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Reprinted from Zagahreet, 2015.

SamiTé: a Firecracker of Passion for her Craft

'She's a Firecracker of energy, dedication and passion for her craft!' - Lacey Sanchez, Orlando, FL

I’ve known SamiTé as a member of the Asheville, NC, bellydance community for about ten years, and have seen her grow as an artist, put down roots within herself, and undertake an amazing array of wellness and performance skills. Having seen her recent performance at the Down East Drum & Dance Festival in New Bern, NC, I was inspired to go a little deeper with her, asking her about the path she has been walking in the dance all these years. Let’s hear about her continual journey, in her own words.

Onça: You've often said that Bellydance saved your life, with dance at the core of your being, and it is definitely an inspiring tale. Would you share that story with the Zaghareet Reader?

SamiTé: When I came to bellydance in 2000, I was in a horrible place in my life.  I had no clear intention for my future and had been competing in a Winterguard company that left me less than fulfilled creatively or emotionally.  Studying ballet and modern, performing for judges, I was told I was too short and too muscular to be a professional dancer. I was young, maybe 20, then and I had an extremely low self esteem. I was heavily addicted to opiates and alcohol. A friend of mine had seen a flyer for a bellydance class and asked me to go with her.  I LOVED IT!!!!  My teacher kept telling me how beautiful and graceful I was, so I kept going. It gave me joy and improved self esteem.  I quickly sought out private training with a Cabaret dancer named Conchi.  She always encouraged me in the most positive ways.  She never outright approached me about my lifestyle choices, but she always told me that if I practiced hard enough, I could be a star.   She changed my life and my outlook of myself and my life.  I really turned things around then.  I got off drugs and went to school for massage therapy.  Soon after that I moved to California and really ramped up my study.  It was all about dance and movement and healing after that.

Onça: Studying broadly over the past fifteen  years, you have built lasting relationships with a number of influential dancers. Alexandra King once described you as a 'dancer who will change everything'. Can you tell us about your studies, and about the dancers who have had the biggest influences on you?

SamiTé: Conchi for sure was my first influential dancer.  She is AMAZING!!!! Spanish decent, she is about my size and has very muscular body.  I think that is one of the things that drew me to her was her athleticism.  She dances so fast and so precisely and never misses a beat of those zills.  Her heart and soul come through in dance.  I still love her dearly.

When I moved to Santa Barabara, I began playing violin with the UCSB Middle East Ensemble.  I remember rehearsing for a show with the orchestra and Alexandra King had just returned from her travels in Turkey.  I watched her move across the stage and could not take my eyes off of her, to the point that I was no longer playing... simply entranced by her.  At that moment, I decided I was a much better dancer than musician.  I asked Alex if we could barter for classes and she said YES!!!  I traded her massage and took private lessons in her home as well as auditing her courses at UCSB.  It was an exciting time.  Learning music and folk dances of Egypt, Persian Classical Dance, and the American Cabaret.  My favorite part was the party after the show with food... so much food!!!  Music and dancing all night long.  I loved that time.  I feel like that is where I really developed a foundation in music, culture, and technique.  Alex is still one of my best friends and I consider her my bellydance Mama.

I got pregnant in Santa Barbara and had moved to Sacramento when I was about 7 months pregnant.  I did not know anyone and figured that was not the best time to start taking classes.  On the day I was in labor with my son, I was out and about killing some time and happened across the One Root Festival outside of Sacramento California.  Amy Sigil and Shawna Rai happened to be performing, at that time as Haruspicy.  I loved Amy instantaneously.  She was unlike anything I had experienced up until that point.  I was a little hippy then and did not shave my underarms and when I saw that Amy didn't either, I felt instantly drawn to her. She made dance look like so much fun! I approached Amy about classes and she asked me when I was due.  I remember telling her " I am in labor right now, so I should be there in like two or three weeks".  I was there 3 weeks later and took all of her classes and Shawna's ATS classes.  I danced with them for the next year or so and was auditioning for UNMATA when life pulled me in another direction.  My son's father and I had made the decision to move to Asheville, NC.  I am still unclear of the purpose of this decision, but I continue to believe that it was for the best.  I have lived in Asheville for the past 10 years now and growing in so many artistic and movement based studies.  I still continue to study with Amy and am a certified ITS Level 1 and 2 Instructor.  I will also be hosting her for a weekend of workshops October 10-12 in Asheville, NC.

Currently I am most inspired by Amy Sigil and my ITS training and Zoe Jakes.  I have been fortunate enough to have done my Level 3 ITS training with her also and developed a friendship. I was chosen to dance in the House of Tarot project in Asheville, NC as well as share the stage with Beats Antique.  I am super excited to do a week-long intensive with Zoe this August.  I am sure I will return a completely different dancer.

Onça: You came into Bellydance with other complementary skills such as string music and a background in the precision of Winter Guard. What other forms of training or adventure have you had, and how have those roots impacted your  development as an artist and athlete?

SamiTé: As a younger person, I was introduced to Winterguard, which is very similar to ColorGuard with the Marching Band however Winterguard is a shorter performance of 5 minutes.  You set and create the stage and perform with flags, rifles, and sabres.  It combines ballet, modern, gymnastics, and theatre into a competitive dance form.  I competed in high school and after high school with an independent guard.  It was extremely militaristic, but I appreciated the challenge. It gave me a really good foundation for training and performing for judges and working as a team.  While definitely inspired by the drilling for several hours a day, the guard was too militaristic for me and I did not appreciate the negative motivation.  I really fell in love with bellydance because of the community support and the positivity.  But I still run drills like a sergeant!

