Messages

Gosh! We have had so many new members signing up! I try to send each person a welcome email. And I encourage everyone to fill out the Profile info so we can begin to know you a bit better, especially those of us who are not able to attend in person as often as we would wish.

But I thought I'd also add this new discussion as a sort of Welcome Aboard place, so we can ask each other questions, elaborate on various things someone may have said in their profile, and generally check in with each other, especially the new folks. Also, this could be a sort of FAQ for our group, so that new folks can get caught up with all our wonderfulness that much sooner!

So welcome aboard, folks!

So to start off, here are some FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions) that might help new folks have a sense of our unique personality and some guidelines, too!
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• Who can join this group?
  As our name indicates, all Tarot enthusiasts are welcome! That means all levels of experience, including those who've just bought their first deck, to the avid collector, to the person who only uses the Tarot for personal self-guidance and exploration, to the folks who love reading for others, to the professional readers and artists among us who do this for our living -- All friendly folks are welcome!
  
  
• What kinds of people are in this group?
  This is a fun, upbeat place to discuss our love of Tarot and to meet others who share our interest. We have people of all ages, from youngsters under 10 to youngsters firmly over fifty (I won't presume to guess past that!). Our members come from many walks of life, including techies, moms, students, teachers, healers, and more. And we have a diversity of spiritual practices represented as well, with the common thread among us being an open mind and lively curiosity.
  
  As noted in the first item, friendly is a key word here. We do not tolerate proselytizing, flaming, or rude behavior. As Organizer, I will ordinarily give someone a warning, but I can remove you from the list and I won't hesitate to do so if I feel you are creating discord or bad feelings.
  
  This includes any unwelcome advances or behavior towards any members. My priority is for this to be a safe and welcoming environment for all.
  
  
• Does it cost money to join this group?
  Currently, Meetup.com charges me $9 a month to use this site. Our members do not pay a fee to join this group or to attend an event. I do not anticipate that this will change, as long as I am the Organizer, or as long as Meetup doesn't change their policies.
  
• Where do you meet?
  Our current location is at the Oh!Brians at the intersection of Hwy. 55 and 54 in the Park. Look for details in the "About" section.
  
  
• When do you meet?
  We meet the 3rd Wednesday of the month, and our meetings officially start at 7pm. However, many of us come around 6pm so we can have dinner and chat together before the official start, so please do join us earlier if you'd like. You can certainly order food and drinks after 7, but let's face it -- it is very hard to do readings or handle peoples' cards respectfully if you are up to your elbows in ribs and BBQ sauce!
  
  
  
• Are there any rules about posting on the message boards?
  In the words of the world's oldest, most successful online community: You own your own words. This means that you are responsible for what you post. It also means that reproduction of those words without your permission in any medium outside of our group's message boards may be challenged by you, as the author. You may also protest any unauthorized usage to me, as the Organizer.
  
  We function on mutual respect and cooperation, so please pay attention to how you choose your words. We have certainly all experienced how our meaning can come across differently in ascii, hence the use of "emoticons" to indicate joking, sarcasm, etc.
  
  Please try to format your posts so that they are readable, and we would all appreciate your using a spell checker, if you have one. Zapping off a post in a fit of passion may feel good, and yes, you have the ability to edit it after the fact, but remember, please, that your words have impact and not all may see the "cleaned up" version.
  
  Lastly, your mom was right: politeness and good grammar do count.
  
  
• I love the Tarot. Or - I have a friend who is into Tarot. Can we just show up?
  You are welcome to come and/or bring a friend, but please join online first and RSVP. If you don't have regular Internet access, please RSVP by calling me. As our group continues to grow, it is becoming increasingly important that people RSVP and then keep their commitments. Yes, I know that life happens. Or if at the last minute you can come when you thought you couldn't, please don't not come.
  
  But I need to have an accurate idea of how many are expected. Please officially join (it's free after all), and then RSVP.
  
  
  
• Is this where the public can come to get a free Tarot reading?
  Again, I ask the attendees to be members, so if you join us, because you are a Tarot person - either a seeker, a reader, or student of Tarot or what have you -- you are welcome. Yes, we do readings for each other, and we would probably not turn away someone outside the group who is asking for a reading.
  
  But these are practice readings, by and large, and a chance for us to learn from one another. Therefore, I would say no, this is not a place where someone should be directed if they want to consult a Tarot reader.
  

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So there you go!
If you're new and have questions for us, or comments; or if you're a member who wants to chat with the new folks - maybe something they put in their Profile - check in here!

And as other things come up, we can always add to the FAQ list. But I hope this gets "newbies" started and makes the point that we are very glad to have you here!

What a great idea, Beth, this thread on the basics and welcoming and talking about each other's profiles. May I borrow your idea and put it on our site?

What a great idea, Beth, this thread on the basics and welcoming and talking about each other's profiles. May I borrow your idea and put it on our site?

Oh, sure -- you bet! I've gotten so many great ideas from you, it seems only fair!

FAQ: Can my kid(s) come with me?

