Artist Lisa Hunt ("The Shapeshifter Tarot") has a new deck coming out later this year called The Fairy Tale Tarot. Here is a wonderful video featuring the Major Arcana of the deck:

Just opened a message from the lovely Jessica and found she has tagged me for the Friday Five. In case you don't know what that is, I have five questions I will answer on my blog...and then tag five friends with the challenge to do the same.

The questions (with the answers following them) are:

1) What are you thankful for today?

Today, Jessica has actually caught me having a great deal of fun and, as a consequence, much to be thankful for as I am preparing for tomorrow, which is Santa Lucia's Day. For those not familiar with that, it is a Scandinavian holiday where Lucia (Bringer of Light) visits families and others on one of the darkest days of the years -- wearing a bright crown of lighted candles. She is a stunning figure -- and she serves glogg and cookies, too! (Glogg is a type of mulled spiced wine.) I'll attach a little picture of Lucia at the end of this post for all to see.

2) What do you appreciate about the Earth?

I appreciate that we are coming to the Winter Solstice, where the dark days begin to lengthen once again with the promise of springtime. I appreciate the holiday season and even with these down economic times, people realize the need to make connections, and not necessarily partake in rampant consumerism to shower each other with needless gifts.

3) Who is the last person you said "thank you" to?

My husband. We thank each other all the time.

4) When was the last time someone thanked you?

My friend Joanna just thanked me. She is hosting a Lucia party far away from me in the Pacific Northwest, and I sent her a file with the audio of a Finnish Santa Lucia song. She thought it was fun, especially since it was sung by children.

5) What is your favorite way to say thank you?

I think my favorite say is to say it, heartfelt and simple. People know when gratitude is not forced or false.

All right -- now I'm sending notes to tag five friends. Their questions again will be --

1) What are you thankful for today?
2) What do you appreciate about the Earth?
3) Who is the last person you said "thank you" to?
4) When was the last time someone thanked you?
5) What is your favorite way to say thank you?

When you finish, tag five more Gaians :)

Oh! And the picture I promised of Santa Lucia? Here --

With Thanksgiving arriving this Thursday, the holiday season is officially upon us once again. I'll be performing tarot readings at two locations - both art galleries - in the month of December. If you're in New York City, consider stopping by for your reading!

On Sunday, December 14th, from 12:00-6:00 pm, artist Nadiya Jinnah's spacious 2,000 square foot midtown studio/gallery will be transformed into a joyful space of Art and Healing at the opening titled The Healing Power of Art.

You are invited to step away from the bustling, noisy New York City streets and spend a relaxing afternoon mingling with artists, art enthusiasts, and energy healers, in a casual, peaceful atmosphere. There will also be Special Guests - several renowned healing practitioners. You will be introduced to a sampling of their special talents which they have generously offered to provide throughout the day. Healers include Barry Goldstein, Dave Markowitz, Janet Cristenfeld, Maryanne Savino, Miriam Stanford, Suzanne Hyde - and myself!

Please note I will be present from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. only, and my readings will last about ten minutes. The readings will be free, but there is a suggested admission of $10 which allows you entrance to the entire event. For more information, please click here.

Then, in Brooklyn on Friday, December 19, it's time to focus on the future. Get a sneak peek about what lies ahead in 2009 at the Tarot Salon.  You may have seen the previous tarot salon at the Kris Waldherr Art and Words gallery featured on CNN.com, Yelp's "On the Radar", and internationally in La Libération. Four readers - myself included - will be on hand to give 15-minute readings on the question(s) of your choice at various prices. Gift certificates for future readings make for great last minute gift-giving! A free wine and cheese reception will be served. For more information on this evening event, please click here.

If you're not in New York City, or just cannot make these events, don't fret. My specialty has always been performing tarot readings over the telephone. Simply click on my Contact page for prices and how to make an appointment.

I look forward to seeing you or hearing from you!

