21st Century Tarot, Episode 1

I usually do not take the time to write reviews however, after I spent the $25.00 and was so disappointed I felt I had to. This video is a one hour interview of sorts and really does not go into any depth about Tarot except that the author has created his ow deck. If you want to study the Tarot you might try the intuitive interpretation of the Tarot.

21st Century Tarot, Episode 1  is an easy-to-comprehend, exciting look at how we can use Tarot in our daily lives in the 21st Century. It features a central Bill Moyers-type interview between Anastasia Haysler (a Tarot reader and teacher in her own right) and Tarot genius James Wanless, PhD. (author of  Intuition @ Work: & at Home and at Play ; Way of the Great Oracle ; Major Arcana ; Tarot for the New Age: Volume 2 - Minor Arcana ; Strategic Intuition for the 21st Century: Tarot for Business ).I first saw Dr. Wanless in person last year, speaking at a World Tarot Day event in San Francisco. As I witnessed his dynamic presence and clear intellect, my first thought was: "Who is THAT?"That moment was quickly replaced by an "Ah ha!" when he let us pick cards from his Voyager deck to discover insights for our day. Then it dawned: the  Voyager Tarotdeck (Voyager Tarot Deck)  was one of my first decks in the mid-80s. With its evocative, multi-cultural (un-White Bread) collages, the Voyager cards stimulate imagination and the subconscious in ways that bypass preconditioned brain reflexes.Like his cards, Wanless comes off as a collage of ideas, honed by years of interdisciplinary studies. On that World Tarot Day, I wished I could take home a video to recall his wit, wisdom, and engaging down-to-earth approach.Yes, I got my wish.Thanks to  21st Century Tarot, Episode 1 , I can invite Dr. Wanless into my home whenever I wish, and experience his crisp, clean energy...his humor...and review to my heart's content his concepts for how I can integrate Tarot into my life for greater focus.What is Tarot for the 21st century? Wanless sees it as a process where it's taken "out of the hands of the fortune tellers" and placed into anyone's hands--enabling them to use their own intuition for "fortune creation."Wanless believes "everyone is psychic," which is a liberating concept in itself.To my great joy, the video does feature segments from that World Tarot Day event. The look and quality is highly professional. It's not a slap-dash "Let's throw something together on my digital camera and make a few bucks" affair. Structurally, it's neatly organized into categories: how to read for oneself; how to read for others; how to view "negative" cards; and of course, how to practice the discipline of picking one Tarot card a day. (Wanless's peers call him "Captain Pick-A-Card" because of his practice of picking a card a day for insights.)I've been reading Tarot for 20 years, informally and as a professional. I find the beauty of this video is in its simplicity--which can make it as appealing to a first-timer as it does to a seasoned Reader. Wanless has a gift for breaking down complicated concepts and making them user friendly.At the heart of my pleasure with this video is knowing that Tarot Media Co. has captured this veteran luminary for posterity. Footage of Wanless is more rare than a two-headed King of Swords. For that matter, footage of many of the Tarot authors and deck creators who have toiled throughout the 20th century and beyond is uncommon. My hope is that  21st Century Tarot, Episode 1  will encourage more gathering of these Tarot geniuses for video documentation in the near future.Before they disappear from this mortal coil.

I first met James Wanless at PantheaCon in the Bay Area a few years ago. I found his cards and his presentation astounding. He invited us to try using his deck,  Voyager Tarot: Intuition Cards for the 21st Century and we explored its images and his concepts into how to use his cards for "Fortune Creation". It was refreshing to think of Tarot in a new light.Now Tarot Media Company has captured the man and his spark for any one to view and experience in this new DVD,  21st Century Tarot, Episode 1 . I was fascinated by how James brought the viewer in to see what his deck is useful for, from A Card a Day readings to ways to use this deck to exploring one's own abilities to be an oracle for one's self.It was amazing to see him interact with Anastasia Haylser, whom I had heard on The Tarto-To-Go radio podcast and then see them at World Tarot Day in this video. I heard about World Tarot Day and now I get to expreience it as if I were there through this amazing DVD. When I had heard the podcast about this DVD being made, I was excited. I have viewed it and can say I am thrilled to be able to add it to my DVD library as well as use the information to enhance my Tarot readings.I am intrigied as to what we will get next in Episode Two and look forward to these new DVDs.Thank you Tarot Media Company and James Wanless. Keep it up!