Balance and Healing with Archetypes & Essential Oil

Balance and Healing with Archetypes & Essential Oil

Podcast available on Apple Podcast, iTunes and pretty much wherever you download your podcasts.

Published: August 12, 2018
Aloha! We have been on a bit of a summer sabbatical but we are back and excited to get this episode out to you! As ever we invite you to be part of making the podcast magic happen by joining our Patron team! Just visit tiny.cc/tarot for more information.

This episode features a conversation with Barb Kurkas Lee. Barb is a certified clinical aromatherapist and archetypal consultant. Her service is to partner with people to help them nurture and connect to their inner lives. Check out her very cool blog and info on her service at barbkl.com.

We discuss her work which combines archetypal discovery with essentail oils to help balance and heal. Our conversation ranges to various archetypes such as the Victim, the Mother, the Alchemist, Healer and more. Toward the end of the show Julienne and Barb celebrate practices which feed the soul and encourage listeners to discover and keep doing the things that feed their soul even if they seem silly – all the better!

More on Barb Kurkas Lee:
Barb creates specific essential oil blends to support people as they connect to their soul’s compass. By learning our soul’s contract in working the archetypes, we find inner sustenance and peace. The interior work for a person is a labor of love. Barb’s education as a masters prepared nurse, retired nurse midwife, experience in other areas of healthcare, and hospice bring a deep dimensional witnessing of a soul’s journey on earth. Her ability to assist people and groups in their own labor of love is one of her callings.
Visit her website: https://barbkl.com/
Connect with her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/barbkl/

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Tarot, Music, Mental Health & Meh

Tarot, Music, Mental Health & Meh

ATP Tarot Cat_finalOur guest for this episode is Ste McCabe otherwise known as The Tarot Cat. Ste is a tarot reader, synth-punk musician and counsellor. He has just published Tarot Makes Music – a limited edition magazine that explores the connections between tarot, music and creativity. Our conversation ranged from tarot (of course) music, belief, superstition, mental health and those tarot readings that just kinda fall flat and have you saying “Meh”.
Become a member of the podcast Patron team. Rewards abound. Visit Tiny.cc/tarot
More about Ste McCabe aka The Tarot Cat:
The Tarot Cat is Ste McCabe, a tarot-reading counsellor, musician and writer living in Scotland. Ste began reading tarot in 2005 shortly after his dad died and found the symbolism to be a powerful tool in getting him through bereavement. He began his counselling training around the same time and uses tarot as a tool to help guide others through difficulties with compassionate, artistic exploration; his speciality is beautifully written email readings. His magazine, Tarot Makes Music, is the quirky and fascinating result of his research into connections between tarot, alternative music and creativity. Get a reading by The Tarot Cat via his website and grab a copy of Tarot Makes Music from his Etsy shop!
Twitter @TheTarotCat
If you would like to become one of our most favorite people in the world become a Patron! just visit tiny.cc/tarot and you too could be like these awesome humans: Richard, Sara, Talia, Hilary, Peter, Rash, Christine, Cat, Alli, Geneva & Yvonne! Thank you guys! your support makes all this happen & make us smile every day!
Produced by Both/And Media
Theme music by: The Lunar Group
Archetypal Astrology with Shawn Nygaard

Archetypal Astrology with Shawn Nygaard

Part 1 is a conversation Julienne had with Archetypal Astrologer Shawn Nygaard. Shawn is an astrologer based in Minneapolis. He is a Tutor for MISPA (Mercury Internet School for Psychological Astrology), and has presented at conferences and different astrology schools as well as at The Minnesota Jung Association. His writing has been published in The Mountain Astrologer. Shawn is also a graduate of the CMED Institute in Chicago, where he studied archetypes and symbolism with Caroline Myss.
Their wide ranging conversation reflects on The Star card of the Tarot as our lens for looking at 2018, some of the major astrological aspects just ending and those for the near future. And of course, movies, music and culture.
Topics discussed:
  • Moana
  • Black Panther
  • Super Heroes
  • Pricilla Queen of the Desert
You can find out more about Shawn at his website ImagineAstrology.com Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter and look for the Giveaway post where you could win a recording of A Brief Introduction to Archetypal Astrology by Shawn Nygaard.
Part 2 of Julienne’s conversation with Archetypal Astrologer Shawn Nygaard.  Their conversation focuses on the archetypal symbolism and history the upcoming Saturn in Capricorn in 2020.

Find more info on Shawn on his website:  https://www.imagineastrology.com/

Saturn in Capricorn – echoes of the slave trade

“There is nothing more satisfying, more gratifying than true adulthood.” – Toni Morrison 

Subtopics include:

  • Thresholds
  • Capricorn
  • The Handmaids Tale
  • Black Panther
  • Ancient Babylonia

 

The Lowdown on the High Priestess

The Lowdown on the High Priestess

Our first ever triple header – super extra bonus size podcast – all about the High Priestess! Over 2 hours of wisdom from some of our favorite people, Rashunda Tramble and Melissa Cynova.