Onça: Having now been in Asheville since (how long... Is it ten years?), you've continued to diversify your performance skills. Now an aerialist and fire artist, you seem to have a life rich in creativity. What else can you do, and how have you managed so many interests, a career and a family?

SamiTé: In addition to bellydance, I have taken on some complimentary skills over the years.  Fire performance namely to be very important to me.  I had seen some fire spinners when I lived in California but it was not until I moved to Asheville that I was introduced to fire dancing as theatrical performance.  I first saw Djinntana at LEAF festival which morphed into what is now the Asheville based Unifire Theatre.  I was not instantly drawn to any particular tool.  Staff because of my background spinning flags and rifles.  But, the fire and performance art community took me to the burn community and it was not long before I met and befriended Riz of Fire by Riz.  On a fateful day at Transformus some crazy number of years back he taught me how to crack whips and I was instantly obsessed.  Within hours I was cracking them on fire topless around the festival.  From there I joined Unifire Theatre and started working with hoops, costuming, fans, and masks.  My dance and theatre background helped me to be versatile with several props.

Also within this community, I was introduced to aerial acrobatics.  My athletic side ate it up!  At a certain point I was training for 4 hours at a time 4 days per week.  It was challenging and new.  I joined a group called Asheville Aerial Arts and sought out training on aerial silks and trapeze.  I also began training as the flyer for doubles trapeze as well as having the opportunity to do some flying trapeze.  A couple other girls and I broke off and formed The Libravado Sisters Aerial Dance Ensemble.  We performed at many many events for charities, weddings, festivals. That was amazing and fun and exhilarating time.  I was performing every weekend between fire and aerial and teaching 7 bellydance class a week.  While it was amazing, it was also extremely hard on my body.  I gave it a good run for about 6 years, but I do not train or perform in that medium anymore.  I love it though.

I have no idea how I kept this ship running smoothly for so long. I am going to say my ADD loved the juggling of all the things.  But, I injured my shoulder and realized my age at a certain point.  I have a son and a not so helpful baby daddy.  I needed a job that was consistent and payed the bills.  I sort of stopped, dropped, and went to school.  I got into physical therapy, largely due to the searing pain in my shoulder and my background in massage, dance and yoga.  I love it.  I have worked in physical therapy since 2011 and it is the perfect compliment to my life.  I work in an outpatient clinic 2 days per week teaching people how to walk or helping their chronic pain condition, I do massage out of my home 1 day per week, and I teach dance classes out of my home 2 days per week.  This works perfect and still affords me time to practice, work on choreography and be a mom.  Crazy,  right... no one has ever seen me and Wonder Woman in the same room.  That's all I am saying.

Onça: Being known for your crisp, earthy, expressive style, with both signature speed and fluidity, how did you develop that style, and how do you keep on evolving?

SamiTé: My style is very real and inspired mostly by where I am in my life.  A few years back I wanted to stop trying to pretend I wasn't muscular and just embrace it.  I busted out one armed push ups and my famous back roll stall into a shoulder stand.  I figured I would highlight the things I do well. Last year, I wanted to share my experiences from learning to deer hunt  and created the Huntress piece.  For some reason, right now I really want to embrace my femininity and vulnerability.  For me my creative process is ever changing - which keeps me and my audience on its toes.

"One of the things that struck me about Sami Te' upon first seeing her perform back in 2007, is that she is a risk taker. Her costuming, her choice of music and her moves were unlike anything I had seen before and it rocked my world. I was a fledgling professional dancer at the time and upon seeing her dance, it fueled my own creative juices to a expand my dancing and push beyond my creative limits. I see Sami Te'  dancing as fearless and to me that is the beauty of her dance, it is freedom. " - Kaitlyn, Down East Drum & Dance Festival

Onça:  What do you most yearn for as a dancer at this stage of your development, and what advice can you give others wanting to be inspired to meet their own goals?

SamiTé: As a dancer, I am currently most hungry for teachers.  I crave the ability to dance ITS at Hot Pot on the regular or take Classical Odissi with Colleena Shakti.  I am hungry for a mentor.  For someone to hold me accountable, to be my coach, to give me constructive feedback and help me to continue to develop as a dancer and instructor.  I would love to just be a dancer in someone else's dance company.  If I could I would study with Amy Sigil, Zoe Jakes, Mira Betz, Anasma, Collena Shakti and Linda Faoro all the time.  But for now, I am super content taking intensives and teaching classes at home.  I believe in learning.  Continuing to study and grow in any form of movement.  Any type of movement class with affect your movement and we have something to learn from everyone and every situation we encounter.  Continue to seek out training, seek out feedback.  Shoot someone you respect $20 for feedback on your video.  It is always possible to continue to learn and grow and to not hold yourself back with excuses.

Onça: When teaching both at home and on the workshop circuit, what do you love to teach most of all? Where have you been recently? And what events are coming up where the reader can experience your instruction and performance? And... what's next for you, creatively speaking?

SamiTé: I love love love teaching!!!  I love watching people become inspired and have "AH HA!!!!" Moments.  I am really inspired by ITS right now and love Amy's format.  I run a level 1 and level 2 class out of my home and have been teaching  ITS Exposures as well as my own Tribal Fusion Combos and Choreography Classes. .  This summer has been really busy for me.  I taught a weekend in Calgary, Canada followed immediately by teaching  at Tribal Solstice in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.  I just returned from from the Down East Drum and Bellydance Festival as a featured instructor.  Next on the books is a weeklong intensive with Zoe Jakes.  Plans in the works for different things but I will keep those hush hush until more plans have solidified.  Amy Sigil will be in Asheville, NC October 10-12 and I will also be debuting my foam roller program at the end of class on Saturday to address neck and shoulder pain and Sunday will address hip and low back pain.  I plan to teach more therapeutics classes and more small group immersions in my home studio in 2015. I feel like with all my education in movement and healing, it is my greatest contribution to my community.