Short and sweet: I do love this tune by Shaman's Dream, so I think I will just post the video of it on the blog today.

 

I am a professional tarot reader who has been working with the tarot cards for almost twenty years. I've found that there are all kinds of readers out there, running the gamut from mediocre to excellent. What is the difference between a "just average" reader and an outstanding one? I believe it comes down to five essential traits. Here's what to look for:

1. Practicality. Although tarot cards use an old and esoteric system to divine the future-and so much more-many of the questions clients ask have a basis in their everyday lives. A practical reader listens to what the client wants to learn and provides clear, down-to-earth answers. Being practical also means knowing that it is difficult to take notes and pay attention to a reading at the same time. So, a reader might provide a recording of the session to the client, for example.

2. Flexibility. In my opinion, no reading-and the advice that comes from it-is set in stone. I personally am a big fan of free will. My own philosophy is that the cards show the influences and most likely outcome if the client continues to carry on in the same way without changing his or her behavior. If the influences or outcome are not desired, the client can make a concerted effort to change and this may go a long way to shift "fate."

3. A sense of humor. No one wants a doom-and-gloom reading. Even the most traditionally so-called negative cards have positive lessons incorporated in their themes. It certainly helps to focus on the positive while still remaining realistic. Ultimately, an outstanding tarot reader becomes an ally for the client, often opening up new realms of possibility that haven't been considered before. One excellent way to deliver new information can be with a gentle sense of humor. While readings are not a place for stand-up comedy, laughter can help calm down an anxious situation.

4. Straightforwardness. Wishy-washy or vague answers have no place in a reading where time may be limited while questions might be plentiful. Friends and family might beat around the bush when asked for advice, but clarity is precisely what the client wants from a reader. More can be gained from a tarot reader who takes a firm stand and conveys strong messages than one who speaks in maybes.

5. Nonjudgmental thinking. Most folks get enough flack from the people around them, pressure from popular culture and even their own critical selves. The last thing they need in a reading is to be given the message that the client is somehow a faulty or "bad" person. An understanding tarot reader knows from his or her own experience-not just proficiency in the cards-that life is full of difficult choices and most people make the best decision they can under their own unique circumstances.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR BLOG, EZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include the following blurb: Diane Fusco has been reading the cards for 20 years and brings her quirky sense of humor and the wisdom gained from a life full of diverse experiences to her consultations. A certified psychic counselor, she provides most readings over the telephone and can do this from any distance. To read Diane's writings as well as learn more about her readings, please visit her Web site at http://wavelengthtarot.com/.

You can catch me here, there and everywhere in the following places:

On Friday, October 17 you will find me performing my tarot readings in the Brooklyn Ditmas Park region's premiere art gallery, Art and Words, at a fundraiser titled It's in the Cards: Tarot for Obama.  A $20 admission fee will grant you access to unlimited readings, plus wine and cheese. Organized by the incredibly dynamic Kris Waldherr, I hope to see you there!

You can also find my latest review online at New Age Journal for Elizabeth Hazel's The Whispering Tarot right here. Here is just a snippet:

I must say that this whimsical deck not only whispers but giggles. The brightly-colored and boisterous images convey meanings that are far less rigid than other decks such as the iconic Rider-Waite-Smith or the more heavy-handed Thoth deck. For example, the normally staid Heirophant is given a new visual: "A guru levitates onto a sunbeam. Beneath him is the scene of a Middle-Eastern city, with onion-domed towers. A temple rises in the foreground..."

Also, I have found out that there is an artist, Deb Oberndorfer,  who designs custom cedar boxes made just for The Whispering Tarot.  These beauties can be found right here. And as I mentioned in a previous post, the deck and guidebook may be found at Kozmic Kitchen.

That's enough for now!

Autumn is most definitely here! Okay, it's not really noticeable all that much in the city yet, but we did take a trip up to the beautiful Catskill Mountains this weekend and enjoyed a very scenic drive. The further north we went, the more the leaves were seen to be changing although we didn't notice it be particularly nippy these past few days.