What in the world does this mysterious figure  have to do with these crazy times we are living in? How do we hold things as sacred in daily life?    We ask two very wise women their take on this and more.
Part 1 is Cyndera and I starting things off. Pop culture references abound!  Who knew that this stoic character could be seen in The Matrix, Too Wong Foo, Star Wars, The Dark Crystal, Never Ending Story and more…
Part 2 of the Low Down on the High Priestess is a conversation with Rashunda Tramble of Stay Woke Tarot.  Rash is an African-American immigrant living in Zurich, Switzerland . If you haven’t already, check out her website and blog at staywoketarot.com, where you can book mp3 audio file and in-person / video readings. Follow her on Instagram @StayWokeTarot.
Part 3 is a dialogue with author and card slinger Melissa of Little Fox Tarot.  She been slinging tarot cards and teaching classes since 1989. She can be found in the St. Louis area and online for personal readings, parties and beginner and advanced tarot classes. Her first book, Kitchen Table Tarot was released in 2017. Her next book Tarot Elements: Five Readings to Reset Your Life will be out February 2019. You can find her at LittleFoxTarot.com 
Go ahead and schedule a reading – she already knows you want one.

Download this episode (right click and save)

We know you could have done something else with the last 2 hours of your life but we are SO glad you spent it with us.  Be sure to check out our guests Rash at StayWokeTarot.com and Melissa at LittleFoxTarot.com and  Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
If you would like to become one of our most favorite people in the world become a Patron!  just visit tiny.cc/tarot and you too could be like these awesome humans:  Richard, Sara, Talia, Hilary, Peter,  Rash, Christine, Cat, Alli, Geneva & Yvonne!  Thank you guys!  you make us smile every day! 
Produced by Both/And Media
Theme music by: The Lunar Group
The Last Jedi & Saving What We Love

The Last Jedi & Saving What We Love

The first episode of 2018 has Cyndera and Julienne discussing the archetypes and mythological themes in the latest Star Wars film, The Last Jedi and the parallels to current events. Archetypes include The Priestess, The Hero, The Hermit, The Empress, The Chariot and the subverting of the Princess archetype. *SPOILER ALERT* If you haven’t seen the film yet we go deep into the film so spoilers abound.

They also pull a card to reflect on 2017 and one to work with for the year to come. The results might surprise you.

This is how we win. Not by fighting what we hate, but by saving what we love.

– Rose Tico as played by Kelly Marie Tran in The Last Jedi

Find out more about becoming a Patron of the Archetypal Tarot Podcast by clicking here Tiny.cc/tarot

Connect with the podcast team on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram or email  tarotpodcast@gmail.com

Filling the Swear Jar with Melissa of Little Fox Tarot

Filling the Swear Jar with Melissa of Little Fox Tarot

 

This episode features a high voltage conversation with Julienne and Melissa Cynova, owner of Little Fox Tarot. Melissa has been slinging tarot cards and teaching classes since 1989. Her first book, Kitchen Table Tarot was released this year, and her next book is underway. We are giving away 2 copies of Kitchen Table Tarot!  The next Patron to sign up at a $2 a month or higher level will get a copy of the book!  More info an to sign up visit Tiny.cc/tarot   Or find our entry posts on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram .

The conversation ranges from tarot in current events, pop culture and let me tell you we filled the swear jar in this episode. If you are sensitive to expletives this might not be the episode for you.

More about Melissa: She lives in St. Louis with her outstanding kids, her sweet husband, Joe, two cats, two dogs, and a tortoise named Phil. When she’s not slinging cards, she’s enjoying her tribe and probably watching a superhero movie while reading a book. She is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Go ahead and schedule a reading – she already knows you want one. LittleFoxTarot.com

Topics include:

The Moon

Trump

Politics

The Fool

Hero’s journey

The Outsider

The World

The Heirophant

The Tower

6 of swords

Miss Cleo

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Game of Swords with Root Lock Tarot

Game of Swords with Root Lock Tarot

Julienne talks with Weston, creator of Root Lock Tarot and Root Lock Radio Podcast – a course on Tarot.  They discuss the most difficult suit in the Tarot – the Swords. But it’s not all tough stuff, they geek out on Game of Thrones which is SO the suit of swords.  Topics range from pop culture to politics in this lively discussion of the symbols in the sword cards.  Weston has also generously offered to give away a 30 minute reading with him.  Check out our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram from September 21st – October 15th, 2017 to find our entry posts. (If you are a Patron you are automatically entered into every giveaway!)

Help keep the Archetypal Tarot Podcast alive by becoming a Patron!  Just visit Tiny.cc.tarot to find out about all the nifty rewards for joining our Patron team.

 

Download this episode (right click and save)

Soul Story: A Provocative Conversation with Tim Freke

Soul Story: A Provocative Conversation with Tim Freke

This episode features T!M Freke is a pioneering philosopher & bestselling author of 35 books. In Tim’s latest book ‘Soul Story’ he offers a revolutionary approach to awakening for the 21st century and a visionary new understanding of the nature of reality.

Tim and Julienne discuss the ideas in Soul Story, evolution from the Fool to the World and how the Tarot works – like really HOW TAROT WORKS. More info on Tim on his website TimFreke.com

Enter to win an ebook copy of Tim’s book Soul Story on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter @TarotPodcast Find entry posts and submit by August 18, 2017.

Sign up to be a part of the Archetypal Tarot Patron Team!  tiny.cc/tarot

TimFrekeGiveaway2

 

Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman

Cyndera and Julienne bring their provocative archetypal and tarotic insights into the new film Wonder Woman.  The archetypes in The Priestess, The Sun and the Chariot are at play in the film.   They also discuss how listeners can become a part of the Archetypal Tarot team by signing up to be a patron of the show.  https://patron.podbean.com/atpodcast

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Treatise on Wonder Woman by Cyndera Quakenbush

In an attempt to add a poster of Wonder Woman to my office, a new colleague of mine expressed her reservation to the addition of this image to the office environment, which, to her credit, did contain a speech bubble from Wonder Woman’s mouth saying “No Time for Naughty.”