As Mahsati Janan, also of Asheville, says, "SamiTe's uniqueness is undeniable, and rooted in the strength of her artistic vision and the embracing of her individuality. She commits to her art 100% and puts her clarity of focus to work to develop fantastic performance pieces that go beyond the usual and showcase her strength, technique, and skill."

Reprinted from Zaghareet, 2013.

An Interview with Karolina Lux:  ‘I understand the wildness’

by Madame Onça

There’s a rising wave of serious fusion in the Tribal Genre, and it’s slightly scandalous! It’s the place where bellydance, a folkloric yet sensual art from the Middle East, rubs against burlesque, a sexy and campy art with a uniquely American cultural context.  The most fertile places in nature are always found where ecosystems collide, and I find these messy, exhilarating regions in the arts to be hotbeds of creativity. I’ve dedicated the past eight years of my career to expanding and discoursing on these boundaries, and promoting these fearless artists. In light of her upcoming tour of the East Coast, an interview with Karolina Lux seemed in order. She’s a bellydancer, burlesque artist, horn player and clown who tours with West Coast operatic accordion icons Vagabond Opera and Sepiatonic. She is also teaching at TribalFest, Fusion Faire, and my new event for 2013, Richmond, VA’s first annual Virginia Burlesque & Sideshow Festival, May 31-June 2.

Onça: As a rising star of the ‘make your own way’ fusion movement, you enjoy a wide open field in the performing arts. Are there any artists in Tribal, burlesque, or elsewhere that you credit for trailblazing a new, more liberated, sex-positive paradigm for bellydancers?

Karolina: There are acts in the history of women's performance art where the spotlight has shone particularly brightly on the strength of feminine power and grace. My inspiration has been in looking back to those scenes, whatever timeframe they fall, and drawing their wisdom into my work today. Josephine Baker, Mae West, and hundreds of others, all were innovative ‘fusion’ artists of their time, setting a new standard for how sassy, witty, and wild a woman could be.

In today's world of fusion, my earliest memories of feeling the tingling sensation of ‘I can push the boundaries to wherever my dreams take me’ were of seeing Zoe Jakes in Extra Action Marching Band back in the day. Though actually she has never (to my knowledge) claimed to be a burlesque fusion artist, her capacity to integrate the rowdiness of vaudeville into the glamour of belly dance has broken a lot of dancers free from the normal ideas of delicate femininity. Her work definitely set my foundation for fearless fusion!

Other burlesque-belly dance fusion artists in the scene today that have encouraged dancers to go wherever their sassiest fusion dreams dare, are Fuchsia Foxx of Seattle, Princess Farhana, and friends I have met in the Portland scene like Nina Nightshade. And now that I know you, Onça, you are in that list!

Onça: Shucks. Well, I have done what I can to advocate for broads of a different feather in the BellyVerse. For you, working in both the burlesque and variety fields and the bellydance genre, do you still encounter any old-school prejudice regarding your work?

Karolina:  I still receive some wayward glances at shows now and then. For the most part, however, people seem to understand what I am trying to accomplish. I stirred things up at Ya Halla Y'all in Texas a couple years ago. I competed in the fusion category with a belly-esque piece, where I ripped my skirt off to reveal little ruffled shorts underneath. The shorts were pretty ‘PG’, but after the competition I was taken aside and warned that my piece might have had a negative impact on the audience. When I won the People's Choice Award an hour later, I was allowed to perform in the gala, but only if I switched to knee-length bloomers!

Generally, I find bellydancers have the most issues around burlesque fusion. Obviously burlesque dancers don't care, but belly dancers don't want to be associated with "Strippers". I understand that perspective....some of the older dancers have worked their whole lives to combat stereotypes and negative imagery associated with belly dancers in society, but I view my work as a throwback to an older era, and an homage to the diversity and power of female sensuality. Families are usually  the last to mind. I had a father come up to me after a show on tour in a rural midwest town. He said ‘Thank you for giving my 11-year old son the opportunity to experience the power of the female body in a positive, community-supported context.’ I never forgot that!

Onça: I LOVE that anecdote; that’s one you tuck away to warm your heart on a rainy day, to breathe courage into you when your life’s work is in question! You bring much varied experience to your work. What is the unifying theme or philosophy of all of your performance work, from trumpet to bellydance and beyond?

Karolina: I would say the unifying theme of all of my fusion is ‘authentic innovation’, done theatrically. Authentic in this case implies a number of things.

First, I strive to be true to myself, my artistic drive, and passion as a human being on this Earth. I don't innovate for the purpose of "trying to shock people". I do it from love of the female form, for support of the female struggle, for the joy and bizarre wildness of vaudeville, for the love of movement and expression. This, I assume, is why I do not get as much negative response in a sometimes controversial area. My work is a risqué gift from the heart, not, at this time, a political argument.

Authentic also means: Researched! I do my homework. I dig deep, and try to understand the source. I don't just ‘learn the Charleston’, I understand the wildness of the context of that dance that was so fresh at the time. Growing up, I studied and emulated the expressions on old musical actresses faces, I watched old cartoons, I memorized old 1950s commercial jingles, I read old LIFE magazines and poured over the ads with glamorous vintage models, emulating their poses, their demeanor. Authentic means sometimes being obsessed. Good fusion means understanding a whole cultural context, not just throwing on some fashion accessories. The theatricality of my work is also a theme, usually manifested in the variety arts: I add as many interesting props and elements as possible, from musical instruments, to umbrellas, to audience volunteers. To me this also pushes the idea of what it mean to be a bellydancer: Why can't we also sing, act, be comedians, if we feel inspired? It also brings the authenticity of old vaudeville in, where dancers were part of variety shows.

