Wednesday, August 31, 2016

SEERS AND SAGES: INTERVIEW WITH THERESA REED, AKA "THE TAROT LADY"

Theresa Reed, aka "The Tarot Lady"
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, obsessed with all things esoteric and paranormal. Look for our forthcoming book, “Walking The Tarot Path” soon.


 We’ve created this blog to share our knowledge and to connect with the vibrant worldwide metaphysical and paranormal community. We hope it’s as fun for you to read as it is for us to write…Enjoy!

 Globally acclaimed Tarot expert Theresa Reed is a shining light in the metaphysical community.  Full of positive vibes and optimism, we like to think of her as The Star card come to life, cause she’s guided the careers of legions of clients, Tarot students and several CEO’s of major corporations towards realizing their potential through her readings, intelligent advice and insight. Though she teaches Tarot workshops and speaks at seminars all over the globe, she’s  amiable and down to earth  plus she’s  a whiz on social media- her  real time “Tarot Raps” on Twitter are  hugely popular. Theresa’s personality is so open, she’s like the super-fun best friend everyone wishes for. Tarot legend Mary K. Greer is a big fan, and even wrote the forward for Theresa’s latest project, The Tarot Coloring Book, scheduled for publication on November 1, 2016. The popularity of adult coloring books is a pop culture phenomenon nowadays, and this one looks like it’s going to be a big holiday hit. Not only does it have gorgeous Tarot images to color, it’s an educational tool as well, offering the meanings of all the cards in the Major and Minor Arcana plus a variety of spreads.

 For info on Theresa’s online courses, upcoming appearances, and where to find her on the web, scroll down to the end of her interview. And here she is… The Tarot Lady!

 Divination Nation: Tell us about your Tarot journey: How did you start out and who were your influences, mentors or teachers?
Theresa Reed: I became interested in Tarot quite by accident. When I was a teen, one of my friends had a mother who was well versed in astrology. She offered to read my chart and I became insanely curious - I had to learn more.  I was in the tiny new age section of a bookstore looking for astrology books when I spied a Tarot deck. I had seen them in the movies but never in the wild - and my curiosity struck again! I picked up the deck, took it home and have had a deck in my hand every since.

Do remember, this was a long time ago before the Internet!  Information was scarcer then and being in a rural area meant that I was on my own. I had no teacher, no mentor - nothing. Just the deck and the little white book - and as many guinea pigs I could find, mostly my little sis. 

A few years later, I got my paws on a copy of Eileen Connolly’s Tarot: A Handbook for the Apprentice.  I ate it up!  It gave me a good foundation but really, most of what I’ve learned has been through my experiences with the cards.  A book or teacher can only teach you so much - the best learning comes when you are diving right in, a person in front of you, asking questions.  It’s this baptism by fire that got my chops up to speed.

I read many people for ten years before I went pro - so I had a lot of readings under my belt when I finally got the courage to put up my shingle.  Since that time, I do find myself still learning from various people - Rachel Pollack, Mary Greer, Ruth Ann and Wald Amberstone to name a few.

Divination Nation: Tell us about your new Tarot coloring book, and how it came about? Why do you think adult coloring books are so popular these days?

Theresa Reed: I connected with the good people at Sounds True and they asked me to send in a book proposal.  They liked my proposal and asked me how I felt about turning it into a coloring book. I was instantly game and here’s why: I’m also a yoga teacher.  When I went through yoga teacher training, the anatomy part was REALLY hard for me.  I never thought I would remember any of those muscles and bones!  But I got a copy of the Anatomy Coloring Book and it helped me to finally grasp all those names and where everything was.  For many of us, myself included, learning needs to be experiential.  The Anatomy Coloring Book brought everything to life.  The Tarot Coloring Book aims to do the same - if you’ve ever struggled to learn how to read those cards, this is an easy and fun way to begin getting acquainted! As you color the images, you’ll be studying those cards pretty closely.  This will help you to become more intimate with the cards and that close attention will give you the chance to discover interpretations for each card.