She articulated: “I feel it’s important to celebrate real women, brave and courageous historical leaders who had an actual impact on the world.”

I felt as though wounded, as if a spear had gone straight through my heart, as if she was saying I
wasn’t real. Why on earth did I feel this way? Wonder Woman is not, in fact, flesh and blood, and I am certainly myself not Wonder Woman.

The poster did indeed stick out like a sore thumb on the wall, she did not match the drab green walls, the muted tones of the overhead file bins. Would my own personality clash as brilliantly as this to the work culture? Wonder Woman seemed protected in her plastic cover, the natural light causing her to emit an armor of reflected light. I was speechless, tears came to my eyes, I left early from my first official day, along with the poster.

Today, in Wonder Woman’s defense, these words have come me:

You speak of the courage of suffragettes, the immensity of emotion portrayed in Frida Kahlo’s artwork, but who would these women be without the forces that came alive within them. We speak of these forces in abstracted terms all the time – they are real and present even after each historical woman exhales her last breath – Courage, Leadership, Imagination, Vision. Fictional figures such as Wonder Woman, illustrate and actually embody these forces for us.

The gift of Fiction, the gift of art, that percolates through our culture in various guises – depicts for us these forces we hope to ourselves enact. We can celebrate the lives of historical women AND embrace the inspiration of of the figures of fiction – who try on possibilities, dreams and visions that our not-so-humble humanity has not yet dared.

Scientists look to science fiction for ideas of invention and innovation. Teachers and psychologists look to literature for an understanding of human behavior. Mathematicians have found formulas from their dreams (another source some may call “not real”)

“The Gods have not died, they have just gone underground.”

The forces within us are Real – Love, Hate, Courage, Passion, Intelligence. Allow us to celebrate and be educated by history and Imagination alike, for one teaches of the past the other of the future.

Since her creation, Wonder Woman has been resurrected many times, always reflecting the struggles of the age. Her tiara and dark tendrils rise again, along with a voice that is once again trying to be heard.

What do you believe in? What do you wish to stand for?
Do you act from Love or do you simply hide and take cover from fear?

Wonder Woman’s name is Diana Prince – Diana connects her to the name of the Roman Goddess of the Moon. Like the light of the Moon, her power is a reflected one and thus reminds us of REFLECTION – the power to look within yourself to see your own shadows and your own light. Prince – though she is a woman she also embodies the sacred masculine. She is in touch with her noble male capacities (the animus in psychology). And thus Diana Prince, Wonder Woman, is a marriage of opposites, the holding of a tension between differences, and thus a medicine for our deeply divided times.

Red, White and Blue are the colors of Wonder Woman’s classic costume. In one comic, she is actually dressed from a tattered American flag. Since WWII Wonder Woman has stood for what is noble about the United States, a symbol of liberty, justice and truth. She rises in the face of what is most ugly about our country, which has always been equipped with the teeth of greed, bigotry, narcissism and blindness.

Wonder Woman rises with only the weapons of truth, and her own strength to remind us of the hope we must not lose hold of. Hold tight to the Lassos of Truth! Feel the bondage of those bracelets encircling your wrists, reminding all deeds done by these hands to be for the liberation of self and others.

Feel the tiara, placed upon the crown of the head, framing the third eye of Insight, Intuition and crystallized concentration. Most of all, feel your heart, beating with life, beating with love for life bursting in each moment with your passion…

Sign up to be a part of the Archetypal Tarot Patron Team!  tiny.cc/tarot

Archetypal Tarot Podcast – Aloha edition

Archetypal Tarot Podcast – Aloha edition

candjmaui_7-16_webJulienne and Cyndera are back together again recording in the same space at the same time!  Out of their recording closet in San Francisco the Aloha edition of the podcast was recorded in Julienne’s new home on Maui, Hawaii.  This tropical edition of the podcast discusses how our sense of place influences our lives, what to do when you are caught between our head and your intuition and the joys of adventure learning to live in a new place.

Cyndera shares her experience visiting the fiery beauty of a live volcano and the mythology of the Hawaiian Goddess Pele and the two discuss the foreshadowing events found in the Mana Cards deck years before Julienne’s move.

Synchronicity, sun and learning to integrate symbols, intuition and are the themes of this show!  Sorry no ukelele serenade this time!.

BIG NEWS  The Archetypal Tarot Podcast invites you to become a participant!

Visit Tiny.cc/tarot for more info!

img_2154Pic of the Maui card mentioned in the podcast. And surprise!  This deck of Hawaiian wisdom is available to purchase!  You can buy they direct from the authors from their site or get them via Amazon.

Unlocking the Arcana with Angelo Nasios (podcast)

Unlocking the Arcana with Angelo Nasios (podcast)

Unlocking the ArcanaTemperance: Interview with Angelo Nasios

Cyndera Quackenbush interviews Angelo Nasios, author of the book Tarot: Unlocking the Arcana. Temperance is the card under discussion; a card whose angel symbolizes the “middle way” path as a solution between extremes. The need for this in today’s culture, a political and lifestyle landscape of polarities, is explored with an eye on the upcoming election (some cussing ensues US Presidential naturally as a result!). Angelo and Cyndera also take a deeper look into how tarot works, identifying spiritual and psychological components in its understanding.