Onça: This resonates for me so much. I began the truly interactive aspect of my performance career upon realizing the power we hold as entertainers, to not just make suggestions to an audience as a dancer, but to actually manage their experience! From my lectern in the limelight, I can ‘take them there’ with the power of my full commitment, be that by climbing over the audience, addressing them from the mic, or rolling on the floor. How are those values of multitalented authenticity reflected in your upcoming projects and appearances?

Karolina: This summer is full of shows and tours that will be full of all of the ideas and elements discussed above. I'll be bringing my new group, Sepiatonic, to Tribal Fest to showcase our singing, belly dancing, musical-instrument playing variety act, then heading to the VA Sideshow Festival, where I will be joining Madame Onca O'leary in her quest for bettering variety and belly dance arts in Richmond, VA. There, I'll be teaching basic elements of burlesque, and a lecture course on the history of American Vaudeville. Then its off to tour with the NorthWest's own Vagabond Opera, where we will be touring an original show of quirky characters, belly dance, physical theater, music, and mayhem! Later I'll be out at the Fusion Festival in Boise, ID and in the Fusion Faire in San Louis Obispo, CA teaching burlesque and theatrical expression for belly dancers. My goal is to just bring belly dance to a level of theatricality that other dance forms often enjoy; modern dancers usually get lighting options, ballerinas would never be asked to dance on concrete, etc. Belly dance is originally not intended for large theaters, as it was an intimate-space performance, but I strive to be part of the movement for getting it up on the stage. For belly dancers in this transition time, switching from performing in a small space to a large one with a spotlight in your face is a skill in itself that needs to be honed. I hope, with my background in theater and dance, to be able to help others bridge that gap!

Onça: In this time of flux, when for some of us, anything is possible in the name of making good art, is there anything you’d like to add on valuing, perpetuating and protecting the integrity of both artforms?

Karolina: Belly dance and burlesque are both sensual art forms that rejoice in the power of the divine feminine. We must not forget that humor, fun, sassiness, and comedy all contain wisdom as inherent to female strength as elegance, and grace. In our quest to make the world "not think we are strippers and treat us respectfully" we must not forget that belly dance is sensual, is sometimes, believe it or not, sexy, and that we are those divine sensual, sexy humans performing it! Sensuality is not something to hide from, and sexuality not something to be ashamed of, unless we allow ourselves to fall for the ideas in society that it is a negative thing. And of course, as in all art, context is everything. I would never do burlesque at the Saiidi Festival, etc., and consider the nature of the show when I perform.

Onça: Context is everything! And... Courage is everything!

Karolina: I also suggest that, be it in burlesque, flute playing, pancake-making, juggling, sacred arts, and beyond. that others find their own innovation in fearless fusion!

This article will depart from our usual discussion of the traditional Tarot, instead highlighting a different, all-new card-using system!
Phoenix of Denver, CO, multi-talented dancer, healer and instructor, has created her own set of cards that function well for dancers as a creative tool for self-knowledge. And that is, after all, what the cards are for, a mirror to reflect on what we know and what we have yet to learn.
Cartomancy Overview
There are many flavors of cards that act as a Mirror of the Self. In the more traditional card camp, we find both the well-known Tarot and the lesser-known (but increasingly popular) LeNormand cards dating from the Napoleonic era. In the more individualistic camp of the free-form creators, we find card systems such as the Fairy cards, Angel cards, and now Phoenix’s Dancing From Within Cards. These alternate systems have a plethora of devoted fans, in spite of being relatively new to the cartomancy scene. I am a long-time fan of Phoenix, and leapt at the chance to learn more about her creation.
No Nonsense!
This deck, created by Phoenix in 2013, is largely text- and affirmation- based, and is described as a game for self-knowledge. Phoenix says, “My hope in creating this deck was to provide exercises and tools supporting both personal and spiritual work, as well as growth in performance and movement. I want to help unlock the talent of every person!” While some card readers project a great deal of mysticism to the process of laying out and interpreting cards, I enjoyed Phoenix’s very no-nonsense, get-on-with-healing-thyself attitude. She describes her cards as a game, a fun yet meaningful way to unwind while challenging ourselves both in terms of movement skills and in terms of releasing creative, emotional, and self-awareness blockages. Her approach is so practical, and her motivation so sincere, I was curious how she was inspired to create these cards and how they are most often used. “A number of my students use them meditatively, to select areas of personal work. Others use them to generate fresh combinations in dance when they are feeling stuck and stale. ”
Elemental Inspiration
Her teaching has long been informed by the metaphorical elements of Earth, Air, Fire and Water, as well as her deep studies in the Eastern Chakras as a way to name and work with energy in the body. In 2004, she began developing exersizes for her dance students utilizing these concepts, and developed this approach further while co-leading women’s retreats in 2011 and 2012. After a ‘Eureka!’ moment with her very supportive healer, she was encouraged to develop a card game to make these concepts more accessible to all. Phoenix got to work immediately. Inspired by that moment of awakening, the motivational words, phrases and affirmations throughout the Dancing From Within Cards all coalesced through a lengthy process of personal study and her own meditational practice.
What Do They DO?
This deck is a family effort, printed by her brother at Alphagraphics in Wilmington, NC, and conceived, designed and shipped by Phoenix herself. The set is comprised of 53 cards and instructions for 4 games, wrapped in a shimmery organza pouch! (Because ...dancers.)
Opening up the shimmery bag, one takes out the cards and explore the four game options. The player then decides whether to:
Explore the Elements to deepen your technique, widen vocabulary, and expand your expression
Explore the Chakras and how you feel in your body, opening flow and blockages within
Deepen the Chakra work by adding in the human Talent and Affirmation statements
Combines the layers, pulling in both the aspects of deep personal work as well as movement

