Berkeley Events: Deconstructing the Tarot & Pierce the Valley

Earth Day // April 22, 2023

Hi All,

I’m excited to share that I’ll be back in the Bay Area for the first time since I was there writing Tarot for Change in 2020 to offer two events on Earth Day, April 22, a workshop and a live telling & discussion of The Grail Legend.

I’ve been on a bit of a hiatus from offering classes due to what’s felt like rapid & tectonic shifts in my foundational understandings of the world so I’m really excited to have something that feels worth sharing.

Here are the details & links to register. I very much hope to see some of you there.

Image description: A flier with black text on a white background with a black and white illustration of The Fool by Xaviera López in the lower left corner. The text reads: DECONSTRUCTING THE TAROT: GOING BEYOND WHAT'S GIVEN with Jessica Dore Berkeley, CA Earth Day 2023. A credit to the artist is in the lower right corner.

DECONSTRUCTING THE TAROT: GOING BEYOND WHAT’S GIVEN

$60.00

Date: April 22, 2023

Time: 1-3pm PST

Place: Studio 38, 933 Parker Street #38, Berkeley, CA 94710

Some understand the Tarot as a set of cards with preset meanings that one can learn or even memorize through dedicated study. Others say the symbols and images are likely to reveal whatever the querent wants or needs in a moment. In this two-hour workshop, we will consider ideas about & practice dwelling somewhere in the middle.

Through a light exploration of relevant philosophical movements—namely deconstruction and poststructuralism—we will imagine ways to engage “authoritative,” popular, and earlier interpretations of the Tarot with an eye toward what’s been missed, marginalized or un-storied.

We will draw on the works of feminist philosopher Grace Jantzen, theologian Shelly Rambo, narrative therapist Michael White and others, to consider the ways that contradictions, binaries, and assumptions can open us up to new meanings. We’ll practice locating such openings, peering in, and naming what we find.

Beginners are welcome. Bring a Tarot deck if you have one (and maybe an extra you’re willing to share with those who don’t), a way to make notes & any books you use to interpret.

Accessibility: The space is quite large and with high ceilings, but indoors and space will be limited to ensure folks can distance if necessary. It is on the ground level and there is a ramp to enter the studio. Masks will be optional. If you have accessibility needs that are not listed here please reply to this email.

Click here to register.

Image description: A gray, black and white flier with a black illustration of The Fool by Xaviera López. In white letters it says "PIERCE THE VALLEY: A LIVE TELLING & DISCUSSION OF THE GRAIL LEGEND" with Jessica Dore Berkeley, CA Earth DAY 2023. A credit to the artist is in the bottom right hand corner.

PIERCE THE VALLEY: A LIVE TELLING & DISCUSSION OF THE GRAIL LEGEND

$30.00

Date: April 22, 2023

Time: 5-7pm PST

Place: Studio 38, 933 Parker Street #38, Berkeley, CA 94710

A good story invites a listener to participate in the making of meaning, and a good listener invites a story to unfurl in new ways. Both make way for the revelation of new and previously un-storied details. In this two-hour gathering, I will tell you a story that I think is good, and I will invite you to do your best listening. Then we’ll spend time talking.

When young Perceval—whose name means “pierce the valley”—accidentally stumbles upon a strange treasure and a wounded fisherman, he fails to do the thing that he finds out later would have not only healed the wound, but restored the land which had gone to waste. A lot happens after that, which we’ll get into.

The Grail Legend is often referenced for its lessons on the healing function of curiosity, compassion, and asking. Together, we will practice doubly-listening* to both the story being told and the strange moments, loose threads and ruptures that might open us up to new meanings.

*doubly-listening is a term coined by Michael White, founder of narrative therapy to describe his way of listening to people who are talking about trauma. He writes, “I hear the story about the trauma, but I also hear expressions of what people have continued to accord value to in their lives despite what they have been through.”

Bring anything you need to be comfortable & a notebook if you’d like to make notes.

Accessibility: The space is quite large and with high ceilings, but indoors and space will be limited to ensure folks can distance if necessary. It is on the ground level and there is a ramp to enter the studio. Masks will be optional. If you have accessibility needs that are not listed here please reply to this email.

Click here to register.

Warm wishes,

JD