Notebook: Page 6

"The Connies" + Arnell Ando, Part 1 . . .

Welcome newcomers! Notebook Pages are typically divided in two parts—and this one will be no exception. “Tarot Everywhere” tells a serendipity story, and “Tarot Timestream” highlights something of significance in the world of Tarot.

Today the focus of Timestream is on artist, publisher, and Tarot guide Arnell Ando. But first, I have a surprising (as usual) example of the Everywhere principle: every path will take you to a Tarot connection, if you keep going.

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Tarot Everywhere

Connie Converse is (was?) a singer-songwriter whose music doesn’t sound like any other music I’ve ever heard. In 1974, Connie left notes for her friends and family, packed up her car, and voluntarily disappeared. Literally, never to be seen or heard from again.

But her music has been gradually rediscovered in recent years, along with the ambiguous, mysterious story of her life. This National Public Radio story will tell you a little about her, and it includes one of her songs.

I had never heard of Connie Converse until a few days ago, when her name appeared unexpectedly in an email from an old friend. Not immediately, but a few hours later, I realized that she has the same first name as someone whose story I’ve been researching and writing about for several years.

It didn’t strike me at once because I think of my subject as “Constance,” since that’s the name she used professionally. But in personal life, everyone called her “Connie” —and once I made the connection, it seemed to want pursuing.

So of course (many of you already know my habitual method!) I Googled Connie + Tarot. That seemed like an even longer shot than usual, and the initial results were predictable: lots of Tarot readers named “Connie.”

In fact there were so many that it seemed statistically unlikely—but I’ll save for later the results of my experiment on first names + Tarot. Right now I want to stay focused on the Connie Connection, because as I scrolled down the list of results, I saw this:

Couldn’t resist that, obviously. And so I discovered this delightful deck:

The artist, Connie Lehman, was inspired by Rachel Pollack’s Shining Tribe deck—and Rachel not only encouraged her work, but wrote an introduction for the book Lehman co-authored with arts journalist Irene Clurman.

Clurman also leads dream workshops, so serendipity led me right on to her article “Tarot in Dream Groups.” I couldn’t entirely follow the discussion she describes, which has to do with the deck’s Hierophant/Pope card and the musical Hair. But it’s an interesting exploration of a striking image:

Lehman’s Tarot was created in 2012—and like many thoughtful Tarot projects undertaken around that time, it didn’t find a large audience. But you can see more images on Connie Lehman’s nicely eclectic Pinterest site.

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Tarot Timestream

Arnell Ando has been on a fascinating odyssey since the 1980s, when she began her Tarot studies as a young woman living in Japan. As she recalls . . .

Always fascinated by mythology, symbology, and the unknown mysteries, it was a natural direction to explore. I was hooked at once, spending endless hours journaling and studying any Tarot books I could find in English (long before the internet). Many strange synchronicities, dream prophesies and other bizarre occurrences both frightened and enticed me to delve deeper.

Eventually she moved back to the U.S. with two sons, and earned a graduate degree in psychology. Her Tarot studies continued, but of the many decks she collected, none seemed to completely capture the archetypes that resonated within her. Then . . .

Instinctively, while studying women's history, I began creating raw, primitive art forms while working through accumulated issues of anger, pain, and disillusion. Around that time, I also discovered a growing field of alternative psychology called Expressive Art Therapy, which used all mediums of creative expression to explore the psyche and unlock hidden truths beyond words and deeds. I'd found my niche. It was quite a transformational experience.

Out of those personal experiences came the Transformational Tarot—one of the most evocative and influential decks of the past three decades.

Arnell self-published the deck in 1996—a considerable effort at the time, as well as a financial risk. But her work found an enthusiastic audience, and in 2006, the deck was republished by U. S. Games.

Most important . . . she had found another “niche.” Arnell became a publisher, and in addition to realizing her own work, she began to nurture the work of others. In the next part of the story, we’ll see decks by Ellen Lorenzi-Prince and Carmen Sorrenti, along with a unique deck Arnell created with her son.

We’ll also go beyond the cards to real places, with highlights of the Tarot Tours of Italy led by Arnell and her husband.

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As long-time EP readers know—I believe Tarot finds people, not the other way round. In return for their collaboration, it provides creative inspiration, spiritual energy, and unexpected adventures.

Arnell Ando’s story is a perfect illustration!

C