment. I arrived early, filled out all the paperwork, and then had to be turned away due to a two-tenths lower white blood count. Drat! I was so hoping to do this. It’s been awhile since I’ve given. Darn my immune system and being sick earlier this month.
Feeling dejected, I went back to our booth in the vendor room for hugs. I then helped customers play with and explore the tarot decks and oracle systems we had on hand. We had several guest authors show at our site, so I got to chat with them and re-connect.
I attended the 3:30 Tarot Magic workshop with Chic and Tabitha Cicero. Billed as a way to sample the variety of ways one could do magic with tarot (from rituals to spells to talismans and meditations) this was THE class I was looking to most this weekend. The room filled up fast and I was lucky enough to get a spot next to a friend. Chic started us off with a Middle Path meditation which helped ground and center me. He then launched into a written presentation on the connections between Tarot and magic, the universe, and focus. He reminded us that the tarot was so much more than a divination deck and that we all have the power to really manifest whatever it was we wanted in the world. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to experience the hands-on bits of the class but I did find it very illuminating and interesting.
I talked to the Ciceros for a bit after their class and they told me that everything that was “hands on” practice could be found in their book Tarot Talismans. So, now I have something to look forward to when I get home. I also picked up an anthology of Golden Dawn essays on divination techniques that featured a lot of rituals and magic techniques.
I finished my day back in the Vendor room, selling more products. Two of my hand crafted tarot cases sold and I also got to meet Glenn, the ringmaster of this whole production (by way of my Uncle Mike, who attends this convention as well).
Spent the evening out in the main lobby with a table full of old and new friends. Drew entertained us by reading from Courtney Weber’s Tarot of the Bouroughs, the deck of New York that she created. She entertained us with “out-take” stories of the deck’s production and her deck got blessed by Rachel Pollack.
All in all, it was a great way to spend my second day at PantheaCon. I go to bed now, with my spirit feeling full and happy.
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