Last year, I had an amazing time at the World Domination Summit, a gathering for people who want to live remarkable lives. So it was an easy yes when the organizers invited me to lead an Academy this year. (Academies are separate workshops open to WDS attendees but also to the general public.)
A tarot workshop at WDS? HELL YEAH!
I had a few months to prepare my Academy, titled Hack Your World With Tarot – a three hour immersion for tarot newbies. My mission: give these tarot-curious peeps some down-and-dirty insight into how tarot works plus some practical spreads that they can begin using right away for biz ‘n life. ‘Cause practical is how I roll.
When I arrived on July 8th, Portland was in the middle of an intense heat wave, which did not make me very happy. But onward and upward! I checked out my venue and headed to bed early so I would be bright eyed and ready to rip at 9AM. (Bedtime only happened after a fantastic meal at Castagna, which is quite possibly my favorite restaurant in the world.)
I got to the venue early to set up and meet ‘n greet the attendees as they arrived. The room filled up quickly with eager tarot students and a few friends who came out especially for me. (It’s always a joy to have a familiar face or two in any audience.) Armed with my giant Rider Waite deck and a Cool Lime Refresher, I began.
And I nailed it! Those months of practice paid off and the class clipped along at a brisk pace. It didn’t hurt that I had such an amazing audience to work with. This was one of the most engaged groups I have ever taught. They were interactive and asked great questions, which kept the vibe running smooth and fast. Those three hours zipped by without a hitch or a glitch to speak of. When I was done, I was overwhelmed by all the love and accolades. Yay!
(I got fabulous feedback all weekend long! This made my little tarot heart very happy.)
Once I was finished, I went back to my hotel and promptly got sick as a dog with a nasty head cold. I rarely get sick. All I could think about was the woman in head-to-toe beige on the plane, who was coughing like a fiend between handfuls of Mike ‘n Ikes. That must be where I got it. UGH.
So my plans for the rest of World Domination Summit went something like this: sleep in, go to presentations, back to hotel to nap, more presentations, dinner, pass out early. I wasn’t dominating jack shit. That head cold dominated ME.
Although that was not a very exciting game plan, I was still able to attend every single presentation. Standouts were Jon Acuff, who is a hilarious and gifted storyteller, the adorable Kid President, and Megan Devine, who moved me with her heartbreaking talk on grief.
But my favorite by far was photographer Jeremy Cowart’s visually charged presentation that chronicled his own journey and reminded us that we “can do anything”. I am a very visual person due to my hearing issues plus I’m a budding photographer so this was right up my alley. And those slides? AMAZING. (Unfortunately it was going so fast my pictures were not very good. Guess I need his photography classes! Ha!)
Even though I had my favorites, all the presenters were inspiring. I would have to say that this year was even better than the previous. Once the main presentations were done, Chris Guillebeau announced that the World Domination Summit was going to change next year. It was going to be smaller, more intimate. Instead of scaling up, they were scaling down to give attendees more. WOW. That impressed me a lot because I’ve been saying for a while now that small is the new black and intimacy is in. This is a ballsy move and a trend that I hope other event organizers pay attention to.
I have not made my decision on whether or not I’ll be doing next year (waiting for the next round of tickets to decide that) but I will say this: my two experiences at the World Domination Summit were both stellar and inspiring. I walked away both years with new friends, new ideas, and a fresh kick in the ass to truly live a remarkable life. Thank you, World Domination Summit.
Other stuff:
Speaking of smaller, more intimate, the doors for my Soulful Proprietor Retreat, the one-of-a-kind gathering for women who work in mystical or metaphysical careers, is open. Because I never do the same thing twice, this year is smaller – only 8 seats and one day! We’re going to be focusing on brainstorming, idea generating, income making, and plotting out the entire year with astrology. Ready to make your 2016 profitable and fabulous? Join us! There are only 5 seats left as of this post. (PS the food will be epic this year.)
I am obsessing over this jacket.
Tarot great Rachel Pollack has a new book out!
Have we been catfished by the Loch Ness monster?
An open letter to those who hate teachers. A must read. (PS since when did teachers become Public Enemy Number 1? I loved mine!)
Tad Hargrave’s post on no-shows is the best I’ve ever read. If you’ve ever dealt with clients who pull this, you know how aggravating it can be. In my line of work, this is all-too-common because people sometimes don’t view this as “real work” and assume I’m sitting around all day with nothing better to do!
Wide awake – a heavy sleeper’s guide to getting up in the morning. Really great tips from Sarah Bray!
You can’t search “curvy” on Instagram.
Want to know the real secret about running a successful online business? Maggie Patterson delivers some hot truth.
Another day, another Planned Parenthood hoax. These extremists will stop at nothing to defund and destroy PP.
Check out this list to see if your senator voted to allow LGBT students to be bullied.
US education in Afghanistan is a lie. We didn’t do shit over there to promote schooling. Heartbreaking.
Loving this over at Sarah Von Bargen’s blog: how to turn your online community into offline friends with one of my fave tarot readers – Little Red Tarot! Woot!
Double dose of goodness: Little Red Tarot also shares her productivity tips. That Little Red Tarot…she’s something ain’t she? Love this woman!
Just got my paws on the Fountain Tarot. You need to get yours on it too. This deck is modern, gorgeous, well made and it reads VERY well. YES.
Waiting for my first Lenny letter to grace my inbox. Sign up and get that feminist goodness as soon as it launches, yo! (I’m all about everything Lena Dunham!)
Courtney Love discusses aging well at Harper’s Bazaar.
What the world needs now is a Marvel comic hero classic hip-hop album cover mash up!
Mad to hear that Atticus Finch might be a racist? You don’t have to read the damn book.
A thoughtful post on how to help your partner when they are struggling with depression. My favorite: don’t take the symptoms of depression personally.
Loving this from James Altucher: what I learned about leadership from the world’s biggest drug dealer.
If it’s good enough for Jeremy Cowart, it’s good enough for me. This is how he learned digital photography: Digital Photography For Dummies
Another book I’m checking out: The Beginner’s Photography Guide
And this: BetterPhoto Basics: The Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Taking Photos Like a Pro
Jon Acuff’s latest book is worth checking out: Do Over: Rescue Monday, Reinvent Your Work, and Never Get Stuck
Wish Kid President was THE president: Kid President’s Guide to Being Awesome
One of the speakers at World Domination Summit was Lewis Howes. He has a new book coming out soon: The School of Greatness: A Real-World Guide to Living Bigger, Loving Deeper, and Leaving a Legacy
Lissa Rankin was a speaker at the event too – and she has a new book coming out later this year: The Anatomy of a Calling: A Doctor’s Journey from the Head to the Heart and a Prescription for Finding Your Life’s Purpose
What I’m Grateful For:
Being home
Sleep
More sleep
Yoga
Chinese takeout
My health
Soundtrack for 7/18/15: Bitch Better Have My Money by Rihanna. Yeah, I posted her before but that was a live version – this is the official video and it is BAD ASS. Rihanna is my girl, all the way!
Blessings,
Theresa
© Theresa Reed | The Tarot Lady 2015
images from personal collection
I’m Theresa Reed (aka, The Tarot Lady). I’ve been a full-time tarot reader for 30+ years — which, in my industry, makes me pretty badass.
I’m definitely not your average Tarot expert — I drop the F-bomb, I quote rappers, and I’m obsessed with pop culture + reality TV. Folks come to me for straight-talk + tough-love — without the woo-woo fluff. 
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