I was unplugged from the computer for the whole weekend since where we were staying didn't have TV, didn't have Internet access and what else? Oh! Spotty cell phone service. Still, when you are viewing the gorgeous countryside, these conveniences don't seem all that important.

The weather was a bit rainy, but all that meant was that I woke up to misty mountain autumn mornings that looked like this (see right.) The trip was very refreshing. I did, however, take out a bit of time to review Elizabeth Hazel's The Whispering Tarot and its accompanying guidebook, The Whispering Tarot: Softly Spoken Secrets for New Age Journal online. The review, I expect, will be available soon. Meanwhile, if you'd like to find out more about The Whispering Tarot, please visit Kozmic Kitchen by clicking here. Hope your autumn is also underway and going splendidly!

On Monday. A group of us, led by Mama Donna Henes, went down to the New York Stock Exchange to create a blessing on troubled Wall Street at the exact moment of the Autumn Equinox. Everyone was very sincere in this effort, but the "acting" came in in the sense that while we were carrying out the ceremony, people around us began watching and even taking pictures. We were clad all in white, burning sage, drumming and chanting. However, our purpose came from the heart and I believe that this form of "being on stage" helped the participants reveal more of their true, core selves than wearing masks.

Living in New York City, the meltdown on Wall Street seems even that much more frighteningly real. Last week's events were a rollercoaster ride of the market going up, up, up and down, down, down. Seeing that the Autumn equinox occurred today at precisely 11:44 a.m. (Eastern Standard Time), it made sense to perform a special blessing just for Wall Street this past Monday.

A group of us who have in the past worked with Urban Shaman, Mama Donna Henes agreed to meet right in front of the New York Stock Exchange this autumn equinox to chant special blessings. Why? Says Donna: "Monday marks a new week. And a new season. A good time to make a clean sweep and set off on a fresh start. The perfect time to purify the culture of greed that has poisoned not only the economy, but also the popular psyche."

She continues: "On the Equinox, there is a total equilibrium of darkness and light. Let us offer blessings of health, balance and sustainability to the financial system that supports us all."

We all wore white to signify our pure intentions. I was struck by how many tourists were walking around the Wall Street area, taking pictures of the New York Stock Exchange. I, of course, became one of them - as witnessed by the above photo. After we attuned ourselves at the moment of the Equinox, we waited until noon for our special blessings. Sage was lit, my drum came out and we cleansed the building and all it represented of greed, imbalance and other negativity. Nary an eyebrow was raised, although I did notice several of the tourists with cameras were now taking more pictures - of us this time! Whether the ceremony was a success remains to be seen but we all felt much calmer and centered after the ceremony.

Readers interested in a tarotist's take on the Wall Street meltdown may be interested in Joanna Powell Colbert's three-card spread on the situation, which may be found here. Obviously, this is a situation that has long-term repercussions and brings its own particular brand of stress and anxiety along with it.

In the meanwhile, our own blessing group had very little anxiety at the end of the cleansing ritual, as this picture of our happy faces demonstrates. A happy Autumn Equinox to all!

P.S. The ceremony got a write-up in the New York Observer today, in an article called "At the Emergency Equinox Blessing on Wall Street." Read it here.

Hello, everyone! It's been a while but I am thrilled to check in with the news that my Wavelength Tarot site is now live. Just click here to visit today.

What I'm probably most excited about is that I installed and dressed up this fabulous Word Press blog all by myself -- and I am definitely not what you would call a techie by any stretch of the imagination. The beautiful graphics are not my doing, however: that was sheer luck I came across such a gorgeous template. But it was really me doing FTP magic earlier this week.

Where did I learn how to install and customize blogs in less than a week? (Yep -- I started classes on Monday of this week.) I attended Blog Design Bootcamp which really was a great investment for me. Now I'm still adding to the site and eventually it will be polished up. In the meanwhile, feel free to visit!