 

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Archetypal America

Archetypal America

I’m happy to announce that a new audio lecture is available from my friend, mentor and fellow Archetypal Counselor, Jim Curtan.   This set of recordings from his workshop for the Minnesota Jung Association last fall is an examination of American Mythology and Archetype.   If you are interested in some of the foundational aspects of the United States of America this audio lecture is for you.

Purchase and download the course for $15

Archetypal America by Jim Curtan

An examination of American Mythology & Archetype

A live lecture recording from the Minnesota Jung Association workshop held in October 2015.

3.75 hours

The main American theme, I think, is freedom. It’s about individual freedom in opposition to or in tension with collective freedom.”

– Ken Burns, documentary film maker, “The Civil War”

MonumentPoster3Throughout American history the archetypes which populate our myths and legends and capture our imagination are the Rebel, the Revolutionary, the Liberator, the Scout, the Pioneer, the Cowboy, the Explorer, even the Outlaw: all of them perpetually moving forward in pursuit of their idea of freedom, both on behalf of the common good and at the expense of it. While many of these archetypes appear from the very beginnings of our history, the conflict between the various notions of freedom—personal and collective—solidified in the American psyche in the years leading up to and following the Civil War. They continue to impact us and our ideas of ourselves to this day.

The course lectures introduce these archetypes, light and shadow, and the distinctions between each of them.

This course references the 1939 film Stagecoach directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne. The workshop attendees watched the film along with Jim’s commentary but due to copyright restrictions the film portion of the class are not available to the public.

 Purchase and download the course for $15

The Tower: Embracing the Grace of Change (podcast)

The Tower: Embracing the Grace of Change (podcast)

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Tell us what you thought of the show on Facebook or Twitter @TarotPodcast !

This month Julienne is in conversation with Archetypal Counselor, Spiritual Director and film buff,  Jim Curtan.  Jim and Julienne discuss some of their favorite topics – Archetypes and Movies.  The focus on the Tower card in particular and the many aspects of change that it symbolizes.  They discuss the good, the bad, the scary and as well as the grace that change can bring when we fully allow ourselves to grieve the loss of the past and dive into what the change brings us.   They also discuss the Tower card in relationship to popular films such as The Hunger Games, Castaway, Inside Out and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

Jim has just released a self-guided audio workshop called  Embracing the Grace of Change using the film The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel as a contemplation on the choices and opportunities presented by the kinds of change that the Tower card can present.

As a gift to our listeners Jim is offering a 20% discount on this course and all others by using this link or entering the code   podcast at check out.

More about Jim:

jim 015 croppedJim has combined his 20 years’ experience in the entertainment industry with more than a decade as a retreat leader and spiritual director to develop a unique and entertaining approach to using film as a gateway to rich spiritual experience.

He is a spiritual director, archetypal counselor and retreat leader. He has taught extensively with New York Times best-selling author Caroline Myss and has been a faculty member of the Caroline Myss Educational Institute (CMED) since its inception in 2003. He has also taught at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, New York, The London Centre for Spirituality, St. John’s Seminary, Stillpoint Center for Christian Spirituality and The Crossings in Austin, Texas among others.

His lectures and workshops have been well received throughout the United States, Canada, Great Britain, the Netherlands, France and Indonesia.

In his prior career as a talent manager, Jim advised such prominent actors as John Malkovich, John Travolta, Patrick Swayze, Geena Davis, Willem Dafoe, Andy Garcia and Melanie Griffith.

Since 2014 Jim has produced a series of self-guided workshops using films for archetypal and spiritual contemplation of situations that affect our daily lives.  Each comes with an audio course commentary on the film and workbook available to download immediately from his online store.  Courses include:

These and more audio courses are available to download from his website http://jimcurtan.com/audio-workshops/

Podcast listeners can save 20% off any purchase when they use the offer code:  podcast 

The Devil Made Us Do It (Podcast)

The Devil Made Us Do It (Podcast)

A word of warning about this episode – we were drunk and we used quite a bit of foul language.   This is the first and probably only drunk edition of the Archetypal Tarot Podcast where we needlessly besmirch our reputation.  Why?   The Devil made us do it. Explicit language and ukulele music – you have been warned ;).

The Devil Made Us Do It – The Tipsy Tarot Podcast

Dionysus_CollierJulienne Givot and Cyndera Quackenbush raise a glass of wine (or four) and revel in Dionysus and all horned gods. Your favorite archetypal tarot podcast hosts unleash new wild and vulnerable aspects of themselves as they celebrate the Autumn season and spirit of Halloween with the Devil card. What results? An exploration of the need for ecstatic experience and letting loose to be yourself (complete with cuss words). A brief drunken history of Crete (the F*cking Minoans!) is reported as the creators of labyrinths and worshipers of the Minotaur. Also featured is a ukulele lost and found, stories about Raccoons and Outlander outfits.   Heck, there’s even some live music and marital arguments.

A midst the revelry there is some actual information and discussion of The Devil card of the tarot, mythology and meaning.

This is a podcast (foolish or funny?) to shake your tail at – and you’re just about to learn what that means.

