Psyche has lectured at a variety events, such as Kaleidoscope Gathering (2006), Toronto Pagan Pride Day (2007), and the Hamilton Harvest Festival (2007). She also teaches workshops and offers private lessons.
For a sample of lessons taught previously please see the descriptions below, or inquire if there’s a specific topic you’d like her to lecture on at your event or festival (see Contact for more information).
Private Lessons (length varies)
Psyche is now accepting students for Tarot lessons in downtown Toronto. Teaching will be conducted one-on-one with training customized to each student’s experience and ability, moving through three levels, beginner, intermediate and advanced.
The lessons take a no nonsense approach to Tarot, cutting through much of the unnecessary mysticism surrounding its origins, mythology and practice; demonstrating its use as a dynamic divinatory tool with practical applications in one’s day to day life.
The Tarot History Lectures: Dispelling Mythconceptions
Part I: The Roots of Tarot (1.5 hours)
Over the course of its history, Tarot has acquired a number of fantastic founding myths. Delving deep into Tarot’s origins, we will look at the rise of playing cards in Europe, as well as exploring the history and symbolism of several early Tarots, including:
- The Visconti Tarot
- The Minchiate Tarot
- The Sola-Busca Tarot
- The Tarot of Marseille
Focus is on the documented history and symbolism of playing cards, and the rise of Tarot in Europe up to the seventeenth century.
Part II: The Rise of Tarot Esotericism (2 hours)
Tarot was ‘rediscovered’ as a divination device by seventeenth century occultists, and from then on it has enjoyed a unique place in the Western Magical Tradition. We will explore the contributions of several prominent occultists in the repurposing of Tarot, among them:
- Antoine Court de Gébelin
- Éliphas Lévi
- Samuel Liddell McGregor Mathers
- Arthur Edward Waite
Focus is on the documented history and symbolism of playing cards, and the rise of Tarot in Europe up to the seventeenth century.
Note: An earlier version of this course was presented at Kaleidoscope Gathering 2006 as a single lecture titled, Tarot: Its Mythological History.
The Major Arcana: An Overview (2 hours)
The major arcana consists of twenty two trump cards numbered from 0 to XXI. The images on the cards depict familiar themes such as the Lovers, Strength, and Death; these cards often refer to major themes in a person’s life.
In this workshop we explore the history of the trump cards and how they evolved into what we commonly see today in the Rider-Waite-Smith deck and its derivatives. We also begin to touch on the esoteric and divinatory aspects that have become ingrained in their usage today.
An Introduction to the Minor Arcana (2 hours)
The minor arcana consist of fifty-six cards divided into four suits, which are today typically depicted as Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles; these often refer to more mundane and immediate circumstances.
Here we delve into what the suits represented historically, and we begin to touch on the elemental correspondences, numerology, as well as esoteric and divinatory associations.
Lecture and Workshop History
2007
- “The Elements & The Court Cards” , October 14th, Toronto, ON
- “Elemental Theory & The Pips”, October 13th, Toronto, ON
- “Divination”, September 22nd, Toronto Pagan Pride Day, Toronto, ON
- “Introduction to Chaos Magick”, September 15th, Hamilton Pagan Harvest Festival, Hamilton, ON
- “The Roots of Tarot”, June 2nd, Toronto, ON
- “The Rise of Tarot Esotericism”, June 9th, Toronto, ON
2006
- “Tarot’s Mythological History”, August 2nd, Kaleidoscope Gathering
- “Introduction to Chaos Magick”, August 3rd, Kaleidoscope Gathering
