my head is in a spin, my feet don't touch the ground
spent the past two days *very* engaged in the tarot, via attending the SF Bay Area Tarot Symposium. I'd never been before and had no idea what to expect, but the event always boasts an all-star lineup so I just couldn't resist.
I learned a lot! how wonderful to soak up so much yummy information! not to mention the amazing co-incidences. I LOVED it! will definitely return next time.
managed not to blow too much money with the vendors - mostly because what I tend to want at this point is fairly specific, and while I am certainly willing to pay for it, that kind of information is more the sort of thing you have to research yourself than something you can go out and buy in a book. however I did get some juicy new research materials, along with a deepened understanding of the classic RWS deck (as well as insights into its designers, Arthur Edward Waite and Pamela Colman Smith) and a bunch of real concrete advice on reading, to boot! I also met some authors whose work I admire, plus a truly old-school tattooist - a great guy whose awesome wife is a reader. good times! she had some really thoughtful advice for me and I just loved meeting them both.
if I write it all out now I'll surely be here until four in the morning so I ought to stop there... except I do want to note - speaking of 4 in the morning - that Jovino and I also went down to San Jose to the dear old Doubletree for Saturday night at SiliCon (in our jammiez, natch). what fun!
we hit up the Klingons - a favorite moment was slamming my sippy cup down on the bar while announcing "I'm here for REVENGE!" - and checked out the FC party. it was really fun seeing friends and just checking out the 'Tree with a *much* smaller con going on (I registered around 10:30 or so on Saturday night and was badge #580) and of course the vibe was different, different people etc.
I have to say I really do love cons. at the most basic level, you get a fun little break from the outside world and a chance to live out a life that is more - well - magical, I guess. and (just about) everyone is friendly - I mean that even if you don't know someone they're probably at least (a) in a reasonably good mood due to being there, and (b) willing to interact with you, even if only on a superficial level. (and really, sometimes the superficial level is best!) it beats the pants off standing in an elevator full of people all trying to ignore everyone else, that's for sure.
oh, and as for coincidences, how about this: on Saturday when checking in at the tarot event, I was invited to choose (blindly) an unopened tarot deck from an assortment, to keep. whenever presented with this sort of thing I always take my time and feel around a bit, to see what feels like the right choice. so I groped around and a deck slipped into my hand and felt right, and I came out with... the Magical Forest Tarot. yes, a deck featuring anthromorphic animals, but based closely enough on the classic RWS that I will easily be able to read with it without having to study it in advance. later, they held a drawing and I won a hand-knitted pouch the size of the deck which was created by renowned tarot expert and author Mary K Greer, and whose colors harmonized nicely with the deck's art. now, I'm not a big fan of reinterpreted RWS decks in general (although I do adore my Hello Tarot!) but just think how great it will be to offer readings with this one at FC! so I tucked it into my bag as we headed off to the FC Silicon party, just because.
so we also got to hear Smashwolf DJing at the con dance - we jumped around until we just couldn't jump around any moar. pausing only to hit up the front desk for their famous warm chocolate chip cookies, we headed back home and crashed. it was really weird to wake up here after a night on the second floor of the 'Tree, let me tell you! and even weirder was to then have to bart over to SF to have my head filled with esoteric (and really rather complicated) stuff - I felt a bit like I was in college again, although I will admit it was a particularly fun and fascinating class, with some awesome classmates.
anyway, I really ought to get off to bed now, lest I'm up til 4 again. what marvelous dreams I'll probably have tonight, what with all this stuff in my head!
I learned a lot! how wonderful to soak up so much yummy information! not to mention the amazing co-incidences. I LOVED it! will definitely return next time.
managed not to blow too much money with the vendors - mostly because what I tend to want at this point is fairly specific, and while I am certainly willing to pay for it, that kind of information is more the sort of thing you have to research yourself than something you can go out and buy in a book. however I did get some juicy new research materials, along with a deepened understanding of the classic RWS deck (as well as insights into its designers, Arthur Edward Waite and Pamela Colman Smith) and a bunch of real concrete advice on reading, to boot! I also met some authors whose work I admire, plus a truly old-school tattooist - a great guy whose awesome wife is a reader. good times! she had some really thoughtful advice for me and I just loved meeting them both.
if I write it all out now I'll surely be here until four in the morning so I ought to stop there... except I do want to note - speaking of 4 in the morning - that Jovino and I also went down to San Jose to the dear old Doubletree for Saturday night at SiliCon (in our jammiez, natch). what fun!
we hit up the Klingons - a favorite moment was slamming my sippy cup down on the bar while announcing "I'm here for REVENGE!" - and checked out the FC party. it was really fun seeing friends and just checking out the 'Tree with a *much* smaller con going on (I registered around 10:30 or so on Saturday night and was badge #580) and of course the vibe was different, different people etc.
I have to say I really do love cons. at the most basic level, you get a fun little break from the outside world and a chance to live out a life that is more - well - magical, I guess. and (just about) everyone is friendly - I mean that even if you don't know someone they're probably at least (a) in a reasonably good mood due to being there, and (b) willing to interact with you, even if only on a superficial level. (and really, sometimes the superficial level is best!) it beats the pants off standing in an elevator full of people all trying to ignore everyone else, that's for sure.
oh, and as for coincidences, how about this: on Saturday when checking in at the tarot event, I was invited to choose (blindly) an unopened tarot deck from an assortment, to keep. whenever presented with this sort of thing I always take my time and feel around a bit, to see what feels like the right choice. so I groped around and a deck slipped into my hand and felt right, and I came out with... the Magical Forest Tarot. yes, a deck featuring anthromorphic animals, but based closely enough on the classic RWS that I will easily be able to read with it without having to study it in advance. later, they held a drawing and I won a hand-knitted pouch the size of the deck which was created by renowned tarot expert and author Mary K Greer, and whose colors harmonized nicely with the deck's art. now, I'm not a big fan of reinterpreted RWS decks in general (although I do adore my Hello Tarot!) but just think how great it will be to offer readings with this one at FC! so I tucked it into my bag as we headed off to the FC Silicon party, just because.
so we also got to hear Smashwolf DJing at the con dance - we jumped around until we just couldn't jump around any moar. pausing only to hit up the front desk for their famous warm chocolate chip cookies, we headed back home and crashed. it was really weird to wake up here after a night on the second floor of the 'Tree, let me tell you! and even weirder was to then have to bart over to SF to have my head filled with esoteric (and really rather complicated) stuff - I felt a bit like I was in college again, although I will admit it was a particularly fun and fascinating class, with some awesome classmates.
anyway, I really ought to get off to bed now, lest I'm up til 4 again. what marvelous dreams I'll probably have tonight, what with all this stuff in my head!