The Tarot Coloring Book, By Theresa Reed, out Nov. 1, 2016
I think adult coloring books are popular now because people want to slow down, and calm their minds.  These coloring books are the perfect tool to do just that - the act of breaking out your crayons or coloring pencils, sitting down and coloring in the images is deeply meditative.  It’s so, so good to take the time to chill out in this hurry-hurry world we live in!  Also, coloring is FUN!  It’s a joyful pastime for both old ‘n’ young.  Break out your crayons - and connect with your inner child!


Divination Nation: You’re a Tarot reader, business coach, run a Yoga studio…how do you prepare for your work?

Theresa Reed: Easy: quiet time.  I take time for meditation and yoga.  It keeps me sane and grounded, essential for all the different spokes of my biz world.  I also keep a pretty stress-free life.  I always say that I have a “boring life” but I need this quiet so that I can be 100% present for my clients and students.  My work is always about them - and that means I need to be at my Zen best so that I can properly serve them.

DN: Aside from Tarot, Yoga and Astrology, do you practice any other metaphysical disciplines?  Please expound on the differences- and similarities- you see between them.

TR: Nope.  Those are the main things. I like to dabble here and there in other mediums on occasion but frankly, I don’t have time to get all wrapped up in other disciplines. I would rather narrow my focus than spread myself to widely. Better to be a master of a few (which by the way, I don’t feel anyone really ever masters Tarot or any of the mystical arts) than a Jane of All Trades, master of none!

DN: You have several metaphysically-based business books, and you’re also a coach for metaphysical entrepreneurs…what do you love most about   coaching?

TR: There is nothing better than seeing someone overcome there fears and makes it!  Trust me, there are loads of talented readers out there - people who have great skill but are intimidated by the whole business thing.  They assume they can’t do it. I get great joy out of seeing them succeed.  My mission with those wee e-books and coaching services is to encourage my colleagues. If I can do it, so can you. I mean that, too.

Oddly, I’ve got a crazy good knack for business and I have a lot of clients (non-Tarot) who love to talk biz with me.  Some of my favorite clients are CEO’s of big corps who dig the way my business brain works. 

DN: What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working?

TR: I love to read, photography, journaling, and cooking! Cooking is a major passion of mine. I have over 200 cookbooks and am always testing out new recipes and cuisines.  If I don’t have a deck in my hand, you can be sure there is a spatula in it!

DN: Our readers are interested in all types of divination and spiritual practices…would you please share your favorite tips and/or advice for our readers? 

TR: I encourage everyone to make time for meditation.  This is the basis of all I do.  The calmer you are internally, the more magical your life will be.  Years ago, I studied magick and got fairly good at it (long story for another time) but once I got introduced to yoga and meditation; I found that my life became magical.  I started to calm the hell down and contemplate. The more internal I got, the more I saw how my thinking, reactions and actions influenced my future. I also began to see how I could take personal responsibility to change the things I didn’t like.  Because that is the key: you are in the driver’s seat of your life. Life doesn’t just “happen to you.”  When you take personal responsibility, you create the life you want.  That’s how I like to live - and that’s how I like to help people: by showing them what is possible, paying attention to the opportunities as well as the red flags - and encouraging them to create their futures.  Start by looking within - from there, you’ll find the way forward.

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 Theresa has several events coming up in the next few months: Visit her website and join her email list here:  http://www.thetarotlady.com  …And see if she’ll be in an area near you:November 4th at 7PM: Free Spirit Crystals – Official launch – Milwaukee http://freespiritcrystals.com November 6th at 1PM: Eye of Horus in Minneapolis, Minnesota http://shop.eyeofhorus.biz/Tarot-For-Total-Beginners-p/cls-tarotldy.htm November 12th at 11AM: Barnes and Noble in Cincinnati, Ohio; Field Ertel location: https://stores.barnesandnoble.com/store/2809 November 13th: The Boston Tea Room – Tarot classes + coloring book instruction – Ferndale, Michigan http://bostontearoom.com   
 The Divination Nation-Crystal Ravenwolf and Pleasant Gehman, photo: Maharet Hughes


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