Welcome to The Divination Nation
blog!
We are Pleasant Gehman and Crystal Ravenwolf, a duo of
divination divas, “spiritual sisters from another mister”. We’re life-long
Tarotistas, and practice many other
forms of divination and metaphysical disciplines, including Reiki and energy
healing, pendulum divining, dousing, crystal work, mediumship, house
cleansings, and more. We read for clients, write, lecture and teach together as
well as working solo. For years, we’ve worked as professional belly dancers,
and since 2009, we’ve been doing paranormal investigations, exploring public
and private sites that are reputed to be haunted. Currently, we’re
working on our book, “ Walking The Tarot Path”. We’ve created this blog to share our knowledge and to connect with the vibrant worldwide metaphysical community. We hope it’ll be relevant for metaphysically-inclined peeps at every stage of development so our posts will range from basic concepts and info that many of you are undoubtedly familiar with, to interviews, how-to’s and reviews on events and products.
We hope this blog is as fun for you to read as it is for us to write…Enjoy!
With the Fourth of July just passed, we’re at
the very height of summer…. and that means many of us will be doing Tarot
readings outdoors. Whether you’re reading at a festival, a neighborhood event,
a Ren Faire, on a beachfront boardwalk or at a private party, there are lots of things you need to take into
consideration to work to the best of your ability- and to stay comfortable!
First of all, if you are
doing any private parties or public
events regularly, you should have a Tarot Gig Bag packed and ready to go at all times. Aside from the obvious- a
deck or two of your favorite cards- pack it with the following essentials:
table cloth or spread cloth; a clipboard (with attached pen) with a reading signup sheet,
and an email list signup; your
business cards, plus a couple of travel packs of Kleenex…in case your clients
get emotional…and you know at least one will! You’ll also want hand sanitizer
or wet-wipes to prevent your hands-or
your client’s hands from soiling your cards.
You’ll need an envelope or strongbox
containing at least thirty dollars in ones and fives for making change. If you have
Paypal, get the mobile app for your phone, so you can accept payments that way,
and/or get a Square Reader or a similar device so you can also accept credit
cards. For outdoor gigs, you might also want to include a few crystals or
smaller, pretty rocks- not just for decoration, but to weigh down your cards so
they don’t scatter if it gets windy! If
there’s a chance you’ll be reading at twilight
or after it gets dark, think
ahead and bring an LED or battery-powered
lantern with you. Reading by the
light of a flash light or cell phone isn’t optimal…and candles won’t stay lit
very well outside in even a slight wind.
 |
| Pleasant at the Ojai Pirate Faire |
Speaking of the wind, weather is a huge consideration. For festivals, fairs, street readings or any
place you’ll be out in the elements for more than an hour or two, make sure you
wear (or bring) layers. In many locations, summer weather can change from balmy
and sun-drenched to wet and windy quicker than you can shuffle a deck! Definitely
check the weather report, but also be
prepared- bring a light-weight windbreaker, and tuck a few waterproof Ziploc
bags in different sizes into your gig bag to protect your cards…as well as your
reading cloth, crystals, business cards and signage!
Sunblock is an absolute necessity for summer readings outdoors, no matter where in the
world you are. Even just a few minutes of daytime sun exposure can result in sunburn,
so make sure you’ve packed some high SPF protection and slather it on at least
every couple of hours.
For any outdoor gig, consider your comfort as
well, especially if you will be out in the elements for hours. If you happen to be reading in costume- like
you might do for a pirate event or Ren Faire, it’s better to leave your brocade, velvet and heavy vintage
fancies at home. Dress in the spirit of
the event, but in light, airy, natural fabrics to stay cool. There’s also a
fairly good chance you’ll get dusty and/or or sweaty, or that some “lord” or
“buccaneer” might be a few sails to the wind and inadvertently spill his mead
you. Not to mention the fact that hoop skirts, bustles and armor are absolute hell to try to negotiate in a
Port-A-Potty!
 |
| Crystal Ravenwolf at a Ren Faire |
Make sure to stay amply hydrated- bring a
small cooler with couple of water bottles and some snacks, especially if you
are vegan or veggie. Water is hugely
important, not just to quench your thirst, but because…hello…you’re going to be
speaking non-stop as you do multiple readings! Some mints would totally be a good idea, too. If you think that you might be so busy with clients that
you don’t get a chance to grab a meal, or the food at the event might not match
your dietary preference, bring a small meal, napkins and utensils in an
insulated lunch bag as well.
If you
read outside regularly, perhaps you’ve already invested in a pop-up canopy or
shelter. But if you’re at the stage of
just thinking about doing more readings in the great outdoors, you should also
seriously consider purchasing one. These canopies are quite portable and
assemble easily. The more deluxe models are made of nice, durable material, and
many come with a few folding camp chairs. These shelters are relatively
inexpensive, starting at about fifty to seventy bucks for the most basic
versions and going up from there…but they are well worth the comfort. An added
plus is that they can be decorated fairly easily with colorful fabric and
scarves, making them look inviting and exotic, setting the atmosphere for your
clients. They’re always available at places like Target, Walmart or Home
Depot. Also, be sure to check with the
event coordinators or production staff about whether or not you need to bring
your own folding table and chairs; sometimes they’re provided, other times,
you’ll need to bring your own. Again, you can get serviceable-and quite
affordable-folding tables and chairs from almost any big box store. We can vouch from experience that you-and your
clients- will much prefer chairs than sitting on the ground!
One last thing to consider is
your location at the event. Since
readings -even when done in public- are considered a private type of exchange
with a lot of conversation involved, the last
place you want to be is near live music, especially if it’s amplified. Other problem locations are near children’s
activities, like a face-painting booth, play area or rides; or near any sort of noisy show, a bar area or the
rest rooms! As soon as you confirm your
appearance, make arrangements with the event producer or person who hired you, explaining
that you need a space that is as quiet as possible, yet still trafficked enough
for you to get business. If you do this
well in advance, your needs will most likely be accommodated and you're your
location shouldn’t be a problem at all.
Of course, you can always have this written into your contract and
appearance rider…but contracts for Tarot gigs are a whole other issue… which we’ll tackle in another blog post soon!
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We’d love to connect with you!
Visit our website: www.thedivinationnation.com
Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDivinationNation?fref=ts
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TarotAlimah
To find out more about Pleasant click here: http://www.pleasantgehman.com/
For more on Crystal, click here http://www.crystalravenwolf.com
Send an email here: divinationnation@yahoo.com
LEARN TO CONDUCT YOUR OWN PARANORMAL INVESTIGATIONS.... AND COME ON A GHOST HUNT WITH US!
SAT. AUGUST 8, 2015 IN THE FRESNO, CA. AREA
All info is here:
https://www.facebook.com/events/933092746729155/
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