Talkin' Tarot With Tali Goodwin

Talkin’ Tarot With is a monthly feature designed to introduce my readers to different tarot readers from our wonderfully diverse community! Each month, I’ll be asking various tarot readers 3 questions about their tarot philosophy and style, plus pointing you to their websites and blogs so that you can learn more about them! I like to hand pick tarot readers that I feel are talented and interesting.

Loud and boisterous people may get all the attention but it’s the quiet ones in the background that I am more intrigued with. Over the last few years, I’ve been very curious about the woman behind Tarot Professionals, marketing director Tali Goodwin. So you can imagine my excitement when I learned she was coming to the Readers Studio in April.

When I first met Tali, I was struck by her gentle and almost ethereal presence. She is almost like a little fairy and there is a vulnerability in her eyes that draws you in. But after spending any time with her you quickly discover there is a quiet fire underneath the sweet exterior and a fierce intelligence that shines through with every word she says.

Recently, Tali began to come out of the woodwork and step into the spotlight with her new blog, The Tarot Speakeasy. This smart site displays her deep knowledge of tarot and gives us all a better glimpse into her world.

Tali Goodwin is the Marketing Director for Tarot Professionals Ltd and the co-author (with Marcus Katz) of Tarot Flip, Tarot Twist, Tarot Inspire (forthcoming 2011) and two innovative new tarot books for Llewellyn Worldwide, which will be published in 2012. She organises the Tarosophy Tarot Conference in the Lake District of England and writes for Tarosophist International magazine. She is the co-founder of Tarot-Town, the social network for those who simply love Tarot.

She has recently launched her unique Tarot Speakeasy blog [http://www.tarotspeakeasy.com] which is the world’s only time-travelling tarot blog – shifting lingo and slang every few months! This blog is powered by shindigtarot.com, a unique online Tarot service with video-chat and integrated Tarot cards for which Tali provides tarot, media and marketing consultancy.

She has worked previously in occupational therapy (Alzheimer’s Care) and lives with her partner, Lyn Birkbeck, a leading astrologer and author. Her practice in Reiki has been ongoing since 1994. Her favourite tarot deck at present is the New Palladini deck, followed closely by the Sun and Moon Tarot (US Games Systems Inc.).

Her passion is the enigma and mystery of Tarot, and giving it a unique voice.

Check out her answers to my questions below:

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1. What is your philosophy about tarot reading?

Tali: My philosophy about tarot reading is that it can be a means of reconnecting to the sacred and the most divine within ourselves. The Tarot cards are possessed with the spirit of myth, mystery and wisdom which is gifted to us when we read the cards. It helps to ignite our intuition and gives it a form of expression.

I see the tarot as a liber mutus, a mute book, comprising of pictures alone, therefore we have to be the ones who give it voice. This the work of the oracle.

The Tarot is a key, the key to unlocking our own unknown and that of our past and future selves. I see Tarot as being within the same tradition as that of the Troubadour, who would pass on their knowledge through the medium of song. I feel strongly that it is a craft which can be honed over time, like any craft, it may not seem clear at first, but with experience and good practical tarot education it will become … more accessible – across many levels.

Tarot might be seen as the universal record of the memory of the universe and when we have a Tarot reading we are sharing all the knowledge that has gone before, that is in the making, and is yet to be.

As T.S. Eliot expressed in the first poem of his Four Quartet ‘Little Giddings’:

Time past and time future
What might have been and what has been
Point to one end, which is always present

I believe that this is the gift that is Tarot.

2. How do you feel a client might get the most out of a reading with you?

Tali: A client would get the most out of a reading with me, in that I have the ability to hit the mark, and be succinct in my delivery. I avoid waffle! Certainly, this is what I have been told by querents!

My first ever reading was when I was part of a Marketing Event at a 5-star hotel in London for a new NBC TV series. If it is possible to find yourself accidentally doing a Tarot reading then this is exactly what I found myself doing! So my first-ever querent was a hardnosed sceptic tabloid journalist, it was entirely possible that they could have critiqued my reading in a national newspaper – so no pressure there!

I read them the message of the Blasted Tower card, and whilst they were a little bemused, they then went and had a couple of other readings and these came up with the same card! Perhaps they took away with them a reminder that the universe can be giving messages if only we would stop trying to transmit our own, and this is something that a client gets from a reading with me.

3. What is your best piece of advice for an aspiring tarot reader?

Tali: My best piece of advice for an aspiring Tarot Reader for them to immerse themselves in the art, and the disciplines which are connected, such as numerology, astrology and even kabbalah. Also, connect with other people in courses, conferences, online and in person – as Tarot is about engaging life not escaping it!

One of the most important things I would also advise is to attend a few courses – there is so much to learn and so many great teachers out there. You can also learn so much from your fellow students; don’t leave it for years – just do it.

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Many thanks to Tali for taking time out of her uber-busy life to chat with me! Be sure to keep your eye on The Tarot Speakeasy for more Tali Goodwin goodness!

Blessings!

Theresa

https://www.thetarotlady.com

http://www.tarotmentor.com