 

Quickie Edition of the Archetypal Tarot Podcast! (Quickie Editions are 30 mins or less)

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Too late for the podcast recording but we found an article on an Alcohol Tarot and a reference to drunken tarot in a book called The High Heeled Guide To Spiritual Living – we couldn’t help but like the title and add it to our reading list.

Gorey-LikeDevilTarot devil

Woo-woo and Superstition (Podcast)

Woo-woo and Superstition (Podcast)

Quickie Edition of the Archetypal Tarot Podcast! (Quickie Editions are 30 mins or less)

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The Woo-Woo Episode – taking on Superstition

SayNotoSuperstitionJulienne and Cyndera are back to the closet (aka Archetypal Tarot’s secret headquarters) for an in-depth discussion on superstition and all-around “woo-woo,” which the urban dictionary defines as “unfounded or ludicrous beliefs.”  After using these terms in a few podcasts, they received an email from a listener asking just why they are so down on anything ‘woo-woo’ or superstitious. Always happy to hear from listeners  and taking this question to heart (and mind),  J and C  clarify what they mean by superstitious and philosophize on the subject of the tarot, astrology and other systems as both sacred and important learning tools for discernment.

The podcast incorporates feedback from Twitter followers, the esteemed “Uncle Carl” (Jung) and contemporary idea guy Seth Godin among others.

 

While studying astrology I have applied it to concrete cases many times. … The experiment is most suggestive to a versatile mind, unreliable in the hands of the unimaginative, and dangerous in the hands of a fool, as those intuitive methods always are. If intelligently used the experiment is useful in cases where it is a matter of an opaque structure. It often provides surprising insights. The most definite limit of the experiment is lack of intelligence and literal-mindedness of the observer. … Undoubtedly astrology today is flourishing as never before in the past, but it is still most unsatisfactorily explored despite very frequent use. It is an apt tool only when used intelligently. It is not at all foolproof and when used by a rationalistic and narrow mind it is a definite nuisance.

– Carl Gustav Jung: Letters, volume 2, 1951-1961, pages 463-464, letter to Robert L. Kroon, 15 November 1958

 

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Embracing the Grace of Change

Embracing the Grace of Change

“Tell me, what is it that you plan to do with your

one wild and precious life?” – Mary Oliver

I am so very excited to present this new Archetypes & a Movie course to you!

BEMH_iphone_promoThe third edition of Archetypes & a Movie examines what happens when our old story has reached the end of it’s shelf life and how we can embrace the grace that change brings us. Using the film The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel as contemplation on the choices and opportunities that lead us to an unexpected next chapter of our lives.

This self guided workshop is comprised of lecture and commentary on the film plus a full color illustrated workbook with supplementary information.

People of all ages can learn about moving from crisis to re-birth, discovering a secret chapter to our lives, aligning with grace through chaos, navigating the unexpected and finding beauty and love at any age.

Join spiritual director and archetypal counselor, Jim Curtan in a virtual adventure that will touch your heart & inspire you to claim the beauty of your one wild and precious life!

Listen to a conversation with Jim about working with change on a recent edition of the Archetypal Tarot Podcast.

As a gift to podcast listeners Jim is offering a 20% discount on this course and all others by using this link or entering the code   podcast at check out.

Here is an excerpt from my essay included in the course ebook:

Change, Disappointment & Grace

Change: a : to make different in some particular : alter b : to make radically different : transform c : to give a different position, course, or direction to
Disappointment: something (or someone) that fails to meet expectations
Grace: unmerited Divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification

I saw The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel for the first time with my Mom and we both cried. They were those kind of tears that aren’t just happy or just sad – but the big, slow, salty tears that hold so much as they slide down your cheeks. I called Jim the next day and said “You have to teach this movie!”
Naturally, he was already ahead of me on that.

Why is change often so very difficult? We expect one future and change sweeps in and presents something else. It can feel like a theft of a life, leaving us vulnerable in a waiting room with disappointment as our only company. This film asks us to question our beliefs and entertain the idea that disappointment is a necessary companion inviting us to let go of our expectations and welcome in a new life.

Get this self guided audio course to use with the movie Best Exotic Marigold Hotel for 25% off.

EmbracingGraceofChange_featured

 

Artemis: The Moon, Transitions and the Indomitable Spirit (Podcast)

Artemis: The Moon, Transitions and the Indomitable Spirit (Podcast)

Quickie Edition of the Archetypal Tarot Podcast! (Quickie Editions are 30 mins or less)

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In the last podcast on The Moon we discussed being lost and the creative process in relation to the Artist archetype. In this podcast we delve into another aspect of this shadowy archetypal stage – the feminine archetype of deep knowing, agency and connection to nature. Artemis, also known as the Goddess of the Moon, the Hunt, Midwifery and Wilderness.

artemis1

The Moon card from Kris Waldherr’s Goddess Tarot

The Moon & Transitions

If you think about it, you are probably in some kind of transition in your life right now. It could be small and less noticeable or it could be a huge life transition which leaves you feeling lost and unsure of what will happen next. This ambiguous stage of life is often associated with The Moon card of the Tarot when things are not quite what they appear to be and when we often feel lost in the wilderness. Along comes an archetype that embodies this situation to guide you through. She is called Artemis and she is part of the pantheon of mythological Greek Gods and Goddesses replete with stories to nourish you during this time.