Chakras? Elements? What?
For those of you asking, what ARE Chakras and Elements anyway… As described in the Dancing From Within Cards, Chakras are your unseen but palpable energy centers in your body and being. They hold the energy of various aspects of your life, your past and being. Blockages are sometimes reflected in inhibitions, fears, and false limitations. Different Chakras correspond to different aspects of experience: survival fears, security, vocal expression, confidence and more.
The Elements, as Phoenix presents them, are those you may be familiar with from Western esoteric spirituality; Air, Fire, Water and Earth. So in her card game:
Earth represents grounding, rootedness, security, calmness, and self-assurance
Fire speaks of self-definition, with our personal power, boundaries and control over self (never others)
Water addresses matters of emotion, self appreciation and self-acceptance
Air describes our powers of intellect and ability to rely on intuition, thinking, inner truth and openness, interpersonal connectivity

Good For Who?
These movement based cards are designed to be open to all movers, all genders and levels of ability, from ballet to bellydancers, teens and up. In terms of dance or movement technique, they have offered assistance to people in terms of adding power and smoothness to the work. Phoenix describes how she has watched the cards assist that have struggled with their adding intention and depth to their movements. “They find that making the leap was less of a body effort and more a matter of accessing the energy behind it. In terms of performance, card workshoppers have a new way to access making their intention, and emotion, accessible to the audience.” She adds that folks with emotional or Chakra blockages are empowered by the affirmations and human abilities presented in the cards. Sometimes artists experience great openings and deeply healing experiences while working with Dancing From Within Cards.

How Do I Learn More?
Phoenix has been teaching for years with her feet firmly rooted in an Elemental approach. A national instructor with 19 years of experience, she’s workshopped with Dancing From Within Cards in a broad variety of settings. Both as a teacher and a career RN, one of her passions is doing face-to-face work with people, deepening soul and body connections. Due to the miracle of technology, she can work with folks one-on-one via Skype also. The actual Dancing From Within Cards are available on her website at www.phoenix-dancing.com.
Just remember, “It’s like a mirror. Sometimes you know what you will see… and sometimes its a big surprise!”

Next in our ongoing Zaghareet series on tarot for dancers, we will explore through personal testimonial how the old-fangled practice of tarot reading can be useful for dancers in both daily life and as a tool to mark and celebrate milestones.

Just as with drilling dance moves, steady tarot practice brings facility and depth to our use of the cards. To get our skills up, some folks read or meditate with the cards every day. Some, like myself, have a hands-on practice with clients during the week, or for dozens of people over the course of a festival. But above and beyond the benefits of regular reading, sometimes a special reading is called for, an experience standing out from the rest of the week or year.

Dancers find many special occasions for readings, from practical or ceremonial.

The tarot can be a catalyst in several ways for dancer’s creative projects. We may do a reading at the start of a project. Multi-genre artist Zoe Jakes strives to bring the traditional icons to life with dance in her cartomancy-themed show. “The cards are my main inspiration for House of Tarot, and we make a reading based around each show.” Other dancers that have staged tarot related shows and projects include the West Coast’s Delilah and NYC’s Neon. It's a European tradition with a rich and vital visual heritage that gets dancers inspired.

Birthdays are a popular time for card readings, marking as they do a clear boundary between past and future. Whether in a light-hearted party setting, something ceremonial, or a down-to-business approach, a birthday is a wonderful occasion to consider what potential the upcoming year might hold. Nadira of the East Coast Classic Competition says “As it’s my Saturn Return this year, I will do a full Birthday speed! Usually, I get one overall year projection reading, and then on my own have single card readings during the full moon for personal questions and new moon for business projections.”

There’s a spectrum of natural calendar occasions, from the phases of the moons to the Solstices and Equinoxes that offer good times for self-reflection by the student of the self and the earth’s natural rhythms. Katarzyna Wrona says, “I've been doing readings on the full moon nearly since I started (there's always something 'different' about those).” Dana Beaufait of Seven Cities Dance Studio in Norfolk, adds, “Special occasion times in our life can be flag stones at crossroads to make adjustments to our lives enabling us to get closer to our true selves. During the full and new moon cycles I ask the smaller questions to track my expansions and contractions from month to month. During the solstices I go big with lifespan ideas and inquiries.”

My co-author on the book for the World Spirit Tarot, Jessica Godino, has always done New Year’s readings. She says, “Just this past New Year’s night, a group of friends and I got together and were pulling cards, and I was still amazed at how helpful and relevant it was!”

Speaking of parties and social occasions, Christy Anandaconda Smith, a dancer, writer, and singer in Atlanta, says, “Lately, I have taken them to several going away parties, offering a reading instead of one more thing to pack. I know my gift is meaningful when the first card out, before I've ever said a word, is so powerful that my friend cries. With joy, with acknowledgement, with recognition, with shock... it's been a different reason every time, but that gut power is the constant.”

Dancers that use the tarot as part of their spiritual experience have found a variety of ways to incorporate the images into their women’s events and community gatherings, as well as for personal readings and meditation. Jaia of Ananda Dance Company in TN uses the cards to hone in on what work she wants to undertake in her seasonal women’s circle, “The tarot has been helpful in so many ways, but one way I especially love using this medium is when seeking guidance on ritual focus. It's so helpful when deciding what to address, and how.”