Children are warmly welcomed as long as they are polite and respectful. We have a couple of members who bring their children because their kids, too, are very much into the Tarot! This has been a fun experience for all!

But please -- if you think your little one will get restless or upset at more or less sitting quietly for 2 or 2 1/2 hours, or if you have concerns about unedited language and adult subject matter, including those of us who may wish to talk candidly about our backgrounds, beliefs, lifestyles, or other personal matters, it might be best to think about making other arrangements.

We are not X-rated, by any means. But it is also true that the Tarot deals with just about any kind of concern, particularly grown-up ones.

Only you know your kids and your feelings about such matters, so we very much appreciate you thinking considerately about this.

FAQ:
Where are the best places around here (the Raleigh-Durham NC area) to buy Tarot books and decks?

Disclaimer: This is my personal opinion, and I have some personal interest in this...

Soapbox mode turned on:
The agenda is that I am a passionate advocate for independent, local businesses, especially independent bookstores, which are an endangered species, thanks to the mega MacBookstores that pander to the lowest common denominator. This particularly threatens non-mainstream folks like Tarot people, whose interests are already suspect among the conservatives who run those chains.
Soapbox mode turned off

And in the spirit of full disclosure, I will also tell you that I have a more than casual association with the store I am recommending, because I give readings there twice a month.

That said, I would encourage you to check out the Dancing Moon Bookstore in Raleigh. They are the only surviving metaphysical store left in the Triangle, or anywhere between Greensboro and Wilmington, for that matter (there used to be several -- see the toll those big box stores are taking?) ..

The folks there are very knowledgeable and they actually care about things like the Tarot. They have a great selection of Tarot books, decks, and other goodies, and they are delighted to special order whatever they may not have.

So instead of you paying shipping to somebody like Amazon.com, they will order and pay S&H. Plus, if you decide it's not what you wanted after all, you don't have to buy it!

Can't beat that!

So, yes Barnes&Borders has decks and books. But Dancing Moon has a tea room, beautiful crystals, magical music, fantastic vibes, and a deep commitment to honoring all spiritual paths.

Their address is 1840 Wake Forest Road (just off of Capital Blvd), and their number is (919) 833-8081.

An important update:

• Who can join this group?
  As our name indicates, all Tarot enthusiasts are welcome! That means all levels of experience, including those who've just bought their first deck, to the avid collector, to the person who only uses the Tarot for personal self-guidance and exploration, to the folks who love reading for others, to the professional readers and artists among us who do this for our living -- All friendly folks are welcome!
  ....
  
• As noted in the first item, friendly is a key word here. We do not tolerate proselytizing, flaming, or rude behavior. As Organizer, I will ordinarily give someone a warning, but I can remove you from the list and I won't hesitate to do so if I feel you are creating discord or bad feelings.
  

Although I had not specifically addressed the situation in my FAQs, it is the policy of Meetup.com to ban all spammers, specifically people who are signing up for multiple Meetups in order to market themselves. Often they will join Meetups in many different locales, pretty much going against the whole intention of Meetups, which is for people to find each other thru the Internet, but to interact and meet locally.

So if you are joining lots of groups so that you can advertise your services or wares, please think again before you join our group. I will report you to Meetup.com and will delete your membership without ado.

The message board topic of Support your local Taroist is the exception and is open to any of our own bona fide members who would like to promote themselves.

Hope that is nice and clear, because I am fierce about protecting this space to be a friendly, no-pressure place where we are developing our friendships and path with the Tarot; not being subjected to commercial promotions from unknown people.

- Beth

Important information concerning directions to our Meetup Venue

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It has come to my attention that a couple of our members were given very inaccurate directions in the Yahoo Map information when trying to find Oh! Brian's.

So beware! Do not use Mapquest or Yahoo directions to find our venue. Instead, you can check Oh! Brian's Website here, or simply jot this down:

From I-40, get off on Exit 278, which is NC 55. Go towards Cary/Apex (away from Durham) and the first big intersection will be with NC 54. Cross Highway 54, staying on 55, and on the almost immediate right, before the shopping center, you'll see the red and white sign for Oh! Brian's. It is a stand-alone restaurant.

Their address is 4818 NC Hwy. 55. Their phone number is (919) 484-1742.

I hope this is helpful!

-- Beth

Hey folks as of yesterday we are tied with New York for third place in the number of members we have in the tarot meet up world.

We are a pretty hefty crowd.

I doubt if there's any way that we can catch up with India or Dallas in the near term, given that their demographics is so much more denser of the ours.

If you're a newcomer, however don't be scared away as we are always a manageable sized group for our venue. And the food's not bad too.

Paul

I have "pinned" the discussion about how you got into the Tarot at the top of the message board, as a way for all our new folks (and our long-time members who've been holding out!) to introduce themselves in a little more detail.
For instance --

• What got you interested in the mystical realms?
  
• How did you get started with the divination arts?
  
• What was your first deck?
  

.. and any other interesting plot twists in your Tarot tales!

I hope y'all will share your story, if you haven't already.

- Beth