A Recognition of Feminine Aspects

Cyndera and Julienne discuss The Moon card of the Tarot in relation to Artemis who some interpret as a Three-in-One Goddess with different aspects embodying cycles of transition. The new moon seen as Artemis herself (also known as Diana in Roman mythology), the full moon seen in Selena and the waxing moon seen as the goddess Hecate. This triune goddess takes a page out of the archetypal Maiden/Mother/Crone iconography and presents the middle stage as not simply woman as Mother but as woman in full bloom with or without children. It’s a model we have had scarce references to in the past but one that is coming into fruition in the 21st century when a woman can be valued for herself with or without offspring.

JeanShinodaBolenTogether C & J talk about a recent workshop they attended with the venerable Jungian Psychiatrist and Author Jean Shinoda Bolen. Her new book, Artemis: The Indomitable Spirit in Everywoman delves deeply into the archetypal powers of this feminine character and how her energy is showing up in our lives and the greater culture.

 

 

 

The Indomitable Spirit at Any Stage

Feat_image_hunger-games-katnissThe indomitable spirit of Artemis can be seen more and more in films such as Hunger Games with it’s very Artemis inspired Katniss Everdeen, Merida the heroine of Pixar’s Brave as well as icons from years past Wonder Woman and the Six Million Dollar Woman. All of these characters contain aspects of Artemis and work with the adversities and the challenges of the Victim archetype in a way that not only empowers themselves but dedicates them to the protection of others.

 

SuitsThe Goddess Selene is seen as the woman in full, empowered with autonomy, generosity and the fulfillment of her choosing. We can see Selene in Minnie Driver’s character Skylar in Good Will Hunting, Gina Torres’s Jessica Pearson in the TV series Suits and Kerry Washington’s Olivia Pope in the show Scandal and many others in film, television and literature.

 

helen-mirren_0Goddess Hecate the sage, fair witness and wisdom keeper who no longer gives a d@mn about what other people think, can been seen in Maude from the 1970’s cult classic Harold and Maude as well as in many roles played by both Helen Mirren and Judi Dench.

 

 

 

 

Do you have an example of one of these indomitable archetypes from film, television or books? Leave it in the comments.

Artemis book coverArtemis: The Indomitable Spirit in Everywoman by Jean Shinoda Bolen is a groundbreaking new book that explores the archetype of the activist. Indomitable means untamed, unsubdued. It is the one-in-herself quality in girls and women who will not be victims, no matter what. To bring the Artemis archetype to life, Dr. Bolen delves deeply into the myth of Atalanta, the famous hunter and runner in ancient Greek mythology, a mortal woman who is identified with Artemis the Greek Goddess of the Hunt and Moon. Atalanta began life abandoned and left to die because she was born a girl. She faced the Calydon Boar and drew first blood; she was the runner who would demand to be beaten in a footrace by the man who could claim her as his bride. Atalanta exemplifies the indomitable spirit in competent, courageous girls and in the women they become. This is grit, the passion and persistence to go the distance, to survive, and to succeed.

Dr. Bolen paints a vivid picture of Artemis women in current media, including Princess Merida from the animated film Brave and Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games. In all these examples and those of real-life women who grow into their Artemis spirit, she provides the means through which readers can navigate their own personal exploration to become their authentic selves. Bolen dedicates this book to women and girls who embody the archetype of Artemis, who discover her uncrushable spirit in themselves or others.

We highly recommend getting a copy of this book – it’s rich in detail, insight and empowering examples we can see in ourselves. If you are going through a transition, this book is a valuable resource.

The Artemis triune:

Artemis (Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen – Hunger Games)

Selena (Gina Torres as Jessica Pearson – Suits)

Hecate (Helen Mirren – as whatever the bloody hell she wants)

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More Artemis characters:

 

The Archetype of the Mother and Queen

The Archetype of the Mother and Queen

Listen to the Podcast: The Archetype of the Empress: The Mother and Queen

Listen in on a conversation with Tarot Dream Stone consultant Cyndera Quakenbush as we discuss the symbolic and real world qualities of these archetypal characters.
The Fourth edition of the Archetypal Tarot Podcast explores the meaning behind the Empress card of the Tarot as a stage of a journey where one is asked to create a protected, creative and nurturing space for their plans or project so it can grow before going on to the next stage of the journey. The Empress symbolizes the archetype of the Mother as well as the Queen. You’ll find out how these important patterns are to our growth and flourishing.
Archetypes referenced: Empress, Mother, Queen, Matriarch, Networker, Soccer Mom, Uber Mom and the Goddess Venus/Aphrodite
Film/Media Referenced: All About My Mother, Stepmom, Erin Brockovich, Serial Mom, Mommie Dearest, Elizabeth, Almost Famous
Further reading: Mothers and Bears Oh My! on the Mother archetype and symbol of the Bear

Like what you heard on the podcast? Share us on Facebook (handy button below) or give us a review on iTunes.

MothersDay

Death & Connection to Nature (Podcast)

Death & Connection to Nature (Podcast)

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Follow us on Twitter! @TarotPodcast or on Facebook

Download this episode (right click and save)

Lupa is an artist, author and amateur naturalist in Portland, Oregon. She is the author of a number of books published by Llewellyn including her upcoming book Nature Spirituality From the Ground Up: Connect With Totems in Your Ecosystem out in January 2016.

Lupa is an artist, author and amateur naturalist in Portland, Oregon. She is the author of a number of books published by Llewellyn including her upcoming book Nature Spirituality From the Ground Up: Connect With Totems in Your Ecosystem out in January 2016.

