Best of Tarot 2011

Welcome to my 2nd annual “Best of Tarot”!

Looking back on the year, I found my choices being very hard. So many good sites and tarot innovation – I had a difficult task ahead. Here are my picks for the Best of Tarot 2011 (and please keep in mind that this is my opinion only):

Best Tarot Blog – Tarot Elements – Once again, the staff at Tarot Elements delivers great tarot related content – and more – month after month. With Catherine Chapman at the helm, this content rich site will give any tarot lover tons of stuff to peruse.

Best Tarot Deck – Gaian Tarot by Joanna Powell Colbert. Now that Llewellyn mass marketed this beautiful deck, we can all have access to the wisdom within. The art is stunning and the deck reads like a dream. If you don’t have a copy yet, be sure to add this one to your collection! (Honorable mention: I am also madly in love with the Cat’s Eye Tarot by Debra M. Givin – US Games once again delivers a deck that is clever and user friendly. Plus, this one makes this cat lover very happy!)

Best Tarot Artist – I have to give this award to Joanna Powell Colbert for her unique style. Earthy watercolors and strikingly realistic images make her work a standout amongst the others.

Best Tarot Book – There were many good books this year but I have to give thumbs up to Mary K Greer’s “Who Are You In The Tarot?”, an in depth exploration of tarot birth cards and how they affect your destiny. This book is actually a reprint of Tarot Constellations and I am glad to see that Weiser was smart enough to bring this one back. (Honorable mentions: “Tarosophy” by Marcus Katz , “Tarot and Astrology” by Corrine Kenner plus “Tarot Spreads and Layouts” by Jeanne Fiorini.)

Best Tarot Site – Tarot Garden is a tarot lover’s fantasy. Every deck you can imagine can be found here. From harder to get decks like the Anna K Tarot to the classics, Tarot Garden usually has ‘em all. This is THE place to go if you are in need of a new deck.

Most Underrated Blog – New Paths Tarot by Koneta Bailey is a humble little blog that delivers a lot. With regular posts on tarot cards, deck reviews, daily draws and more, this blog is growing rapidly into a “must read”. Bailey’s writing is warm, sensitive and personal.

Best Tarot Event – I had a blast at RS11 (Reader’s Studio) – but SF BATS (San Francisco Bay Area Tarot Symposium) surprised me with how much fun it was. The Reader’s Studio is still the creme de la creme of tarot conferences but don’t let the smaller ones fall under your radar. You may be pleasantly surprised as I was.

Best Tarot Newsletter – I’ve fallen in love with “Wings” from Beth Owl’s Daughter. Published monthly, this newsletter never fails to delight me with all sorts of tarot goodness, astrology tidbits and more. The writing is heartfelt and smart – this is one you CANNOT miss. (Honorable mention: Sara Donaldson of TABI continues to deliver a great newsletter month after month with The Tracker, another super resource!)

Best Tarot Podcasts – Beyond Worlds has a whole new crew but they are consistently delivering solid tarot education. Each week, host Donnaleigh and her tarot friends entertain, teach and help you to grow your tarot skills with the best that tarot has to offer.

Best Tarot Magazine – Tarosophist International is still the granddaddy of tarot magazines. Great tarot writing, beautiful covers, modern and obscure tarot information make this a winner every time. (Buzz: keep an eye on Attune Magazine. It’s still very new and in need of some serious editing but if they continue to hone their skills, it may shape up into a good resource. Mary Nale and contributors such as Anna Cook, Koneta Bailey and Bonnie Cehovet are cooking up a lively magazine with a lot of potential.)

The Tarot Reader to Watch – Matt Williams of Personal Tarot With Matt has been blowing my mind with his intelligent posts and thoughtful style of reading. So much so that I have begun working with him on a project, He Said She Said – a monthly feature where we explore tarot readings and compare the male and female perspective. Matt proves that men can be sensitive readers and this is a guy to keep an eye on.

Best Tarot Product – The Tarot Game by Jude Alexander is the funnest application of tarot that I have ever come across. But don’t let the fun part fool you – I have gotten some awesome insights “playing” this game – and that makes The Tarot Game not just a game but a real tool for transformation.

Hottest Tarot Topic – There are always hot discussions in tarot but the most intense one this year developed over bullies in online tarot communities. Although tarot is spiritual, it is not immune from questionable behavior. We are all human and we all make mistakes and this year many readers were contemplating how to deal with negativity in our community. Do we ignore it or confront it? Blogs by Tarotize, 78 Notes to Self and Matt Williams and others opened up the dialogue. Although the answers may not be here yet – by discussing the matter, we open the door for healing.

Most Creative Use of Tarot – James Wells wrote a new book “Tarot For Manifestation” which helps the reader create a map to “plot your own journey”. Wells’ methods teach you how to consciously create your future with tarot – turning the whole notion of tarot as “only for fortune telling” completely on its head. Wells is not just a tarot reader – he’s a tarot leader.

Most Anticipated Tarot Deck – There are two decks that I cannot wait to get my clammy paws on: Ghosts and Spirits Tarot by Lisa Hunt and The Steampunk Tarot by Barbara Moore. Incredible art and new perspectives make these decks a tarot lover’s dream come true!

Trend I’d Like To See in 2012 – I’m not a big fan of putting myself in front of the camera but I’ve been grooving on the You Tube videos by Angelo Nasios. Angelo functions like a cross between a tarot pundit and a teacher – making tarot news, trends and lessons accessible to all. I’ve seen a few others jumping on the bandwagon and I hope this trend continues. By putting a “human face” to tarot reading, we take it out of the closet and show the world how helpful and useful it really can be.

The Tarot Reader Who Most Impacted My Life This Year – At RS11, I sat down next to Hilary Parry and announced that she would be doing my reading. And what a reading it was! Accurate, no holds barred and straightforward – this reading was a cosmic jolt to my system! And it made my choice for my “tarot apprentice” an easy pick after weeks of careful deliberation. Hilary is an amazing talent and I consider her the “future face of tarot”.

I hope you enjoy my choices for the year. What do you think? Who would have you chosen? I’d love to hear your choices in the comment section below!

Blessings!

Theresa

https://www.thetarotlady.com