When using the cards to evaluate our options, our inclinations and our pitfalls, we should always remember that nothing is written and immutable. The cards do not tell us how things WILL be, but rather how they will be if we maintain our current course. If we dislike the predicted outcome, we can strive to effect change through our actions. To take action, we need to honestly consider our prospects and proclivities, and these old-tangled cards help readers to rediscover the gift of personal time. In this multi-tasking fast-paced digital age, the opportunity to reflect deeply on our decisions is oh-so-rare, precious, and ultimately, practical.

Welcome back to our series for the Tarot-Curious bellydance folk!

Got Cards?
So you recently bought, found or were gifted a set of cards. Now you want to know how to take care of them. You ask yourself, “Self… Are there special rules to be aware of? Weird chants or arcane rituals to perform? Should I pour out wine for my homies or pray to the saints?”
Well, be reassured! Like bellydance fusion, there is no one unbroken tradition of tarot that dictates your course from here, but read on for some good guiding principles as you find your own way. As with personal habits, from skin care to keeping track of our finances, smart actions reinforce themselves (And poor habits make work you will learn to avoid).

Taking Care of the Deck: Storage
Keep your deck in a bag or box (Or both, a bag IN a box) of your choosing. I recommend something sturdy and noticeable, so that unlike me you don’t spend 50% of your life squinting at shades of black fabric in your studio, uncertain as to whether you are looking at a skirt, your bathrobe, a dance bag, tarot cards, nor the cat. The goal after all is to keep them in one place, away from mess, where you can find them. Some folks prefer bags in either patterns that evoke their meditative or spiritual side. Traditionalists will go with draw-string solid-hued silk (or silk velvet) bags. Possibly the silk became traditional because of its ‘fancy’ i.e. High-brow and serious connotations, and also for the pureness of it, literally one natural fiber that is sturdy, lovely, and ultimately compostable. Back in the day, synthetic fibers had been invented, so they haven't had time become ‘traditional’; who knows what traditions our poly-blend future holds? In any case, many old decks in my collection are stored In these old silk bags. As far as boxes go, many things can work. I have old cod fish boxes that I have illustrated, wooden cigar boxes, jewelry boxes, etc. These are for ‘stay at home’ storage; just the bags go traveling.

Taking Care of the Deck: Reading Surface
You can READ on any levelish Surface, from special painted ceremonial table-covering to car dashboard. It just depends in how ceremonial or showy you like to get, Being a kitchen witch, I can't take time for a lot of new age frippery, and I read on anything dry, clean, nonwindy, and flat. BUT, if candles and incense and OMing get YOU in a good intuitive place to use the cards, go for it. now, just like game and playing cards, these cards can be readily damaged by the elements, notably fire and water. Alcohol-splattered surfaces near open flames not totally recommended. Keep a clean surface!

Taking Care of the Deck: Traveling
I keep my favorite first edition in a shabby black zip bag just the right size to fit in my carry-on. I don't check it. If I'm doing a schmancy gig like a corporate party or cabaret show, I'll transfer that little black bag into a black beaded purse on a long strap, keeping everything in character, but close to me.

Other People and Maintaining your Deck
Some folks dont permit others to touch their cards. That is a personal choice. I DO let others handle my cards, making the reading interactive and hands-on. I'm not afraid of people’s mojo and I find letting them work with the cards empowers them.
However, every now and again it may feel like your cards need a ‘reboot’, sort of an energetic spring cleaning, to rinse all the ‘other peopleness’ out of your deck.There's a number of ways to do this, and some are more ‘far out’ than others. I won't offer any theories why they may work, but I do pass them along in good faith.
First, restack your deck in factory order, from Ace of Wands through to The Universe, in the sequence they appear in your book. Doing this helps to both reorder your thoughts and settle the cards. This is generally sufficient for my ‘cosmic cleansing’.
Some other options are to take your bag of cards and set it in a bowl of salt, a stand-by for grounding and cleaning in ceremonial circles, or if you are really into rocks, set them down for awhile with crystals. Friends who do tarot and are on the First Peoples/ Red Road also smudge their cards with sage, which entails burning sweet-smelling ceremonial herbs over them, which truly is amazingly soothing. I have heard of tarot lovers putting their decks on a window sill in moonlight as well.

Preparation for Reading
Now we examine the actions we take as a prelude to reading. There are no rules but there are many traditions to choose from - and new ways to make. Some traditions involve elaborate rituals to sanctify the space, to invoke your guardian angels, to enter a meditative space. As a busy mom, dancer and event producer, I ain't got time for that. Building on the methods of Kate Nordstrom, my original tarot mentor, I have developed a simple and expedient way to prepare for readings for myself or a querant. You can develop your own method too!
Shuffling the cards for a minute, I hold in mind the intention of acting as a conduit for information to help the client or querant. I counsel them to fashion a clear, answerable question preferably with a time frame (this week, six months, this year) and hold it in mind while THEY shuffle the cards. I discourage them from small talk me while they shuffle - their task is to remain focused on their question. While they do that, I unobtrusively rest my palms face up on my knees and continue to think of being a conduit for them. When they are ready, they place the cards on the table and with the non-dominant hand, cut it to three piles and re-stack randomly, repeating this cut and stack process till it has been done three times. I never ask them their question but they sometimes opt to share.
The querant sets the deck back on the table and fans them out face down. With that non-dominant hand, I have them select their cards by feel, feeling for warm or cool cards, placing them face-down in any order. Once they remove their hands after all this, I turn their cards, face up, and move into the interpretation phase.