For those unfamiliar with Tarot, the Death card can feel ominous and terrifying. What if there was a deck that faced it directly and in every card of the Major and Minor Arcana?

In this brave new Archetypal Tarot podcast, Death is embraced early on with an interview with Lupa Greenwolf, artist and creator of the Tarot of Bones .

Lupa is the author of a number of books including her upcoming book Nature Spirituality From the Ground Up: Connect With Totems in Your Ecosystem out in January 2016.  Lupa is also working on a new tarot deck The Tarot of Bones, a natural history themed divination deck, which will make its debut in the summer of 2016. The full 78-card deck will feature photography of Lupa’s artwork made from animal bones and other natural materials.

Cyndera and Lupa discuss stones, bones and how relating with these natural presences can deepen the human connection to nature. A naturalistic interpretation of the Death Card allows us to get in touch with the ignored presence of Death in our lives and how it relates to our current relationship with the environment.

Topics covered in this podcast:

– the process of working with animal remains as an artistic and spiritual medium

– how to make art for both major and minor arcana

– How to work with Death in tarot readings and combat superstition

– How encountering bones assists with deepening a connection with nature

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The Magician Card of The Tarot of Bones, featuring nature-found moss and a corn snake skeleton.

 

 

The World: A New Mythology (Podcast)

The World: A New Mythology (Podcast)

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Follow us on Twitter! @TarotPodcast or on Facebook

Download this episode (right click and save)

craigradio

Craig Chalquist – Depth Psychology Bad @ss!

In the continuance of the new Archetypal Tarot Podcast series, Julienne and Cyndera break the linear mold of the Tarot order and jump all the way to The World Card!

Our guest for this episode is Craig Chalquist PhD. Craig is the department chair of East-West Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies and adjunct faculty at Pacifica Graduate Institute, where he teaches ecopsychology.

Craig is an author and editor many books, including Terrapsychology: Reengaging the Soul of Place.

He is also a contributor to the Huffington Post, AlterNet, The Journal of Critical Psychology among many, many others. Craig is a Certified Master Gardener, teacher to many, passionate advocate of cultivating a sustainable relationship to the planet and all around bad ass of depth psychology.

 

Cyndera

Freud vs Jung! (with Cyndera egging them on)

Topics discussed / fun had:

  • The momentous effect of “earthrise” the first photograph of the earth taken from space and how it forms a new mythology.
  • Hobbits & Heroes (guess which we need more of these days?)
  • How Craig started teaching the Hero’s Journey and why he seldom does anymore.
  • The Avengers
  • Alchemy & Gnostiscism & the Silver Tradition (hint: it’s not all about the dudes…)
  • Carl Jung and the red book
  • The Pandora’s box opened by the Nuclear age
  • The role of fantasy as impetus for change (in fact the driving force of necessary change).
  • Using mythology to shift consciousness

Download this episode (right click and save)

Podcast listeners might be interested in Craig’s online Certificate of Applied Mythology course. We highly recommend it!

cert-applied-myth-icon

 

The Nature and Nurture of Passion (podcast)

The Nature and Nurture of Passion (podcast)

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My co-host Cyndera and I are very excited to announce a new format for the Archetypal Tarot Podcast. We will be revisiting the Major Arcana but this time with special guests giving their insights on the themes and ideas presented by these ancient yet totally relevant archetypal stories.

We start the new year off on the topic of Passion, it’s nature and how we can actually nurture a sense of vitality and adventure in our lives.

bioOur guest for this edition is an author who has literally written the book on the nature and nurture of passion, Gregg Levoy.  Gregg is the author of the best selling Callings:  Finding and Following an Authentic Life and puts his keen sense for creative insight as well as a Storyteller’s magic into his new book Vital Signs: The Nature and Nurture of Passion.

Where his first book Callings was about finding passion, Vital Signs picks up on the why’s and how’s of losing our sense of passion & vitality and how to regain a passionate life with creativity and abundance.  We love this new book and recommend you get a copy – it’s available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon and many fine bookstores.  Visit Gregg’s site and check out all of the resources in “Wow!” images, books, music and films to help you connect to passion and excitement.  http://gregglevoy.com

Ultimately, passion is a life skill—a stance—that helps bring vitality to all our engagements: from work, family and school life, to creative, social and spiritual life. And it’s a survival mechanism—critical to health and well-being—because your attachment to life depends on your interest in it.
-Gregg Levoy

GreggLevoy_VitalSigns_CoverWe think you will really enjoy Julienne’s conversation with Gregg about passion, creativity, the call of the wild, the archetype of the Fool, Vampires, Zombies, Intuition and the practice of living our lives fully.

Passion is an unstable element and will naturally degrade over time but some very simple, yet powerful practices have the ability to heat things up again.  Not only is passion something we start to miss over time but it’s important to our overall health.  As Gregg says in our discussion “Our attachment to life depends to a great degree to our interest in it.”.  Without interest, everything fades, including our health.  It’s no wonder Zombies and Vampires have been of such an interest in the last few years – we fear the life being sucked out of us by routine and a lack of creativity.

You can listen to the entire podcast below or subscribe to the podcast in iTunes and never miss an episode.  We have a very exciting line up of authors, teachers and creators lined up for future episodes.

Right-click and save this podcast to your device.

