Note: The hotel didn’t offer wifi in the rooms and I didn’t want to pay the cost of having it there. Therefore these reports are being post dated.

In the third and final installment, we find out what I did the last day; see just how deep I go with a tarot reading; and find out what happens when I stay awake all night long.

Note: The hotel didn’t offer wifi in the rooms and I didn’t want to pay the cost of having it there. Therefore these reports are being post dated.

In this installment, we learn about the second day’s activities at the Readers Studio, discover how me and a partner won a cuppy cake, and how I partied hard with other tarot enthusiasts.

Note: The hotel didn’t offer wifi in the rooms and I didn’t want to pay the cost of having it there. Therefore these reports are being post dated.

In this installment, we learn about the first day’s activities at the Readers Studio, find out what my only purchase was, and just how many adjectives I try to use to describe this event.

Note: The hotel didn’t offer wifi in the rooms and I didn’t want to pay the cost of having it there. Therefore these reports are being post dated.

That said… read on to find out how my travels to New York went.

Today marks the final 7 day countdown until I board a plane headed to New York City and The Readers Studio. I’m excited, I’m nervous, and I’m so looking forward to seeing friends and meeting new ones and chatting tarot.

I hope to be posting daily updates from my room, at least I want to, but who knows how much fun the party will be. At the very least I’ll be using the twitter hashtag #RS11 to post quick updates to my innotarot feed all weekend long so that you all can follow along.

Have I started packing? Nope. I have no idea how many bags I’m taking. I like to pack light, and I usually bring one bag for week-long excursions. However, after reading posts on the Readers Studio Ning group forum makes me wonder if I should pack a large suitcase. Part of me is tempted to go light on clothing (I can get by on two outfits, right?) and then save the rest of the space in my bag for the tarot goodies. I may also bring two carry-on bags, one full and one empty to serve as that purpose. I am bringing some of the crochet tarot bags I’ve been making as gifts and swaps.

Do I know which decks I’m taking? Yep! Again thanks to advice from the Ning group, I’ll be bringing my workhorse deck The Shadowscapes Tarot, the tried and true Universal Waite, and the Sun and Moon Tarot. A new one that I have yet to really play with and would like to take with me. If I really need more decks, I can probably find some there… right? *gryn*

Do I know what journal to take with me? Sorta. I’m torn between bringing a small moleskine notebook and bringing a larger paperback sized one. As a writer, this could be a very important decision and I DO like to take notes. I do have my birth chart as that’s needed for one class.

Other than that, the countdown starts and it’s time to get excited! Wooo!

I have a big announcement. I’ll be attending The Tarot School’s The Readers Studio this April. My husband and I talked about it and we’ve decided that this event is something I should attend this year. I’m not presenting any workshops but I should be available for discussion and tarot readings. I’ve booked my airplane tickets and hotel room and will be paying for my registration when the tax funds come in.

After lusting over this workshop and wanting to be able to attend this class, it’s a great opportunity for me to attend an East Coast convention and to meet my instructors Wald and Ruth Ann Amberstone; along with other tarot luminaries. If you haven’t noticed yet, but I’m rather excited about this opportunity and have been *squeeing* all week.

I’m home now from PantheaCon and have had a ton of fun. Also picked up a minor case of “con crud” which includes a very, sore throat. I have lots to say about this year’s convention. I’ll be back dating some posts from the three days of the con as I am able to write them.

Needless to say, I had a blast and look forward to adjusting my workshops and presenting new thoughts for 2012.

The conference didn’t start until 11a.m. on Sunday which gave me and Katrina a bit of time to laze around, pack, and find a coffee haus with wireless. We wandered around our neighborhood until we found a Tully’s Coffee shop. I had a lovely smoothie and a marble pound cake for breakfast. I also enjoyed having some wireless to catch up with my emails and random other postings.

Then we headed back to the First Unitarian Universalist Centre for the day’s proceedings. Unlike Saturday’s numerous sessions which are done in blocks, Sunday’s sessions were all done in one big room so we could all stay together. I think having the days varied in this way is great, so conference attendees don’t feel like they lose out on all the fun for both days.
Read the rest of this entry

Okay, so the hotel didn’t have free wifi like I was hoping. So I’m playing a bit of catch up on my BATS thoughts. I stayed at The Hotel Majestic, which has been known to be haunted. The place was very quaint. Very Victorian in style and the room was small and cozy. We even had a claw-foot tub in our bathroom. This was a surprise for me because I had never gotten to use one. After a light slumber on Friday (alas, no ghosts visited us), I woke refreshed and ready to dazzle BATS.
Read the rest of this entry

The San Francisco Bay Area Tarot Symposium (SF BATS for short) starts in just one week. This two-day event gathers tarot professionals, authors, and deck collectors from all over the world and gives us the freedom to learn new techniques, view new decks, and swap taroty goodness. I’m excited and nervous and have started running around gathering books, notebooks, and planning my outfits for next weekend. By this time next week I’ll be packed and awaiting kender to drop me off to the airport for my two day solo excursion.

I’m looking forward to networking with other tarot enthusiasts and sharing our love of tarot and the deck art. I’ll also be presenting two classes, so if you’re planning on attending BATS drop by one or the following:

Inspiring the Muse with Tarot, using a tarot deck to tell stories
2010 San Francisco Bay Area Tarot Symposium (BATS)
Saturday, Time and Room Location TBD

Class Description: Inspiring the Muse takes writers through a whirlwind tour of the many ways they can use their decks to brainstorm stories, characters and settings using the pictures, symbolism, and structure of a tarot deck. Interested in writing short stories or books? Want to combine your passion for words with your love of tarot? Let author Jaymi Elford show you how you can put spark into your writing life. Bring your imagination, paper and pen, and your favorite illustrated tarot deck.

Wine Inspired Tarot
Saturday evening, exact time TBA, in the mixers event room
Class Description:This off-the-cuff presentation discusses the ways wine and tarot are alike. Learn the secret to drinking wine and reading for others at the same time (responsibly of course). I’ll also share with you the secrets to engaging your senses with both wine and tarot. Wine will be provided by the lovely Thalassa.

I plan on bringing my computer with me so I can blog about each day of the event when I get back to my hotel. I also plan on using the Twitter hashtag #SFBATS during the event occasionally to keep the fun going.