And… Crazy People, Pushy People, Funny People
I don't mind people touching my cards, but I have heard some absolutely spurious bull over the years about the cards, so this paragraph is dedicated to the hilarity and audacity of some folks. Favorite foibles include the woman who interrupted my lecture on the history of the deck to insist the cards came from Atlantis (possible I suppose in an infinite universe, but she was unable to substantiate this claim). I had to cleanse the cards after that one.
In another vein of kooky, I had a teenager tell me recently, “No offense, but my friend told me that no REAL tarot reader would ever charge money for readings”, and then hang around my table… just in case. I bowed to her friends expertise but, no, I did not do free readings for her and her assemblage of hopeful friends to prove myself authentic.
And now at the last, something awesome; at a corporate costume party gig for extremely affluent people, I read for a man and his wife who were crassly and hilariously dressed as Donald Trump and his Mexican girlfriend. They got the Greater Trump, card of corporations and infrastructure, The Emperor. For the tarot reader, that's such a great pun!

This installment in my series of articles for Zaghareet presents some succinct suggestions for making the study and enjoyment of the tarot part of your regular routine.

What is Tarot and How Does it Work?

Tarot cards are a series of images, usually 78, passed down over the centuries, used for self-reflection and meditation. Some of the cards are selected at random and then interpreted through a mix of symbolism, intuition, and context. Our deep mind knows more than we admit, and study of the tarot provides a fascinating mirror for us to understand our motivations, challenges, and probable outcomes. Carl Jung similarly used the I Ching every day.There are lots of ways to bring tarot into our daily lives. I have outlined a few below!

Meditation

A wonderful way to let the cards work for you is to meditate on them. Pick a favorite card, or even one that unnerves you, and tack it up on your bathroom mirror. Just ruminate on it twice a day while you brush your teeth! Eventually it will be like an old pal. Try another. Some cards will appeal to you seasonally, some in times of crisis. Take note of the sequence of the cards you choose; they present an extended reading all of their own.

Study

The history, utility and symbolism of the cards is deep. If you want to know more, follow the books and blogs of scholars like Mary K. Greer and Rachel Pollack. There are social media groups for enthusiasts. I’ll make a plug here for Princess Farhana’s fun online site, ‘Divination Nation’. There may be an alternative or metaphysical bookstore near you where you can get your hands on some books and find other authors you like. And similar to the bellydance circuit, the tarot realm offers a world of local and international tarot conferences, where you can geek out on new ways to read the cards, history, and fine points of iconography!

Readings

The bulk of work with tarot is done through readings of the cards, and that can be a lifelong discipline. Practice makes better. Maybe you read every day, and keep a journal of your readings and their outcomes. Perhaps you throw the cards down once a week while listening to ‘Car Talk’ on Saturday morning, or trade readings with your dear ones on the full moon. I have known folks who do a big reading for the year to come on December 31. Some enthusiasts make the leap to reading for money, online, over the phone, in bookstores and Psychic Fairs, or with private students and clients. Know that real clients bring real problems, and you are expected to help if you deal the cards!

Performance

Perhaps as a bellydancer, you feel compelled to do a dance piece embodying the Empress or any other archetypes in the deck. Maybe you want to do a whole show. If so, dig below the surface fashion of the cards. Get into the tarot, their meaning, their history, and the sources of the art that inspires you. Artists like BellaDonna, Zoe Jakes and Delilah have all explored this theme, and you want to bring something authentic and unique to the timeless landscape of the cards.

Creating a Deck

I've done it, and you can do too. Decks have been made with collage, fabric arts, photography, painting, digital art and more. (To be inspired, or daunted, get a copy of the most recent ‘Encyclopedia of the Tarot’ by Stuart Kaplan. It archives tarot rendered in stained glass, bas relief, you name it!) It is my suspicion that more decks have been generated in the past fifteen years than in the previous century. There are James Bond, Hello Kitty, Steampunk, and art pornography decks, as well as amazing tarot of depicting virtually every cultural heritage you can think of from Native American to the Finnish creation myths. Your options creatively are as broad as your imagination.

A full deck is a massive undertaking, but more attainable than ever before with the advent of self-publishing in addition to the established publishing houses. Self-publishing takes money, but the really hard part is getting through the monumental body of work. A traditional deck has 78 cards - you best get busy.

In conclusion, there are many ways to get some tarot in your daily life. The ‘toothbrush meditation’ offers you an effective but casual, on-the-go approach, whereas serious and scholarly study can immerse you utterly in history, imagery and psychology. In spite of bad press, tarot has been blooming for centuries, and has really been rehabilitated in these modern times as a graceful, meditative tool for counsel and self-analysis.

Welcome to the newest installment in this series of articles for Zaghareet on the centuries-old tradition of tarot cards. Past issues have touched on their history, basic structure, how to get started reading, and some lesser known ways to use the cards as a tool for self-knowledge. This article will assume some you have familiarity with tarot and now want to learn more about unlocking the potential of the Aces.

What is a Tarot Reading and How Does it Work?

To read the cards, we lay out of a small quantity of cards chosen by chance according to various patterns, and interpret them through a mix of symbolism, intuition, and context. I call this the direct line to your gut instinct. The story told in the cards offers wisdom and sometimes an amazingly helpful mirror to the self. Although cards have been co-opted by Hollywood as a source of unrest and even evil, they have a long, well-documented history for both use as a harmless adult parlor game and a Jungian style tool for self-knowledge.