Gregg’s List of 5 Things You Can Do To Beef Up The Passion & Quality of Your Life:

1)  Pay attention to what is trying to emerge in your life.
2)  Remember that you have a ‘use by’ date.
3)  Come up with a bucket list. (Check out this from Artist Candy Chang:  Before I Die)
4)  Always give yourself something to look forward to.
5) Look for where you’re restless – ask yourself: What wants to move? And where does it want to go?
Julienne’s addition:
6) Turn something upside down. (The Trickster archetype can be very useful in this.)

Want to email us about the Archetypal Tarot Podcast? We’d love that! ATPodcast@archetypist.com

Related articles & podcasts: 

Harvesting From This Year’s Season

The Tower & Lightning Liberation

The Archetypal Tarot Podcast is a production of Both/And Media.

I Feel It All by Feist – An anthem for a full & passionate life.

The Way: A Journey of Healing & Self Acceptance

The Way: A Journey of Healing & Self Acceptance

TheWay_posterI am super happy to announce that another edition of the Archetypes & A Movie course is now available.  As the Producer of this series it’s an especially joyous occasion, not just a ‘job done’ elation but gratitude for how much I have learned throughout the process of producing the course.  My dear friend, teacher and client, Jim Curtan is doing something unique – he’s helping us See (and I mean that with a capital S) our lives in a new way by using the popular art of movies.

This new course centers around the idea of a modern pilgrimage, of our journey through the griefs and joys of life and how that path can bring us to the healing power of self acceptance.  The film used as contemplation in the course is a beautiful indie film directed by Emilio Estevez called The Way (2010).  It stars Emilio’s Father, Martin Sheen and is the story of four very different pilgrims walking the Camino de Compostella de Santiago.

Just as the last course on the Hero’s Journey was about finding out who you are, this course is about remembering who you are and all that your life contains.

The_Way_Cover_Final_500pxThe Way: A Journey of Healing and Self Acceptance is a self guided workshop available to download. It contains 3 hours of audio course, 2 pdf books and access to online discussions with Jim and fellow students.

I encourage you to check it out and have included the link to purchase below that will save you $5 off the already very reasonable price.   You can get the DVD for less than $5 and stream it for free if you are an Amazon Prime member.

Learn more and download the audio for part one of the course for free.

Click to save $5 on the course

In this course you will delve deeply into the following areas:

  • Identifying archetypes as a path of integrating Mind, Heart and Body with the Self.
  • Relating the powerful story of integration as seen in The Wizard of Oz, The Way, Sex & the City, The 40 Year Old Virgin, and more.
  • Healing and acceptance of ourselves and our relationships.
  • Rediscovering who you are and the richness of self acceptance.
  • Remembrance and resurrection.
  • The power of relationships as mirrors of ourselves.
  • The grace of gratitude for all of our experiences, both the griefs and the joys.

SayYesToLifeSoFar_FB

Releasing Limiting Beliefs Using Archetypal Images

Releasing Limiting Beliefs Using Archetypal Images

Stephanie Meghan of Soulshine Tarot

Stephanie Meghan of Soulshine Tarot

How can you use the archetypal images of the Tarot to release limiting beliefs?  In this special edition of the Archetypal Tarot Podcast, Cyndera has a conversation with Stephanie Megan of Soulshine Tarot about just that.

Stephanie Meghan a Tarot Archetypal Hypnotherapist and owner of Soulshine Tarot an online personal development practice that uses the archetypal images of the Tarot.  Meghan is an ivy-league trained scientist who takes a no-nonsense approach to reading Tarot and helping her clients release limiting beliefs.

Stephanie offers customized  sessions with guided meditations mixed with a gentle hypnosis. Meditation is an immensely powerful and beneficial tool that can enhance your well-being and can allow you to remove limiting beliefs that cloud your path to happiness.

Soulshine Tarot Website

Connect with Stephanie on Facebook

Want to email us about the Archetypal Tarot Podcast? We’d love that!  ATPodcast@archetypist.com

Listen to the episode below or subscribe on iTunes 

Books That Saved My Life

Books That Saved My Life

IBooknto each life comes information that changes the course of your life, in tiny ways and gargantuan ones.  For me, books have always been a source of life-changing information.  Fiction and non-fiction alike have turned the rudder of my life for as far back as I can remember.  There are some that I sought out, heard about from a friend or teacher and others that literally have leaped off the shelf and fallen at my feet.

If you have a curiosity about meaning, creativity, relationships, connection, philosophy and just what the heck our purpose for being here is, you will get a great deal from these books too.

Of the very, very long list I could create, these are 10 of the most influential in my own life.  I have read them all again and again, always gleaning new and delightful truth from them and often at just the right time.

There would be no point in trying to rank them in order of importance or impact but I’ve listed them in the order that I read them for the first time, going back over 20 years.

Over the coming months I will post my thoughts about many of these and invite you into discussion.  Their wisdom is evergreen, their ability to bring light and truth as strong today as when they were published.

The 10 Books That Saved My Live (metaphorically anyway!)

Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron

The Theory of Everything by Ken Wilber

Sacred Contracts by Caroline Myss

How Can I Help?  by Ram Dass & Paul Gorman

The Soul’s Code by James Hillman

We: Understanding the Psychology of Romantic Love by Robert A. Johnson

The Three Marriages: Reimagining Work, Self & Relationship  by David Whyte

Callings: Finding and Following an Authentic Life by Gregg Levoy

Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion by Greg Boyle

 

If you have a book club and are looking for new exploratory books to read, I highly recommend every single one of these.