More Blogging From RS10

Friday was the official start of the conference and all attendees were finishing checking in and gearing up for an action packed weekend.  We started off by picking a partner for a “Foundation Reading”.  This is a very cool idea – we were to give our partner a reading and make notes.  At the end of the conference, we’re going to check back with our study buddy and see what our new insights are!  I had a very nice partner named Andy, who was a sensitive and gifted reader.  I really enjoyed his reading.

We then were treated to a delightful banquet lunch and a presentation by Dan Pelletier of Tarot Garden.  He’s a pretty funny guy and it was a nice light break in the day.  The Merchant Faire was open and many of us were spending dough with the vendors and chatting about their products.  Some great stuff was there including a few highlights:

Joanna Powell Colbert, author of Gaian Tarot

Alchemical Deck author Robert Place

After lunch, it was time for a Master Class with Dr. Elinor Greenberg.  She uses the tarot in her counseling practice and was going to show us methods for turning ‘bad cards’ into a positive experience for our clients.  Her methods were intriguing enough but not my cup of tea.  The second exercise had us using tarot in a Gestalt therapy manner and this was beyond my comfort zone.  The idea of doing personal therapy with a stranger was not an experience that fit with me – but luckily I got saved by the bell as my brother called with an issue regarding Dad’s estate that only I could answer (I’m the executor of the estate) so I had to take the call.  And then I decided it was a sign so I bailed on the rest of the class and headed into NYC to visit an old friend.  This was a wise choice for me as I got to spend quality time with a loved one and hang out on my old stomping grounds.  This certainly made up for my screw up on Wednesday and I was thrilled to be walking around old familiar places, chatting about politics, family and other stuff.  After all, one can only take so much tarot talk!

Once back at the hotel, I grabbed a glass of wine and hit my room for a chilled night.  The next day would be a busy one with two Master classes and the banquet!