3.28.2024
Numbers, news--and baseball . . .
I love numerical patterns—especially in dates. So I often write EP posts on dates when the pattern is obvious.
But sometimes I notice something more subtle. Like today.
Take 3.28.2024, multiply across from the left and you get:
3 x 2=6 then 6 x 8=48. And 2 x 24=48.
Although 48 isn’t a number that usually comes up when discussing the composition of a traditional Tarot deck, I’ll suggest looking at it this way:
Twice the Major Arcana (44) plus the 4 Aces.
That’s an interesting structure, from my perspective, because the Aces form a powerful group together—yet they are most often treated as attachments to their respective suits. By pairing them in a construct with the Major Arcana, we highlight their overlap between the two parts of the deck.
I didn’t actually start out in this direction (was just playing with numbers!), but now that I’ve got this far, it seems like a good time to talk about my course, Tarot in Four Dimensions.
I offered it to a small group last year, and learned a lot in the process. Since then, I’ve put it into a proper course format (rather than a Substack series), made some revisions, and added more material.
So . . . I’ll soon be offering an updated version, on a brand-new platform!
As you might guess, my approach to teaching Tarot is quite a bit off the beaten path. It evolved along with my reading method, and the two are closely interconnected. Or to put it another way—I can’t just “tell” you my method. By itself, without the journey provided by the course, it would be meaningless.
The course/method isn’t meant to replace your own approach. For most folks it will be a supplement, an expansion, or an experiment. But I’m confident that anyone—from beginner to expert—can derive a great deal from what I’ve put together.
If you’re wondering about the connection between number-play and the 4D course, I’ll be saying more in the next EP post.
Meanwhile, some news items—followed by a “Play ball!” flashback.
A Memorial
I think every one who cares about Tarot has felt the absence of Rachel Pollack over the past year. Her partner Zoe shared this invitation on Facebook:
I’ll be joining in spirit, with some moments of reflection on the creative intelligence and generosity of spirit Rachel brought to the world of Tarot studies. I hope many EP readers will do the same.
A Return
From 2003 until the onset of Covid in 2020, Wald and Ruth Ann Amberstone (proprietors of the Tarot School) produced a very popular in-person gathering—The Readers Studio. This year, the event will be back from hiatus!
The Amberstones have partnered with new producers, who as Ruth Ann explains:
have promised to honor our vision for the event by maintaining all the things that make Readers Studio unique –– the Master Classes, Divination Day, Study Groups, Meditation Room, Breakfast Roundtables, Tarot Incubators, Merchant Faire, and the many social events and opportunities to gather and celebrate.
I’ve never been, but I know the event was beloved by many Tarot enthusiasts. Its rebirth will take place in New York from April 26 to April 28, 2024.
A Series
Visit Chelsey Pippin Mizzi’s Substack The Shuffle for a schedule of her planned virtual gatherings:
You’ll also find out about other Shuffle offerings—including a Tarot journaling workshop.
Yes--it’s Opening Day for Major League Baseball! And today’s flashback comes from the very first year of EP:
After many years of ignoring baseball, I suddenly returned to fandom this year—and like riding a bicycle it all comes back to you! The same thing is true of reading Tarot, when you’ve done it enough. So even if you’re away from that space for a long time, whenever you enter it again, the skills you developed in the past will take over.
Naturally I looked for a Tarot/baseball connection, and there are a couple of decks purporting to be baseball-themed Tarots. Personally, I didn’t like the illustrational style of either, and couldn’t figure out who they would appeal to. Or why.
But I was intrigued to discover that Topps--venerable manufacturer of bubble gum and trading cards—has been publishing a baseball line called “Gypsy Queen.” Early on, in 2018, the cards were actually what we might call Tarot-adjacent. For example:
After 2020, it seems the Gypsy Queen line gravitated back toward the ordinary, and by now it’s distinguished from other lines only by a different style of background. But that brief overlap started me thinking about one parallel between buying a pack of baseball cards and laying out a spread of Tarot cards.
You just never know what you’ll get.
Last year, I wrote a two-part story about legendary artist and architect Arthur Corwin, and the creation of Tarot de Cooperstown. Too long for a flashback—but I’ll share excerpts as we make our way into the 2024 season!
More soon, C