An overview of Tarot and Aces

Each number value in the cards has certain qualities shared across the suits.
In other words, all Twos have something in common as do all Sevens, Nines and so on. If the Ace is the seed, as the numbers get higher, the qualities of that suit grow, bloom, or increasingly chafe.
Ace - Raw potential, root of the suit's power, a gateway to the future. Nothing concrete yet, but a potent idea or possibility.
Two - First steps towards manifestation, new beginnings and debuts. Also the start of separation and individuation.
Three - An initial level of stability and accomplishment. Potential is being unlocked bit with far to go.
Four - Stable, accomplished, public recognition or kudos, and a sense of plateau.
Five - My teacher called these Chaos cards! Everything is in upheaval on the way to the next level of development or being.
Six - Whew, Sixes offer new and greater stability as well as a broad scope. Sixes offer a more enduring, mature expression of the suit.
Seven - The Vortex cards! Challenge both welcome and unwelcome, adventure, being shaken up and down, to possibly re-emerge.
Eight - In some ways, this is the suit at its pinnacle of freshness and ripeness. Rapid developments moving to solidity.
Nine - Compost! Nines express the qualities of the suit stridently! Sometimes too much; too much swordliness, too much cupness!
Ten - The absolute fullness of the suit for good or ill. Pinnacle, closure, shifting into something altogether new.

The Aces are the first cards in each suit, from lowest to highest, and stand in the place of the One. An Ace is depicted with one single spot, or image. The next is the Two of any given suit.
The Aces in particulate often refer in a reading to a new venture, new stage of life, or a radically new perspective. Sometimes they are the door that opens to let you out of the crowded room of limitations you have been in - the unexpected job, hobby, relationship, harvest. There are also fascinating parallels between the Jungian based Meyers-Briggs tests and the wisdom of tarot. The curious reader may consider following that discipline, for a more 'rational; approach to some of the tarot's wisdom.

Aces in the Suits
Each suit has its own arena of influence and description. The suits are basically the same as those of the tarot's cousin, the modern playing deck.
Wands - Manifesting, getting things done. Fire, passion, will-power and creative endeavor. Wands make manifest that big art project you have meant to do, the opera you were going to write, the greenhouse you are build or the enormous tiara you were hoping to bling out. It can be more than a project but rather a whole business undertaking. It can occasionally be a fiery and productive romantic relationship. In the Jungian Meyers-Briggs personality parlance, Wands are Intuition.
Cups - Pertaining to a surge of new emotional or spiritual life. This comes up most often for relationships, be they friendly, romantic or familial. Sometimes for the birth of a baby. In the Jungian Meyers-Briggs personality parlance, Cups are Feeling.
Swords - Big, game- and life-changing ideas, the Ace of Swords can also describe the power of new inventions in your life. Swords being the suit of air, the intellect and communication, this card can describe the need for and development of some strong and necessary boundaries. In Jungian Meyers-Briggs personality terms, Swords are Thinking.
Pentacles - Also known as Coins, they speak to the arenas of health and wealth. When the Ace of Pentacles come up in a reading, we are most often looking at Wellness, either of the body or of the wallet. Not likely to come up for a found $5 bill on the ground, but certainly for an inheritance, auspicious outcome on an initial investment, or even for the birth of a baby. In the Jungian Meyers-Briggs personality parlance, Pentacles are Sensation.

In Essence, with Aces, EVERYTHING is Possible
When Aces come up in a reading of any kind, they are comparatively straightforward. They describe new beginnings, but JUST the possibilities. The burden is on the querent to build a bridge of right actions from that potential to the desired result, be it a stable relationship, healthy liver, or a pile of cash. Aces generally ask you to consider, relative to the question, the need for you to make space for something new!

Ace-related Facts and Superstitions -
World War One Flying Aces: Best known to the modern generation thanks to Snoopy's alter ego in the old 'Peanuts' cartoons, a 'Flying Ace' in military history is defined as an aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy planes, and hence, an expert. The term is credited to the French. This definition flows neatly into the next two points of interest.

To Ace an Exam, To Have an Ace up Your Sleeve: In the words of dictionary.com, To Ace It is a slang idiom indicating 'A person who accomplishes something with complete success.' It means to come out on top of a challenge. Again, this concept of primacy, being at the fore, dovetails nicely with the Ace being the icebreaker, the leader, for each suit of cards. Likewise, to 'Have an Ace up Your Sleeve' means being prepared with the tool, skill, or special circumstance sure to turn events your way, as if one was playing to win at cards. The Aces in most English-speaking countries are the highest ranking cards in the playing deck, and having another Ace may ensure victory.

This is Aces!: A high compliment, superlative. This expression again refers to the Aces primary, i.e. first appearing, status in the deck.

Most interestingly, we come to the Ace of Spades, the Spadille (or 'little sword'), as 'the Death Card': In legend and folklore, the Ace of Spades has been known as the Death Card, and been a popular folk icon in theaters of war. In the Vietnam war, it was used by US troops in an attempt to frighten the Viet Cong, due to a mis-apprehension that the Viet Cong feared the symbol. The Bicycle Card Company manufactured cases of Aces just for the military. Conversely, the Ace of Spades was painted on helmets and craft by soldiers to invoke good luck, due to its fortunate connotations in card playing.

In the film 'Carmen', there's a shot of notoriously mysterious actress Theda Bara cast as a fortune teller. With great soulful eyes she is laying out the dreaded Ace of Spades! This role and shot were reprised by Rita Hayworth. Tarot, of course, has a more imposing designated Death Card in the Major Arcana, which just as sensationally appears in any film with hint of the mystic. The Tarot's Death card is generally about transformation, challenge, and letting go of old patterns, rather than physical death. The Ace of Swords, as we have seen above, speaks to the potential for big decisions, bold actions and hard boundaries. Those brave steps and radical closures may FEEL like death, but are usually more metaphorical in nature.

In conclusion, Aces celebrate BEGINNINGS!