Introduction to The Thursday Night Tarot
The Thursday Night Tarot was
started in San Francisco in 1950. 2020 marks its 70th year of informal weekly
tarot conversations.
Our tarot conversations are open to all. There
is no charge. We follow the ancient Òmouth to earÓ tradition,
that is, people speaking and listening to one another. When we meet in person,
we Òpass the hat.Ó Each person contributes according to
their own perspective.
Jason Lotterhand, who
began the Thursday Night Tarot, liked to say that ÒTarot
exists to evoke thought.Ó At each group meeting we are guided by an
enlarged color tarot card image. Tarot images are meditative images, just like
a Tibetan thangka, an icon, mandala,
or other meditative picture.
Arisa Victor, JasonÕs friend and editor, who led the group
after JasonÕs retirement, advised, ÒWhen working with tarot, bring
love and light down into your body, arms, and hands.Ó Arisa also said, ÒAll the cards are equally our
friends.Ó
Tanya Joyce, who has a led the group
since 1999, adds to ArisaÕs advice, ÒWe all have
a few Ôhigh maintenanceÕ friends. At first, most people favor some cards
and are put off by others. What we gravitate toward is different for different
people. When we simply keep ArisaÕs advice in mind,
we relax.Ó
One way to start getting to know a tarot deck is
to look at the cards as though they were a travel brochure. Which scenes are most appealing? ÒMaybe
IÕll go there first.Ó Pick out a card, or two or three, and put them up where
you can glance at them occasionally during the day. After a few days, pick some
different cards.
The possibilities are endless!
For more information contact
Tanya Joyce
POB 884311
San Francisco, CA 94188-4311
As of spring 2020, The
Thursday Night Tarot is not currently meeting in person. We continue to observe
Jason LotterhandÕs suggestion that Òtarot exists to
evoke thought.Ó Exchanges of email questions continue. Thursday Night Tarot
weekly tarot commentaries continue as emails. Contact Tanya Joyce to join our
email list or ask questions.