by Bonnie Cehovet, TE
I enjoy all things Tarot, and one of the newest Tarot venues … a venue that I feel is just now coming into its own … is that of Podcasts focused on the Tarot. What is a Podcast? It is an audio recording that can be played through your computer (or downloaded onto a DVD), and allows you to put a voice to people in the Tarot world that have up until now been a face on the back of a book, or a photo on an Internet site, or fellow members of various Internet groups.
Through the auspices of the Internet you can listen to someone across the country … or across the world! You can hear them express themselves on a variety of subjects, feel their intensity, their excitement, their passion for the world of Tarot. Podcasts can be a classroom for learning, or a gateway to your creative self, depending on the subject under discussion. They can solidify your views on some things, and open them up on others. There are many Tarot Podcasts out there, and I would like to talk about a few that have caught my eye … and ear!
Tarot artist/author/teacher/webmaster Leisa ReFalo is the founder of what I consider to be the premier Tarot Podcast on the Internet … TarotConnection.net. It is Leisa’s intention to present and discuss all things Tarot, and she has hosted Podcasts with James Wanless, Thalassa, Johanna Gargiulo-Sherman, Dan Peletier, Ellen Lorenzi-Prince, James Wells, Robert Place, Teresa Michelson, James Ricklef, Roger Tobin, the Portland Tarot Society, and more. I should also mention that I have a continuing series here myself (entitled “The Hermit’s Journey”), as does Ginny Hunt (entitled “78 Notes To Self”). There is a vast variety of subject matter here, including Tarot and astrology, Tarot and dreams, and one of my favorites … Tarot and writing!
ATA’s own Stephanie Arwen Lynch has a wonderful monthly Podcast (Tarot By Arwen – tarotbyarwen.podbean.com) that gifts the listener with a humorous take on Tarotscopes … and they are right on the money!
“Tarot Today” (tarottoday.blogspot.com) bills itself as a source for what is new and exciting in the Tarot world. You can listen to interviews here with Ruth Ann and Wald Amberstone; Joy Vernon (on the suits and their elements); Ferol Humphrey, organizer of the Living Tarot MeetUp (Dallas). I list this Podcast because it is interesting, although it appears not to have been updated since December of 2006.
“Tarot Table Talk” (magicians-table.com/podcast.html) is co-hosted by Susan Gold and Evelyn Pine. A quick moving, delightful Podcast, it is focused on using the Tarot in conjunction with writing. Other topics are discussed, such as in Episode Four, where the focus is on using hypnosis to reach your potential as a Tarot reader.
The “Texas Tarot Podcast” is hosted by Brad Ingel, with guest appearances by Isaac Bradfield, Vaughan Wynne-Jones, and Valentina. Discussions here range the full gamut of Tarot interests.
Tarot related Podcasts can be found by using the words “Tarot Podcasts” in a search engine, such as Google, or by visiting Podcast directories, such as www.podfeed.net, www.podcastdirectory.com, and www.podcastblaster.com.
Aside from enjoying listening to the Podcasts, we need to remember that Podcasts are actually an interactive venue. Visitors are encouraged to leave comments, which can be about the content of any given episode, about how the episode affected them, thoughts that they might have to add to the subject, or subjects that they might like to see covered in future Podcasts. Feedback helps the host of the Podcast fine tune their efforts so that the shows they are producing reflect the interests of the Tarot community, which in turn means that people come back to listen to more Podcasts. It is a win/win situation.
If you know of someone that you feel would be a good candidate to be on a specific Podcast, you can leave this as a comment, or e-mail the host directly. If you yourself are working on something that you feel might be of interest for a Podcast, don’t be afraid to contact the host and begin a conversation. Shows can be taped over the phone, so you do not have to live in the host’s area to be part of their Podcast. Listen to several shows and listen not only for topics covered, but to the technical quality of the show. You want to be on a show that presents you and your work well.
I think that Podcasting open up a new world for many of us, as it allows us to truly feel the passion of authors or artists that we may be following, as well as giving us ideas for new areas of study, and new projects for ourselves.
Enjoy the journey that is Tarot!